A Grain of Wheat — Major Ian Thomas

There was never a moment of any day that ever dawned in which he was not completely at the Father's disposal so that we read in the 15th of Romans in chapter 3 that even Christ could not please himself.

Christ’s Complete Submission to the Father

In this wonderful life could there have been one hour of greater significance than another? Was there then in the life of Jesus Christ one hour more significant than another? There was never a moment when there wasn't the complete unsullied, unspoiled, unblemished expression of the will of his Father in terms of his yielded humanity.

And yet this hour, the hour to which he lived, which reference is made on a number of occasions in the 7th chapter and the 30th verse, Then they sought to take him, but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

In the 20th verse of the 8th chapter these words spake Jesus in the treasury as he taught in the temple and no man laid hands on him for his hour was not yet come. In the 13th chapter and the 1st verse before the feast of the Passover when Jesus knew that his hour was come.

In the 1st verse of the 17th chapter these words spake Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said Father, the hour is come. Without which Jesus would have been born to live in vain. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the continuing verse in chapter 12, verse 24,.

Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die. I'd like to read that same verse to you out of the Amplified New Testament. I assure you most solemnly I tell you. Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die.

The Grain of Wheat and the Loneliness of Christ

I want you to listen to this very carefully. It remains. Remains. It comes more. Listen to this carefully. But live to remain eternally lonely. If he had never been God as he was and he was never less than God nor ever will be.

He is eternally in equality with the triune deity. But had he never even been God. And from God that are the cause of death as waiting man to enter into his father's presence forever. Even had he never been God he could have lived and remained forever.

But to be eternally lonely. I want to examine that with you a little more closely for the next few moments. You see there are those who would have us believe. That when the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world he just lived the life of a beautiful man.

Wonderful philosophy of life. And that being a Christian. Raising upon the matchless example that he set us. And seeking to emulate that he set. That if you and I muse long enough upon his teachings. We'll be like him.

What would have happened if the Lord Jesus coming into this world had lived for 33 years. That wonderful sinless spotless life that earned the just acclaim of his father. In whom there was no sin. But he had bypassed the cross.

Followed Peter's advice. Gave us this matchless example. Had then returned to heaven. What would have been accomplished by the life that he lived for you and for me. Turn with me to the 10th chapter of the Epistles of the Romans.

Human Righteousness Cannot Satisfy God’s Law

Romans in chapter 10. Our hearts desire and pray to God for Israel. Is that they might be saved. The seed of God. His religion. With considerable enthusiasm and loyalty. And that was true. Practiced religion with great sincerity.

Numbered among a multitude of men and women who practiced religion. Constructed practice of religion. When somebody acts by acting in ignorance. Established their own righteousness. Had not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Ignorant of the nature of the righteousness of God. It still seemed to be a valid possibility on their part to establish a righteousness of their own that would be acceptable to God. This was the nature of their ignorance.

The righteousness of God is absolute. Absolute righteousness can never satisfy the demands of his righteousness. We seek to establish our own righteousness. It falls hopelessly, pathetically short of the utter demands of God's righteousness.

That is self-righteousness. And must be repudiated. The best. Mind you, you need not turn to it. But in the 39th. Is as nothing before thee. Verily. Psalm 39 verse 5. Every man at his best. Goes on to say this.

Christ’s Sinless Life and Perfect Obedience

For Christ. Before the first man fell into sin. Was not accused. In which he was the last. That the demands of God's righteousness. Could make upon a man. In utter consummation. He was without sin. Sin is the transgression of the law.

Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Never took one single step. Nor spoke one single word. Nor did one single deed. Other than in an attitude of total, utter, complete, unquestioning dependence upon the Father.

There was in his person. The complete fulfillment of all that the law of righteousness. That had been penned by his own divine fingers. Upon tables of stone. This found its full fulfillment in him. Discover this fact.

Demanded by. Can be told. Of the Lord Jesus. That was demonstrated by his life. What the life. As Christ lived 1900 years ago. Can do for you and for me now. Ask myself through the word of God. Is simply this.

Demonstrated by his life. It was the righteousness demanded by the law. Can do for me now. Then the righteousness demonstrated by his life. Can do for me now. Demanded by the law. Can do for you and for me today.

The Law Exposes Guilt Rather Than Justifying Sinners

Epistle to the rest. Chapter 3. Verse 19. Now we know that what things soever the law saith. It saith to them who are under the law. God and says. I demand. I demand to be judged upon the basis. Of my performance in the light of the demands of your law.

You can keep that. I demand to be judged on the basis of my performance. In relation to the demands. That your law in righteousness makes upon me as a man. God says right. Has to say that such a man as that.

Be that even in such a gathering as this. There are some tonight. Who would seek to be justified. Before a holy God. On the basis of their own performance. It saith to them who are under the law. To this end.

That every mouth may be stopped. And all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law. There shall no flesh be justified in God's sight. For by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Righteousness can do for you and for me. As guilty fallen men. Is to shut our mouths. Expose our guilt. And prove us guilty. Prove us that we are guilty. The prophet. The priest. And the king. The redeemer.

Jesus. Saviour. The hopeless. Lost. The saved. We might find by grace alone. Acceptance. End of the law for righteousness. To everyone that believe. The amazing thing is this. That God was prepared to impute.

