Let's open our Bibles tonight
to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. We'll begin reading at verse
17. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse
17. Our light affliction. What a strange way for Paul to
speak of his difficulties. He has just told us that we're
troubled on every side. We're persecuted. We're buried
about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus. We're delivered
to death. We're cast down. And yet, he
says, our light affliction. The word chosen for light could
not have been a lighter word. Quite literally, he says, our
featherweight affliction. The affliction, the trouble,
the suffering, the sorrow we experience in this world is light. Very, very light. So light it
ought to be considered by us insignificant. Oh, preacher,
listen to yourself. So light it ought to be considered
by us insignificant compared with what our Lord endured for
us, compared with what our brethren endure and have endured, and
compared with what we deserve. But especially in this context,
compared with the glory that awaits us, our featherweight
affliction which is but for a moment, just a moment, worketh, constantly
is working for us, a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory. While we look not at the things
which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things
which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not
seen are eternal. For we know, we know, every heaven-born
soul, every person taught of God, we know. We have this confident,
assured, steady knowledge that if our earthly house of this
tabernacle, this body, in which we now reside were dissolved. We have, like that, we have a
building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens. Obviously, he is not talking
about the resurrection body that comes in the last day. But immediately
upon the ceasing of life in this world, we have a body, a house
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this,
in this physical frame, we groan. Life in this world is a life
of groaning. And well it is. For groaning,
we earnestly desire to be clothed upon with our house, which is
from heaven. If so be that being clothed,
we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle
do groan being burdened, burdened with sin, burdened with our own
corruption and depravity. Not for that we would be unclothed,
but clothed upon. Now watch this. That mortality,
mortality, dying, might be swallowed up of life. We often talk about
things in this world and say this is living. No, this is dying. Soon dying shall be swallowed
up in life. Read on. Now he that hath wrought
us for the self-same thing is God." Notice the language the
Spirit of God uses. He doesn't say, he that hath
wrought for us the self-same thing. He says, he that hath
wrought us for this immortality, this life awaiting us in glory. He that hath wrought us for the
self-same thing is God. who also hath given us the earnest
of the Spirit, the foretaste of this heavenly glory, the pledge
of this. Therefore, we're always confident
because we have the witness of the Spirit within, knowing that
whilst we're at home in the body, we're absent from the Lord. For
we walk by faith, not by sight. We're confident, I say, and willing
rather. to be absent from the body and
to be present with the Lord. Wherefore, we labor that whether
present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must
all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Soon as you draw
your last breath, soon as I draw my last breath, we must appear
before the judgment seat of Christ. that everyone may receive the
things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether
it be good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror
of the Lord, we persuade men. Now go back to verse 18 of chapter
4. Look at the last statement in this verse. which are not seen are eternal. Eternal. That's my subject this
evening. Eternal. What a heavy, heavy
word. We all tend to treat material
things, sensible things of time as realities and eternal things
as fables. People often joke in just that
manner. We need to reverse our thinking. That which is temporal, whatever
it is, that which is temporal is insignificant. Brother Don, you've made a big
statement. No, that's a very small statement. That which is temporal is insignificant
compared with that which is eternal. Eternity is reality. We deal with reality only when
we deal with eternity. All the arrangements and attainments,
all the relationships and experiences, All the joys and sorrows, all
the successes and disappointments, all the hopes and fears of this
life in this world are without meaning altogether unless they're
seen and measured in the light of eternity. Soon we must leave
this world where all things are temporary. And when we do, we
shall enter into that world where all things are eternal. When
I think about these things, and I do constantly, I try consciously to live constantly
thinking about eternity. I realize that you, like myself,
have family and friends, people we dearly loved, who right now
are either in hell or in heaven. We have many others very dear
to us, brothers and sisters, parents and grandparents, neighbors
and friends, many very dear to us, who very soon will be in
heaven or hell. And soon, very soon, you will
be in heaven or hell, and me too. Now let me make three statements
in light of what I've just said that I hope by the blessing of
God will be helpful to you. These are things that help me.
