declaration of the gospel. And it's a part of what he calls
of first importance. Let's pick up in verse one. Moreover,
brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto
you. It's the same message now that
it was then. It's an eternal gospel. which
also you have received, and wherein you stand, by which also you
are saved, if you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless
you've believed in vain. For I delivered unto you, first
of all, of first importance, that which I also received. I'm simply delivering back to
you what Jesus Christ the Lord gave to me. And I love this simple
definition of the gospel. It's how that Christ died for
our sins according to the scripture and was buried and that he arose
again the third day according to the scriptures. I love the
simplicity of that. I've heard preachers talk about
that and they just make it less than it is. As long as you believe
that Christ died, you're okay. As long as you believe he was
buried, you're okay. As long as you believe he was
raised again from the dead, that's believing the historical facts
of the gospel. But really that's not what the
passage of scripture says. It says how that. Christ died
for our sins, the elect, according to the scriptures. He was buried. He was raised from the dead the
third day, just as the scriptures said he would. Now, verse five,
and that he was seen. This is after his resurrection.
He was seen. of Peter, Cephas. He was here 40 days after his
resurrection. Now, when he appeared to Paul,
it was after he'd already ascended to heaven and came back. But
this is talking about these appearances. As a matter of fact, you can
find 12 of them in the scriptures. And there might've been more
that are not recorded, but he was here 40 days. Now, let's
go on reading. He was seen of Cephas, then of
the 12. After that, he was seen of about 500 brethren at once. You know, we don't have this
recorded. The only reason we know this is because we're reading
it here. You'll remember that there were
only 120 disciples after his resurrection gathered together.
But here we read of 500, now 500 eyewitnesses. Most of them,
he says, are still alive. That'd hold together a court
of law, wouldn't it? 500 eyewitnesses that the Lord
appeared to after his resurrection. After that, he was seen of James,
that's his brother, that's the pastor at the church at Jerusalem.
Then all the apostles, he appeared to them again, and last of all,
He was seen of me also as one born out of due time. And my marginal reading says
aborted. I was an aborted birth. But here he is, Christ seen. Lynn has a saying that I've heard
many times over the years that I can remember when that, for
instance, the flat earth issue is going on. People talk about
it as some people were saying the earth is flat. And I remember
her response to it was, what do I care? What's it have to
do with me? What's it have to do with my
life? My life's not going to be changed if it's flat or if it's round.
What bearing does that have on me? If Christ is never seen by me,
and I'm not talking about a physical sight, I'm talking about a spiritual
sight. If Christ is never seen by me,
all this we read of has nothing to do with my life. Hearing how
that he died for our sins according to the scriptures and he was
buried and that he was raised again from the third day according
to the scriptures. If I don't see him, that has
no bearing on my life. What does it mean to see the
Lord Jesus Christ? The word translated seen is translated
that way five times in the English translations. And in 14 other
translations that are English, it's translated appeared. Christ
appeared to Peter. Christ appeared to James. Christ
appeared to the 500. And I think it's interesting
that in the dictionary language that is given with regard to
this, it gives both meanings. The first meaning is to see,
to gaze upon with wide-eyed wonder. And the second meaning is to
appear, to make yourself manifest. When he appears to us, we see
him. and not before them. That's when I will see Him, when
He appears to me. So both those words are good
in describing what's taking place. Christ seen and He was physically
seen. And the reason He was physically
seen is because He appeared to them. Now, what does it take
to see? Well, I can find two things in
the scripture that are necessary for me to see Christ. First,
I have to have a pure heart. Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God. It's only the pure in heart who
see the Lord Jesus Christ. And I know as a young believer,
that verse of scripture always scared me. Blessed are the pure
in heart, because I would look inside of my own heart, and I'd
see anything but pure. And I thought, how could that
describe me? A pure heart. Who is this one who has a pure
heart? Well, all it is is the new heart he gives and the new
birth. I don't say that dismissively. Like, all it is, it's a glorious
thing. What great grace is involved
in that. But it's the new heart given
in the new birth. It's pure. It's sinless. It's holy. Only a pure heart
can see Him. A natural man cannot see Him.
