[0:00] Basil's Good evening folks and it's nice to be with you again.
[0:40] We just pray as we come around God's word that he'll bless this time to us, bless his word to us especially and that we might experience his own presence in our midst as well.
[0:55] So let's begin, let's sing together in Psalm 85 and we'll sing from verse 6 down to the end of the psalm.
[1:13] Psalm 85 from verse 6 down to the end. Psalm 86 May I keep the joy, wilt thou not as we thrive?
[2:02] Show us thy mercy, Lord, to us could thy salvation give.
[2:18] I'll hear what God the Lord will seek. To his full guilty peace.
[2:36] How to his sins, but let them not return to the foolishness.
[2:53] To them that fear and truly near. This is the salvation of glory in the Lord.
[3:17] God, who may have a heart of the temptation, Threat met with mercy, righteousness, and peace yet, through holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy holy I'll give her a job to rend me, just if to take us in his day, shall hold me for his face.
[4:42] Well, let's join together and pray.
[4:52] Our Father in heaven, as we seek to draw near to you this evening, we just truly thank you that it's around your word that we're found.
[5:06] We thank you, Father, that we have the freedom to come and to worship. We thank you, Father, for the blessings that you give to us, and all your provisions.
[5:22] And we bless you, Father, that you are God. We thank you that you are the one who has created all things.
[5:34] That you are the Alpha and the Omega. That you are the first and the last. And we just bless you and thank you, O Lord, that you have not left us to ourselves in any way.
[5:53] And that when you have seen, when you have looked upon us, a sinful human race, that you have had mercy upon us.
[6:06] And that you have provided a way of salvation. The gift of your Son, Jesus Christ.
[6:16] And we thank you for your sacrifice. We thank you for his death. For his giving of himself on that cross at Calvary.
[6:29] And just as we've been singing, where truth and mercy have made, and righteousness and peace have kissed mutually.
[6:42] And we bless you, O Lord, for his perfect obedience. And we bless you, Father, that his sacrifice has satisfied the divine justice that was required for sin.
[7:00] And we just bless you and thank you, Father, for his resurrection. And because he loves, so all your people shall love us well.
[7:13] And we thank you, Father, for his grace, that our Savior has returned to his glory, where he is over all things that are happening in this world.
[7:26] And though that is beyond our finite and human minds, Lord, yet by faith, we believe these things. And we just thank you, Father, that you promise in your word that for everyone who puts their trust and faith in Jesus Christ, that they shall be kept.
[7:49] That not one of them can ever be lost. And we thank you, Father, for the intimate knowledge that you have of each one of us.
[8:05] That you search us. That you know us. And you know our thoughts before we even think them. And the words in our mouths before we speak them.
[8:20] You know our going in. You know our coming out. Wherever we go, Lord, there is nowhere that we can be away from you. And we thank you that you have promised to keep us each and every day that we're on this earth.
[8:42] And we just seek to give you all the honour and the praise and the glory. And for all of your people, Lord, truly giving thanks for the love that you have and that you have showed upon each one.
[9:07] That love of God that is shed abroad in the hearts of each of your people. And giving thanks for the joy.
[9:19] The joy of the Lord that is just inexpressible, just full of glory. And that foundational peace. A peace which passes all understanding and which is inexplainable.
[9:37] And yet precious gifts, Lord. Your precious grace gifted to your people. A grace that enables them to believe by faith in Jesus Christ.
[9:52] The word has been made flesh. And we thank you for all the promises that there are in your word.
[10:05] That you are there to lead and to feed and to guide your people. And that you shall take them home. Each and every one to be with the Lord forever.
[10:21] In that place where there is no more death and no more tears. No more sorrow, no more sigh. For all of these former things shall be passed away.
[10:36] And we just bless you for the surety of your promises. That not one of them has ever failed and not one of them can ever fail.
[10:48] And we just pray, Lord. Giving thanks. For we must confess that we are just unworthy of even the least of your mercies.
