Therefore if Any Man Be In Christ

Let's look, first of all, at
2 Corinthians 5.17. There's a statement here around
which I have built this entire thought, the message tonight. 2 Corinthians 5.17, Therefore,
if any man be in Christ. There's a world of difference
in being in Christ and being in religion. There's a world of difference
in being in Christ and being in church. There's a world of
difference in being in Christ and being in orthodoxy or the
correct theology. This ought to be our lifelong
pursuit, to be found in him. For this is where the fullness
of God dwells. Colossians 119 says it pleased
God that all fullness should dwell in Christ. In Christ. That's where the fullness of
God dwells. The fullness of God does not
dwell in an organization, nor in a law, nor in a ceremony.
It dwells in Christ. To be found in Christ is to be
found in the fullness of God. And then this is the design of
redemption. Turn to the book of Colossians
chapter 1 verse 14. The whole design of redemption
is in Christ. That's where God put it. That's
the source of it. In whom we have redemption. Colossians
1 verse 14. In whom we have redemption. through his blood, even the forgiveness
of sin. It's all in Christ. Therefore,
if any man be in Christ, where all the fullness of God dwells,
if any man be in Christ where redemption dwells, think of it,
he is redeemed. If he's in Christ, he's redeemed. He doesn't have to ask, do you
think I'm saved? He doesn't have to entertain
doubts about his redemption if he's in Christ. And then Philippians
3 verse 8 tells us this is where righteousness dwells in Christ. For Paul said in Philippians
chapter 8, the last line, O that I may win Christ and be found
in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness of
God by faith. Righteousness dwells in Christ.
Therefore, if any man be in Christ, think of it, all the fullness
of God, all the benefits and blessings of redemption, all
of the perfect righteousness of God in Christ. And then look
at the book of Ephesians. In Ephesians 1, verse 9, this
is the eternal purpose of God, to glorify Christ and all who
are in him. That's God's purpose. As Jonathan
Edwards wrote, that's the design of redemption. Listen to it in
Ephesians 1 verse 10. Verse 9 says, "...having made
known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good
pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation
of the fulness of time he might gather together in one all things
in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth,
even in him." Think of it. You see why this one phrase in
verse 17 captured my attention in preparing this message? Therefore,
therefore, if any man, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, old or
young, if any man, black or white, if any man, learned or ignorant,
if any man, be in Christ, in Christ, he has all the fullness
of God, for that's in Christ. The righteousness of God, that's
in Christ. Redemption, that's in Christ.
And the eternal purpose of God is to gather together in one
all things in Christ. in Christ. I tell you, when we
become acquainted with these scriptures, we understand a little
better what our Lord meant when he said, what think ye of Christ? The Pharisees came to him, the
lawyers, the Sadducees, they had so many questions, they were
concerned about so many things. what kind of life we were going
to have in the resurrection, whether we ought to pay tribute
to a world leader, ruler, which commandment was the greatest
commandment. And our Lord said, what think ye of Christ? Whose
son is he? And when you realize that all
fullness is in Christ, and all righteousness is in Christ, and
all redemption is in Christ, and all the design of God Almighty
and his eternal purpose is in Christ, then you understand why
he met. What do you think about Christ? I know what I think about the
millennium and creation and evolution and all these other things, but
what think ye of Christ? And then we know something about
what he meant in John, chapter 15. Listen to him here. In John
15, verse 7, he said, Now if you abide in me, and my words
abide in you, you ask what you will, and it shall be done unto
you, if you abide in me. Oh, the power of that union.
Oh, the blessings of that union. I don't need anything else if
I have Christ. That's what Ronnie was singing
about. I'd rather have Jesus. If I have Him, I have everything.
