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Well, please turn with me in 
your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 8 for our meditation 
before we participate in the Lord's Supper. 2 Corinthians chapter 8. I'll read 
the chapter and our focus this evening will be on verse 9. Beginning 
in verse 1, "...Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace 
of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia, that in a great 
trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty 
abounded in the riches of their liberality." For I bear witness 
that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, 
they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we 
would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering 
to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, 
but they first gave themselves to the Lord and then to us Excuse me, I lost my place. And 
not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to 
the Lord and then to us by the will of God. So we urge Titus 
that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you 
as well. But as you abound in everything, 
in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your 
love for us, see that you abound in this grace also. I speak not 
by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by 
the diligence of others. For you know the grace of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes 
he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich. And in this I give advice. It 
is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and 
were desiring to do a year ago, but now you also must complete 
the doing of it. That as there was a readiness 
to desire it, so there also may be a completion of what you have. 
For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according 
to what one has, and not according to what he does not have. I do 
not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but by 
an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply 
their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack, that 
there may be equality. As it is written, he who gathered 
much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no 
lack. But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for 
you into the heart of Titus. For he not only accepted the 
exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord. 
And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the 
gospel throughout all the churches. And not only that, but who was 
also chosen by the churches to travel with us with us with this 
gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself, 
and to show your ready mind, avoiding this, that anyone should 
blame us in this lavish gift, which is administered by us, 
providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, 
but also in the sight of men. And we have sent with them our 
brother, whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but 
now much more diligent because of the great confidence which 
we have in you. If anyone inquires about Titus, 
he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren 
are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the 
glory of Christ. Therefore, show to them and before 
the churches the proof of your love and of our boasting on your 
behalf. Amen. Let us pray. Father, thank 
you for the Word of God and thank you for this opportunity to worship 
the God of the Word. We ask that your Spirit would 
be at work in our hearts and minds. We pray that we would 
see the glory of Christ as so clearly displayed in verse 9. 
We thank you that though He was rich, He became poor for us, 
that we through His poverty might become rich. We thank you for 
the riches that we possess in Him. We thank you for every spiritual 
blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. We thank you for the 
power of your Spirit and we pray that He would be with us now 
and guide us and lead us and direct us into all truth. As 
well, Father, forgive us for our sins and unrighteousness. 
Cleanse us in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. For those, 
God, who do not have ears to hear, we pray that you would 
be at work in their minds and in their hearts, and open hearts 
to receive the word of the living and true God. And we pray these 
things through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, specifically 
what Paul is doing is he's appealing to the Corinthian church in this 
section to give, to engage in Christian charity, and to do 
so very liberally. He urges them to persevere in 
what they had begun. Notice in verses 10 and 11. He 
says, and in this I give advice. It is to your advantage not only 
to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago, 
but now you also must complete the doing of it, that as there 
was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion 
out of what you have." It's good to want to give, but it's better 
to persevere and actually give. That's what the Apostle emphasizes. He urges two specific examples 
upon the Corinthians to stimulate this charity among them. He cites 
first the churches of Macedonia. Notice in verse 1. Moreover, 
brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on 
the churches of Macedonia. Philippi, the church in Philippi, 
was one of those particulars. And we know from reading That 
letter that Paul wrote to the Philippians, they were benevolent. 
