We're happy for the privilege
of coming your way this morning with the message from God's Word,
and what an awesome, awesome responsibility. We're not playing
games. We're not building a kingdom.
We're not entertaining sinners on the road to hell. We have
the awesome responsibility of preaching the gospel of God's
glory and God's grace as it is in the Lord Jesus Christ. And
you have the awesome responsibility of hearing and receiving and
responding to that gospel. I pray that God will be pleased
to give me his spirit of power and wisdom and liberty to speak
not just to your ears but to your heart. And the Lord God
of glory may be pleased to give you a hearing ear, an ear that
hears him who speaks from heaven, not just the voice of a man.
Somebody said a long time ago, if my voice is the only voice
you hear, nothing of any spiritual value will be accomplished. You've
got to hear Him who speaks from heaven. You've got to hear Him
who speaks by the power of His Spirit. You've got to hear Him
who speaks through His Word. And may God give you eyes to
see. You know, our Lord said, He that
seeth the sun. Now, that's not a vision or a
dream or seeing a picture. That's the eyes of faith. That's
seeing Christ as he's revealed in the Word, Christ as the great
surety, the great shepherd of the sheep, the redeemer of sinners,
seeing Christ, he that seeth the Son and believeth on him.
May God give you a hearing ear and a seeing eye and a heart
that's illuminated and enlightened by his grace to lay hold on and
to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ. I hope you'll take your responsibility
with the seriousness with which I take mine. I'm preaching for
the glory of God, and I hope you're hearing for the same reason
for the glory of God, that the glory of God might be accomplished,
that the glory of God might be done in your life. Now, this
morning we're turning to 2 Corinthians 5, the 5th chapter of 2 Corinthians,
verse 18 through 21. Do you have a Bible? If you do,
open it. Open it. Salvation is to be found
in the Word of God. Of His own will, beget he us
with the Word of Truth. Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God. The little lady who said a few
weeks ago, I don't know much about the Bible, but I know what
I think. That's the worst position you can be in, trying to subject
God's Word to your thoughts. It won't work. Your thoughts
are not His thoughts. Your ways are not His ways. And
as the heaven is higher above the earth, so are his thoughts
above your thoughts. So we're not trusting our thoughts. The way that man thinks is right
is wrong, and the way that man thinks is wrong is right. So
we're not trusting our thoughts. I want you to look into the Word. In 2 Corinthians 5, verse 18
through 21, now here's my text, verse 19. God, God was in Christ. That's my subject. God was in
Christ. God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses or sins unto
them. Think about that. Not charging
their sins to them. And hath given to us this word
of reconciliation. Now, if you go back to verse
18, Will you? Verse 18, right away. This glorious
apostle Paul sets forth four monumental truths. Four monumental
truths. Here beginning with verse 18.
Four facts that need to be heard and settled once for all. I've
settled them. I hope you have or will. The
first one is this, verse 18. Paul says, all things are of
God. Now, I'm satisfied with that.
All things are of God. Without question, all things
are of God. All things are of God. All things
are of God. He is Lord of heaven and earth. He is sovereign, almighty in
creation, in providence, in salvation, and that takes in all of it.
He, the Lord God, doeth according to His will in the armies of
heaven and among the inhabitants of this earth. He worketh all
things, all things are of God. He worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will. None can stay his hand or say
unto him, what doest thou? Read Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel
2 sometime, verse 1 through 10. She says what I would like to
say. The Lord killeth and maketh alive. The Lord bringeth down to the
grave and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor and maketh
rich. The Lord bringeth low and lifteth
up. All things are of God. The Bible
starts out that way. In the beginning, God. In the
beginning, God. Everything came from God. And
everything is sustained by God and contained in God. He says,
I'm Alpha and Omega. That's the beginning and the
end. I'm Alpha and Omega. All things are of God. That's
where you better start. You better get your head on straight
as to who God is. Now, that's the thing. An idol
can't help you. You've got to know the true and
living God. See, eternal life is to know
the true and living God, not just any God. All things are
of God. And then the second monumental
truth he sets forth is this, who hath reconciled us. You know
what the word reconcile means? It means to make peace. to provide
a sufficient atonement. Reconcile. Make right. Who hath
reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ. Now here's the gospel
in a sentence. Here's salvation in nine words. Who hath reconciled
us to himself by Jesus Christ. Who? Who are we talking about?