[11:01] And we confess, Lord, that we sin before you in thought. And in word and in all that we do as well. For thanks be to you, Lord, for your mercy, your love, your long suffering.
[11:21] Each and every moment of our lives. And so we ask, Lord, that you would bless us here in our meeting.
[11:32] We pray that you would bless this congregation. And we pray that you would just keep each and every one united together in this time of vacancy.
[11:49] That they would be of one mind and one accord as you seek to establish a way forward. And to call minister and pastor over them once again.
[12:03] And we know, Father, it can be a difficult time. We know it can cause concern and worry. And it can cause some forms of desperation that nothing is going to happen.
[12:20] But help us, each one, Lord, just to rest in the Lord. To rest in the Lord. Believing that you will indeed provide.
[12:31] So, Lord, keep unity. Pray, not just here, but in each congregation that is vacant. At a time when we look around our islands and see six vacant congregations.
[12:47] Something that we haven't really been used to in the past at all. But, Lord, we just depend on you.
[12:58] And trust in you. That you will provide for each and every one. We pray, Father, that you would put into the hearts of men all around this island and beyond.
[13:13] And we just put into the hearts and minds of them, Lord. To consider that great calling.
[13:24] We pray that you would just draw men to yourself. And that you would raise up a generation that would truly serve the Lord.
[13:35] Pray for this community here this evening. This whole community that is served by the congregation. And we just ask, Lord, that you would bless the community.
[13:47] Thank you for everything that is done in it. And we just pray, Lord, remembering especially the many tonight. Who seem to have no concern for their souls.
[14:03] No concern for the gospel. No concern to be within your house, Lord. We just pray that you would change that mindset.
[14:16] We pray that you would just come with a reviving power. And that we would see days when this gospel is just flourishing here throughout this community, Lord.
[14:30] And throughout that island and our country and nation. And we confess, Lord. And we confess, Lord. That we are a people and a country and a nation that just seems to be going as far away as possible from what your word tells us.
[14:52] And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord, for those in leadership over us.
[15:09] And we pray, Father, that you would break into their lives. And we pray that we may see men and women in these positions that would lead us in the ways of the Lord and the paths of righteousness.
[15:28] And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord.
[15:39] And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord.
[15:50] And we pray, Lord. And we pray, Lord. each and every one to you. Remembering especially your people who are there as well. And asking Lord that you would protect them and that they would have that awareness of your close presence with them as they conduct their business there.
[16:12] Bless the royal family Lord. Bless our king and his queen and we just pray that you would bless all of them. And we just ask Lord that they also would be mindful and have a real and genuine concern for the gospel of Christ and that we might be led in these ways.
[16:38] And so we commit them all to you Lord and just pray. Pray for change. We just pray that you would look upon us and that you would have mercy upon us that you would be that you would be patient with us Lord.
[16:56] We just ask that you would turn us and take us back to yourself. And not just those in authority but people right throughout the whole of our kingdom.
[17:08] we pray Father for your own people all over the world this evening. So many in places that have their own dangers and so many of your people in danger.
[17:28] So many fearful for their lives this evening. So many cast into prison and all because they love Jesus and are not prepared to renege that faith.
[17:44] And we just pray your protection for them also and your close presence with them. Remember the places where there's war.
[17:55] we thank you at this time for the relative peace and calm that there is in Gaza. And we pray that that would be a lasting peace.
[18:10] And Lord we just pray for for peace right throughout the world. Whether our war shall carry some in the news so often and others not in the news.
[18:23] and very often all that has been done the atrocities against your own people are the very places that are not reported.
[18:35] But we just pray for all of your people. And we pray for the places where there is war this evening. And so now we ask Lord as we continue in our service of worship here that we would have that peace with just all around us this evening.
[18:59] Just so aware that the devil is never far away just seeking to snatch away the seed. Just seeking the Lord to to black the minds of people to divert the minds of people.
