all die, even so in Christ shall
all be made alive. Verse 45, and so it is written, the first
man, Adam, was made a living soul. The last Adam was made a quickening
spirit. Howbeit that was not first which
is spiritual, but that which is natural. Afterward, that which
is spiritual. For the first man is of the earth,
earthy. The second man is the Lord from
heaven. As is the earthy, such are they
that are earthy. And as is the heavenly, such
are they that are heavenly. As we have borne the image of
the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. A great servant of God who lived 500 years ago, a man whom God used to make an
impact on the whole world, Martin Luther. once said this, if I profess with the loudest
voice and the clearest exposition every portion of the truth of
God except precisely that point which the world and the devil are at that moment
attacking, then I'm not confessing Christ.
However boldly I may be professing Christ. And this is the point that I
wish to present in this message this morning. I think what Luther said applies
to most preachers in churches today. I do not believe that most preachers
and theologians are speaking on the real issues, the vital
issues, that which the world and the devil are attacking and
which men by nature despise and do not understand. People are
not being confronted with true gospel issues. I hear preachers
say we're preaching the gospel around the world. Is it, as Paul said, another
gospel? We preach Jesus. Is it another
Jesus? Is it another spirit? For example,
the existence of God, is that the issue? I don't believe so. people are willing for God to
be. They say God is alive. Of course
he is. God is life. And even those who
crucified Christ did not deny the existence of God. They crucified
Christ in the name of God. One of the charges they brought
against the Master was this. He blasphemed So the existence of God is, that's
not the critical issue. God is God whether men believe
it or not. And then secondly, good works,
the moral law, is not really the issue. I really think if
you were to put it to a vote in this country in which we live,
the overwhelming majority of the people would agree to let
the Ten Commandments stay. I believe they would. I don't
believe you'd find many folks who'd vote against the Ten Commandments. Even the most pagan of people
say good works are better than bad works. One time our Lord
said to those religious leaders, many good works have I done among
you, for which of these do you stone me? They said, we're not
stoning you because of a good work. We're stoning you for blasphemy. You're a man and you say you're
God. That's the issue. Good works is not the issue,
never has been. The death of Christ on the cross,
now listen. The death of Christ on the cross,
for whatever purpose men believe He died, they believe He died.
They may believe he died as a martyr, they may believe he died as a
reformer, they may believe he died as an example or even a
sacrifice or an atonement, but most everybody is aware that
he did die. The cross is a very prominent
part of this nation. The cross is everywhere, on people's
lapels, around their necks, even in the men's earrings. crosses
on church steeple, nobody denying the cross. You know anybody denying
the cross? Don't get lathered up about it.
That's not the issue. Christ died. The calendar will
tell you that, B.C., before Christ. Why he died is another matter. What he accomplished when he
died. But the fact he died God can heal. I see these fellows.
Of course He can. Who else heals? God said, I kill,
I make alive, I wound, I heal. Life is in the hands of God.
You're taking your next breath by His permission. Did you know
that? And nobody here will take another breath without His permission,
without His power. That's not the issue. Heaven and hell, life after death. Is that the issue? Even people
who do not profess religion believe in some sort of life after death.
Isaiah 28, the Lord spoke of all the scornful men and said,
we've made a covenant with death. With hell, we're at agreement.
When the overflowing scourge of God's wrath shall pass through,
it won't come down to us. We've got to hide in place. Listen to me. I know the issues. I know the true, real issues
of this book. Three things that have always
been the critical, vital, important heart of the gospel. The truth that all men must face
and reckon with involves three persons. Three persons. Who they were, what they did,
and what relationship they bear to me. Three persons. These are
the critical issues that are not being dealt with. You know
who they are? First one's Adam. The first Adam. Who is this man? What happened to him? What did
he do? How does what he did affect me? That's the first issue. The second person is Christ Jesus. Who is this man? What did he
do? What did he come down here for?
What did he do? Where is he now? How does what
he did affect me? The third is the Holy Spirit. Three issues. What happened in
the garden? What happened back then? What
effect does it have on me? What happened on that cross 2,000
years ago? Yes, there was a cross, but what
happened there? And what relationship does that
man on that cross have with me? The third is the Holy Spirit.