These three things sustain and strengthen me in life, in the
sick room, and in the funeral parlor. They sustain and strengthen
me day by day, through the difficulties of life. They sustain and strengthen
me when I'm sick or I visit the sick room. And they sustain and
strengthen me when I visit the funeral parlor and pay my last
respects to someone I dearly love or some acquaintance of
mine. Here are these three things. Brother Murrow read a text of
scripture. back in the office just a few minutes ago that goes
right to the heart of what I want to say first. You can look at
it yourself later in Deuteronomy chapter 32. Here's the first statement. Whatever
God does is right. And we'll be all right with me. Whatever God does is right and
will be all right with me. He that is or he is the rock. What a name for our God. He is
the rock. His work is perfect. For all his ways are judgment. A God of truth and without iniquity. Just and right is he. My family and yours, my friends
and yours, my life and yours are in the hands of our great
God, our heavenly father, who is too wise to err, too good
to do wrong, and too strong to fail. Whatever he does is right. Whatever he does is just. Whatever
he does is good with you and with me, with yours and with
mine. Whatever he does with me, whatever
he does with my wife and children, whatever he does with you, whatever
he does with your wife and children, whatever he does with my brothers
and sisters, whatever he does with your brothers and sisters,
whatever he has done with my parents, whatever he does with
your parents, whatever he does is just and right and good. Nothing. is of greater comfort
to my soul than that fact. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction. Nothing gives me greater strength
than the blessed knowledge of God's sovereign goodness. God is sovereign. God is good. God has done that which is right. God has done that which is good.
Measure that or measure everything in the light of those statements.
God is sovereign. God is good. God has done what's
right. God has done what's good. And
that which is true yesterday is true today and will be true
tomorrow. Here's the second statement.
This is shocking to most people, but it must be said. If I'm faithful
to your soul, it must be said. You deserve the wrath of God
forever in hell. Now, you've heard that so often
from this pulpit, I think probably we're a little bit immune to
that statement. Merle Hart, my dear friend, you know my admiration for you
as a man. You deserve the wrath of God
forever in hell. Now that's just fact. That's
just fact. You see, you are a sinner, a
sinful Abominably wicked God-hating rebel by nature. That's what
you are That's what I am That's true of you and me of mine and
yours Let that sink in Like all other sons and daughters of Adam
you were shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin like all others
you were born with a deceitful heart and desperately wicked
nature Yes, you fully deserve to suffer the unmitigated, unrestrained
wrath of God in hell. And you know it. You know it. You may not like to hear it,
but you know it. You may get angry with me for saying it,
but you know it. You've never done anything good in your life. Trying to witness some years
ago to my nephew. son of my older sister, I said
to him something that shocked him. And I could see the shock
on his face. I said, your mother deserves
eternal damnation. Now, understand what I'm saying.
My older sister spends her life literally. She she arranges her
calendar months in advance to take care of other people. Not
because of any gain from it. She's in a position in life,
which doesn't have to work for a living to never worry about
those things She spends her time effort money all the time doing
for others She has for as long as I've known her adult in her
adult life. My wife will verify that She's
just one of those gals. I said she's never done a good
thing in her life and he was shocked by that and He had made
the statement that he knew his mom. Everything was all right
with her. Everything was all right because she's so good.
And I said, Michael, she's not good. She's not good. Neither are you. No. Good in
our eyes. Yes. It doesn't take much to
be good in my eyes. Doesn't take much to be good
in your eyes. None good before God. Our Savior said to the rich
young ruler, there is none good but God. And he said the truth,
none good. You've never done anything good.
Rather, you drink iniquity like water and only do evil continually. Now, Larry Brown, that's true
of you and your wife and your daughters and me and my wife
and my daughter. That's just fact. We only drink,
do evil continually, drinking iniquity like water. Sin is involved
in every thought, in every action, in every word, in every movement
of our lives in this world. There's no escaping that. You
know it and I know it. You deserve everlasting damnation. And that's true of your mom and
dad, and your brother and your sister, and your husband and
your wife, and your son and your daughter. You deserve it. In other words, if you go to
hell, that'll be right. If I go to hell, that'd be right. That's just fact. That's just
fact. my mother, my dad, or as I know they are, in the
pits of the damned. It's right. I can't tell you
how it grieves me to know it. I preached both their funerals
knowing it. It's right. It's right. How can you say that? Because
I've got to be honest with you and with God and with everybody
who hears me. It's right. You go to hell, it'll
be right for you to go to hell. And while I may weep now and
others may weep now because you do, there'll be no weeping over
it in eternity. We'll understand that's right.