They were very charitable. They were very gracious to the 
Apostle Paul. In fact, that's how they had 
correspondence with him. They had a man in their church 
named Epaphroditus, and they sent Epaphroditus to visit the 
Apostle Paul while he was in prison to bring him specific 
goods to help him while he was in his imprisonment. So the churches 
of Macedonia were very liberal, very charitable, very gracious. And notice that they did so from 
a posture of poverty. It's not like they had an abundance, 
but rather from what little they had, they were very willing to 
share that. He says in verse 2 that in a 
great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their 
deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. So 
while they did not have much in terms of physical resources, 
what they did have, they wanted to give. And the emphasis of 
the specific target in terms of giving was famine relief in 
Judea. And so the Apostle says, for 
I bear witness that according to their ability, verse 3, And 
yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring 
us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the 
fellowship of the ministering to the saints. So he appeals 
to the Corinthians to follow the lead of the Macedonian churches. But secondly, he appeals to the 
example of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that's what we find in verse 
9. John Murray makes a wonderful 
observation in this particular context, and it's one that I 
think we ought to visit a few times as we consider this particular 
text. Notice the impetus behind practical 
Christianity. If you look at Christianity, 
there's doctrinal study, there's things like the Trinity, covenant 
theology, predestination, election, sovereignty, all those things 
that the Christian pursues. And then we have this category 
of practical theology. How do we become better husbands, 
or better wives, or better fathers, or better children? Well, in 
this particular instance, I think we would all agree that Christian 
charity or liberality or giving to relieve the sufferings of 
others is a very practical doctrine. It's a very practical application 
in terms of Christianity. Notice how the apostle uses theology, 
specifically Christology, the doctrine of Christ, to make this 
appeal to them that they would indeed dig deep and give to the 
churches of Judea. In other words, the best way 
to promote a robust, practical Christianity is to understand 
doctrine. It is to understand theology. It is to understand the Word 
of God and the truth, because that moves the Christian. Paul does not guilt manipulate. 
Paul does not show pictures of the suffering ones in Judea, 
but rather he sets before them the glory of Christ. When the 
true saint of God ponders the majesty of Jesus, who, though 
he was rich, became poor, that Christian, having received those 
benefits as the result of Christ's finished work, wants to give 
to others. He wants to be a godly man. He 
wants to be a godly woman. He wants to do those things that 
are pleasing to his Lord. Sound doctrinal theology is the 
best thing that drives practical Christian ethics. Murray says 
it this way, the simple logic of this verse is that the most 
transcendent mysteries of our holy faith are the fountain springs 
of the most common and practical of Christian duties. He says, 
the streams of Christian liberality are fed from the ocean of the 
mysteries of God. Now, I don't know if you've ever 
met those Christians who say, you know, I don't want all that 
doctrine. I don't want all that heady theology. I don't want to spend time poring 
over the Bible and big books on theology or confessions. I 
just want to love Jesus. I just want to do good things 
for Jesus. It's admirable to just want to 
love Jesus. It's very admirable to want to 
do good things for Jesus. But the Bible links orthopraxy, 
which is doing good things for Jesus, with orthodoxy. That means sound doctrine concerning 
Jesus. So the apostle here appeals to 
them concerning things that they already know concerning the Lord 
Jesus Christ. So as we look at verse 8, we'll 
look at it in two sections. First, the riches of Christ, 
and secondly, the poverty of Christ. Note first, with reference 
to the riches of Christ, Paul's assumption. He says, for you 
know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. He appeals to something 
they already understood. He appeals to something they 
already were conscious of. He appeals to something that 
they, in their Christian experience, had come to grips with. Christology, 
the doctrine of the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Charles Hodge says specifically 
here, the fact referred to including the highest mystery of the gospel, 
Specifically, the incarnation of the Son of God or the manifestation 
of God in the flesh and the love therein manifested is assumed 
to be known and acknowledged by all who call themselves Christians. Now I'm not asking for everybody 
to be able to recite the paragraph in our confession that deals 
with the union of the natures in the one person of the Lord 
Jesus. But to have some sort of a conceptual understanding, 
you must have that. You must know certain things 
about Christ and about the glory of the gospel. And Paul assumes 
that these people in Corinth will have known these particulars. 
