Wilson, Lester: Studies In 1 Corinthians 59 ~ 1 Cor.15:-The Gospel

Morning, shall we turn to First Corinthians chapter fifteen. First Corinthians chapter fifteen uh and verse one. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand, by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. Lord willing, next week we'll be speaking on vanities. In other words, a variety of vanities, a variety of vain things, and he speaks here of belief or faith in vain. Now I want to get into the subject of the gospel, and after going over all these various chapters in First Corinthians and all the trouble and difficulties that were in Corinth, Paul brings these Corinthian Christians back to their conversion. What he preached to them when he went to Corinth, and what brought them peace and joy and happiness and contentment. But then that early joy, that first love, seemed to have stopped. He said he did run w- run well, but who did hinder you in writing to the Galatians? Because when Christians get back to that first love, that first devotion and affection to Jesus Christ, and if ever a Christian was in fellowship with God, was when he took that first step, when he accepted the Savior, that first step across the doorstep of the door. Christ has said, I am the door. And when you step from yourself and your sins into Christ, you've taken that one step that assures your eternal salvation. But then it's sometimes the second step and the third step, and we get off on the wrong path, and it's easy to end up in a far off condition spiritually because of a step you took unto the will of God and away from God. And so Paul is bringing these Christians back to the simple gospel. Last week we were speaking on it, we'll continue on it this morning. What the gospel is not. Let us look at the negative side of the gospel. What the gospel is not. Now, this may shock you. The gospel is not the Bible. Oh, you say, isn't it? No. The gospel's in the Bible, but there are a lot of things in the Bible that are not gospel. The gospel is good news, glad tidings. And then there's a lot of judgment in the gospel. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that forget God, that is not good news. That is not glad tidings. That is not gospel. But when you think of the things that are not the gospel, you're more ready then to accept the gospel, what the gospel is. The Bible tells us that the law is the administration of death. You read that in second Corinthians three, I think is the gospel, or rather the law is the administration of death, but the gospel is the administration of life. And so the whole Bible is not the gospel, and there's a lot there that is judgment. Why the Lord Jesus Christ would speak of the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for those who miss salvation. That's not good news. The book of Revelation is not good news, except toward the end when we see and read about heaven and where the Christians going. But the book of Revelation is not good news or glad tidings for this world, because it tells us of the judgment that's coming upon this world. So the whole Bible is not the gospel. It contains the gospel. Furthermore, the law, the Ten Commandments, is not good news. It's good advice, very good advice, but the law is not good news. For we read this in the Bible. Cursed is everyone that continueth not in the book of the law, and that would be referring to the Bible. Cursed is everyone that continueth not in the book of the law to do them. And friend, if you break one commandment of the ten, you're under the curse of the whole law. All you have to do to be a transgressor is break one law, and you hear people today, and they say they're keeping the Ten Commandments to get to heaven. They'll never get there. So for a preacher to get up in the pulpit and tell anybody to keep the Ten Commandments, that's not the gospel, that's not good news. It's not glad tidings because he can't keep the law. Only one person ever lived who kept the Ten Commandments, and that was the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth, and so the law will not save you. But the law will show you your need of the gospel. The law is not the gospel. When the law was given on Mount Sinai, there was fire, thundering, lightnings, and a great noise. And God says, I don't want anyone to come close. Put a tent around there. Even if an animal crosses, it's going to get killed. When the law was given, man had to stand at a distance. But when the gospel came, man is asked to draw near. Fight it if I, if I be lifted up from the earth, I'll draw all men unto me. When the law was given, man had to stand a distance for faith and fear. The gospel draws. That's the difference. The Ten Commandments are not the gospel, not good news, it's bad news, but it shows man he's under the curse of the law. And when you understand the law, then you welcome the gospel. On another thing, the gospel is not repentance. Many a person has repented, but not saved. It's very hard to tell a man to change his mind. Change his mind. This is good advice, not the gospel. The gospel is good news, but to tell a person to repent, that's good advice, because if he does repent, he then can receive the gospel. Many a man and woman's gone to the doctor, and the doctor's given them some good advice. It wasn't good news. The doctor says, cut down on those calories, lose weight, lay off the sleep. That's not gospel. That's not good news. That's good advice. Good. My father used to give me a lot of good advice, but wasn't good news. In other words, repentance is not the gospel. God said to the church in Revelation, to 2 or three of them, repent or else. A lot of people think repentance is the gospel. No, it is not the gospel. So many get up and they tell men and women they got