Next week to preach on that passage
of scripture and tell you what it means. I'm looking forward
to it, but there's a phrase that stuck with me when I read this
passage of scripture and I just could not get away from it. So
you're going to have to wait till next week before we look
at the meaning of those two verses. Tonight, we're going to consider
this phrase. No, you not. If you don't, you should. Now,
he's speaking to believers. And he says, no, not don't you
know this, if you don't, you certainly should. And he's actually
saying to the church at Corinth with what you're saying and doing,
it seems as if you do not. No, you not. I've entitled this message, What
We Ought to Know. What we, you and I, ought to
know. Now where we are and where we
ought to be quite often are two different places, aren't they?
I'm sure you found that in your own experience. I think of that
passage in Hebrews chapter 5, let me read it to you, where
the writer to the Hebrews says to the people he's writing to
in verse 12, ìFor when for the time you ought to be teachers,
you have need that one teach you again, which be the first
principles of the oracles of God, and are become such as have
meat of milk, and not of strong meat.î Now he says you ought
to be teachers. You really should be. But you're not. As I said,
where we are and where we ought to be quite often are two different
places. Now, he says to the church at
Corinth, know ye not. And there's an element of rebuke
in this, isn't there? Don't you know this? You ought
to. And the fact that you do not know this, it's hurting you.
It's affecting you in a very negative way. We are hurt We
are negatively affected by this lack of knowledge that he speaks
of. Know ye not. Now, before I go
on, I want to qualify this with a scripture. Would you turn with
me for a moment to 1 Corinthians chapter 8, verse 1. Now, as touching things offered
unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth
up. It fills one with pride, is what
he's saying. But charity builds up. It edifies. And if any man think
that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet, as he
ought to know. that if any man loved God, the
same is known of him. Knowledge only puffs up. It fills one with pride. It makes me think, I know something
you don't know. Therefore, I have some kind of
advantage over you, if that's the kind of knowledge I have. You see, knowledge that does
not affect my life, that doesn't humble me, that doesn't make
me think after I've learned it that I know less than I did as
far as my own understanding. Knowledge that doesn't humble
me is useless and pointless knowledge. Think of that. Knowledge that doesn't humble
me and give me a sense of the fact that there's so very little
I do know. It's useless and pointless knowledge. So when I speak of knowledge,
what we ought to know. I'm not talking about having knowledge
that does nothing more than fill me with pride, that kind of knowledge
doesn't help me, it hurts me. You know, we don't really believe
any more than we actually put into practice. Isn't that so? We don't really believe any more
than we actually put into practice. Now, I wanted to qualify this
statement regarding knowledge, what we ought to know with that.
There's a big difference between knowledge that God has taught
you, it does something for you, and the other kind of knowledge.
It fills us up with pride. Now, that being said, I needed
to make that qualifying statement. It's also true that knowledge
is of immense importance. There is no salvation apart from
knowledge. In Romans, Chapter 2, verses
1 and 2, Paul said, Brethren, the heart's desire and prayer
to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Obviously, they
weren't. He said, I bear them record.
They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God's
righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.
Now, if God saves me, he's going to save me through the knowledge
of the truth. First Timothy 2, 4 says he will
have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the
truth. When Paul defines faith, he defines
it in Titus like this. He speaks of the faith of God's
elect, the faith which all of God's elect share in, the acknowledging
of the truth, which is after godliness. When Paul speaks of
repentance, he speaks of repentance being if God would grant them
repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. We're warned about
those people who are ever learning in 1 Timothy chapter 3 or 4.
I can't remember where exactly this is, but it's in 1 Timothy.
There, 2 Timothy. It's in there. Ever learning. Learning about missions. Learning
how to witness. Learning how to live a successful
Christian life. Learning how to read the Bible
better. Learning how to overcome life's
problems. Ever learning and never able
to come to the knowledge of the truth. Our Lord said, you shall know
the truth. And the truth shall set you free."
Now this gives us some idea of the importance of knowledge.
There is no salvation, no knowing God apart from knowledge. And in our growth and maturity
as believers, it is always connected with knowledge. Peter said, grow
in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. We read in Proverbs 24, verse
4, a wise man is strong, yea, a man of knowledge increases
strength. Now, there are things that we
ought to know. And if we're cloudy on these
things, it prevents us from knowing and understanding other things.
You know, the Lord said to his disciples after he had given
them a parable, they said, well, what's it mean? He said, no,
you knocked his parable. How then shall ye know all parables?
