Section #3
First of all, in Section #1 we illustrated Salvation
from the story of the two thieves who died on the cross.
Then in Section #2 we answered the question “How are we
saved?”
Now we are going to contrast the before and after
aspect of our Salvation.
The
Bible says:
Now that you are saved, you have been quickened.
Before you were saved, in the sight of God,
you were dead. Some people are dead and don’t even know it. After you
are saved – you are made alive. We
will contrast this, using the Scriptures.
Salvation Made Plain
--- LESSON 8
Contrast:
Before and After Salvation
Let’s turn to Exodus. I use this text only as an illustration. I
am told in the New Testament that everything that is written in the Old Testament
is written for our admonition and our learning.
God Puts a Difference between a Believer and an Unbeliever
Exodus gives us an illustration regarding the contrast of Before and
After Salvation.
Exodus 11: 7
(7) But against any
of the children of
The Lord puts a difference
between a believer and an unbeliever. God declared
there was a difference, and it was God who saw the
difference, and it was God who put the
difference there. When you become a believer, God sees the difference even
before you do – and before somebody else does. God says that you are different. And
then you start experiencing it afterwards.
The more you walk with the Lord the more you will see it.
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Before Salvation |
After Salvation |
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1. In Adam 1 Corinthians 15: 22 1 Cor. 15: 45 first Genesis 1: 28 head We are born into Adam’s race by a Flesh birth John 3: 6a John 1: 13 1 Peter 1: 23 We are born into Adam to die 1 Corinthians 15: 22 Romans 5: 12 Hebrews
9: 27 |
1. In Christ 2 Corinthians 5: 17 1 Cor. 15: 45 last Colossians 1: 18 head We are born into a new race by a Spiritual birth. John 3: 6b James 1: 18 1 Peter 1: 23 We are born into Christ to live John 11: 25-26 1 Corinthians 15: 51 |
Before one is saved, the Bible says we are in Adam.
1 Corinthians 15: 22
(22) For as in Adam all die,
After we are saved, God looks at us as being in Christ.
(G.C. Morgan says “In Christ” occurs about 75 times in the New Testament.)
2 Corinthians 5: 17
(17) Therefore if any
man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passed away; behold all things are become new
1. Before Salvation - In Adam
1 Corinthians 15: 45
(45) And so it is
written, The first man Adam
was made a living soul.
Adam was first. If God says
he is first, then he is not second. What
did God say in Genesis regarding the first man?
Genesis 1: 28
(28) And God blessed
them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the
earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over it.
If Adam was given dominion,
was he not head of creation? He was head because God
made him so. How did we get into Adam’s race? For me, I was born into
Adam’s race. I was born into Adam’s race by a flesh
birth.
John 3: 6
Noting the first
statement for the moment
(6) That which is
born of the flesh is flesh.
Nobody can argue against that. Doesn’t that make sense? That
which is born of the flesh is flesh. Often times I had to follow what Brother
McLean used to say when we had Board Meetings. He would say “Let’s open the
windows and let out the flesh air,
and let in some fresh air.”
You get enough people in a confined area, and you’re going to find out that
flesh produces flesh. I’m always glad for perfumes!
John 1: 12-13
(12) But as many as
received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
(13) Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will
of man.
Notice the negatives there. When you were born the first
time, how were you born? Were you not
born of human blood? Were
you not born of the will of a man? Were you not born of flesh? Your natural
birth is of blood. It is of flesh,
and it is of man. And you got it from being in Adam.
1 Peter 1: 23
(23) Being born again, not of corruptible seed. But of incorruptible
How were you born the first
time? You were born from corruptible seed. And what
did corruptible seed produce? It produced corruptible flesh.
So a corruptible seed
produces corruptible flesh. When
we were born into Adam, we were born into Adam to die. In Adam all die.
Romans 5: 12
(12) Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
1 Corinthians 15: 22
(22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all
be made alive.
Hebrews 9: 27
(27) And as it is
appointed unto men once to die;
Can babies die? Do adults
die? You don’t have to be old to die. Anybody
who belongs to the human race can die. Why? – Because in Adam we
were born to die.
And we are not now living in the land of the living –
we are living in the land of the dying. When
we leave here, we are going to leave the land of the dying,
and go to the land of the living. That’s what
is going to happen to us. In Adam – born to die.
1. After Salvation – In Christ
2 Corinthians 5: 17
(17) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new.
Who is Christ?
– He is the last
Adam.
1 Corinthians 15: 45
(45) And so it is
written, The first man Adam was
made a living soul; the last Adam was
made a quickening spirit.
Last
Adam. Ninety times out of one-hundred, that is misquoted. It will be quoted “the
second
Adam.” Christ is not the
second
Adam.
Christ is the last Adam.
Adam the first was the head of a race.
And Adam the last (Jesus) is the Head of a New Creation.
You see, if you
say second, it
presupposes a third and
a fourth and
a fifth. It
doesn’t say second – it says last – because there won’t be any more.
There are two
unique men in history. The one is Adam, the first – and the other is Adam the Last.
They are unique in all the plan of God. Adam the first, was the head of the fallen race – Adam the Last, is the Head of the unfallen race.
What else does
it say?
Colossians 1: 18
(18) And he (Jesus) is the head of the
body, the church.
John 3: 6 again
(6) That which is
born of the flesh is flesh; and that
which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
When you were born the first
time, it was a flesh birth. But when you are born again, it
is a Spiritual birth.
There are some things that are hard to explain and sometimes
I say, “Let’s not get bogged down on some of the intricate things of theology. Let’s
ask God to keep us simple.” Paul writes
in 2 Corinthians “I fear lest Satan beguile you from the simplicity that is in
Christ.”
Let me ask you about the natural
birth – Is there anybody out there who made choice of
your father or your mother? Is there anybody who exercised his or her will to
be born? Was it your will – or was
it somebody else’s? You
know the answer to that don’t you! You weren’t born because your
will was involved – you were born because the will of somebody else was
involved.
James 1: 18
(18) Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
I get blessed over that. Some people get upset over that. Do
you know why I am saved? I’m saved because God
wanted me saved. God’s will is
involved in my Salvation. Isn’t
it wonderful to know you are going to be in Heaven because God wants you
there? There will be no unwanted children in Heaven. There are no unwanted
babies in God’s Family. Everybody that is there is wanted of
God –
of his will begat he us.
Now back again to
1 Peter 1: 23
(23) Being again, not
of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth
for ever.
When you were born the first
time, you were born to die, because you
were born of corruptible seed. But when you are born the next
time, you are born of incorruptible seed. We were born to live. Praise God – I have not
been saved to die. I have been saved to live. I
could get happy in my soul about that!
Illustration
A man by the name of McKay wrote a book, and he said: “When I
was a boy, I got the idea that the only reason you went to church was to get ready to die. I
was full of vim and vigor and vitality and I didn’t want to die, I wanted to live. So I wasn’t
interested in church!”
I think sometimes we do
give that impression – that the only reason people go to church is to get ready to die. Oh
man, get rid of that once for all and forever!
You don’t
accept Christ in order to get ready to die –
You
accept Christ in order to get ready to live. It’s
a life in Christ.
Let’s turn to John 11. There is going to be an application of
this, that will not be fully seen until the Lord comes.
John 11: 25-26
(Martha and
Mary at the time of Lazarus’ death)
(25) Jesus said unto
her I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me,
though he were dead, yet shall he live.
That’s Resurrection isn’t it? Anybody who believes in Jesus –
Even though he dies – he’s going to be Resurrected.
(26) And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.
Do you believe that? Can you believe that some people, who are going to die,
are going to live again? And can you believe that some people, who
are living, are never going to die? I’m sure Jesus had in mind what was going
to be revealed by the apostle Paul.
1 Corinthians 15: 51
(51) Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (die), but we
shall all be changed.