to repent of this, repent of that, repent of the other thing, change their mind. That's not the gospel. That's negative. But when a man really repents, changes his mind about what he is and what God sees him to be, then he's ready for the good news, the glad tidings of the gospel. So repentance is not the gospel, although it is good advice. A judge may give good, good advice to a criminal. That's not the gospel. And so, friend, today, repentance is not the gospel. It's good advice for you to repent and then receive the gospel. So many stop with repentance, and they don't take the next step and receive the gospel. Another thing, not giving up the world. The gospel is not giving up the world. That's another thing is a good thing to do, give up the world. Well, that's bad news. Tell a person, give up the world and live for Christ. That's good advice too, but not good news. People say, I don't want to give up the world. Well, there'll be no Christ unless you do. In other words, God wants you to get to the heart of the gospel. How wonderful, then, it is to know what the gospel is. You can't really give up the world until you receive the gospel. The world that crucified Christ, the world that said, away with this man, will not have this man to reign over us. Yes, the gospel is the answer to these questions. And men and women certainly need to repent, and they certainly need to, to consider their latter end and the judgment that's coming. So remember this, the Bible does contain the gospel, but there are a lot of things in the Bible that are not gospel, but they prepare man for the gospel. This, uh, conference we had in Augusta the other day, we were sitting around the table, a number of us, and Mr. Dan Smith, who was one of the speakers of the conference, he said, of all things, I was coming down to Ohio the other day, and you know there are Christian stations who are supposed to preach the gospel. We have one in Sylvester, there's one in Waynesville, there's one in Valdosta. I'm going up to Canada every year, I'm able to tune in to one of these Christian stations. And they generally all have practically the same men speaking on, like Dr. Hepp, Brother Hepp, and also Green when he was alive, and McGee and these fellows, good men. But Dan Smith said, you know, I was coming down to Ohio, he said, and a man said, the gospel is baptism. And he said, of all things, I heard a man out of Albany say the boss- the gospel's election. I say, yeah, I know. True. Let me tell you, friend, the gospel is not baptism. What does Paul say? It says in First Corinthians one seventeen, Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel. Gospel is not telling people to get baptized. After you receive the gospel, then you can be baptized and should be baptized. And it's essential to be baptized by immersion to please and glorify God. But the gospel is one thing, baptism is another. And so he heard this on the radio, and then, of course, he said, not only did I hear this one man on one program say that baptism was the gospel, he said, this fellow here in Albany said that the gospel was election. Well, that's not the gospel. That's not good news. What about the poor, poor people who are not elected? That's not good news. That's not glad tidings. The only way you can preach the glad tidings of the gospel is to say that it's to whosoever will. A lot of people get confused. I'm not one of the elect, I'm not one of the elect, and they're sad because they're not one of the elect. If they really heard the gospel and believed it, that the gospel is for whosoever will, they could accept it, and once they accept it, they know they are one of the elect. So to preach election is not preaching the gospel. It stumbles a lot of people. These are things that are not the gospel. Not getting folks to join the church. A lot of people today are hustling around, doing all they can to get people to come and join the church. That's not the gospel. Here, here are seven things that are not the gospel, and yet what a big part they play in a lot of today's preaching and teaching. You say, well, what is the gospel? If the gospel is not the Bible, although the gospel's in the Bible, but a lot of judgments there too. If the gospel's not the Ten Commandments, if it's not repentance, if it's not giving up the world, if it's not baptism, if it's not trying to get people to join the church, if it's not election, what is the gospel? I'm glad you asked me, for this book says exactly what the gospel is. Right in verse three: For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. That is the gospel. This is what Paul preached when he went to Corinth, the glad tidings, the good news. He didn't preach these other things. Paul didn't preach judgment when he went to Corinth. You read over in chapter twenty of the Acts. Also, he didn't preach the law. He preached the gospel, and here it is in a nutshell. Christ died for our sins. How wonderful it is. Our sins, that's bad news. No one likes to think about his sins. But where does the news, good news come in? Christ died for them. Can you think of any better news than that? Our sins, that's a sad subject, and your sins have got to be punished. Either you are punished for your sins or another is punished for them. My sins, our sins, that's sad. The good news, the glad tidings is that Christ died for our sins. So I'm off the hook. That's good news. The wonderful thing, the good news is that someone else has paid my debt. I won't have to pay that debt, and I'll not die in my sin. I'll not come into judgment, the Bible says, John five twenty four, and I'm ready to meet God. Can you think of anything better than that? Can you think of any news more comprehensive, more enjoyable than that? My sins have been suffered for. My