Imputed Righteousness and Justification by Faith

Or credit all your guilt and mine. To the guiltless. Jesus Christ upon the cross. That to you and to me today. There might be imputed. Or credited. Or credited. All the guiltlessness and righteousness.

Of Christ himself. You know as well as I do. That this is the basis of our redemption. This is the basis of our justification by faith. Justified. God looks at me just as if I never died. Because he looks on him just as if he committed all my sins.

Demanded by the law. Enmity against God. Is not subject to the law of God. Neither indeed can the all wretched man that I am. As we have heard already so. Out of God my maker. That takes the law out of delightful.

From imitating the life of Christ. And submit to the demands of the law. That 1900 years ago. Do for you and for me today. We must have thought of it this way. Christ had been born on that first Christmas day.

Only to live that matchless life. And go straight back to the father from whom he had come. He would have left us only. He knew how wicked man had been. He knew that God must punish sin in him. He suffered the just.

For the unjust. For our offenses. The Lord Jesus Christ is your redeemer. Who died for you historically. 1900 years ago. Once and for all. By this one sacrifice. For sins forever. To reconcile you to a holy God.

Forgiveness Alone Does Not Produce Christlike Living

Would you tell me this. Does the knowledge that your sins are forgiven. For his dear sake. In itself. For a life of God like. Sins are forgiven because you have claimed Christ as your redeemer. You have pleaded his precious blood.

You have named his name. You have called upon him. And you have been accepted. Would this rich assurance of your eternal destiny. And security. In itself impart to you. Any new capacity to live a different kind of life.

From the life that you lived before you were redeemed. I submit to you tonight. That the knowledge that your sins are forgiven. Adds absolutely nothing. To your spiritual capacity to be a different kind of person.

It may create within you quite. Legitimately a holy ambition to be different. Out of a sense of gratitude and love. And a sense of duty to the one who died for you. Because of an emotional attachment.

And a sentimental regard. And a deep sense of loyalty. You will want to be different. But the knowledge that he died for you. And your sins are forgiven. Because he died for you. In itself does not impart to you.

Any new spiritual caliber of living. And if all that Jesus Christ did. When he came to this world. 1900 years ago. Was to live that sinless life. To qualify him for that redeeming death. And then go straight back.

Reconciliation by Christ’s Death and Salvation by His Life

Until you got there. You hopelessly inadequate for that. And this is the gospel that is preached. Come to Jesus. And have your sins forgiven. Now roll up your sleeves. And show him how you love him. I have a deep regard.

For those who love the Savior. And who in their misguided zeal. Would encourage you to do the impossible. Without the only one who makes the impossible possible. I suggest to you. That it has been the source of untold sorrow.

And bitterness and disillusion. On the part of God's people. This is the superlative of our faith. This is the dynamic proposition. If when we were enemies. We were reconciled to God. By the death of his son.

Much more being reconciled. We shall be. As a continuing process. Saved by his life. A second statement. The first is. The life that he lived. Qualified him for the death that he died. But here is the second.

The death that he died. Qualifies you. To receive the life. That is of the gospel. Unquitted. Living in the origin of his own image. Fall into the ground and die. It remains. And it lives. On and on and on.

Forever. Rarely goes into the ground and dies. The release of life. And it isn't long before a new corn. Is passionate. Dies in the warm rays of the same field. Of a ripened heart. The golden field of corn is a graveyard.

Life bursting through from death. And in that new opening year of corn. Thirty. Sixty. A hundred fold. The life. Come that you might have life. Of course for the three years in which the Lord Jesus taught them.

To go to Jerusalem. Subsequent to his resurrection. He showed them his hands and his feet. The scriptures in such a way that at last their understandings were enlightened. You're going to see the point of it all.

It left you baffled and bewildered. Disillusioned and afraid. For the death is going to present to me. Going to be in me. I will not leave you comforted. You will receive power. Receive from on high will be nothing less than my presence.

I will come to you. You're going to become my hands. Continue to do and to teach the things that I began to do and to teach in my own humanity. You know as well as I do that the Acts of the Apostles is the continuation of what Jesus began to do and to teach.

The only difference was that he now did it in terms of that redeemed humanity. That having been reconciled to God was now re-inhabited by God. 120 grains strong. Because 120 men and women received no body less than Christ himself.

As he presenced himself within them through the eternal spirit. As the father for 33 years had presenced himself in the son for 33 years. Now the son was in them. Now he was going to. It is we have to preach.

You never invited. Temples of the living God. Individually of his corporate body in general. See every genuinely spiritual church is an evangelizing. Jesus is the one who came to seek and to save that which is lost.

And given right of way in any. In business. He reproduced in us. Reproduced in you and me. Comes more but lives. Refusing to die. Has to fall into the ground and die. In the inquiry room. The congregation.

The Holy Spirit’s Work in Calling People to Salvation

I find that in the Acts of the Apostles it was always the congregation that appealed. Sir, what must we do to be saved? Sir, what must I do to be saved? The spirit was doing the work. The truth in general.

The Holy Spirit was making it the truth. In particular. One lies the world in one known general. One.