My text for the message today
will be taken from the book of 2 Corinthians. I'd like for you
to take your Bibles and open them with me to 2 Corinthians
5. And I'm going to be reading verse
17, 18, and 19. Now, I'm hoping that in the message
I can go on through verse 21, but at least we'll try to deal
with verses 17, 18, and 19. of 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Now,
here's the subject, the way of peace, the way of peace. I don't know of a greater subject
that can be declared or a greater text than the text I have this
morning, the way of peace, 2 Corinthians 5 verse 17. Listen to the Word
of God. Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
if any man be in Christ, He's a new creature, a new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold,
all things become new. And all things are of God, who
hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given
to us the ministry of reconciliation, which is, namely, that God was
in Christ Reconciling the world unto himself, not charging, not
imputing their sins unto them. He laid them on Christ. He imputed
them to his son and Christ bore them in his body on the tree,
but not imputing, not charging our sins unto us. And he has
sent us to preach the word of reconciliation, the way of peace. Now I want us to look at these
words carefully from this text, and ask the Spirit of God to
do what John wrote in 1 John 5. This is my prayer. Lord, give
us understanding that we may know Him that is true, and that
we're in Him that is true, even in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and this
is eternal life. That's my prayer. Lord, give
us understanding, that we may know Thee, the true and living
God, and Jesus Christ our Son." Now, look at verse 17. And let's
go just verse by... word by word almost, phrase by
phrase. It says here, "...if any man
be in Christ." Now, how is one in Christ? How are we in Christ? Well, first, three things. First
of all, we're in Christ by the will of God. We're in Christ
by the will and purpose of God. 2 Corinthians 1.30, listen to
this. Of God are you in Christ Jesus? So if any man be in Christ, and
I ask the question, how is one in Christ? This scripture says,
of God are you in Christ? Who of God is made unto us wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, that as it is
written, He that gloryeth, let him glory in the Lord. So of
God are you in Christ Jesus. And then Paul writing to the
church at Ephesus in Ephesians 1, 3 says, Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in Christ, in Christ. Here's what we're
asking now. How is one in Christ? God has
blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ according
as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world.
So how is a man in Christ? He's in Christ by the will of
God, by the purpose of God, and by an act of God. And then secondly,
how are we in Christ? We're in Christ by faith. Paul
writing to the Galatian church says this in Galatians 3, You
are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. For as
many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. How are we in Christ? By an act
of God, by the will of God, and by faith. We're baptized into
Christ. We've put on Christ. And then
thirdly, we're in Christ... Now watch this carefully. We're
in Christ through a spiritual union brought about and accomplished
by the Spirit of God, by the divine power of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the head of the church,
you know that, and we're the body. So a head and a body is
one person. They're in union. The head is
Christ and the body is his church. And he's divine and we're the
branches. The branches are part of the
vine. The body is a part of the head. They're in a union. So that's how we're in Christ,
by a spiritual union. In Christ by the will of God,
in Christ by faith, in Christ by divine spiritual union brought
about by the Holy Spirit. So if any man be in Christ, in
Christ. All right. Look at the next line.