It is very important for you to study the Bible. It is important 
for you to be under-preaching. It is important for you to be 
taught good, sound Christology and good theology, so that practically 
you can serve the Lord God Most High with all your heart, your 
soul, your mind and strength. Notice the content of the knowledge 
that they had. You know the grace of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, This is a reference 
to the deity, or the divinity, or the godhood of our Lord Jesus. It doesn't have to refer, it 
doesn't refer specifically to what is Christ's in terms of 
his exaltation. After Christ died, he rose again, 
he was exalted to the right hand of the majesty on high. No, Paul 
is looking before that. He's speaking of the fact that 
Jesus was rich, yet he became poor. The emphasis here is that 
the God of heaven and earth left that throne, God the Son, and 
came into this world. Paul says that though he was 
rich, and it's interesting the way that he speaks of this. He 
was rich. This describes him essentially. This describes what he always 
was. It describes what he will always be. But then it says he 
became poor. was rich, became poor. John does 
this in John 1.1 and John 1.14. John 1.1, he says, in the beginning 
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He didn't become God. He has 
eternally existed as God. John 1.14, the Word, that same 
Word in John 1.1, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and 
we beheld His glory. So when the Apostle appeals to 
the Corinthians with the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, It 
is different than when he appeals to the Macedonians. The Macedonians 
gave from their poverty. The Lord Christ gave from His 
riches. And specifically, though He was 
rich, yet for your sakes He became poor. As I've said, the riches 
of Christ here do not point to what are His by virtue of His 
exaltation to the right hand of the Father, but points to 
the divine nature, His very being, what He is essentially. The reference 
is to His pre-existence and the poverty is seen in the incarnation. Christ in His pre-existent glory 
was praised by the angels. That's riches, isn't it? Christ in his pre-existent glory 
was praised by the host of Evan. Isaiah chapter 6, the prophet 
gets a view of the throne room of God in the year that King 
Uzziah died. I saw the Lord high and lofty, 
the train of his robe filled the temple and the angels cried, 
holy, Holy, holy. Those angels that had six wings, 
with two they cover their feet, with two they fly. I was going 
to make a flying motion, but perhaps that's not appropriate. 
And with two they covered their face. Why? Because the glory 
and the majesty and the burning holiness of the Lord Christ in 
His preexistent glory is too much for those holy angels to 
even behold. The Apostle is highlighting the 
preexistent glory of Christ as God. John does this, as I've 
already said. John 1.1, we've alluded to that. 
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and 
the Word was God. Notice as well in John 17 in 
our Lord's High Priestly Prayer. John 17, specifically in verse 
5. Jesus says, and now, O Father, 
glorify me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with 
you before the world was. You know the grace of our Lord 
Jesus Christ that though He was rich, the riches are seen in 
the glory that He possessed with the Father before the world was. 
Pastor Kim read a very appropriate section at the outset of worship. In Philippians 2.5, let this 
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. who, being in 
the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 
but made himself of no reputation." So this one who is God made himself 
of no reputation. It's parallel to what we find 
in 2 Corinthians 8 and verse 9, "...though he was rich, yet 
for your sakes he became poor." As our confession describes the 
Lord Jesus Christ, with reference to the triune God, it says, in 
this divine and infinite being, God, there are three subsistences, 
the Father, the Word or Son, and the Holy Spirit, of one substance, 
power and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet 
the essence undivided. The Son is eternally begotten 
of the Father. You see, you know the grace of 
our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, it points to His 
essential deity. It points to His identity as 
God Most High. All the attributes of God, all 
the things that the Bible predicates concerning God are true of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. But not only His essence and 
being, His works. The New Testament documents ascribe 
to our Lord Jesus the work of creation. He was rich. He made this world and everything 
in it. John 1.3, Colossians 1.15, Hebrews 
chapter 1. Everything. Everything is owned 
by Christ. He is sovereign. He is supreme. 
He is rich. He owns it. But not only in creation, 
in terms of providence. He governs all His creatures 
and all their actions. The Lord Christ holds everything 
together by the word of His power. Hebrews 1.3. Paul says in Colossians 
1.17 that in Him all things consist. The idea being is if there was 
no Jesus, there'd be nothing. Christ Almighty is the one who 
is sovereign in creation and providence. This is what Paul 
the Apostle is highlighting here in the first part in 2 Corinthians 
chapter 8 verse 9. For you know the grace of our 
Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich. Now notice the movement. Notice the pre-existent state 
of the Lord Jesus, the glory that He shared with the Father 
and the Spirit. He nevertheless left that place 
and He was born of a woman. He was born under the law. He 
came to save His people from their sins. And the Apostle describes 
this as becoming poor. Now it's essential to understand 
Jesus never stopped being God. Jesus never emptied himself of 
divinity. Jesus never gave up divine privilege 
or divine prerogative. What we have in the Lord Jesus 
Christ becoming poor is what is called the hypostatic union. 