He sees no glory in Him. He sees no beauty in Him. But
that pure heart given in the new birth. And you know, that
is something that I don't look within my own breast and say,
yeah, I see a pure heart there. It's something I only know by
faith. Because God says, blessed are the pure in heart. And he
said, a new heart will I give you. That's the same thing. It's
what David was praying for. He said, create in me a clean
heart of God. Renew a right spirit within me. Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God. Nobody else can. This is not
something a natural man can enter into. Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God. So my prayer is, Lord, give me
this new heart that sees. You know, it's really only the
pure in heart that sees it's sinfulness. The only reason you
see your sinfulness, if you do, is because you're blessed to
have a pure heart given in regeneration. A natural man has no true concept
of sin. That's why it just sounds negative
and morose to him to hear someone talk about sinfulness. Well,
that's so negative. No, it's not. No, it's not. The
pure in heart see this. So first it takes a pure heart,
and really in that sense, that's the eyes he gives to see. To
see, you've gotta be given eyes to see. You've gotta be given
ears to hear. You've gotta be given a heart
to receive. Not only is a pure heart necessary, what comes out
of the pure heart? Faith. Faith. The Lord said, Mary said,
I nod unto you, that if you would believe, you'd see. Notice the order. He didn't say,
if you see, you'll believe. He said, if thou wouldst believe,
thou shouldest see the glory of God. And that's what comes
out of that pure heart, faith. Faith is not in the heart of
the natural man. It's only in that heart that
He gives that looks to the Lord Jesus Christ. The scripture says
we walk by faith and not by sight. The appearing of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Let's look at some scriptures
that deal with His appearing. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
9. Verse 24, for Christ is not entered into the
holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the
true. That's talking about the holy of holies behind the veil with
the Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat and the veil that
separated it from the holy place. He says Christ is not entered
into the holy place made with hands, which are the figures
of the true. but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us. Right now, right now,
there's someone appearing in the presence of God for us. Nor yet that he should offer
himself often as the high priest entered into the holy place every
year with the blood of others, for then, mist, he have often
suffered since the foundation of the world. Once in the end
of the world, hath he appeared. Now this is talking about his
incarnation. You know, ever since he appeared, it's been the end
days and the end of the world. We're at the end of the end days,
I believe, but it might go on another 10,000 years. I don't
know. I hope it doesn't. Wouldn't you be thankful if this
was the last day and the Lord returned? But look what it says. Now hath he appeared to put away
sin by the sacrifice of himself." That was the reason for his appearance,
to put away sin. Now listen, beloved, my sin,
and this is talking about everybody who believes on him, everybody
who looks to him, everybody he died for, your sin has been put
away. It is gone, it is blotted out,
it is no more. He hath appeared to put away
sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it's appointed unto men
once to die, but after this the judgment, so Christ was once
offered to bear the sins of many and unto them that look for him. Are you somebody that looks for
him? I'm not only talking about looking for his second coming. Are you somebody that when your
name is called on judgment day, will you be looking for him?
Looking for him to answer for you. Looking for him to be your
savior, your intercessor, your all. You'll be looking for him.
I love the simplicity of that. I mean, when my name is called,
I'm going to be looking for him. Him to answer for me. So Christ
was once offered to bear the sins of many and to them that
look for him, shall he appear the second time without sin. He's gonna appear to you without
sin. Your sin was put away. He doesn't
have it, you don't have it. That's his second appearance
unto salvation. Turn with me to 2 Timothy. Paul says in verse six, for I'm
now ready to be offered. I'm ready to be poured out as
a drink offering. I'm ready to die. And the time
of my departure is at hand. Don't you love the way a believer's
death is called a departure? The time of my departure is at
hand. I fought a good fight. What is it to fight a good fight?
I finished my course. I've endured all the way to the
end. I've kept the faith. Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me
only, but unto all them also. Look at this description of every
believer. that love is appearing. I love His appearing as my surety
before time began. I love His appearing when He
came to this earth and worked out a perfect righteousness for
me. I love His appearing on the cross. I love His appearing in
the resurrection when He was raised from the dead for my justification. I love His appearing right now
before the Father as my great intercessor. And oh, how I'm
going to love His appearing, we just sang about it, when He
shall come with trumpet sound Oh, may I then in him be found
dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before
God's throne. We love his appearing. Let's go back to our text. First
Corinthians 15. Now he was seen, verse 5, of
Cephas. You know, I love it when the
angels said, or no, it was the Lord that said, you go tell my
disciples and Peter, Cephas, that I go before you. Why did
he say, make sure you tell Peter? Because he thought he wasn't
one of the disciples. I guarantee he thought that. He thought he'd
send away any hope of him being saved by what he did. And the
Lord said, you go tell my disciples and make sure you tell Peter.
I go before you. He said, Peter, I've prayed for
you. He appeared to Peter, you remember in John chapter
21, Peter, lovest thou me? Three times, Peter, lovest thou
me? Yea, Lord, you know all things.
You know that I love you, feed my sheep. And then it says in
verse, the latter part of verse five,
then to the 12th. He appeared to the 12th. Let's
read about this in Matthew chapter 28. Would you turn with me there?
