Turn with me tonight to 1 Corinthians
1. I believe the Lord has given
me a message for you. 1 Corinthians 1. I know many of you like to take
notes, and I encourage it, so I'll give you my outline and
the title in four words. righteousness, sanctification,
redemption. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse
30. The text begins, but, but of him are ye in Christ Jesus. The apostle has been declaring
to us how God by the gospel makes foolishness the wisdom of this
world, and how that God in his great mercy condescends to use
such things as we are, nothing, nobody, insignificant, useless
pieces of human flesh for the furtherance of the gospel and
the saving of his elect. And then he gives this word,
but of him are ye in Christ Jesus. Salvation is in its entirety
the work of God, the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is His work, it is His gift,
it is His bestowment of grace. Our will, our work, our worth
has nothing to do with it. Not in the beginning, not in
the process, and not in the end. If you are in Christ, you're
in Christ because God put you in Christ. And salvation is neither
more nor less than being in Him. Of Him are ye in Christ. In Christ from eternity. From eternity. Now this is so
difficult for us to grasp when we start thinking about our union
with Christ and eternal things. The fact is there was a time
before time as we know it. There was a beginning before
the beginning of creation as we behold it. There was a time
when Christ stood forth before the foundation of the world in
the beginning wherever the earth was. For he stood forth as our
covenant surety, as our mediator, and he pledged himself as our
Redeemer and Savior, declaring that he would redeem, save, and
justify and glorify all God's elect trusted to his hands. And
the Father trusted us to the Son. And that work was done from
the foundation of the world. Hebrews 4 says the works were
finished from the foundation of the world. So that we were
in Christ eternally, from the beginning, one with Him. So really and truly one with
Him. That He cannot be complete as
our mediator, as our covenant head. He cannot be complete as
the head of his body, the church, if so much as one member of his
body is missing. Now, I was trying to think, driving
over here this afternoon. I've been working on this message
this morning. How do I illustrate this to folks so that we get
a grasp of it? Our union with Christ. How detailed,
how real is this union with Christ? I am a member of Grace Baptist
Church. But when I'm gone, Grace Baptist
Church will still be Grace Baptist Church, and it will still be
a complete body of believers without me. I am not a vital
member of Grace Baptist Church. Though that fellowship and that
family is vital to me, I am not vital to its existence. The same
is true of you in this congregation. We are members of it, but not
the completion of it. In Christ we are so really and
truly one with him that he is not complete without us. Hold your hands here in 1 Corinthians
1 and turn to Ephesians chapter 1 for a moment. Ephesians the
first chapter. Verse 22. God hath put all things
under his feet. and gave him to be the head over
all things to the church, which is his body. Now watch this.
The fullness of him that filleth all in all. The completion, the
fullness of him that filleth all in all. So that we are so
really and truly one with Christ, that he is incomplete should
one of his own be missing from his body. We are the fullness
of him. This union of believers with
Christ is compared to the union of a husband and a wife. And
yet that union of husband and wife, they too shall be one flesh. That's a comparative thing. The
husband and wife never really become one flesh. And Paul makes
it clear. He says, I'm not talking about
husbands and wives. I'm talking about Christ and his church.
We are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. We stood before
God Almighty before the world was accepted, not acceptable,
accepted in the Beloved. You see right here in Ephesians
1, look at verse 6. To the praise of the glory of
His grace wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. Accepted. Highly favored. Well-pleasing. greatly honored
in the Beloved, so that we stand before God from eternity, one
with His Son, accepted in His Son, accepted as His Son." Brother
Don, surely you didn't mean to say that. That's just what I
meant to say. Accepted of God, just as His
Son is accepted of God. accepted of the triune God, just
as Christ the Mediator is accepted of the triune God. And that being
the case, there never could be a time when we cease to be accepted
of God. When we send in our Father Adam,
Though we sinned and fell in the garden, nothing changed in
our relationship with Christ and our union with God. Much
changes in the experience of man in time, but nothing changes
in the relationship of God's elect with God Almighty and His
Son. Our acceptance does not depend
on us or what we do or what we experience. Though we came forth
from our mother's womb, speaking lies, yet accepted in the beloved. Though we lived all our days
with our fist in God's face, shoving God out of our way if
we could, going to hell with a mad rush against God in our
hearts, yet still accepted in the beloved. So that there is
no possibility that this union with Christ could be interrupted.
