5, 2 Corinthians chapter 5, and beginning in verse 9. Wherefore,
we labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted
of him. For we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the
things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether
it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror
of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest unto
God, and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
For we command not ourselves again unto you, but give you
occasion to glory on our behalf, that you may have somewhat to
answer them which glory in appearance and not in heart. For whether
we be beside ourselves, it is to God, or whether we be sober,
it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth
us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're
all dead. And that he died for all, that
they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto
him which died for them and rose again. 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. If any man
be in Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away. Behold,
all things are become new. Last week, in looking at the
first eight verses in this chapter, I pointed out five things The
Apostle Paul tells us that he knew. Paul knew these things,
and all of us tonight, all of us who know Christ as our Lord
and Savior, we should know these same things. And they all had
to do with the believer's death, the child of God when he leaves
this world. Let me mention them to us again. Paul knew. First of all, that
at death God's children change their dwelling place from a tabernacle
to a building. He knew that. He knew that at
death God's children move out of a tent into a building made
of God. And secondly, he knew that at
death God's children continue to live Because they have, they've
been given eternal life. The Lord Jesus Christ said, whosoever
liveth and believeth in me shall never die, shall never die. And third, the apostle Paul knew
that at death, God's children will have immortality swallowed
up of life. And I believe by that, that at
death, this burden, that old nature, sin we will be done with
once and forever. God's children will. Mortality
shall be swallowed up of life. And fourth, that God's children
even now have the earnest of the Holy Spirit, that He lives
in us, assuring us, guaranteeing us, that is His children, of
those good things that God has prepared for them that love Him.
And number five, God's children, we should always live with confidence. Notice in verse 8 where he said,
we are confident. Are you confident tonight? Do
you have confidence? The Apostle Paul did. And all
of us who know Christ as our Lord and Savior, we too should
have confidence. And I say willingly, willing
rather, to be absent from the body and to be present with the
Lord. We should live with this confidence,
knowing that if we leave this body, we're with the Lord. Leaving this body, moving from
this dwelling place, which is like unto a tent, that we shall
be present with the Lord in a building made without hands, that is,
the city of God. Now tonight, some might think,
well if a believer has such knowledge, such knowledge as that, that
it might produce, it might cause indifference on the believer's
part in his responsibility or her responsibility in serving
God. It might cause indifference.
It might cause slothfulness. And a believer who has, who lives
with this confidence, it might cause them to live with indifference
and slothfulness in serving God. But Paul, we will look at these
verses tonight. I want to point out that Paul
points out three truths, three truths in these verses as far
as himself and his companions did not cause them to live in
indifference, but caused him to serve the Lord with zeal and
to serve the Lord with fervor, to serve the Lord with strength,
the strength that the Lord God gave him. It was not the case
with Paul. Even though he was assured of
these things, I went through those five things. It certainly
did not produce indifference for the souls of other men, for
concern for others. It did not produce indifference
on the part of the Apostle and his companions, and it should
not. And by God's grace, I trust it
does not produce indifference on our part. The Apostle said,
therefore, my beloved brethren, Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord. For as much as you know,
your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Now let me point these
three reasons that Paul gives us here that shows why a believer
should never live in indifference. First of all, The judgment seat
of Christ. The judgment seat of Christ.
You see that in verse 10. For we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ. Number two. Because of the love
of Christ, it constrains us. And you see that in verse 14.
For the love of Christ constraineth us. And then also in verse 17. Because if a man, any man, be
in Christ, he is a new creation, a new creature. All things have
passed away, and behold, all things have become new. Now let's
look at these verses with that outline. First, we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ. Paul says, wherefore we labor. we labor, that whether present
or absent, we may be accepted of him." You know, at the end
of chapter 4, he had gone through many afflictions that he had
suffered, but then he gave this chapter 5 showing that if his
sufferings, if his afflictions resulted in his death, we have
a building. We have a building eternal in
the heavens. Now he now uses the same truth. Wherefore, seeing this is true,
our chief aim should be to please God. That should be true of every
child of God. What's our purpose for living?
What's your purpose for living? What's my purpose for living?
