2 Corinthians chapter 5. We'll
read beginning at verse 11 down through verse 17. 2 Corinthians
chapter 5 verses 11 through 17. Our text will be verse 17. Paul writing, he says, knowing
therefore the terror of the Lord. We have an idea of what that
is, Paul says. That being the case, that being
the reality, we persuade men. And we are made manifest unto
God, and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you
occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to
answer them, which glory in appearance and not in heart, whose religion
is just outward. not inward, verse 13. For whether
we be beside ourselves, it is to God, or whether we be sober,
it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth
us, our love for him, his love for us, because we thus judge
that if one died for all, then we're all dead. and that he died
for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto
themselves." In another place, Romans 12, I think it is, Paul
says, that's just your reasonable service. That he died for all,
that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves,
but unto him which died for them, who gave me life. who paid the
price. I owe everything to him, so I
should live for him. This life that I now live in
the flesh, Paul said, I live by the faith of the Son of God
who loved me and gave himself for me. But unto him which died
for them and rose again, wherefore henceforth know we no man after
the flesh, Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh,
yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore, if any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things are become new." Verse 17. begins with the word,
therefore. Therefore. As someone wisely
said, when you see that word in scripture, ask yourself, what's
it there for? Of course it refers back to verse
16. Paul says in verse 16, wherefore
henceforth know we no man after the flesh. What does that mean? What does that mean? The word
know there is used by Paul means to approve or to esteem. Paul
says we know no man by natural standards. We have no such distinction
as who you are, what you are, what rank you might hold. Turn
if you will to Galatians chapter 3 just very briefly and here's
a good definition. A good example, I should say,
of what Paul was talking about there in verse 16. Galatians
chapter 3 verse 26. He says, For ye are all the children
of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ, have put on Christ. There is neither Jew, This is
what Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians 5 and 16. There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male
nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be
Christ, then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the
promise. And then he applies that same
truth to Jesus Christ himself. Look at the second part of verse
16. Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now
henceforth know we him no more. That applies, what Paul said
concerning believers, applies here as well. A sight of Jesus
Christ only with the natural eye produces this. We have examples
of it when he was on earth again and again. People saw him with
just the natural eye. They knew him, as Paul says here,
after the flesh. And what was the result of it?
What did they say when they saw him only with the natural eye?
What do men say of me, he asked the disciples, those that have
seen me? Well, some say that you're John
the Baptist. Some say you're Elias. Others
say you're Jeremiah or one of the prophets. It really doesn't
make any difference to them. That's seeing Him, knowing Him
after the flesh. Oh, but the other view of Him,
the other view, seeing Him spiritually, seeing Him with new eyes given
by the grace of God, what does that produce? Who do you say
that I am? How do you see me? How do you
look at me? Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the living God. That's what Paul speaks of. That's
what he prefers. Not knowing Christ just with
the natural eye after the flesh, but a spiritual view of Christ.
Being able by the grace of God to embrace him in the arms of
faith, saying, I know who you are. I know who you are, and
you remember what our Lord replied to Peter? Blessed art thou, Simon
Barjona. Flesh and blood have not revealed
this unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. With that
in mind, we look again at our text. Therefore, this too that
Paul is about to speak of, like what he spoke of in verse 16,
really spiritually, savingly knowing who Jesus Christ is,
what he speaks of in verse 17 is also a work of God as well. It must be. Look at it. Therefore,
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. The word is creation. That's how we'll speak of it. He is a new creation. Now, brothers and sisters, creation
is God's work. We cannot create anything. We can't create a fly. We can't create a gnat. We can't
create anything. Creation work is the prerogative
of God Almighty. We turn to the very first book
in the Bible and we read, in the beginning, God. God created
the heavens and the earth. The word Genesis means beginning. And the same thing concerning
the natural creation is true here concerning the spiritual.
It's God's work. It begins with Him. You must be born, as our Lord
told Nicodemus, from above, heavenly, spiritual, by God Himself. Paul in Galatians 3 says, And
you have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge,
after the image of him that is God, that what? That created
him. Just as he said the Spirit of
God moved up on the waters because there was darkness there, but
the Spirit of God moved and said, Let there be light. He must move upon our naturally
dead souls and quicken us and say, let there be light as He
did in the creation of the world. He must do in making us a creation
in Christ Jesus, a new man, a new man. The title of my message
is simply this. In Christ, a new creation, a
new creation. One hymn writer said this, he
expressed it like this, not all the outwards forms on earth,
nor rights that God has given, nor will of man, nor blood, nor
birth can raise a soul to heaven. The sovereign will of God alone
creates us heirs of grace, born in the image of his son, a new,
a new peculiar race. That's scriptural. That's scriptural. A new, peculiar race. God doesn't
speak in his word like we do, does he? He just doesn't. For example here, we read this
text and it declares a blessed fact. It declares an absolute
truth. There's no wiggle room there.
