Lie not one to another, seeing
that ye have put off the old man with his deeds, and have
put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image
of him that created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew,
circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian civian, bond nor free,
but Christ is all and in all. So reads Colossians 3 verses
9 to 11, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor
uncircumcision, barbarian, civian, bond nor free, but Christ is
all and in all. In the gospel, in the preaching
of the cross, in the faith once delivered unto the saints, In
all that we preach, Christ is all. He's all. He is our message. He is in all we preach. He is
all we preach. He is all. He is the only thing
that we are sent to preach. There is no gospel without Christ. The gospel is Christ. And if we can't see that, if
we don't see that, if any preacher cannot see that Christ is in
all the scriptures, that he is the whole message of the scriptures,
that he is the only message of the scriptures, that he is all
and in all. If a preacher cannot see that,
then he should put the book down and stop preaching. Because Christ
is the message of the scriptures. The only message. He is all. Yes, Christ is all. The world was created by him
and it was created for him. This world only exists because
of him and ultimately it exists for him. Just as man in this
world only exists because of Christ who made him, and only
exists for Christ. But in our passage here in Colossians
3, we read of two men. Two men we read of the old man,
and we read of the new. There are two creations. There
is that which is here and now. And there is man upon this world,
but there is that which is to come. And there's that new man
in the world to come, that new man, which is Christ. And our passage contrasts the
old with the new, for the old is but a figure and a type and
a mere reflection of the new and that which is to come. And
although Christ created this world, and although he created
Adam upon this world, and although all was done for him and for
his glory, nevertheless this world and man in this world is
but a mere reflection, a pale reflection of the glory which
will be in the worlds to come, and of that new man, that last
Adam, which is Christ. For in the new creation, Christ
is all. He is all in the creation of
the new world to come. He is the new man. He is the
last Adam for whom that world is created. He is all in the
new man and all in the world to come. He is all in all. But in this world, and in man
in this world and to man in this world though Christ made him
and though Christ sustains him we have to say that to man and
to most men in this world Christ is not all, he's not their all,
he's not all they desire, he's not all they seek, is he? Is He all to you? Is Christ all
to you? Is He in all that you think and
do and say and seek for? Is He all that you desire? For to many, most, Christ is
not all, not in their eyes, not now, not to them. He isn't Him
whom they worship. He isn't Him whom they seek.
He isn't Him whom they follow. He isn't Him whom they walk with. He isn't Him whom they love,
Him whom they desire. No, to the natural man, to most men
in this world, Christ is nothing. Not only is He not their all,
but He is nothing to them. They don't give Him a thought.
They never bow down to worship Him. They never take their time
to give to Him. They never give their energies
for Him. He's nothing to them, less than
nothing even. What is He to you? Is Christ
your all? Is He just something to you?
Is he just someone you think about perhaps when you enter
into a meeting and hear the gospel preached? Or is he in reality nothing to
you? Is all your energy and all your
desire spent on something else? Spent on someone else? Spent
on other things? For to the natural man, Christ
is nothing. To the natural man. Self is all. All man thinks about by nature
is self and how he might gratify self, how he might please self,
how he might feed self, how he might boost self up, how he might
feed his own pride, how he might feed his own pleasures, how he
might seek after his own riches and his own glory. To the natural
man, self is all, and Christ is despised. Why? Because man by nature is dead
in trespasses and sins. Man is of the earth, earthy.
