We Preach Christ Crucified and Risen

I'm reading the text again, 1
Corinthians 1, 23. There's just one of two attitudes
that a man can take towards the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross, the bloody cross. the shame of it, the suffering
of it, the agony of it, there's just one of two attitudes that
every person can take toward that cross. Either it's a lot
of nonsense, sheer nonsense and foolishness, or it's the power,
the profound wisdom of a triune God. There's no middle ground,
absolutely. There's just one or two attitudes
that you and I can take toward the cross of Christ, and we have
to do something about it. We have to make up our minds
about this cross of Christ. It's either sheer nonsense, it
says here in 1 Corinthians 1.23, we preach Christ unto the Jews
a stumbling block, unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which
are called, both Jews and Greeks, it's the power of God, And it's
the wisdom of God. Now to them who are perishing,
in verse 18, it says, the preaching of the cross is to them that
are perishing foolishness. Now I know why it's foolishness.
I can tell you why the preaching of the cross is foolishness to
the average person, religious and otherwise. I can tell you
why it's foolishness to many preachers. The preaching of the
cross is foolishness. I can tell you why the preaching
of the cross is foolishness to many of the members of your family
and your friends. First of all, it deals with a
subject in which they have no interest. It deals with salvation
from sin. And they are not sinners. They
are like the Pharisees of old who said, we be not sinners. We thank you, God, that we're
not like other men. Oh, the cross may be all right
for the drunkard or for the profane swearer or for the harlot, but
not for me. I'm not a sinner. The well have
no need of a position. And therefore the cross to them
is foolishness because it deals with a subject in which they
have no interest. They're not interested in salvation
from sin. Until a man becomes acutely interested
in salvation from his sin, something he can do nothing about himself,
until he sees the guilt of them and the filth of them and the
weight of them, and the inability of his own heart, the cross will
remain foolishness to him. The second reason why the cross
is foolishness to the natural man, not only because it deals
with a subject in which he has no interest, Oh, he's interested
in heaven, he's interested in life after death, he's interested
in living forever, he's interested in religion as such, but not
the cross, not the blood, not the sacrifice of the Son of God. He's not interested in that because
he has no real sins. And secondly, the cross does
not recognize in any way I wish I could emphasize this as I would
like to emphasize it. The cross does not recognize
in any way, any shape, form, or fashion, human merit. But
the cross drags human merit and human righteousness out into
the light of God's holiness, God Almighty's immaculate righteousness,
and pronounces it guilty and worthy of death, all human merit. When a person acknowledges the
cross as being needful, he takes sides with God against his own
righteousness. He takes sides with God against
his own merit. He says, I am nothing, I am undone,
I am a wretched man. He sides with God against his
own, not only his sins, but his righteousness. The cross of Christ
does not recognize human merit. The cross of Christ drags the
merit of men and the righteousness of the flesh out into the light
of the broken law and pronounces it guilty, worthy of death. When we stand and look at the
cross of Jesus Christ, acknowledging the necessity of it, we're saying
that we belong on that cross. That we belong, that's our cross
upon which he's dying. He doesn't belong there, it's
not his cross, it's somebody's cross. And the man who has no
sin says it's not mine, because I don't deserve a cross. It's
not my death, I don't deserve death. It's not my shame, I don't
deserve shame. It's not my forsaking of God,
I don't deserve to be forsaken of God. But when a man acknowledges
That cross and the necessity of it, he is saying that's my
cross and my death and my shame and my hell. And the natural
man will not recognize that. He will not own it. He will not
acknowledge it. I'll tell you the third reason
why it's foolishness. The reason they don't preach
it is because it is foolishness. The reason it's not their theme
is because it's foolishness. They may not call it that, but
the simple reason they ignore it shows that it's foolishness. Then thirdly, the cross has to
do with something else they don't know anything about. It deals
with a subject in which they have no interest, sin, the condemnation
of it, the guilt of it, the filth of it. It does not recognize
human merit. It nails human merit to the tree. Thirdly, the cross has to do
with declaring something that the world knows nothing about.