It should be, if we are children of God, our aim should be to
please God, to serve God. That should be first. That should
be number one above everything, to please God. Brother Henry
Mahan, in his Bible commentary, said this, that believers labor
in the kingdom of God actively and passively. That is, all believers
labor in the kingdom of God actively and passively. Actively, we labor
in the kingdom of God through preaching, witnessing, giving,
and serving in whatever capacity we find. And passively, we serve
by submitting to God's providence And whether we are at home in
the body or present with the Lord, we may be accepted of Him. That's the chief aim, that is
to please God. And the goal of every believer
is to be accepted of Him. That's what Paul said, isn't
it? To win Christ and be found in Him. You say, well, didn't
he know he was saved? Of course he did. But he still
had that desire, and that desire is in every child of God, to
be found in Him when we come to stand before Him. John Calvin
commented that the believer's chief aim should be to please
God, and then he said, for indeed, the hope of resurrection and
the thought of judgment are bound to make us greatly concerned
to do this. just as the only reason for our
negligence and remissness in our duty is that we never, or
only rarely, think about what we should be constantly remembering,
that we are only lodgers here for a short time, and when our
course is run, we must return to Christ. Wherefore, we labor,
the article in the bulletin, last Sunday's bulletin, which
spoke about the fact that when a man's work, a woman's work
is done here, then there's no reason, that really impressed
me, there's no reason that we continue here a minute longer. When our work is finished, when
our race is complete, there's no reason for us to continue
here. Our chief aim must be to praise
him, and we should constantly be remembering we're only lodgers
here. We're only lodgers here for a
short time at the best. We have a tendency to put our
stakes down like we're going to be here for a long time. And that's just not going to
be so. None of us. Paul says, wherefore we labor.
We label him, that whether present or absent, we may be accepted
of him. You say, wasn't he accepted in
the beloved? Yes, every believer is. But still
there's that desire to please him, to serve him as long as
we remain in this body, in this world. And then verse 10, he
said, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ
that everyone may receive the things done in his body according
to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. We know that
all judgment has been committed by the Father to the Son. He tells us that in John chapter
5. The Lord Jesus told us this. He said, For the Father judgeth
no man. but have committed all judgment
unto the Son." You know, if we had no other verse in the Scripture
to teach us and to tell us of His divinity, that is, that the
Lord Jesus Christ is God, that one verse would be enough. Because this judge has to be
infinite in knowledge, to know every thought, every word, every
action, that he might be the judge of all men. Paul, he lived
continually with this truth in his mind. And he here reminds,
and I think especially the false teachers, that all things, remember
this is a lot of the reason he wrote this second letter, because
those false teachers had come to Corinth and they discredited,
tried to discredit Paul. and speak evil of him. And what Paul is saying here,
it's all going to be brought to the light. One day, every
thought, our Lord said, that which is spoken in secret is
going to be shattered from the house, doctor. Every idle word,
every idle word is going to be brought into judgment. Now, those
who have no interest in Christ, Those who have no saving interest
in Christ will stand there responsible for every sin. Every sin. And they shall be rewarded for
their evil deeds. There's no question the scriptures
teach that there are degrees of punishment in hell. And those
who have had greater life and rejected that life who never
trusted in Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior, shall be beaten,
the scripture says, with more strikes. There shall be degrees
of punishment. They shall be rewarded, that
is, for their evil deeds. For those of us who are in Christ,
there is no condemnation. The Lord Jesus declared this,
whosoever believeth in him shall not come into judgment. Paul
said, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus. All of our sins, Christ answered
for. Every sin that we are guilty
of, He answered for. And there is no condemnation.
because he suffered for them in our stead, and as the scriptures
teach, he carried them away. He's removed them as far as the
east is from the west. John Gill had these comments
about the good works of believers, and yes, believers do have good
works. Remember that verse, let's look
over it, Ephesians chapter 2. Now, before a person is converted, he cannot do a good work, because
without faith it is impossible to please God. But notice here
in chapter 2 and verse 8, For by grace are you saved through
faith, that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast, for we are his workmanship. created in Christ Jesus unto
good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk
in them. So let me give you Dr. Gale's
comment about the good works of believers. Good works, because
this text here tells us, "...for we must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things
done in his body." Everyone! "...according to that he hath
done, whether it be good or bad." Let me read this. Good works
will be considered at the last judgment. Not as causes. This is so important. not as
causes of eternal life and happiness, to which the saints will be adjudged,
but will be produced in open court as fruits of grace, and
as evidences of the truth of faith, which will justify the
judge in proceeding according to what he himself, as a Savior,
has said, he that believeth shall be saved. Good works will be
considered at the last judgment, not as causes of eternal life,
but produced in open court as fruits of grace and evidences
of the truth of faith. You remember the Apostle James
and his letter, and some people think or have thought there's
some difference between James and the Apostle Paul. But there
is no difference. But James tells us that our faith
is justified by our works. Faith without works is dead faith. Faith without works never saved
anyone. The faith which is of the operation
of God is a faith, Paul says, which worketh by love. So yes, verse 11, knowing therefore
the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest
unto God, and I trust also made manifest in your consciences.