And when God called us by His grace, giving us life and faith
in His Son, this acceptance in the Beloved becomes in our hearts
a reality delightful and blessing. But it is no more real then than
it was before the world began or when we were straying and
rebelling against God in unbelief. And though we so quickly, when
this night is over, if God's pleased to warm your heart and
mind, When this night is over, if God's pleased while you read
that passage just a little bit ago, my grace is sufficient for
thee. My heart is strong. How it bubbles
over with joy. And then how quickly we forget. And how quickly we push aside
those things that are most precious and most delightful. And our
souls are covered with a horrid coldness and hardness. And there's nothing we can do
to change it. But bless God, this union doesn't change. Our
acceptance with Christ doesn't change. It doesn't vary. Oh,
Brother Don, you don't dare tell people that. It will make them
licentious. It will open the floodgates to
evil. No, no. No, the floodgates have
been open for a long time. And licentiousness is what we
are by nature. I'm talking to you about what
God does in His marvelous grace for His people. Of Him are you
in Christ Jesus by God's eternal decree, one with Him secretly
from eternity. Of Him are you in Christ Jesus
by the glorious work of the new birth wherein we are graft into
Christ, graft into Him. Fellas, speak with any authority
on this, we have some fruit trees around us. And to have a tree
one graft into another, you've got to have a cut, a cut in the
original stalk and a cut in the tree to be grafted into the tree.
And the two are bound together, united until at last they grow
into one tree. And that's exactly what happens
in the new birth. God Almighty takes the sinner,
wounded by his grace, and grasps him into the Savior, wounded
by the sword of divine justice unto death. And he binds us together,
and we're made one in the experience of grace. We are in him by virtue
of our union with him, and this is God's work and God's work
alone. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus. Now watch this. who of God is
made unto us wisdom. Wisdom. What's he talking about? Wisdom. Christ is made wisdom to us objectively
in that we want to know him. He is the object of wisdom. He
is the one whom we pursue. Christ has made wisdom to us
experimentally day by day as He guides us and leads us and
gives us understanding in His way and in His will. He gives
us the words that are needed at the proper time. He gives
us direction needed at the proper time. Certainly those are true.
But if you back up to verse 20, verse 24, I think you'll get
a hint of what Paul's talking about here. where it says He's
made of God unto us wisdom. Unto them which are called, both
Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Turn to Proverbs 8. Proverbs 8. How is it that Christ
is made of God unto us He is made of God unto us wisdom,
as he is himself the revelation of God. Really, I think this
word wisdom, the best comparison I can give of it, it's not a
synonym by any means, but the best comparison is the same term
that John uses when he speaks of Christ, the Word of God. He
is that one by whom God communicates Himself, reveals Himself to men,
so that we cannot know God apart from Him. And the only way you
will ever know God in Him is if God makes Him the wisdom of
God to you and in you, is if God reveals His Son in you and
to you by His grace. the one who is God, who was made
flesh and dwelt among us, in whom we behold the glory of the
triune God. I have a number of good friends
who are black, and when I'm around them in private conversation,
I try to ask some very pointed questions. I want to know how
a black man thinks. I want to know why he thinks
as he does. I want to know what his mindset
is in life. And you know what I've discovered?