The cross has to do with declaring God's righteousness. The cross
declares my unrighteousness, and the cross declares God's
righteousness. Now, I know this is a theme that
I harp on, dwell upon, but it's a theme we'd better learn. It's
a subject with which we'd better become acquainted. That cross
not only pronounces us guilty, but that cross declares God righteous. That cross was necessary to put
away our sins, but that cross was necessary that God might
be just when he puts away our sins. The natural man has never
wrestled with this question. And I hope this is not true of
you. The natural man has never wrestled with this question.
How can God be just and justify me? How can God be righteous
and put away my sins? How can God Almighty be both
righteous and merciful? The exceeding sinfulness of sin
is not apparent to the natural man, so he sees no need of the
cross on his behalf. And the exceeding holiness of
God is not recognized by him, so he sees no need of the cross
on God's behalf. You see what I'm saying? I hope
sincerely that you can understand what I'm saying here. Turn to
Romans 3. This is the heart of the gospel. This is what, honestly, this
is what the average ministerial student does not even know. This
is what the average preacher does not even know. This is what
the average church member who has come down the aisle and joined
the church and believed on Jesus and signed up and is teaching
Sunday school and reads his daily Bible readings and abstains from
the things of the world and hopes to go to heaven when he dies,
he knows absolutely nothing about this, the very essence of the
gospel. It says in Romans chapter 3,
if you look at verse 19, what the law saith, it saith to them
who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and the
whole world become guilty. That's our statement. In verse
23, all is sin and comes short of the glory of God. Verse 25,
but God has sent forth his Son to be a propitiation, a mercy
seed, a sin offering, a sacrifice. through faith in his blood to
declare God's righteousness for the remission of sins that have
passed. That's talking about Abraham's sin, and David's sin,
and Isaac's sin, and Jacob's sin, and Joseph's sin. God has
been putting up with it. God Almighty, the forbearance
of God, has kept him from casting the world into hell because God
was looking to the cross. Every sin that God forgave in
the Old Testament, He forgave because the cross was coming
up. That's right. Read verse 26, "...to declare,"
He set forth His Son to be a propitiation, "...to declare His righteousness
through the forbearance of sins of the past, and also at this
time His righteousness, that He might be just, and holy, and
righteous, and justify you who believe on Christ." The cross
is the place where our sins were punished. The cross was the place
where God Almighty dealt with our transgressions. Every believer's
transgressions, He dealt with them in justice and holiness
and righteousness and punished them. But that cross was also
the place where God declared more than any other place in
all the universe at any other time that he is a just God and
he is a righteous God and he is a holy God and he will by
no means clear the guilty. That every transgression shall
receive a just recompense of reward and God in order to forgive
even his people whom he loves must have a substitute in their
place and a sacrifice for their sins. Now that's the reason the
cross is foolishness to them who are perishing. It deals with
a subject in which they have no interest. It deals with salvation
from sin. It deals with the depths of depravity. It deals with the depths of rebellion.
It deals with the depths of treason. It deals with the sins of our
hearts and our thoughts and our minds and our hands and our feet
and our bodies. It deals with sin. And they're
not convicted of it. They know nothing of the holiness
of God, they know nothing of the justice of God, and how that
God Almighty must have a suitable sacrifice. Without the shedding
of blood, there's no forgiveness, there can't be any forgiveness.
Because of what? God's holiness. Not because of
his lack of power, not because of his lack of will, but because
of his holiness. God must be satisfied. Alright,
the second attitude towards the cross, to them who are called,
look at verse 24, but unto them who are called. What is that
call? It's the call of the Holy Spirit.
Now the old timers used to talk about a general call, an effectual
call. Most of you know something about
that. You who are students of a few years and Students of the
Word of God know there's a way or a sense in which God calls
all men. I could go through the Scripture
tonight and give you several examples. There's a light that
lighteth every man that cometh into this world. That's the light
of conscience. Scripture tells us that in the
Book of Romans, when the Gentile or the heathen which have not
the law, have not the ten commandments, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt
not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear
false witness, thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy
God in vain. When these people who have not the law, have never
seen the law, when they by nature do the things contained in the
law, it shows the law of God written on their hearts. Even
little children, two and three years old, have a conscience.