What really happens in a man's soul when God walks in? What happens in a man's soul
and heart when God Almighty Spirit touches him? And has He done
that for me? Let me give you something here. In 1755, This is 250 years ago, 251 years
ago, before the Revolutionary War. In 1755, now remember what
I said, the issues today in America, in Iceland, from every pulpit,
Adam, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Who are they? What did they do? What is their relationship to
me? In 1755, I love church history. And people who don't study it
repeat it. Isn't that right, Terry? In 1755, a splitting conflict
was carried on among the churches of England and the ministers
of England. And one of their most respected
preachers of that day, 1755, was William Romain. And he had
this to say about that conflict. This is what he wrote. Every minister of the gospel
in this day who has any zeal for his master's honor, who has
any love for the souls of men, ought to exert himself in these
days of reproach and blasphemy and compromise. We have departed
from the doctrines of the Reformation. And yet, we keep up our subscription
to the articles of faith of our forefathers, though we've departed
from them. We keep up our subscription to
the creeds of our forefathers and to the catechisms of our
forefathers, which are founded on three things. Listen. Three things. William Romaine said in 1755,
here's what we've left, the fall of mankind in Adam, the recovery
of God's elect in Christ, and the absolute necessity of the
Holy Spirit regenerating life-giving work. That's what they left then and
that's what we left today. He didn't quit, he went on. He
said, all Scripture is built around these three truths. And in my ministry, he said,
I have and I will insist upon the total corruption of mankind
by the fall of our father Adam. The freeness and fullness of
redemption in our Lord Jesus Christ. and the absolute necessity
of the Holy Spirit to regenerate us, renew us, and bring us to
faith in Christ. Somebody may say, well, people
believed it back then. Not all of them. Listen. He continued. William Romaine. In our day,
he said, 1755, these great doctrines are denied. and those who preach
them are ridiculed and held up for contempt. Well, he says,
I welcome the reproach. I find myself in the best company
by believing these things. The whole Church of God in the
Old Testament and in the New Testament believed these truths.
The martyrs died for this gospel and sealed belief in these doctrines
with their blood. Our primitive fathers with one
voice preached these truths and I must preach these three persons
and our relationship to them. I dare not risk my eternal salvation
for any present honor or comfort. Let's look at these three persons
briefly. Adam. It says here in 1 Corinthians
15 verse 21, since by man Adam came death. Verse 22, for in that Adam all
died. The Word of God teaches two basic
things about Adam's fall. His fall was the fall of the
whole race. His fall was the fall of the
whole race. As a result of his fall, his
transgression, death passed upon all men. A corrupt nature came
upon us, in us, that knows no good, desires no good, and does
no good. Look at Romans chapter 5. Romans
chapter 5 verse 12. Wherefore, as by one man sin
entered the world, and death by sin, so death passed
upon all men for all sin. When Adam sinned, we sinned. When Adam fell, we fell. When
Adam died, we died. You see, when God made Adam,
now listen to me, He made all of us in Adam. Adam is the federal
head. Adam is the representative of
all people. When he lived, we lived. When
he sinned, we sinned. When he fell, we fell. When he
died, we died. And this is called imputed guilt,
original sin. Two things the word teaches about
Adam. Number one, his fall was our
fall. And the second thing is this,
as a result of his fall, we have a corrupt nature. We're born
of the flesh and flesh will remain until we die. We have no spiritual
life. We're dead in trespasses and
sins. We are plagued with two problems,
inability and indifference. We neither have the power to
come to God nor the desire to come to God. Turn to Romans 3,
back a page from where you were a moment ago. Romans 3, beginning
with verse 10. Romans 3, verse 10. As it is
written, there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that
understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They're
all gone out of the way, they're together become unprofitable,
there's none that doeth good, no not one. The scripture said
man at his best state is altogether vanity, at his best state. Their
throat is an open sepulcher, with their tongues they have
used deceit, the poison of ass is under their lips, the poison
of snakes. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, their
feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery in their
way, the way of peace have they not known? There is no fear of
God before their eyes." Now, we know that whatever the law
sayeth, it sayeth to them who are under the law that every
mouth may be stopped. The whole world is guilty. Ecclesiastes 7.20. declares this,
Ecclesiastes chapter 7 verse 20, there's not a just man upon
the earth that doeth good and sinneth not. Isaiah said, from
the sole of our feet to the top of our heads, there's no soundness,
no goodness, nothing but open running sores that have not been
bound up, neither mollified with armor. in trespasses and sin. Isaiah said, even our righteousness
is a filthy rag. Let me quote another of those
old preachers back yonder when more truth was being preached.
Bishop Beveridge wrote this, because of Adam's fall, because
of the evil root in our hearts, There's evil fruit in our lives.