Man is blind to the things of God, deaf to the things of God,
dead to the things of God. They are nothing to him. What
are they to you? This man is dead. Dead? Yes, dead. For outside of Christ,
in the old man, there is no life. Why? Because when that man, when
Adam, when that living soul Adam, whom God created in the garden
in his own image, when that man sinned, and turned from his maker
and rebelled, he died. He died. When he fell in the
garden and sin entered, he died. Sin entered and death by sin. And having died, he remains dead. And though he brings forth men
after his own likeness, though generation after generation after
generation populate this world, They're born in sin. They're
born in iniquity. They come forth from the womb
speaking lies. They're dead. They're dead. Is that you this day? Though
you may live with a natural life, though you may breathe, though
you may get up in the morning, though you might eat and drink
and be merry, though you go about your business, Though you seek
your own pleasures and your own things and your own riches, though
you think you have life, though you might say, live and let live,
live for the moment, live for the day, the reality is, in your
heart, in your soul, to those things which are eternal, you
are dead. You are dead. And what you think
is life on this world is but fleeting, but for a moment. It
is but a vapour. You are as the grass that grows
up one day and is cut down the next. And your life will soon
be brought to a close and what you think is life you will discover
the horrible truth. Was merely death from the beginning.
Fast ebbing out. Sand passing through your fingers
never to be grasped again. as you plunge out of this world
and into eternity and into death which can never be reversed.
This man is dead. And if you're not in Christ,
you are dead. And Christ is nothing to those
who are dead. He's nothing to those in the
first Adam, in the old man. Christ is not all to the old
man Adam. Why not? Because man in the old
man in Adam, has no part nor lot in Christ. Christ is not
in him, and he is not in Christ. Christ is nothing to him. He
is not a partaker of Christ, he seeks not Christ, he desires
not Christ, he knows not Christ. The way to the tree of life in
the garden has been barred to man in Adam. when man was cast
out of the garden, when God judged man and laid a sentence upon
him when he cast him out of the garden and barred the way to
the tree of life, man could not get back in. That tree of life
which was in the midst of the garden, that tree of life which
was Christ, in which is eternal life, everlasting life, way to
the tree of life was barred and man dead in trespasses and sins
could not get to the tree of life and would not get to the
tree of life and does not want the tree of life for he is dead. Is that you? Are you so taken
up with your tree of knowledge the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil with your wisdom With your thoughts and your insights,
with your seeking after your own things, with your seeking
after your own glory, are you so taken up with your tree of
knowledge and the fruit of that tree of knowledge that you have
no time for the tree of life? Are you so wrapped up in the
first Adam that you have no time for the last Adam? Are you so
wrapped up in the old man and the old creation that you have
no time for the new man and the new creation. Well heed a word
of warning this day, for the day comes, the day is fast approaching
when all will bow, when every knee will bow to him who is life,
when all will bow the knee to the name of Jesus. and every
tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. That day approaches
when you, even you, will bow the knee, and you will know that
Christ is all, and that Christ is in all, and that life is only
to be found in Christ. But if you don't bow the knee
until that day, then you will find in that day that it is too
late for you, and too late for your soul, and there is no letting
off, and no sparing, for the sentence of death has already
been passed, and you will never find the way to the tree of life,
for the sentence will be echoed, depart from me, ye workers of
iniquity, I never knew you, Yes, the day comes when all will
bow the knee, but not all will go into life everlasting, for
many will go into that everlasting destruction, prepared for the
devils and the angels, and for all those who will be guarded
by the whisperings of the devil and the angels. When he came
unto man in the garden, and beguiled him and deceived him with the
words he shall not surely die. But man when he fell died with
an everlasting death and the day comes when those who were
dead in the old man Adam will bow the knee and will have to
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. What day is that It is
in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ,
according to my gospel. In that day, in that day which
fast approaches. But until that day, until that
day when God judges the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according
to my gospel, until that day, when God separates the precious
