Believers are victorious. Now, 1 Corinthians chapter 15,
let's read beginning at verse 1, 1 Corinthians 15 verse 1,
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel, the gospel
which I preached unto you. Paul came to this city of Corinth,
And he spent a year and a half there preaching the gospel. I
preached the gospel unto you, which you also received. They
received it by faith. They heard it, they received
it. And wherein he said, you stand, you stand firm. How firm a foundation. He said
to the Lord is laid for your faith in his excellent word,
by which you're also justified. You're justified by this gospel. justified by this gospel, and
those who are justified, they do hold fast to what I preached
unto you, unless you have believed in vain. Verse 3, for I delivered
unto you first of all that which I also received. How that, how
that, Christ died for our sins according to the Word of God,
according to the Scripture. And that he was buried, and that
he rose again the third day according to the Scripture. Now many say
the Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. And
just to put it in those terms is to not clearly define what
the gospel is. Because it says here in verse
3 how that Christ died. for our sins according to the
Scriptures. Now, I'm entitling the message
from verse 1 where Paul says, I declare unto you THE gospel. Definite article. THE gospel. Paul does not say that he preached
a gospel. He said he preached the only
saving gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. For we know that there
is no other gospel than the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. There
has been one gospel, not another. As we read a moment ago from
Galatians chapter 1 where Paul said, though we or an angel from
heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which you
have already received, how Christ died for our sins according to
Scripture, let him be, and the strong is a strong word there,
let him be condemned forever. Now this word that we read in
the text here, the gospel, the gospel, you see it there in verse
1, moreover brethren I declare unto you, the gospel, that word
is found 99 times in the New Testament. Let's just say 100
times in the New Testament. And the word means, gospel means
good news. Good news. And the gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ is good news to sinners. It's good news
to the guilty. It's good news to those who are
in need of mercy. Sometimes this word is also rendered
glad tidings. If you hold your place there
and find Luke chapter 2. Remember the messenger from heaven
was sent down to the shepherds abiding there in the field in
Luke chapter 2 Verse 10 Luke 2 verse 10 and the angel said
unto them that is the shepherds fear not or behold I bring you
good tidings Good news, good tidings of great joy, which shall
be to all people. For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And
this shall be a sign unto you, you shall find a babe wrapped
in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there
was an angel, there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly
hosts praising God and saying glory to God in the highest on
earth, peace and goodwill toward men. Good news, good tidings,
the Savior has come. Now we read many times in the
Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the Gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ is called the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Gospel of
the Kingdom. Because it's all about the King,
the Lord Jesus Christ. In Acts chapter 20, the gospel
is called the gospel of the grace of God. And the gospel is all
about the grace of God, because it comes from the God of all
grace, 1 Peter 5.10. In Romans chapter 1, Paul said,
I'm separated unto the gospel of God, which he aforepromised
by the scriptures, the prophets, concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. So the gospel is called the gospel
of the kingdom, the gospel of the grace of God, the gospel
of God, and then in Romans 1, 16, Paul said, I'm not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God and the
salvation to everyone that believe it. The gospel of the grace of
God. The kingdom of God, the gospel
of God. It's called the gospel of Christ.
