Alright, let's turn back to 2
Corinthians. And I want to focus just on a
few verses like we did last week as we work our way through the
salutation. These salutations that Paul gives
are more than just greetings. These salutations contain in
them what one man said, the secret code of the church. If you understand
what he's saying in these salutations, he separates the church from
the world in his introductory statements into each one of his
letters. And we've worked our way through
the first couple of verses. And now this morning, let's look
at verse 3. even the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort."
Now let me start out with this word, blessed. When we bless
God, We do not add. We're not giving to Him anything. We're not adding anything to
God as He does to us. When God blesses us, He blessed
us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ.
Those blessings were actually conferring things to us. But
when we bless God, that same thing don't apply. We're not
adding anything to Him or to anything that God's purposed
or to anything that God has accomplished. To bless God is simply the heart
giving to Him the praise and honor and glory that He already
deserves. And in this particular case,
Paul blesses God. gives Him the glory. He gives
Him these things, His praise, recognizing Him as the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I want you to listen to
me for a minute. The Son of God did not assume His person in
time. He did not assume His person
in time. The Son of God is as eternal
in His person as the Father and the Spirit. He did not become
the Son of God by propagation. He is eternal. He is the eternal
Son of God. He was not born of God. And God is the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, not in that sense. that he propagated the
Son, but he is the father of our Lord Jesus Christ according
to his everlasting counsel and purpose. Jesus Christ was appointed
as the head, as the representative, and as the surety of a people
which God chose to himself to be children and heirs with his
Son for the glory of his name. That one who was born was eternally
purposed. But the Son of God was not born. The Son of God is eternal. Is
that clear? Let's just take a minute or two
and let me see if I can show you that in the Scriptures. Turn
with me to Romans, the 8th chapter. Romans chapter 8. His appearance
on this earth as a man was the result of His eternal appointment
as the federal head of God's elect. Romans chapter 8. Let's begin reading here in verse
28. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to His purpose. Now all things do not work together
for good to all men. All things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to His purpose. Now watch this. Verse 29. 4. We're talking about everything
in time and eternity working together for the good of God's
elect. And now listen to what he says
here. This is what this is all about. This is what these statements
are all about. 4. whom he did foreknow. He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his son, that he, that is, his son,
might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
he did predestinate, them he also called. Whom he called,
them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not
His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not
with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who
is He that condemneth? It's Christ that died. Yea, rather,
that's risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us." Who's He making intercession
for? Who did He justify? Who did He
call? Who did He predestinate? His
elect. His elect. Everything that goes
on in this world is meshed together from eternity all the way through
time. Everything that goes on in this
world is meshed together into the purpose of God in Christ
for our good and His glory. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter
1. We're talking about how God is
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians chapter 1 beginning
with verse 3. Here again, He makes this statement
in His Introduction. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as He hath
chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy without blame before Him in love, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself according
to the good pleasure of His will. And having accomplished our salvation,
made us accepted in the Beloved, abounded toward us in all wisdom
and prudence, called us to repentance and faith. He now tells us again
in Ephesians 1, verse 11, 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,
that we should be to the praise of His glory who first trusted
in Christ. That is talking about the Father. Now go back to our text, II Corinthians
1-3. Blessed be God, even the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies. May God enable us to understand
and embrace what I just read to you and what I'm about to
tell you. There are no mercies outside
of Christ. Do you hear what I said? There
are no mercies outside of Christ. Men tell me all the time, well,
we believe in God. We believe in God. But I don't
believe what you're saying about the Son of God. Then you don't
believe in God. Everything we know about God,
we know through the Son. Is that not right? The Son of
God hath come and given to us an understanding that we may
know Him that's true. You don't know anything at all
about God except what we know through Him. And there are no
mercies outside of Christ. It's an utter impossibility for
God to be merciful outside of Christ. It would be contrary
to His nature and it would compromise the glory of His character. He
can't do it. As He is the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, He is the Father of mercies. Actually, the Father
of mercies in this verse, I don't know, I can't give you all the
parts and pieces of the verse. I maybe could have at one time,
but I've forgotten those things. But I can tell you this, the
Father of mercies is just a further explanation Him being the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ. He is the Father of mercies. It's a further explanation of
Him as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is by
way of our eternal union with Him. We have no right to claim
any benefit as a son except as we are a son through the Son.
