Let's begin today in the book
of Colossians. Book of Colossians chapter 1.
I want to talk to you today about my favorite subject, and yours
too if you're a believer, and that is the person of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Colossians chapter 1. We'll start in verse 15. Colossians
1.15. 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 that 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. And 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." And then
chapter 2, verse 1, that you knew what great conflict I have
for you and for them at Laodicea, and for as many have not seen
my face in the flesh, that their hearts might be comforted, being
knit together in love and into all riches of the full assurance
of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of
the Father and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge. I've titled this message, In
Christ Jesus. And as I began to look at those
words throughout the New Testament, I was amazed at how often they
appeared. And all but one or two of them
are in Paul's writings, almost exclusively. And I've titled this message,
In Christ Jesus Part 1, and the reason for that is that if we
were to look at all the places, either the words in Christ Jesus
or in Christ are used in the New Testament, we would be here
for several hours. I've had to divide this message
actually into three different parts. That's how many times
these words are found in the New Testament letters. And many of these statements
that we read today would make sense if you took out the words
in Christ or in Christ Jesus But our God intends for us to
realize that none of these blessings are available anywhere but in
our blessed Savior, in His person. This text we just read in Colossians
2 tells us that all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid
in Christ. He is the storehouse, the warehouse,
if you will, in which God has all the blessings for His elect
chosen people. All that we'll need in this life,
and when we depart this life, we will have full access to all
those blessings as we stand before the Savior and worship Him for
eternity. I've tried to look at these in
the order they're found in the Scriptures, so let's flip back
over a few chapters to Romans. The book of Romans, chapter 3. And we'll progress from there.
Romans chapter 3. The first thing that we find in Christ
Jesus is our eternal redemption. We read in Romans chapter 3 verse
21, But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,
being witnessed by the law and the prophets, Even the righteousness
of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all them that
believe, for there is no difference for all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Now, this word
redemption is another word for recompense, restitution, It means
a deliverance or rescue, the paying off of a debt, the recovery
by a payment of something that had been lost or sold. And we were indeed deep in debt,
owing God an eternity of suffering for the sins that we had so willingly
committed. And sadly, we had nothing to
pay. We were like those of old that were thrown in debtor's
prison, unable to produce anything that would please our God. But thank God, one was found
to pay that debt, to pay the ransom due. And He brings us forth from darkness
into His marvelous light. But the price of our redemption,
we have to remember, was unimaginably high. It required the very blood
of God Himself Hebrews 9.22 tells us this, and almost all things
are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood
is no remission, no redemption. Now, our redemption from the
sentence of eternal death is found in the shed blood of Christ. Colossians 1, that we just read
that chapter, it tells us how and by whom we have redemption. Speaking of the Father, it says,
from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom
of His dear Son, His Son in whom we have redemption. How? Through His blood, even the forgiveness
of sins. And Ephesians 1.7 says almost
the same thing. In whom we have redemption? Through
His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of His grace. Hebrews 9.12, Neither by the
blood of goats and calves, But by His own blood, He entered
in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
for us. His blood not only redeemed our
bodies, which we're told in Corinthians are the temples of God, but He
redeemed our very souls. Now, in Christ, there is hope
for the desperate lost sinner who's been awakened to His condition. There's hope for our children. for our grandchildren, for our
brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers. Because we find this good hope
in Psalm 130 verse 7. It says this, Let Israel hope
in the Lord. And this is why. For with the
Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption. Not just for a few, but for a
number that no man can number. And like all things that are
found in Christ, this redemption is plenteous, abundant, exceedingly
overflowing, more than sufficient. Flip over a few pages to Romans
8. The second thing that we find in Christ Jesus is a release
from condemnation. Verse 1 of chapter 8 tells us
this, Now, no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. We have
this promise of no condemnation if we are in Christ. But it was not always so, because
Romans 5.18 tells us this, Therefore, as by the offense of one judgment
came upon all men, to condemnation. By the fall of our father Adam,
the human race was plunged into despair and ruin. But our merciful
God arranged it so that many of those who fell in Adam would
be redeemed in His Son. Because the second half of that
verse says this, Even so, by the righteousness of one, the
free gift came upon all men under justification of life. No condemnation. Scott free. If we are found in
Christ, We are as secure as He, and we know that He is right
now seated at the right hand of the Father, ruling all things
with perfect ease, setting in majesty. And the condemnation
that would do our iniquities has already been poured out.
