Title: That No Flesh Should Glory
Text: I Corinthians 1: 29-31
Date: July 31, 2011
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
1 Corinthians 1: 29: That no flesh should glory in his presence.
What is flesh? The Lord Jesus Christ said to Nicodemus,
John 3: 6: That which is born of the flesh is flesh;
Flesh is what every man is by our first birth. From Adam right down the line to you and me, as we are born the first time we are flesh.
What is it to “glory”? It is to “boast in”, to brag on. All men born the first time—are flesh—and all have a will—it is for “self” to be glorified. Because man is born spiritually dead in sin all covets the glory (the praise) that belongs only to the true and living God. The natural man wants at least some aspect of his salvation to be attributed to himself. The LORD God says,
Isaiah 42: 8: I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.
No flesh shall boast in his presence. So how is a sinner made willing to cease boasting in himself and glory only in the Lord?
1 Corinthians 1: 30: But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
I. FIRST, OF GOD IS CHRIST IS MADE UNTO THE BELIEVER WISDOM
1 Corinthians 1: 30: But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom
Jeremiah 9: 23: Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 24: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
Thus saith the Lord, glory in this, that he unerstandeth and knoweth ME. “Exercise”—means “I the LORD accomplish, I perform, mercy and truth in the earth—in my people, for my people and to the saving of my people. CHRIST JESUS IS GOD THE SON, COME IN HUMAN FLESH IN THE EARTH—IN WHOM JEHOVAH ACCOMPLISHED AND ACCOMPLISHES ALL HIS DELIGHT IN HIS PEOPLE. The LORD not only promises to save his people, but the Son of God has come and performed it. Faith is being:
Romans 4: 21: And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he is able also to perform.
This is the offense of the cross—all glory, belongs to God alone! This is the distinction between all false religions and THE TRUTH. Works--no matter the name of the god being called upon—all false religion—gives man at least something to perform in order to be saved. Grace—glories only in the true and living God of heaven and earth who saves whom he will entirely himself without any help from the sinner.
“Works” and “Grace” are mutually exclusive of the other. Either man earns his salvation by something he has done so that God owes it to him (works) OR God saves sinners who have done nothing to merit God’s favor (grace.) But salvation cannot be partly by “works” and partly by “grace”.
Romans 11: 6: And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Illustration: Cain and Abel—Cain came seeking acceptance by the work of his hand. Abel came seeing acceptance by God’s grace in the blood of a lamb. God accepted Abel and rejected Cain. Cain killed his brother because of it.
Oh, the Light when Christ is made Wisdom unto us—then we behold
But of God are ye in Christ Jesus,who of God is made unto us Wisdom!
Moses asked to see God’s glory: God said, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will be merciful to whom I will be merciful.
Ephesians 1: 3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Romans 9: 16: So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
1 John 5: 20: And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
1 Cor 2: 14-16
II. SECONDLY, OF GOD IS CHRIST IS MADE UNTO US RIGHTEOUSNESS
1 Corinthians 1: 30: But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness,
Righteousness is to have done all the DEEDS required in the law.
Romans 5: 17-…By one man’s disobedience—one transgression—all who Adam represented were made sinners. All men broke the law in Adam.
Romans 3: 20: Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
By the obedience of one—Christ the last Adam—all whom he represented are made the righteousness of God. By Christ’s deeds—not my own righteousness which is by the law—but by his deeds, he fulfilled the righteousness of the law. He loved God and his brethren unto death—which is truly the fulfillment of all the righteousness of the law. So he justified all whom he lived and died
Application: We confess in believer’s baptism—we were crucified with him, and raised with him to newness of life—made the righteousness of God in him. Boasting is excluded, not by our deeds, but by faith in Christ our Righteousness (Romans 3: 27-28.)
III. THIRDLY, OF GOD IS CHRIST IS MADE UNTO US SANCTIFICATION
1 Corinthians 1: 30: But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification
Sanctification means holiness—the Spirit of Christ in the believer had made us one in Christ.
Romans 8: 8:…they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9: But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.10: And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
Never look to your flesh, only look to Christ—follow after Christ—he is the Fountain wherein every believer is cleansed, washed, sanctified! Christ IS THE Holiness—without which no man shall see the Lord.
Illustration: The thief on the cross—today you shall be with me in heaven!
I can’t boast enough in the Lord himself--even as Christ is all our Righteousness, so all our Sanctification—created new in Christ our Righteousness and our Holiness—God has made us meet—fit—to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
IV. FOURTHLY, OF GOD IS CHRIST MADE UNTO US REDEMPTION
1 Corinthians 1: 30: But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
To be redeemed is to be delivered from sin because Christ paid the ransom. Christ has obtained eternal for us. We are risen with Christ
Though we shall one day draw our last breathe o our spirit shall go to be with the Lord immediately and our bodies shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be delivered body, soul and spirit to be with our Redeemer forever. Can you glory with me brethren!
Psalm 44: 8: In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
1 Corinthians 1: 31: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord
Amen!