It's also called in Romans 10 verse 15, the gospel of peace. How God made peace for us with
his own blood. And then in first Timothy chapter
one, the gospel is called the glorious gospel of the blessed
God. Also the gospel is called in
Revelation 14, 6, it's called the everlasting gospel. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is the good news of the Lord Jesus coming to save His
people and it's an everlasting message. Everlasting gospel and
message. Our blessed Redeemer and God,
our God, our Savior has told His church to go into all the
world and preach The gospel to every creature. He that believeth,
what? The gospel, and is baptized,
confessing Christ, shall be saved. So we're to go and preach the
gospel, the gospel, definite article. The Apostle Paul declared
unto us in Romans 9, verse 16, he said, woe is unto me if I
preach not the gospel. So, there is importance in preaching
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let's go back to
verse 1, 1 Corinthians 15, 1. Moreover, brethren, I declare
unto you the gospel, the gospel which I preached unto you. Now,
turn back to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, the
Apostle Paul was sent to Corinth for a definite purpose, and that
was to set forth the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ
in declaring the gospel. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse
17, where Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the
gospel. not with wisdom of words, lest
the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the
preaching of the gospel is to them that perish foolishness,
but unto us which are saved justified is the power of God." The power
of God. Look down to verse 23, 1 Corinthians
1, 23. For we preach Christ crucified
unto the Jews a stumbling block, unto the Greeks foolishness,
but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God, and Christ the very wisdom of God." Paul
came preaching the gospel and these folks here in Corinth who
by nature are sinners like us, who by nature are idolaters by
nature like us, they heard the preaching of the gospel. And
look what it says in verse 1, back to our text. It says here,
you received this. You received the preaching of
the word. Now, how did they receive it? Turn over here to 1 Thessalonians
chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. They received it not as a word
of men, but as it is in truth. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, excuse
me, chapter 2, verse 13. For this cause also thank we
God without ceasing, because when you received the word of
God, which you heard of us, you received it not as the word of
men, but as it is in truth the word of God. It's the word of
God that effectually works in you. They heard the preaching
of the gospel and they were given grace to receive this message
as it is the word of God, the word of truth, and they were
given faith to believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now
notice what it says in the last part of verse 1, they heard the
gospel, they received it by faith in Christ, And wherein he said,
you stand, you stand for this gospel. Now those who've heard
it and believe the gospel, they're not ashamed of the gospel and
they take a stand. They take a stand for the gospel. Look over here in the last part
of this chapter, 1 Corinthians 15, verse 58. Wherefore my beloved
brethren, be ye steadfast. You see, we can't compromise
over the gospel. We cannot compromise. Be you
steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord for as much as you know that your labor in the Lord is
not in vain. Now look at 1 Corinthians chapter 16 verse 13. Chapter
16, verse 13, watch you and stand fast in the faith. You see that? Take a stand. Stand fast in the
faith. Quit you like men, that is act
like men and be strong. So where to take a stand for
the gospel? Those who have heard the gospel,
those who have been given grace in their heart to receive it
as the gospel of God, they're not ashamed of it, they take
a stand for it and they contend for the gospel. That is, there
is no other message, there is no other gospel, but that concerning
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now look at verse 2 in our text,
1 Corinthians 15, 2, by which you're also saved. You're justified
by this gospel. There is no other way that sinners
are justified but by the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's
no other way that sinners are justified but by His grace. Remember Romans 3. 24 being justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that is in the Lord
Jesus Christ God always saves sinners by purpose and by his
grace and they do take a stand they do hold fast, but he says
here in the last part of verse 2 unless you have believed that
Now, what does that mean? Well, there's a warning for us
here. You see, true faith never quits. True faith is never in
vain. True faith is never false and
empty. True faith is the precious gift
of God. True faith is given by the Lord
Jesus Christ, who is the author and finisher of faith. True faith
always looks to Him. True faith is always coming unto
the Lord Jesus Christ. But sometimes there is a mere
profession of faith that is not real and genuine, that will not
endure when persecutions come, when trials come, bind by this
false faith, this empty faith, that the mere profession will
be offended and will quit. Turn to John, or rather find
I want you to turn to Colossians chapter 1. Turn over there. True
faith endures. Phony faith will quit. Colossians chapter 1 look at
verse 19 for it pleased his father that in him should all fullness
dwell Having made peace through the blood of his cross by him
to reconcile all things unto himself Colossians 1 verse 20
I say whether they be things in earth or things in heaven
and you that were sometimes alienated enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death to present you holy, unblameable, unreprovable in his sight, if
you continue..." And saving faith does. Saving
faith. "...if you continue in the faith,
grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope
of the gospel, which you heard, which was preached to every creature
which is under heaven, wherefore I, Paul, am made a minister.