There's no room for doubt. There's no speculation here. It says emphatically. It says
plainly. Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creation. There's no question about that.
If he's not a new creation, he's not in Christ. If there's not
something in him, implanted by the Spirit of God, the agent
of the new birth, if there's not in him that new principle
of grace, the new man, then he's not in Christ. Look again. If any man be in Christ, no matter
who he is, no matter who he is, if he's in Christ, He's a new
creation. Yes, God doesn't speak at all
like men do, even professing Christians concerning their state
before God, concerning their salvation. I hear statements
like this, well, we just can't know for sure. We just can't
know for sure. Really? Is that scriptural? or
something like this. We won't know. We really won't
know whether we know God or not until we get to heaven, until
we get to glory. Really? Well, in Matthew 7, perhaps
that's what some of them people thought when they heard him say,
Depart from me, I never knew you. They waited until they got
to heaven? Oh, no. Look at our text again. If any man be in Christ, he's
a new creature. We don't leave far less. Important
things to such vague speculation, do we? I mean, we give consideration
to our job, and we should, to our health, and we should. We
give consideration to what we're going to have for lunch this
afternoon. My soul, should we not give utmost consideration
to this? Do I know him or not? Am I his
or not? Am I in Christ or not? Should
I just leave that to a flippant? Well, I'll find out when I get
there. Oh no, Paul says, if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature. Listen to the words of the great
shepherd. Listen to the words of he who spoke only truth, who
as we said when we read from John 3, is the embodiment of
the truth. He said, I am the good shepherd
and know my sheep. Oh, thank God. He's the good
shepherd. He says, and I know my sheep,
I know who they are, and I know where they are. And I know how
they are. I know what they are. I know
they're prone to wonder. But I know this. They're still
my sheep. They're mine. And I have done
and will do and will continue to do everything necessary, everything
that's required to bring every single one of my sheep to glory. I know my sheep. And I'll find
them. I'll find them. And when I find
them, I'll save them. And when I save them, I'll keep
them. And I'll bring them into my father's house. I am the good
shepherd and know my sheep." But that's not the entire verse.
John 10, 14, he says, I know my sheep and am known of I know
them, but they know me too. This is a mutual knowledge. When I reveal myself to them,
I'm revealed. They know me, and I know them. In His high priestly prayer,
and this is like eternal, to know Thee, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." That's the words of our
great shepherd, of our great high priest. But now hear the
testimony of one of his sheep, Timothy. It's true, I'm in prison. Timothy, it's true, I may be
facing death. Timothy, the time of my departure
is at hand. But Timothy, nevertheless, I'm
not ashamed. I'm not ashamed of the gospel.
I'm not ashamed of Christ. I'm not ashamed of these chains.
I'm not ashamed to be offered up as a sacrifice on the behalf
of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, Timothy, I'm not
ashamed. Why, Paul? Why? Are you reaching
down and pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps? No. No. Are you reaching inside and
pulling out something that's a result of your so-called free
will? No. No. Nevertheless, I'm not
ashamed. Why? Why? I can sit in this present
cell, I can face death, I can walk out into that courtyard
and let them lay me down upon a chopping block and sever my
head from my body. I am not ashamed. Why, Timothy? Because I know whom I have laid. Makes all the difference in the
world, Louie. What won't do that? What won't give you that comfort?
What won't enable you to face life trials or death with that
testimony as the apostle? I know whom I have believed,
and I'm persuaded, I'm convinced. He's proven it to me time and
time again. He's brought me up to this very
point, and he's never left me, and he's not gonna leave me now.
I may be absent from the body, but I'll be present with the
Lord. I know whom I have believed. Oh, my soul. It's hard not to
pitch tent there. But look back at our text. Therefore,
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Consider these
two things, concerning the believer, the true child of God, where
he is, Paul says, in Christ, and what he is, a new creation. First of all, where the believer
is. Therefore if any man be in Christ. Now Paul doesn't speak of all
men. He says if any man's in Christ, that's not everybody. There are some things all men
do have in common. We can say concerning all men
certain things. We all have experienced or will
experience these things. For example, these five things.