If he's in Christ, he's a new creature. A new creature. Now, this word actually is creation. If any man be in Christ, he's
a new creation. This believer in Christ has a
new nature. He is a new person that did not
exist before. Now, we're born of the flesh. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh. But when we're born of the Spirit, we're a new person,
a new creation. Put off the old man, Paul said,
and put on the new man, listen, which is created by God in His
image and in His righteousness, the new man, new person. If any
man be in Christ, he's a new creation. Ephesians 2.8, you're
familiar with this scripture. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves, It's the gift of God. It's not
of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship
created in Christ Jesus unto good works. If any man be in
Christ by the will of God, in Christ through faith, in Christ
by the power of the Holy Spirit, he's a new person. He's not the
old man made over. He's not the old man reformed. He's not the old man with a leaf
turned over. He's a new person, a new creation
in Christ Jesus. And here's a two-fold proof that
He's a new person. Two-fold proof. Now listen to
it. If any man be in Christ, this is verse 17. You have it
right there in your Bible. If any man is in Christ Jesus,
he's a new creature. old things are passed away. All things become new. This new
creation, the old things are passed away and all things become
new. Now, what are these old things
that pass away? When a man, when God reveals
the Lord Jesus to a person's heart, when God by His grace
reconciles a sinner to Himself and engrafts That's the word,
engrafted into Christ. Engrafts him into the vine, Christ
Jesus. He makes him a new person, a
new creature. And the old things pass away. Old things. Now here's some of
them. First of all, the old family. He's no longer a son of Adam. He's a son of God. He's no longer
considered in Adam. He's a child of God. He's an
heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ. The old family
is gone. He has a new father. God's his
father. He's in God's family. He's in
God's kingdom. He's no longer regarded in the
old Adam. Secondly, the old curse of the
law is passed away. That's right. If any man continue
not in everything written in the book of the law, he's under
a curse. But now listen to the scripture.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made
a curse for us. And there's therefore now no
condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus. The curse is
gone. Old things pass away. The old
family, the old curse. I had a friend write me just
this week. And he said, I'm worried about the judgment. This man's
80 years old. I'm worried about the judgment.
He said, I just don't know how I'm going to fare in the judgment.
Well, let me tell you something. If you're a child of God, you're
not going to face the judgment. The judgment's over. It's passed
away. Christ was judged for us, paid
the penalty, put it away. There's therefore now no judgment
to them in Christ Jesus. The old family's gone. The old
Adam's gone. The old condemnation is gone.
The old righteousness is gone. That righteousness of works and
law and good deeds, it's gone. Philippians 3, 9, Paul said,
Oh, that I may win Christ and be found in Him, not having my
own righteousness, which is of the law, old self-righteousness,
but having the righteousness of Christ through the faithfulness
of Christ, which is by the grace of God. That's our new righteousness. The old works and righteousness
is gone. And then the old stony heart
has been removed. And the old walk, and the old
talk, and the old ways, and the old companions, and the old pride,
and the old arrogance. If any man be in Christ Jesus,
he's a new person. He's a new creation. and old
things have passed away. Passed away. Gone. And listen,
and all things become new. Every believer can say with John
Newton, I'm not what I ought to be. And I'm not what I want
to be. But I'm not what I expect to
be. One of these days I'm going to be like Christ. But by God's
grace, I'm not what I used to be. I'm not the old man. I'm
a new creation in Christ Jesus and the old things have passed
away and all things become new. Now, what are the new things?
All things become new. Well, listen, what are the new
things? I can answer that most effectively by inviting you to
turn to Ezekiel 36. In Ezekiel 36, the Lord talks
about the new covenant in Christ Jesus. He talks about it in Ezekiel
36 and in Hebrews 10. I'll make a new covenant with
them. Put my spirit in them. Give them a new heart. Their
sins I'll remember no more. I'll be their God. They'll be
my people. Now listen to what he says he will do. I will do
this, God said. This is new. All things become
new. I will do this, God said. Now listen, Ezekiel 36, 24. I will sprinkle clean water upon
you and you'll be clean. From all your filthiness, clean. Clean from all your filthiness,
from your sins, from your idols. I'm going to make you clean. He said, though your sins be
as scarlet, they'll be white as snow. Though they be double
dyed like crimson, they'll be like wool. The blood of Jesus
Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. We have a new record
that is pure and white. not a blemish, not a spot, because
the blood of Christ has put away all our sins." That's right.
The believer's got a new record, nothing written against him. All right? Secondly, God says,
I'll sprinkle clean water on you. You'll be clean from all
your filthiness and all your iniquity and all your sins. And
then He said, a new heart I'll give you. I will take that stony
heart out of you and give you a new heart. You see, salvation's
a heart work. Salvation's not just getting
religion. Salvation's not just a decision. Salvation's not just
a moral commitment. Salvation is a heart work. The
heart is changed. God says, I'll take the stony
heart out and give you a heart of flesh. You see, it's a heart
work. With the heart, man believeth
unto righteousness. Listen to these scriptures having
to do with the heart. As a man thinketh in his heart,
so is he. Out of the abundance of the heart,
the mouth speaketh. It's not what a man puts in his
mouth, Christ said, it's what comes out of his heart. For out
of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, iniquities, adulteries, thefts,
blasphemy. That's what comes from the heart.