There will be a quiz tonight after you leave, so make sure 
you're paying close attention. Just kidding. Now everybody awake? The hypostatic union refers to 
the one person of our Lord Jesus Christ who is two natures. There are two natures that make 
up the one person of Christ. Make up is probably not even 
the best word. He is Christ, the person, but 
he is divine and he is human. Here I will appeal to our confession. I said earlier that I don't expect 
you to know this word for word or dot for dot, but it certainly 
wouldn't kill you. The Son of God, the second person 
in the Holy Trinity, being very and eternal God, the brightness 
of the Father's glory, of one substance and equal with Him 
who made the world, who upholds and governs all things He has 
made, did when the fullness of time was come, take upon him 
man's nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities 
thereof, yet without sin, being conceived by the Holy Spirit 
in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit coming down upon 
her, and the power of the Most High overshadowing her. And so 
was made of a woman of the tribe of Judah, of the seed of Abraham 
and David, according to the Scriptures, so that two whole perfect and 
distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one person 
without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is 
very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between 
God and man? When we talk about Christ, it's 
not that He's composite. He's not a little bit God and 
a little bit man. He's not 60-40 or 50-50 or 99.9 
and a .1. The Lord Christ, as the Confession 
specifies, as the Bible clearly asserts throughout, that He is 
very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between 
God and man. This is what Paul is highlighting 
in 2 Corinthians 8-9. For you know the grace of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. that though he was rich, though 
he was praised by angels, he had glory with the Father and 
the Spirit, he is the maker of things seen and unseen, he is 
the one who upholds all things by the word of his power, though 
he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor. John Murray makes 
this observation. He says, when Jesus became man, 
he did not cease to be rich in his divine being, relations, 
and possession. He did not become poor by ceasing 
to be what he was. Very important. Though he was 
rich, yet for your sakes he became poor. As I said, he didn't become 
poor by giving up deity. He didn't become poor by throwing 
off sovereignty. He didn't become poor by stopping 
being what he had always eternally been. Listen again to what Murray 
says. He did not become poor by ceasing 
to be what he was, but he became poor by becoming what he was 
not. He became poor in taking on flesh. He became poor in identifying 
with us. He became poor in the incarnation. Not that He gave up prerogative, 
not that He gave up deity, but as we just sang, veiled in flesh, 
the Godhead see, hail the incarnate deity. If you were walking down 
the road and you saw the Lord Jesus Christ at that particular 
time, you didn't see Him in His glory, you didn't see Him in 
His majesty. If you walked into His Father's 
carpentry shop, You'd see him banging nails into a piece of 
wood. You would see him conducting 
himself as a man. Not divested or devoid of deity, 
because he has essential deity, but he's become poor by addition. Murray says he became poor by 
addition, not by subtraction. He added manhood to his immutable 
and eternal godhood. Some of this, this is the area 
where we just say, praise God for such a glorious Savior. Praise 
God for such a wonderful Son. Praise God for such love that 
though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor. That you 
through his poverty might become rich. It's interesting, we appear 
in the first part of each of the clauses. The emphasis is 
upon the redemptive benefit that he secures for us. Again, I think 
the logic is thus, that if he being rich became poor for your 
sakes so that you could be rich, cough up. Paul doesn't say it 
like that, but that's how you should exit the chapter. Of course 
we should give to the churches of Judea. Of course we should 
practice benevolence. Of course we should be a charitable 
people. Of course we should abound liberally. We ought not to be tight-fisted 
in the reality that is Christ, in the reality that is the Incarnation, 
that though He was rich, He became poor for my sake? Am I going 
to clutch onto my money and not help a brother in need? That's 
the basis of the argument. This is what he's talking about. 