Number three. If you're saved, if I'm saved,
if any of us are saved, we must be saved by the free sovereign
grace of God through the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ, God's
darling son. If we're saved, we must be saved
by God's work. by God's sovereign, free, unconditional
election of us, by Christ accomplished redemption of our souls, by God
the Holy Spirit giving us life and faith in Jesus Christ, God's
darling son. Salvation is of the Lord and
there is no salvation except God's salvation. Now, in the
light of these facts, facts plainly revealed in Holy Scripture, Give
me your attention while I talk to you a little bit about this
matter of eternity. Eternal, that's our subject,
eternal. We think about eternal, that
which is eternal, things which are eternal. We have no rule
by which to measure it. We have no ability to comprehend
it. It's a subject indescribably
beyond us, a subject that can't begin to talk about explaining
it, comprehending it. That's just not possible. But
this subject is one that ought to be of immense interest to
every one of us. You're living right now on the
brink of eternity. Do you know how far you are from
eternity? Take one breath that far. As a man much older, you're living
on the brink of eternity. Just a breath away. Just a breath away. How wise
we would be to live in the awareness of that. Right now, every one
of us lives on the edge of eternal damnation. our eternal bliss,
on the edge of heavenly glory, our everlasting torment in hell.
Now, let me make four statements. I've made them before. I will
enlarge upon them a little bit. I make them almost every time
I preach a funeral one way or the other. And when I've made these four
statements, I'll send you home or into eternity. But these four statements we
need to know, understand, and consider. They're worth remembering. Number one, we live in a world
where all things are temporal and passing away. Nothing here
lasts very long. Most of us here are grandparents
now. And we just thought that our children grew up quick. How
quick little grandchildren grow up. Man, just like that. You realize my granddaughter,
young lady now, she'll be 16 years old in June. Going off
to college in a couple of years. Grown woman. She's just a baby. Yesterday. Just yesterday. Nothing here lasts very long. Even a blind man can see that.
Everything around us is decaying, dying, and coming to an end.
The only thing you have here, the only thing you have here
that you will carry with you beyond the grave is your immortal
soul. What shall it profit a man if
he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? The things
which are seen are temporal. The fashion of this world passeth
away. We live in a world where all
things are temporal and passing away. In the light of that fact,
let me give you some words of counsel. First, cherish every
blessing, every privilege God gives you in this world. Take
advantage of every blessing. Every privilege while you have
it. I'm thinking particularly about
relationships we often neglect or abuse. Children, loving, faithful
husband, loving, faithful wife, friends, brothers, sisters, those
who need us, widows, sick, the needy, seize the moment. and cherish the privilege and
the blessing. Setting your heart on Christ
and eternity. Set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth. Set your affection on Christ. Our life is hid with Christ in
God. Set your affection on him, not
on things on this earth. Seek his will, his glory, and seek grace from God with
determination to let nothing come between you and your Savior. Oh, God, give me grace to let
nothing come between me and my Redeemer. And see that you value
nothing in this world more highly than you'll value it when you
have to leave it. Leave it, you soon will. Value nothing in this world more
highly than you'll value it when you have to leave it. Love not
the world. If you do, it'll cost you dear. Number two, We live in a world
where all things are temporal. But second, we're going to a
world where everything is eternal. I know we don't have to believe
that. We say it, but we don't have to believe it. That great
unseen world that lies beyond the grave is eternal. Whether it is a world of happiness
or a world of misery, a world of light and joy or a world of
darkness and sorrow, whatever it is, it's forever. The things
which are not seen are eternal. Go back to Luke chapter 16 at
your leisure and read the parable again of Lazarus and the rich
man. As soon as Lazarus died, God
sent his angels and carried Lazarus into Abraham's bosom into paradise. Forever. Forever. Forever. And as soon as the rich
man died in hell, he opened his eyes forever. His eyes had never been opened
before, but Lindsay, they're open now. Open to see things he would not
see and could not see forever. The future happiness, bliss and
glory of God's saints in heaven is eternal. Listen to the scriptures.