If I don't have this key of understanding this, I'm not going to understand
that either. Know ye not, there are things
that we ought to know, that if we don't know them, they're a
great hindrance to our growth in grace and faith. Now, what
I'm going to do tonight is look at the places in the Bible where
this phrase is used, know ye not. It just hit me. I've never
really thought about it before. He says to these people, don't
you know this? You ought to, if you don't. And it's hurting
you that you don't. Know ye not. Now, interestingly, most of these
verses are found in Corinthians, but there's a few found in Romans,
too. There's eight or nine of them. Let's look at them one
at a time. Now, first turn with me to Romans,
Chapter six, which has been taken in the order in which they come.
Romans, Chapter six. Verse three. Paul says, Know ye not that so
many of us, as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized
into his death? Don't you know that? Now, why
did he say that? What did he mean when he said
that? Well, look up in verse 20 of
chapter five. If you want to know what sovereign grace is,
this is as good a definition as there is in the Bible of sovereign
grace that I know of. He says in verse 20, Moreover,
The law entered that the offense might abound. Now, that doesn't
make sense in flesh, does it? It seems like the law entering
would make sin restrained and hold it down, doesn't it? I mean,
the law, but that's not what this passage says. It says the
law entered that the offense might abound and overflow. When you and I understand what
the law says, it teaches us one thing. All we've done is broke
it. Everything we've ever done, all
we've ever done is broken. Now, the law entered that the
offense might abound, but where sin abounded, in the place that
sin abounds, in the place that sin overflows. Now, let me ask
you, would that place be you? Would this describe what goes
on in your heart? The place where sin overflows,
that's all there is? In that very place where sin
abounds, grace did much more. Everywhere where there's abounding
sin, there is grace that over-abounds over that and super-abounds over
that. Now, wherever you find a sinner, all they've done is broken God's
holy law. And I don't want to say that
glibly. I want to say that with a broken
heart. Wherever you find a real sinner, I mean a real sinner,
you're going to find a place where God's grace super abounds
over that. Everywhere. Where did sin abound
the most? On the cross. And look how God's
grace abounded over that. Therefore, as sin hath reigned
unto death, and it did, In the same manner, might grace reign. Now, what does he mean, sin reigned
unto death? Everybody that sins must die,
no exceptions. Now, in the same manner, everybody
that sin must die, everybody that God gives grace to, they
must live. Every one of them. That as sin
hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Oh,
what a wonderful message. Reigning grace. That's what sovereign
grace is. It's grace that saves. It doesn't
make us savable. It doesn't give us the opportunity
to be saved. It saves. He saves. Grace is not an id. Grace is
a person. Everybody He intends to save,
He saves. Sovereign grace. Well, what should
we say then? Since wherever sin abounds, grace
much more abounds, what should we say then? Should we continue
in sin that grace may abound? You know, that's logical, isn't
it? If where sin abounds, grace abounds, well, let's continue
sinning so grace will continue abounding. That's human logic.
Gone amuck, isn't it? How does Paul answer that? God
forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein. Now, what does it mean to be
dead to sin? I remember I used to read those scriptures in Romans
chapter 6. This used to be a chapter that
I actually didn't like very much. Because when I read these descriptions
about being dead to sin, I think, well, it doesn't seem like it's
very dead to me. I mean, I read that, but it seems very alive
in me. What does it mean? What is he talking about when
he says being dead to sin? Well, look in verse 7. For he
that is dead is freed from sin. If you're dead, you're dead. What can sin do to a dead man?
What can the law say to a dead man? Absolutely nothing. He that is dead is freed from
sin. Now when Christ died, I died. And now, what does my sin have
to say to me? Nothing. I'm dead. If I died
with Christ, I'm dead. He that's dead is freed. And that word is actually justified
from sin. Look in verse 11 of the same
chapter. Likewise, reckon ye, believe
yourselves to be also dead indeed unto sin. Now, if God says I'm
dead to sin, Am I? Now, he says you reckon yourselves
to be dead to sin. Now, if God says I'm dead to
sin, am I? Yes, I am. I'm dead indeed to sin. He said,
believe that. Believe that what Christ did
on Calvary's tree caused you personally to be dead indeed
unto sin and alive unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, will you take that precious
truth that we're dead to sin and use it for a reason to sin?
