All Things are of God

Q: What does the Bible say about reconciliation with God?

The Bible teaches that reconciliation with God is accomplished through Jesus Christ, as stated in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19. Reconciliation with God is a central theme in Scripture, particularly illustrated in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, where Paul asserts, 'All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.' This reconciliation is essential because it transforms our relationship with God from enmity to peace, allowing us to be in fellowship with Him. The act of reconciliation signifies that our sins, which once separated us from God, are no longer held against us through Christ's atoning sacrifice, fulfilling God's justice and paving the way for our acceptance as beloved children.

Q: How do we know that salvation is from God?

Scripture consistently affirms that salvation is from God, as articulated in Jonah 2:9 and supported by Ephesians 1. We can be assured that salvation is entirely God's work based on numerous biblical affirmations. Jonah 2:9 succinctly declares, 'Salvation is of the Lord.' This truth echoes throughout the New Testament, especially in Ephesians 1, where Paul emphasizes that God's sovereign choice and purpose precede the foundations of the world. Salvation encompasses not only deliverance from sin but also the transformative work of God in our hearts, ensuring that every aspect of our redemption, from initiation to completion, rests in His omnipotent hands. It is through God's grace that we are enabled to respond in faith, reflecting His glory in our salvation.

Q: Why is God's sovereignty important for Christians?

God's sovereignty is crucial for Christians as it assures us that all things, including our salvation, are under His control and purpose. Understanding God's sovereignty is foundational to a Christian's faith because it instills confidence in His divine authority over creation, providence, and salvation. As expressed in 2 Corinthians 5:18, 'All things are of God,' this declaration acknowledges that every event and circumstance in our lives is orchestrated by His perfect will. Recognizing that God governs everything allows believers to rest in His providence, knowing that even adversities serve His glory and our ultimate good. Additionally, it emphasizes that salvation, being solely God's initiative, is not dependent on human effort but rather on His grace, which secures our hope and sustains us through life's difficulties.

Q: What does it mean that all things are of God?

The phrase refers to the understanding that everything in creation, providence, and salvation originates from God. When we state that 'all things are of God,' we recognize the breadth of His authority and creative power. This concept is summarized in 2 Corinthians 5:18, which emphasizes that everything—creation, life circumstances, and our very salvation—is rooted in God’s divine purpose. In creation, all things were designed for His glory; in providence, He sustains and directs the course of history; and in salvation, it is God who initiated and accomplished redemption through Jesus Christ. This theological perspective invites believers to live in the awareness of God's involvement in all aspects of life, leading to a deeper worship and reliance on Him as the source of all that is good and true.