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Before Salvation 2. Declared A Sinner Romans 5: 19 made Romans 3: 23 short Psalms 51: 5 Talking about our Condition –not the act of conception. We are a sinner primarily because God says so. |
After Salvation 2. Declared
Righteous Romans 5:19 made 1 Cor. 1: 30 made Romans 3: 21-22 We are righteous, primarily because God
says so. |
Oh to have
faith to believe the Bible! There are people who have
believed in Jesus, and are never going to die. They are going to prove the fact, that when
you accept
Christ, you accept Christ - not to die,
but to live.
You see, God says that when you are saved you are in Christ.
Illustration
In the Old
Testament (Genesis 9), you have the story of Noah. I believe it is a wonderful illustration of Salvation.
Noah built the
ark and you know the story. Seven days before it started to rain, God said to
Noah “Come in.”
Isn’t that wonderful! He didn’t say “Go in,” He said “Come in.” What’s the difference of saying “go in” and “come in?” When you say “go in,” you are on the outside. When you say “come in,” you are in there first. Who was in the ark before Noah got in? — The Lord was there. He said “Come on in.” “Come, thou and
thy house, into the ark.”
What was it that
saved Noah? Was it who he
was, or where he
was? It wasn’t who he
was that saved him,
it was where he
was that saved him. As a believer, where are you? – You are in Christ. Why are you saved? – Not because of who you are. You are saved because of where you are – in Christ.
Romans 5: 19
(19) For as by one man’s disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many
be made righteous.
If you see this
wonderful truth, it is going to help you. What does God say man is before he is saved? He is a sinner. Why is he a sinner? He is a sinner
because.God says so. God says “In Adam every man is a sinner.” We were made sinners because we were in Adam.
The last part
of the verse says:
by the obedience of one shall many
be made righteous.
Do you get the
contrast? Made a sinner in Adam. What are you made in Christ? – Righteous. Is there any difference? God sees me a sinner in Adam, but when I am in Christ, God sees me as Righteous.
2. Before Salvation –
Declared a Sinner
Romans 3: 23
(23) For all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God.
In Adam – you
are a sinner.
What does it mean to come short of the Glory of God? Who is the Glory of God?
2 Corinthians 4: 6
(6) For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath
shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in
the face of Jesus Christ.
The Glory of God is Jesus Christ. And why are men sinners? You go and ask some
people “Are you a sinner?” They will say “no” – because they think the only one
who is a sinner is a prostitute. The average person in Canada thinks he is pretty good. It
doesn’t matter what church he goes to – he thinks he is good enough. The thing to do, to shock them, is to ask
them this: “Are you as good as Jesus Christ?” If you are not as good as Jesus Christ, you have come short of God’s Glory.
You see, our
problem is – somebody looks at me and compares himself with me and says “I’m as good as he is – so if he is going to Heaven, I’m going to Heaven.” But that is not the comparison. We are not wise in comparing
ourselves among ourselves. Who are you to compare yourself with? – With Jesus Christ.
God’s standard is Jesus.
And if you are not as good as Jesus, you are not
good enough to go to Heaven. You have come short of God’s Glory. Some may come shorter than
others, but it is still true – we have all come short of the Glory of God.
Psalms 51: 5 David said
(5) Behold, I was shapen in iniquity (sin), and in
sin did my mother conceive me.
That has nothing to do with the act of conception. There are some people who think that is what it is talking about. Absolutely not! This does not have anything to do with
the act of
conception. This has to do with the condition of everyone who is born. Every child who is born into this world is born a sinner. Why born a sinner? – Because God says so. Before you are saved, in the sight of God, you
are a sinner, because God says so.
Now let’s go to
the other
side.
2. After Salvation – Declared
Righteous
1 Corinthians 1: 30
(30) But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification,
and redemption:
According to that
verse, who is
your Righteousness? – Christ. Christ is made unto us righteousness! Adam made us sinners. Christ makes us Righteous. We may not look Righteous, but I showed you in Romans
about imputation.
Romans 3: 21-22
(21) But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being
witnessed by the law and the prophets;
(22) Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no
difference:
If you believe – the Righteousness of God is upon you. Why are you Righteous? You are Righteous because God says so. Whenever I read “God says so”– I like it!
Illustration
There is a dear
brother – Brother Hollands, whom I love in the Lord. He tells about the days when he was a little
boy. Before he left
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart that God has raised
him from the dead. Have you done that? What does God say then? thou shalt
be saved.
Why are
you saved? Get this straight. If you read the Bible, the first reason is: I’m saved because God says so. And if God says it, I believe it.
And it is His
testimony that really counts!
|
Before Salvation 3. Condemned Already John 3:18 Trial is over. Case dismissed. Found guilty. Declared guilty. Not on probation. |
After Salvation 3. Not Condemned John Romans
4: 25-5:1 John 5: 24 John
8: 1-11 Romans
8: 1, 24-39 Hebrews
7: 11-22 Genesis
43: 8-9 Genesis
44: 18-43 Colossians
1: 12-14 Trial is over. Case dismissed Found not guilty. Justified Not on probation. |
3. Before Salvation – Condemned Already
3. After Salvation–Not Condemned
John 3: 18
(18) He that believeth on him is not
condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already because he
hath not believed in the name of the only begotton Son of God.
Can I explain
it this way? What about the man before he is
saved? – He is condemned. What about the man who is saved? – God
says he is not condemned.
The first group
of people that you meet, are people who have determined to do the very best that they can. They envision; when they
get to the other side, and stand before the Lord, there will be a big scale. I
don’t know how stupid people can be! They think they will put their good deeds on one side, and their bad deeds on the other side. And if perchance,
their good
deeds outweigh their bad deeds, they will get an entrance to Heaven. That’s the way people think!
They don’t realize that they are already condemned.
The unsaved man is not on trial.
The unsaved man is condemned already.
Some years ago,
I took a writing course. And in that course, I learned some of the simple things that one would not even think
about. I am so glad about some of the things I learned. One of those things I
learned is that you can say almost anything and not be taken up on it, if you always
put in front of it “in my opinion.”
Did you know that? The law will protect you as long as you say “in my opinion.” I can say “In my opinion John Jones is a rascal.” He
can’t take me to court on that, because I’ve expressed my opinion. We are in a country where we have free
opinion.
But when you
are writing and you are going to report something, you have to be very careful
that if somebody is charged with an offense, not to write so that it sounds like you
have pronounced him guilty, when he hasn’t had his trial. If you do, he can sue you.
So you always put in “he is charged” until after the trial. You don’t condemn him until the trial is over.
Men outside of Christ are already condemned.
But what
happens when you are in Christ? Let’s turn to the book of Romans. We have a lot of
Scripture here, and it is so important. If one verse doesn’t get through to you, maybe a second one
will! May the Spirit of God now talk to
our hearts out of the Word of God.
Is there any difference in the standing of an unsaved man and a saved man?
Is there a line between? – Yes, there is a difference.
Romans 4: 25
(25) Who was delivered for our
offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Now, I’m going
to change the word for interpretation and illustration, and I think you will
have to agree
with me. Some
translations may say it the way I am going to say it.
(25) Who was delivered because of our offences
Is that
Scriptural? Why did
Jesus die on the cross? Did he not die because of our sin?
Does not the Word “for”
involve “because of?” Jesus did not die for His own sin, He died for my sin.
He died because of me.
That becomes wonderful! He was
delivered to death because of my sin. It
was my sin
that put Him into the grave – and He would still be there, if he hadn’t paid for it.
He was raised again, not for, but because of my Justification. Jesus was put to death because of my sin. He is alive because He dealt with my sin. And if he hadn’t put it away, He
would still be dead. He arose because of my Justification.
Romans 5: 1
(1) Therefore being justified
What is the difference between Condemned and Justified? – Both involve “the language of a court.”
T Condemned –
guilty – trial over.
R Justified – not guilty – trial over – court
dismissed
Listen, Saints
of God – if only you can see this! You are not on probation now.