Therefore, there is none left for us. It has been extinguished
on God's blessed Son, on Golgotha's hill. We have the promise of
forgiveness from the very lips of the Savior Himself, who said
in John 5, 24, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that he that
heareth my words, and believeth on him that sent me, hath right
now everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but
is passed from death to life. And notice the wording here.
It does not say that he that believeth on Me will have everlasting
life. But it says he hath right now
everlasting life. And if we have that life, we
have it because we are in Christ Jesus. Thirdly, you're in Romans
chapter 8. Look down at verses 38 and 39.
Here we're found For here is found, I should say,
as with all the other blessings of God, the fact that the love
of God is found in the person of Christ Jesus. Verse 38 of
Romans 8, For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature
shall be able to separate us from the love of God. which is
where? In Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul
wrote to Timothy nearly the same thing. In the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is
in Christ Jesus. He wrote to Timothy again in
2 Timothy 1.13. Hold fast the sound form of words
which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ
Jesus. Now, how can we begin to describe
the love of an infinite God? Our feeble minds cannot begin
to comprehend an eternal being. Now, our love changes. But God's love has been the same
from eternity past, when He put us in Christ, and will be the
same in eternity future. And we have this assurance in
Malachi. I am the Lord. I change not. If He loved us, He will always
love us. Therefore, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. This verse assures us that if
God ever loved us, He will always love us. And unlike our love,
His love is eternal. Our love is fickle, changing. You can turn it on a dime. There's
an old saying that says, Heaven hath no rage like love to hatred
turned, nor hell no fury like a woman scorned. Which simply
means this, that someone you love may do you a tremendous
hurt. And that sometimes causes men
and women to take that object that was
the object of their love and it becomes now the object of
their scorn and hatred. And love is certainly one of
the deepest emotions that any human being can feel. It causes
men and women to sometimes give their life for those that they
love. Christ told us Himself that this
is the greatest expression of love. He said this, greater love
hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. And Christ told His disciples
in John 15, henceforth I call you not servants, For the servant
knoweth not what the Lord doeth, but I have called you friends.
For all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known
unto you." Our Lord laid down His life so that we might have
eternal life. And He did all this because of
the love that is found in Him. Next, turn over to 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians 1, verse 2, And unto
the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified
in Christ Jesus. Call to be saints with all that
in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus, both
theirs and ours. We find here that our sanctification
is only in one person, and that is in Christ. It definitely is not by the works
of righteousness which we have done. Paul told Titus in Titus
3.5. Now this word sanctify. We're
sanctified in Christ. It means to set apart for a sacred
use. To consecrate. To make holy. To purify. Now if something is
set apart, it is chosen to be different from those things that
are not set apart. Not chosen. 1 Peter describes
it this way. He says, but ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people,
that you should show forth the praise of Him who hath called
you out of darkness into His marvelous light, which is what
God Almighty did for a certain group of people in eternity,
Before time ever was, before there was anything or anyone
except the triune God, God chose to make a people trophies of
His grace to be the adopted children of
God Almighty. Two verses in Hebrews 10 tells
us how our sanctification took place. Verse 10 says, by the
which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all. And then verse 14 of that chapter
says, for by one offering He hath perfected forever them that
are sanctified. And because of the sanctifying
work of Christ on behalf of chosen sinners, something supernatural,
something miraculous has occurred. which is described here, we are
made one with the Savior. Being part of His body is described
in Hebrews 2.11. It says, for both He that sanctifieth
and they that are sanctified are all of one, and He is not
ashamed to call them brethren. Romans 12.5 says much the same
thing. So we, being many, are made one
body in Christ, and everyone members of another. That one
body over which Christ is the head, the most royal of families. Next, in 1 Corinthians, flip
over to chapter 15. Chapter 15, 1 Corinthians. Verse 19, we read, If in this
life only we have hope in Christ, we are of most men most miserable.