Then silver and gold, if I have Him, I have riches untold. Houses and land, an heir of God
and a joint heir of Jesus with Jesus Christ. If I have Him,
I have everything. If you abide in me and my words
abide in you, ask what you will. when we realize what is in Christ. Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
think of it, if he's in Christ. And then we understand something
about what Paul was talking about when he said, my little children,
as an apostle of Christ, as an ambassador of Christ. as a messenger
of the Son of God, I prevail in pain, in agony, under a great
burden, till Christ be formed in you. If I just knew that Christ
was formed in you, all my concern would just be lifted, if Christ
could be formed in you. And then what Paul meant when
he said, I'm determined to know nothing among you, save Jesus
Christ and Him crucified." That's where it all is, in Christ. Paul, the man of one message,
Paul, the man of one object, Paul, the man of one goal, that
you may win Christ and be found in Him. All spiritual blessings
are in Christ. Turn to Ephesians 1 and listen
to Paul in verse 3. Be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ. That's where it is. In Christ. Verse 7, in whom we have redemption. Verse 11, in whom also we have
obtained an inheritance. In Christ. Outside of Christ. There's nothing awaiting us but
judgment. Turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter
1, and listen, this is a frightful scripture. I don't see how any
of us can read this. Even if we're not personally
concerned about ourselves, think of all of our friends. who are
concerned about this in 2 Thessalonians 1, and to you who have trouble,
rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven
with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them
that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ. who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory
of his power, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints,
and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony
among you was believed in that day. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, But Paul made, before he made
this statement, if any man be in Christ, he had some things
to say about his ministry. In the preceding verses, you
see it begins, verse 17 begins, Therefore, if any man be in Christ. If any of us be in Christ. Therefore,
if we are in Christ. Such and such is true. But he
had some things to say about his ministry and about his methods
and about his message and about his own motive, and we'd do well
to listen to it. It'd be helpful for me, and I
think it'd be helpful for you. Back in verse 11, let's begin
with verse 11. We don't have time to go all
the way back as far as we should, perhaps, or would like to, but
beginning with verse 11. Paul is in these preceding verses. He begins verse 17, "...therefore,
if any man be in Christ." This is true, but prior to that he
had some things to say. Verse 11, he says, "...knowing
therefore the terror of the Lord." Now, two things are revealed
here. First of all, Paul knew the fear of God. He walked before
God in awe and fear. He walked before God in reverence,
as do all believers. Paul feared God. Come, my children,
the prophet said, and I'll teach you how you ought to fear the
Lord. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God. One cannot
come to understand even something of the glory and holiness and
majesty and power of God without fearing God. By the fear of the
Lord, men depart from evil. Back in Old Testament days, the
worship of God was synonymous with the fear of the Lord. When
they talked about a person who walked with God, it was one who
feared the Lord. Jacob feared the Lord. Joseph
feared the Lord. Abraham feared the Lord. David
feared the Lord. So Paul knew something about
the fear of God, but I think he's talking about something
else here. I believe he's really talking about this. He understood
something of the wrath of God. He understood something of the
holy vengeance of God. He wrote about this in Hebrews
10. Turn over there a moment. In Hebrews 10, verse 30 and 31,
Paul says this in Hebrews 10, verse 30, We know him that hath
said, Vengeance belongeth to me, I will recompense, saith
the Lord. And again, the Lord shall judge
his people. It's a fearful thing. It's a
fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. Paul said, brethren, knowing
something about the terror, the wrath, the vengeance of Almighty
God, we persuade men. We persuade men to repent. We
persuade men to seek the Lord. We persuade men to believe. We
persuade men to flee the wrath to come. We persuade men to seek
mercy, to seek to be found in Christ. We persuade them, we
preach, we pray for them, we witness to them. We use all the
means that God has given to us and put in our hand to persuade
me to seek the Lord. And then he says in verse 11,
we are made manifest under God. God knows our motives. God knows
all men. God knows my sincerity, Paul
said. My heart is open before God. God knows me, he said. I manifest
under God. My motive is, my sincerity, my
object is known under God. And he said, I trust also that
you know us too. You know our genuineness, he
said. You know our sincerity. You know that we have Two things
at heart, and he gives it in the next verse. We commend not
ourselves again unto you. Paul said, I'm not commending
myself. I'm not even boasting of my sincerity,
he said. I'm not boasting of my righteousness. I'm not boasting of my genuineness. God knows it, he said. I hope
you know it. We don't need to boast, he said. We don't need
to explain to you. But he said, I'm suggesting these
things that you may have a reply. for the false prophets who boast
and glory in appearance and not in heart." That's what he says
in verse 12. We commend not ourselves again
unto you, but we give you occasion, we give you an answer, we give
you something to say to those who, and to glory on our behalf,
to defend us and yourselves to those who glory in appearance
and not in heart. Now here's what Paul says. He said, I am sincerely dedicated
to two things. I'm dedicated, verse 13, look
at it, I am dedicated to the glory of God and I'm dedicated
to you. Verse 13, that's what he said.