We need a new heart. Not just a new start, we need
a new heart. We don't need a new slate, we
need a new heart. God said, My son, give Me your
heart. He said, My son, keep your heart,
out of it are the issues of life. And when one, by God's grace,
if a person, by God's grace, has a new heart, he's a new person,
a new creature. And these old things pass away,
he loses his taste for these old things, and all things become
new. Now listen to this. He says,
I'll sprinkle clean water on you, Clean from all your filthiness,
all your idols, all your iniquities. I'll take that old hard stony
heart out and give you a heart of flesh and I will put my Spirit
in you." My Spirit. I'll put my Spirit within you
and I'll cause you to walk in my statutes, in my judgments,
in my commandments, and in my Word. I'll put my Spirit in you. you." Paul said, God revealed
His Son in me. God shed abroad His love in my
heart. I'll put my spirit in you. Who's
my spirit? It's the Holy Spirit. It's the
Holy Spirit of God by which we're born again, by which we learn
the gospel, by which we're taught, comforted, led, by whom we're
filled. My statues, he said, I'll put
my spirit in you. this new man, this new creature,
and you'll walk in my statutes and in my commandments and in
my judgment. That's the Word of God. The Word
of God is the children's bread. The Word of God is the children's
foundation of faith. The Word of God is the green
pastures and the still waters into which and by which we're
led. The Word of God. You see, when a person's quickened,
when God first comes, in quickening, awakening grace. When God first,
the Holy Spirit first, the wind blows where it listed. You hear
the sound there. When it first comes and a man's
quickened, awakened, he's quickened by the Word of God. Of his own
will begat he us with the Word of God. He's quickened by the
Word of God. And when a person believes the
gospel, it's through hearing the Word of God. Scripture says,
Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. But
how shall they call on Him in whom they've not believed? And
how shall they believe in Him of whom they've not heard? And
how shall they hear without a preacher? That's right. It pleased God
with the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. And
when a person is saved and united to Christ, the Word of God becomes
his bread. The Word of God becomes his instruction. The Word of God becomes his inspiration.
The Word of God becomes his comfort. The Word of God is precious to
the believer. That's right. God says, I'll
cleanse you of all your filthiness from your idols. I'll take the
stony heart out and give you a heart of flesh. He said, I'll
put my spirit within you and you'll walk in my Word. That's
right. David in Psalm 119 says, Wherewithal
shall a man cleanse his way by taking heed to the Word of God.
Psalm 119.11, Thy Word, O God, have I hid in my heart that I
might not sin against Thee. Psalm 119.24, Lord, Thy Word
is my delight and my counselor. Yes, sir. If any man be in Christ,
he's a new creature. And I am bold to say, any person
who's a new creature in Christ Jesus, born of God, redeemed
by His grace, has a new record. His record is clean. No judgment,
no condemnation. He has a new heart. He loves
Christ. He loves His kingdom. He has
a new spirit, new attitude, principles, new nature, new walk, new talk,
new life. He has a new God. He has a new
rule of life. It's the Word of God. He believes
the Word of God without question. A man in whom the Spirit of God
dwells loves the Word of God because the Holy Spirit's the
author of the Word of God. If the author of the Word of
God lives in you, you'll love what he writes. That's right.
And when you read the Word to a believer, he rejoices. And when you preach the Word
to a believer, he believes it. And when you teach the Word to
a believer, he receives it. He doesn't argue. Therefore,
if any man be in Christ Jesus, he's a new creature. Old things
pass away and all things become new. Now look at the next verse,
18. And all things are of God. All these new things are of God.
They're all of God. They all come from God. A man
can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven. All
things pertaining to salvation, to eternal life, are of God,
because He's the author and finisher of our faith. The disciples one
day said to our Lord, well, Lord, who can be saved? Who can be
saved? And the master said, With men,
that's impossible. All things are of God in salvation. With men, it's impossible. But
with God, all things are possible. And all things are of God. Now
watch this, verse 18. Who hath reconciled us to himself. God has reconciled us to himself. My friends, what does it mean
to be reconciled? Well, first of all, it means
to be friends again. You use that all the time. I
become reconciled to this person. That means you're friends again.