At thy right hand, there are pleasures forevermore. Ours is an inheritance incorruptible
and undefiled that fadeth not away. There awaits us a crown
of glory that fadeth not away. You who are saved by God's free
grace live in hope of eternal life, eternal glory, eternal
bliss. And your hope is a good hope.
It shall not be disappointed. We're going to a home that will
never be broken up. A family gathering that will
never end. Not an earthly home, not a family
of kinship in the flesh, but a heavenly home. An eternal blessed
family. I started to say not a family
of blood, but this is a real family of blood. This is the
blood-bought family of the Son of God, a family gathering that
will never end. We're going to a day of joy that
will never be followed by a night of weeping. Heaven is eternal. I don't have a clue what it is. I don't have a clue what it is.
bliss, joy, light, freedom, life, no weeping, no sorrow, no crying,
no tears, no sin, no darkness. I don't have a clue what it is.
Those things I've said just beyond comprehension. But whatever heaven
is, it's eternal. And the future misery and torment
of the lost The damned in hell is eternal. Our Lord refers to
hell as a place of everlasting punishment, a place of torment, whatever hell is. I don't like to think about it,
and I don't have a clue what it is. People talk about fires
and debate about what the fire is. All that stuff is nonsense. All that stuff is just to take
your mind off what you're facing. Whatever hell is, it's a place
of torment where God rightly executes his judgment upon the
ungodly forever. and justice is never satisfied. A place where men suffer the
wrath of God with untold multiplied millions and millions and millions
of Adam's fallen race forever damned in the darkness of hell,
suffering the wrath of God, yet each one all alone in the darkness
of damnation forever. and justice never satisfied. It is a place where our Lord
says the worm dieth not. The worm of a man's conscience
eats away at him while he lives in this world. The fire is not
quenched. The fire guilt burns in our hearts
by nature while we live in this world in rebellion against God
and we that nothing torments nothing torments the mind and
heart of a man like guilt a conscience that's guilty before God and
Those consciences are dead in trespasses and sins Imagine what
it should be like to awake in hell and your eyes be open and
your conscience keenly aware forever justly suffering the
wrath of God while with every moment of existence your enmity,
your hatred of God only increases. Number three, I want you to turn
to Revelation 22 for a minute. Revelation 22. We live in a world where all
things are temporal and passing away. We're going to a world
where all things are eternal. Now hear what I'm saying. What
we are here, we will be forever in eternity. There is a common
delusion by which men willfully delude themselves all the time.
Folks have the idea that death changes things. It doesn't. Many have the foolish idea that
a person may live here without Christ and rise to be with Christ
forever. That you may live here in unrighteousness
and rise in righteousness forever. That you may live here in rebellion
and sin and rise in life as a saint forever. It's a delusion. It
won't happen. This is the day of grace. There
is no other day of grace. Look here in Revelation 22 verse
11. Hear what God says. Hear what God says. He that is
unjust, let him be unjust still. And he which is filthy, let him
be filthy still. And he that is righteous, let
him be righteous still. And he that is holy, let him
be holy still. Here is a weighty, tremendous
thought. one that ought to cause each
of us to set up and pay attention. Though our life in this world
is very brief, our eternal destiny depends upon what we are here.
But pastor, what about God's purpose and predestination and
election and redemption and effectual calling? I'm fully aware that
every sinner predestinated to life shall have life eternal
in Christ. Every sinner redeemed by the
precious blood of Christ will be with him in glory. Every sinner
called by God the Holy Spirit will be with Christ in glory.
There's no question about that. No question at all about that.