He says in verse 13, if I'm beside myself, Whether we be beside
ourselves, what does that mean? It means this, if I'm crazy,
as some say. You want to see where they say
that, turn back to the book of Acts chapter 26. Some of them
thought he was beside himself, thought he was mad. Look at Acts
26. Acts chapter 26 verse 22. Now listen to it. Paul's preaching
here before Festus and Agrippa, and he says in verse 22 of Acts
26, listen, "...having therefore obtained help of God, I continue
to this day, witnessing both to the small and the great, saying
none of the things and those which the prophets and Moses
did say would come, that Christ should suffer, that he should
be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show
light unto the people and to the Gentiles. And as he thus
spake for himself, Thestas said with a loud voice, Paul, you
are beside yourself. Much learning hath made you mad."
You're crazy. No, he said, verse 25, I'm not
mad, most noble Festus. I speak forth the words of truth
and soberness. So he says here in verse 13,
now, if I'm mad, as some people say, if I'm beside myself, if
I'm crazy, it's for the glory of God. It's for God's glory
that I preach Christ. It is God's glory that I seek.
It is the gospel of His glory that I preach. I'm concerned
for His glory. I preach salvation is of the
Lord for His glory. I preach the substitutionary
work of Christ for His glory. I preach the sovereign quickening
power of the Holy Spirit for His glory, he said. If you think
that's fanatical and radical and insane, I do it for God's
glory. But, he said, if I'm sober, if
I'm in my right mind, it's for your good, it's for your benefit.
Those are the two purposes, he said, I serve. Some think I'm
a fanatic, some think I'm of a sound mind. But whatever I
have, whatever I am, My purpose is this, the glory of God, and
your welfare, your good. Now that's what he's saying here,
and back here in verse 11, 11, 12, and 13, Paul is saying, brethren,
I know something about the fear of God. I know something about
the wrath of God. I know something about the terror
of the Lord. And knowing this vengeance and
this terror and this judgment that shall fall upon every rebel,
I'm out here persuading me to seek Christ. Persuading them
to call upon God for mercy. Persuading them to turn to the
Savior in repentance and faith. I persuade me. God knows me. He said, I manifest to God and
I hope to you. I hope you understand and see,
he said, my genuineness and my sincerity. It is not my glory
I seek, but God's glory. Some say, you're crazy, Paul.
All right, it's for God's glory. Some say, you're sane. Some say,
you're in your right mind. He said, it's for your good.
But he said, I'm not commending myself. I don't need to. We commend
not ourselves, But what I'm doing, I'm giving you an answer. I'm
giving you," he said, something to say to those people who are
false prophets and who glory in appearance, who glory in numbers, who glory in appearance, who
glory in the things that men's eyes see and not what men's hearts
feel. And that's what we're bound to
in this generation, where the world religion is in appearance,
not in heart. It's in appearance. It's what
the natural eye sees and what the natural ear hears. It's not
what the heart feels and what the mind understands and what
the soul feels. And then in verse 14, he says,
"...for the love of Christ constraineth me." It's the love of Christ that
holds me and keeps me faithful to his gospel. The word constraineth
there, it just means the one thing. It means to hold, like
keeping a prisoner in a cell in solitary confinement, not
letting him out, but keeping him constrained, restrained. keeping him in one path. One
message, I've got one message because of the love of Christ.
I've got one object because of the love of Christ. I've got
one goal because of the love of Christ. His love for me and
my love for him will not permit me to depart from his gospel,
the gospel of his grace and his glory. His love constraineth
me. To go astray from his gospel
is no temptation to me," he said. I know something about his love.
I know something about his grace. The love of Christ constraineth
me, because we thus judge, we understand. We consider that
if he died for all believers, then all believers were dead.