And we're friends with God again. Did you know that the world hates
God? The world is enmity. The natural man is enmity. And
God's angry with the wicked. That's what Scripture says. God's
angry with the wicked. He that believeth not on the
Son, the wrath of God abideth on him. But when we're reconciled,
we're friends again. We're restored to sonship. We
lost in Adam, we lost our sonship. We became enemies and Christ
restored us. Now are we sons of God. Behold,
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we
should be called sons of God. That's what reconcile means,
restored the sonship. All sins forgiven. Eternal life
is our possession. That's what it means to be reconciled.
to be friends again with God, to be a son of God, sins forgiven,
eternal life in us. Well, who reconciled us? Well,
God did. God was in Christ reconciling
the world to Himself. All things are of God who hath
reconciled us to Himself. God is the reconciler, God is
the reconciled, and God is the reconciliation. He did it all. All things are of God, who himself
hath reconciled us. That's what Abraham said to Isaac
when they were walking up the mountain. And Isaac said, Father,
here's the wood, here's the fire, where's the lamb? And Abraham
said, My son, God will provide himself the lamb. God is the lamb. God provided
the lamb. And God's the one to whom the
offering, the sin offering was made. So God, all things of God,
who hath reconciled us to himself, how did he do it? How did he? By Jesus Christ. That's how he
did it. By Jesus Christ. This is so important. You listen to me. Colossians
119. It pleased the Father that in Jesus Christ should all fullness
dwell, all the fullness of the Godhead body all grace, all mercy,
all life, all truth, all righteousness, all wisdom, all sanctification,
all power, all that you can know of God is in Christ. It pleased God, pleased the Father
that in Jesus Christ all fullness dwell. Now listen, and having
made peace, this is the way of peace, by the blood of His cross,
by Christ to reconcile all things to Himself, whether they be things
in earth or things in heaven, by Christ, by the blood of His
cross, by Christ He hath reconciled us to Himself. And you, Colossians
1, 22, and you, Gentiles, sinners, sons of Adam, who were alienated
from God, that's right, enemies, enemies, it says here, enemies
of God, in your mind by your wicked works. Yet now hath He
reconciled you in the body of His death by the blood of His
cross to present you holy, unblameable, unreprovable in His sight." What
is it to be reconciled to God? It's to be holy, unblameable,
unreprovable, perfect in His sight. Who reconciled us? things are of God, who hath reconciled
us unto himself by Jesus Christ." How did He reconcile us? By the
blood of His cross, by the cross of Jesus Christ. He made peace
through the blood of His cross. 1 John 5, 11 said, this is the
record. God hath given us eternal life,
and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son, He that
believes on the Son, He that's in a spiritual union with the
Son, he hath eternal life. And he that hath not the Son
hath not life. Oh, my friends, all things are
of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by the Lord Jesus
Christ has given to us this ministry of reconciliation. That's what
I'm doing right now. I'm preaching this reconciliation.
I'm preaching this way of peace. I'm declaring unto you the way
that God can be just and justify sinners. We have a commission.
As my father sent me, even so send I you. We have a charge. Preach the gospel to every creature.
And we have a promise. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved. So what's the message? Here it
is in verse 19, that God was in Christ. Almighty God was in
Christ. Reconciling the world, not just
the Jews, not just any single nation, but the world, all who
will believe. Any nation, any country, any
tribe, not imputing their sins to them, He laid them on Christ. Now then, as an ambassador of
Christ, I beseech you, as though God did speak to you through
me, be ye reconciled to God. Bow down and worship the Son.
Kiss the Son. be reconciled to God. For He,
God, hath made Him Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin. He knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him. The way of peace
is the way of the cross. If you want this message, you
write to us. Send two dollars. We'll mail
it to you. Until next week at this same
time, may God bless you, everyone.