If Lynn says to me. I love you so much that there's
nothing you can ever do that will make me leave you. What
would you think of me if I said, well, good. That means I can. Go out with other people and
I don't have to worry about her leaving me. That kind of response
would be the response of a monster, wouldn't it? Shall we use this
precious truth of salvation by grace and grace abounding wherever
sin overabounds over our sin? Shall we take that and use that
as an excuse for sin? God forbid. Look in verse 16
of this same chapter. Don't you know, know ye not,
here's the second time it's used, know ye not that to whom you
yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are, to
whom you obey, whether of sin and to death or of obedience
and to righteousness. Don't you know that? Whoever you yield
your members to obey, that's whose servant you are. What you
yield yourself to, that's whose servant you are. Don't you know
that? You certainly ought to. It's an undeniable fact. What
you do, now listen to me real carefully, and I hope the Lord
blesses this as it's supposed to be blessed, whatever that
means. What you do is what you really believe. Everything else is just theory.
What you do, what effect it has on your life is what you really
believe. Everything else is just theory.
Don't you know that to whom you yield yourself servants to obey,
his servants you are, whether obedience unto righteousness, or sin unto death, or obedience
unto righteousness. Romans 7. Know ye not, brethren, Romans
7 verse 1. Know ye not, brethren, for I
speak to them that know the law, how that the law hath dominion
over a man as long as he liveth. Now, don't you know this? And
he gives us an example. For the woman which hath a husband
is bound by the law to her husband as long as he liveth. But if
the husband be dead, she's loose from the law of her husband.
She's free to get married again once her husband's dead. So then,
if while her husband lives, she be married to another man, she
should be called an adulteress. But if her husband is dead, she's
free from that law, so that she's no longer an adulteress, so she'd
be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, you also
are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that you
should be married to another, even to him who is raised from
the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Don't you know that the only
way you can be free from the law is by Christ dying? free from the obligations of
the law, the moral obligations. But that doesn't mean, understand
this when I say this, when I talk about being free from the law,
I'm not talking about, well, now we can see it without restraint,
it doesn't matter, you know, the law's been answered. That's
not, that's a wrong idea of what we're talking about when we talk
about freedom from the law. I'm not saying that at all. Even
while I say that, though, I'm saying that every time I breathe,
I break the law. All I've got to do is think and it's seeing. I know that's so, but what he's
saying is the only way I can understand freedom from the law,
freedom from its obligations, freedom from trying to earn God's
favor through my own acts of personal obedience, the only
way I can be free from the law is if I'm dead. Dead. What can the law say to a dead
man? The law can't say anything to
a dead man, can it? I'm dead. I'm no longer under that jurisdiction.
I'm dead. Christ Jesus honored God's holy
law. He kept God's holy law and he
died under the judgment and penalty of that broken law. And now that
law, he satisfied the law. There's nothing for it to say.
It doesn't have anything to say to me. I'm satisfied. The debt's been paid. I'm dead
to that law. Because Christ died, I was in
Him, and now I'm free to be married to the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm
free from that law. My old husband's dead. Has nothing
to say to me. I'm free to be married to Christ.
Don't you know that, brethren? OK, turn to 1 Corinthians 3.
This is our text. Now, I'm going to enlarge on
this a lot more next week, but look what he says. Know ye not that you are the
temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? Don't you know that? You're the
temple of God. And the Spirit of God dwells
in you. And that tells me two things.
First, it tells me what the new birth actually is. It tells me
what the new heart actually is. It's the Spirit of God dwelling
in me. That's what that new heart is.
And this new heart, how this ought to affect our walk. Look
in 1 Corinthians 6, verse 16. Or verse 15. Know ye not that your bodies
are the members of Christ? That's the same thing as being
the temple of God. Shall I then take the members of Christ and
make them the members of Enharlot? God forbid. What? Know ye not
that he which is joined to Enharlot is one body? For two saith he
shall be one flesh, but he that is joined unto the Lord is one
spirit. Now flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is
without the body, but he that committed fornication sinneth
against his own body. What? Know ye not that your body
is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which you have
of God, and you are not your own, for you are bought with
a price? Therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit,
which are God's." Now, you see the effect that has of God dwelling
in you? He said, don't you know God dwells
in you? And it's going to totally affect
the way you do, isn't it, if God dwells in you. 1 Corinthians 5. He says to the church according
to your glory is not good. No, you not. Verse six. No, you
not. The little leaven leavens. The whole lump. Now. They were. I gave the. No, I didn't. I'm sorry. I got confused in
my notes. Excuse me. Know you not that just a little
bit of yeast will work its way through the entire batch of dough.