Paul knew. He knew and he believed that
one day, just as sure as man exists, it is appointed unto judgment. This was not with him
an old wife's tale. This was not a cunningly devised
fable. He knew this is for certain. We must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ. He thus labored. He labored to
persuade men. This is what he says, isn't it?
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
We encourage men. We exhort men. We challenge men. venture everything upon Christ,
trusting Him alone as Lord and Savior. For He has the power
to save sinners. How many times over the years
have I made this statement that Christ is both an able Savior
and a willing Savior? If He was not able, no matter
how willing, He could not do us any good. And if he was able
but not willing, he would not do us any good. But the Bible
presents the dear Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, as able,
as able to say, the scripture says, unto the uttermost, them
that come unto God by him. Why is he able? Seen he ever
living? He is the priest who offered
that one sacrifice to God that pleased God, and now he ever
lives to plead his blood. Wherefore he is able to save
unto the uttermost all them that come unto God by him. He has
an eternal priesthood. That's part of what Hebrews teaches
us, isn't it? That old order of priesthood,
Aaron, according to the law, it served its purpose, but it's
gone away, it's put away. And Christ, he was not of the
tribe of Levi, he came of the tribe of Judah. How did he become
a priest? By an oath. The order of priests
was ever after the order of Melchizedek. He ever lives. And he has his
blood there that he pleads in court for all of those who come
unto God by him. Paul, he was confident that believers
would bear witness to his faithfulness and his honesty. You notice in
the last part of that verse, he said, I trust also are made
manifest in your consciences. He said, I'm just confident that
you there in Corinth will remember my conduct, you will remember
my preaching, and your own conscience will bear you witness that I
labor to persuade men to be reconciled unto God." In 1 Timothy he tells us, Paul
knew that Christ could save the worst of sinners because in his
mind he had already died. And I think that's true of most
people. I think that's true of most of God's saved people. We know He can save anyone because
He saved us. That's what John Newton said,
wasn't it? He told William Jay that. Since
the Lord has saved me, I've never despaired of Him saving anyone,
no matter how bad, how wicked He may have been. He saved me. The old slave trader. Wicked
man, the life he had lived. And yet God, in mercies, reached
down and saved him. I once was lost, but now I'm
found. Paul Abrams said, in verses 12
and 13, For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you
occasion to glory on our behalf, that you may have somewhat to
answer them which glory in appearance and not in heart. For whether
we be beside ourselves, it is to God, or whether we be sober,
it is for your cause." The false teachers, no doubt they gloried
in many different things. They gloried in their appearances,
maybe. There was nothing lovely, evidently,
about the appearance of the Apostle Paul. From what we are told,
and I realize that much of it is just tradition, but there
was nothing lovely about his person to attract people. And these false teachers, they
glory in their religious heritage. They were heirs, they were children
of Abraham. All of those things that they
gloried in, Paul said, I count all that Madonna. That's what
I think about that stuff, that I may win Christ, that I may
know Christ. the faith of Jesus Christ. They gloried in appearance and
religious heritage and their learning, but you notice Paul,
he was concerned with the heart. The religion, if I can use that
correctly, and you understand what I'm saying tonight, the
religion of the Lord Jesus Christ deals with the heart. The heart,
God said He looks at the heart of man. Remember He told Samuel
that, didn't He? Samuel went down to Jesse's house
to anoint a man to be king, and the first son comes before him,
and he's so handsome and tall, and everything about him just
made Samuel think, this is a man. And God said no. And the second
one comes back, no. What was God telling Samuel?
Samuel was looking on the outward appearance. God was looking on
the heart. Notice what he says at the end
of verse 12. For we commend not ourselves
again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf,
that you may have somewhat to answer them, that glory in appearance,
and not in heart. Not in heart. It all has to do
with the heart, doesn't it? Repentance comes from the heart. Faith, the scripture says, with
the heart, and believeth unto righteousness. Paul. There's no possibility,
he says, that he was going to be indifferent, even though he
was persuaded and knew that to leave this body meant that he
would immediately be with the Lord. He was not going to be
indifferent. He was not going to live his
life in indifference, but in the service of Christ. And notice
the second thing, the love of Christ constrains us. Verses
14 through 16. or the love of Christ constraining
us. Because we thus judge, if one
died for all, then we're all dead. It is Christ's love for
us that motivates us to do what we do in his service. To give
what we give, to go where we go, to say what we say, love of Christ constrains us. It's not in hopes of a reward
or anything like that, that God's people serve Him. It's the love
of Christ. And as Calvin said, unless our
hearts are harder than iron, that's pretty hard, isn't it?