Again, as Hodge says elsewhere, self-sacrifice is the proper 
test of love. If Jesus does this, and he has, 
and you are the benefactors of it, As you are, then certainly 
when those churches in Judea are in need, you ought to come 
to their aid. You ought to seek to benefit 
them. You ought to be engaged in the sorts of liberality that 
you see first in Christ and you also see modeled in the churches 
of Macedonia. So this refers to the hypostatic 
union, the two natures in the one person, inseparable, without 
confusion, without conversion, without composition, which person 
is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator 
between God and man. The Incarnation. The Lord Jesus 
took on flesh and was born of the Virgin. Matthew chapters 
1 and 2. He was born under the law. We 
heard a very good exposition of this last week in Galatians 
4. In the fullness of the times, God sent forth His Son, born 
of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under 
the law. The humanity of Christ did not 
diminish or demolish or eradicate his deity. Rather, he never ceased 
to be God. As Paul says in Philippians 2, 
but he made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant 
and coming in the likeness of men. John Gill describes it this 
way, not that by becoming man he ceased to be God or lost his 
divine perfections, though these were much hid and covered from 
the view of man. They were hid, they were covered 
from the view of man when he walked upon the earth, as I've 
already alluded to, that hymn we just sang. Probably one of 
my favorite lines at this time of the year to sing. Veiled in 
flesh that God had seen, Hail the incarnate deity, pleased 
as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel." What is Emmanuel? It is God with us. He never ceased 
to be God. Though he was rich, yet for your 
sakes he became poor. We see this incarnation lead 
to a lowly life. How did Jesus live when he was 
a man? Did he have the big mansion? Did he have a wife with big hair? 
I know that comes up in the news recently, that there's documents 
that show that Jesus of Nazareth was married and whatnot. If you 
need any debunking material, go to Michael Kruger. The website 
is called Canon Fodder. Any of these new things that 
come out, he deals with it. Canon Fodder. Great, great pun 
there for Isaac. Canon, referring to the canon 
of scripture. Mrs. Fodder, for your dealings 
on the canon issues. Jesus wasn't like what we see 
today. Remember, Peter did not like 
the messianic scheme. Peter didn't like the idea that 
Christ must go to Jerusalem, that Christ must suffer at the 
hands of the elders and the scribes and the chief priests. He didn't 
like the reality that Jesus must die. Peter didn't hear that he 
must be raised on the third day, but that messianic agenda, as 
far as Peter was concerned, was simply not acceptable. That was 
the messianic agenda. The prophet Isaiah said concerning 
Christ specifically, in His incarnation, in His lowly life, He is despised 
and rejected by men. He's a man of sorrows and acquainted 
with grief. And we hid, as it were, our face 
from Him. He was despised and we did not 
esteem Him. The same Isaiah who wrote Isaiah 
6. The same Isaiah who speaks about seeing the pre-incarnate 
Christ. You say, how do you know that? Because John the Apostle 
tells us in John 12, 41 that Isaiah wrote these things when 
he saw His glory, talking about Christ. Isaiah 6, he sees the 
glory of the Savior King. And in Isaiah 53, he's telling 
us He is despised and rejected by men. You see where in the 
poverty comes. Poverty is His coming into this 
world, identifying with man, coming in the likeness of sinful 
flesh, yet without sin. The experience of our Lord Jesus 
in His earthly ministry. Remember when He calls that man 
to discipleship in Matthew chapter 8, and the man starts to hymn 
and to hawk, Jesus says, Birds of the air have their nests, 
but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. Here's the one 
who was rich, who was praised by angels, the one who is worshipped 
by the holy elect angels, who comes into this world and he 
doesn't have a place to lay his head. Though he was rich, yet 
for your sakes he became poor. The Creator and the Sovereign 
was despised by men and he had no place to lay his head. But 
this poverty is most distinctly seen in his sufferings and death. 
