I'm reading from my text today
from the book of 2 Corinthians, the 5th chapter, the 21st verse,
2 Corinthians 5, 21, in which the Apostle Paul wrote, Now then,
we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you
by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to For
he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him." Now, the title
of this message is the whole Gospel in a single verse of Scripture. Let's go back to the beginning
of verse 20. Are you looking at your Bibles?
2 Corinthians 5, 20. Paul says, we are ambassadors
for Christ. Now the apostle is speaking,
I know, of himself and of other apostles. These were special
men, ordained, anointed, called of our master, given special
credentials and special signs and special powers. But he's
not only speaking of himself and the other apostles, he's
speaking also of every true God-called minister of the gospel. Every
true God-called, God-sent minister of the gospel is an ambassador
for Jesus Christ. We come to you in his blessed
name. We get our authority from him,
our gifts from him, our message from him. We preach his gospel. We represent the master and we
come to you in his name for his glory. We are ambassadors for
Christ. We do not come, we're not sent
to draw up terms of peace. That's not in our power. The
terms of peace have already been drawn up by the blessed We come
bearing his gospel of peace. We're not sent to draw up terms
of peace. No man can set forth a way for
you to get into the kingdom of God according to his own plan.
He didn't come to draw up terms of peace. He's sent to declare
the gospel of peace. And then we're not sent to argue
with men about the word of God or to prove the word of God.
We're sent to preach the word of God. We're not sent to prove
it. We're not sent to debate it or
to argue it. We are sent to preach what is
already written. Just read, Thus saith the Lord.
That's what the prophets of old did. That's what the apostles
did. They came saying, Israel, hear the word of the Lord. Not
hear my word. Not hear what I think about the word. Not hear what
I think the word ought to say. But you listen to the word of
God. This is what God says. And then, my friends, we're not
sent to entertain. We're not sent to organize. We're
not sent to promote. We're sent to proclaim. the gospel
of Jesus Christ. Go ye, he said, into all the
world and preach the gospel. Just preach it. Proclaim it.
Proclaim the word of God. We are ambassadors for Jesus
Christ. That's our calling. That's our
mission. We're ambassadors of Jesus Christ. Those are our credentials.
We're ambassadors of Jesus Christ. His messenger boys. And then
secondly, Paul said, now watch this, we're ambassadors for Christ
as though God did beseech you by us. God beseeches you by us. My friends, men who are called
of God to preach the gospel have a special anointing. And they
go forth with full power and full credentials from God Almighty
to this extent. Now listen. He that heareth you,
Christ said, heareth me. And he that heareth me, heareth
him that sent me. Our master told his disciples
one day, he said, when you go into a city and preach the gospel
and they won't hear you, when you leave that city, you shake
the dust off your feet as a testimony against them. You shall be witnesses
unto me, both in Samaria, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost
parts of the earth. You are my witnesses. And men will hear
the gospel from a man. Angels are not now preaching
the gospel. One time they did. One time the angels came down
here and appeared to the shepherds on the hillside and they said
unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which
is Christ the Lord. That's not their ministry now
and not their message now. It's our message. We have this
treasure in earthen vessels. It's God's treasure. It's God's
glory. It's God's gospel. But the scripture
tells us what the preacher of the gospel is. He's a man sent
from God. sent from God. There was a man
sent from God whose name was John, and he came preaching Christ. So Paul says we're ambassadors
of Jesus Christ, as though God did beseech you by us. And I
repeat, if you hear the gospel, you're not going to hear it from
an angel, you're going to hear it from a man. That's the way
God's ordained, by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. That's what Paul said, 1 Corinthians
1. The preaching of the cross is to them who are perishing,
sheer nonsense, foolishness. But to us who are being saved,
it's the power of God under salvation. For it pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. Now look at the next
line. He said, we're ambassadors for Christ. As though God himself
did beseech you by us, be ye reconciled to God. That's our
message. Be ye reconciled to God. your
arms of rebellion. Surrender. Submit to Christ. Bow to his Lordship. Bow. Submit to the royal claims of
King Jesus. That's our message. Be reconciled
to God. Bow down, sinner. Down, sinner,
at the feet of Jesus Christ. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry.
This is the message of our ministry. This is the object of our ministry,
that men might be brought to the feet of Christ. For that's
where they find mercy. Go through the Scripture. Go
through the scripture, and you'll find those who found mercy were
found at his feet. Mary was sitting at his feet,
and our Lord commended her. He said, she hath chosen the
good part. The harlot in the home of Simeon, or Simon, Simon
the Pharisee, was sitting up on the uppermost seat, the place
of recognition. The harlot was at his feet, kissing
his feet, bathing them with tears and drying them with the hair
of her hair. The leper came and fell at his feet and said, Lord,
if you will, you can make me whole. Thomas fell at his feet,
cried, my Lord and my God. That's where the mercies of God
are, at the feet of Christ, because he saith such as be of a humble
spirit and a contrite heart. And that's what we're saying,
be reconciled to God. Lay down your arms of rebellion.