Hold your finger there and turn to Matthew chapter 28. Verse 16, then the 11 disciples
went away into Galilee, unto a mountain where Jesus had appointed
them. And when they saw him, what they
do? They worshiped. Now this is what
folks do who see Christ. They worship him. They fall down
at his feet and worship him for who he is. And then it says,
but some doubted. Do you know the word some is
not in the original. And that word, but is translated
and that conjunction, but is translated and pretty much as
often as it is, but. This could fairly and more accurately
read, they worshiped and doubted. Now, as long as you're in the
flesh, as long as I'm in the flesh, that is the case. I believe, help thou mine unbelief. Now you think about this, they
were looking at him, resurrected. And yet what is the testimony
regarding these people? They worshiped and they doubted. I have to say I'm thankful that's
there because I know in my experience, I can be looking right at Christ
and still have unbelief that I can feel its presence. They worshiped and they doubted,
but he was seen of them. Turn back to 1 Corinthians 15. Verse six, after that, he was
seen of above 500 brethren at once. Now, like I said, we don't
have any record of this, but it happened. Here we have it,
500 brethren observing the Lord Jesus Christ as raised from the
dead. And he said, most of them are
still alive, but some have fallen asleep, some have died. After
that, he was seen of James. He had a special appearing with
James, his brother. James, the writer of the book
of James. Then all the apostles once again,
verse 8, and last of all, he was seen of me also as of an
aborted birth, one born out of due time. Like I said, this wasn't
during this 40 day, This came afterwards. You remember when
he appeared to him on the road to Damascus. That's what he's
talking about. And that's recorded three different times in the
book of Acts. Acts chapter nine, Acts chapter
22, and Acts chapter 26. Last of all, he appeared to me
also as one born out of due time. Four, now look what he says about
himself. For I am the least of the apostles. I'm not even worthy to be called
apostle because I persecuted the church of God. Now look in
Acts chapter seven, we looked at these in Sunday school, but
let me remind you of these. This was Paul's experience, Acts
chapter seven, when Peter is being Or when Stephen's being
stoned, verse 58, and they cast him out of the city and stoned
him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's
feet, whose name was Saul. And Saul, chapter 8, verse 1,
was consenting unto his death. And at that time, there was a
great persecution. against the church, which was
at Jerusalem. Look down in verse three. As
for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house
and hailing men and women and committed them to prison. This
is what he was about. Look in chapter nine, verse one. And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings
and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high
priest. And this is when the Lord appeared
to him. And you know, he never got over
this, the fact that he murdered Stephen, he participated in that. Everybody he could find that
believed the gospel, he wanted to have him thrown in prison,
kill him. I mean, he hated Jesus Christ. And he says, because
of this, I'm the least of the apostles, that I'm not made to
be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God.
He never got over those scars in this life. In this life, he
remembered that and it grieved him greatly. But, verse 10, Now here's where you can, and
I can understand if we've ever seen the Lord Jesus Christ. Now this is the bud of grace,
but by the grace of God, I am what I am. Now people who he
has appeared to, who have been given this spiritual sight of
him, here's what all of them without exception say, by the
grace of God, I am what I am. And notice this, he doesn't say
I am what I am by the grace of God. Notice the order. He says
by the grace of God, I am what I am. What is the emphasis if
I say I am what I am by the grace of God? The emphasis is look
at how grace has worked with me, look what it's done for me.
But what's the emphasis of by the grace of God, I am what I
am. The emphasis is the grace of
God. Now, this is the experience of
everyone who sees him. This is the testimony of every
believer without exception. This was Peter's testimony. You
remember what he said in Acts chapter 15, verse 11? We believe
that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be
saved, even as they. And the grammatical construction
of that is such that you could fairly, truly translate it By
the grace of God, I've been saved. By the grace of God, I'm being
saved. By the grace of God, I will be
saved. That would have been what all
12 of the apostles would have confessed. That's what the 500
brethren would have confessed. That's what James, the Lord's
brother, would have confessed. What do I know about this? If
I've seen the Lord, if He's appeared to me, I know something about
the meaning of this statement. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. The testimony of every believer
without exception. The grace of God, by the grace
of God, I am what I am. more than unmerited favor. We use that definition and it's,
I wouldn't say it's a wrong definition because it is unmerited favor.