We're born into this world one time. We're born one time. We live only one time. One life. It's almost over, isn't it, Lonnie?
One life. It'll soon be past. One life. If you live to be a hundred,
One life, a vapor, a hundred years, a vapor. It's here and
then it's gone. Isn't it amazing how time flies?
I mean, the older I get, Lester, the faster it's going by. And
I look in the mirror and I don't see a 60-year-old man. I just
don't. You're chuckling. You can identify
with that, can't you, Lester? You don't see your age when you
look, because it was just yesterday. I was a young man, and my vain
imagination sees that looking back at me. Oh, a vapor. We're born, and we live one time,
one life. And we'll all die one time. One time. I picked up a catalog
of a bookseller. Man, they sell some good stuff,
but they sell a lot of junk. Anything that will sell. And
just glancing down the list of what they offered, they had one
book entitled this. I spent an hour in hell. I spent
an hour in hell. And these people were trying
to get you to buy the book and said, God allowed this man to
spend an hour in hell. He's a liar, but he's going to
spend an hour if God doesn't grant him repentance for telling
that lie. And it'll be longer than any hour. And then on down,
there was another one that said, I went to heaven, and then I
came back. No, no, no. No, we die one time,
and we're not coming back. And we'll stand before God one
time, one time. Paul in Hebrews chapter 9 mentions
both these things. It is appointed unto man once
to die, and after death, the judgment. We're all going to
die. We're all going to die. Turn,
if you will, to Revelation chapter 20. Oh, how sweet. How sweet to recall again the
words of the Apostle Paul. And by the grace of God, make
that our testimony as well. I know whom I have believed.
When we read of this great and dreadful, terrible day of the
Lord, oh, how precious it is to say, I know whom I have believed. I need not fear. Chapter 20 of
Revelation, verse 11. And I saw a great white throne,
great white throne. And him that sat on it, from
whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, he that spoke
it into existence now speaks it out of existence, said, I'm
done with it, burns it up. And there was found no place
for them. All things are of God. And I saw the dead, small and
great, the somebodies, the nobodies, small and great stand before
God. And the books, plural, plural, the books were open. And another
book, singular, another book was open, which is the book of
life. And the dead were judged out
of those things which were written in the books according to their
works. And the sea gave up the dead
which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which
were in them. No hiding place. And they were
judged, every man, according to their works. Hmm. No man will be cast into hell
unjustly, undeservedly. Verse 14. And death and hell
were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. and
whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the lake of fire. Oh, is it any wonder that our
Lord said to his disciples on one occasion, Rejoice not in
this, that the devils are subject unto you, but rejoice rather
that your names are written in heaven. Your name is written
in the Lamb's Book of Life. Under His name is the name of
all His chosen, all His sheep. Yes, we have those five things
in common. And we have this last of all,
the fifth thing, in common as well. We're all sinners. We're all sinners. We're all
born in sin. In Adam, all die. No exceptions. There is no exceptions
to that rule. But for some, for some, that's
not all. And that's who Paul speaks of
here in our text. That's not all that they experience. Some are brought. Are you listening? Are you listening? Some are brought,
are made. And it's no accident that I use
that word. Some are brought or made to experience this. If any man be in Christ, he is
without question, right now, a new creature. Oh, in a state
of nature, we're without Christ. Without Christ by nature. But
in a state of grace, Paul says here, we're in Christ. Oh, and
in a state of glory, what will that be? It'll be with Christ. With Christ. We're either now
without Christ or we're in Christ. If we're without Christ and continue
that way, we'll be without Him for eternity. Oh, but the true
Christian, Paul says, is in Christ. In Christ. I love that expression. Christ. Heaven can be reached
without money. It can be reached without learning,
education. It can be reached without social
rank or prestige. But it can't be reached. It can't
be realized. It'll never be entered by anyone
that's not in Christ. It doesn't say if any man be
in religion. Do you know anybody that's not? I declare, just about everybody
we know is, in some form or the other. That won't make us a new
creature in Christ. It doesn't say if any man be
in the church, that won't produce this. Or a good moral man, that'll
never do this. That'll never result in this
being a new creature in Christ Jesus. Turn if you will to Galatians
again, Galatians chapter 6. Paul's speaking of this same
thing, this new creation, the result of being in Christ in
Galatians 6 verse 12. As many as desire to make a fair
show in the flesh, he's speaking of those Pharisees. that came
to the church of Galatia and said, oh yes, what Paul says
is true, but you're saved by grace, but we don't want to kick
Moses out the door. There's still a place for the
observance of the law. There's still touch not, taste
not, handle not. You know what Paul said about
those hucksters. As many as desire to make affairs
show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised, only lest
they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For
neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law." They
don't. They don't. Oh, they touch those
ceremonial things, but their law, the moral law, no flesh
will be justified by that. But they desire to have you circumcised
that they might glory in your flesh. Look, you're just like
us now. We're self-made men. We can be
one worm bragging on another worm now. Paul says that won't
do. That won't do. Verse 14. But God, but God forbid, and
he does, that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto
them. We are dead to one another by
mutual consent. They consider me dead and I consider
them dead, Paul says. Verse 15. For in Christ Jesus
neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision. Well then what avails, Paul?