Now our hope which is found in the Lord Jesus Christ is described
in Scriptures as a good hope. And that is because it is based
on promises that cannot fail. And the reason they cannot fail
is because of who makes them. They come from the mouth of a
God who cannot fail. In Lamentations 3 verse 21 gives
us the reasons that we should hope in Christ.
It says this, This I recall to mind, therefore, have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that
we are not consumed, because His compassions fail
not. They are new every morning. Great
is Thy faithfulness. We just sang of it. The Lord
is my portion, saith my soul, Well, I hope in Him. When we say we hope in something
which God has promised, it means that we're not wishing it will
come to pass, that it might come to pass. We're sure that it will
come to pass. We have confidence that it will
happen because of who promised it. No promise of our God will
ever fall to the ground unfulfilled. We have this assurance in Isaiah
14. It says, has sworn, saying, Surely as
I have thought, so shall it come to pass. As I have purposed,
so shall it stand." Now think about that for a moment. How
much effort do you exert when you have a thought? None. None whatsoever. And so it is
with our sovereign God whom we serve. He simply wills And it
comes to pass. Now Christ told us in Matthew
28 that all power was given unto Him in heaven and earth. So it
is impossible for His purpose, who has all power, to be thwarted
by those who have no power. Psalm 130 tells us who it is
and whom we should hope. And tells us the reason why.
It says, let Israel hope in the Lord For with the Lord there
is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption." We serve a God who
delights to show mercy. He tells us He gets no satisfaction
from the death of the wicked, but He does get great satisfaction
of showing mercy. The Scriptures tell us He delights
in mercy. Next, look down at verse 22 of
1 Corinthians. 15. For as in Adam all die, verse
22, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Now men use this
text to try to prove that Christ did indeed die for all men. Because
they do not understand that this text means that all who were
in Adam died. That means the entire human race.
And in the same way, who are in Christ and who are in Christ
from eternity past, chosen by the Father, are made alive. Those who are not chosen in Him
will never see life, but we're told in John 3.36, they have
the very wrath of God abiding on them. And as with all the
other blessings of God, life is only found in the person of
Christ. What does the first chapter of
John tell us? All things were made by Him, and without Him
was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the
life was the light of men. 2 Timothy 1.1, Paul wrote, Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to
the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus. Genesis 2.7,
when it describes God creating man. It says that God breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living
soul. The God in this text is Christ
Himself. The life that was in Him went
out into the man, and he became alive. But notice that it says
He became a living soul. It doesn't say he became a living
body, even though he did, because that body would one day die.
But when Christ breathed into that man, He breathed into him
an eternal soul. Now, if we are alive in Christ,
we not only live in Christ, but Paul told the Galatians that
Christ lives in us. That is, to me, astounding. Paul wrote, I am crucified with
Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. And the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me
and gave Himself for me. The only reason we have life
is because the Son of God gave us that life. We're alive in
Him. If He cannot die, we cannot die. That is His secure, as you can
possibly be. Now flip over to 2 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians 2. We'll look at
the next thing that we find in Christ. 2 Corinthians 2, verse 14. Now
thanks be to God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ. and maketh manifest the savor
of His knowledge by us in every place. Psalm 92, 4, For thou,
Lord, hast made me glad through thy work. I will triumph in the
work of thy hands. This word triumph means a significant
success, a noteworthy achievement or accomplishment, an instance
of victory. That victory which we have given
us by God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. I love
that verse in 1 Chronicles 29.11. It says, Thine, O Lord, is the
greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the
majesty for all that is in heaven and in the earth is Thine. Thine
is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as head above all. And as I mentioned, this word
triumph also means a noteworthy accomplishment. And has there
ever been a more noteworthy accomplishment than that which our Savior performed
when He laid down His life for a multitude which no man can
number? Now, we usually don't look at
death as an accomplishment. When someone dies, They don't
list his accomplishments. He was the president of Harvard. He found a cure for cancer. And
he died. That is a failure. He failed
to live. And yet, not so with our mighty
Savior. When He was transfigured on the
Mount, we read in Luke 9.30, And, behold, there was with Him,
or talked with Him, two men, which were Moses and Elias. who
appeared in glory and spake of His decease, which He should
accomplish at Jerusalem." This decease, this death, would be
like no other death any man ever died, because by His death, He
would redeem an unimaginable number of souls to be His forever. This is what David spoke of in
that psalm we just read when he said, I will triumph in the
work of thy hands, those hands that were pierced, with cruel
nails as He laid down His life for us. Through death, our Savior
secured every blessing that God the Father has to offer His people.
