All Things Are For Your Sakes

 

All Things are for Your Sakes

 

II Corinthians 4:15

 

For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

 

 

“For all things are for your sakes” In this verse the Apostle is speaking to believers who have the law of Christ written on their hearts by the Spirit of the living God.  “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart” (II Corinthians 3:3). The writing of the Spirit of the living God in the fleshy tables of the hearts of the people of God prove them to be the true children of God. The doctrine of Christ is that which the Holy Ghost writes in those fleshy tables: as it is written: “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds” (II John 9-11).

 

“All things are for your sakes” All things in realms of creation, providence and grace have their origin in the will of God for the bringing forth of those who are the children of God, as it is written: “ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Romans 8:28-30). Those to whom it is given to love God do so because He first loved them, as the apostle John has written: “We love him, because he first loved us” (I John 4:19). The apostle Paul has declared these words by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost: “..For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's” (I Corinthians 3:21-23). And the same Apostle has written: “..If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:31-39).

 

“For all things are for your sakes” The salvation of God’s elect did not begin in the purpose of the elect to be saved; but it began in the purpose of God to save those whom He had loved with an everlasting love and these are the many sons that Christ Jesus was appointed to bring to final glory, as it is written: “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:10). The scriptures make it very clear that those who are saved, are saved in Christ, as it is written: “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you” (John 14:20). Christ Jesus the Head of the body is joined to His body the church, and these being joined together are one spirit, as it is written: “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit” (I Corinthians 6:17). Even the bodies of the saints, including all the members of our bodies are “the members of Christ”, as it is written: “Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid” (I Corinthians 6:15). The body of Christ is one body and that body is joined to the Head even Christ and the body has many members, as it is written: “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many” (I Corinthians 12:12-14). Each individual member of the body of Christ is a member in particular, with its own function and place in the body, as it is written: “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (I Corinthians 12:27). Each member in particular is called and chosen, and faithful, as it is written: “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).

 

Christ Jesus is the eternal, visible and knowable expression of all that God is in His Trinity of Persons, as our Lord said: “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). Our Lord Jesus Christ: “..is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” (Colossians 1:15-16). And: “..in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:9). And the things that we may know of God are revealed to us in Jesus Christ, as it is written: “ For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (II Corinthians 4:6). Our Lord said to His disciples: “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. “Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father” (John 14:7-9)?

 

“That the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God”.  In our Lord’s conversation with the woman of Sychar our Lord Jesus said: “Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:21-24). The Father seeketh such to worship Him as do worship Him in spirit and in truth. The Father seeketh such to worship Him as worship through the doctrine and Spirit of Jesus Christ which are both in them who are indwelt by the Spirit of truth. The Father seeketh perfect worship from those who He has called into one body of Christ. However in this life the people of God are not capable of that worship because of the principle of indwelling sin. That indwelling principle continually invades their thoughts and hinders them from that perfect adoration, praise and expression of love that is worthy of the glory of the Majesty of our God. Notwithstanding, God has ordained perfect worship of the Majesty of His Glory. That is when the troubles of indwelling sin will have been eradicated by the reception of our “house which are from heaven”, as it is written: “For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven” (II Corinthians 5:2).

 

Furthermore, at “the resurrection of the just” (Luke 14:14), our “vile bodies” which have the indwelling principle of sin, shall be changed, as it is written: “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Philippians 3:21). In that day those who are predestinated to be conformed to the image of Christ will be perfectly conformed to the image of Christ and in that glorified body the saints of God will be able to worship God in a manner worthy of His Majesty. In the glorified body there will be no indwelling remnant of sin, only the perfect holiness of Jesus Christ, for: “..of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (I Corinthians 1:30). “Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit” (II Corinthians 5:5). And the apostle has declared: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:50-58).

 

AJ Ison

 

See the writer’s blog at www.hebrews915.blogspot.com hear the true gospel preached at www.13thstbaptist.org webcasting live at listed service times.