When they do wrong, they drop their heads. When they do wrong,
they're embarrassed. When they do wrong, they feel
a sense of guilt. Where'd they get that? There's
a light that lighteth every person that comes into this world, but
that's not sufficient to save anybody. A man's not saved because
he feels guilty, but because he believes on Christ. A person's
not saved because he knows he's wrong, but because he knows Christ
is the right way. Also, there's not only the call
of conscience, but there's a call of nature. The scripture says
the heavens declare the glory of God. The power of God is understood
by the things that are made, Paul wrote, so that men are without
excuse. If a man will walk in the light
God gives him, God will give him more light, but men won't
walk in the light they receive. This is the condemnation. Light
is coming to this world, but men love what? Darkness. Also
is the call of judgment. The book of Amos, where you read
that scripture, it says, prepare to meet thy God. Well, there
are a few statements that go before that, prepare to meet
thy God. God says to Israel, He said, I've smitten you with
mildew, I've sent famine among you, I've slain your young men
with a sword, I've withheld the rain when it was three months
to the harvest, that is when the plants were just little fellows,
and destroyed them, I've done all these things and yet you
haven't returned to me. So he says, prepare to meet thy
God. So there's the call of judgment, there's the call of providence,
there's the call of conscience, there's the call of nature, there's
the call of law, there's the call of preaching. But then the
scripture talks about an effectual call. Right here, verse 24, but
unto you who are called. That's when the Holy Spirit speaks
to something besides this hearing organ here. He speaks to the
heart. That's when the Holy Spirit does something besides awaken
you naturally. He awakens you spiritually, being
born again with a spiritual awareness and a spiritual awakening and
a spiritual understanding and a spiritual revelation. Turn
right over here to chapter 2 of 1 Corinthians. Look here. In
verse 9 of chapter 2 of 1 Corinthians, as it is written, I have not
seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of
man the things God has prepared for them that love Him. But God
hath done what? He hath revealed them unto us
by His Spirit. The Apostle Paul said, God who
separated me from my mother's womb and called me, how by His
grace was pleased one day to reveal His Son in me. This call is the call of the
Holy Spirit. This call is an effectual call. And by the word effectual, I
mean it gets the job done. It's an invincible call. It's
an irresistible call. The Holy Spirit works on the
walls of our hearts and our rebellion like he worked on the walls of
Jericho. He brings them down. The Holy Spirit works upon our
hearts and brings us to a submission
and a willingness to receive Christ. With this call comes
a knowledge of sin. With this call comes a knowledge
of God's holiness. With this call comes an acknowledgment
and an awareness of something written over here in 1 Samuel
2.25. I want you to look over there a minute. 1 Samuel 2.25.
This is what we become concerned about. I get interested when
I see someone get concerned about this. I don't get too excited
when I see folks get concerned about going to heaven or not
going to heaven. I don't get too excited when I run upon people
who are concerned about whether or not they've got the right
church or the right baptism. The Pharisees were interested
in those things. They were interested in orthodoxy. They wanted to
discuss with Christ. Now what's... I get letters from
people all the time who want to know what's going to happen
after death. They want to know who those two witnesses are.
Oh, they're going to appear before Christ comes. They want to know
about the seven years of tribulation, the three and a half, and the
three and a half, and the abomination of desolation, standing in a
place where it ought not... I don't get much enthusiasm when
somebody writes me and wants to know anything about those
things. Natural curiosity would interest you in prophecy, and
the second coming, and the right doctrine, and the right church,
and the right baptism, and the right lineage, and all these
things. Natural curiosity would lead you to that. What's heaven
going to be like? What are the streets of gold? Will we know
each other up there? Will we retain identity? Well, we can
answer those things, but that doesn't excite... You know what
excites me? When somebody wants to know how can a poor, wretched,
miserable rebel like me be justified before a holy God. When somebody
wants to know, brother man, I'm a sinner, I'm lost, I'm not able
to do a thing, God is angry with me, you reckon there's any way
that God Almighty would show mercy, like here in 1 Samuel
2.25, "...if a man sin against another, the judge shall judge
him. But if a man sin against God, who shall entreat for him?"