What makes the difference but a new covenant? Creature. A new creation. Nicodemus, you
must, you must be born again. If you're not, you won't see
the kingdom of God, you won't understand spiritual things,
and you'll never enter glory unless you're born again. What avails? What avails? A new creation. What avails with
God? What avails giving peace to my
heart? Christ in you, Paul said, the
hope, the hope. And may I add, the only hope
of glory in Christ by electing love, yes, yes indeed. In Christ by redeeming grace,
yes indeed, yes indeed. In Christ by faith, being justified
by faith, we now have peace with God. Yes, by faith. But the text speaks of being
in Christ by regeneration, by spiritual resurrection, by God's
creation work in us. And that's necessary. That's
just as necessary as the others. Regeneration is as necessary
as election, as necessary as redemption, as necessary as calling. Unless I'm born again, I shall
not see the kingdom of God. And indeed, brothers and sisters,
we can't know anything about our election until we are called
by His grace. Paul, writing to the church at
Thessalonica, said, I know your election of God. Now, how could
he know that? How could he know that? He tells us how. I know
your election of God because when our gospel came to you,
you didn't just shrug it off. You didn't sit down and snooze
and then get up and walk out. When our gospel came to you,
it came to you in power and in much assurance of the Holy Ghost
and you became followers of us. as we followed Christ. That's
how I know, just like I see the effects of the wind, the evidence
of the wind, Christ said, the rustling of the leaves. If any
man be in Christ, here's the evidence that he is. He's a new
creation. Old things are passed away. Behold
this wonder, this wonder of creating grace. All things become new. That brings us to our second
thought. what the man of Christ is, where he is in Christ Jesus,
what he is, a new creation. A new creation. And lest I forget,
let me ask you while it's still on my mind, while it's on my
mind this moment, are you a new creation in Christ? Are you a
new creation? Have you been born again? Have
you experienced what Paul talks about here? Have you? Because
he said if any man's in Christ, he's a new creature. Any man. It makes no difference what we
may have or not have, know or don't know, experienced or not
experienced, but if we're in Christ, then we're a new creature,
a new creation, made so by the hand of the Omnipotent God, dropping
His grace into our hearts, forming us in the very image of His dear
Son, that He, His Son, might be the firstborn among many brethren,
a multitude just like Him. just like Him, begotten in His
image. Have you experienced that? A
new creation, that's what the man is. Brothers and sisters,
does that not teach us that this must be God's work? It must be
God's work. Creation? It must be God's work. Must be. Those men who tell poor
sinners, well, if you'll believe, you'll be born again. If you'll
take a few steps up toward me, you'll be born again. Blind leaders
of the blind. I mean, if that's so, go out,
let those fellas go out and create something. Let them stand outside
and speak a world into existence and then maybe, just maybe, I
might believe they can create a new heart. But until they can
do the one, they can never do the other. Creation is God's
work. Do you see how much in God's
hands we are? How much we're in His hands,
a new creation. Look in chapter 4 of 2 Corinthians. Look what Paul says here in chapter
4 verse 6. For God who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness has shined into our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of God, or the glory of God rather,
in the face of Jesus Christ. And the earth was without form
and void. And the Spirit of God moved upon
the face of the earth and the waters and said, Let there be
light. Creation is God's work. And Paul
says this new creation in us is God's work. He commanded the
light to shine out of darkness to give us the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. That's what's required. That's what's required. Nicodemus
again, ye must be born again, meaning from above, a second
time. Why? Why? Because the first time
was wrong. We were all born wrong the first
time. We were born in sin. There's
a picture on my refrigerator. I think it was the last time
I was back visiting my mother in West Virginia. One of my brothers
lives out in the boondocks. Beautiful place. But my, it's
out in the boonies. But once we got there, we had
a wonderful time. That's where we were when this
picture was taken. There's my mother sitting there,
the shortest one of the lot. And then there's Myself and three
brothers and three sisters, all but two of us were there. And
we resemble one another, I've been told. Of course, I tell
my brothers that I think I'm the best looking of the bunch,
but they all tell me they are. But we resemble one another physically. We have this in common. But we
also have something else in common. What we receive from our father
and mother is this, a sinful nature. And there's only a difference
that God Himself can make. As surely as God could create
the heavens and the earth and only He, only that same Spirit
of God moved on my darkened soul and said, let there be light.