Therefore, His death was the greatest accomplishment that
this world has ever seen. And as a result of that death,
we now triumph in all things in Christ Jesus. Next in Corinthians
5.17, Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.
Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become
new. And all things are of God who
hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ and has given
us the ministry of reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ
reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses
unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."
may be the most blessed of all texts that we read today. Verse
18 says that God hath reconciled unto Himself by Jesus Christ. To reconcile means to bring into
agreement two opposing parties, to make friends of two or more
parties who were formerly enemies. And we were indeed by our fallen
nature mortal enemies of God Almighty. Paul told the Romans
that the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject
to the law of God, neither indeed can be. It is an impossibility. Enmity is a great hatred towards
something or someone. But he told the Ephesians in
his letter to them, he said, he is our peace. who hath made
both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partitions
between us, having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even
the law of commandments contained in ordinances. For to make in
himself of twain one new man, so making peace, that he might
reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain
the enmity thereby. There is no more enmity between
God and His people. It is done away with by the work
of Christ. We who were one time mortal enemies
are now made the children of God. Colossians 1.21, it says,
And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now hath He reconciled. We had absolutely nothing to
do with that reconciliation. Nothing. And then in verse 20
of this 5th chapter of 2 Corinthians, we read of another astounding
statement. It says, Now we are ambassadors for Christ. As though
God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be
you reconciled to God. As though God did beseech you. The very God who sits in sovereign
ease, needing nothing, beseeches sinners through His ambassadors,
beseeches them to be reconciled to Him. This word beseech means
to address an urgent request, to implore earnestly, to entreat
with urgency. And there can only be one reason
that we read such an astounding statement Because as I mentioned
before, our God delights to show mercy to His chosen sheep for
whom Christ shed His blood. Now, when we're anxious for something
like the birth of a child or a wedding, we use the term, I
can't wait. I can't wait for this or that
to happen. Children are like that about Christmas. I can't
wait for Christmas to be here. And I don't want to sound irreverent,
but I don't think it would be a stretch to say that our God
can't wait to bring His children to Himself.
Christ spoke of it in His parable of the lost sheep. He said when
the shepherd found that sheep, he put it on his shoulders rejoicing. Rejoicing. Our God can't wait
to give faith and life to another one of His elect to show them
mercy in which He delights. This great God who is in Christ
Jesus. Next, turn with me to Galatians.
Galatians 2. Galatians 2, verse 4. And that because of false brethren,
Galatians 2.4, and that because of false brethren, unaware or
brought in, who came in privately to spy out our liberty, which
we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage.
Patrick Henry, that great American patriot, before he proclaimed
those words, give me liberty or give me death, asked this
question, Is life so dear or peace so sweet to be purchased
at the price of change and slavery? And then he proclaimed, Forbid
it, Almighty God. Yet that is exactly what modern
day religion does for folks. They trade the shackles of sin
for the chains of being bound to the law. They're always kept guessing.