from the vile, the sheep from the goats, those with faith from
those without, some unto everlasting glory from others who are prepared
unto everlasting destruction. Until that day, man in Adam,
the old man, will carry on in the same path. We'll carry on
speaking lies. We'll carry on lying one to another. We'll carry on walking in the
way in which he walked as the children of disobedience. We'll
carry on bringing forth those fruits from his loins of iniquity,
anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication. fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, covetousness,
which is idolatry. Carry on in these ways, in the
ways of death, the ways which seem right unto a man, but which
lead unto death. He'll carry on living for self,
living for vain glory. He'll carry on with self being
all. and in all that he does. For
to him Christ is not all, for to him man is all, self is all. But there are those, there are
those whom God has chosen in Christ. There are those whom
God opens the eyes and opens the ears to heed the warning,
and to hear the gospel, and to hear the glad tidings of great
joy unto men, that there is one who has come to save and to deliver
those who fell in Adam, to deliver sinners, to deliver those who
were in bondage, to deliver those who walked as others walked,
to deliver those who were under the wrath of God just the same
as others, to deliver those who were like others, the children
of disobedience. There are those who hear that
there is a God who delights in showing mercy. There are those
who come to hear in the gospel that God has come to deliver
a people, that he has come to deliver those who are in Adam,
those who were fallen in Adam, those who were dead in trespasses
and sins just as others. There are those who hear the
gospel and who hear this wondrous truth that there is a people
for whom Christ died, there is a people in Christ, there is
a people chosen from the foundations of the world, There is a people
whom God has purposed to show mercy and grace unto. And this
people are washed. They are washed in the blood
of the Lamb of God. They are redeemed from their
sins. They are brought out of death
into everlasting life. And this people, this people
chosen in Christ, chosen of God, This people who have found grace
in the eyes of God, this people find that Christ is all and in
all. Here's the people who no longer
live for self. Here's the people who discover
that self and seeking self only leads unto death. But there is
one who brings life, everlasting life. There is one who delivers
from death. There is one who gave his life
for those who were once dead, that the dead may no longer be
dead, but that they might live and that they might live with
him who is life. with Him who, though He died,
with Him who, though He gave His own life a ransom for many,
nevertheless rose again. And they in Him rose with Him. They rose with Him into everlasting
life and everlasting glory. And having risen with Him their
Saviour, They live forever. They live forever. And they are
one with Christ, their Saviour. They are one with Him. They are
in Him and He is in them. And they find that He, Christ,
is all and in all. Christ is all. He is all. Oh yes, child of God, elect of
God, you who have been chosen in Christ, you who have discovered
Christ to be your Saviour, you whom the Spirit has quickened
to life by the Gospel, oh, you who are in Christ, you will know,
you know, these know that Christ is all, that He is all their
life, that their life is in Him and He is in them. He is all. Is He your all this day? Child of God, do you know Him
to be your all? For in Christ and in Christ alone
they have found life. In Christ alone the child of
God has found life, everlasting life. In Him they find redemption. In Him they find salvation. In Him they find deliverance
from sin and their sins, and the judgment and condemnation
due to their sins. In Him they find life. Have you? Have you found life in Jesus
Christ? Is He your all? Is He in all? Is He all to you in all things? For to those who are in Christ,
for those for whom He died, He is their redemption. He is their
hope. He is their life. He is their
all. He is everything to them, and
He is everything for them. All their sufficiency is found
in Him. He is everything to them. There
is nothing they need beside Him. There is nothing they want beside
Him. There is nothing they desire
beside Him. There is nothing they could need
beside Him. They have the One in whom is
all riches. They have the One in whom the
fullness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily. They have the One in
whom all the fullness of God dwells. They have the One who
is all and in all. Yes, they are wrapped up in Him. They are consumed with Him. They
are taken up by Him. They adore Him. There is none
else they desire, nothing they desire. What is there in this
world? What is there in time and eternity
which they could want, which they could desire but Christ? What is there in time and eternity,
child of God, which you could want, which you could desire,
but Christ? What is there? What is there