Who shall stand for him? Boy, I'll tell you, I can get
real interested when somebody really comes to this place where
they're interested in a saving interest in Jesus Christ. where
they're interested, not in dividing the hares and the horses' tail
in the book of Revelation, but when they're interested in knowing
the Savior. Like Paul, I count these things
but dumb, that I may win Christ and be found in him. Oh, that
I may know him and the power of his resurrection. Who shall
stand for him? How can a guilty sinner walk
with a holy God? How can a guilty sinner be justified
by a holy God? Listen to this, this is good.
The righteousness of God steps forward. The holiness of God
steps forward. And says, with these scales of
holiness and truth, I have weighed men and found them wanting. I've tried them and found them
lighter than vanity itself. I not only have found men destitute
of all that God requires, but I have found him in full rebellion
and enmity against thee. Being a contrary to all that
God is, I say that men cannot be justified at the expense of
thy holy law and thy holy righteousness, O God, I say unto thee that thou
canst not justify men at the expense of thy righteousness.
O God, you have pronounced wrath against all sin, and to free
a sinful person without justice being satisfied and your law
being honored is to retract all that you've said. Man is guilty,
and man must not be set free till righteousness and holiness
and justice are fully recompensed and satisfied. You understand
that kind of language? And then the love of God speaks. O Lord, thou art love. O Lord,
thou art plenteous in mercy. O Lord, cannot your love find
a way to justify man and to satisfy your holiness and to declare
your righteousness? O Lord, may not a ransom be found? Could not an atonement be made? O Lord, can one be found to stand
as a mediator between thee and the sinner? Can one be found
who is without sin and whose character is such that he can
bear thy wrath, satisfy thy holiness, and put away man's guilt? Is there not one who could be
identified with men and stand between thee and the sinner,
one who is all man and all God, one who is infinite in power
and infinite in holiness? Is there one who could put away
sin? by the sacrifice of himself,
and so satisfy thy justice, and satisfy thy righteousness, and
yet live to plead his wounds, to enter into thy courts, and
possess his reward on behalf of those for whom he died. O
God, if such could be found, if such could be found, surely
his name would be called Wonderful Counselor. the mighty God, the
Prince of Peace. Righteousness stands unbending,
unyielding. The justice of God holds up the
scales in which we have been weighed and found wanting. But
the love of God stands and says, O God, may not one be found who
could satisfy righteousness and who could express and reveal
thy love? Is there anyone can help us who
can give the sinner peace when his heart is burdened down with
pain and woe? Who can speak a word of pardon
that affords a sweet release whose blood can wash us quite
as snow? Yes, there's one, only one, the
blessed, blessed Jesus. He's the one. When afflictions
press the soul and waves of trouble roll and you need one to save
you, he's the one. That's the reason it's nothing
but sheer violation of all that is right
and truthful for men to go forth into this world talking about
the way to heaven is to join a church. That's the reason it's
not only folly, but it's a criminal act for a preacher to stand in
the pulpit and give a man a hope for heaven because he made a
decision or did a work or obeyed an ordinance or served God in
some way. When righteousness stands with
the holy scales of God's almighty justice and says, these must
be dealt with, these must be dealt with. Old Elihu rejoiced
in it when he talked to Job. It was Elihu who said, deliver
him from going down into the pit. I've found a ransom. I've
found a ransom. It's not spelled baptism, it's
spelled Christ. It's not spelled altar of prayer,
it's spelled Christ. It's not spelled works, it's
spelled Christ. And that's the reason it says
here in verse 24, but unto them which are called. Both Jews and
Greeks, Christ is the power of God to satisfy justice and holiness
and to declare his love and mercy and Christ is the wisdom of God. I see in Jesus Christ all that
the scripture promises and prophesies and foretells and requires, God's
wisdom. We know why he died on that cross,
that's the reason it's the power of God and the wisdom of God.