Now, this phrase is used twice in the New Testament. Know you
not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Now, hear what
was going on when he made this statement to the Church of Corinth.
Here's what was going on. Look in verse 1 of chapter 5.
It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you.
And such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles
that one should have his father's watch. And you're puffed up that
I'm not rather mourned that he that had done this deed might
be taken away from you. Now, you know what Paul's saying
to them? He's saying, you're OK with this. You're saying,
well, it's not that big a deal. We're saved by grace. I mean,
even if this is going on, they were OK with it. And that's what
Paul was rebuking them about. And that's why I said, don't
you know that that kind of attitude will work its way through the
whole lump? Now, the other time that this phrase is used, a little
leaven leavens the whole lump, is found there in Galatians chapter
5, when he's talking about salvation by grace or salvation by works. And he says, if you put one work
in salvation, if you make salvation in any way dependent upon your
works, it's going to leaven its way through the whole lump. You
make it all by works. It's either all of grace or all of works.
He says, don't you know? Know you not, this is something
I ought to know. Now, first printed chapter six. Verses two and three. Do you not know? That the saints
should judge the world. And if the world should be judged
by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know you
not that we should judge angels? How much more things that pertain
to this life? Now, what the church of Corinth
was doing, and this is incredible, if you think about this, it's
what we would do apart from the grace of God, I realize that,
but they were guilty of taking each other to court, having differences,
having problems. And what they do, they would
take each other to court and sue one another. What if I did
that to one of you guys? You owe me some money. And I
took you to Fayette County Court and hired a lawyer to sue you
and so on. Would there be anything right
about that? Now, he said, don't you know that you're going to
be judging angels? Why could you take this to a
believer? And if you can't get your differences
settled, take it to a believer and bring the case before them.
And you do that with the least esteemed person in the church.
You ought to do that before you bring it before an unbelieving
judge. Don't you know that we're going to judge angels? Don't
you know we're going to judge the world? Now, how is that?
How is it that I'm going to be judging angels? How is it that
I'm going to be judging the world? Now, there's only one way that
can be understood. Union with the Lord Jesus Christ.
If he judges the world, I judge the world. Because if he does
it, I do it too. Whatever he does, I do. Now, that's the only way this
can be understood. That's the only way I'm going to judge angels.
Because I am in union with the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, here's
the point of this passage of Scripture. If I'm in union with
Christ. It better affect what I do. If I'm in union with Christ and
if I understand that, I'm not going to be taking you to law.
No way I forgive you. I'll ask you to forgive me if
I'm in union with Christ. It's going to affect the way
I conduct myself. Now, union with Christ is this. Who He is, I am, as I am in Him. What He did, I did. When He died,
I died. When He was raised from the dead,
I was raised from the dead. As He sits at the right hand
of the Father right now, I do too. Now, if I really believe
that, And that's my hope of salvation, union with Christ. That's all
my hope. What he did, I did. If I really
believe that, it's going to keep me from taking people to court,
isn't it? It's going to affect the way I treat people and the
way I conduct myself. That knowledge would affect your
walk. Now look in 1 Corinthians 6,
verse 9. We're already there in chapter 6. Look what he says
in verse 9. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit
the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators,
nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate mollifiers, nor
abusers of themselves with mankind, that's homosexuals, nor thieves,
nor covetous, nor drunkards, Nor revilers nor extortioners
shall inherit the kingdom of God." Now, don't you know that
those who live like this and continue to live like this will
not be saved? That's what he said. If what I believe, may God give
me grace to say this the way it needs to be said. I really believe that everything
I do, everything I think, is sin. I really believe that. I
know what Paul meant when he said, I'm the chief of sinners.
I really believe that. And it's also true if somebody
says, the Lord saved me, and it doesn't change their life.
The Lord didn't save them. He said, don't you know that
somebody that continues in these things shall not inherit the
kingdom of heaven? And that's the words of scripture.
They will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Now, what that means
is if my life is not changed. And it is, I'm looking at yours
is too, if you're a believer. But if it's not, it proves God
really has never done anything for me. That's all it proves. Know ye not. that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven. And he names those
things, but then he says in verse 11, and such were some of you,
but you're washed, but you're sanctified, but you're justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. Now, look in 1 Corinthians 9.