You are standing on the ground of Justification. Now that you are a believer, the highest court of Heaven has declared
over you “if any man
be in Christ, he is a new creation.”
He is not condemned, he is Justified. And what can anyone bring against a man who is Justified? – not a thing. He
has been cleared of
his guilt. Case dismissed.
John 5: 24
(24) Verily, verily (truly,
truly) I say unto you, he
that heareth my word.
What does
Romans
Faith cometh by hearing.
He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into
condemnation;
Why? – You can’t!
Why not? – Because you have been Justified. Nothing can be brought against you, but is
passed from death unto life.
John 8: 1-7 I
love this portion of Scripture
(1) Jesus went unto the mount of Olives,
(2) And early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and
all the people came unto him, and he sat down, and taught them.
(3) And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in
adultery and when they had set her in the midst,
(4) They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in
the very act.
(5) Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
(6) This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse
him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though
he heard them not,
(7) So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and
said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first
cast a stone at her.
This is a
beautiful story. Who in
that congregation was qualified to throw stones? Who
alone could throw the stones? Who
qualifies? – Only he who hasn’t sinned. Now that disqualifies you I guess. You haven’t got a right to throw stones at
anybody else, unless you haven’t sinned. You know the old cliché – “People who live
in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” So don’t throw stones at anybody else, because you don’t qualify. The only one who can condemn the sinner,
and stone the sinner, is the one who hasn’t sinned. So
Jesus is
the only One. Have you got the picture?
John 8: 8-11
(8) And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground
(9) And they which heard it, being convicted by their own
conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last.
And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
Isn’t this
humorous – beginning at the oldest fellow, even unto the last (the youngest). Why did the oldest fellow go out first? – He had lived the
longest, and sinned the most. And I haven’t a doubt in the world, that
on the ground, Jesus was writing their sins. He knew all about them. The oldest fellow disappears. He knows he can’t throw stones – right down to the
youngest.
(10) When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the
woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?
(11) She said, No man Lord.
And there is the secret. No man can call Jesus Lord, but by the Holy Spirit. And she said “No
man Lord.” That
is an indication of her faith. And what did he say?
(11) And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn
thee; go and sin no more.
Don’t leave
that off. The only one present in that audience who could condemn the woman was Jesus – and Praise the Lord, He wouldn’t do it. Why? – he didn’t come to condemn, He came to save. He saved that woman. And because He saved her, He wouldn’t condemn her.
Romans 8: 1
(1) There is therefore now no condemnation to them
which are – (Where?)
– In Christ Jesus. (Where are we when we are saved? – In Christ.)
Romans 8: 24-31
(24) For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man
seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
(25) But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with
patience wait for it.
(26) Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what
we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit
itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which
cannot be uttered.
(27) And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of
the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the
saints according to the will of God.
(28) And we know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose.
(29) For whom he did foreknow
This is one of
the wonderful things in the Bible. God knew all about you before He saved you. Anybody out there doubt that? Isn’t it wonderful that He saved you
anyway? You know
yourself better than you knew yourself earlier. Once you are saved, you start learning what you are really like. And isn’t it wonderful that God knew all about you. You haven’t surprised him once yet. He foreknew!
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of his Son, that he might be
the firstborn among many
brethren.
Don’t let that
throw you. Do you know what God has planned for you? God has a plan for every believer. That’s what Predestination is.
And what is that plan? God’s plan is that one day you are going to be perfectly like the Lord Jesus. Isn’t that a wonderful plan! Aren’t you
glad that you are predestinated to become like Christ.
You are going to be like Him.
(30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and
whom he called,
them he also
justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Well,
Hallelujah – it looks to me, God is doing something here. Doesn’t it look that
way to you? Did you notice all the “He’s” in there? God did all of this.
He starts out with foreknowledge and ends up with Glorification. Do you know what Salvation is? – It’s a package deal. Did you ever get a package deal?
You take one
thing – and you get the whole package.
(31) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who
can be against us?
God is for you.
“Oh, I thought he was against me.” – NO he isn’t!
If you are a believer, you are on God’s side. And better than that, he is on your side. God is not against
you, he is for you. So if God is for me – does it even matter who is against me. Praise the Lord! Is
there any difference? The wrath of God is on the unbeliever, but the favor of God is on the believer.
Review – Before and After Salvation
In this third
section, is the contrast “Before and After Salvation.” Before we are saved, God sees us “in Adam.” We get into Adam by means of a flesh birth. There is a natural birth and there
is a Spiritual birth. And when we are “in Christ,” we are born into Christ by a Spiritual birth. Adam the first was head of the first race, and Adam the Last is Head of the New Race.
The first
chapter of Colossians has an outline of what I call:
Seven Tremendous Facts about
Jesus Christ
Fact #1 – He Is the Image of the
Invisible God.
Fact #2 – He Is the Firstborn
of Every Creature.
Colossians 1: 15
(15) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
creature:
Jehovah Witness
people take that statement and say that Jesus Christ was the first of God’s creatures. But that’s not the
meaning. That’s an interpretation off the top of somebody’s head, but that is
not an interpretation in the Light of the Bible.
The word “firstborn” is an Old Testament word. And if you go back to the Old Testament, you
will find out that “firstborn” does not necessarily have to do with generation. Let me
give you an illustration.
Illustration
Who was born
first in Abraham’s house – Ishmael or Isaac? – Ishmael was the firstborn after the flesh. Ishmael was not the firstborn of Abraham. His firstborn was Isaac. What does firstborn mean? – He is the one
who is heir of everything. And so, who is the heir of
God’s creation? – Jesus Christ.
Fact #3 – He Is Creator of Creation.
Colossians 1: 16
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible.
There are some
things that you can’t see. Did you know that? There are some things that are invisible, but they are created. A very poor illustration is: between my
hand and my face, there are a lot of creatures that you can’t see. If you had a
microscope, you would be able to see some things that you can’t see with your natural
eye. But that doesn’t make them any less real. Who is the Creator? – Jesus Christ.
Fact #4 – Jesus Is The Purpose
Of Creation.
Jesus Christ is
not only created as the Creator – but He is
the Purpose of Creation.
Colossians
(16) All things were created by him and for him.
Revelation 4:11 We often sing it.
(11) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and
power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are
and were created.
Fact #5 – By Him All Things Consist.
Colossians 1: 17
(17) And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
What does that
mean? – All things hold together. If Jesus took His hand off of His creation for one moment,
it would fly apart, but all
things hold together because of Him.
Fact #6 – He Is the Head of the
Church.
Colossians 1: 18
(18) And he is the head of the
body, the church:
Fact #7 – He Is Firstborn from
the Dead.
Colossians 1: 18
18) who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead that in
all things he might have the preeminence.
Colossians 1: 19
(19) For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell;
It is all wrapped up in one verse – verse 20.
Colossians 1: 20
(20) And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him
to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they
be things in earth, or
things in heaven.
These are
tremendous statements regarding Christ.
And it’s in that context, He is spoken of as being Head of all Creation.
Before we
are saved, God declares us to be sinners. I don’t know whether I emphasize it
enough – we are sinners, because God says so. And once we see that, then we start realizing the importance of this.
But after you are saved, you are declared Righteous. Who says it? – God does. When I see that I have been declared righteous by the highest court of Heaven – there isn’t any other place to appeal
to. When somebody is charged down here, and he loses his case in the first
court – he will go to the next one, and the next one – until he goes to the
Supreme Court.
I want to tell
you that the Supreme, Supreme Court is the Court of Heaven – and there isn’t any other appeal beyond
that.
When High
Heaven declares the sinner Righteous, you better have faith to believe that you are. You
are Righteous
because God
says you are Righteous. Before you are saved, you are condemned. Let’s go back to John 3: 18. Get your
thoughts straight regarding this:
John 3: 18
(18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, (Why?) because he
hath not believed
in the name of the only begotton Son of God.