[19:17] And we just pray that for each and every one of us here this evening that we will be a true and real focus on your word as we consider the precious the preciousness of this evening.
[19:31] So bless us we pray and lead us and guide us in our way and forgive us all of our sins in Jesus name for his sake. Amen.
[19:42] Let's sing again this term in Psalm 106 Let's sing in Psalm 106 from the beginning beginning of the Psalm down to the verse Mark 5 just four stanzas give praise and thanks unto the Lord for bountiful is he his tender mercy doth endure unto eternity God's mighty what who can express or show forth all his praise bless the day that judgment keep and justly do always sing verses Mark 1 to 5 God's praise to praise the thang to the
[20:48] Lord for bountiful is he his tender mercy he does endure!
[21:07] He endure until eternity! He does endure until eternity God's mighty word who can express for!
[21:27] for all his face! bless! He!
[21:38] He will be He will be He be! will!
[21:48] do always He will be! He will be in the love with time to line the scheme with Thine salvation O my God to listen me from near that I thy chosen did make see how in their joy rejoice how they with thy benevolent cry up with cheerful eyes peace
[23:11] I turn with the New Testament to 2nd Corinthians and chapter 5 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 I will read the whole of this chapter chapter!
[23:46] For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens for in this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven if so be that being closed we shall not be found naked for we that are in this tabernacle do groan being burdened not for that we would be unclosed but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life now he that he that hath wrought as for the self same thing as God who also hath given unto us the earnest of the spirit therefore we are always confident knowing that whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the
[24:48] Lord for we walk by faith not by sight and we are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord wherefore we labour that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he has done whether it be good or bad and knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men but we are made manifest unto God and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences for we commend not ourselves again unto you but give you occasion to glory on our behalf that you may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance and not in heart for whether we be beside ourselves it is to
[25:50] God or whether we be sober it is for your cause for the love of Christ constrain of us because we thus judge that if one died for all then we are all dead and that he died for all the day which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose again wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh yea though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now henceforth!
[26:25] know we him no more and therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new and all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing nor trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation now then we are ambassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we prayed you in Christ's stead be you reconciled to God for he has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him amen and may
[27:28] God bless to us that reading of his word and to his name be the praise and the glory well before we consider some aspects of that chapter let's sing again in Psalm 103 Psalm 103 and we'll sing the verses Mark 8 down to 13 Psalm 103 at verse 8 The Lord our God is merciful and he is gracious long suffering and slow to wrath and mercy plenteous he will not chide continually nor keep his anger still with us he dealt not as we sin nor did required I will to verse 13 such pity as a father hath unto his children dear like pity shows the
[28:29] Lord is such as worship him in fear verses 8 to 13 to God's praise! good Lord our God is merciful!
[28:45] and he is! he is! he is gracious! he he!
[29:11] he will not guide continually nor keep his anger still with us he have no dust we sin nor did we find the hill for us to heaven in his side they are sun by and fire so great to those that could be his kingdom her trees are as far as he is distant from the west so far that he promised we remain in his heart nor are in with he such pity as as the father have the children near!
[31:04] like the teacher the Lord to search as worship him in fear in fear!