Saving faith does not quit. That which is phony and not real
and not God-given will always find some excuse to get upset
and to walk away from the gospel. Look at verse 3 now, back in
our text. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 3, For
I delivered unto you First of all, that which I received, I
delivered unto you that which I received, how that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures." Now here's a clear
statement I think maybe the clearest statement found in all the scriptures
that tells us what the gospel is all about. The Apostle Paul
defines the gospel of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
the power of God unto salvation. First of all, he declares the
gospel of Christ is the gospel that he was taught, that he received. In other words, this gospel didn't
originate with Paul or Peter or John. This is God's gospel. Remember I read over here in
Galatians chapter 1, I certify you, brethren, that the gospel
which was preached of me is not after man. You see, Paul said,
I received this gospel. I'm just repeating what God has
already said. That's what preaching is. For
I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached
of me is not after man. I neither received it of man,
neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. The gospel is a mystery that
has to be revealed. And Paul said the gospel is not
the invention or creation of men. The gospel of God does not
begin with man. It begins with God. He is the
Alpha and He is the Omega of the gospel. You see, the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ is not about you. Not about you. Not about me. The gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ is all about Him. who He is, His priestly
work, His person. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is the everlasting gospel. That is, it is as old as God. It is the eternal gospel. We read in Scripture of the Lamb
slain before the foundation of the world. This gospel is the
everlasting covenant of God's grace. We read in Hebrews 13,
the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord
Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep to the blood of the
everlasting covenant. This gospel is the everlasting
gospel based upon the everlasting covenant of God's grace. All aspects of this gospel are
conditioned upon Christ, not you. You don't make it work. He does. Now, the second thing
is this. Paul said, I delivered unto you
that which I also received. How that? Now, underscore those
two words. How that? how that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures. Now, here's the declaration
of the gospel, how that Christ. Now who is this one that is called
here the Christ? That means that the Lord Jesus
Christ is the one Son of God. He is the Messiah. He is the
anointed of God. He's no unauthorized Savior. He's the one that's Son of God.
And it's who He is that gives eternal power and value to what
He did. This is not some mere Jewish
man dying upon a cross. This is the Christ of God. This
is the Lamb of God. Who is this One who died for
us? How that Christ died. Who is this One? Who is the Lord
Jesus Christ? Is he just a mere man? Some say
he's a good prophet. Some say he was a good man. Who
is this one who died? Well, my friend, he is God Almighty
manifest in the flesh. That's who this one is. Who is
this one who died? He's the anointed prophet, priest,
and king in all of his office. prophet to reveal the will of
the Father in salvation, a priest to redeem us, not with the blood
of bulls and goats, but with His own blood, and He's the King,
the anointed King, to rule and reign over us. God said, I've
set my King upon my holy hills. This is the One who came to save
His people from their sin. Who is this One who died? He's
the Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ. He sacrificed
His humanity upon the altar of His deity. God bought the church
with His own blood. Who is this One who dies for
our sin? According to the Scripture, He's
none other than God Almighty manifest in the flesh. come to
save his people without controversy great is the mystery of godliness
God was manifest in the flesh now it's because of who he is
that gives all power and value and merit to the blood that he
shed God shed his blood for us he bought us with his own blood
now we see who died When we were yet without strength in due time,
Christ died for the ungodly, Romans 5. How that Christ died,
no doubt about that, but why did he die? Look what it says
in the text. He died for or because of our
sin. Now we know the scripture record
is clear, he had no sin, he knew no sin, he did no sin, he's holy,
he's harmless, he's undefiled, he's separate from sin, but he's
dying for our sin, the sin of his covenant people. He said,
I laid down my life for the sheep. He died for our sin. That is
in the room, in the stead, in the place of His covenant elect. He's laying down His life for
the sheep. He died for our sin. Now, had
our sin not been laid upon Him, He never would have died. He
couldn't die. He's life. But because our sin
was laid upon Him, the wedges of sin is what? Our sin was actually
laid upon Him, made to meet upon Him, and when sin was found on
Him, it demanded that exact payment which was death. Our substitute. He died as our
substitute for the sins of His people. Wounded for our transgression,
bruised for our iniquity were laid upon Him. He had no sin
of His own, but He willingly took our sin to Himself. He bare our sin in His own body
on the tree. How that Christ died for our
sin. And the Lord did this willingly.
He said, no man takes my life from me. I have power to lay
it down. I have power to take it again.
This commandment have I received of my Father. God made Him to
be sin for us. Let's see if we can find that.