The root poisons even our so-called righteousness. We do not pray
without sin. We cannot hear or preach a sermon
without sin. We do not give alms without sin. We do not even confess our sin,
but our very confession is an aggravation of sin. Our repentance
needs to be repented of. Our tears need to be washed in
the blood of Christ. Not only is our worst behavior,
but our best behavior proves us to be sons of Adam. Oh, the exceeding sinfulness
of sin. Oh, the tragic depravity of the Father. That's the first man. The second
man, Christ Jesus. Look at the text again, 1 Corinthians
15, verse 21. Since by man came death, by man
came also the resurrection. As in Adam we died, in Christ
we're made alive. Back yonder in God's eternal
covenant of grace. I don't know what transpired
back yonder. I know this covenant's called
an everlasting covenant. I know that Christ is designated
the lamb slain before the foundations of the world. In the beginning, God. That's
what the scripture says. Not in the beginning God and
his host of heaven, but in the beginning God. When only God existed, independent,
almighty, sovereign. Evidently there was a council. God said, let us make man. Us indicates a council, doesn't
it? Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Well, let me paraphrase a little
bit, and I may be off base, but this is based, the heart of it,
on the scripture. Something like this was resolved
back yonder. Sovereign majesty, that's an
attribute of God, isn't it? Speak. God says, I will create. I will create heavens. I will create an earth. I will create angels. I will
create men. And there will be a kingdom,
a kingdom of people and angels and glory and righteousness and
a kingdom of eternal everlasting happiness forever and forever. Righteousness speaks. God is
righteous. My God, men and angels, even
created in holiness, are still men and angels. They're still
creatures. They're not God. They do not
have the holiness of God. And they cannot, by creation,
have the holiness of God. And no creature, apart from the
holiness of God, will ever keep the law under any condition under
any environment. Angels and men both will not
keep your statutes, will not keep your commandments, will
not live perfectly. They will finally, ultimately,
fall, fail, and perish. And justice speaks. God is just. And justice says, My God, when
those men And those angels fall. And when they transgress your
perfect holiness, they become guilty. And they fall in my hands. And the judge of the earth must
do right. The judge of the earth cannot
clear the guilty. Sin must be punished. And if
any angel or man created or brought forth from those created, transgress
one iota of your holiness and righteousness, I'll deal with
them. And death speaks. And death says,
my God, they must die. Does not your very nature say
the soul that sinneth must die? Sin, when it is finished, bringeth
forth death. So when these men and angels
are made and created and are but creatures, the handiwork
of God, not God, they'll fall, and justice will
damn them, and I'll destroy them. And they're silent. And love speaks. God is love. And love says, well, is there
not a way? Is there not a way that the matchless,
infinite, unchangeable love of God may be demonstrated, manifested
and magnified? If righteousness can be shown
and justice can be shown, And holiness can be demonstrated,
why can't love be manifested? And mercy speaks. Mercy says,
is not God merciful? Is not God merciful? Does not
God say, I will be merciful? I will be gracious? Does God
not delight to show mercy? Is there not a way? that in this
creation and in this kingdom God's love can be magnified and
God's mercy can be put on display. The riches of his grace and mercy
to the undeserving throughout eternity. Silence. Wisdom speaks. There is a way. There is a way. There is a way
whereby every attribute of God can be honored. Righteousness,
holiness, justice, love, mercy and grace. There is a way that
God can be just and justify. There is a way. that God can
be holy and forgives sin. There's a way that mercy and
truth can meet together, righteousness and peace can kiss one another.