Verses 13 and 14, do you not know? Do you not know that they which
minister about the holy things live of the things of the temple,
and that they which wait at the altar are partakers with the
altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach
the gospel should live of the gospel. Don't you know, he says,
that the preacher of the gospel should be supported, just like
the priests were provided for? He's talking about actually the
support of the preacher. Making sure he doesn't have to go to
work the way everybody else does, because his work is preaching
the Word, his work is studying, he needs to give himself to prayer
and so on, and you're to support the preacher. Don't you know
that, he says? Now, what he's doing is showing the importance
of the preaching of the Word. I'm to give myself wholeheartedly
to the ministry of the Word. the preaching of the Word. That's
what I give myself completely to. And you have every right
to expect me to give myself completely to that. You have every right
to expect me to give it my all and my best. And I have every
right to expect you to support me in doing it. And you know,
I was thinking about this. You all support me so well. I'm
so thankful for what you do. I really am. I am grateful for
the way you make it to where I can give myself to the preaching
of the Word. I'm grateful. Thankful for your
generosity. I. Thank you. Thank you, thank
you, thank you. I'm so happy I'm able to give
myself to the preaching of the word, but what he's saying is
is don't you know that the preacher of the gospel should be supported?
He's talking about the importance of preaching. That's how the
Lord feeds us. OK, first Corinthians 9. Verse
24. Know ye not that they which run
in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize, so run that you may
obtain. It's only that one who finishes
that gets the prize. Don't you know that you must
endure, that you must persevere? Don't you know that? Of course
you do. But he says the way you're acting, he says to the church
of Corinth, you act like you don't have much understanding
of it. Don't you know that you must persevere? Turn to 2 Corinthians
13. We've got a couple more. Verse 15. He says, Examine yourselves whether
you be in the faith. Prove your own selves. Know you
not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except
you be reprobate? Know you not that Christ is in
you? If he's not, he says you're a
reprobate. Now, I know he's in me. And listen, listen to me
real carefully. I know that Jesus Christ, the
Lord, is in me. I know he dwells in my heart.
How can I speak with such confidence like that? Because I know He's
in me. God dwells in me. And I know
that. This is not just blowin' smoke.
This is not just... You know, a lot of people say that. A lot
of people say that. Christ is in me. God dwells in
me. But it's one thing to say it, and it's another thing for
it to be true. Now, I know that Christ dwells in my heart. I
know He's in my heart right now. How do you know that? I remember
one time I heard somebody say, seems like if He's there, He'd
be stickin' out. Well, yeah, it does seem that way. But is
He stickin' out much on you? Is he? How do you really know that
he dwells in your heart? Is it because you feel like you're
so holy? Boy, I'm doing so well right now. He must be dwelling
in my heart. Is that what that's about? Well, what does he say? He says, examine yourselves whether
you be in the faith. Are you in the faith? Now, you can answer that question
right now. Do you rely upon the Lord Jesus
Christ right now? You really believe that because
of what He did, although you can't see it in yourself, it
doesn't mean you look within your own heart and see all this goodness
and so on, but you really believe that because of what He did,
who He is, where He is right now, you believe that makes me
holy in God's sight. You're relying on Him. That's
what it is to be in the faith. Now, if you're in the faith,
you know why you're in the faith? Because Christ dwells in you. The only reason you believe that
is because Christ dwells in you. Now, listen to me. If you're
in the faith, if you are right now relying on the Lord Jesus
Christ, it's because Christ is in you. The only way you can
know if you're in Christ is if He's in you. And the only way
you can know if he's in you is if you're in the faith, if you
believe the gospel. It really is that simple. Now,
you know you're not your own self, how the Christ Jesus is
in you, except you be as reprobates. James 4. Let's begin reading verse one.
For whence cometh wars and fighting among you? Come they not hence
even of your lust that war in your members? You lust and you
have not. You kill and desire to have and
you can't obtain. You fight and war yet you have
not because you ask not. You ask and receive not because
you ask and miss that you may consume it upon your lust. You
adulterers and adulteresses know ye not. that the friendship of
the world is enmity with God. Whosoever, therefore, shall be
a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Now, this world
that hates God. That hates his gospel, I don't
care if it's the men of this world, the ways of this world,
the maxims of this world, the religion of this world. If I'm
a friend of this world, this passage of Scripture says, I
am the enemy of the Lord. And don't you know that? He says,
Know ye not that whosoever is a friend of this world is the
enemy of God? Now, these don't you knows that
he gives us are things that we ought to know. And if we do not
know these things, they're hurtless. We ought to know them. Now you've
heard them. Now you know them. May God cause
this to take root in our heart. Things that we ought to know. Let's pray together.