2 Corinthians chapter 5. Turn over there. Verse 21. 2 Corinthians 5, 21, for he had
made him, that is God the Father, made him sin for us, bearing
our sin, and he's the one who knew no sin, the Lord Jesus Christ,
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Had he not been made sin for
us, we could never have a justifying righteousness before God. Never,
never, never. He suffered once for our sin,
that just for the unjust that He might bring us unto God. How that Christ died for our
sins, for the sins of those people for whom He stood, for whom He
represented. And Adam all died, even so in
Christ shall all be made alive in Him. Now, Here's the next
thing. He dies, the Christ of God, the
anointed of God, he dies the appointed time for the appointed
people. Died for our sin according to
the scriptures. That is the Lord Jesus Christ
died according to the decree of God. Never think of the atoning
death of the Lord Jesus Christ as an accident. He dies on purpose. He dies on God's purpose. And he dies by his own terms. The death of the Lord Jesus Christ
was appointed by God. This is God's sacrificial, substitutionary,
satisfying Lamb to take away the sin of God's elect in this
world. Remember in Acts chapter 2 Peter
preached him being delivered by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God. You have taken and by wicked
hands have crucified the Lord of glory. He dies the appointed
death for the appointed people and he dies the appointed way.
Why didn't they just stone him to death? I mean, does it really
matter how he died just as long as he dies? No, he had to die
the appointed death. He redeemed us from the curse
of the law, being made a curse for us, for cursed is everyone
that hangeth on a tree. He had to be hung upon a tree
to show he was accursed of God, being made sin for us. They couldn't
stone him. They tried that, remember? He
walked right past them. He had to die upon the cursed
tree. to show that He's substituting Himself for us and that He redeemed
us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us. He dies the appointed way and
He dies for the appointed people. Now never entertain the idea
that the Lord Jesus Christ died for all the sins of all men to
make salvation a possibility if they meet certain conditions.
That's not the gospel. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ declares He died for His appointed people. Call His name
Jesus, He shall save His people from their sin. He dies the appointed
death at the appointed time, the appointed way, and He dies
for the appointed people. at the appointed time for those
people. In the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son, made
of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under
the law, to accomplish the appointed salvation. There's no other way
for God to be just and the justifier. There's no other way that God
can be a just God and Savior, but in the Lord Jesus Christ
in Him crucified. That's why the Apostle Paul said,
I'm determined not to know anything among you, but Jesus Christ in
him crucified. You see, he dies. to accomplish
salvation for His people. He said, it is finished, it's
done. God forbid I should glory save in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ dies for
the sins of His people. Call His name Jesus, He shall
save His people from their sin. And in doing so, He fulfills
all the scripture written of Him. We read through the Gospels
many times and we read this statement. And all this was done that the
Scripture might be fulfilled. That the Scripture might be fulfilled.
He dies according to the decree of God, fulfilling all Old Testament
types, promises, pictures, shadows, and patterns. Let's turn to Acts
chapter 13. In Acts chapter 13, Verse 29 it
says in Acts 13 29 and when they fulfilled all that was written
of him When they fulfilled all that was written of him Going
all the way back to Genesis all the way through Malachi They
took him down from a tree, and laid him in a sepulcher. But
God raised him from the dead. And he was seen many days of
them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are
witnesses unto the people. We declare unto you glad tidings,
that's the good news of the gospel, how that the promise which was
made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto their
children, in that he raised Jesus up again, As it is also written
in the second psalm, Thou art my son this day, have I begotten
thee? And as concerning that he raised
him up from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he said
on this wise, I'll give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore
he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thy holy
one to see corruption. Psalm 16. For David, after he
had served his own generation, by the will of God fell on sleep,
and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption. But he whom
God raised up saw no corruption, because he put away our sin by
the sacrifice of himself. And in doing so, the Lord Jesus
Christ him crucified, Being buried, being raised again is all according
to the Scripture. He fulfilled all those types,
pictures, patterns, and promises. Let me give you just a few of
them. You remember the promise in Genesis 3.15, the woman's
seed that was bruised the serpent's head? That was fulfilled and
Christ crucified. The lamb that Abel brought and
killed, typical of the Lord Jesus Christ dying in the room and
in the stead of His people. The Passover lamb in Egypt, The
blood put on above the door and the side post, that's a picture
of God saying, when I see the blood, I'll pass over you. Christ,
our Passover, is sacrificed for us. In the wilderness, the smitten
rock and the water flowed out, that too is a picture of Christ
smitten for us. Scripture says in 1 Corinthians
10, Did all drink that same spiritual rock? For they drank of that
spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. The brazen serpent lifted up
in the wilderness, Numbers 21. again is fulfilled in the Lord
Jesus Christ. He said in John 3, as Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be
lifted up, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but
have eternal life. You see how that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scriptures. And the Scriptures
are the testimony of God, the will of God, and the decree of
God. Turn back to the book of Luke
again and find Luke 24. He died for our sin according
to the Scripture, Luke 24. Look at verse 44. Luke 24, 44. You remember He said, I must
go to Jerusalem, I must be betrayed, I must be killed, I must be raised
again. Luke 24, 44. These are the words
which I spake unto you while I was yet with you, that all
things must be fulfilled, which are written in the Law of Moses,
in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me. Then opened he
their understanding, that they might understand the Scripture.
