in Corinthians chapter 1 2nd
Corinthians chapter 1 we looked at the verses last time ending
with Paul declaring that his word that is his message to the
Corinthians was not yea And nay, we see that in verse 18. But as God is true, our word
toward you was not yea and nay. His message was, as he declares
in verse 19, for the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached
among you. All the promises, all the promises
of the new covenant were all yea and amen in Jesus Christ. You remember he said, this is
my blood of the New Testament, the new covenant. And with the
shedding of his blood, that covenant was ratified and all of the promises
are yea and amen to the glory of God. Now tonight, I want us
to look at the last four verses in this chapter, beginning with
verse 21. Now he which established us with
you in Christ and hath anointed us is God, who hath also sealed
us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. Moreover,
I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I
came not as yet unto Carth. Not for that we have dominion
over your faith, but are helpers of your joy, for by faith you
stand. I want us to consider, first
of all, the four truths that we see in verses 21 and 22. And I think we all are impressed
with the Apostle Paul, inspired as he was by God the Holy Spirit
in writing the scripture, but his ability to say so much, to
pack so much in two short sentences. These two sentences, verse 21
and 22. Here are four gracious works. four gracious works of God that
he does for every, every child of God, every saved individual,
not only the apostles, but all of God's children. First of all,
in the first part of verse 21, we see that God establishes us
in Christ. Notice that, now, he which establisheth
us with you in Christ. It is in Christ, we dare not
miss that. It is in Christ that God's children
are established. We understand that something
is established, that it is firm. And something established, something
that is firm, is just as firm as that upon which it is established. A house established on a weak
foundation is weak. It cannot be any stronger than
its foundation. This verse tells us that as God's
children, we are established in Christ. How firm a foundation. We are established in Christ. Every child of God is chosen
in Christ, first of all. Every child of God is loved in
Christ. Every child of God is accepted
in Christ, in the beloved. The point is, That God is the
one who establishes us, and he establishes us in Christ. Now we are familiar with these
words, I believe, in Isaiah chapter 49 and verse 16, where we have
the Lord speaking and saying, behold, I have graven thee upon
the palms of my hands. Speaking to God's children, God's
chosen people. I have graven thee upon the palms
of my hands." Think of something that's graven, and I know this
is spiritually speaking, but God's people. We are established
in Christ. We are graven upon His hands. Nothing could erase us. Nothing
could take us away from the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just
like He said in John chapter 10 about us as His sheep. His sheep. And no man is able
to pluck us out of His hand. God is the one who establishes
us. This is what the Apostle tells
the believers in Corinth. And this is true of all of us. God has washed us. He said this
to the Corinthians in the first letter. God has washed us. God has sanctified us. And God
has justified us in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything
that we have is in Christ. And we are established. God establishes
us in Christ. We're not established because
we're Baptist. We're not established because
we've been baptized. We're not established because
we take the Lord's Supper. We're not established because
we've gone through the catechism class and we've learned the right
answers to the creed. No. We are established, if we
are established, and if we are God's children, we are established,
and we are established in Christ. There's no firmness outside of
Christ. We are not like the man that
our Lord spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount, who built his house
upon the sand. But we are established. God establishes us on the rock. And yes, the rains descend, the
floods come, And the winds blow and beat upon us, but we do not
fall. Why? Because God establishes
us in Christ. And we love that text in Philippians
chapter one in verse six that tells us, he which hath begun
a good work in us. He which hath begun a good work
in us. Who begins the work of salvation
in us? God does. and he shall complete
it. He which hath begun a good work
in us will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ." Now, enemies
of the truth, enemies of the truth, those people who deny
God's sovereignty and God's purpose in salvation, they will say,
well that teaching, what you've just said, that teaching is very
dangerous. It will promote presumption on
the part of those who believe it. But that's just not true.