It's more than demerited favor. It's true, we've demerited any
kind of favor as far as what we are, but the grace of God
is not even demerited favor. The grace of God is the high
favor of God. It's what was said to merit.
the Virgin Mary, thou art highly favored. Now, was she more highly
favored than any other believer? No, because Ephesians 1, 6 says,
He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. And that's the exact
same word used with regard to Mary. He has highly favored us
in the Beloved by the grace of God. I am what I am. Now, I've said this several times
in the last couple of months, but I like it more now than the
first time I said it. The only way God's grace can
be described is by putting the attributes of God before grace. And that's the only way you're
really going to understand grace. God's grace is holy grace. God's
grace is sovereign grace. He gives it to whom He will.
God's grace is independent grace. That means He doesn't need for
you to do anything before He gives His grace to you. He acts
independently. God's grace is all-powerful grace. It can't fail. God's grace is
eternal grace. It never had a beginning. God's
grace is immutable grace. It can't change. He can't have
grace toward you and then turn around and not have grace toward
you. His grace is immutable. Every attribute of God is a description
of the grace of God. His grace is omnipresent grace. You can't get away from it. It's
omniscient grace. It's got the wisdom. To cover
all of providence, all of everything that takes place, it covers it. And it's not difficult for it.
God's grace is righteous grace. There's nothing unclean about
it. There's nothing sinful about it. There's nothing wrong about
it. It's electing grace. It's grace that
finds its origin in his love. It's saving grace, it's purpose
grace. That's the grace of God. That's
what Paul's talking about when he says, by the grace of God,
I am what I am. 2 Timothy 1.9 says, He saved
us. Can you say amen to that in your
heart? You know if you're saved, it's because He saved you. That is everything we believe. Salvation is of the Lord. He
saved us and He called us. I love the order. The saving came before the calling. Don't you love that? Saved before
you had any experience of it. But you're going to have experience
of it because everybody He saves, He calls. When He appears to
you, it's because He calls you by His grace. but God who separated
me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace. He saved
us and he called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Purposed grace. Now here is what all who have
seen him say, and it's as natural as breathing. By the grace of
God, I am what I am. Does that come naturally to you?
I know it doesn't come naturally in the sense of your sinful nature,
but if you're a believer, if you've been given a spiritual
side of Him, this is your testimony. This is your personal testimony. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. Now, what are you, Paul? Now,
let me deal with this as it ought to be dealt with. Pray for me
that I can say this as I should say it. But first of all, what
are you, Paul? I'm a sinner. And it's only by
the grace of God that I know that. I would not know that without
the grace of God. Did you notice how he said he
was the least of the apostles? You know, if you go on down later,
he said, I'm less than the least of all the saints. He would have
looked at everybody in this room, and he said, you're better than
me. I'm less than you are. And he would have really believed
it. It wouldn't have been mock humility on his part. It wouldn't
have been an act. He really believed himself to
be less than the least of all the saints. And shortly before
he died, you know what he said about himself? I'm the chief
of sinners. And it's only by the grace of
God that I have any understanding of that. I know I said at the beginning of this message,
people think, well, that's morose to talk about your sinfulness.
And well, you can hear some people talk that way and it may sound
like that because it doesn't seem sincere, but somebody who
really sees before God that they're nothing but sin apart from His
grace. That's the gift of His grace.
I am what I am by the grace of God. It's only by the grace of
God that I know that I'm a sinner. And listen to this, everybody
who knows they're a sinner, Christ died for them. Everybody, are
you a sinner? Jesus Christ died for you. He
came into the world to save sinners, Paul said, of whom I am the chief. Before grace, he said, touching the righteousness
which is in the law is blameless. After grace, Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. I'm a sinner, but
listen to this, I'm an elect sinner. Chosen before time began by the
grace of God. I'm an elect sinner, and I know
that election's by grace. For the children being not yet
born, either having done any good or evil, that the purpose
of God according to election might stand. Not of works, but
of him that calleth. I'm a redeemed sinner. My sins have been paid for and
put away, blotted out by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He redeemed me. I can say with Job, I know my
Redeemer liveth. Oh, isn't it glorious for him
to be your Redeemer? I'm a redeemed sinner. Not only
am I a redeemed sinner, I'm a justified sinner. That means I stand before
God because of what Jesus Christ did for me. I stand before God
as one who has never sinned. And when I stand before God in
judgment, I will stand before God perfect, as one who has never
sinned. And I know this, it's by the
grace of God that I'm a justified sinner. It's by the grace of
God that I'm an elect sinner. It's by the grace of God that
I'm a redeemed sinner. I'm a called sinner. When a pleased God who separated
me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace to reveal
his son in me, I'm a called sinner. He's called me. How do you know he's called you?