All right, I want you to open
your Bibles today to the book of 2 Corinthians. I'll be preaching
to you from 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 18 through 21. Now, here's our subject. In the
event that you want to order the tape and hear it again or
share it with someone, I'm preaching today on the subject, All Things
Are of God. All things are of God. And if
you'd like to follow, In your Bibles, I'll be using 2 Corinthians,
chapter 5, verse 18 through 21. I have a friend who has been
pastor of the same church out in the Midwest for almost 50
years. And he told me several years
ago that one of his deacons, one of his faithful, faithful
friends and church members, brothers of many years, was in the hospital
and not expected to live. And the pastor went down to visit
with him. And they talked a while together, and then they had prayer
together. Just before the pastor left,
he took this dear friend with a hand and looked into his eyes,
and he said, I want to ask you a question before I leave. He
said, Fred, are you saved? Do you know the Lord? Do you
have a good hope of eternal life when you leave this earth? And
this man looked at this dear pastor who preached to him for
many years, and he said, Pastor, I am, if you told me the truth,
because I believe the gospel that you preach. And if you're
preaching the gospel, that's the saving gospel and the gospel
of God, then I have a good hope because I believe that gospel.
When I heard that story, I thought about what a responsibility is
upon those who preach the gospel. What a responsibility. The Apostle
Paul wrote once, necessity is laid upon me. I must preach the
gospel. Yea, woe is unto me if I preach
not the gospel. I wonder if those who preach
the gospel today can say with the Apostle Paul, what did he
say to the elders at Ephesus before he left them? Paul was
speaking to these, these elders of the Church of Ephesus. He
was leaving them and he said, never to return. He said, you'll
never see my face again. He was going to Rome and he had
been warned by God and by the Spirit of God that he would be
put in prison and he would be martyred. And he said to these
men, you'll never see my face again. But he said, listen to
these four things. He said, I have served you in
the gospel with genuine humility. I've served you in the gospel
with genuine humility. You know what manner of man I
have been among you for the sake of Christ. And secondly, he said,
I've kept back nothing profitable unto you, neither for reward
or because of fear or because of hatred or popularity. I've kept back nothing that's
profitable unto you. And thirdly, he said, I have
not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. What
God taught me, I taught you. What God revealed to me, I preached
to you. I've kept back nothing profitable
unto you, and I've not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel
of God. And then the fourth thing he
said is this, and I have coveted no man's silver, gold, or apparel. That's not been my objective.
It's not been my thought. I have not coveted anything.
I have preached to you the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I preach
as one who may never preach again. I preach as one who must give
an account to God. Not only for what I preach, but
for how I preach. But my friend, by the same token,
you are hearing as one who may never hear again. And you are
hearing as one who must give an account to God. Every man
shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ. And our Lord
warned us, not only Preaching the truth, but he warned us about
how to hear take heed how you hear Take heed he that hath ears
to hear Let him hear and my prayer As I speak on this subject this
morning or preach anytime that that I'm speaking to you on this
On this program. I have a twofold prayer One is
this Lord. Let me preach The glorious good
news and gospel of Jesus Christ in truth in simplicity, in power,
in wisdom for the glory of Christ. Let me be an instrument in the
hands of the Spirit of God to preach the truth in power, in
simplicity, in wisdom to the people who hear me and myself.
The second part of that prayer is this, let those who hear me
not only hear me, not only hear my voice, but may they hear God
speak, may they hear God speak by His Spirit through His Word.
That's our prayer. You see, if my voice is the only
voice you hear, then there'll be nothing of any eternal value
in this message for you. We've got to hear Him who speaks
through His Word. We've got to hear God who speaks
through His ministry. You see, somebody wrote a poem
one time that went like this. We have listened to the preacher.
Truth by him has been shown But we need a greater teacher from
the everlasting throne because revelation is the work of God
alone So while I take heed how I preach and what I preach and
you take heed how you hear and what you hear We're shut up to
the Spirit of God making the word effectual not only to our
minds and our understanding but to our hearts and Saving faith
now, let's look at 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 with this prayer on
our hearts in sincerity in solemnity Hearing as for eternity 2nd Corinthians
5 verse 18 our text begins with a mighty theme It begins with