He died for our sin according to the Scripture. Thus it is
written, thus it behoove Christ to suffer, to rise from the dead
the third day, that repentance and remission of sins should
be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem,
and you are witnesses of these things." He died for our sins
according to the Scriptures. Not only that, look back to the
text. And, verse 4, 1 Corinthians 15, verse 4, and that he was
buried, He was buried. Now what does that tell us about
the Scriptures? What does that tell us about
His death? Well, He fulfilled the Word of
God, the Scriptures. To fully demonstrate that the
Lord Jesus Christ really died, they buried His body. They didn't
bury Him, they buried His body. Turn over to Isaiah 53. Turn
over there. He died for our sin according
to Scripture and was buried according to the Scripture. Now, it is
prophesied here in Isaiah 53 verse 8, He was taken from prison
and from judgment, who shall declare his generation, he was
cut off out of the land of the living. That is, he died a real
death. For the transgression of my people
was he stricken. He made his grave with the wicked
and with the rich in his death. Although he had done no violence,
neither was there any deceit in his mouth. It's prophesied
that he would be buried in a borrowed tomb. He'd make his grave with
the wicked. He died a real death to fully
demonstrate that he's dying for our sin according
to the Scripture. He suffered once for our sin,
the just for the unjust, that he might bring us unto God, being
put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit of God.
Not only was he buried according to the Scripture, but thank God
that's not the end of the story. He rose again. The third day. Now why not the first day? Why
not the fourth day? Why not the second day? Why did
it have to be the third day? Because, again, He's raised up
the third day because it was prophesied of Him. As Jonah was
three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the
Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of
the earth. On the third day, he came out of the tomb. He was raised according to the
scripture, according to the decree of God. Remember, the angel said,
why do you seek the living among the dead? He's not here. Thank
God he's not. He's risen. He's risen from the
dead. He was delivered from our offenses
and raised again because He justified us by His blood. Because He was raised up from
the dead on the third day, we shall be raised up in Him.
We have a resurrection hope, don't we? You remember the implications
over here? In the later part of this chapter,
1 Corinthians 15, if there be no resurrection of the dead,
verse 13, then is Christ not risen. And if Christ be not risen,
then is our preaching vain and your faith is vain. If he's not
risen, he's an imposter. If he's not risen, we're yet
dead in our sin. If he's not risen, we better
get into the livestock business and start offering a blood sacrifice
again unto God if he's not risen from the dead. Yea, he said,
we're found false witnesses of God because we have testified
that God raised him up. And if the dead rise not, then
is not Christ raised. And if Christ be not raised,
your faith is vain, and you're yet in your sin. But thank God,
He is risen from the dead. How do we know? Let me ask you
this question. How do we know what the Lord Jesus Christ did
for us in His atoning death was satisfying unto God and accepted
of God? How do we know it's accepted
of God? How do we know it's satisfied God's law and justice? How do
we know that? God received him from the dead. He lives again. He said, I am
he that liveth and was dead, behold, I am alive forevermore.
When he had by himself purged our sin, he sat down on the right
hand of the throne of God. Accepted. God is satisfied with
the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know believers are satisfied
with the death of Christ. His death put away my sin. His
death established righteousness. But you know what's more important
than that? God is satisfied with Christ. With Christ crucified.