Let there be light. Let there be light. Glory to
His name. I'm not what I once was. No,
I'm not. Thank God by His grace He's made
me to differ. Being born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God which liveth
and abideth forever. And He that sat upon the throne
said, Revelation 21 verse 5, Behold, I make all things new. New. Only he can. According to
that new covenant that we spoke about last Lord's Day, that covenant
of grace of which he is the mediator, he says, I make all things new. John said, I saw a new heavens
and a new earth. I saw a new Jerusalem, the church
of the living God, coming down out of heaven. And I saw he that
sat upon the throne say, behold, I make all things new. new creatures in Christ, into
this new heaven and new earth, wherein dwelleth only absolute
righteousness, will Christ bring the multitudes of redeemed sinners
that have been made new creations by His mighty grace. With a new
nature, a new heart, with a new principle within, products of
the new birth. New meaning something that was
not there before nor ever would be except God created it and
put it there. Not a reformation. Reformation
doesn't require grace, does it? Doesn't require God doing anything
at all. I can reform. I can throw down
tobacco. I can decide to be a better man.
I can go to AA if I got a problem with booze and they'll help.
It doesn't require grace to do those things. Moral reformation. But all this, a new creation,
that requires nothing less than an act of God Almighty and His
mighty Spirit. That requires being born from
above, and that's not an improvement of the old nature. You hear professing
Christians, I'm sure you have, talk about when I was a sinner. I used to go there, Kenny, when
I was a sinner. Oh, I can't touch that. I don't
do that anymore. That won't touch my lips. No,
no, and I don't see how you can be a Christian if you sip that. You mean to tell me you have
a glass of wine? Ooh, knock their halo off. Oh, no, that's not it. It's not an improvement upon
the old nature. No, no, no. We're still sinners. We're still sinners. That which
is born of the flesh, Nicodemus, is flesh, and that's all it'll
ever be. When we're saved, the flesh is
still flesh. The old nature is still the old
nature. It's still fallen. It's still sinful. It's not one
bit better than it was before. That's exactly right. Oh, what
Paul talks about here is something completely different that wasn't
there before. It's the very life of God in
the soul of chosen men. That's what it means to be a
new creation, not an improvement of the old nature. Oh, but it's
the creation from above, something that never was there before. It's Christ in you, the hope
of glory. Christ in you, do you not at
least see this must be God's work? He does what's needed,
what's necessary. Between those who have experienced
this miracle of God's grace, this creating them new in Christ,
and in them who haven't, there exists a difference made by the
hand of God himself. You hear people say all the time,
well, I'm as good as that fellow. I'm as good as that guy claims
to be a Christian. I'm just as good as he is. I'll
tell you what, between the most moral person you know that doesn't
know God, like Nicodemus, and the child of God, there's a vital
difference between the saved and the lost that only God can
produce, between the believer and the unbeliever, that is as
much a difference between life and death, between knowing God
and not knowing God, in going to heaven or being cast out forever. Men and women can alike come
and sit down and hear God's word, and I hope they do. With God's
people they can sit among them and they can sing the same songs
and they can listen to the same message and they can say amen
and get up and walk out. But without what Paul speaks
about here residing in their very heart, they're none of his. That's right. Paul said in Romans,
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is None of his. The natural man receiveth not
the things of the Spirit of God. He can't. He doesn't have the
ability. He doesn't have that new nature.