[31:24] I turn with me then just back to 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and I'd like us to consider especially the last verse verse 21 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 For he has made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
[31:59] This text that we have here is very much a summary of the gospel what God did at Calvary and it's not just core of Paul's preaching but it's certainly a fulfilment of prophecy and perhaps as we go through just different aspects of this verse keep in mind right throughout it that other great verse from John chapter 3 and verse 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life and what I'd like to do is just to look at this under three headings first of all to ask the question why did Jesus have to die man and why did he have to go to that cross of
[33:03] Calvary and then to consider secondly how he was made sin as it says here he has made him to be sin and then thirdly and finally just to consider aspects of the positive effect of his death the sacrifice death and resurrection so first of all then why did Jesus have to die I think the first thing we need to consider is that God just cannot ignore the rebellious nature of humanity since the fall what Adam and Eve did as our representatives in outright disobedience to God's command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of life what they did there as our representatives did not just concern themselves but sadly the whole human race that follows them right through to the end of the world it affects everybody they were our representatives in just the same way as we have well let's just say that in a congregation there are office bearers who are representative of the congregation we have councillors who are representative of the region we have our
[34:44] MSPs our MPs and they are representative of the people throughout Scotland and the UK respectively and whatever decisions they make as representatives then it affects every one of us that's probably the closest analogy that can get to Adam and Eve representing being representatives of the human race and so the consequences of their actions are also transferred on to everybody that they represent that being us and the whole human race they sinned against God and when they ate of the tree the fruit of the tree they became sinful human beings and they lost everything they lost their righteousness the righteousness that they had the perfect righteousness they lost their holiness they lost their pure innocence their perfect relationship with God they lost all of that and there was no going back on that in any way at all because of their disobedience and I'm sure most if not all of us here will know the outcome of all of that when God came and they were immediately aware of their nakedness and the shame
[36:18] God came into the garden and then God God judged them on that on their disobedience and God expelled Adam and Eve out of the garden and down into the darkness of this sinful world banished from his presence and they were plunged into spiritual darkness immediately they sinned they were plunged into spiritual darkness and so they come under the wrath and curse of God and so sin is now attributed to every person of the human race who will ever live and that's the reason why both sin and death are universal and because we as human beings are confronted with sin and evil in so many different ways in our lives and we all know about that whether we're believers or unbelievers we're all aware of the evil and the sin and the depravity that there is in this world and the sad thing is and it's something we need to be wary of and it's something we need to be in regard about is that we can very easily become desensitized to sin and the more that this world's message gets across and infiltrates into our minds then we can perhaps see sin being less harmful as we go on and that's a very dangerous place to be in it should be the opposite as we move on in life we should be seeing sin as more and more of an abomination and guarding against it so we really need to guard against this desensitization of sin thankfully our God who is a holy
[38:33] God he has had mercy upon us but his word is also crystal clear and that is all sin is an abomination to him God cannot look at sin and we'll come to that as we consider that aspect of Christ on the cross God cannot look at sin and he cannot excuse sin and the Bible says that not one of us there is no one who is righteous not even one person there is no one who is righteous we are all born into sin and we are born sinners and that's a fact now this is something that I want to mention to say perhaps if I have time I'll come back to at the end but consider this just now about for anyone who is not a believer anyone who has not come to faith in
[39:38] Christ this is what God says about them and Paul has recorded this in Ephesians chapter 2 in verses 1 to 3 he speaks of the Ephesians believers and he says and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in times past you walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whom also we all had a conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and whereby nature the children of wrath even as others but he repeats well not repeated but he goes further again in verses 11 and 12 and he says wherefore remember that you being in time past gentles in the flesh you are called on circumcision by that which is called the circumcision in flesh made by hands that at that time you were without
[40:48] Christ being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world that's frightening and that is the situation of any person who has not put their trust and faith in Jesus Christ Christ these are frightening words and really need to be taken to heart and so as we can as we see right throughout the scriptures and as we're told in the gospel there was no human initiative for resource that could open the way back into Eden or into God's presence that was impossible for any human being to do on their own so something had to be done for there to be any possibility of reconciliation between