I just can't. I just can't. Any more than he
can understand how a white southern boy thinks. I just can't. In order to think like a black
man, you've got to have all the experience of life as a black
man in this world. How can I know God? I've got
a heap sack more in common with my black friends. How can I know
God? Only if God himself becomes what
I am and makes himself known to me. And that's what Christ
did in all eternity when he stood forth as my surety. He stood
forth before ever God made Adam in the garden. He stood as the
last Adam who would come and the first Adam was made in his
likeness and in his image. Here in Proverbs chapter 8, the
Lord Jesus is speaking. He's speaking under the personification
of wisdom. He says, Verse 8, all the words
of my mouth are righteousness. There's nothing cruel or perverse
in them. They're all plain to him that
understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. Verse 12,
I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty
inventions. Verse 14, counsel is mine in
sound wisdom. I am understanding, I have strength. By me kings reign, and princes
decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles,
even all the judges of the earth. I love them that love me, and
those that seek me early shall find me." Look down at verse
22. The Lord possessed me in the
beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up
from everlasting. from the beginning, or ever the
earth was. When there were no depths, I
was brought forth. When there were no fountains
abounding with water, before the mountains were settled, before
the hills was I brought forth. While as yet He had not made
the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust
of the world. When He prepared the heavens,
I was there. When He set a compass upon the face of the depth, When
he established the clouds above, when he strengthened the fountains
of the deep, when he gave to the sea his decree that the waters
should not pass his commandment, when he appointed the foundations
of the earth, then was I by him as one brought up with him. And
I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him, rejoicing
in the habitable part of his earth. Now, wait a minute. He just told us this is all before
the world was ever made. This is all before ever God laid
the foundations of the earth. But he says, I was rejoicing
before him, rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth,
and my delights were with the sons of man. Christ is that one
who set up from everlasting. as our mediator in surety, to
come as the incarnate God, to reveal God to us, by whom God
would make Himself known to us, the Word that would be made flesh
and dwell among us. All right, Christ is made of
God unto us wisdom, so that if you would know God, you look
to Him. If you would know the will of God, you look to Him.
If you would behold the glory of God, you behold Him. He is
God incarnate, and all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him. Read on. Of Him are ye in Christ
Jesus, who of God is made unto us righteousness. Righteousness. There are two words that are
commonly used in Scripture that we tend to use interchangeably,
and they are not interchangeable words. Righteousness and holiness
are not the same thing. Righteousness is basically a
word not describing one's character, but rather describing one's standing
and one's acts. To be righteous is to be right
before the law. who watch any television or movies
at all, a policeman on the job and he shoots somebody, he's
dead. It's a righteous shooting. It's declared righteous. What's
that mean? It means a good thing? No, it's right before the law. And righteousness is rightness
before the law. Righteousness is us standing
before God in His law with no guilt, completely justified before
the law. That's what God does for sinners
in free justification. He makes us righteous in Christ. The Lord Jesus, by His obedience
on this earth, fulfilled every requirement of God's holy law
in our room instead, and that righteousness which is His is
ours in Him. and truly ours. Now remember,
we're one with Him. We're one with Him. Clare, when
Christ walked on this earth, you walked in Him. When He obeyed
God, you obeyed God in Him. When He died, you died in Him. You paid the debt owed to God
in Him. When He arose, you When he sat
down on the right hand of the majesty on high, you sat down
in him. And that's true with regard to
all God's elect. We are one with him. Turn to
Jeremiah, chapter 23. Jeremiah, chapter 23. But when you find your place
there, turn to chapter 33. Now here is what we read in verse 6 of
chapter 23. Judah shall be saved, and Israel
shall dwell safely. And this is the name whereby
he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness." Jehovah seek
in you. Look in chapter 33, verse 16. In those days shall Judah be
saved. and Jerusalem shall dwell safely.
And this is the name wherewith she shall be called, the Lord
our righteousness." How does God do that? How does
God Almighty call Tom Wooten, Jehovah our righteousness? How
does He do that? Because He really is. Because
He really is. It's not as though. This is just
as though we were one with Christ. No! We really are one with Christ. As truly one with Him as He is
one with the Father. By one man's disobedience, sin
entered into the world. And death by sin. And so death
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. And in the same
manner, by the obedience of one, shall many be made righteous."