We know why he died on that cross and the weight of his accomplishments
leads us to say with Paul, I'm determined to know nothing among
you but Jesus Christ and him crucified. God forbid that I
should glory save in the cross of Jesus Christ. I'm going to
briefly now, and I mean briefly, give you four reasons why Christ
died on that cross. The first one is found in John
19. John 19, verse 28. John 19, verse 28. It says, After this, Jesus, knowing
that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled,"
said Arthur. When he was born of Mary, the
Virgin, he fulfilled the Scripture. Every step he took on this earth,
he was fulfilling the Scripture. Every word he spake, every deed
he did, every drop of blood he shed, the death he died, the
burial, the resurrection, fulfilling the Scriptures. He died for our
sins according to the Scriptures. He was buried and rose again
according to the Scriptures. He died on that cross that the
Scripture might be fulfilled. I'm going to give you two illustrations,
briefly. This whole thing began back in the garden, when God
Almighty slew an animal to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve.
He was showing the cross, the death of Christ, to cover our
sins, our nakedness It continued outside the garden when Abel
brought the blood sacrifice and his brother's offering was rejected
because it was not blood. It covered the doorpost in Egypt
that night of judgment. It was called the Passover. It
followed an unbroken line from the Garden of Eden all the way
through all the atonements and the sacrifices and the blood
shedding and the lambs and all these Passovers till the trail
of blood ended at Calvary's cross. And that's when Christ died.
Now here are the two illustrations. One day Moses cried to God for
the need of the people for water. And God said, Moses, there's
a rock. Smite the rock, and it'll give
water. And Moses went over before the
people, smote the rock, and it gave water. And you know, in
Sunday school lessons and preachers preaching, they talk about the
power of God to make that rock give water, the faithfulness
of Moses to cry to God and to smite the rock, and the people's
thirst being quenched. But that rock is Christ. And that story is in the Old
Testament, not for us to wonder at the fact that a rock gave
water. or that Moses was faithful in smiting it, that rock is Christ. The Scripture says that rock
is Christ, and it shows Christ the ensnitten of God, that the
life-giving stream of living water might flow from Him to
us, that we might drink of Him and live. And if a man doesn't
see that in the rock, he's misty. And then one day God said, Moses,
people need water, speak to the rock. And Moses went over, he
was mad at all the folks, he lost his temper. And he went
over to the rock and he turned to the people and he said, must
you rebellious folks, he said, must I get you water? And he
drew back with his staff and smoked that rock again the second
time. Well, it gave water. And after
it was all over, God, Moses, come over here, I got something
to say to you. I told you to speak to the rock. It wasn't
necessary for it to be smitten twice. You're not going into
the promised land just for that reason. Moses abused Christ because
Christ is only smitten once. He died on that cross. He was
smitten of God once and afflicted. He doesn't have to die again.
You don't have to have your mass every Sunday and offer up your
unbloody sacrifices. Christ is not in those things.
Christ died once and all you do now is speak. Whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. He doesn't have
to go that cross again. And then when God said Joshua
is going to take the people into the promised land, you can't
do it Moses. So Moses, God took him away. And when they crossed
Jordan and went into the Promised Land, who was leading them? Not
Moses, Joshua. You see anything in that? Sure
you do. Who is Joshua? The word Joshua
is Jesus. That's what it is. It's in the
Old Testament. It's a Hebrew word, Jesus. Moses could not,
even if he hadn't smoked the rock. No way he could have taken
Israel into the Promised Land. Moses is the law. Everywhere
you read about Moses in the Word of God, it's Moses. The law came
by Moses, grace and truth through Jesus Christ. And Moses couldn't
take the people into Israel any more than the law can take you
to heaven. And that's the reason Moses didn't take them over.
Jesus, Joshua, took them into the land of rest, took them into
the land of promise, took them into the land of milk and honey. You want to spend your time in
your Bible studies and Sunday school lessons struggling along
with the faithfulness of these Old Testament characters? They
were just men just like you and me, and women just like you and
me. And what happened and the miracles,
those are not the thing. The important thing is to make
the application to Christ. That's what it's all about. Turn
to Luke 24. I showed this to the ladies in
our class this morning. This is a key verse. Luke 24,
verse 44. Listen to this. Luke 24, 44. This is Christ speaking. And
He said to them, these are the words which I have spoken to
you while I was yet with you. And all things must be fulfilled
which are written in the law of Moses and in the prophets
and in the Psalms concerning me. That's what it's all about. Don't get bogged down with dates
and facts and figures and historical events and miracles and those
things unless you see Christ in them. That's what they're
there for. And he died that the scripture
might be fulfilled. Now turn to Titus 2. Titus chapter
2. Titus the second chapter, verse
13 and 14. Titus 2, 13 and 14. Looking for
that blessed hope, that glorious appearing of the great God and
our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he
might redeem us from all iniquity. Isn't that good news? The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth
us from all sin. He gave Himself for us. That
the Scripture might be fulfilled. That He might redeem us from
all iniquity. When I consider the death of
Christ on the cross, I see the wisdom of God in that sacrifice.
