to do this very often, or say
nearly as often as I should. But I dearly love this assembly,
and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. And I know words don't go very
far, but I'll try to put some legs under those, more than I
have. I appreciate you coming tonight
and your prayers. My text tonight is in 1 Corinthians
6. 1 Corinthians 6. I'm going to read the text, and
then I want us to turn to Romans. The text tonight is verses 19
and 20 of 1 Corinthians 6. The Apostle asks the question,
starting out, what? Know ye not that your body is
the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have
of God? And ye are not your own, for
you are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your
body and in your spirit, which are God's. I'd like for us to turn to Romans
chapter 14 just for a moment. Give us a little something there
that I think will help. I want to read the first eight
verses. Him that is weak in the faith,
receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth
that he may eat all things, and another who is weak eateth herbs.
Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not, and let
not him which eateth not judge him that eateth, for God hath
received him. Who art thou that judgest another
man's servant? To his own master he standeth
or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up, for
God is able to make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above
another. and another esteemeth every day alike, that every man
be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day,
regardeth it unto the Lord. And he that regardeth not the
day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth
to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks. And he that eateth not,
to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of
us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether
we live, we live unto the Lord. And whether we die, we die unto
the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or
die, we are the Lord's. Back to 1 Corinthians. This text,
the part I want to dwell on is the latter part of the 19th verse
and the first part of the 20th verse. You are not your own. Probably most of us, sometime
or other during our life, have thought, I'm my own person. And throwed our shoulders back
and spoke like we knew something. But we've never been our own.
Never have and never will be. We were wrong when we thought
that. We were sold into sin, into bondage
by our father Adam, long before we were born in this world. And
not only were we sold into bondage of sin, we loved it. We loved
what we were in. And we were hell-bent for destruction,
all of us. But God, God stopped us with his invincible
call. I'm sure glad he did me. I don't
know how you came, and we've all got different stories. But
the Lord made me thoroughly sick of man's religion. I've probably told some of you
this story. I won't tell the whole thing. We started staying
home, Doris and Becky and I. She was still home with us. One Saturday, Doris said, I want
you to listen to a preacher on television in the morning. And
she knew I didn't like television preachers. And I said, well,
why should I? She said, well, for one thing,
he said he's not begging for money. I said, I'll listen to him. So
the next morning we listened to Henry Mahan. And several Sundays
we did that until we finally, one Sunday morning, we got up
real early and said, let's just drive to Ashland. About 60-some
miles, so we did. And we did that for about three
years. But that's enough on that. But God knew every one of us
before time. And the Apostle here is talking
to believers. And so we've never been our own person, never will
be. And as a matter of fact, I don't want to be. And then he says here that you
were bought with a price. And what a price! We were bought,
purchased, redeemed by our Lord Jesus Christ. As we know, God
the Father elected or chose who would be saved before the foundation
of the world, and he gave them to his Son for his bride. And at that time, Jesus Christ
became a surety. for all that God chose. And he
became a surety for us for all time. And if you're scared or worried,
and we all get that way, no need. We're in fine hands. We're in
the hands of the Lord Jesus. He's responsible for us to the
Father. He is. He's responsible for us.
And the price he paid He will take care of his precious possession.
I'll assure you that he's capable and he's not only capable, but
that's his will. That's his desire. Let's look at Ephesians one. I'll confess. do a little confessing
tonight on my own, about myself. The first year, I guess, I was
listening to the gospel of grace. I don't know why, but for about
two weeks, everywhere I went, they were teaching and preaching,
and they were using the first chapter of Ephesians. I thought,
is this all they've got? But I found out it's enough.
Let's read a few verses here in Ephesians 1. Paul, an apostle
of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the Saints which are
at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. That includes
us, doesn't it? Grace be to you and peace from
God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as
he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world that
we should be holy and without blame before him, in love having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the
praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted
in the Beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood.
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward
us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he
hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness
of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ,
both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him,
in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise
of his glory who first trusted in Christ. in whom you also trusted,
after that you heard the word of the truth, the gospel of your
salvation, in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed
with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance,
until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of
his glory." Now look with me at 1 Peter. For as much as you know that
you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from
your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers,
but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot, who barely was foreordained before
the foundation of the what was manifest in these last times
for you. Concerning the price that was
paid for us, that price is incalculable. No man can calculate the worth
of that price. It is too much. In the world's
economy, silver and gold are searched for, worked for, longed
for and killed for. But our Lord says they're corruptible
things, damnable. And they are. If you've got your
heart set on them, you can probably get them. But you can't have
Christ. If that's all your interest is,
seeing the shiny things, you won't walk with the Lord. But
we are not redeemed with such worthless things as that, corruptible
things, but the precious, pure blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is pure and perfect, and it
endures forever. The blood of the Lord Jesus has
no human handprints on it. That is, his blood has not been
contaminated by man. And we're covered with his blood. And just as in the Old Testament,
when God came looking there in Egypt, when they had the blood
on the door, he was looking for the blood. He didn't examine
the people inside. If they were inside, they were
safe. We're in him. We're safe. We're in Christ. We're safe. No harm. No harm coming. I think when we stand before
God, He's still going to be looking for the blood. He's going to
be looking to His Son. We won't have to answer a word.
When your name is called, if you're a believer, Christ will
answer for you. And that will be sufficient.
When you hear those wonderful words, enter into the joys of
the Lord. The Lord didn't just happen.
to be killed because some men wanted him killed. They did,
but that wasn't the reason. He was ordained and purposed
for that very reason. Look in Acts with me, chapter
2 of Acts. Acts 2, verse 21. And it shall come to pass that
whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Ye
men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved
of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which
God did by him in the midst of you, As ye yourselves also know,
him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, you have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain,
whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because
it was not possible that he should be holding with it.'" So that was the reason that he
came into the world, was to purchase or buy back his people that God
had given him before time. I want to read a verse in Matthew.