Christ Jesus is made of God unto us righteousness. That's our
free justification. Christ, by His blood, by His
death upon the cursed tree, blotted out our transgressions. He brought
in everlasting righteousness and made us the righteousness
of God by His obedience unto death. But a right record, now
listen to me, listen carefully, listen carefully, a right record
is not salvation. Justification is not salvation. Redemption itself, just the bare
payment of justice being satisfied, is not salvation. God said to
Abraham, I said that already just a moment ago, He said, walk
before me and be thou perfect. And I'll make my covenant with
you. No way. He had already made His covenant
with Him. Read the 15th chapter. But in chapter 7 it says, "...walk
before Me, and be thou perfect, and I will make My covenant with
you, and I will bless your seed, and I will multiply them as I
said I would do." Is God putting a condition on this thing? Of
His blessing His people? Oh yes. Oh yes. A very real condition. It's called
perfection. Walk before me and be thou perfect. The margin reads sincere or upright,
but the word means perfect. Walk before me and be thou perfect. Perfect. How can that be? How
can that be? Only in a representative, substitute
man, Christ Jesus the Lord. I'm talking to you about real
substitution. We are one with Christ. We are
made of God, the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. But something
else is required. Those who enter into glory must
themselves be made holy. Holy. Of Him are you in Christ
Jesus, who of God is made unto us sanctification. That word translated sanctification. Let me show it to you another
place. Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12. Verse 14. Are you there? Follow peace with
all men and holiness. Holiness. The very same word. Sanctification. Now this word
has less to do with a person's act and deed and principally
speaks of character. When I talk about record, I'm
talking about what he is. Holiness. Holiness without which
no man shall see the Lord." Now, if you pull down the commentaries
and you start to read those commentaries on this 14th verse, they'll tell
you that the Spirit of God is here telling us to pursue peace
with men and strive to be holy. Work hard at being holy. Do everything
you can to live a holy life. so that you'll be able to see
the Lord, because without this, you can't see the Lord. If that's
the case, you won't see Him. You won't see Him, because this
holiness cannot be measured in relative terms. Either you're
holy or you're unholy. Either you're perfect or you're
not perfect. What's he talking about? This
sanctification that Christ has made to us. This holiness that
Christ has made to us. In the new birth, God the Holy
Spirit creates men and women new in Christ. He puts Christ
in you. Christ in you is the hope of
glory. Christ in you is salvation experienced. You're made to be partakers of
the divine nature. What? Somebody said something
I'd written along that line a while back and said, well, Fortner
said, we're made to be little gods. No, not hardly. But Christ is formed in you.
And that's that holy thing created in you that cannot sin. That
holy thing that walks before God uprightly, serving God continually. Let me show you, 1 John chapter
3. 1 John chapter 3. I have discovered that it is
utterly amazing how much sense the book of God makes when you
shut out from your mind the traditions of men that you've heard all
your life. And read it for the first time exactly as it's written. Read 1 John chapter 3 with me.