[41:48] God and mankind in the Old Testament what we understand to be the Old Covenant prior to Jesus coming to the New Testament in the Old Testament God chose a people to be his own from the nation Israel and he gave them his law to keep and in his mercy he made covenant promises to them and he set out the sacrificial system and that was a way of a peace in his wrath against sin and also for restoring fellowship between God and his people at that time and the significance in the sacrificial system of taking the life of an animal was twofold firstly it symbolized the death of the offerer it symbolized the death of the offerer because the wages of sin is death and secondly the animal was a substitute the animal was an atonement for sin so that
[43:06] God instituted that system in the old covenant but sadly the people of Israel and that old covenant they couldn't keep the law we can't keep the law either no human could keep the law perfectly in any way shape or form they constantly sinned against God turning away from him in apostasy time after time after time as we read through the old testament you see that so clearly time after time they failed because they were sinful human beings and it was impossible for them to be perfectly obedient God had mercy on them and he gave them leaders he gave them a king when they had no king he gave them judges and for a time they would come back to him but they would keep turning back to sin and apostasy and that's the way it's gone right throughout the whole scripture but thankfully in his time
[44:12] God sent the promised Messiah Jesus Christ and we ask the question why well the answer is because this is the mission of God and his mission is a rescue mission and it's a rescue mission to save lost souls just you and me that's his purpose and the text tells us here the reason for it is for our sake for our sake and it leads us on to a second point because it tells us for our sake he God has made Jesus to be sin who knew no sin how did that happen it means that God the father made
[45:14] Jesus to be regarded and treated as sin even though Jesus himself never sinned Jesus was without sin and he could not have taken the place of sinners if he had even one failing it would have been impossible for him to go in our place if there was even one failing about Jesus Christ or about his character remember the old testament animal sacrifices as well it tells us very clearly that particularly on the day of atonement the animals had to be without blemish they had to be perfect as far as possible remember this great word from John the Baptist that day when he saw
[46:16] Jesus coming towards him to be baptised he looked and he said to him behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world that was John the Baptist testament and Jesus was that perfect sportless Lamb and it's critical for us to understand that in his humanity Jesus did experience all things and scripture is recorded for us that Jesus he experienced all things and yet he was sinless and yet he still went to that altar to that cross at Calvary as a sin bearer he was made to be sin how that happened the best way I think that we can understand it more is that our sin was imputed to him
[47:21] God did that and what that means is that word imputed I think the closest one to it is probably our sin was attributed to Jesus it was attributed to him and it was attributed to him for him to deal with it he went to Calvary to that cross that sacrifice that he made he went there willingly he was held accountable he was there in our place and he stood before his accusers as if he were guilty he was carried and I know this is hard to explain I'm probably not doing a very good job of it but it's as if he were the guilty one carrying our sins he went there to make atonement for sin and he didn't just go there as a substitute for us in our place but he was also to pay the penalty for our sin and that's what's called in theological terms penal substitution he was a substitute who paid the penalty did he deserve this well in
[49:00] John chapter 8 where Jesus declares himself to be the light of the world he asked the Pharisees and the Jews and he leaders this question and he says can any one of you prove me guilty of sin that's in John chapter 8 and it went unanswered that day not one of them could answer and it remains unanswered ever since now that's significant and that's solid he himself is not guilty of any act of sin and scripture endorses this and especially Peter and John in their epistles and they were eyewitnesses but also Paul from his experience with the Lord as well and how Paul was enlightened in the scriptures and the words when it was applied to him with proper meaning it was clear that these men who followed on with the teachings after
[50:11] Jesus death they endorsed everything that was said about Jesus that he was without sin and yet Jesus went to Calvary willingly he went before his accusers as an innocent man they went round and round in circles trying to find something against him they found nothing and eventually eventually what they did was they resorted to paying false witnesses to stand and to speak against him in other words the very thing that Christ came to make atonement for was the very thing that put him to death the sin and the deceit and the corruption and the lies of human beings before his accusers Christ spoke not a word but the silence of the
[51:17] Lamb of God it actually spoke volumes holy He took our sin and guilt to the cross and he was judged on that account.
[51:29] And it constituted, as it were, the sin of the world or the sin of all his people. God took the initiative and this was in keeping with his covenant promises.
[51:44] The condemnation of all his people was carried by Christ on the cross. And he endured the full wrath and curse of God.
[51:59] He experienced hell before he died. In this three years of darkness we are not told much. But we have snippets of what we understand to be the case.