It will not promote presumption, but what it does promote is,
first of all, humility. Humility. Because we recognize
that it is God who establishes us in Christ, and He does so
by grace. not because we deserve it, not
because we are better than other people, by no means, but simply
and only because of the grace of God. This truth doesn't promote
presumption, but it does promote humility, and I tell you something
else it promotes is thanksgiving. Thanksgiving. We thank the Lord
for His mercy and grace to us, do we not? that he would think
on us, and not only humility and thanksgiving, but something
else it promotes in the midst of a storm, it promotes peace. Peace. And yes, the rains do
come down, even upon believers, even upon those whose house is
established on the rock, and the winds do blow, and the flood
does rise, But we do not fall. Why? Because we are established
upon, or in Christ rather. And it promotes peace in the
midst of the storm. You remember the disciples of
the Lord were crossing the lake one day, the lake of Galilee,
and he was with them and the Lord was in that ship. And we
see, first of all, in this history, we see His humanity. He was truly a man because He
was tired and He went to sleep. And then the storm comes up and
we see His deity because He stands and he rebukes the wind and the
sea. And his disciples, they questioned,
what manner of man is this that even the waves and the wind obey
his voice? Well, we know he is God and he
is man. But remember, he asked his disciples
this question, where is your faith? Where is your faith? They had faith, he didn't say
you don't have any faith, but where is your faith? I said that
this truth promotes peace in the midst of the storm, but we
have a responsibility to believe him, to trust him, even in the
midst of a storm, to remember, and they should have known this,
they were as safe in that ship as possible. more safe than possible. Why? Because he was in the ship. You know, I read an illustration,
and I think it's a good one, that most people, and I have
to admit, I believe I've been guilty of this myself, that we
think of faith something like a thermostat. We set the thermostat
in our house at a certain temperature, degree, And when it gets above
that, the air conditioner comes on. And when it gets back down
to that, we all know how that works. I think we're prone to
think of faith like that. We have faith, but it's not just
going to automatically kick in in the midst of the storm. We
must exercise our faith. We must tell ourselves some things
and remind ourselves of some truths. Our Lord said, where's
your faith? They should have realized. They
should have known better, as we would say, to be so afraid
and so upset in the midst of that storm. Why? Because Christ was in that ship. And there was no way that ship
was going to go down in the midst of the sea. And in your life
and my life, in the midst of a storm, we've got to realize
Exercise our faith. Yes, what has God said? He has
said, all things work together for good to those who love God,
to them who are the called according to His purpose. We must remind
ourselves that God, for us, out of love for us, to save us, He
didn't even spare His own Son. So no matter what the wave, the
storm may be that we go through, exercise our faith, believe God,
trust in Him. Well, first of all, Paul says,
God has established you in Christ. And notice in this verse, he
says, now He would establish us with you in Christ, even the
apostles, along with the believers in that church. It is God who
establishes both the apostles and the believers. Now, notice
the second thing. He said, God has anointed us.
Notice that in the second part of verse 21. And this is all
the work of God. God establishes us in Christ
and God hath anointed us. God hath anointed us. Now in
the Old Testament, Men were anointed to three offices. They were anointed
to be a prophet, to be a priest, and to be a king. And usually
they were anointed with oil. Now oil, in this case at least,
it pictures God the Holy Spirit. And when the Lord Jesus Christ,
at the age of 30, which was the age that a man entered the priesthood
under the law, when he was baptized, we know that He was anointed,
not with oil, but with God the Holy Spirit. And the scripture
points out to us that He was given the Spirit without measure. And then John tells us, of His
fullness have we all received grace for grace. Of His fullness. God has anointed each of us Every
person here tonight who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ, God
has anointed us. You wouldn't believe in Christ.
You wouldn't trust in Christ. You could not know Christ if
God had not anointed you, given you that anointing. Look with
me, if you will, in 1 John. Keep your place here. But in
1 John chapter 2, In verse 20 and verse 27, let's
look at these two verses. But you have an unction, verse
20, but you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all
things. Now look at verse 27. But the
anointing which you have received of Him abideth in you, and you
need not that any man teach you. But as the same anointing teacheth
you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it
hath taught you, you shall abide in him. The unction or this anointing
of the Holy Spirit teaches us, teaches us all things that are
necessary for salvation. You might say, well, what are
we taught? And let me tell you something. When God the Holy
Spirit teaches you these things, nobody's going to un-teach you.
That's just so. No one is ever going to un-teach
one who is taught by God the Holy Spirit these truths. Well,
what are some of the things we're taught? Well, first of all, we
are taught that we are guilty, helpless sinners in ourselves. And no one will ever convince
one who is taught of God the Holy Spirit any different. That's just not going to happen.