The Apostle Peter, as I said, could not conceive of the Messiah's 
suffering and dying. Lord, this isn't going to be. 
This is not going to happen. There's no way you're going to 
suffer and die and be raised the third day. That's just not 
going to happen. Get behind me, Satan. The Jews, after the resurrection, 
continued to see the concept of a suffering Messiah as a stumbling 
block. The Jews seek after a sign, the 
Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ and Him crucified. 
To the Jews, a stumbling block, and to the Greeks, foolishness. 
But to those who are being saved, Christ, the wisdom and the power 
of God. The Apostle traces the trajectory 
of Christ's humiliation in Philippians chapter 2 in verse 8. And he 
says, "...in being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself 
and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the 
cross. Though he was rich, yet for your 
sakes he became poor." Philip Hughes said, "...from highest 
heaven This is one of those excellent quotes that I hope you enjoy 
it as much as I do. It's nice and short. From highest 
heaven he descended to Calvary in the grave. None was richer 
than he. None became poorer than he. That's beautiful. That's what 
the Apostle is highlighting. Though he was rich, yet for your 
sakes he became poor. Now notice the redemptive benefit 
in view. Why did Jesus do this, we might 
ask? Why would one who's rich be impoverished? Why is one who's 
glorious come and be rejected by men? Why is one who created 
the world and governs it come into this world and he doesn't 
have a place to lay his head? Why would somebody who is rich 
become poor? Paul says that you through his 
poverty might become rich. There's a statement in the Nicene 
Creed that's been running through my head over the last several 
days that I love. It says, and in one Lord Jesus 
Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father 
before all worlds, God of God, light of light, very God of very 
God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, 
by whom all things were made. And then it's the next few words 
that just make me happy. says who for us men and for our 
salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy 
Spirit of the Virgin Mary and was made man and was crucified 
also for us under Pontius Pilate He suffered and was buried, and 
the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures, 
and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the 
Father. And He shall come again with glory to judge the quick 
and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end. who for us men and 
for our salvation. Why did the rich son of God be 
impoverished? Why did he who was rich become 
poor for us men and for our salvation? This is essentially what the 
Apostle says, that you through his poverty might become rich. This isn't a health, wealth, 
prosperity text. This doesn't mean as soon as 
you come to Jesus, your pockets swell, and cars pop up in your 
driveway, your wife's hair grows, and you get summer houses, and 
you have all sorts of accouterments. The riches here are spiritual. The riches here are Ephesians 
1. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who 
has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places 
in Christ. And then it details election 
by the Father, redemption by the Son, sealing and guaranteeing 
by the Spirit. This is the riches that we possess 
in our Lord Jesus Christ. We have the forgiveness of sins. 
We have the imputation of righteousness. Do you understand that we're 
cleansed, we're washed, we're purified? Do you know how many 
people out in the world are suffering under guilt and under bondage 
because they have sinned and they have no one to go to, because 
they do not listen to gospel preaching, they will not flee 
to Messiah, they will not go to the Christ. He is the one 
in whom we find cleansing. There is a fountain open for 
sin and uncleanness. The hymn writer says, and sinners 
plunge beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains. Do you 
understand the riches you possess in Christ? You're washed. You're 
purified. You're sanctified. You're fit 
for heaven. You're fit for glory. The Lord 
Jesus in His poverty has rescued you. The Lord Jesus in His doing 
and dying and rising has brought justification, the forgiveness 
of sins. But as Machen says, if we're 
forgiven without an imputed righteousness, we're back at the tree of the 
knowledge of good and evil, and it becomes ours. then to secure 
ourselves in that particular state. But the doctrine of justification 
answers not only forgiveness, but the giving of a righteousness. 
We are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. We are clothed in 
the righteousness of Christ so that we'll stand before God on 
that day when we should hear, depart from me, I never knew 
you, into the fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels. 