There's a way that man can be so related to
God that he can be given the grace
and strength and nature to keep that love and love that love
and honor that love. But it is a traumatic way. First, God must become a man,
like Adam. In Adam, there'll follow. And
there's got to be a second Adam. Not just a man, but the God-man. And that man cannot have a human
father, because he cannot be born in sin. He cannot be born
just flesh. It's going to be a new race,
a new kingdom, a new people. He'll have to be born of a woman
because he'll have to be made under the law. He'll have to
have the form of a servant and take upon himself the likeness
of sinful flesh. He'll have to be subject to every
trial and temptation and duty and responsibility and God can
cut him no slack. He's got to do what those angels
and men cannot do. Everything God requires. He's
got to love God perfectly and his neighbors himself. He's got
to work out a perfect righteousness. And then, when he's satisfied
and honored God's holiness and God's righteousness and God's
law, he'll have to meet justice. And he'll have to taste death,
even the death of the cross. He'll have to die under a curse,
because that's where your creation will be, under a curse. If he
restores them, he must bear their guilt. That's the only way. No other name under heaven. And
the Lord Jesus speaks. My Father, give me that work
to do. Put your new race and your new
kingdom and your new covenant in my hands. And I'll go to the
world. I'll go to the earth. And I'll
fulfill every requirement. I'll be their surety. I'll be
their guarantor. I'll take their flesh, I'll bear
their shame and their blame and their guilt, I'll pay the debt. He hath made Him to be sin for
us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in Him. He didn't come down here to make
us savable, He came to save that race. All who are in Adam died,
all who are in Christ are made alive. alive forevermore. And over them
death hath no claim, justice has no claim, law has no claim. They are perfect. In Him there
is no sin. Well, they are dead. How are they going to be made
alive? Ezekiel 37, turn over there. Ezekiel 37, God showed
Ezekiel In Ezekiel 37, we know what happened
in the garden. Adam fell. All the human race
died. I know now what happened on the
cross. Christ came down and redeemed the people. God put a kingdom
in His hand. I read it to you. And when He
has completed that kingdom, He will turn it over to the Father
that God may be all in all. Now then, the Holy Spirit. Ezekiel
37, the hand of the Lord was upon me and carried me out in
the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of a valley
which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them round
about. And behold, there were very many
in the open valley, and lo, they were very dry. There had been
a battle fought in that valley. Hundreds of men had been killed
so long ago that their bones were now brittle, parched, barren,
bleak. Bleached white in the sand. Even
a dog wouldn't pick one up. No moisture. No life. And he said to me, son of man,
can these bones live? Can Adam's sons live? Can sinners
live? Can dead sinners in Adam live?
I answered, O Lord, thou knowest. I can't make them live. They
can't make themselves live. No force of power in heaven,
earth, or hell can make them live other than you. You know. You know, I don't know. Again,
he said to me, well, preach to these bones and say unto them,
oh, you dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Don't tell them
what to do. Tell them what I'm going to do. There's nothing
they can do. Don't tell a bone to rise up
of his own strength. Tell them what I'm going to do.
Preach to them. Say to these bones, behold, I'll
cause breath to enter into you and you'll live. I'll lay sinners
upon you, and bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with
skin. I'll put breath in you, and you shall live, and you'll
know that I am the Lord." So I prophesied, I preached as I
was commanded, and as I prophesied, there was a noise. The whole
was shaking, and the bones came together, bone to bone. And when
I beheld, lo, the sinners and flesh came upon them, and the
skin covered them, and there was no breath in them. It's a
problem, isn't it? You had dead bones, now you got
dead flesh. Still dead. No breath. No breath. The world's full of religious
people without breath. Form, no life. Form, not life. Professing, all
this sort of thing they profess, but no life. No breath. Then he said to me, prophesy
to the wind, the breath of God. What's the
breath of God? It's the Spirit of God. It's
the Holy Spirit of God. Prophesy, O son of man, to the
wind. Say to the wind, Thus saith the
Lord God, Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe
upon these slain that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded
me, and the breath came into them. They lived and stood on their
feet, the great army. What happened in the garden?
We died. What happened on the cross? Christ
Jesus the Lord redeemed us. What happens when the Holy Spirit
comes? They live. They live. They're born again,
spiritually, born of the Spirit and the Word. They're taught
of God. And Christ is revealed. And they're
given faith to believe. And they're sealed by the Holy
Spirit. They don't get religion. They
had that before. They don't just reform. They've
tried to do that every New Year. They don't just learn theology,
dry, dead letter. They don't just make peace with
God. Somebody else has to do that.
They don't just accept Jesus as their personal Savior. They
don't just join the church. They live. They live. The life of God. A new nature. A new spirit. A new man. The life of God. And then one
day, They'll lay aside this old flesh,
this old nature, put it in the grave, and that new man, that
spirit, came from God, will go back to God. You say, will they keep his law
then? Oh yes. They're one with Christ. They're
not just separate entities. Christ made a way for them to
go to heaven. He took them to heaven. See, they're in Him. They're one with Christ. Can
Christ follow? No. Well, they can't either.
He's the head, they're the body. See that? They're not just some
folks that turned over a new leaf and are going to try to
make it in heaven like they did here. They are heavens, their
home, dwelling place, habitation, the secret place. They're within
the veil. They're new creatures in Christ. They're created in Christ. Not being preached, is it? Adam,
Christ, and the glorious miracle of the new birth, regeneration
by the Holy Spirit. That's the gospel. That's that new kingdom. I don't know about the rest of
them, but I know about that new kingdom. I don't even know where
the other crowd's going, but I know where that kingdom's going
I'm not even interested in what God's going to do with the rest
of this creation. But I know what He's going to
do with those created in Christ. And that's what I'm interested
in. That's where I want to be, by His grace. And that's why
I want those to whom I preach to dwell in Him.