Because I call. That's what the called do, they
call. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved. I'm calling. Right now while I'm talking to
you, I'm calling. The called call. They all have
that in common. I'm a preserved sinner, preserved
in Christ Jesus. You know, my faith is the gift
of his grace. The love I have to him is the
gift of his grace. The repentance I have is the
gift of his grace. I am what I am by the grace of
God, because by the grace of God, I am what I am. That is the testimony of every
believer. Salvation is utterly by grace. It has absolutely nothing to
do with any work on my part. Now somebody says, why? That
kind of teaching and preaching will lead to spiritual lethargy
and indifference. If you say everything's by grace,
why? What's that do to people? That
will lead to indifference. If I believe that, I wouldn't
do anything. Well, that's spoken by one who's
never experienced this grace. That's the only reason somebody
would think that or say that. They've never experienced this grace.
Because I want us to notice what Paul says next. He says, But
by the grace of God, I am what I am. And his grace, which was
bestowed upon me, was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly
than they all. I labored more abundantly than
Peter. I labored more abundantly Then John reads 2 Corinthians
11 about all Paul experienced as a preacher of the gospel.
I was stoned. He was beat. Everywhere he went,
he would be thrown into jail, have to face the cat of nine
tails. He said, the Holy Spirit says, whatever city I go in,
bonds and affliction to bind me. Can you imagine what that
would be like to know, well, I'm going to go to this next
city, and I'm going to have to take a whipping for what I believe? He'd do it anyway. What a courageous
man by the grace of God. But he says, I labored more abundantly
than they all. Now was he being arrogant? Look
what he says next. Yet not I, but the grace of God,
which was with me. That's why I labored more abundantly
than they all. It was not I, but the grace of
God, which was with me. Turn to Galatians chapter two
for a moment. Verse 19, for I, through the
law, am dead to the law. Through the law being honored,
all sin paid for, me having a perfect standing before God's holy law,
I, through the law, am dead to the law that I might live unto
God. I am crucified with Christ. Literally? Well, yeah. Not physically. But when he was
crucified, I was in him. And I was crucified with Christ.
You're just speaking figuratively, aren't you? No, I'm not. Not
at all. In the beloved, I went to the tree. I am crucified with
Christ. Paul doesn't say it's as if I
were crucified with Christ. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, even though I was
crucified and died, nevertheless, I live. Right now, I live before
God. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. And the life which I now live
in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God. Now, notice
the language of that. He doesn't say, I live by faith
in the Son of God. I do have faith in the Son of
God. You do too, but that's not what he says. He doesn't say,
I live by faith in the Son of God. He said, I live by the faith
of the Son of God. He's the one who believed God
perfectly. And I'm living off his faith. I love it that way. I find so
much joy in that and so much confidence and I live by the
faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Now that's the assurance of the
believer. He loved me and he gave himself for me. That's why
when we sing that song, I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus
the Nazarene and wonder how he could love me, a sinner condemned
unclean. But he did, and he does. He loved
me. He gave himself for me. Verse 21, I don't frustrate the
grace of God. I don't nullify it. I don't make
it meaningless. For if righteousness come by
the law, if I could be saved by my works, then Christ died
in vain. It was a waste of time. If I
could be saved some other way than by him, what he did was
in vain. But thank God it was not in vain. He saved me. 1 Corinthians 15, once again. Verse 11. Therefore, whether it were I
or they, me or Peter, James, or any of the other apostles,
therefore, whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so you
believe. So we preach, exactly what he
said in these first 11 verses. That's our preaching. So we preach,
and so you believe. Now there's no seeing of Christ
without hearing and believing what has been said in these first
11 verses. And you see Christ when you hear
the gospel. That's when you see Christ, when you hear the gospel. Now there's been no seeing of
Christ or an appearance of him to you if you cannot say in your
heart right now and know for sure this is the truth, by the
grace of God, I am what I am. I'm a sinner and that's by the
grace of God. I'm a justified sinner. That's
by the grace of God. I'm sanctified in Christ Jesus.
I'm dead to the law by Christ Jesus. By the grace of God, I
am what I am. Now everybody that he has appeared
to, This is their personal testimony. By the grace of God, I am what
I am. If you can say that in your heart,
it's because he's appeared to you and you have seen him. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for your
word. And Lord, we can't see you except
you appear to us by your spirit, revealing to us who you are. And we ask that you would appear
to each one of us that we might be enabled to see who you are. And Lord, put this in our heart
that we Cry from the depths of our hearts, by the grace of God,
I am what I am. And Lord, don't let your grace
be bestowed in vain upon us, but let us be like Paul to labor
more abundantly for Christ's sake. Bless this word for your
glory. In Christ's name we pray, amen.