They were dead in trespasses and sin. And if he died for us,
we died with him, and we now, like Christ, are dead, dead to
the curse of the law. The law has no more claim on
Christ than it has no more claim on me. The penalty of sin has no more
claim on Christ than it has no more claim on me. The dominion of sin has no claim
on me. We have no other cause for which
to live. We have nothing in the world
in which to glow except Christ. Look at Galatians chapter 2 verse
20 and listen to the apostle here, Galatians 2 20. I'm crucified
with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in
the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son
of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. The love of Christ
binds me and imprisons me. I'm a bond slave of Christ. I'm
the prisoner, he said, of the Lord. It holds me in check. It keeps
me on the right path. His love does all that, because
I know this. If He died for me, if He paid
my debt, if He satisfied God's justice, then it has no claim
on me. If He satisfied God's law, He
honored it, then I have a perfect righteousness. All this, if Christ
died for me, then I am dead in Christ. Galatians 6, verse 14,
listen to him here, That I should glory save in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified
unto me, and unto the world. We live, but it's not, it's not
I, he said, that live, it's Christ that lives in me. And then the verse 15, listen
to it. And that he died for all, all
believers. He died for all of them, that
they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto
him which died for them. And rose again. He died for us
that we should live a life of faith. Not a life of flesh and
sight, but a life of faith. If he died for me, then I should
live a spiritual life, not a life of materialism, a life of holiness. not a life of dishonesty, a life
of love, not a life of fear and duty, a life unto him and his
glory. If he died for me and I died
in him, then I have been raised to walk in newness of life and
live not unto myself but unto him who loved me and died for
me. Turn to Colossians chapter 3. This is where the modern religious
world has missed the gospel. Jesus Christ is being accepted
as Savior, but not received as Lord. Jesus Christ is being accepted
as Savior, but not received as Lord. He's being accepted as
a passport to heaven, but not as a reigning, ruling sovereign
in our lives. And Paul said in Colossians 3,
now if you then, if you then be risen with Christ, now before
you can be risen with Christ, you've got to be crucified with
Christ. Before you can be risen with Christ, you've got to be
buried with Christ. Now if you be risen with Christ,
and this is what he's talking about in our text, he says, the
love of Christ constraineth me, the love of Christ puts me in
the right path, the love of Christ holds me, that if He died for
me, then I'm dead. Then I'm dead. And that if He died for me, I
should live not unto myself, but unto Him who died for me.
Now then, if you be dead with Christ and risen with Christ,
Colossians 3.1, seek those things which are above. where Christ
sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things
above, not on the things of the earth, for you're dead. And your
life is hid with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is our life... You see, brethren, Christ is
more than just a way to heaven. For the believer, he is our life. He's more than just a passport
to heaven. He's more than just a fire escape
out of hell. He's more than just a way to
God. He is our life. That's what Paul's
talking about here in our text. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory, for
where Christ is, you are. What Christ is, you are. What
He has, you have. if he's your light. There's a whole lot more, and
I'm seeing this more all the time, there's a whole lot more
to this thing of being in the body of Christ, who is the head,
and in the bride of Christ, who is the bridegroom, and as a branch
in the living vine, than just accurately giving mental assent
to some facts about his life and his death, his burial and
his resurrection. Therefore if any man be in Christ. Now verse 16, consequently, now
watch this. He says, and this is, a lot of
folks have stumbled here, wherefore henceforth know we no man after
the flesh. Yea, though we have known Christ
after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Now, here's
what he says. He starts out over here talking
about the fear of God. What it means to be out of Christ.
Taking vengeance upon all them that know not God, that obey
not our Lord Jesus Christ. Judges, disciples, wait a minute.
To be found in Christ. Not just, and he's talking to
religious people. These folks were in the synagogue.
They were in the tradition. They were in the orthodoxy. They
were in the doctrine. They were in charity. They were
in these things. But he said to be in Christ.
To be in Christ. And he says, I'm sincere. I don't
need to commend myself to you. God knows me and I hope you know
me, he said. I hope you know my genuineness and sincerity.
I'm interested in two things. God Almighty's glory and your
good. God Almighty's glory. And the love of Christ, who loved
me and died for me. holds me into this one, this
one path, this one message, this one object. I know He died for
all believers. And if He died for us, we were
dead, or He wouldn't have died for us. We were dead and trespassed
and sinned. He died for us, but more than
that, He died for us and now we're dead. And our life was
hid with God in Christ, and if He died for us, we should live.
Not for our selfish goals and purposes, but for His glory.