in the greatest riches, the greatest glories, the greatest things,
the greatest sights, the greatest pleasures and places, the greatest
things you could find in this world? What is there that compares
to Christ? What is there that compares to
Christ? They are but taking a candle
up to the light of the sun, up to the midday sun. If you lift
up a candle which on its own has a glory, you put a candle
in a dark place and you see a light, but you lift up that candle before
the sun and it's but a black shadow. Anything else lifted
up before Christ is just darkness. It's nothing. And outside of
Christ there is nothing. Whatever glory it may seem to
have, whatever pleasure you might think that you might find in
it, it will come to nothing. There is none else beside Him. There is nothing else but Him. He is all. He is all. He is all in salvation. He is
all in providence. He is all in heaven and in earth
for his people. He is all. He is all in the church. He is all in the gospel. He is
all in the truth. He is all the truth, for he is
the truth. Indeed, the truth, the gospel
of Christ, is the power of God unto salvation. For it declares
Him who is the truth, and Him who is the power of God. The Gospel is the power of God
unto salvation, for Christ is the power of God. As we read
in 1 Corinthians 1, we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews
a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness. but unto
them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power
of God and the wisdom of God. Yes, Christ is all. He is the
truth, the way, the truth, the life, the power of God, the wisdom
of God. He's everything. He's everything. He's everything. Is He everything to you? Yes, He's the power of God and
the wisdom of God, but who to? To all? To all men? Is He the power of God to all
men? Is Christ the wisdom of God to
all men? No, clearly not, as we read in
1 Corinthians, verse 23, we preach Christ crucified, who unto the
Jews is a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks he is foolishness. Yes, to those who are called,
both Jews and Greeks, he is Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom
of God, to those for whom he died, To those whom God calls
unto salvation, Christ is all. He's the power of God unto them. But to the Jews, He's a stumbling
block. And to the Greeks, He's foolishness. What is He to you? Is Christ
and His message? Is the message of Christ and
Him crucified? Is the gospel of God to you a
stumbling block? Is he a stumbling block? Is he
foolishness? Is it a vain message to you?
Is it something for a past generation? Is it something for the religious? Something for those fools that
go to church? Something for those that seem
to need a prop to get them through life? Are you amongst those who
can stand in your own strength? Oh, you don't need religion,
that's for the weak. You're strong enough yourself.
You're wise enough yourself. You'll stand on your own two
feet. Oh, science! You'll rest in science. You'll
rest in wisdom. You'll rest in learning. Are
you amongst those that despise the gospel? Amongst those that
say there's no God? Are you that fool that says there's
no God? to which the gospel's foolishness. Well hear this day that God says
I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing
the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer of this
world? Have not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom
of God the world by wisdom knew not God It pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign and
the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified,
that those who hear and believe will be saved. For this message
of Christ and him crucified, which may be to you in your foolish
wisdom, In your earthly wisdom you may cast it aside as foolishness
but if you do you will find that there comes a day when God destroys
the wisdom of the wise. He has destroyed the wisdom of
the wise and he will destroy those who think they are wise
in their own eyes. But those who you count as fools
Those whom you despise as weak are those who won't perish, for
they are those who believe in, are saved, for that message you
count as folly, that message of Christ and Him crucified to
them is made known to be the power of God and the wisdom of
God. For they in that message discover
that Christ is their all, Christ is their Saviour, and Christ
is a mighty Saviour, who delivers from death, who delivers from
the wisdom of this world, who delivers from that wisdom which
man discovered in the garden, that wisdom which he ate on the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that wisdom which destroyed,
that wisdom by which sin entered, and death by sin, that wisdom
which you think will save you, that wisdom of science falsely
so called, hear this day where it came from, it was fruit which
man ate from a tree, called the tree of the knowledge of good
and evil. And when he ate, he died. And
he's dead until this day. And there comes a day when he
will be judged for eternity. And when that wisdom, that fruit
which he rejoices in, will plunge him into everlasting darkness.