Lay down your weapons of warfare. Bow down at the feet of Jesus
Christ. Now, reconciliation, be reconciled to God. Reconciliation
takes two directions. If you look back at verse 19,
it says, to wit, or namely, God was in Christ reconciling the
world unto himself. Now, Paul tells us in Ephesians
2 that we were children of wrath. God's angry with the wicked.
That's what the Bible says. God's angry with the wicked.
God hateth the workers of iniquity. The wrath and judgment of God
has been upon men ever since the fall because of sin. Now
God must be reconciled. There's got to be peace in heaven.
There's got to be peace toward men. Jesus Christ came down here
and removed the cause of that enmity, the cause of that wrath. He moved sin. He died for the
sins of all believers. He died for the sins of all God's
elect. He died for the sins of all who
received Christ. He died for the sins of all his
sheep. And because he died for us, there's
peace from heaven. There's goodwill toward men.
God is not angry. God is not at wrath. God loves
men in Christ. In Christ, God is able to love
men. God's justice is satisfied, His
law is honored, and He's enabled by the death of His Son and the
sacrifice of His Son, and His Son honoring the law, to love
men in Christ. God is reconciled. You see that
two-fold reconciliation. First, God's reconciled. God
was in Christ. reconciling the world to himself.
Now then, Paul comes in verse 20 and says, you be reconciled
to God. You're still angry with God.
You're still mad with God. The natural mind is enmity against
God. It's not subject to the law of
God. Neither indeed can be. We've got to have a new heart
that doesn't hate God but loves Him. We've got to have a new
spirit that doesn't rebel against God but submits to God. We've
got to have a new mind to think good thoughts of the Lord God.
to love him, to believe him, to trust him. Now, I'll give
you a picture of that. Saul of Tarsus was on his way
to Damascus, hating Christ, despising Christ, religious to the core,
zealous to the core, but hating Christ. Now, Christ didn't hate
him. He was a chosen vessel to Christ.
Christ had loved him, was his surety, had given himself for
him. He was at peace with Saul. Saul wasn't at peace with Christ.
He wasn't at peace with God. He had enmity and hatred and
anguish in his heart. God met him on that road. And
in the person of Christ revealed himself to him and broke down
that rebellion and took away that enmity. And on that road
to Damascus by work of the Holy Spirit, through the revelation
of Jesus Christ, solitarsis was reconciled to God. That's what
I've come preaching. I'm saying as an ambassador of
Jesus Christ, As though God himself did beseech you by us, be ye
reconciled to God. The enmity in your heart must
be blotted out. The weapons of warfare must be
laid down. Your fist unclenched, your hand,
palm upward, open to God. Your sword, hilt first, surrendered
to the Almighty God. Be reconciled. Now watch the
next verse, far. And here's the gospel of grace
in a single verse, far. And here's the foundation of
Christianity, other foundation can no man lay than that which
is laid, Christ the Lord. Here's the rock on which our
hope is built, fire. Here's the only hope of a sinner,
Christ in you the hope of glory. Here's the greatest miracle that
God ever performed. Here's the greatest transaction
that heaven and hell ever witnessed. Here it is, the gospel of grace
in a single verse, for he hath made him who knew no sin to be
sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God
in Him." What's he saying here? He's saying that the living God,
the God of all ages, the God of all creation, the God of all
holiness and truth, hath on purpose made His Son, the Son of His
love, His well-beloved, only begotten Son, to actually be
sin for you and me. His Son, who knew no sin, not
only did no sin, but knew no sin. God made him to be seen
for you and me, that we might be made the holiness, righteousness,
the immaculate holiness, the infinite righteousness, the immutable
righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. That's phenomenal. Now
if I make good on that, if you can hear it, God will do something
for us today. Let's look at each word individually.
He. He. That's the Heavenly Father.