[52:13] He bore that responsibility and all that he experienced. Just so that you and I would not have to be in it. Now that's love.
[52:27] That really is love. And after the earth of darkness on the cross is a nightward sign of this eternal transaction that took place.
[52:40] What we have here in this 21st verse of 2 Corinthians 5. I just think that this has moved on from that first call that we have recorded for us in scripture.
[52:59] Adam, where are you? And the price that had to be paid for Adam's sin resulted in, My God, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
[53:15] He was a sin bearer. God cannot look at sin. And God had to turn away from the sin bearer at that particular time.
[53:26] He suffered the consequences of sin that was due to us. And he experienced, he experienced what we ought to have experienced.
[53:43] And I think these verses in Isaiah 53, Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did not esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.
[53:58] But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. And it's with his stripes that we are healed.
[54:10] With his stripes that we are healed. A prophecy that we have in scripture almost approximately 700 years before the actual event of Calvary to decrease.
[54:26] And therein, therein lies the awesome love of God acting on our behalf. And the words that we sang in Psalm 85, these wonderful words, truth met with mercy and righteousness and peace kissed.
[54:47] That's another summary of the gospel as well. In its own way. And that is that the mercy, the mercy of God looked upon the truth of the word that was now being perfectly fulfilled in and through Jesus Christ.
[55:04] And they met. They met on that cross at Calvary. And the outcome of that was that righteousness, both righteousness and peace kissed together.
[55:20] The law was fulfilled. And atonement was made. And that was what was required. And grim and awful as the crucifixion was, it is nevertheless the greatest expression of God's love for mankind and is focused in Jesus.
[55:43] It's all of Jesus. And this is a new covenant. This is a new way that has been opened up in and through Jesus Christ.
[55:54] And only by faith in Jesus Christ. As we're reminded in John chapter 14, Jesus makes it very clear, I am the way, the truth and the life, and no one shall come to the Father except through me.
[56:12] The question is, do you accept that? And do you believe it? And do you acknowledge it?
[56:25] Because everything depends on your answer, on your honest, truthful answer to that. So let's look briefly and finally at the positive effect of Christ's death.
[56:40] Because it says here in him, we become the righteousness of God. All of us are trust and faith in Jesus have now received the righteousness of God.
[56:52] If you ask me, do I recognize that? And do I feel it? I would have to say no.
[57:03] But if you ask me, do I believe it? The answer is yes. Because God's word tells me. Tells me very clearly. He was made to be sin.
[57:17] So that we might be made righteous. He was condemned that we might be justified. His death was in place of our spiritual death.
[57:31] Not our physical death, but our spiritual death. And this means that just as God imputed or attributed our sin and guilt to Christ, it was made to be sin, so God imputes the righteousness of Christ Christ to all who believe in him.
[57:53] That's this great transaction. And that's the love of God in action through the cross of Calvary, through his Son. And because Christ bore the sins of those who believe, God regards and treats believers as having this legal status of righteousness.
[58:16] And it's hard, perhaps, even for every one of us who are believers in here this evening, or wherever believers may be, it's hard to think of ourselves as being righteous.
[58:32] God looks upon every believer in and through Jesus Christ. God sees us, therefore, as righteous in his sight.
[58:55] God sees us as perfect. God sees us as holy. God sees us as holy. God sees us as holy. God sees us as holy. God sees us as holy. It's quite a thought, isn't it? So this martyr's purpose of the Father's act in making Christ to be sin was so that believers become the righteousness of God in heaven.
[59:18] And not only does the believer receive this right standing from God as a gift on the basis of faith in Jesus, but Paul says here that in Christ, the believer in some sense actually shares the righteousness that characterises God himself.
[59:52] Being made holy and growing in grace and growing in that holiness as he goes through life. Everyone, all believers, treated us forgiven.
[60:08] All believers with this living hope. Now we think of this word hope and it's like a very casual word to us in this world, isn't it?
[60:19] It's like, I hope this is going to happen or I hope that's going to happen or I hope it's going to turn out like this or something like that. But we don't really know.