The unsaved man
is not going to wait until he stands before God to find out if he is condemned.
God says he is condemned already. All he is going to do at the Great White
Throne is stand to be sentenced. He is not going to be condemned. He is already condemned. But Praise God, on the other side, if you
believe,
you are not condemned.
Romans 8:1 again
(1) There is therefore now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus.
Let’s go back
to where we left off: After Paul has given a wonderful list in verse thirty, he
asks a question.
Romans 8: 31-32, 34
(31) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
(31) He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up
for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
(34) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us
The last two
words in verse 34 – “for us”
Verse 31 – God is for us
Verse 32 – He gave his Son for us
Verse 34 – He is making
intercession for us
Isn’t that good
news to bad people like you and me! Isn’t it wonderful to know that God is for us – He’s not against us. How do you know that God is for you? –
Verse 32 is the first answer.
(32) He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how
shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
That verse
tells you this: If you want to find out if God is for you – don’t add up what happened today, or
what happened to you yesterday, or the day before. There are some days that we
all feel like Dad Jacob. When he got the news about Simeon being back in Egypt,
he said, “All these things are against me.” Don’t you have days when you feel that way? – Of course
you do – “everything is going wrong – everything is against me.”
When you feel that way – remember, the Bible says: if you
want to know where God manifested the fact that He is for you – you look to Calvary. You see, that never changes. Calvary said yesterday – God is for you.
Calvary says today – God is for
you. Calvary will say tomorrow – God is for
you. Because of Calvary, I know that God is on my side.
What’s another
reason I know God is for me?
Romans 8:33
(33) Who shall lay any thing
to the charge of God’s elect?
The answer is
given. There is only one who
can do it. Are you God’s elect? Are you sure you are God’s elect? Who can lay a charge against you? – The only one who can do it is God – and He won’t – because God is in the business of Justifying the man who believes in Jesus. And the only one who could condemn you is God. And He says He is not in the business of doing that. He is in
the business of Justifying the believer.
Romans 8: 34
(34) Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Who is the only one who can condemn you? There is only One who can do it. He has died for you. And there is only One who can condemn you, and He is risen, and He is at the right hand of God and He is ever living to make intercession for you.
So you can’t be
condemned, because Jesus is the One who can condemn you and lay a charge against you, and He won’t do it. He is on your side. He
is for you
– and He is praying for you. He ever liveth to make intercession for the Saints. Again I say “That’s good news.” Jesus is all for you.
And if He is all for you – the question is: Who can be against you?
God does not love you because Jesus died for you.
God loved you--- and therefore Jesus
died for you.
John 3: 16
(16) God so loved the world that he gave his
only begotten Son.
It didn’t take
the death of Christ to make God love you!—NO. God loved you
– that is
why Christ died for you:
Romans 5:7-9
(7) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure
for a good man some would even dare to die.
(8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were
yet sinners (enemies) Christ
died for us.
If God loved us
so much when we were his enemies – do you think He loves us less now that we are His friends? I
think not!
(9) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Praise the Lord
– he ever liveth to make intercession for us. Who can lay anything? Who can condemn?
Romans 8: 35-37
(35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or
sword?
(36) As it is written, For thy sake we
are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
(37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through
him that loved us.
Notice, it doesn’t say OUT of these things. It says IN all these things. Do you know what a conqueror is? A conqueror is somebody who wins by fighting. Do you know what “more than a conqueror is?” He is somebody who wins without fighting. You don’t
have to fight to win – because Somebody else fought to win for you – and you are more than a conqueror!
Romans 8: 38-39
(38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
(39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I have a brother
who is shorter than I am. He was born just five years before I was married, so
I really don’t know him as a brother. He is one of those late-comers in the
family. When he was about five years of age, and going to Sunday school, he had
memorized this verse. He was standing up and saying it – and here is what he
said:
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other preacher shall be
able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I don’t think
he made such a mistake after all! I found that there were a lot of preachers who were trying to separate me by their theology. But God says preachers can’t do
it, because they are creatures. Nobody can do it. The only one, who can separate you from God, is the
Lord Jesus Christ and he won’t do it. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Do you dare believe it? It takes a lot of faith to believe that, but you are standing on solid ground when you do.
Illustration
We are going to
read from the book of Hebrews, and I am going to show you the necessity of knowing the Old Testament, in order to appreciate the New.
Hebrews 7: 11
(11) If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for
under it the people received the law) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called
after the order of Aaron?
This is a little aside from my subject. You will never
understand Hebrews, until you see that there were two orders of priesthood. There was the order
of Aaron,
and there was the order of Melchisedec that was before Aaron – way back in the book of Genesis. These are different
orders of priesthood.
Hebrews 7: 12-14
(12) For the priesthood being changed, there is made of
necessity a change also of the law.
(13) For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man
gave attendance to the altar.
(14) For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah.
Remember the
Levitical priesthood came out of Levi. Therefore, if Jesus is going to be a
Levitical priest He has come out of the wrong tribe. You have to come out of the tribe of Levi, to be a priest after the order of Levi. And Jesus did not
come out of the tribe of Levi. Jesus came out of the tribe of Judah.
I better not
stay here too long, because in the fifth chapter of the book of Hebrews, it
tells you that certain students went to sleep when the doctrine of Melchisedec
and Levi came up. He had to stop to wake them up. I don’t want you to go to sleep.
He said “there are
things good to be said, but hard to be uttered, because you are dull of hearing.” They got dull, listening to things about
Melchisedec and Levi. People haven’t changed much. It says in Hebrews 7: 14
that our Lord did not come out of Levi – He sprang out of Judah.
Hebrews 7: 14-16
(14) For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of
Moses said nothing concerning priesthood.
(15) And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude
of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest.
That is a way
back in Genesis with Abraham.
(16) Who is made, not after the law of a
carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
That’s the difference between the priesthood of
Levi and the priesthood of Melchisedec. The priests of Levi could not continue
because of death.
But Melchisedec is
that strange individual who has no record of his
beginning and no record
of his ending.
Melchisedec had the power of an endless life. Now, who else do you know has now come to
the place where death hath no more dominion over him? – That is our Lord isn’t it? Jesus now lives in the power of an endless life. Do you believe that He has that kind of
life? Do you believe that Jesus will never die? Are you sure He won’t. That is
what this is all about.
Hebrews 7: 17-22
(17) For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order
of Melchisedec.
Jesus Is
Priest – Not Of The Order Of Aaron
But Jesus Is
A Priest – After The Order Of Melchisedec.
(18) For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going
before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
(19) For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did;
by the which we draw nigh unto God.
Under the Levitical priesthood, under the priesthood of Aaron,
nothing was
ever finished.
Nothing was ever perfected.
(20) And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:
(21) For those priests (the
priests of Aaron) were made without an
oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will
not repent, Thou art a priest (Jesus) for ever
after the order of Melchisedec.
The priesthood
of Melchisedec was
better than the priesthood of Aaron.
(22) By so
much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament (covenant)
Jesus was made
a surety.
And what in the world does that mean? Let’s go back
to the Old
Testament to get the answer.
Genesis 43: 8-9
I would like to
start earlier and go through the whole story of Joseph. If you don’t know the
entire story, then you may miss some of what I am going to say—by this picking
out a little here and so on.
Maybe I should
start at the first and second verse so you will see where this comes in. There
was a famine in all the land of Canaan, and the only place where there was any food, was down
in Egypt.
Jacob had sent his sons down into
They went down,
and unknown to them, Joseph was the one on the throne in Egypt. When they went the first time,
Joseph had said: “Have you got a father?” – and they said “Yes.” “Is he still alive?” – “Yes.” “Have you got any other brothers?” – “Yes, we
have a tender one at home, but he is dear to his father.” That was Benjamin they were talking about.
When they went
back, Joseph looked at his brothers and said: “The next time you come, I won’t
receive you unless you bring your brother with you.” Do you remember that
story? They didn’t know who was saying that.