Who? We're talking about God. This God of whom are all things. This same God. All things are
of God. Who? God. Himself. He reconciled us. Yes sir, us. Fallen sons of Adam,
us. Sinners by birth, choice, and
nature, us. Children of darkness and wrath.
Who hath reconciled us? Reconciled, yeah. Provided an
atonement. Made peace with us. God has accepted
us in the Beloved to Himself. And he hasn't changed himself,
himself is holy to himself, to his law, unchangeably holy law,
to his infinite strict justice, to his righteousness, his perfect
holiness, God who hath reconciled us to himself. Not just a little
higher than we are now, a little short of heaven, but all the
way to himself. He has lifted us out of the dunghill
to the throne. There's no in between. You're
either in the dunghill or on the throne. There's no degrees
of glory. You're either glorified in Christ
or you're condemned forever. And he did it, who hath reconciled
us to himself by Jesus Christ. That's how he did it. Not by
what you and I do, but by Jesus Christ. Not by what church we
belong to, but by Jesus Christ. Not by how many times you've
been down to the altar and prayed through and been baptized and
all these other things, but by Jesus Christ. What an awesome
message. Now here's the third monumental
truth. And God We keep talking about God. All things are of
God, who hath reconciled us to himself, that's where I want
to be, by Jesus Christ and God, who hath given unto us this ministry
of reconciliation. He has made us the messengers
of this Good News. That's right. He hath made us
ambassadors of the King. I can hardly comprehend that. He has given us the awesome responsibility
of telling our friends about this glorious gospel of grace.
He has sent us to proclaim this good news. He didn't give it
to the angels to preach. They wouldn't understand it because
they've never partaken of it. He has given it to fallen men.
And he has said to us, now you go with this word of reconciliation
and preach it to every creature on earth. Paul said, God put
me in the ministry. And God put this treasure, what
a treasure it is. God hath reconciled us all the
way to himself, all the way. And he has put this treasure
in an earthen vessel, in a vessel of clay. Not much to the vessel,
but oh what a message. Not much to the messenger, but
oh, what glad tidings. Yes, sir. There are plenty of
false preachers. The woods are full of them. Always
have been. But I tell you, there are some
men, somewhere, to whom God has given the message of truth, the
ministry of reconciliation as it is in Jesus Christ. Now then,
there's three of those facts. Here's the fourth one. You with
me? All things are of God. Remember
that. who by his sovereign will has reconciled us to himself
by Jesus Christ, and actually given to us this message and
ministry of reconciliation. Now, to wit, you see those two
little words, to wit? That means namely, or that is
to say, or here is that message. Here is that message. Here it
is. Read that next verse. God was in Christ. God Himself, who Himself reconciled
us to Himself by Jesus Christ, was Himself in Jesus Christ. God was in Jesus Christ, reconciling
the world under Himself. Not charging our sins to us,
but laying them on Christ. God was in Christ. If you can
get hold of this, you'll learn the Gospel. No reason why you
can't get hold of it either. God was in Christ. Jesus Christ
is the man. Pilate said, Behold the man.
But he is a man, but he's more than a man. He is the God-man. He said, I and my Father are
one. Philip said, Show us the Father, and we'll be satisfied.
He said, You're looking at the Father. You're looking at the
Father. He that hath seen me hath seen
my Father. I and my Father are one. Being
in the form of God, Being in the form of God, he thought it
not robbery to be equal with God, and yet he made himself
of no reputation, took upon himself the form of a servant, and being
found in the nature of flesh, he became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. You hear what I'm saying? God
was in Christ. Now you just forget the Bible
and forget preaching, forget salvation, forget heaven, forget
eternal life, and forget everything else till you learn those four
things. All things are of God. That's
where you've got to start. That's the starting point. That's
first base. You know you've run into third
base, you missed first base. That's first base. All things
are of God. Who hath reconciled us to himself,
Jesus Christ said this. God reconciled us to himself. He did it, salvations of the
Lord. It's not of a church or a man, it's of the Lord. And
he's given this minister of reconciliation to men. And you know what it
is? This message is God was in Christ, reconciling the world
unto himself, not charging our sins to us, but laying them on
Christ. And again he says, and he has
given us this word of reconciliation. Now here are seven things I want
you to see. I'm going to give them to you briefly, one at a
time. God was in Christ. And God in Christ is at peace
with us. Now, I know a lot of people running
around here hollering, peace, peace, when there is no peace.