I see the justice of God satisfied. I see the love of God for sinners
displayed and manifested. I see God's hatred for sin, and
I see men's hatred for God. But chiefly, when I think of
the cross, and I hope you do too, chiefly when I think of
the cross, I see my sins paid for, atoned for, put away, covered,
cast away, separated from me, done away with by the blood of
my Lord. That's what David said. Blessed
is the man to whom God will not charge sin. And the reason God
will not charge sin to us is because he charged it to Christ
and Christ paid for it. That's good news. I believe in
an effectual sacrifice for sin. Let me tell you something. You
think about this this week. If I believed in a general atonement, I'd believe in universal redemption.
Now you think about that a little bit. You can get a lot of argument
this day about the extent of Christ's sacrifice on that cross.
But I'm here to tell you this. I believe whatever he did on
that cross, whatever he did, Whatever sins he bore, whatever
debt he paid, is counsel. Now if that's for all the sons
of Adam, then all the sons of Adam are going to be saved. If
the Lord Jesus Christ went to that cross and took Judas' sins
in his body on that tree and paid for them, I'm going to see
Judas in heaven. Now you put that down. If Jesus
Christ went to that cross and took in his body, Adolf Hitler's
sin, if he died for Hitler. And some of you don't even know
who he was, but here's the meaning. But if he died for it, if he
paid his sin back, if he was his substitute, I'm going to
see him in heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ accomplished. He said it's finished. The sins
he paid for on the cross are paid for. Now you've got to figure
out whose sins he paid for. I'm not here to force upon you
what I believe. But I believe in an effectual
atonement. I don't believe it's Christ plus my faith, Christ
plus my deeds, Christ plus my belief, Christ plus my works,
Christ plus my church membership. I believe that sinners are saved
because Christ died for them. That's the only consideration
that God Almighty gives. He looked upon His Son, and His
Son paid our debt. He was wounded for my transgression. By His stripes I am healed. Not by His stripes, plus my work. By His stripes, plus my belief. By His stripes, plus my faith.
By His stripes, I'm healed. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth
us from all sins. Somebody said, well, He paid
for all sins but unbelief. Then we're goners. Because I
can find enough unbelief in your heart right now to send a whole
congregation to hell. You don't have perfect faith.
Never have had, never will have if God takes you to glory and
faith becomes a reality. That's so. If I believed in a
general atonement, I'd believe in a universal redemption. I'd
be a universalist. I'd make no apology for it. Because
Christ, the Scripture says, shall see the travail of his soul and
be satisfied. He made his soul an offering
for sin. And every sin for which his soul
was made an offering is paid for. That's so. So what you got
to do is find out what you believe about the death of Christ. He
gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity. You know what it says? The thief
on the cross is going to be in glory. Why? He never won a soul
to Jesus. He never attended a Sunday school
class. He never gave a dime offering. He never witnessed a soul. He
never made a profession of faith before congregation. He was never
baptized. He never took the Lord's table.
He never read one verse of scripture in his life. He's going to heaven.
Why? Why? Christ died for him. That's why.
The Apostle Paul wrote 14 books in the New Testament. He walked
all over this world preaching the gospel. He was the first
missionary. He was thrown in prison. He was
beaten. He was shipwrecked. He was betrayed. He was finally beheaded. And
he's going to heaven finally. I'll let him tell you, Romans
chapter 8. Turn over there and let him tell you. Romans chapter
8. He says in verse 34, Who is he
that condemneth? It's Christ that died. That's
my hope. It's Christ that died. That's
why he died. Thirdly, Romans chapter 14 verse
9. Romans chapter 14 verse 9. Now
I may satisfy, I may offer some suggestion here to those who I want to talk about the sense
in which all men benefit from the death of Christ. Not so.