If He really died for us, and we died in Him, we've been raised
to walk in newness of life. Consequently, now listen, verse
16, consequently, since we are in Christ, consequently, since we are risen
with Christ, Consequently, since we're children of God and citizens
of a heavenly kingdom, consequently, since this earth
and all of its relationships and all of its physical relationships
and its materialism and its ambitions and its greed and its covetousness
and its class system and its races and all these things, All
these natural human and fleshly distinctions are removed. He says, I know no man after
the flesh. I value, I esteem no man on account
of his carnal pedigree, his human learning, his material possessions,
his outward beauty, his natural strength, or his fleshly conditions. I know no man," he said. That's exactly what he said.
Consequently, since we are crucified with Christ and buried with Christ,
dead to the world and the world to us, and raised with Christ,
I know no man after the flesh. He said, you cannot dazzle me
with your pedigree, with your power, with your fame, with your
fortune, with your intellect, with anything that's got anything
to do with this world. Because he said, I am not of
this world. That's what he said. Now, he
says in verse 16, there was a time when I knew Christ after the
flesh. There was a time when my Lord walked this earth. And
I knew him as THE man, THE man, the son of David, the rightful
heir of the throne, the king of the Jews, the owner of all
things, the omniscient one, the highest intellect. I knew him
that way in the flesh one time, but not anymore, not anymore. He's on the right hand of the
Father. And when I turn my eyes, Paul says, to anything, anybody
upon the face of this earth, the highest ranking in ecclesiastical
circles, or social circles, or political circles, or circles
of power and prestige, he said, they don't mean one single thing
to me. I value none of them. I know
no man after the flesh. no man. Therefore, it comes down to this,
if you be in Christ, if you be in Christ, This is what it means
to be in Christ. It means a regeneration. It means
a transformation. It means a resurrection. It means
more than a decision. Billy Graham notwithstanding.
I don't care what they say. This is your decision. This is
a decision you don't make. This decision was made a long
time before you were capable of making decisions. You were
in Christ. Chosen in Christ. That's what our Lord said, this
is the will of him that sent me, that of all which my father
hath given me I'll lose nothing but raise it up at the last day.
No man can come to me except my father which sent me draw
him and I'll raise him up at the last day. In Christ by divine
purpose. In Christ by eternal grace. In Christ by incarnate representation. In Adam I died, in Christ I was
made alive. By the disobedience of one, I
was made a sinner. By the obedience of one, I was
made righteous. In Christ, by regeneration, born
not of the will of the flesh, not of the will of man, but born
of God. in Christ. You hath be quickened
who were dead in trespasses and sin, 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 made
us sit together in heavenly places in Christ, in Christ by faith. Oh yes, there was a time I believed.
There was a time I didn't believe, and a time I did believe. A time
I didn't know him and a time I did know him. It doesn't make
any difference about the date or the hour, but it makes a difference
about the condition of the heart. By faith, in Christ. Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
in Christ, what happens? Well, he says he's a new creature.
He's a new creature. He's not a new church member,
he's a new creature. Not a new name on the roll, he's
a new creature. He's not a new big mouth religionist,
he's a new creature. Not talking about only an outward
change of life, he's talking about an inward principle of
grace, a work of creation. He's a new creature, he's a new
creation, a work of God. God does it. We're his workmanship
created in Christ Jesus. God, whose faith, let there be
light, has shone in our hearts to give us the knowledge of his
glory in the face of Christ Jesus. He's a new man with a new heart,
with a new nature, with a new family, with a new principle,
with new heart, with new joys. Things he once hated, now he
loves them. He doesn't know why, but he does. Things he once loved,
he now hates. Because, he says here in verse
17, the old things passed away. What went with that hate that
I used to hold so dear? Christ took it away. What went
with that old pride that I used to hold to my heart? Christ took
it away. What went with that old righteousness
that I claimed? What went with that old way of
worshiping and serving God with the outward testimony of the
lips and bowing of the knee? What happened to the old prejudices
that I used to take part in? What happened to that old spirit
of covetousness? What happened to my ambitions?