When a man takes a hard look at the gospel, which he should
take, a hard look, a good, strong look. I'm not trying to push
you into anything. I'm not trying with soft music
and lovely words to persuade you to do anything. I want you
to take a good, hard look at yourself, and a good, hard look
at the Bible, and a good, hard look at your sins, and a good,
hard look at death, judgment, and hell, and a good, hard look
at the gospel, and then you do with it what you will. That's
between you and God. That's between you and Almighty
God. But any man that's ever taken
a good, hard look at the Gospel has got to be impressed, first
of all, with the Father's work in redemption. Yea, with the
Father's work in redemption, salvations of the Lord. It pleased
God to make you His people if you are His people. It pleased
God that in Christ should all fullness dwell. That's God's
business. Nobody had anything to do with that but God. Everything's
in Christ. God put it there. Hope's in Christ,
God put it there. Mercy's in Christ, God put it
there. Grace is in Christ, God put it there. Life's in Christ,
God put it there. And I'll tell you something else,
God put him on that cross too. A man didn't do it. They were
the second causes. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, you with wicked hands crucified
and slain. But you did what God determined
before to be done. For it pleased God to bruise
him. It pleased God to reveal His Son in us. For God so loved
the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. When the
fullness of time was come, God sent His Son into the world,
made of a woman, made under the law. Our Lord Jesus said, I am
come to do not my will, but the will of Him that sent me. And
this is the will of Him that sent me. Of all which he hath
given me I'll lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last
day." If you take a good hard look at the gospel, the first
thing you'll be impressed with is the fact that the gospel is
God's plan, it's God's purpose, it's God's program, it's God's
scheme to redeem fallen men. God planned it, God purposed
it, God executed it, God applied it, God sustains it, and God
will perfect At the cross, I see His sovereignty. Whom He foreknew,
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. What shall we say to these things?
I'll tell you what I say. If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely
give us all things? Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? It's God that justifies. It's
God that justified. God purposed it. God planned
it. I see something else in the cross. I see God's love. The
Father's love. The Father's love. The Lord Jesus
Christ didn't come down here to get God in the notion of saving
us or loving us. He loved us and sent his Son.
Herein is love. Not that we love God. He loved
us and gave his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. I
see God's justice. He spared not his own Son. God
loved his holiness and law so much he spared not his own son.
The law of God is important to the Lord God. He can't save a
sinner without that law being honored. His justice is important. He can't save a sinner without
that justice being satisfied. I see the wisdom of God. Where
else can righteousness and mercy meet together? Where else can
truth and love kiss one another except at the cross? I see God's
mercy. But God, but God, We were children
of wrath even as others, but God. We walked according to the
course of this world, according to the prince of the power there,
but God. We fulfilled the desires of our mind and of the flesh,
but God, who is rich in mercy for His great love wherewith
He loved us even when we were dead in sin, quickened us together
with Christ. At the cross you see the Father
pouring out His wrath as if He had no love upon His Son. You see Him punishing sin. as
if he were not the tender father? My God, why hast thou forsaken
me? You see him pardoning sin as
though he were not the just judge? You see him forgiving sin as
though he were not the righteous father? Oh, my friend, what a
mystery. And yet he, he, he made him. He hath made him to be sin for
us. Well, let's look at this him.
Who is Jesus Christ? Who is Jesus Christ? Our Lord
asked his disciples, said, what are they saying out there? Whom
do men say that I, the Son of Man am? One of them said, well,
some of them say you're a great prophet, and others say you're
a great preacher, and others say you're a great healer, you're
John the Baptist. He said, whom do you say that
I am? And the apostle said, we know who you are. Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the living God. Isaiah, who is this man
Jesus Christ? Emmanuel, God with us. Isaiah, who is this man Jesus
Christ? Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty
God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Angels,
who is this Jesus Christ? He's Christ the Lord. Unto you
is born in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. Simeon, who is this man Jesus
Christ? Lord, now let thy servant depart
in peace. I've seen thy salvation. Peter,
who is this man Jesus Christ? Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the Living God. Thomas, what do you say? My Lord
and my God. John, what do you say? In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God, and all things were made by Him. Without Him was
not anything made that was made. Let the demons speak. Let those
who dwell in hell speak. We know who you are, they said.
We know who you are. You're the Holy One of God. We
know who you are. These demons knew more than the
preachers knew. These demons knew more than the
rulers knew. These demons knew more than the religionists knew.
We know who you are. You're the Holy One of God. Have
you come to torment us before our time? Let the Father speak. This is my beloved Son, in whom
I'm well pleased. Better listen to Him. Listen
to the Father again. Thy throne, O God, is forever. He, the Father, hath made Him,
the Son, to be sin. This is one of the greatest mysteries
of the Word of God. He who knew no sin was made sin. I don't understand that. I can't
explain it. Anybody who says he can doesn't know what he's
talking about. I cannot explain how Jesus Christ, the Holy God,
could clothe Himself in human flesh and walk on this earth,
and you don't either. The God-man. That's the reason they picked
up stones to stone him. He said, now wait a minute. Many
good works have I done among you. For which of them do you
stone me? They said, we're not stoning you for doing good works. We're stoning you because you're
a man and you say you're God. I understand why they were confused.