a bold statement Learn this and then go on from there. What is
the statement? Look at your Bible there, 2 Corinthians
5, 18, it says this, and all things are of God. All things
are of God. All things in creation are of
God. It says in Revelation, O Lord, Thou art worthy to receive glory
and honor and power, for Thou hast created all things, and
for Thy pleasure they are and were created. All things are
of God in creation. He made it as it pleases Him.
And then secondly, all things are of God in providence. The
scripture says, the Lord maketh poor, and the Lord maketh rich. The Lord bringeth low, and the
Lord lifteth up. Not a sparrow falls to the ground
without your heavenly Father. He said, all the hairs of your
head are numbered. He worketh all things after the
counsel of His own will. There are no accidents with God.
God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform. He plants
His footsteps on the sea and rides upon the storm. God rules
and overrules all things. And by Him all things are held
together. By Him all things consist. All things are of God in creation,
in providence, in life and death. Did you know that? Job said man's
days are determined. The number of his months are
with the Lord. God has set his bounds. He cannot
pass. 1 Samuel chapter 2 says, the
Lord killeth. The Lord maketh alive. The Lord
bringeth down to the grave. The Lord raiseth from the dead.
All of the issues of life and death are in the hands of the
Lord. He numbers our days. All things in creation, all things
in providence, all things in life and death are of God. Learn
that. Don't go any further till we
learn that. That's the way Paul starts this part of the scripture
off. And all things are of God. And then fourthly, all things
in salvation are of God. Jonah summed it up in Jonah 2
verse 9. He said, Salvation's of the Lord.
Salvation's of the Lord. I preach that. Salvation's of
the Lord. From beginning to end. From Alpha to Omega and all in
between. I know all men do not preach the Salvation's of the
Lord, but I know this, when they pray, they pray that way. They
say, Lord, save us. He's the only one who can. They
say, Lord, deliver us. He's the only one who can. Lord,
make your word to be effectual. He's the only one who can. Lord,
bless the message to the hearts of the people. He's the only
one who can. All things are of God. Now, you learn this, and
you learn who God is. And when you learn who God is,
we learn who we are. All things are of God. When we
learn this, we learn how to worship. how to glorify God, how to speak
respectfully and reverently of God, how to hold God in awe and
fear. You see, back in the Old Testament,
when they talked about worship, they talked about the fear of
the Lord. Abraham feared God, saying Abraham
worshiped God. We learn this, we learn how to
pray. All things are of God. We learn how to come before Him
and worship. We learn the gospel of His mercy and of His grace
when we learn that all things are of God. As present and future,
all things are of God. Let me ask you some questions. Sit there a minute now and listen
and think. Let me ask you some questions. Who planned and purposed
salvation? Who planned it? Who purposed
it? The answer is God did. All things are of God. Well,
when did God plan and purpose salvation? When? Well, the scripture
says before the foundation of the world. I've loved you with
an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn
you." Christ is the lamb slain before the foundation of the
world. The gospel is the everlasting gospel. The covenant of mercy
is the everlasting covenant. Third question, why did God plan
salvation? Why did He? Well, Ephesians 1,
three times says He did it to the praise of the glory of His
grace. And he says in Ephesians 2 that he might gather together
all things in Christ, that he might show the exceeding riches
of his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. That's why he purposed
to save a people, for his glory. Who sent Jesus Christ into the
world? God did. All things are of God. For God
so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son. Who sent him
to the cross? Somebody said, did the Jews crucify
Christ, or did the Romans crucify Christ, or who crucified Christ?
Listen. Wicked men nailed him to that
cross, but they did what God determined before to be done.
The Scripture says it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He said,
no man takes my life from me, I lay it down. He said, for this
cause came I into the world, and for this cause came I to
this hour. God Almighty sent him to the cross. Die for our
sins. Who raised him from the dead?
God did. Who chose you to salvation? Are
you saying? Yes, the preacher, I am. Who
saved you? God did. Did you choose God or did He
choose you? Paul said, I thank God for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you
to salvation. Who quickens you from the dead?
Who quickens me from the dead? But you hath He quickened who
were dead in trespasses, etc. All things are of God. Who begat
in us spiritual life? Who gave us life? You must be
born again. By whose power are we born again?
By whose will are we born again? Not by human blood, not by the
will of the flesh, not by the will of man, but of God, of His
own will. Begat He us through the Word
of truth. Who called us to faith in Christ?
God did. Whom He has foreknown, He predestinated
to be conformed to the image of His Son. Whom He predestinated,
He called. Whom He called, He justified.
Whom He justified, He glorified. Who revealed Christ to us? How
did we find out who Christ is and why He came and what He did
and where He is now? God revealed Him. Paul said,
when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb to reveal
His Son in me, all things are of God. Who keeps us from falling? Who keeps us from perishing in
unbelief? Who keeps us from falling under our trials and just being
annihilated with depression? Now unto Him that is able to
keep you from falling and present you flawless before His throne
with exceeding glory. Unto Him who loved us, washed
us from our sins in His own blood. God did. Who's gonna raise me
from the grave? Who's gonna make me like Christ
and take me to glory? Paul said, I'm confident, he
wrote to the Philippians, he said, I'm confident that he that
has begun a good work in you will finish it in the day of
Jesus Christ. In Philippians 3 he said, God
will change our vile bodies that they may be fashioned like unto
his glorious body according to his power, whereby he's able
to subdue all things unto himself. All things are of God. Thou art
worthy, O Lord, Lamb of God to take the book and to open the
seals out but I was slain and have redeemed us from God to
God Out of every nation tongue kindred tribe under him So you
have to start there if you're going to go the rest of the way
through this scripture you start there and learn that Second Corinthians
518 all things are of God By his purpose through his son for
his glory. It's a gift Look at the next
line. All things are of God. Now watch
this. Who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. Now you talk about the gospel
being hemmed up and summed up in one statement. This is the
good news. Read it slowly. All things are of God. The living
God, the holy God, the almighty God of heaven and earth. All
things are of God. Who hath reconciled us He's made
us friends who were enemies. He's forgiven our iniquities
who were great sinners. He's put away our transgressions,
past, present, and future. He has accomplished an atonement
by his own blood and made us one with Christ. That's right. God hath reconciled. You reconcile enemies, you'll
reconcile friends, you reconcile enemies. We were enemies. That's what Ephesians said, without
God, without help, without Christ, without hope in this world. Even
as children of wrath, even as others. And now he reconciled
us, like the prodigal son was reconciled to his father. Look
at that slowly. God hath reconciled us. You and
me. Chief of saints. God hath reconciled
us. Who am I, David said, that you
should show mercy to a fellow like me? And He has reconciled
us. Now watch this. All things are
of God who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ. By Jesus Christ. Not the law
didn't do it. We didn't do it. The church didn't
do it. God did it. He reconciled us
unto Himself by Jesus Christ. By the life of Christ, His obedience,
is our sanctification. By the blood of Christ, His death
is our justification. Now watch this third line here.
2 Corinthians 5, 18. All things are of God, who hath
reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, through Christ, by Christ,
because of Christ, and hath given to us this ministry of reconciliation. God hath called us and sent us
and entrusted us with this gospel of His glorious grace in Christ
Jesus. I'm preaching to you the good
news, the glad tidings, a proclamation of freedom, forgiveness, and
life. And we have this treasure in
an earthen vessel. I'm just a man like you. I've
got no special powers. I can't save, I can't put away
sin, I can't heal. The power is invested in Christ.
In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead. And I have this
treasure in an earthen vessel, in a clay pot. You know why?
First of all, that the power might be of God and not of us.
And secondly, that you might trust God not to hurt you. We
are the children of God who worship God in spirit, who rejoice in
Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh, mind, ears, or
anybody else's. You see, God had committed to
us this gospel of reconciliation, Message this good news of reconciliation. He's entrusted us with this gospel
and he's put it in an earthen vessel that the power might be
not of the vessel but of him who speaks through the vessel
and That your faith might stand not in the wisdom of me You don't
believe anything because I say it you believe it because God
said You don't believe anything because I do you believe it because
Christ taught you that truth That you might trust Him. You're
pleased, God, you see, by the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe. Not the preaching of foolishness.
That's what's going on today, the preaching of foolishness.
This is a whole different thing here, by the foolishness of preaching. The world calls it foolishness.
The preaching of the cross is to them that are perishing foolishness.
But to us that are saved, the preaching of the cross is the
power of God and the wisdom of God. And God has chosen by this,
what men call foolishness, the preaching, the preaching of His
glory, His gospel, His grace, His Son, to save them that believe. Now look at verse 19. All things
are God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ,
and hath given to us this message, this word of reconciliation.
Namely, see that little word, to wit, right there, verse 19.
to quit. That means namely. In other words,
here it is. I'm going to define it. This
gospel of reconciliation, this word of reconciliation that God
has put in us, I'm going to define it for you, Pastor. Here it is.
I'm going to explain it to you. To quit. Namely. Here it is.
God was in Christ. Who? God was in Christ. That
man, born of Mary, man-child, born of Mary, lying in the manger
in Bethlehem, That's God in human flesh. That young boy brought
up in Nazareth, working in his father's carpenter shop, who,
when he was 12 years of age, was taken to Jerusalem according
to the law of the Jewish religion. That young man is God in human
flesh. That man, Jesus of Nazareth,
who walked the streets of Jerusalem and Judea and Capernaum and Bethsaida,
that's Jesus Christ. That's God Almighty. In the beginning
was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God. And the
Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth." God was in Christ. Great is the mystery of godliness.
God was manifest in human flesh. God was in Christ. Oh, yeah.
What was God doing in Christ? He was reconciling the world,
reconciling the world to Himself. What world is this? People of
every tribe, kindred, nation, tongue, and death. Christ represented
a people. More than the stars of the sky
and the sands of the seashore, He represented a people, a number
which no man can number. In Adam we die, in Christ we're
made alive. He reconciled people from every
tongue, tribe, kindred, and nation unto heaven of every age or every
color. But all come to God by Him. I didn't say of every religion. I said of every tribe, kindred,
nation, and tongue. But they all have one religion.
There's one Lord. One faith, one baptism, one God
and Father, one mediator between God and men. One. And that's
Christ Jesus. No man comes to the Father but
by Him. He has rec... God was in Christ.
Reconciling the world to Himself. To Himself. God was angry. God was angry. God hated the
workers of iniquity. God's angry with the wicked.
Christ came down and took that enmity and that anger away by
satisfying God's law and honoring God's justice and God's not angry
anymore Isaiah said I was angry with me and you've taken it away
Reconcile me to yourself to yourself Christ has suffered the just
for the unjust to bring us to God God welcomes and receives
us listen not imputing their trespasses to a thing not charging
Their sin is not charged against us. Paul wrote to Philemon, his
friend down there in Colossae. And he said, Philemon, this runaway
slave, Onesimus, has been converted. He's heard me preach and he's
come to know God, come to know Christ. Now I'm sending him back
to you. And he said, if he's stolen from
you and wronged you in any way, you charge it to me. I'm your
friend. And I'll pay. You charge it to
me. You receive him scot-free. You receive him with no strings
attached. You receive him as you'd receive
me. If he's done you wrong, charge
it to me. And that's the way the Lord Jesus
Christ brings all for whom he died to God. He says, Father,
charge it to me. Charge it to me. Not imputing
their trespasses unto them, but charging them to Christ. Now
watch this. And hath committed to us, or in us, the word of
reconciliation. God has committed this word not
only to us but in us. We receive it, we believe it,
we rejoice in it, and we rest in it. Now watch verse 20. We're
ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us. See, we're ambassadors. God sends
us as ambassadors to preach the gospel. If you hear the gospel,
you're going to hear it from a man. And here's a man telling you
how the good news, how God redeems sinners. We're ambassadors for
Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, in His stead. Be you reconciled to God. Lay
down your shotgun. Put up your sword. Surrender. Stack your arms. Bow to Christ. For He was made sin for us, who
knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God
in Him. Isn't that good news? That verse 20, that substitution,
for He hath made Him, Christ, to be sin for us, who knew no
sin, that we, you and I, might be made the righteousness of
God in Him. My friend, I'm glad, I rejoice
to believe and to preach all things are of God, who hath reconciled
us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry
of reconciliation, freedom from sin, life everlasting.

All Things are of God

What does the Bible say about reconciliation with God?

How do we know that salvation is from God?

Why is God's sovereignty important for Christians?

What does it mean that all things are of God?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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All Things are of God

What does the Bible say about reconciliation with God?

How do we know that salvation is from God?

Why is God's sovereignty important for Christians?

What does it mean that all things are of God?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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