I don't know. I just don't know. But they passed
away. They passed away. But I see a
hint of why here. It says in the next line, Behold! And the old timers, the old Puritans
used to, in the margin of their books that they read, they'd
draw a picture of a hand. Pointing like that. It's some
special, special statement in the book that draws a picture
of a hand. This is important. And that's what this behold is
here. Everywhere you see behold, it seems like the hand of God
is pointing right there. Behold. He says, if any man be
in Christ, he's a new creation. And old things have passed away.
And behold, all things have become new. We have a new covenant. God says, I'll make with them
a new covenant. I'll write my law in their hearts so they'll
love it. I'll write my law in their minds so they'll think
on it. We have a new commandment. Christ said of the eleventh commandment
I give you, a new commandment, that you love one another as
I have loved you. And by this shall all men know
you are my disciples if you love one another. We approach God
in a new way. Therefore brethren, having boldness
to come into the presence of God by a new and living way. We look for a new heaven and
a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. We've got some
ambitions. The child of God is not a mealy-mouthed, weak-livered
pushover. He's got ambitions. He wants
to be like Christ. He's got ambitions to be like
Christ. He's got ambitions and know Christ. He's got ambitions. He looks
for a new heaven and a new earth. All things are become brand new. A new covenant, a new commandment,
a new way, a new heaven, a new earth. And watch this next line,
verse 18, we'll quit. And all these things are of God. That's where it all comes from.
That's what I'm preaching. It's all of God. You don't do
it, and the preacher doesn't do it, and mom and daddy doesn't
do it for you. It's all of God. This is something
man can't do for you. We can't do it for ourselves,
and we can't do it for one another. This is of God. Therefore, if
any man be in Christ, in Christ, he is a new creation. And these
old things have been pushed out. Oh, they don't go all at once.
I wish they did. There's a growth in grace, there's
a progressive sanctification. If I thought a fellow could come
to the knowledge of Christ be full grown the next day, we wouldn't
need any teaching and teaching and teaching and teaching and
praying and seeking and exhorting and correcting and rebuking and
all these other things. But these old things, if any
man be in Christ, if Christ is our life, these things are pushed
out, pushed out. These old things are passed away. And sometimes God moves them
out in such a way that suddenly, you say, where did they go? Where
did they go? And all things become new, because
all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself. The
enmity is gone. God has removed the cloud. He
hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and he hath
given into our hands for the benefit of others this ministry
of reconciliation, this message, this message. Somebody else is
going to hear it the same way you did. But we've got to preach
it. We can't compromise it. We can't
cover it with wisdom of words. We've got to preach it. Whether
it wounds and kills and slays and convicts and disturbs and
whatever it does, we've got to preach it. We've got to tell
men the truth. Because that's where it is, it's
in Christ. And it's a miracle of God's grace. It's a miracle
of God's grace. And try as you might to make
room for those who don't believe it, who haven't experienced it,
can't be done. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, Those who are not in Christ are
going to hold on to this world. They're going to hold on to their
righteousness. They're going to cling to their covetousness.
They're going to cling to their pride. They're not going to understand
what you're talking about. They're going to think you're
mad. Why, he said, Paul, you're crazy. You're crazy as you can
be. Well, he said, I may be, but
it's for the glory of God. They won't understand. It's a
mystery. Don't expect them to. Don't expect a blind man to see
the colors of the rainbow. He can't do it. Don't expect
a deaf man to hear God speak. He can't hear it. Don't expect
a man who has no understanding to enter into the mysteries of
this new life which you didn't earn and which you didn't buy
and which you didn't create but which God created in you. He
can't understand it just like one day you couldn't. But now
you do. What's happened to you? I don't
know. I don't know. Do you? Something has. God's doing something for me.
And by His grace, I hope He keeps it up. I hope He does. And He will if He's doing it.
Our Father, we're grateful for this message Thou has given to
us. use it for thy glory, for the
good of thy people, or to win Christ and be found in him, to
know him and the power of his resurrected life, to be conformed
to his resurrected life, to really to know no man after the flesh,
to know no distinction, no carnal values, no fleshly distinctions
or positions or class or anything. except the kingdom of our God
where the first shall be last and the last shall be first and
the ruler shall be the servant and the servant the ruler for
the glory of him who purchased it through his blood whatever
it's our purpose for us for this message we committed unto thee
in the name of our son we pray amen

Therefore if Any Man Be In Christ

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Therefore if Any Man Be In Christ

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