But there is peace with God in Christ. Because God in Christ
reconciled us to himself. Contrary to what most folks believe,
the holy God of heaven is angry with the wicked. We're called
the children of wrath. even as others." Isn't that what
it says? Also it says, "...he that hath not the Son of God,
the wrath of God abideth on him." You know what the wrath of God
is? Well, it's demonstrated in the Garden of Eden, when Almighty
God threw man out. It's demonstrated in the flood,
when Almighty God destroyed a world. It's demonstrated in the cities
on the plains, when God sent fire and brimstone to destroy
Sodom and Gomorrah. It's demonstrated at Calvary
when God spared not his own son. God is angry with sin. God hateth
the workers of iniquity. God is angry with the wicked
every day, but God announces peace. Peace. Where is this peace? Well, the angels came down here
and they said to some shepherds on a Judean hillside, glory to
God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. We bring you good tidings. Unto
you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, Christ the
Lord." There's where peace is. It's in that Savior, Christ the
Lord. Peace with God. It isn't anywhere else. It's
in Christ the Lord. God in Christ is at peace with
us. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God. Nowhere else except justification
by faith in Christ. That's where peace is. And you
can't claim it anywhere else. And if you're not in Christ,
you're not at peace with God, God's at war with you, and you're
at war with God. And he's going to win. He's going
to win. He's going to visit you. God
will surely visit you. That's just so. Not being cruel,
just being kind and straightforward. God in Christ is at peace. He's
reconciled. All right? God in Christ, secondly,
promises all things. promises all benefits, blessings,
and gifts. Listen to 2 Corinthians 1.20.
For all the promises of God in Christ are yea, and in Him, amen,
unto the glory of God. That's not hard to understand,
is it? Can you misinterpret that verse? For all the promises of
God in Christ are yes, and in Christ are amen to the glory
of God. You see, my friend, God considered
in His holiness, God considered in His immutable righteousness
and justice, is not a promising God. He's a threatening God. God threatened. God said, I will repay him to
his face. Their feet will slide in due
time. God is a revenging God. He is a God of pure justice.
Shall not the judge of the earth do right? He'll do right. But in Christ, God promises something. He promises forgiveness in whom
we have forgiveness. He promises redemption in whom
we have redemption through His blood. He promises blessings
because Christ fulfills all the conditions of the promise. You
see that? God in Christ is a promising
God. God can make good on his promises
in Christ because the Lord Jesus Christ has fulfilled the conditions
of the promises. Walk before me in holiness, God
said, and I'll bless you. We did in Christ. So we have
the promise. All right, thirdly, God in Christ
sits on a throne of grace. Now, this is so important. God
in Christ sits on a throne of grace. Our God has a three-fold
throne. Now, I know it's one throne,
but it's revealed in a three-fold manner. Now, listen to me. God's
throne is a throne of holiness, and none of this can be compromised
at the expense of the other. Can't be. You see, God's throne
is a throne of holiness. You don't doubt that, do you? Its holiness is so bright and
awesome, it dazzles. It dazzles even the eyes and
the minds of the heavenly creatures. Isaiah said, I saw the Lord high
and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. And around
his throne, the cherubims and seraphims cried, holy, holy,
holy. And they covered their eyes,
and they covered their mouths, and they covered their feet in
the presence of God's holiness. God's throne is a holy throne. They covered their faces. I can't
even think of it, let alone describe it. But I know his throne is
a holy throne. Secondly, his throne is a throne
of justice. Complete righteousness and judgment,
clothed in the robes of justice, authority, and vengeance, the
most favored of men have trembled and quaked. And one of them said,
Lord, if you should mark iniquity, who would stand? Who would stand? God will by no means clear the
guilty. There's no compromise before
the throne of God's judgment and justice. He'll do right,
right by every man. But thirdly, God's throne is
a throne of grace. Now it says in Hebrews 4, seeing
then that we have a great high priest, that's Christ, who has
passed into the heavens, who was a man. fulfilled the law,
died on the cross, went into the heaven. Jesus, the Son of
God, that's our great high priest, let us come boldly unto the throne
of grace. Now I can't come to a throne
of holiness alone. I can't come to a throne of justice.
I can't look upon the holiness of that throne. I can't stand
before the justice of that throne. But being empty-handed, I can
come for grace. Being naked, I can come for grace.