Would you turn with Matthew chapter 1 with me? It's a very familiar
passage, as all these are to you. I was talking to someone
earlier, and teaching and preaching is just to remind us. And we
have to be reminded over and over again. That's why we come
two and three times a week to hear and be reminded. And I'm
so thankful for a pastor that we have as faithful and faithful
servant. And without fear or favor of
man, just declares the gospel. I don't think I don't think anybody
could leave this place after Todd's preach and say, I didn't
understand it. Do you? It's just pretty plain, very
simple, very plain. You may not believe it, but you
can't say you didn't understand it. In Matthew 1, verse 21, it
speaks of his birth. And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name Jesus. For, that's the reason,
for he shall save his people from their sins. He didn't say
anything about the world or giving everybody a chance. He didn't
come to try to save anybody. He came to save. And thank God
he did that. And he's doing that. And I don't
know how many more he's got, but he won't call a halt until
he gets all that he's chosen. And I'm expecting that not to
be too long. I realize that probably in the early church, after Christ's
death, the early church was expecting it then. And every generation
has expected him to come in that time. But he will. Some people have gotten tired
of waiting. They say, well, I don't guess he's coming. I do. I know he's coming. And I'm looking
forward to the time that he does. This great price that he paid,
not any or all mathematicians could get together and figure
the worth of it. Couldn't do it. That's the greatest reason
why we're not our own. It's because he paid the price
for us. He bought us when it looked like
we weren't worthy of anything. Wasn't even worthy of his looks,
but he paid that price. And I'm sure that he's going
to protect us and preserve us. I know that we persevere, but
we only persevere because he preserved us. That's the only
reason, if it's left to us. If we have anything to do with
it, we'll fall away. If we could fall away, I'm assured
we would. But what a Savior and Redeemer,
Keeper we have. I'll confess a little again.
I once hated this gospel. the doctrine of election, the
doctrine of particular redemption, until the Lord, in his great
grace and mercy, revealed it to me, revealed me the truth,
revealed Christ to me, revealed to me what I am and who I am. I've heard a lot of works preachers
talk about the Apostle Paul when he said he was the chief of sinners.
They said he was talking about before he was saved. No, he wasn't. I'm the chief of sinners tonight,
and I'm sure you feel the same way. And we should. We should
feel that way because we are. But I'm thrilled. I'm really
thrilled. I'm overjoyed to be a bond slave
of Christ. That's the slavery that I enjoy
more than anything else, just being his slave. Look back to
the text. And then I don't know what your
Bibles are, but look over chapter 7, 1 Corinthians chapter 7. Let
me read a couple of verses there. Verse 22, 1 Corinthians 7, 22. For he that is called in the
Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's free man. Likewise also,
he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. You are
bought with a price. Be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man who is
in his call therein abide with God. I think that all of us realize
the great price that was paid for us. And I think we're really
thankful for that. And we realize that we're not
our own. I want you to turn with me and
I'm going to close with this. Stay there for a while. I want
you to turn back with me to John chapter 15. John 15. The Lord's commandments are not
greedy. They're not hard. If you believe in him, trust
him. In John 15, I want to begin with verse 9. This is the words of the Lord
Jesus himself. As the Father hath loved me,
So have I loved you. Continue you in my love. If you
keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I have
kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These
things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you,
and that your joy might be full." I hope your joy is full tonight.
Mine is. I hope it is. If it is in him, it is. This
is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. I want you to get that. This is my commandment, that
you love one another as I have loved you. How did he love us?
Listen and you will find out. Greater love hath no man than
this. that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are
my friends if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call
you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth.
But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard
of my Father I have made known unto you. You have not chosen
me, but I have chosen you and ordained you. that you should
go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain,
that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he
may give it you. These things I commend you, that
you love one another. The love that believers have for each other is very close, very similar to
the love he has, if not the same for us. And again, I'll confess. There are some of you who, if
the choice was left to me, I wouldn't have chosen you as my brother
and sister. And probably all of you think the same of me,
that you wouldn't have chosen me. But thank God we didn't have
to choose each other. He did it for us. And I love
each of you. And I believe you love me. And
that's what he said for us to do. That's his commandment. It's
not just what we should do. It's his commandment. He said, I command you that you
love one another as I have loved you. Now, that's unto death. If you haven't gotten that already,
and I think you have. It's a hard thing. I think mothers wouldn't hesitate
at all to die for their children. Some husbands wouldn't hesitate
at all to die for their wife and vice versa. Well, this bond is as close to
that. We're brothers and sisters in
Christ. We're in the same body. Christ
gave all he had to redeem us, including his blood, which was
the most powerful. And as brothers and sisters in
Christ, our love for one another should be no different. If I could give my life and save
yours, I believe God would give me the grace to do it. Now, on
my own, I'd probably back up and hesitate, but if God would
give me the grace, I think I could do it. And if God doesn't give
us grace, we can't do anything. Whatever we do, it's motivated
by Him. It's His power moving in us to
do it. On our own, we would never do
it. Not a thing. That's great love, isn't it? His love that He has for us.
That's the reason He came. Loved us so much that even after
that we went into the bondage of sin, and loved it so well,
he still called us, brought us out. Didn't have to. Yes, he did. He had to keep the
surety that he promised his father. And I'm sure that he won't back
up on his word. If you're in him, you're in the only safe
haven. May God bless you.