Harder than iron, The remembrance of the great love Christ has
shown us by submitting unto death for our sakes is bound to make
us devote ourselves entirely to Him. It's not fear of hell. I've had over the years people
ask me, Why don't you preach more on hell? Well, I'm not saying
we shouldn't preach on it. Our Lord did. It's not the fear
of hell. You can't scare people into salvation. It's not the fear of hell that
causes men to come to Christ, and it's not the fear of hell
that causes men to serve Christ. It's not for rewards. That doesn't
motivate God's people. What is it? It's gratitude. It's
gratitude. Gratitude in knowing that Christ
died for us. And Paul, in this verse, Paul
is not saying that Christ died for all men, but what he is saying
is that all for whom Christ died were dead. Everyone for whom
Christ died was dead in trespasses and sins. Look with me in Romans chapter
5, just a moment. The love of Christ constrained
us. Romans chapter 5, beginning in
verse 6. For when we were yet without
strength, I tell you a dead person is without strength. No one's
going to argue with that, are they? No. A dead person doesn't have
any strength. You say, oh, he has a free will.
For when we were yet without strength, Christ, in due time
Christ, died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. It's the love of Christ that
constrains us. Verse 16 back in our text. How will men live for whom Christ
died? Will they live to serve themselves?
Will they live to fulfill the lust of the flesh? Will they
live for the world which hated Christ? The answer to all of
these questions is no. No. Of course not. And that he died for all that
they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves. That's
a characteristic of a lost person, isn't it? He lives for himself. She lives for herself. I'm not
concerned about anyone else. It's all about me. that he died for all that they
which live should not henceforth, they have up unto this point,
should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which
died for them and rose again. Verse 16, 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. The word
no in this verse means to approve or to esteem, and what Paul is
saying here is that he valued no man based on human distinctions,
such as being children of Abraham, being Whatever, that was all done away
in Christ. All. These distinctions, and
we have a lot of them, don't we? Distinguishing this person
from that person, this group from that group, and on and on
and on. But in Christ, all that is done
away. Listen to what he says in Colossians.
concerning believers, and have put on the new man which is renewed
in knowledge after the image of him that created him, where
there's neither great or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision,
barbarian, sentient, bond or free, but Christ is all and in
all." Now the last thing, the third thing, the change which
is wrought in all men who are in Christ, Notice it says, if
any man, therefore if any man, not just some men, not just certain
ones or the majority, but no, if any man be in Christ, he is
a new creature or a new creation. He has become a new creature.
Creation, we know, is God's work, and those in Christ now have
a new nature, which is called the new man, a new principle
of truth and holiness. All things are passed away. The
old way, you might say, well, what old things have passed away
in my life? Well, let me say this, one thing
for sure, the old way of thinking about God, that's passed away. Most people think that God's
some individual up there, and, you know, he's like a grandfather
figure, and he just wouldn't harm a flea, and, you know, he's
wringed his hands to see how things are gonna work out and
turn out. Old things are passed away. That
old thought about God. And about sin. About sin. Well, it's a minor thing. It's
a light thing. It's no sin. Christ died for
sin. The Bible doesn't speak of a
little sin, a white lie, a black lie. No, sin is sin. And sin, all sin, is against
God. And God is infinite. That means
every sin deserves infinite punishment. The old way of thinking, the
old way of thinking about God, the old way of thinking about
self. is passed away. Behold, all things have become
new, new objectives, new priorities. A believer in Christ has a new
name, has a new commandment, that you love one another, has
a new psalm, in his mouth even praise under our God. You ever,
and I'm telling off on myself, but you ever maybe listened to
one of those songs that when you were young, one of those
old worldly songs, lascivious songs that were so popular and
you thought it was so great, and now when you hear it, it
just kind of turns your stomach in comparison to these hymns
which we sing. New song, even praise unto our
God. And we have a new way opened
unto us by the blood of Jesus Christ into the presence, into
the Holy of Holies, the presence of God Almighty. We have a new
inheritance, a new heaven and a new earth. These truths assure
that believers will not live lives of indifference. They just
won't. I pray that the Lord would bless
his word to all of us here tonight and challenge us, encourage us. Yes, we will one day soon all
appear before the judgment seat of Christ. And may the love of
Christ constrain us. And thank God we've been made
new creatures in Christ Jesus. We're going to sing a hymn and
we will be dismissed.