Time has gone
on ---
Genesis 43: 1-9
(1) And the famine was sore in the land.
(2) And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they
had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, Go again, buy us a little
food (the second time)
(3) And
(4) If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy
thee food:
(5) But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down: for
the man said unto us, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with
you.
(6) And
(7) And they said, The man asked us straitly of our state, and of
our kindred saying, Is your father yet alive? – have ye another brother? And we
told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he
would say, Bring your brother down?
(8) And
Will you remember that Jesus is called the “Lion of the tribe of Judah.”
And
Here is the
verse now:
(9) I will
be surety for him.
That is the same
word as Hebrews 7: 22. I will be surety for him. What does that mean? Read on.
Of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee,
and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:
Are you getting
the thrill that I am getting out of reading this? Who is “surety?” What does it mean to be a “surety?” A “surety” is someone who becomes responsible for
somebody else. Jacob is reluctant to send Benjamin – and Judah says I will be “surety.” What do you mean Judah? – I will be responsible. And if I do not bring this boy safely
home, it won’t be his fault;
it will be my
fault for ever. Who has become responsible for you? Who has become your “surety?” – The One who has been
responsible to get you safely home is Jesus. He has become your “surety.” And if you
don’t get home to Heaven, now that you believe – it won’t be your fault, it will be His fault. Would you dare to say that Jesus isn’t capable of taking you all the way? Wouldn’t you trust your soul to Jesus, more than to one like Judah?
Benjamin’s care
was put into the hands of his “surety.” And the care of your soul has been put into the hands of your “surety” – “before the
throne my surety stands.”
Let’s go on to
the next chapter of Genesis, so I can let you see more of this. They went down and
they had a wonderful time. Genesis 43 – I don’t like leaving it out. Maybe I
should read a little bit. They took Benjamin with them.
Genesis 43: 27-30
(27) And he asked them of their welfare, and said, Is your father
well.
There is so
much tenderness in this – so much love between a father and a son.
Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake. Is he yet alive?
(28) And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health,
he is yet alive. And they bowed down their head, and made obeisance.
(29) And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Benjamin, his
mother’s son, and said, Is this your younger brother,
Don’t forget,
he hasn’t seen his brother for years. He was only a little boy when Joseph last saw him. And now
years have gone by. He looks upon his brother.
Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spake unto me? And he
said, God be gracious unto thee my son.
(30) And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his
brother; and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept
there.
He couldn’t
stand it, and he went and wept.
Genesis 43: 31-34
(31) And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself,
and said, Set on bread.
(32) And they set on for him by himself, and for them by
themselves, and for the Egyptians, which did eat with him, by themselves:
because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an
abomination unto the Egyptians.
(33) And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marveled one at another.
They marveled, because, when they were seated at the
table, they put the oldest fellow in the highest place, and the youngest at the
bottom of the table. And they wondered how this could be. Was it some coincidence? The thing I kind of like in the story is
the next verse.
(34) And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but
Benjamin’s mess was five times so much as any of
theirs.
Now to bring
this up to date – I say “Let’s serve Kentucky Fried Chicken – with all the
chips that go with it.” So they bring in Reuben’s plate and he has a half a chicken, and all the chips with it. Then
they bring in the rest, and they all have the same. But when the last plate comes in, it has 2 ˝ chickens on it, and five times as many chips.
Can you see
them? What is going on here anyway? Do you know what it was? Joseph had gone
through the envy of
his brothers – when they envied him over that coat. He was just trying them out
to see if they had gotten over envy – and had grown up.
Here is a principle
of life. You will always find somebody, who has five times what you have. You will always find somebody, who has more than what you have. Joseph had a coat of many colors, and they didn’t have it, so that made them envious. And now, Benjamin, sitting at the table, has
five times as much as the others. Joseph is trying to find out if they still have jealousy and envy in their hearts. The Lord will put us through the test too – to see how well we
come out in that.
Let’s go on
with the story.
Genesis 44: 1-2
(1) And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the
men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man’s money in his sack’s mouth.
(2) And put my cup, the silver cup,
in the sack’s mouth of the youngest, and his corn money. And he did according
to the word that Joseph had spoken.
You know the
story. They started on their way home, and the servants came and caught up to
them.
Genesis 44: 11-12
(11) Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground,
and opened every man his sack.
(12) And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the
youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.
Can you see the
tension that was built up? They’ve gone through these eleven sacks, looking for
this stolen vessel, and they take down Benjamin’s, and there it is and they all
rent their clothes. They said “If anybody has that cup, we will be slaves
forever.” And now it is in Benjamin’s sack. They had to go back to
Joseph.
If you want to
see how an intercessor works. If you want to see how a surety works, here it is.
Genesis 44: 18-34
(18) Then
(19) My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father or a
brother?
I believe the
tone of this voice was extra-special don’t you?
(20) And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a
child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is
left of his mother, and his father loveth him.
Have you ever
heard someone put on the butter like this? He is really doctoring it up.
(21) And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me,
that I may set mine eyes upon him.
(22) And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for
if he should leave his father, his father would die.
(23) And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest
brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.
(24) And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my
father, we told him the words of my lord.
(25) And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food.
(26) And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be
with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man’s face, except our
youngest brother be with us.
(27) And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife
bare me two sons:
(28) And the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in
pieces; and I saw him not since:
(29) And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall
bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
(30) Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the
lad be not with us; seeing that
his life is bound up in the lad’s life;
(31) It shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us,
that he will die: and thy servants
shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the
grave.
(32) For thy servant became surety for the
lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto
thee, then I shall bear the blame to my
father for ever.
(33) Now therefore I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad
a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren.
(34) For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with
me? Lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.
Genesis 45: 1
(1) Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that
stood by him; and he cried.
Isn’t that a
wonderful story! What do we have here? What did we read in Hebrews? What is
Jesus doing? – He ever liveth to make intercession for us. Can you see the prayer? Can you
see Judah’s prayer as being an Old Testament type of
how Jesus intercedes for you?
Can you see
what he is saying? He said: It is my responsibility to get this boy home. And if I don’t get him home, I’ll bare it for ever, because I am his bond slave, to see that he gets to Heaven. Do you understand “surety” a little more now? Aren’t you glad you have the Old
Testament to tell you what it is all about? And don’t forget – Jesus is your surety.
|
Before Salvation |
After Salvation |
|
4. Dead In Sins Colossians 2: 13 a Ephesians 2: 1 b |
4. Alive Unto God Colossians 2: 13 b Ephesians 2: 1 a Romans 6: 1 Colossians 3: 1 Philippians 4: 5 Hebrews 13: 5 1Corinthians 15: 33-34 |
4. Before Salvation - Dead In Sins
4. After Salvation - Alive Unto God
Colossians 2: 13
(13) And you, being dead in your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him,
having forgiven you all trespasses;
Ephesians 2: 1
(1) And you hath he quickened who were
dead in trespasses and sins.
You were
dead. What does the word “quickened” mean? – “made alive.”
In Luke we read
the story of the Good Samaritan.
Luke 10: 30
(30) And Jesus answering said, a certain man went down from
Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment
and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
Did you know
that the unsaved man is half-dead? He is
alive physically, but he is dead Spiritually.
Illustration
Two students
were working on a science experiment.
They were experimenting with a turtle. And in this experiment, they cut
the head off of the turtle, and the turtle still walked around. They had to
come up with a report on what they had observed. The one student said “Well,
with his head cut off he has to be
dead,” The other
fellow said “He can’t be
dead, because he is
still walking around.” So they agreed together that the turtle was dead, but didn’t know it. There are people in our world who are
dead and they don’t know it!
We begin by
turning to Romans. There are three words I want to apply to this lesson.
Romans 6: 11
(11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed
unto sin, but alive unto God through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Do you remember
what I told you in one of the earlier lessons regarding a basic definition of
Death? Death is separation. Wherever you read it in the Bible – it is always
separation.