debt has been paid. I'm not going to die in my sins. I'm ready to meet God. Well, that's the good news. That's the gospel right there in a nutshell. Why is it my debt is paid? Why is it my sins have been punished? Why is it I'm not going to die in my sins? I'm, I'm ready to meet God. Seven things. Because of a subject. Someone had to take my place. This is the good news. This is a glad tidings. This was the Christmas message. Yes, glad tidings of great joy. What a difference between the birth of the Savior of Bethlehem and Shiny Eye Thunder. The world still celebrates that event of great joy and glad tidings, God coming to heaven in the person of Christ to suffer for my sin, to pay my debt, to set me free. He had to take my place. Think of the scriptures in this connection. First Peter two twenty four: who is old self bare our sins in his own body on the tree. Christ also at once suffered for sins, he the just for me, the unjust, that I might be brought to God, sweet Peter one eighty, three eighteen. Isaiah fifty three five, he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement with a view to our having peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. For he hath made him to be sin for us, he who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. All these texts speak of substitution. Someone taking our place, receiving our sins, our liabilities, and setting us free. As Paul says, the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Now there's substitution. That's the gospel. That's the gospel. Good news. Some of these men were facing the death chamber and rightly deserve it. How wonderful if one of them, just before I know one got the message this week that it was postponed. But supposing this could be possible, that a man could walk in to the authorities and say, now listen, that man's under condemnation, he's guilty, he committed murder, but he's a husband and a father of a large family. He- they need him, but I haven't anything to live for, but I don't have any responsibility, no children. I'm willing to take his place. This has happened in history. I am going to take his place and let the law be carried out in me. I'm not guilty of that. I'm willing to take his place that the law might be satisfied. And it's accepted. When that man goes to electric chair and is pronounced dead, an innocent man dies for a guilty man, and they take the message to the man who was guilty and should have died and set them free. An innocent man died for the guilty man, upholding the law, and that man can be set free righteously. The demands of the law have been met. The Lord Jesus did exactly that. It was my hands that should have been nailed to that cross. My feet should have been nailed to Golgotha's tree. The crown of thorns should have been on my head. The spear should have been thrust into my side, but I was with it. I broke the law of God. I was under the sentence of death. But the Lord Jesus Christ came down and he went to the cross, and he was wounded for my transgressor. He was bruised for my iniquity. The chastisement that is due to my having peace was made upon him after his life. I hid, set free. That's the gospel. Another thing, propitiation is in the gospel. Listen to this verse, Romans three twenty five: Whom, that is Christ, God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness by the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at this time, his righteousness, that he might be just, yet the justified of him that believeth in Jesus. It's the ungodly who are justice. And at the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ became our mercy seat, the place where we find pardon. And through what Christ did, God can be proficient toward the sinner and put away all his sin and justify the ungodly. That's what the man, the publican said in Luke. He said, God be merciful to me, the sinner. Where was he? In the temple, looking at the mercy where the blood is released. Oh God, and he bowed his head, not like the Pharisees. He bowed his head, looking at thy mercy. Oh God, on the basis of that blood, be forsaken unto me. In other words, favor me, forgive me, pardon me, and God did. The Lord Jesus said, this man went down just too far because he saved the right pay at the right place. God be merciful, forsake to me the sin. How wonderful then it is to see how God has been able to be sufficient, in other words, favorable to us, gracious to us, to put away all our sins and justify us ungodly people because of what Jesus Christ did at the cross of which blood on the mercy seat is due. And another thing, we're redeemed. What did Peter one saying? This is in the gospel. We are not redeemed with such corruptible things as silver and gold, but, and he speaks of tradition in verse see, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without spot and without blemish. Redemption part of the gospel. We're redeemed, we're bought with the precious blood of Christ. You read about the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood in Acts chapter twelve. Remarkable statement. The church which he purchased with his own blood. Christ had to be paid. Men and women had to be redeemed. And you read this, being justified freely, it's free, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. You're not alone, you've been bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and spirit to forgive. This is the gospel, to be redeemed, and also to be forgiven. God's God's son. son. Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ. What did he do? He shed his blood on the cross that all my sins might be forgiven. We have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness of sins, all our sins. How wonderful to know all my sins are forgiven. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanses us from some of our sins. No, A double S. All our sins. On the moment we come to Christ, I read that verse about the remission of sins that are past. Oh, you say, wouldn't I love to have a clean sheet? My black past blotted out. The past that God knows all about. Everything blotted out. Friend, every sin you ever commit, every sin you will can be blotted out through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Means this, God will blot out your sins here. Now, you take Christ. Any sins you commit as a Christian will interfere with your fellowship with God and needs to be confessed. And God will only forgive those future sins on the basis of the blood of Jesus Christ who was sent at Calvary. But your relationship is eternal if you're trusting in the blood of Jesus Christ. God's ascended us from all. Lady's not here this morning, saying she comes here occasionally. She'd come regularly if she had the help. For two years, she struggled with the forgiveness of all her sins. She wasn't a Christian yet. And every time that she would call up, I would say, remember the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin. There was something in her life that she didn't think God would forgive. One day she called us. The first thing she said, Brother Wilson, God forgives every sin, doesn't he? I said, yes. There's only one sin he won't forgive, and that's the sin of unbelief. But every other sin he will. From that on, she's been a happy picture. All the blood of Jesus, thank God for him. Cleanse us from all A double S. Cleansing through his blood. Yes, cleansing. How wonderful to have your conscience. Now listen to this in Hebrews nine thirteen. How much more shall the blood of Christ, been talking about all the blood of Jewish altars, thousands, almost millions of animals killed and slain. But he said, now listen. The blood, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead work to serve the living in the true world. Isn't that wonderful? The purge. There's only one purgator for sin, not purgatory. The only purgation for sin is the precious blood of Christ. Today, all these commercials about this detergent and that detergent, they see how ugly and black and dirty and filthy they make a garment, and they throw it in, it comes out, oh, this is the best. There's only one purgation for sin, and the best detergent in the world that'll take all sins away, and in the sight of God you'll be white as the driven snow. And that's the blood of Jesus Christ, God's son. It purges your conscience. Oh, that's the thing. Disconscious, disconscious. This precious blood, this gospel will cleanse your conscience. No more consciences. In that one, what cleanse? Then peace. Yes. Having made peace through the blood of his cross. This is the gospel. Peace. Having been justified by. Galatians five one, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ and nearness. One time you were far off, says Paul to the Galatians, but now you've been brought nigh to the Ephesians, brought nigh through the blood of Christ. Having a high priest over the house of God that has drawn near. What near? What near? No longer stay away. We're brought into the very presence of God, accepted in the beloved one. This is the gospel. This is lapid. This is good news, and also liberty. The Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. What liberty is it? And liberty is included in the gospel. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yokes of bondage. My chains are snapped, the bonds of sin are broken, and I am free. Let the triumph of his grace be spoken. He died for me. This is the gospel. Good news, glad tidings, all these seven things. Have you believed the gospel? The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. The Greek word tsunami is the same word that we get our word dynamite from. And dynamite is used to blast rocks on everything. And I'll tell you, we're dealing with an explosive power when we're dealing with the gospel. Think how this gospel, it blasts a rock-like resistance. Self-righteous, hard-hearted sinner. Yes, this gospel has that power. The rock bailiff at Philippi, the man who previously had no mercy on prisoners. He put Paul and Silas into the inner prison, hardened them, but at midnight God shook the prison. And that day came, what must I do, he said, as the power was off. Also, when you think of a runaway slave, a hardened man that ran away from his master Philemon and went down to Rome like he'd have a big time. But he heard that the apostle who had visited his master in Philippi, uh, Philemon, he heard the apostle being in jail, prisoner in Rome, and he went to the jail, and this runaway sinner was pardoned and nothing was saved through the power of the gospel. And then the persecution of the Apostle Paul, he says later, I'm the chief of sinners. How Paul, without batting his eyes, could give orders to have the Christians take them, put to death, and even have them march. Ah yes, this hard-hearted Pharisee, he was blasted into repentance. But how the gospel is seen humbling his proud, hardened heart, and he received Christ. Oh, the power of this gospel message. Blast the hard core of any heart. Remember, friend, if it doesn't, you'll feel the crushing weight of that stone cut out without hands, the coming Christ, who's going to smite the image of Gentile domination and crush it to powder. Either you're going to clap, clap, yield to the power and dynamite of the gospel, or it'll be the dynamite of God. Your proud heart's got to break, and your stubble wheel has got to bend, either by the gospel or by the governmental hand of God in the building or farm this way. How wonderful the gospel is. The gospel we preach, we preach it because of what man is. Man is sinful, lost, sinner. We