The Unspeakable Gift

The CONTEXT of the Text

1. Today is communion Sunday: we want to rightly remember Jesus’ death as God’s gift.
2. The act, concept, and theme in context is giving, as God gave Jesus for our eternal life.
3. Salvation is a gift: He gave us to Christ; He gave Christ for us; He gives us eternal life.
4. The verse above concludes two chapters dedicated to Christian giving for poor saints.
5. Giving is strictly poor saints, often Jews (II Cor 8:4; 9:1,4; I Cor 16:1; Acts 11:27-30).
6. To eliminate any confusion or doubt about Bible rules to give only to believers … here.
7. In chapter eight Paul used the giving by the poor Philippians to provoke the Corinthians.
8. A favorite verse in chapter eight is Jesus’ chosen poverty to make us rich (II Cor 8:9).
9. For a complete analysis of this precious verse see the sermon and outline for it … here.
10. In chapter nine Paul exhorted Corinth to give with rules and rewards for liberal giving.
11. A popular verse in chapter nine is God loves cheerful givers, as Himself (II Cor 9:6-7).
12. God’s gift of eternal life through His son was for His glory and pleasure (Is 53:10-12).
13. Boasting about giving of liberal givers is not wrong, and we should boast of God’s gift.
14. Discriminating NT giving, ignoring pagan needs everywhere, close or distant, is limited contribution or donation – limited in its design and recipients, like limited atonement.
15. Why is the holy interjection here? Paul used God’s gift to provoke Corinth to give more.
16. He also did it with the text in chapter eight – reversal of fortune in Christ (II Cor 8:9).

The UNSPEAKABLE of the Text

1. Paul by inspiration described God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus as unspeakable.
2. Unspeakable = cannot be fully or rightly described or expressed by the mind and tongue.
3. It is same as ineffably sublime, as we sing in a hymn, Crown Him With Many Crowns.
4. Our knowledge is limited – God is unsearchable; our speech is limited – unspeakable.
5. A similar term – unsearchable – is used for Jehovah’s greatness (Job 5:9; Psalm 145:3).
6. Paul used unsearchable for Christ’s gospel that he preached (Eph 3:8; Rom 11:33-36).
7. What God has done for us and how much Jesus loved us passes knowledge (Eph 3:19).
8. Human eyes, ears, and heart have never experienced or imagined His design (I Cor 2:9).
9. For much more about it and great depth and detail of His unsearchable riches … here.
10. But let us focus on the Spirit’s choice in our text – God’s gift of His Son is
11. Full appreciation of salvation and Jesus’ return with blessings is unspeakable (I Pet 1:8).
12. Paul visited the third heaven – paradise – and he heard unspeakable words (II Cor 12:4).
13. Eternal life by God killing His Son as Substitute for us is truly an unspeakable
    1. We are moved by Abraham and Isaac’s words (Gen 22:3-10), but this is far greater; Abraham never touched his son due to a lamb; God deserted and killed His own Son.
    2. It is too high and lofty for us to explore, let alone for us to rightly express (Ps 131:1).
    3. It involves too many various thoughts and works to order or to number (Psalm 40:5).
    4. It is spoken of in the Bible by the Spirit, but with far less detail than it deserves (Matt 1:21; John 3:16; 6:37-40; 10:26-29; Rom 5:6-11; 8:28-39; I John 4:10; Rev 5:1-14).
    5. We cannot describe a sacrificial death for enemies, unlike a good man (Ro 5:7-10).
    6. Christ’s love for him constrained Paul to extreme zeal to seem mad (II Cor 5:13-15).
    7. His love passes knowledge and can fill us with all the fulness of God (Eph 3:18-19).
    8. His mercy to pardon sinners is higher than ours as heaven is above earth (Is 55:6-9).
    9. If a foolish, curious man were to question the gift, he is ridiculed as clay (Rom 9:20).
    10. God’s gift of Jesus for our redemption used very much wisdom and prudence, so that the angels are very impressed (Eph 1:8; 3:10; Rom 11:33-36; I Pet 1:10-12).
    11. When we read of adoption in I John 3, we are held back from details (I John 3:1-2).
    12. We can read, sing, preach, and think about communion, but it is an unspeakable
    13. If it is unspeakable, you should be overwhelmed by a gift you cannot grasp or tell.

The GIFT of the Text

1. Salvation is a gift: He gave us to Christ; He gave Christ for us; He gives us eternal life.
2. We were condemned and wicked rebels deserving three deaths by the most just Judge, but instead He pardoned us by the death of His Substitute Son and then adopted us!!!!!!!
3. A favorite verse in chapter eight is Jesus’ chosen poverty to make us rich (II Cor 8:9).
4. A popular verse in chapter nine is God loves cheerful givers, as Himself (II Cor 9:6-7).
5. God’s gift of eternal life through His son was for His glory and pleasure (Is 53:10-12).
6. Discriminating NT giving, ignoring pagan needs everywhere, close or distant, is limited contribution or donation – limited in its design and recipients, like limited atonement.
7. Eternal life is by God killing His Son as our Substitute; He gave it; He did not offer it.
   1. The preciousness of a gift is the cost to the giver. God gave His only begotten Son. How can we depraved beasts ever conceive the relationship of the Father and Son?
   2. The benefit of a gift is the effect to the recipient. We cannot value heaven and hell. How can we describe the glory of unknown heaven with the horror of unknown hell?
   3. The value of a gift is surplus or scarcity of it relative to demand; the demand (desire/need) for atonement with God is infinite; but supply is scarce – elect only; John wept in glory due to infinite demand for a Man and total lack of any supply.
   4. The kindness or mercy of any gift is the claim, right, or worthiness of the recipient set against the fairness, justice, or righteousness of the Giver and His convictions.
   5. The intelligence or wisdom of any gift is the overall virtue or judgment achieved and the necessary means or strategies to provide and/or transfer the gift to recipients.
   6. The grace of any gift is on what basis the recipients were chosen from all recipients, for there is no respect of persons with this Giver and it is purely His own free will.
   7. The probability of any gift are the statistical likelihood or expected return of a gift.
   8. The endurance of any gift is the relationship or treatment of recipients following gift, where God and Christ glorify the plan of redemption with perpetual intercession.
   9. The glory and wisdom of God’s gift are these few simplistic measures combined.
   10. To further explore the glory of God’s sovereign rich of grace in Jesus Christ … here.
8. Eternal life is by God killing His Son as our Substitute; He gave it; He did not offer it.
   1. Did Jesus Christ suffer the wrath of God and satisfy the justice of God for (a) some of the sins of all men, (b) all of the sins of all men, or (c) all of the sins of some men? If all the sins of all men, then heaven is full and hell empty, for all are saved and universalism is true. If some of the sins of all men, heaven is empty and hell full.
   2. The folly or shame of any gift is by it not achieving its design, purpose, or value, for the vast majority of mankind will suffer eternal torment in spite of His gift by death.
   3. The insanity of any gift is the perversion or reversal of the Giver’s objectives, so the vast majority of those presuming an interest in it live for self and sin and shame Him.
   4. The abuse of any gift is a false message conveyed and perpetuated by its fruit, for the general atonement crowd see little value in the cross but great value in their will.
   5. The cruelty of any gift is if it is offered mockingly without sincerity to obtain it, for there is no man in any generation able to receive it by the conditions declared.
   6. The monstrosity of the love with the gift is God knowing by omniscience that He would send most to hell but telling them of His love when He created and damned.
   7. The disgrace and folly of a general atonement are these few measures combined.
   8. To further explore the depths of Arminian folly about salvation by questions … here.