That's why He raised Him from the dead the third day according
to the Scriptures. And it says in John 14, because
He lives, we shall live. The Lord said, I am the resurrection
and the life. You see, he not only came forth
from the tomb on the third day, but he lived among men in a resurrected
glorified body 40 days. It says here, he was seen at
one time of 500 brethren at once, and of all the apostles. This
is not a myth. This is reality. God raised Him
from the dead. Not only that, He lived among
men 40 days, and then on that 40th day, what happened? He ascended
to glory. They watched Him go away. And
then he sat down as a forerunner, mediator, intercessor at the
right hand of God. And there is the Lord Jesus Christ
right now in his glorified body, sitting on the throne of God
right now, ever lived to intercede for us, right now before the
throne of God. His redeeming work. is successful. And that's all
of our salvation. In that how Christ died for our
sins, according to the Scripture, that He was buried, that He rose
again the third day, and all this He did, fulfilling the Word
of God, the will of God, the way of God, the purpose of God,
to the glory of God. Now, in closing, I want to consider
this. How can I, a vile, wretched sinner,
how can I find assurance and hope that the Lord Jesus Christ
died for me? It says that he died for sins. He died for somebody's sins.
Some of the sins of God's people. All the sin, rather, of God's
people. He put away their sin. How can I find assurance and
hope that the Lord Jesus Christ died for this sinner? Well, let me ask you this. Do
you fit the description of those for whom the Lord Jesus Christ
died? Do you fit the description of
those for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died? It says in Matthew
9, verse 13, that He didn't come to call the righteous unto repentance,
He came to call sinners unto repentance. Anybody here a sinner?
I am. That gives this sinner hope.
Because the Lord Jesus Christ died for sinners. It also says
in 1 Timothy, Paul said this, "...this is a faithful saying
and worthy of all acceptation, that the Lord Jesus Christ came
to save sinners." He said, I'm the chief one. You see, the Lord
Jesus Christ that we had on the radio this morning from Roman
chapter 5, the Lord Jesus Christ died for the ungodly. And that's us by nature. We're
ungodly. Without God, without hope, and
without Christ. I can find assurance in the fact
that He said He died for the ungodly. I wouldn't even have
insurance if he said he died for Tom Harding. I wouldn't have
insurance there. There may be another one, I'm
sure there is, called Tom Harding. But it said he died for the ungodly. He died for sinners. Now, I can
identify with that, because I'm a sinner. The Lord Jesus Christ,
in Luke 19, it says, He came to save the lost. He came to
seek and to save the lost. And by nature, that's me. I'm
a lost, lost, without God, without hope, and without Christ. You
see, the Lord Jesus Christ laid down His life for the sheep. He said, my sheep, hear my voice,
I know them. And the sheep, you know what
they do? They follow the shepherd. The Lord Jesus Christ. You see,
the point I'm trying to make is the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ meets the need of the guilty. Are you guilty? Yes, I am. I am. We've all sinned and come short
of His glory. We are guilty sinners. That's
how we're born. But the Lord Jesus Christ meets
the need of the guilty sinner. For he's made unto me wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The Lord Jesus
Christ is the water of life. Who needs a water of life? Thirsty
sinners. He said, Ho, everyone that's
thirsty, come unto Me. The Lord Jesus Christ is rest
to the weary. He said, All you who are laboring
and heavy laden, come unto Me and I'll give you rest. The Lord
Jesus Christ is light to those in the dark. He must command
the light to shine that we might see Him. Christ is the bread
of life to the hungry. He that believeth on me shall
never hunger, shall never thirst. Christ is a covering to those
chilled by their nakedness, their guilt. The Lord Jesus Christ
is a robe of righteousness unto His people, and He's a garment
of salvation. Are you chilled by your nakedness?
Look to Christ for clothing. Oh, may God give us grace in
our heart to believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, how
that Christ died for our sins, how that now, according to the
Scriptures, that He was buried. according to the Scriptures,
and that he rose again the third day according to the Scripture. And oh, may God give us grace
to rest in Him and find hope of salvation, forgiveness of
sin, only in Christ.