Is that your wisdom? Well, hear the wisdom of God
in the gospel. For the gospel, the preaching
of the cross, is the power of God. And those who hear it know
it to be the power of God. And they discover in it Christ
and his salvation. They discover a mighty saviour. They discover one who delivers
them from death. One who delivers them from corruption. One who brings them into eternal
glory. And for them, and for these alone,
they find that Christ is all, and in all. Yes, the Jews, to
the Jews who seek after a sign, this gospel is a stumbling block,
and to the Greeks it's foolishness. Yes, the Greeks, to you maybe,
you may despise it as foolishness. But there are those, the Jews,
the religious, professing Christians even. They may not despise it
as foolishness, but when the true message of the gospel comes
to them, it's a stumbling block. For what they heard and what
they rest in is another gospel. They want to come before God
another way. They want to come before God
hoping that God will be pleased in them and in something that
they have done for God. They think that they will come
before God and God will judge them and find some good in them. For they've always come to church
and they've always attended unto the Word of God. They've read
their Bibles. They've been zealous for good
works. They've been moral. They've not
gone after the ways of the world. Oh no, these seeked after God
in their own eyes. They thought that they were religious. Is that you? Do you think that
you will stand in that day? Well again, hear the words. We preach Christ and Him crucified
who is all and in all. He is all the message. Either
He is all and you are nothing, or you are all and in your eyes
He is nothing. And if you will come with anything
but Christ and Christ alone, if you will come before God saying
that you will bring something of your own before God, and maybe
God will be pleased with that. Maybe He will be pleased with
something which you can give to Him, something you can put
before Him. You will find in that day that
God turns round and despises your offerings, for he will not
have your works, for your righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Filthy rags. Either Christ is
all and you rest in Christ alone, or you are all. and you will have none of Christ.
For to the Jews Christ and his gospel is a stumbling block and
to the Greeks he is foolishness but to those who are called both
Jews and Greeks he is Christ the power of God and the wisdom
of God. For you see that not many wise
men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called
but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise He's chosen the weak things of the world to confound
the things which are mighty, the base things of the world,
the things which are despised have God chosen. Yea, and things
which are not to bring to naught things that are, that no flesh
should glory in his presence. Yes, he's chosen nothings. Who
are those who believe this gospel? Who are those for whom Christ
died? Who are those who can say that
Christ is there all and in all? Who are those truly? They're
nothings. Yes, nothings. Absolutely nothing. Are you nothing? Do you think
you've got some good in you in which God will be pleased or
do you know you are nothing? a sinner from head to toe, black
from head to toe, a leper, vile, corrupt. That outsider Christ
in the old man Adam, you are nothing. But in Christ, in Christ,
you find salvation. For it's the nothings for whom
Christ died. Nothings because to them Christ
is all. They glory only in Him. And He'll
never be all to you if you're still anything in your own eyes.
If there's still something in yourself in which you take glory,
in which you glory in. If you're still going about to
establish your own righteousness, still going about to make yourself
good before God. If God brings you to the point
of knowing that you're nothing, and that all that you are and
all that you do is nothing then and only then will you know and
will you begin to discover that not only is Christ something
but that he is the only one you need that he is all you need
that he is a saviour that he is all your need but until then
Until then, whatever you may say, whatever you may say of
Him, however great you may say He is, if you still rest in something
which is in you, in reality to you Christ is nothing. For He'll
either do everything to save you, or He'll do nothing to save
you. He'll either be a whole Saviour,
or He'll be no Saviour. He'll either be all and in all,
or He'll be nothing. and in nothing. What is He to
you? Is He your all? Is He your all? For He came to save nothings,
that no flesh should glory in His presence. Yes, to these nothings
He's all. What do you know of this Saviour? What do you know of Him? Is He
your all? What do you know of His power
in the Gospel, His power to save? What do you know of His love?