preach it for what? Because of what God is. God is holy, righteous, merciful, he's lost. We preach this gospel because of what this gospel is. Good news, glad tidings, glorious gospel. He preached this gospel because of what Christ is, a substitute and a sacrifice and a savior. He preached this gospel because of what the Christian is, saved, secure, and satisfied. That's what this gospel can do. Oh, how wonderful is this gospel message? It's a full gospel, Christ and nothing less. It is a plain gospel, Christ and nothing more. It is a pure gospel, Christ and nothing else. It is a powerful gospel, Christ and nothing under side. This is the gospel of grace of God given us in the world. One time, a Christian worker went to a place where he heard there was an old lady lived in desperate shape. He had a lot of money in this pocket to help her. He knocked, he knocked, he knocked. No response. Reluctantly, he left. Two days later, he met this lady, and he told her of his experience. He said, I dropped by the other day. I came to give you some money, but I understood you just believed. She broke into tears. Oh, she said, I heard you not. I heard you not. I thought it was the rent. This happened in England. If anybody knows about old England cup, English cup, the rent collector is more dreaded than the tax collector. So out you go, furniture and all, if you don't have the rent on them. And she said, I was there all the time, but I dare not open the door for I didn't have the money to pay. I said, oh, I don't know what to do. Yes, then somebody's knocking at your house this morning. You're in debt, and how well do you know it? The only way you can get that debt paid is answer the knock on the door. He who stands at the door and knocks has come with a gift. He's come with a gift, and this knock is the knock of the Savior. He hasn't come as a taskmaster or a rent collector. No. This gospel is the good news of a debt that's been paid, paid by the Lord Jesus upon the cross, not a, a rent gatherer collector. That's not the gospel, make him demand. This gospel is a gift. The gospel of his grace, my stubborn heart at rest. The gospel of the girl he gave his only son, that whosoever will believe might everlasting life receive. This gospel is not a rent required, not a demand, but a free gift, which no one has deserved or could win by merit, or by only receiving as a free gift is offered to all free. And because this gospel is so extensive, because God is son, because it's so free, because it's so simple, that's why God is so severe on those who go to see. Listen to these verses. Our gospel be hid, it is hid to them who are lost, to whom the God of this age has blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should come unto them in ages of days. Over in second Thessalonians, you have some solemn words. And to you who have trouble rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. That's in store for those who obey not the gospel. And another verse in first Peter four seventeen: For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begineth out, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And he says, if the righteous scarcely receive, what shall the ungodly and the sinner receive? If God saves us so carefully with giving his son, if God finds it difficult for all his demands to be met and the righteous requirements of his character set, if God found it a difficult task to justify the sinner, to satisfy his righteous nature, the demands of his holy throne, with righteousness. What will the end be of those who are not saved at all? Those rejected by God. And if judgment begins at the house of God, and God begins, he's not going to let his people off because they're saved. And if judgment begins there, and it's going to begin there, before the judgment roll in Revelation begins with his text in chapter two three, judgment's going to begin at the house of God. And if God's judgment's going to be severe upon his people, where will you unsaved people stand? If you believe not the gospel of our Lord Jesus. How simple is this wonderful message, yet how sublime, how deep, how rich, how free, and what a solemn responsibility rests upon your mind, your will, your heart at this moment. Says here, because they believe not the gospel. That black election. Every man is responsible to believe this message or reject. This is the gospel that Paul preached in all its purity, in all its power. Christ died for our sins, according not to my feelings, but the scriptures. He was buried raised again the third day, according to the scripture. Christ took my place. He suffered in my stead, that I might take his place at God's right hand and be accepted in him. God is satisfied with what Christ did as payment for my sin. And if God's satisfied with the work of Christ, why can't I be? Why can't you be? I hope you accept the gospel in, like the old age, who heard the knocking but didn't respond. Don't turn away. Don't turn your ears against that knocking, that hand that was nailed to the cross is knocking. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in. Not hesitantly, but hurriedly. I'll come in on top of him, and he with me. Open the door. Let him in. He's been waiting a long time on that door. He may turn away. The decision for. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we come into thy presence. We ask thy blessing on thy word. O Father, we be taught that some this morning will hear the gospel and let the message in and be saved. Those of us who are, how we worship before the day when we believe the gospel was idly, our stubborn heart was run. We praise thee throughout the church. The day when we open the door, we throw open the latch. He left the shade of it. O God, set thy word for thanksgiving.