Brother, His death holds back God's wrath. If there hadn't
been a cross, Adam would have never made it out of that garden.
That's right. If there hadn't been a cross,
there wouldn't have been any Israel. There's a sense in which all
men benefit from the cross. Anything this side of hell is
mercy, and there's mercy in the cross. That's right. It says
in Romans 14 verse 9, For to this end Christ died, and rose
again, and revived, that he might be Lord. Old Barnard used to
say this, Christ bought the field. He bought the world. Because
of his death, God Almighty has turned the world over to Christ. He said in John 17 verse 2, Thou
hast given me authority, power over all flesh, that I should
give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given me. Where
did he get that authority? Where did he get that power?
He bought it at Calvary. He's not only Lord by eternal
decree, he's not only Lord by divine purpose, but he's Lord
because he purchased the right. He bought the crown rights to
this universe. And the issue tonight is this
right here. Not whether or not you want to go to heaven, but
what think you of Jesus Christ? Are you willing to bow to Christ?
Are you willing to confess that His is the Lordship, His is the
kingship, His are the crown rights? On His head are many crowns,
and by His side are the keys of hell and death. And I bow
and confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
He bought those rights at Calvary. And then last of all, and I close,
Ephesians chapter 2, verse 4 through 7. He died that the Scripture
might be fulfilled. He died to redeem us from all
iniquity. He died that He might be Lord
of the dead and the living. And that's the dead and living
believers. And He's everybody else's Lord too. But He died
that He might show the riches of His grace. Look at verse 7.
That in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding riches
of his grace. That's why he died. I got a little
help from Bishop J.C. Ryle here, I want you to listen
to briefly what he said. This verse of scripture, that
in the ages to come, that in the ages to come, he might show
the exceeding riches of his grace. He's going to show you off as
a trophy of his grace. That's right. He's not going
to put a crown on your head and brag on your faithfulness. He's
going to show you off as a trophy of his grace. This is the end,
listen to this, this is the end of God permitting man to fall
in the first place. That in the ages to come, he
might show the exceeding riches of his grace. This is the end
of God permitting the world to continue to this present time,
that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of
his grace. This is the end of Christ leaving heaven's glory
and coming to this world in the flesh, that in the ages to come
he might show the exceeding riches of his grace. This is the end
of Christ dying on the cross and suffering the humiliation
and the shame This is the end of Christ bearing our guilt in
His body on the tree, that in the ages to come He might show
the exceeding riches of His grace. This is the end of God putting
up with your rebellion and my rebellion, and your sin and my
sin. And one day on our Damascus road
to hell, in our religious blasphemy, wrapped in the robes of our self-righteousness,
with the crown of our faithfulness on our head, God stopped us,
and unhorsed us, and stripped us, and brought us down into
dust, and humiliated us, and slew us, and revealed his Son
to us, and lifted us up, and washed us, and put his robe on
our back, and made us his child, that in the ages to come he might
show the exceeding riches of his grace. And that's why God
puts up with us day by day. He loves us. We don't love him
like we should. He puts up with our failures,
and puts up with our unbelief, and puts up with our indifference,
and puts up with all these things, and forgives us, and loves us,
and brings us back to his table again and again, that in the
ages to come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace. And one day I'm going to lie
down and die, and He's going to take my spirit from this body,
and He's going to give it a body just like His Son. He's going
to conform me in mind, in heart, in love, in spirit. He's going
to conform me perfectly to Christ, that in the ages to come, He
might show the exceeding riches of His grace. And anything less than that's
not of God, that's all there is to it. Not of God. To God be the glory. Our Father
in Heaven, Thou hast spoken through Thy
Word to us, and hast made our hearts to rejoice. This is the
gospel. This is the message. This is
that which exalts and magnifies Christ. This is that which leaves
out man's part, exposes man for what we are. This is that gospel
that gives the glory to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is that gospel
of thy glory.

We Preach Christ Crucified and Risen

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We Preach Christ Crucified and Risen

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