Being a sinner, I can come for grace. Being guilty, I can come
for grace. So let us come to the throne
of grace to find what? Justice? No, sir. Reward? No, sir. That we may obtain mercy,
mercy, mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. I'm
coming to the throne of grace. You say, what's to keep God's
justice from dealing with you? It dealt with Christ, my substitute. Well, what's to keep God's throne
of holiness from turning you back? No man can look on God
and live, in Christ, I'm perfectly holy. You see what I'm saying? God in Christ sits on the throne
of grace. And now let me tell you something.
If you don't have that high priest, if you don't have Christ, You've
got one alternative, a throne of holiness and a throne of justice. And even Moses had to be hidden
from the presence of God lest he look upon God and die. Now
that's clear as a bell, and that's clear as I can make it. And it's
clear as you need to hear it too, if you can hear it. And
then fourthly, God in Christ identifies himself with us. Now
if God was pleased to tolerate us, to let us live our years
out on this earth and then annihilate us. Or if God was even pleased
to come down here in his glory for a moment and show off his
majesty, that'd be mercy. But God has actually condescended
to become one with us. He took our nature. God became
a man. God was in Jesus Christ. God,
the Word was made flesh. You hear me? He was in the world,
and the world was made by Him. The Word became 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." The exact image of God, the Divine Person Himself
became a man. I in them and thou in me. It
behooved Him to be made just like His brethren. He was numbered
with a transgressor. More than that, now listen to
me. More than that, if God just condescended to tolerate this
outfit and then to annihilate it, that would be mercy for a
while. Or if God just came down and
passed through and showed us himself, his glory, but he came
down here and dwelt among us and became bone of our bone and
flesh of our flesh. But more than that, he married
us. He married us. In Isaiah 54,
5, thy maker is thy husband. He married us, became one with
us. He gave us his name. He assumed
our debts. And he says, I'll never forsake
you. I'll never divorce you. You're my bride forever. God
in Christ identified himself with us. Fifthly, God in Christ
pardons our sins. In Colossians 1, 14. You can
call this the old-time gospel or whatever kind of gospel you
want to talk about. This is the only gospel. Ain't no old-time gospel. It's just the gospel. Just the
gospel. You say, that's the fundamental
gospel. No, it's just the gospel. It's
got no other name. It's just the gospel. Paul said,
preach any other and be cursed. In whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sin, who is the image of the
invisible God. It's in him. Colossians 1, 14,
15, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, who
is the image of the invisible God. I don't deny my sins, do
you? I don't dare approach God in
my sins, do you? But in Christ, he said, I have
forgiveness. I have righteousness. I am justified. And blessed are they whose iniquities
are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to
whom God will not charge sin." So God, in Christ, puts away
sin on the way He can. In the sixth place, this is good
news. God, in Christ, invites sinners,
entreats sinners to come to Him and live. He said come. Let us
reason together, though your sins be a scarlet, I'll make
them white as snow." Isn't that mercy? That God should invite
you and me to come and reason with Him, listen to Him? He said,
here and your soul will live. Incline your ear and you'll live. Oh, everyone that's thirsty,
come to the water. Don't bring anything, just bring
an appetite. All the fitness He requires is
to fill your need of Him. He is able to save to the uttermost
them that come to God by Him. But you don't have to come. You
can stay away. God will not lose a thing. He's
perfectly holy, independent of all creatures. His holiness will
go on. But I tell you, for your good,
for your good, you ought to come. Christ said, come to me, drink.
Out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water. Paul
said, be ye reconciled to God. Don't. Lay down your shotgun.
Lay down your weapons of warfare. Stack your arms. Surrender. Look
to Christ. and be made whole. And then last
of all, God in Christ will crown every believer. We're going to
be heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Listen to
Ephesians 2. But God, who is rich in mercy,
for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sin, hath quickened us together with Christ and hath
raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly
places in Christ, that in the ages to come he might show the
exceeding riches, riches of his grace in his kindness toward
us through Jesus Christ. My God's not a beggar. You're
the beggar. You got the cart before the horse.
You got the shoes on the wrong feet. My God's not a beggar.
He's a king. But he has offered the beggars free food. He has
offered to beggars a robe of righteousness, naked beggars.
He has offered to those who are without mother or father, he's
offered to them to adopt them into his family. That's right.
Almighty God in Christ reconciled this world to himself. Now I
say, I say, will you believe? Will you receive him? And this
is not some kind of, some kind of fleshly altar call. I'm telling
you not, don't write to me. I can't help you. Look to God.
Call upon the Lord. Look to him. Receive him. Do
business with God.