What do you know of that love which led Him to the cross, to
die in the place of sinners? What do you know of that everlasting
love which He said upon His own, when He said unto them, yea,
I have loved thee with an everlasting love, thee, You who are corrupt,
you who are dead in Adam, you who went forth from the womb
speaking lies. You I have loved thee, he says
to his own. What do you know of him? What
do you know of him who was beaten and bruised and cast out upon
the cross? Who men with wicked hands crucified? What do you know of him who loved
his own? and loving them to the end laid
down his life for them. What do you know of him who laid
down his life upon a cross, who was cast out and who was made
to be sin for his own? What do you know of him who bore
the sins of all his people in his own body on the tree? And
being made sin, and bearing their sins, His own Father cast Him
out and beat and bruised Him, and judged their sins in His
own Son. What do you know of this Saviour,
who suffered the torment of death, who suffered the torment of eternal
judgment against the sins of His people upon the cross? What
do you know of the Saviour who died a real and a lasting death,
who suffered an eternal judgment of the wrath of God. What do
you know of him who died that sinners may live? Did he die
in your place? Is he your Savior? Was his love
set upon you? Did he die because he loved you? Is He all your needs? Is He yours? For He is the power of God unto
them that believe, and He is the wisdom of God unto them that
believe, the wisdom of God. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us who believe, wisdom and righteousness
and sanctification and redemption. that according as it is written,
he that gloryeth, let him glory in the Lord. What do you know
of him who is made unto us wisdom? Wisdom. What do you know of this
wisdom, this wisdom of God, which is made known in three aspects? Righteousness, sanctification
and redemption. Oh, what wisdom is found in Christ. that he should be made unto his
people the righteousness of God, that they who were utterly unrighteous,
they who were sinned through and through, should be made in
their substitute righteousness. Righteousness, that God should
look upon his own and look upon them in the one who died in their
stead, the one who shed his blood for them, and he should see in
his own son righteousness. What do you know of him? What
do you know of him who is made unto his people sanctification? Him in whom they are separated,
him in whom they are made holy, him in whom they are sanctified,
set apart as those who are holy, set apart as those who are separated
from sinners. set apart as those who are separated
unto God, as those who are found in Christ and Christ alone. Are
you sanctified in Christ? Is he your sanctification? Do you find all in Christ, the
one who died to set you apart from sin, to deliver you from
sin, to make you righteous, to make you holy, is he all your
sanctification? But to those that believe, under
whom he has made wisdom, he has made wisdom in righteousness
and sanctification and redemption. Is he your all in all in redemption? Is Christ the one that redeemed
you from that captivity in which you were once bound? Did He die
for you? Did He pay the price that needed
to be paid to set you free? To deliver your soul from condemnation? Did He pay the redemption price
for you? Oh, what a price He paid for
His own! What a price He paid to deliver
His people from condemnation! What a price He paid to bring
them from darkness into light! from death unto life. What a
price he paid! Can you fathom the price that
Christ paid to redeem his people? Do you know what the redemption
price was to set you free, child of God? Do you know what price
was paid? A price that could never be paid
by any other. A sum which is so vast we cannot
comprehend it. Do you know what lengths the
love of Christ went to to deliver his people? He took a price which
was so great because the debt was so great. He paid with his
own life. He paid with his own life that
he might set his own free. He gave himself. He gave his all. that he might
save his own who were nothing. He gave his all. He gave himself
for his church. He loved me and gave himself
for me, says Paul. He gave his all. That's the price
he paid, child of God, to redeem you. to set you free, to set
you at liberty, to deliver you from the captivity you were once
in, in the old man. O child of God, is he your all
and in all, this one who is made unto us wisdom, made unto us
righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Oh, what a Saviour! What a Saviour, what a length
He went for to save us. Oh, if you know anything of what
His salvation is, if He's your all, you'll know that you're
nothing before Him. You'll know that you're nothing
but a sinner before Him. You'll know that there's nothing
in yourself by nature but that which you inherited from Adam.
And you'll glory in nothing but Christ. For as it is written,
He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Let him glory in
Christ alone. We have put off the old man with
his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in
knowledge after the image of him that created him, whether
he's neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian,
civian, born nor free, but Christ is all and in all. He's all. He's all our message, all our
salvation, all our redemption, all our glorification. He's all
in the church. There are no barriers. There's
no barriers. All which divided men in the
old man Adam, all has been taken away. We're no longer Greek nor
Jew, no longer barbarian. no longer slave and free man,
no longer religious and irreligious, no longer circumcision or uncircumcision,
no longer civian, bond nor free, but we're all one in Christ Jesus. We're all one in the new man
in whom Christ is all and in all. Is he your all? Is he your all? Is Christ your
all this day? For if he's your all this day,
then glory in nothing, but let him the glory. Let him glory
in the Lord. Let him glory in Christ alone,
for Christ is all, and in all. Amen.