Beginning of verse 5. You know that he was manifested
to take away our sins. And in him is no sin. In him
is no sin. In him personally. But this is
talking about him representatively. This is talking about him as
our mediator. In him is no sin. In him is no sin. Are you or
are you not in Him? I'm in Him, and He is in me,
and in Him is no sin. All right, read on. Whosoever
abideth in Him sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen
Him, neither known Him. The word sinneth is in the linear. talking about the continual action,
and it may be proper to say, he does not sin in the bench
of his life. That might be proper in verse
6. Verse 7, little children, let no man deceive you. He that
doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. There
again, it may be proper to say, all right, this is talking about
the believer is one who in the bent, in the character, in the
tenor of his life, does that which is righteous. And that
certainly is true. But look at verse eight. He that
committeth sin is of the devil. For the devil sinneth from the
beginning. For this purpose, the Son of
God was manifest that he might destroy the works of the devil. Now, hold on and look at verse
9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. Is that what it reads? Is that how
the text reads? What's that mean? That means,
whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. This is not talking about the
bent of his life. This is not talking about the general direction
of his life. That which is born of God does
not sin. It's not possible because it's
born of God. That's what it says. And he cannot
sin. Because he is born of God. I think that's what I just said,
wasn't it? It's not possible. He's born of God. What's he talking
about? He's talking to us about that
which every believer knows in the continual day-by-day experience
of his life in this world. The believer is a man or woman
whose Hearts are possessed of two armies, flesh and spirit,
two natures, good and evil, two men, Christ and Adam. And that which is born of God,
that new man created in righteousness and true holiness, that new man
that the child of God really is, that new man that outwardly
is often hidden from the eyes of others because of the corruptions
that show forth. That new man is what the child
of God really is. That new man is Christ in you. And Christ cannot sin. That new
man is born of God. It does not sin. We are made
of God. to possess Christ as our sanctification. And Christ is made of God and
to us sanctification by His work of grace in the new birth, giving
us the nature of His Son. Do you see that? I'm preaching
through the Book of Exodus at home on Tuesday nights, the week
before last I think it was. I preached to our folks, no,
last week, the middle bar. In the tabernacle,
if you'll go back and read Exodus chapter 26, you'll see that when
God gave commandment to Moses to erect the tabernacle, He told
him to make these bars of shidom wood, overlaid with gold, to
go through the hooks on the boards, holding up those boards in their
place. And there are five on each side, fifteen in all. But
there's only four that show on each side. Only four. The middle bar was shot through
from end to end. That middle bar is Christ in
you. And the only person who can see
that middle bar is the one who put it there. It's not visible to the eye of
man. It can't be known by another.
Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is that one formed in you,
that one that shall live forever, and we live forever as one with
Him. Back to our text. Of Him are
ye in Christ Jesus, who of God has made unto us wisdom and righteousness
and sanctification, holiness and redemption. This word, redemption. is not the word that's commonly
translated redeem or redemption, though it is used frequently.
This word speaks of the complete deliverance of the captive. Complete deliverance. We tend
to isolate things. We like to say that you can't
confuse justification and sanctification. Nobody can separate them. We
like to have redemption here and regeneration there and resurrection
there. They're all connected together.
Christ, by His death at Calvary, paid the debt we owe to divine
justice. He put away our sins. That's
blood atonement. Christ comes by His Spirit and
gives life to the dead sinner and raises us up from the dead.
That's redemption as well. That's redemption by power. That's
deliverance from death, from the bondage of sin by the power
and grace of God in the new birth. But blessed be God, there is
a day of redemption coming. The Holy Spirit who comes in
grace seals to our hearts, all the blessings of covenant grace
given us in Christ before the world began, is a seal unto the
redemption of the purchased possession. Redemption. Soon these bodies
shall be sown in corruption, and soon they shall be raised
in incorruption. And we shall be brought into
the complete deliverance, the complete salvation of our souls
by God Almighty through Jesus Christ, our Mediator. And we
shall be made exactly as He is in experience. Soon. Soon, Mark, exactly as
He is. No more labor of coldness and
indifference and hardness. No more burning lust. No more anger. No more envy. No more jealousy. No more petty
strife. No more evil. But I shall be
like Him when I see Him as He is. and resurrection glory. What's that mean? I will live
with God in total, uninterrupted conformity to His dear Son. And I will live with God in total,
everlasting, uninterrupted communion with Him. And I will live with God in total,
everlasting, uninterrupted, perfect consecration to my God and my
Savior. Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God has made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glorieth,
let him glory in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord always. Trust in the Lord always. Exult in the Lord always, for
He is our wisdom. our righteousness, our sanctification,
and our redemption. Amen.