The purpose of God will never fall to the ground. And I'm equally
confident of this. No child of Adam shall enter
into heaven unless he experiences the regenerating, transforming,
sanctifying work of God the Holy Ghost in regeneration called
the first resurrection. Not one of you, the preacher
included, not one of you, the preacher included, shall enter
into heaven's glory except by faith in Jesus Christ the Lord,
except you personally, Deliberately believe on the Son of God. Accept you, lay down the weapons
of your warfare, and be reconciled to God in his dear Son. Blessed
and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. On
such the second death hath no power. Except a man be born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God. He cannot enter into the
kingdom of God. Marvel not our Savior said to
Nicodemus that I said to you you must be born again Now turn
back to our text in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 Pick up down verse 17 What I'm
saying is that you right now Must trust the Son of God or
you must be damned forever 2nd Corinthians 5 17 Therefore if
any man be in Christ, he's a new creature Old things are passed
away behold all things have become new and all things are of God
who hath Reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. He had God's
God's finished his work He's reconciled his people to himself
by the doing and dying of his son. I and hath given to us the
ministry, the service of reconciliation. He's committed to us this business
of serving the souls of men, proclaiming reconciliation accomplished,
and calling for sinners to be reconciled to God, 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. Now, this is it. This is it.
This is the Word of Reconciliation. We then are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you
by us, we pray you in Christ's stead. What language can it be
that God Almighty speaks by men to men and says, we pray you. We pray you. We beseech you,
we beg you, in Christ's stead, here I stand as God's ambassador
to your soul, Christ speaking by me, begging you, be reconciled
to God. Be reconciled to God, quit fighting
God. For he hath made him to be sin
for us, who knew no sin. that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. We then, as workers together
with God, beseech you also that you receive not the grace of
God in vain. Don't hear this word in vain.
For he saith, I have heard thee in accepted time. In the day
of salvation have I succored thee. Behold, now is the accepted
time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. What we are now, we shall be
forever. What we are in this world, when
we draw our last breath, we shall be forever. Righteous or wicked,
saved or lost, justified or damned, what we are in this world, when
we draw our last breath, we shall be forever. Thomas Brooks, the
Puritan, put it this way, the great weight of eternity hangs
upon the small wire of time. Number four, blessed. Oh, blessed is that
sinner who can, in the face of eternity, confidently and truthfully
say, I trust Christ. For that person has eternal life. Oh, blessed are they who in the
face of eternity may confidently and truthfully say, I trust Christ. For that sinner has eternal life. He that believeth on the Son
of God hath everlasting life. Our Lord Jesus came into this
world lived and died and rose again as the sinner's substitute
to save his people from their sins. He came to bring life and
immortality to light by the gospel to deliver those who through
fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
He purchased and obtained this life for us. For Christ suffered
once for us, once for sins, the just for the unjust that he might
bring us to God. And he gives this eternal life
to all who trust him. Listen to what he says. Listen
to what he says. This is his word. This is his
word. Him that cometh to me. Him that cometh to me, I will
in no wise cast out. Him that cometh to me, I will
in no wise cast out. You reckon he'd receive me if
I come? He said he would. Him that cometh to me, I will
in no wise cast out. You reckon he'd keep me? He said
he would. Him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. Come to Christ and He'll receive you and hold you forever in the mighty
grip of His grace for eternity. For eternity. Come. Come to Christ and live forever. Come to Christ and eternal life
is yours. Eternal. Oh, I like to think
about eternal. I've told you before, I mentioned
our granddaughter earlier when she was just a little shaver.
We had a little boxwood elder tree outside the patio and you
could look off the patio down into almost the top of the tree.
One spring, Robin had built a nest there and had laid some eggs
Degrace come over and look at that thing and just just in all
of it We'd step out you could just you could actually reach
out and touch him almost and she just just amazed at that
and she came over one day and got up and went out look at those
robin's eggs and The eggs were broken nothing but shells few
in the nest others laying on the ground and she came in terribly
concerned said the eggs were all broken and I said that means
the birds and have flown away and they're free in the air.
Soon, soon, you're going to come visit me for the last time and
you'll see this body cold with death as this body ought to be. But there's no need to be concerned,
no need to weep, I've just broken the shell and flown into eternity. eternal life with Christ the
Lord. Oh, may God give you such hope
through faith in his son. Amen.