That's what's missing. Look into the very soul of a
child of God. Oh, you'll see a fallen nature.
You'll hear him cry daily. Daily. You do, don't you, child
of God? Oh, wretched man that I Oh yes,
he won't deny that fallen nature is still there and just as evil
as it ever was. Oh, but look into it, the heart
of hearts. Look into the soul of that man
and you'll see a heart that beats for God. You'll see a heart,
a new heart that beats for that one who created it. It's the
life of God in him. Christ said, because I live,
ye shall live also. Think about that. Think about
that. The same life Christ says that
I had, I've given you. The same life, eternal life,
spiritual life, everlasting life. This is what Paul meant when
he said, I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. The life
which I live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God
who loved me and gave himself for me. Look into the heart of
a child of God and you'll see a soul breathing after that God
who breathed into him the breath of spiritual, eternal life. Our Lord said, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall
hear the voice of the Son of God, and do what? Ignore it? Go on their way? Oh no. He said,
When they hear the voice of the Son of God, they that hear shall
what? Shall live. She'll live. She'll arise to walk in newness
of life. Brand new creations in Christ
Jesus with a new heart, a new principle, a new motive, a new
attitude, following the new covenant of grace led by the Lamb of God
into that heavenly new Jerusalem. Everything's new. Thank God everything's
new. Old things are passed away. Behold,
everything becomes new. Blessed and holy is he that hath
part in the first resurrection, that's the new birth, on such
the second death, spiritual death, eternal death, have no power. It's no wonder that the apostle
exclaimed, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is
thy victory? The sting of death is sin. But
Christ took the stinger. He plunged it into his own heart.
He satisfied God's holy law. The strength of sin or the sting
of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks
be unto God who giveth us the victory through our substitute,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me wrap this up. I want you to ask yourself this
question. Have I experienced, not afraid
of that word. This is what Paul speaks of.
Have I experienced what he speaks of here? A new creation. Have I been new? Been made new
rather. Born again. Oh, I'm in Christ. I'm in Christ. Were you present
when God created the heavens and the earth? I know, of course,
God alone did that. But just for emphasis, I ask
you the question, were you present when God created the heavens
and the earth, and you heard him say, let there be light,
what do you think your reaction would have been? Hm? Louie, what do you think your
reaction would have been? My soul, if you'd been there
and witnessed that, oh, you'd have melted. You'd have just
fell down. And say, my soul, my soul, not
unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory.
You just said something like of him and through him and back
to him are all things to whom be glory forever and ever. But brothers and sisters in Christ,
what Paul speaks of here is a greater miracle than the creation of
the world. It is. It is. If any man be in
Christ, he's a new creation. Our Lord has a 100% success rate. Any man that's in Christ, He's
not what he once was. He's a new creation. The sure
outcome is this. Old things are passed away. Behold. Oh God, give me grace to behold.
To behold the wonder of His grace. The wonder of it. The marvel
of His mercy. God helped me not to get over
the amazement of His grace to this sinner. He loved me! What a wonder! He gave Himself
for me! What a marvel! I'm His and He's
mine and He's going to take me to glory to be with Him forever. How can I get over that? How
can I ever get over that? Such mercy and such grace. All things are become new. in
Christ a new creation. Just getting some religion won't
do that, will it? Change in behavior or change
in churches or doctrines won't produce that. The new birth,
the new creation is spiritual resurrection and it's not something
you do for God. It's something God must do in
you or it won't be done. You've probably heard this said.
Mr. Newton, the writer of this hymn
that we'll sing in closing the service. Mr. Newton said, I'm not what I should
be. He's writing as a believer, an
aged believer, a preacher of the gospel, a writer of hymns
that glorified God. And late in life, he made this
statement. I'm not what I should be, or what I want to be, or
what I'm going to be. But thank God, I'm not what I
once was. I'm not what I once was. I'm
not the same man that stood on the deck of that slave ship and
cursed God. I'm not that same man that made
his living in human cargo. I'm not what I once was. Why? Why, Newton? Why? Why are you not what you
once were? Because amazing grace, amazing grace has made the change. I once was lost, but now I'm
found. I was blind. Oh, I was so blind. But now I see. I see I'm not
what I once was. Oh, and if you can say the same
thing, Let us sing the hymn, Amazing Grace, Amazing Grace,
and let's sing it to the glory of the God of all grace.