What does it
mean when we are “dead indeed unto sin?” In the sight of God we have been separated from sin. That’s what it means. It doesn’t mean that you don’t sin. There are some people who think – because
the Bible says you are dead to sin, that you don’t sin. That isn’t true. That
isn’t what it is talking about. Death is “separation,” and always “separation.”
We are not only
“dead to sin” but we are “alive unto God.”
What happens to a man when he gets saved? – He becomes alive unto God.
The third chapter
of Colossians begins with the word “if.” Here is another example of wrong
interpretation - because of failing to remember. Here is another principle. If
I say it a dozen times, it won’t be too often – you never interpret the third chapter of a book if you haven’t read the second chapter. And you don’t interpret the second if you haven’t read the first. Will you always remember that! And so if
you come across a problem in the third chapter, go back to the preceding chapter, to see if you have an answer.
Colossians 3: 1
(1) If ye then be risen with Christ,
Somebody says: “the
possibility is that it isn’t true of all
believers.” Well, maybe that is true and maybe it isn’t.—
NO – go back to the second chapter.
Colossians 2:12
(12) Buried with him in baptism wherein also ye are risen.
How does God
look on the believer? – You
are already buried and risen with Christ. See – he tells you that in Chapter two.
Now is chapter
three.
Colossians 3: 1
(1) If ye then be risen with
Christ
You see, if it
had been translated “since ye then be risen,” OR because you are
risen,” we would have no problem. The word “if” goes back to chapter two.
Because you
are risen with Christ – what are you to do?
Colossians 3: 1-2
(1) If (because) ye then be
risen with Christ, seek those
things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
(2) Set your affection (not
plural, not affections) on things above, not on
things on the earth.
The Christian,
when he is really orientated in the Scripture, finds out like Paul, this one thing I do. You see, the double-minded man is unstable in all his ways, but when you are really
walking with God, and alive to God, you are not going to be driving in ten directions –
you are going to have one
motive. What is that motive? –
Colossians 3: 1-2 again
(1) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above.
(2) Set your affection on things above, not on things
on the earth.
The more alive to God you become, the more the things of God are going to become alive to you. Doesn’t that make sense? Do you know how
to become detached
from the world? –
get attached to Heaven. Sometimes the Lord takes some of our dear
ones away to make the ties with Heaven just a little nearer. Things will happen
in the lives of believers, to make them cut some of the ties with earth. And if
you won’t do it voluntarily, God has ways of doing it for us.
Illustration
In Philippians
4, there are lessons that come out of this – being alive to God.
Philippians 4: 5
(5) Let your moderation (your
manner of life) be known unto all
men. The Lord is at hand (the Lord is
near by)
That verse is not talking about the Second Coming of Christ. I believe in the Second Coming of Christ, and I believe that the Coming
of Christ is near – but that verse has nothing to do with it. That verse says: let your
manner of life be – The Lord is near by. Alive to God. You don’t need the preacher looking over
your shoulder to make you behave. And you don’t need the Law over your head to
make you behave – if you are alive to God. Alive to God – that means when I sit down
at the table, I can’t eat without giving thanks. – Why? – I am conscious of the fact that God is here. That’s how you are to live. Wherever you
go – the Lord is there.
Hebrews 13: 5
(5) Let your conversation be without covetousness;
I would to God
that every Christian would live the way we are told to live. Let your manner of
life be without covetousness. How are you going to do that?
(5) be content
That is the
worst thing you can say to Saints today. Husbands, be content with your wives. Wives, be content with your husbands. People, be content with your wages. Do you remember that that is exactly what John the Baptist told the
Romans? And they took his head off,
because he dared to stand up and tell those Roman soldiers – “be content with your wages.”
God says for a
Christian to be content. And that takes in a lot of things. Be content with your car. Be content with your house. Be content. Sometimes that is difficult. But listen, there are all kinds of people who
are starving today – and you have a lot to thank God for.
(5) be content with such
things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Now can you put
that together with Philippians? Where is the Lord then? –wherever you go He is. The Lord may not always lead you where you go, but He will always follow where you go. And He will always be there. There are some places where Saints find
themselves, and they can’t say the Lord lead them there, but I know the Lord will be there – because the Lord promised He will never leave you saints. How are you to live? – you are
to live believing
that. Wherever you are – God is there. You are to be alive to God.
Let’s go to 1
Corinthians. I don’t know why God put this in this passage. I still can’t
figure it out. It doesn’t seem to fit, because the whole chapter is talking
about Resurrection –
unless he is applying it to the Resurrected believer
1 Corinthians 15: 33-34
(33) Be not deceived: evil communications
corrupt good manners.
Bad company spoils good manners. I think there should be a lot of preaching on that today –
because there are a lot of people who don’t know anything about manners (in
church, or out of church, or any place.) God talks about good manners. It is one thing to be formal. It is another thing to be reverent. It is one thing to be decent, and another thing to be sloppy. When are you going to have good manners? – When you awake unto Righteousness. You are alive.
Saints are not dead, but some of them are asleep.
(34) Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not
the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
That is why I shout
sometimes. There are saints who are not dead – but they are snoozing. Awake – Awake to what? – Awake to things that are Righteous. Awake to right things. What is Paul talking about? – Oh
you Corinthians, you are living as if God is a thousand miles away – when you
should be living as if the Lord is in the room with you wherever you are. And
if you awake to
the fact that the Lord is with you, and if you awake to the fact that the Lord will never leave you – nothing will detour you from living the
way you ought to live – living in the Presence of the Lord. Do you see where you are alive to? You
are alive to the Presence of
God.
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Before Salvation |
After Salvation |
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5. Far From God Ephesians 2: 11-13 |
5. Nigh To God Ephesians 2: 13 1 Peter 3: 18 Hebrews 10: 19-22 2 Samuel 9 |
5. Before Salvation – Far From God
Ephesians 2: 11-12
(11) Wherefore remember
There are two
things, and it seems like a contradiction, until you see it in Light of the entire Bible. There are some things we are told
to forget. – There are other things we are told to remember. And here is one of those remembrances.
(11) Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles (before you were saved you were a Gentile) … Gentiles
in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision by that which
is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
(12) That at that time ye were without Christ, being
aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of
promise, having no hope, and without God in the
world:
There is the description of the unsaved man. And there is
where you were before you
were saved.
What is it? – far from God.
5. After Salvation – Nigh
Unto God
Ephesians 2: 13
(13) But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off (from
God) are made nigh by the
blood of Christ.
Is there a
difference? Before you
were saved, you were far from God. After you are saved, God is always near by. Before you were saved – Righteousness and
the Lord of Righteousness meant nothing to you. Praise God, we are alive to God. We are saved. And Praise God, the Lord
means something to you when you get on the right side of the fence. After you are saved, you are brought nigh unto God.
1 Peter 3: 18
(18) For Christ also hath
once suffered for sins, the just for the
unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Hebrews 10: 19-22
(19) Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood
of Jesus,
(20) By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us,
through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
(21) And having an high priest
over the house of God.
(22) Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with
pure water.
Turn to the Old Testament with me. It is because we are so
unaccustomed to put the Old Testament into our studies – that I want
to put so much in.
There is a
wonderful illustration of what has happened to you when you got saved. This is
a beautiful story.
2 Samuel 9: 1
(1) And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of
Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?
Just a little
word about the background: – Saul was David’s enemy. And here is David, after he comes to the throne, longing to
be kind to
somebody who belonged to his enemies; because of his heart going out for Jonathan.
Let’s turn to
Titus. It is talking about Christ’s work on our
behalf.
Titus 3: 4-5
(4) But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward
man appeared.
(5) Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he saved us, by
the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
What do we have
in this story in Samuel? We have an example of the kindness and love of God. Do you believe that God is kind? Do you believe that God is love? Do you want a picture? Let’s go back to 2
Samuel. David is longing to show kindness.