We're going to actually hear with our ears, well done, good 
and faithful servant. Not because of our goodness, 
but because of our union with Christ. Because we're in communion 
with the living God. We have adoption as sons unto 
God the Father. You see the riches that Christ 
secured in His poverty for us? Though He was rich, yet for your 
sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become 
rich. We are adopted sons and daughters 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's been my privilege to live 
in Chilliwack and to minister in this church for these past 
17 years. For the most part, not everybody, 
but for the most part, they're people that have come from Christian 
backgrounds and people that have come, at least to some degree, 
you know, relatively normalized families. Well, that's not the 
case in a lot of other churches. It's not the case in a lot of 
other places. There is a lot of dysfunctionality out there 
and some persons have never had Father. Some persons don't know 
what it is to relate to someone who's actually kind and gracious 
and merciful and one who protects and provides, one who secures 
and stabilizes, one who is there with them. This is what we have 
in the Father. We can cry, Abba, Father, because 
of the spirit of adoption that has been given to us because 
our rich Lord for our sakes became poor that we, through His poverty, 
might become rich. What could be more rich than 
living in communion with the Father in heaven? We have sanctification 
by the Spirit. I love Paul's prayer in Ephesians 
chapter 3, for those brethren. Let's just look there for just 
a moment. Learning as I get older, I need 
to start bringing my reading glasses into the pulpit and I 
need to start doing memory exercises. It's the way it is, I guess, 
as you get older. And I know I'm still young, relatively, 
but seems like the faculties aren't what they once were. Notice 
what the Apostle prays in Ephesians 3.14, "...For this reason I bow 
my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom 
the whole family in heaven and earth is named." And then he 
prays for three things. Note this first petition, "...that 
He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to 
be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. This is 
what we have as Christians. This is what is available to 
us as God's people, that God would grant you according to 
the riches of His glory. You see, God doesn't just chip 
a few flakes off of this, you know, pile of gold and dole it 
out in some miserly fashion. Paul attaches Prayer petition 
to the abundance of what God has. He says to be strengthened 
with might through His Spirit in the inner man. Brethren, if 
Paul prayed that for the Ephesians, you can certainly pray that for 
yourself. God strengthened me with might 
in the inner man. We have the sanctifying power 
and influence of the Holy Spirit. We've been justified freely by 
His grace. We now have the Spirit. It ought 
not to be the case that we say, well, I just can't fight this 
sin. I just can't stop this sin. I just can't resist this sin. 
You've got the Spirit. You've got God the Spirit resident 
in your life, in your heart. The Apostle says, I want you 
to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner 
man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. The 
second petition, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width 
and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ would 
pass as knowledge. That petition isn't. I want you 
to consider how much you love Jesus. I want you to reflect 
upon the amount of love that you have for Jesus. That's not 
what Paul's praying. I want you to reflect upon the 
amount of love Jesus has for you. I want you to be scholars 
in Christ's school of love. I want you to understand what 
it is the Son of God has for you. I want you to know the riches 
that you possess. You see, the problem with the 
health, wealth, and prosperity gospel is that they want too 
little. Who cares about gold? Who cares 
about houses? Who cares about cars? Who cares 
about summer homes? When we are justified freely 
by His grace, when we are adopted sons and daughters of the Lord 
God Most High, when we have the Spirit of God in us, that Christ 
may dwell in our hearts through faith, and we know the love of 
Christ which passes knowledge, the third petition is found at 
the end, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. I've often thought that's a passage 
that can only be read and not explained. What does it mean 
to be filled with all the fullness of God? Glorious! Do not doubt your riches, brethren. 
Do not doubt what you possess in Jesus Christ. Paul makes this 
statement in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. You see, through his poverty 
we have become rich. 1 Corinthians 1, verse 30, But 
of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from 
God, and Or it could be explicative. It could be, that is. This indicates 
what the wisdom from God looks like. Either way, it doesn't 
make a lot of difference. Who became for us wisdom from 
God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. You see, if you 
have those things, why would you pray for a summer home? I'm 
not saying summer homes and cars are necessarily evil. And I'm 
certainly not saying go out and get rid of all yours. Paul is 
not telling the church in Corinth to get rid of all their riches. 