When God the Holy Spirit teaches us this anointing which is of
God, teaches us that we are sinful, we are helpless sinners in ourself. When God teaches you that, no
one's going to unteach you. Another thing that we are taught
We're taught that Jesus is the Son of God manifested in the
flesh and he was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. Now when God teaches you that,
no one's going to unteach that. No one will ever convince a person
who is taught of God the Holy Spirit that Jesus was just a
man. That's just not going to happen. We've been taught. been taught
of the Lord. We are taught that Christ perfectly
obeyed God's law. You don't have a question about
that, do you? Not if you've been taught of
the Lord. When someone asks you, well, who was the Lord Jesus
Christ? Was He a good man, just a good
man, a great teacher? Well, He was that, all right,
but He was much more than that. He's God, man. You've been taught
that? No one will ever unteach you
that. And you've been taught that he
perfectly obeyed God's law, that he came into this world made
of a woman, made under the law, made under the law. It was his
law, and yet he was made under it, and he became obedient under
the law, and he satisfied perfectly God's holy law. And part of that
satisfaction, of course, was his death when he finished the
work, finished the work which the Father had given him to do,
and died on the cross. And we're taught by God the Holy
Spirit that God raised him from the dead. I don't have any doubt,
do you, that where Christ is today, I know where he is. I know where he is. I know where
he was put when his body was taken down from that tree. He
was laid in that tomb. And on the third day, God raised
him from the dead for our justification to show us, to teach us that
our sins have been paid and God's justice is satisfied. And I have
no doubt whatsoever that he ever lives now at the Father's right
hand. The right hand of power ever
lives to make intercession for all of us who come unto God by
Him. And He is our advocate there.
Actually, we are taught that Christ is all our salvation. And our desire, the desire that
we all have tonight, those of us who have been taught with
this anointing, is the same desire the Apostle Paul expressed that
he had when he said, my desire is to be found in him, not having
my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is
through the faith of Christ, the righteousness of God through
faith. That's the desire that every
child of God has. Or notice the third thing back
in our text. First of all, God has established
us. God hath anointed us. Number
three, God hath also sealed us. Now in the scriptures, the use
of a seal was for identification and authentication. And both
may apply in this verse of scripture. In this scripture, as in others
which speak of this sealing, it is presented as something
which is true of every child of God. Every child of God is
sealed. Let me point us to Ephesians
just a moment. Ephesians chapter 1 and also
chapter 4. But let's read in Ephesians 1. Ephesians 1 in verse 13. The apostle says, In whom you
also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation, in whom also, after that you believed,
you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. And then also
in chapter four, in verse 30, he says, grieve not the Holy
Spirit, grieve not the Holy Spirit of
God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption. Now I mention this and hope to
emphasize the fact that every child of God is sealed. I do
so because there have been those, and one man that I have benefited
quite a bit from, a preacher in England in the last century,
he taught something differently. And he taught that men could
be saved and not be sealed, that this was some experience almost
He never called it, that I know of, a second work of grace, but
that would be what it would have to be. And he said that men are
sealed, have an experience, and they receive special assurance
of their salvation. But we're not told that in the
scripture. We're told that that those who
believe are sealed. Every believer is sealed. And notice, it's God the Holy
Spirit. Sometimes people say, well, the
Holy Spirit seals us. No, the Holy Spirit is the seal. He is the seal. The man does
not have the Spirit of God. Paul says he's none of His. The
Holy Spirit Himself, He is the seal. And every believer, after
that you believed, the apostle said, you were sealed with that
Holy Spirit of promise. In 2 Timothy chapter two and
verse 19, Paul said, nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. And notice this fourth thing.