2 Samuel 9: 2-3
(2) And there was of the house of Saul (that
is David’s enemy) a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had
called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy
servant is he.
(3) And the king said, Is there not yet any of the
house of Saul,
This is what is quoted in Ephesians 2: 7 that I may
show the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath
yet a son, which is lame on his feet.
Now if you went
back in 2 Samuel to the 4th chapter, you would find out how he became
lame. In the fourth chapter there was warfare, and Mephibosheth was in the care
of a nurse. She was running with him in the war, and as she ran, she fell and she dropped the baby – and he became
lame in his feet.
Can you see any typology in that? It was through a fall, you have your lame feet.
It is pretty hard for you to walk straight isn’t it? It was
by a fall that
you got lame feet.
It was through a fall, Mephibosheth got his lame feet.
2 Samuel 9: 4
(4) And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the
king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo-debar.
All of
these words have meaning. – And when you put them all together “Lo-debar” is “The house of poverty.” Here is this boy who is lame on his feet,
and he is living in poverty. And who is out to fetch him? – David. Can you see yourself in Mephibosheth? – living in a fallen condition with lame feet and in poverty?
2 Samuel 9: 5-6
(5) Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel
from Lo-debar.
David didn’t
send word for him to come – he said “You go out and fetch him.”
Aren’t you glad that God sent out the Spirit to fetch you! You weren’t capable of coming yourself. No man
can come except he be drawn.
(6) Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul,
was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence.
And like all the people ever since, he is a picture of every sinner who ever comes to Christ.
And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!
What do you know about him? – He is lame on his feet. What kind of service can he
bring? – Not very much. He is not capable of serving, and yet he offers to do something for David. That is exactly
what every man
wants to
do, when you start talking about Salvation. He wants to know what he can do to be saved. And here is Mephibosheth
saying “What can I do?”
2 Samuel 9: 7
(7) And David said unto him, Fear not:
I like that.
What was Mephibosheth doing – he was fearing. Who was it that dispelled his fear? – The Lord. Who can dispel your fear now? What is the first message that the Lord brings to your heart when you meet him?
– Fear not.
Here it is
again in verse seven
(7) For I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s
sake, and I will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt
eat bread at my table continually.
I want you to
see what I am reading about in typology. Turn to Ephesians 4. Here is David
sending out for an enemy and bringing him into his house and desiring to show him
kindness – not for
Mephibosheth’s
sake, but he is going to show him kindness for somebody else’s sake.
Ephesians 4: 32
(32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Why is God kind
unto you? – God is kind unto you for Christ’s sake. Why has He forgiven you? – For Jesus’ sake. And what is this story? – David is
going to show kindness unto one of his enemies for Jonathan’s sake. He so loved
Jonathan, that now he is going to love the son of Saul – and he brings
him in and he said: “You will eat bread at my table continually.”
2 Samuel 9: 8
(8) And he (Mephibosheth) bowed
himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
You will never
get the Grace of
God, until you get down and see who you are. And Mephibosheth finally realizes who he
is. All he is is a dead dog
without the mercy of David.
2 Samuel 9: 9-11
(9) Then the king called to Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said unto
him, I have given unto thy master’s son all that pertained to Saul and to all
his house.
(10) Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servant shall till the
land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master’s son may
have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master’s son shall eat bread always at
my table, Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
(11) Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord
the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat
at my table, as one of the king’s sons.
It’s getting
better all the time! He brought him from his place of poverty and David brought him to his own banqueting room. And David said: As long as you live, you
are going to sit here – not as a servant, but you are
going to sit here as a son.
Praise God –
has the Lord brought you
into His banqueting house? Are you a Son
of His? Are you at His
table? How come you are
at His table? – At His invitation. And look at the last verses.
2 Samuel 9: 12-13
(12) And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And
all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.
(13) So Mephibosheth dwelt in
But listen, if
you are sitting at the table, where are your feet? – They are under the table. Mephibosheth had lame feet all
the days of his life. And you are
going to have lame feet all the days of your life too. You won’t have your feet disease
looked after until the Lord Comes. In the mean-time, get at the table. Sit at the
table. Sit as one of
the King’s Sons, and recognize who you
are, and get your feet where they belong. Get your feet under the table. I want to tell you – if you get
your feet under the
table, they are not going to cause you too much trouble. Feed at the King’s
table as one of the King’s sons, and sit there, not for your sake, but for Jesus’ sake. That is how you’ve been accepted.
You are made nigh to God. Near, so very near!
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Before Salvation |
After Salvation |
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6. Under God’s Wrath John 3: 36 Exodus 14: 13 |
6. Under God’s Favour Ephesians
4: 32 Romans 5: 10 |
6. Before Salvation – Under God’s Wrath
This is a subject
that some people don’t like to hear. It is in the Bible, and I won’t labor the
point, but I am going to show you two
things. I will show you, what I consider to be, one of the most sobering verses in the Old Testament. And then later, we will show you
one of the ones like it, in the New Testament.
John 3: 36
(36) He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he
that believeth not the Son, shall not see life;
but the wrath of God abideth on him.
That is not my doctrine – that is Bible doctrine. What is already hanging over the
head of the unsaved
man? – Condemnation,
the wrath of
God. And what does Jesus say? – If you don’t believe, you will be there forever.
Aren’t you glad you are saved! The saved man is under God’s favour. The unsaved man is under God’s wrath. Praise God, I’m in the house of favour.
Like Mephibosheth, I
am in God’s house.
Now for an awful verse. If there is anything you are going
to study in the Bible, you have to put all the Scriptures together on the subject.
Exodus 14: 13
(13) And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and
see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today: for the
Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
This is hard
doctrine, and human beings don’t like this doctrine. But is this not in your
Bible? “ye shall see them no more for ever.” Do you know that there are some people
that you will see for ever, because they are saved. There are some people, when you leave
this world, you will never see them again. And why won’t you see them? – Because
they are lost.
That is what it means to be lost, Lord give us a heart for the lost!
6. After Salvation – Under God’s Favour
Ephesians 4: 32
tells us we have been forgiven for Christ’s sake.
Romans 5: 10
(10) For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled
to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled,
we shall be saved by his life.
I’m glad I’m
under the favour of God!
Illustration
Coming from the
prairies, this means so much more to me. Before there were fields and fences
and roads to obstruct the prairie wool, it would blow around, and pile up
against our buildings. Every fall we had to go out and plow, what they call, “fire
guards.” We would go out and plow some land around every building.
In the spring,
or the fall, a fire would begin. When the fire would begin, and the winds started
to blow, and the prairie wool caught on fire, it would roll up into fire and
smoke, and travel through the air – spreading the fire very quickly.
If you were out
on the prairie and saw the fire coming, there was no sense in running. You couldn’t
get away from it. There was only one safe thing to do. When you were out there and you saw the
fire coming at you – you had to light a fire where you were, in order to burn
the spot around you. It is the same kind of thing that firefighters do, when
fighting forest fires. They start a back-fire to stop the big fire from spreading
any further in that direction.
Then after the
fire that you started, is burned out, you step on that burned out patch. When
you do that, all the billowing waves that are coming in every direction, won’t
touch you. It will go around you, and you will be saved. Why? – Because
you are standing on
the spot
where the fire has passed over. Have you got the illustration?
Do you know
there is one spot on this globe where the fire of the wrath of God has already fallen? There is one spot on
this globe where the wrath has already been kindled – at the cross. And the sinner standing at the foot of
the cross is standing on the place where the Judgment of God can no longer touch. The wrath of God will bypass the spot where you are, because you are
standing on the ground where the wrath of God cannot touch. You are on the place of God’s favour.