You see what I'm saying? He's the firstborn. He is the
firstborn. Everything Christ did as a man,
He did on the behalf of those given to Him in covenant union
before the world began. We were joined to Him in covenant
union before God even laid the foundation of this world. By
covenant union, God purposed to take all these people. He
chose us, eternal election. is according to that divine union,
according as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world. And everything Christ did as
a man, He did on the behalf of those given Him in this covenant
union before the world began. Paul tells us in Colossians 3,
verse 3, that our life is hid with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory." When
He came forth from the womb of the Virgin, we were in Him. We were in Him. One with Him. We lived in Him under the law,
rendered a perfect submission. perfect love to God, obedience
in Him. And we were in Him as He suffered
and died on the cross to satisfy divine justice. And we were in
Him when God raised Him from the dead. Listen to this, Ephesians
2, verse 6, "...raised us up together, and made us to sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, for by grace Ye
are saved. Jesus Christ is the surety of
God's everlasting covenant of grace and the guarantor of God's
covenant promises, ensuring that all for whom He died and was
raised to justify shall receive their promised inheritance. He's
the guarantor. God, the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, is the Father of mercies. Now watch this. And, see it there
in verse 3, and the God of all comfort. Comfort is a word used only in
regard to God's elect. Did you know that? You can look up the references
in the Scripture. It's a word used only in connection
and only in regard to God's elect. There are no words of comfort
to those who willingly lay aside the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul
said, just a certain fearful looking for judgment and fiery
indignation which shall devour his adversaries. The Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, is the God of all
comfort. Everything concerning comfort
springs from our merciful God. And it springs from Him through
the person and work of His dear Son. What can I offer those who
despise the Lord Jesus Christ? Huh? I have nothing to offer. What can I offer those who despise
the Lord Jesus Christ, mock the blood of His everlasting covenant,
and refuse to receive the things of the Spirit of God? They do
despite under the Spirit of grace. If you won't have Him in whom
all blessings were purposed, accomplished, and made sure,
what else can I give you to give you comfort? I can't give you
anything. Can you see how these things
are all connected in this verse? He is the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our
Covenant Head, He is the Father of mercies. And as the Father
of mercies, He is then the God of all comfort. I have nothing
to offer anyone outside the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a Word made
especially for God's elect. Listen to this. Through His prophet
Isaiah, He said, talking about those days in which Christ would
come, He said, Comfort ye. Comfort ye who? My people. Isn't that what He said? Saith the Lord. Listen to this. Tell her. Who is she? My people. Tell her her warfare
is accomplished, and she has received of God's hand double
for all her sins. She has received of His hand
a perfect righteousness and a full atonement for her sins. She has
received double for her sins. As the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of mercies, He is the God of all comfort.
Now, I tell you by my own testimony, for years I hunted comfort and
rest, but I looked in the wrong places. Can you identify with
that? I know you can. We've talked.
And some of you. I looked in the wrong places.
I looked in religion. What I found was things to do. Is that what you found? I found
things to do. I found duties and ceremonies
and pledges and all sorts of things to do. I looked within. Oh, what a black hole I found
when I looked within. And I looked in my family, and
I found no comfort there. Half of them were religious,
and the other half called them who made professions of faith
hypocrites. I looked in the workplace, and
I found some temporary relief. I found some temporary security
in the workplace. But I found no comfort, until
I discovered that comfort is something you can only find in
God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the God of all
comfort. He can comfort you when nobody
else can. He's the God... Now listen, He's
not the God of comfort. He is the God of all comfort. What does He comfort from? Well,
He gave me comfort from a troubled world, teaching me that He preserves
it until all His elect has been gathered in, that He protects
me from the things of this world and preserves me, He gave me
comfort from my sins, showing me how He could be just and justifier
of all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. He gave me comfort
from the law, showing me that Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to everyone that believes. He gave me comfort
from trials and tribulations, teaching me that this is the
refiner's This is where the refiner takes and puts that gold mixed
with dross, and he puts it in the fire, and he burns away the
dross, and he reveals the pure gold of faith. He gave me comfort
from death, revealing to me that my life is hid with Christ in
God. That death is just simply a graduation. A graduation into paradise. And to be absent from this body
is to be present. with the Lord. He gave me comfort
from judgment, teaching me that Christ my Savior bore my judgment,
bore my sins in His own body on the tree. Alright, now look
at verse 6 of our text back here in 2 Corinthians 1, or verse
4 I mean. Who comforted us in all our tribulations,
that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble
by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." Brother
Barnard had a saying. He said, you can't tell what
you don't know anymore and you can come back from someplace
you haven't been. The man whose soul has been comforted
by God can comfort and give that same comfort to another. I can't take away your pain.
Can't do anything about it when you're hurting. I wish I could,
but I can't take away your pain. I can't take away your trials
and troubles. When trials come and troubles
come, I can't do anything about it. I can't put away your sin. How many conversations have I
had on the phone with men convicted of sin and weeping over their
sin and troubled over their sin? I can't do anything about your
sins. I can't take away your sins. I can't make you righteous
before God. I can't ascend into the deep
and raise you up from the dead. But bless your heart, I can point
you to one who can. I can point you to one who can.
He can take those trials. He can make trials disappear. Disappear. He can take away that
pain. I went to sleep with pain so
bad I couldn't sleep. And I'd take enough dope, enough
drugs, enough pain medicine to put me to sleep and give me some
temporary relief and woke up with no pain. Where did it go? He can take
it away. I think about that man who laid
there on that stretcher all them many years down there at the
Pool of Bethesda. Watching that water foam up and
waves come up on it and the water troubled and watching others
drag somebody over or help them over and let them down in that
water. And there he laid. He couldn't move. I tell you,
with back trouble, I've had to lay in the bed. Boy, I'm telling
you, after about three days, you're so sore. You hurt so bad
just sitting there in that chair. He come along and raised that
man up. And he didn't just get up, but
he took up his bed that he'd been laying on all them years.
Threw it up on his back and went on his way. He can take away
the pain. He can take away the trial. He's the God of all comfort. He can do these things. He alone
can do these things. And if we have any comfort, we
got it from the same source because He is the God of all comfort.
If you get any comfort, you're going to get it from Him. Get
it from Him. And all that comfort is based
on the character of the God of all comfort. If you get any,
it's going to be in line with His character. What He gives
to comfort ailing sinners is in agreement with His person
and glory, and it's in agreement with His means and purpose. What
God gives, now hear me, never changes. Never changes. Never fails and cannot be defeated. Every good and perfect gift James
said, comes down to the sinner from the Father of lights. Now
listen to what he says. With whom is no bearableness,
neither shadow of turning. If God shows you mercy, that
mercy will never change. If God brings grace your way,
that grace will never change. He'll never change. And Paul
said this was his confidence as he ministered to those Philippians. He said that what God hath begun,
he is able to finish. He is able to perform it, willing
to perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. May the God of
all comfort be pleased today to comfort us by revealing His
glory in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank you.