Not only God has established us, God has anointed us, God
has sealed us, but He also has given the earnest of the Spirit
in our hearts. Now the Greek word which is translated
earnest comes from a Hebrew word which means pledge. It is part
of the purchase money given in advance as security. When a person
buys a house, they put down earnest money. It's part of the purchase
money given in advance as security. And the children of God, we have
an inheritance. The Apostle Peter tells us that
our inheritance is incorruptible, that it is undefiled, and it
fades not away, and it's reserved for us in heaven. and God has
given us the earnest of our inheritance, of our redemption, and that is
the Holy Spirit. He is sent into our hearts as
a pledge of our inheritance. He's sent to dwell in us as we
are his temples, and we, and he witnesses to us of our sonship
as well as our inheritance. Paul said, for you have not received
the spirit of bondage again to fear. We were under that spirit
of bondage when we were lost, and it brought fear. But we're
not under that law anymore, that spirit of bondage, but we have
received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father. And I read again this past week
that in a In a large house, everyone would refer to the master as
father, but the servants would never use that word, Abba. It
means father, but they were never allowed to use that word, Abba.
Only the children used that word. And you and I, we have received
the earnest of the spirit whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Now, briefly,
notice, consider these two truths in the last two verses. In verse
23, Paul calls God to witness as to the reason why he had not
visited Corinth. His not coming to Corinth was
not because he was fickle. It was not because his word was
untrustworthy. Remember, that's what The false
teachers accused him of that his yea was not yea, his nay
was not nay. You never knew. He said he was
going to come. He didn't come. And we saw this
last week, the seriousness of that was if he cannot be believed,
if his word cannot be trusted about his coming, how can we
trust his word concerning the gospel? How do we know he's not
preaching one thing here and preaching something else somewhere
else? Paul calls God to be his witness
that the reason that he had not come to them was to spare them. Notice that. Moreover, I call
God for a record upon my soul that to spare you I came not
as yet unto Cardin. Now what does that mean? to spare
them. Well, we know from the first
letter that there were things in the church at Corinth that
were irregular. There were things in the church
at Corinth. There was divisions. That's the
first thing we saw. There was divisions in that church. There was incest, which was being
tolerated in their midst. There were people taking others
to law, one against the other. They were getting drunk at the
Lord's table. There was a lot of things going
on in the church at Corinth that were not correct. And Paul, if
he went there as an apostle, now remember, apostles had authority
and power that preachers today do not have. We don't have the
authority of an apostle because we're not apostles. And he likened
him coming to them with a rod. But to spare them, he said, he
gave them opportunity and time, no doubt praying that these things
would be corrected in the church so that he would not come to
them. in heaviness. Notice that in chapter 2 and
verse 1 and 2, where he said, But I determined this with myself,
that I would not come again to you in heaviness. For if I make
you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad? But the same
which is made sorry by me. Paul said, I did not come to
you, not that my word was not trustworthy, but to spare you. He was hoping for reformation
that he might not have to come to them in heaviness. And then the second thing in
the next verse, Paul would have them understand what he meant
by sparing them, not for that we have dominion over your faith. He did not mean that those with
him had some power over their faith. The Apostle Peter wrote
to the elders in 1 Peter chapter 5 telling us that elders are
not to be lords over God's heritage. The church at Corinth was God's
heritage and the ministers did not have dominion over their
faith. And we are reminded that ministers,
I'm certainly reminded of this, preachers, I cannot give anyone
faith. It's a gift of God. Only God
can give faith. And it is a free grace gift. I can preach and proclaim Jesus
Christ as the sole object of saving faith. I may encourage
men and women to believe in Christ, to trust in Christ. I may pray
for God the Holy Spirit's blessing in this regard, but only God
can give faith and only God can increase faith. Ministers cannot
increase nor decrease faith. And if we take this faith as
objective faith, then we, if we take faith as a body that
we believe, the body of truth that we believe, we can't add
to it and we can't take away from it. Our responsibility,
ministers, our responsibility is to earnestly contend for the
faith that was once delivered to the saints. It's not our place
to try to add to it nor to take away from it. We have the body
of truth that is committed unto us If we take faith objectively
here, and ministers do not have that power to change what we
are to believe. You know, we see that, we've
seen it in our day. It's such a shame that churches
used to believe things and now they've changed what they believe. You know, the Bible hasn't changed. It's still the same, isn't it?
They've changed. Well, they've gone along. You
know, society has changed and they've changed with the times.
But that's not correct. Ministers do not have authority
over our faith. What we are to believe, that's
given to us in the Word of God. Well, I trust the Lord would
bless the words tonight and the thoughts and use them for His
glory. David, come and sing a hymn.