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Before Salvation |
After Salvation |
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7. Unbeliever is: Awaiting Death And Judgment. Hebrews 9: 27 Proverbs 10: 24 |
7. Believer is: Awaiting Christ And Glory Philippians
3: 21 Romans 8: 18 1 Peter 1: 3-5 |
7. The Unbeliever Is Awaiting Death and Judgment
Proverbs 10: 24
(24) The fear of the wicked, it shall
come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
Hebrews 9: 27
(27) And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
The Scripture
says: “it is
appointed unto men, once to die,
but after this the judgment.” I suddenly realized that there are a lot
of people who are living in fear today – unsaved people.
Bertram Russell
– that atheist who bragged so much about his atheism, was interviewed on BBC
shortly before he died. The interviewer needled him and said “I want you to be
very honest with me – as you are getting so old, and you know the day of your death is soon going to be here – how do you feel?”
The old man had to say “the nearer I get to death, the more fear I have regarding death.”
Some men won’t be honest, but have you ever
noticed that men, who think they are going to die, start to pray. Why? – Because they have a fear of this thing called death. They are living in fear. Isn’t that awful! All they have to look forward to is death and judgment.
7. The Believer Is Awaiting
Christ & Glory
Let’s look at the
other side. What about the believer? I talked about some of this previously in
our study.
Philippians 3: 21
(21) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look
for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Romans 8:18
(18) For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall
be revealed in us.
Are the sufferings real? You better not try and tell me the
sufferings of this life are not real! They are real for me. Listen, the Glory is
no less real. The Glory is
put along side of it – the Glory that shall be revealed. Listen Saint, you are
headed for Heaven and
Glory –
the Bible says so!
1 Peter 1: 3-5
(3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
A lively hope. What does that mean? How did Peter get his
hope? – By the Resurrection. If
you believe in the Resurrection, it is the Resurrection that
gives a man a living hope.
(4) To an inheritance
incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away,
reserved in heaven for you,
(5) Who are kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the
last time.
Praise God,
I’ve got something to look forward to. According to that verse, God has an inheritance reserved
just for me.
God has something already reserved for me in Heaven. When I get to Heaven, there is going to be a
place for me. Isn’t that good news? Did you ever go to a place, and there was
no room for you? There will be a place for you in Heaven. The Lord has reserved it for you. He is keeping it for you, and he is keeping you in order for you to get the place that He
has for you there.
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Before Salvation |
After Salvation |
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8. The Unsaved Have: No Hope. Ephesians 2: 13 1 Thessalonians 4: 13 |
8. The Saved Have: Hope Hebrews 6: 19-20 Titus 2: 13 1 John 3: 2-3 |
8. Before Salvation – The Unsaved Have No Hope
8. After Salvation – The Saved Have Hope
Ephesians
(13) But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the
blood of Christ.
Without
Salvation you have no hope.
1 Thessalonians 4: 13
(13) But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, (who have died) that ye sorrow not, even as others
which have no hope.
Illustration
We that are
saved, forget. We don’t get it the way we ought to!
Ephesians 2: 12
(12) That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from
the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having
no hope, and without God in the
world.
I don’t know
how many times I’ve been in the presence of death -- mostly
with Saints. I have seen some wonderful home-goings, but on this occasion in 1968, the day after Christmas,
I get a phone call to go to North Regina and make preparation for a funeral. I
didn’t know the name, but I went to this home and made the arrangements. I’ll
tell you a little bit of the story.
This man had
been working in the city of Moose Jaw. He was a steel worker. He fell and
injured his back, and the doctor said he would never walk again, and
that he would never work again. His
wife left him with three little children.
He moved to
But the day
after Christmas she died, for no apparent reason. She just dropped dead at 26 years of age. I
was asked to take the funeral. So here I am presiding at the funeral, and right
in front of me is this man and five little children. I didn’t know anybody in
the congregation. I never had such a time to go through a service - because those
people were wailing. I
had never witnessed that before. But I found out that day what it means to have
no hope. Do you see what I’m getting at? – No hope!
After the
people had gone out, the undertaker and I were standing by the casket. That man
went up to the casket, pulled up the finger of that dead woman, and put a
beautiful diamond
ring on her finger. And after he put on the diamond ring, he put a wedding ring on her finger. They had not married,
and so he married her in death. And there, standing by the casket, that fellow
just threw himself over it, and we could hardly pull him away. That day, I
heard the wail of no hope. No hope! It is an awful thing. But Praise God, when you are saved, it is so different – HOPE!
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Before Salvation |
After Salvation |
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9. Unsaved: Finally, Forever Lost 2 Corinthians 4: 3-4 Luke 19: 10 Jude 13 Matthew 26: 24 |
9. Saved, Forever Saved 1 Corinthians 1: 18 Revelation 21: 24-27 |
We have been
discussing the Doctrine of Salvation. In the lessons that we have had, I have
not been touching on some of the great themes that are connected with this
great doctrine. I did mention the doctrine of Imputation. But I’ve said nothing of God’s Mercy and Grace, and the doctrine of Atonement, the doctrine of Substitution, and Redemption, and Reconciliation, Forgiveness, Propitiation, Justification, Cleansing, and Fellowship. All of those things are actually part of the doctrine of Salvation. But because of our short time, we are only
covering what we consider, those things that will pertain more to life and
living.
9. Unsaved – Finally Forever Lost
As we come to
point #9, we are contrasting, Before and After Salvation. Is there a
difference? – Yes. The unsaved are lost forever, and the saved are saved forever.
2 Corinthians 4: 3-4
(3) But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that WILL BE LOST.
NO-
that is not
what it says. And yet, that is what most people think. I remember when my teacher
taught me 45 years ago. He took a piece of chalk and he threw it. He threw it
behind something and he said “Is that lost – or will it be lost?” There are some people who think they will be lost when they come before the judgment – but
that isn’t
what the text says.
(3) But If our gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost (to
those who are already lost)
Men do not
have to do one more thing to be lost. They are lost already – because the Gospel has not come across
their hearts. And so it is well for us to remember, that people are not going
to be lost after they leave, they are lost now.
(4) In whom the god of this world hath
blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the
light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine
unto them.
In Luke 19, it
is the story of Zacchaeus. To me, it is an illustration of what happens to a man when he meets Jesus.
Luke 19: 1-2, 10
(1) And Jesus entered and passed through
He was rich,
but he was lost.
How do I know that? – After he meets Jesus it says: -still talking about
Zacchaeus:
(2) For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
When Jesus came to town, Zacchaeus was lost. When Jesus left town, Zacchaeus was saved. You see, he didn’t have to do anything. When Jesus came, he was already lost. And men in the world that we face are lost already.
Now in Jude –
the final
state of the lost and it is not pretty reading. The context here: there are men
named here long after they have lived – long after they have died.
Jude Verse 11-13
(11) Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain (and
you know what that is – it is a religion without blood) and ran
greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying
of Core.
(12) These are spots…..
(13) Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame;
wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
That is
what it means to be eternally lost. Men now are in the dark. They are lost. What is eternal damnation? – There it is! In darkness for ever.
Matthew 26 has
to do with Judas. It doesn’t need much of a comment, but it needs to be brought
to the attention of Saints.
Matthew 26: 24
(24) The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that
man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!
Now here is
that awful statement
It had been good for that man if he had not been born.
There is the
Word of God regarding a man who dies in a lost state – “It would be good for him if he had never been born.” When I read those kinds of things, I
thank God, and I Praise God, that I am saved!
9. Saved – Forever Saved
Now on the other side – the believer. Where is the difference?
1 Corinthians 1: 18
(18) For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the
power of God.
Revelation 21: 24-27
(24) And the nations of them which are saved shall walk
in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour
into it.
(25) And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there
shall be no night there.
See the
contrast of what we have read? For the unsaved, darkness for ever. But for the saved there is no night there.
(26) And they shall bring glory and honour of the nations into it.
(27) And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that
defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie: but they
which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Praise the Lord – when
you are saved,
Your name is written down in God’s Book.
That is what matters, and that is what counts.