[60:31] But this hope that we have in and through Jesus Christ is a living and true hope. and it is perfect.
[60:45] It's very different to how we treat the word hope in this world. And the reason, one of the reasons at least, why we can trust it is because Jesus has risen from the dead.
[61:04] He has overcome death and He has overcome sin and He has overcome evil. Jesus Christ has won the battle.
[61:17] Just as it was said in Genesis, as God was judging Adam and Eve, He said that the serpent shall bruise your heel but you shall bruise the head of the serpent.
[61:30] and Christ has overcome. He's alive today and He sits at the right hand of the throne and high.
[61:45] So I ask the question again as we conclude, do you believe that? Do you believe that Christ has overcome?
[61:56] He has a victory. He has risen. He is alive again. And He is in control. The right hand of the throne and high. Until He comes back again to judge the world.
[62:14] That's the question. Do you believe that enough to put your trust and faith in Jesus? Jesus. Because this is nothing of ourselves.
[62:31] And everyone with faith in Christ will say exactly the same thing. It's nothing of me. It could never be anything of me. It's going to be all of God. All of grace.
[62:42] That's all that could have saved me. Nothing else. So if there's anyone here thinking, if you're not a believer and you think, well, maybe, maybe I'm just good enough because I'm not, I'm not a bad person.
[63:00] I don't do really bad things. And I live my life as best I can. So maybe I'm alright in God's sight as well. No. It doesn't matter how you live.
[63:11] It doesn't matter what you do. It's by grace alone. The gift of God. You can never do anything personally as a human being to work your way into the favour of God.
[63:27] Let's get just clear on that. And that's why it's so important for when God gives us his word like this so clearly and so understandably and so so important that we go to him and if you're not a believer go to him and plead with him to come into your life because you need the gift of his grace in your life.
[64:00] And that's what's needed. That grace enables you to believe. Remember the call of the Philippian jailer in Acts chapter 16 he called out to Paul and Silas what does I do to be saved.
[64:17] And they said believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. And he obviously turned to God. God gifted him his grace and he believed.
[64:30] It's grace that's required. And I plead with any of you who may be healed this evening if you're not a child of God please go to him and cry out for that mercy and for his precious gift of grace.
[64:50] He offers that to you and all I can say in closing is you know this is very true that God loves you so much that he came himself to suffer and to die in the person of his son so that you can be made like him and so that you can be with him throughout the endless ages of eternity.
[65:22] And that's all that matters. Nothing has matters in this world because when you leave this world you're taking nothing with you. All you can take with you if there is one thing is God's grace.
[65:39] And that if you have that then you are seen as righteous and you shall be with him throughout the endless ages of eternity. Think in this verse for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
[66:05] May he bless these thoughts to us. Let's close our service. We'll sing in Psalm 116 Psalm 116 and we'll sing the verses 1 to 7 these beautiful words verses 1 to 7 I love the Lord because my voice and prayers he did hear I while I live will call on him who bowed to me his ear of death the cords and sorrows did about me compass round the pains of hell took hold in me I grief and trouble found upon the name of God the Lord then did I call and see deliver thy my soul O Lord I do thee humbly pray just as we can consider that's the prayer and it's going to be a prayer that is genuine and true may God bless that let's sing these words together verses 1 to 7 to God's praise
[67:16] I love the Lord because my voice and pray that he did hear I while I live will call on him the valley to me is here of death the courts and sorrow still have had me compass right the pain of help to hold on me
[68:19] I keep and trouble find the honor the name of God the Lord then did I call and say deliver thou my soul O Lord I do he humbly pray God merciful!
[69:07] and righteous is a gracious sister God God saves the he I was!
[69:29] strong Lord he did me help afford O thou my soul to thy return return unto thy quiet rest born our sea love the Lord to thee his pout he hath his grace amen close for the benediction now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit rest upon and abide with each one of you now and always amen