He's not telling them to become monks. He's not telling them 
to get rid of every possession that they own. That's not the 
point of the narrative or the section. He wants them to give 
liberally. He wants them to give cheerfully. 
He wants them to give beneficially to those who have need. He wants 
the churches to share this. He wants them to be equal in 
terms of what they're doing to try and help those who are suffering. But brethren, this is what we 
have in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are rich men. We are rich 
women. We are rich boys and girls if 
we are in Christ. We have a righteousness that 
avails with God. We have sanctification. We have 
redemption. It follows in verse 31, that 
as it is written, he who glories, let him glory in the Lord. You 
know if you're parents have ever given you a nice gift, what do 
you do? You thank them. You praise them. You delight 
in them. You express your thanksgiving. 
That's the point. We have these things in our Lord 
Jesus that he who glories, let him glory in the Lord. One other 
text. Romans chapter 8, just to sort 
of flash out or view from another vantage point the riches that 
are ours in the Lord Jesus. Verse 28, this is a rich, one 
of the riches that we can certainly enjoy. Verse 28, we know that 
all things work together for good to those who love God, to 
those who are the called according to his purpose. That's good, 
isn't it? Isn't it wonderful to know that 
whatever happens in your life, God has it under control? Now I'm of the mind that Paul 
is talking about bad things here when he says all things work 
together for good. I think we all agree that good things work 
for good. We don't need to be told that good things work for 
good. Do we? Here, I'm handing you these wonderful 
things. Wow, this is amazing. No, we 
need to be told that bad things work for good. We need to be 
told that trials work for good. We need to be told that suffering 
works for good. We need to be told that persecution 
works for good. And this is the context. We know 
that all things work together for good to those who love God, 
to those who are the called according to His purpose. Now notice, for 
whom He foreknew. He also predestined to be conformed 
to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among 
many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, 
these He also called, whom He called, these He also justified, 
and whom He justified, these He also glorified." We are justified 
freely by His grace. We are adopted as sons and daughters 
to our God and Father through Jesus Christ. We are sanctified 
by the Spirit, and we are on the way to glory. Glorification 
is our future. You know, there's that Sunday 
school song, this train is bound for glory, and they go, choo 
choo. I know that's cheesy, but it's true. This train is bound 
for glory. We're heading heavenward. We're 
going to Emmanuel's land. We will see him as he is. We 
will be secure, world without end. When we've been there 10,000 
years, bright, shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing 
God's praise than when we first begun. We can't even begin to 
imagine what eternity looks like. But if we are in Christ, we will 
experience it, because the one who was rich became poor, that 
we, through his poverty, might become rich. Gil says that they 
through his poverty might be rich, not in temporals, but in 
spirituals. And by his obedience, sufferings, 
and death in his lowest state, he has paid all their debts, 
wrought out a robe of righteousness rich and adorned with jewels 
with which he clothes them, and through his blood and sacrifice 
has made them kings and priests unto God. Amen. Well, let us 
pray. Our Father, thank you for the 
glory of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you that 
this One came into this world, sinners to save, and He has accomplished 
this perfectly. He finished the task that you 
gave Him to carry out. We thank you, God, that in Him 
we have redemption through His blood, that in Him we have all 
the benefits associated with the Gospel, that in Him we have 
a future in glory with God the Father and the Lamb who sits 
upon the throne. and the Holy Spirit, and the 
Church of all ages. What a glorious thought that 
we will be in the presence of God, and we will worship you 
day and night, ceaselessly, and give all glory and honor unto 
you. For God certainly you are worthy, you are altogether lovely, 
you are chief among 10,000. We thank you for this time that 
we can gather together for worship. We thank you for this ordinance 
of the Lord's Supper, We thank you for the bread and the wine 
that reminds us of our beloved Savior. And we pray in his blessed 
name. Amen.