And I think a lot of that is purpose. They're kept guessing
as to whether they've prayed enough, whether they've read
their Bible enough, whether they've given enough, whether they've
witnessed enough, whether they've done enough soul winning, whether
their good works outweigh their bad. They trade the bondage of
sin for the bondage of religion. But it is not so with those who
trust their souls to Christ. We do not have to wonder if we've
done enough. Because we know that He's done
enough. He made that crystal clear when
He proclaimed from the cross, it is finished. Now Paul in his
letter to the Galatians talked about this and how those that
were trying to bring them back into bondage of the law of keeping
of ordinances. But in the first verse of chapter
5, he gives them this exhortation, Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ has made us free. And be not entangled again
with the yoke of bondage, that yoke which men put on other men
to keep them under the law." That yoke that our Savior described
as His yoke that He encouraged us to take upon Him, or on us. He promised us, for my yoke is
easy and my burden is light. And in that previous verse, He
said that under His yoke, Ye shall find rest for your souls."
Rest. Not more work, but rest. But
how do you find rest when you're bearing a yoke? Because a yoke
of Christ is not a yoke of hard labor, but a yoke of submission
to His will and His good care. Because His yoke is easy. And it's easy because He has
already borne our sorrows and carried our griefs. And how is
it we're to use this liberty that we find that we have in
Christ Jesus? Paul tells the Galatians in 5.13,
Galatians 5.13, it says, For brethren, ye have been called
unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion
to the flesh, but by love serve one another. This liberty that
we have in Christ is not a carte blanche to sin. We don't believe
that let us sin that grace may abound. Rather, it is a release
from the cruel bondage and the misery that accompanies a life
of sin. Paul described it well when he
wrote to the Romans, because the creature itself also shall
be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the children of God. And again, for where the Spirit
of the Lord is, there is what? Liberty. But let us never forget
the cost of that liberty. It was purchased, as I said earlier,
by the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without spot and
without blemish. Christ Himself said that Isaiah
61 spoke of Him and His work which He would accomplish for
His chosen elect people. It reads this, The Spirit of
the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to
preach good tidings unto the meek. He has sent me to bind
up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the
opening of the prison to them that are bound. Now, many times
in history, sadly, we read accounts of men and women who have been
held in unimaginably horrible conditions, subject to a level
of suffering that no one can imagine unless you've actually
been there. The German concentration camps
and probably the Japanese prisoner of war camps during World War
II are good examples of this. But one day, deliverance from
that misery came in the form of a liberating force. But you
can be sure that none of those men and women who suffered through
that will ever, ever forget what they went through. And such it
is with the child of God who has been released from the cruel
bondage of sin and granted liberty in Christ. We can never and should
never forget what we've been delivered from and what we will
be delivered to. Now, if you're coming to Christ
via a path of carefree, bubblegum-popping, easy-believism, you need to take
another look at your so-called faith. If there was never any
distress of mind and soul, if there was never any feeling of
sure damnation before God Almighty spoke peace to your heart, I
fear you may know nothing of the salvation that is found in
Christ. And therefore, you have no true
delight in the liberty that is found in the giving of that faith.
It's a gift of God. So in way of review, let us remember that our redemption,
our freedom from condemnation, the love of God, our sanctification,
our hope, our life, our triumph, our liberty, and God Himself
are all found in Christ Jesus. There is no part of us that contributes
anything to that salvation. All that is found in us, sadly,
is sin and corruption. But thanks to the finished work
of our blessed Savior and those that are found in Him are now
translated from darkness into the very family of God Almighty,
being made children of God and astonishingly joint heirs with
Christ. Now entitled to every blessing
that our God has to offer, So, dear saint, rejoice because the
work is done. Salvation is sure if you are
found in Christ Jesus. Because you are found where all
the blessings of God are kept. And for those of you that may
hear this in the future, or may be sitting here today that have
not been granted faith in Christ, I pray that you would realize
that there is nothing you can do except this, you can partition
and plead with our God to show you mercy. And maybe, just maybe,
He might be pleased to do so. I pray that He would, in Christ's
name. Billy, come lead us in the psalm.