Any man apart from Holy Spirit revelation would be confused
about that. And the man who has Holy Spirit revelation takes
it by faith. God in human flesh. God in human
flesh. I can't explain how the Holy
Son of God could be tempted in all points as we are, can you?
How can God be tempted to fall? How can God be tempted to sin?
How can the Holy Immaculate Son of God be tempted to rebel against
Himself? How can God break His own law?
Don't try to explain it, just believe it. God says it. I can't
explain how Christ could actually bury in His body and His soul
all my sins. Who is this in the garden weeping
tears? Who is this in the garden that's
sweating great drops of blood from the pores of his body? Who
is this in the garden agonizing, talking about dying under the
load of sin, dying under this terrible, terrible burden of
sin? Well, this is God. You can't
explain that. That's the miracle and the mystery
of God's salvation. I can't explain how God can forsake
God on a cross. Martin Luther once closed his
Bible and hid his desk and walked off, said, God, forsaken God,
how can this be? No man can understand this. I'm
not asking you to understand it. I'm asking you to believe
it because God said it. He hath made him to be seen. I can't explain how he could
die. You tell me. I'm going to find out in heaven.
I see through a glass darkly. I preach in part. I know in part. But when that which is perfect
has come, I'm going to stand this. I can't explain how he
could die. I can't explain how he could
be buried and his own body lie in the tomb three days. He rose
by the power of God. These things are beyond my understanding,
but not beyond my faith. These things are called the mysteries
of God. And this is what the living God
has revealed in his word and called it the gospel. Christ,
who knew no sin, the holy, immutable, infinite Son of God, the Creator
Himself became a man. And He was tested in all points
as I am, yet without sin. God made Him to be sin for me.
God imputed to Him all my sins, and He did it for us. Why should
my Savior to Calvary go? Why should He love me so? His
love sent my Savior to die in my stead. Why should He love
me so? Meekly to Calvary's cross He was led. Why should He love
me so? God hath made Him to be seen
for me. Paul said, I'm the chief of sinners.
I was a blasphemer, I was injurious, I was a persecutor, and yet I
obtained mercy. Even so, Father, it seemed good
in Thy sight. That's the only answer I can
give to that. You see, I don't have all the answers, but I have
a glorious gospel. I have a glorious gospel, and
I call on men to hear it. It's God's gospel. If I could
understand it, it wouldn't be God's because a man can't comprehend
God. It's as mysterious as God. It's
profound as God. It's as effectual as God. It's
as true as God. It's God's gospel, the gospel
of His glory, that no flesh should glow in His presence. Now, I'm
going to give you something here. If you find that hard to believe,
you're going to really have trouble with this. He, God the Father,
hath sovereignly made him to be sin, who knew no sin, who
knew no sin, made him to be sent for us in our place instead. He bore all our shame and sorrow
and filth and guilt in order that, now listen to this, in
order that we might be made the righteousness of God. Now brother,
listen to me, I'm not talking about this little church standard,
that's not the righteousness I'm talking about here. that
we might be made, not pretty good, not better men, not moral
creatures, the righteousness of God, just like God, just like
God's holiness, as pure as God's holiness, as holy as God's holiness,
as righteous as God's holiness, that I might be actually made
the holiness of God in Him, in Christ, with His spotless garments
on I'm as holy as God's Son. Now I know there's an imparted
righteousness. I know there's a righteousness
imparted to us by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, by the new
birth, by repentance and by faith in which we walk in light, in
which we obey God, in which we love our neighbors, in which
we love God, in which we're new creatures in Christ Jesus. That's
a righteousness that grows, a progressive sanctification. But that's not
what he's talking about here. That's not what he's talking
about here. He's talking about that righteousness of God, without
which no man will see the Lord. That holiness. Who shall stand
in his presence? He that hath clean hands. Clean. Not pretty clean. Clean. And
a pure heart. Not pretty good. Pure as God. How good does a man have to be
to stand in God's presence? As good as Jesus Christ. How
perfect does a man have to be to enter the holy, awesome, infinite
presence of God? As good as God. Two can't walk
together except they be alike and agree. In Christ, we have
been made by God, the righteousness of God. In Adam, I fell, I died,
I was polluted within and without. In Adam, there was imputed to
me a guilt by original sin and imparted to me an evil nature.
But in Christ, I made alive, and in Christ I'm pardoned, in
Christ I'm forgiven, in Christ I'm washed, in Christ I'm cleansed,
and in Christ I have before the Father a perfect, spotless, holy,
immutable, unchangeable, infinite righteousness. It is, my friend,
the very righteousness of God himself." That's the gospel in
a single verse, how that he, according to his sovereign actually
made Him, the eternal Son of God, to be seen for us, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ.