It is indeed good to be back
with you all. I think the world of your pastor
he. I think I first met Gabe when
he was probably about 10 or 12 years old. His dad came and preached
for us, and of course the whole family was there. I'm sure Gabe
doesn't remember it. We had him over for dinner, and
I'm sure he probably had dinner at a lot of different houses,
but never in my wildest imaginations did I ever imagine that he would
be a pastor of a church and I would be standing in his pulpit. I
hope you cherish Gabe. He is a dear, dear friend. And
as I said, I think last time I was here, until you've been
without a pastor for a long time, as we have in Danville for about
four and a half years, you just don't know what a blessing they
truly are. Pray for me as I try to exalt
our Savior. I think often of that old hymn
that says, all is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes
down. You can be the most gifted orator
in the world, and your message will fall flat unless the Spirit
of God accompanies it. Let's go back to our text that
the brother read in John chapter 8. We'll have our beginning there.
I've titled this message, Where are those thine accusers? Where are those thine accusers?
Now, Levitical law required that both the parties taken in adultery
be stoned, be put to death. But as you can see in this text,
these men that brought this woman to the Lord had no interest except
trying to trip up our Lord. We read that where it says, this
they said tempting him. And we're not told how many accusers
this woman had, but it had to be humiliating for her because
there was many people gathered in this temple. to hear the Lord
speak. And these guys, I guess, muscled
their way through and put her right in the middle of everybody
to be seen. And that's when they put forth their accusations against
her. And I'm sure it was humiliating. But we read at the end of this
that the Lord shut them down and they all left. And they had to leave thinking,
are we never going to get something over on this guy? They tried
again and again and again, and I'm sure that once they finally
saw him hanging on that tree, they thought to themselves, boy,
we finally got him. And little did they know, little
did Satan know, little did the princes of this world know that
we're told in the scripture, had they known it, they would
not have crucified the Lord of glory. Now, as this woman had
many accusers, so did the children of God. And among those accusers, there's
five that I want to look at today. First, Satan being our accuser. Second, the holy law of God. Third, our own heart being our
accuser. Fourth, the world and unbelievers.
And lastly, our sin. Now, first, Satan accuses us.
We read in Revelation 12, 10. You don't need to turn there.
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now has come salvation
and strength and the kingdom of our God and the power of his
Christ. For the accuser of our brethren
is cast down, which accused them before the throne of God day
and night. Now in Job chapter one, we have
what I think is in his amazing account. Verse six says this,
now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before the Lord and Satan came also with them. Now most commentaries
that I read, they said that these children or these sons of God
that are described here are his holy angels. And it would seem
that these angels, or as they're referred to as ministering spirits,
are sent forth to minister. Now, one definition of a minister
is a servant. They're sent forth to serve the
people of God. In Hebrews 1, it asks this question. It says, but to which of the
angels said he at any time, said on my right hand until I make
thine enemies thy footstool? Are they not all ministering
spirits sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of
salvation? Now, minister, as I said, is
another word for servant. Another definition of that word
is one who gives aid or performs a service. One who is appointed
by or under the authority of a sovereign or head of state
to a high office. In Psalm 103 that we just read,
we didn't get to verse 20, but it tells us that these angels
who watch over us excel in strength. Psalm 34 says, the angel of the
Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth
them. Now Psalm 91. Turn over there
with me. I want to read Psalm 91. It goes into detail about
how our God protects His chosen people by using His angels. Psalm 91. I want to read the
entire chapter. It's a short chapter, but it's
such a good description of how our God watches over His people. Psalm 91. He that dwelleth in the secret
place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the
Almighty. I will say of the Lord, he is
my refuge and my fortress, my God, in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee
from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings
shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield
and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for
the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flyeth by day,
nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction
that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy
side, and ten thousand at thy right hand. but it shall not
come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou
behold and see the reward of the wicked, because thou hast
made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most high by habitation. There shall no evil befall thee,
neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall
give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their
hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread
upon the lion and the adder, the young lion and the dragon,
shalt thou trample under feet, because he hath set his love
upon thee, or upon me, therefore will I deliver him. I will set
him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call
upon me. And I will answer him. I will
be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor
him. With long life will I satisfy
him and show him my salvation. Now these verses make it clear
that God's people are cared for their entire life. As I mentioned previously in
the study, every second of our life, From the moment we're born
to the moment we die, we have guardian angels. We like to use
that term, guardian angels, and it's a good term. They watch
over us. But knowing that we have guardian
angels is not a license to live carelessly. We know this from
Matthew 4 where we read that text of how Satan took our Lord
after he had been fasting for 40 days and 40 nights in the
wilderness, took him up on a pentacle of the temple and he bit him,
cast thyself down. He said this, he said, if thou
be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, he quotes
here Psalm 91 that we just read, for it is written, he shall give
his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands shall
they bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against
a stone. To which our Lord replied, it
is written again. You want to quote scripture?
I've got one for you. It is written again, thou shalt
not tempt the Lord thy God. And it would seem that after
having done the work to which they are sent, these ministering
spirits, these angels returned to give an account before God.
Now the scriptures are not clear where this account takes place.
Some of the commentaries that I read says that it does not
take place at the throne of God in heaven because Satan was once
cast out of heaven and it does not make sense that he would
be allowed back in. And perhaps some wrote that there
is a secondary throne where this takes place. But regardless of
where this accusing takes place, it does indeed take place. We
know that Satan is among those that accuse us every hour of
every day, as he did Job in his first chapter. Starting in verse
8 in Job 1, it says, And the Lord said unto Satan, Has thou
considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the
earth, a perfect man and an upright man, one that feareth God and
escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the Lord
and said, Doth Job fear God for naught? If thou not made a hedge
about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on
every side, thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his
substance increased in the land. But put forth thy hand now, and
touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face."
This is Satan accusing Job. He accused Job of being faithful
only because God had been so abundant in blessing him. And
then in chapter 2, we find Satan and the Lord having much the
same conversation, again, concerning Job. So God allowed Satan to
touch everything that Job had. He took his children, he took
all his possessions, and yet he did not ever question God's
good providence. That's a rare, rare individual. But we know how that story ends
with the Lord blessing Joe more at the end than he did at the
beginning. And as Satan accused Joe before the throne of God,
so the scriptures tell us that he is our accuser every hour
of every day, day and night. And then we find our second accuser.
is God's holy and strict law and rightfully so. Now, the spirit
of the law says is this man was taken in adultery because the
scriptures tell us that if you look up on a woman to lust after
her, you've already committed adultery with her in your heart.
Now, the breaking of God's law, we need to understand this. The
breaking of God's law does not simply include our actions. It
includes our very thoughts. Now we like to think that most
times we can control our actions, and most of the time we do. But
control our thoughts, I'm telling you, that is an impossibility.
And if you're honest, you will admit like me, I am sometimes
startled. by the thoughts that entered
my mind. Todd Nyberg preached at our church a while back and
he said if my thoughts were to be put up on a screen for you
to see, just that I've thought in the last 24 hours, he said
I'd run out of here with my head hung in shame and never show
my face in public again. And I think if you're honest,
if you're like me, You're both astounded and disappointed at
the thoughts that enter your mind. We don't like to admit
it, but it's true. I've likened this, our lives
before, to a man, a godly man, who's wrongfully accused of a
crime and sent to prison. And this man is put in a cell
with a cellmate who is a most vile, foul-mouthed, hateful person
who has ever lived. And this godly man, he tries
to read God's Word, and this cellmate will begin to describe
in vivid detail of some atrocious thing that he's committed against
an innocent victim. This godly man will try to pray
and read God's Word, and his cellmate will begin to describe
in vivid detail how he violated and murdered an innocent child.
And this godly man cannot escape the company of this vile cellmate,
and so it is with the believer. We have two distinct natures. There's many people that don't
believe that, but it is indeed true. The two natures that we
possess are and continually will be forever that we lay down this
flesh at war with one another. There'll be no peace. This is
why Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, This is why Paul
declared, O wretched man that I am. Paul was no different than
us. The law tells us you shall love
the Lord your God with all thy soul, strength, and mind. But
anyone sitting here will have to admit that there's far too
much love of self for us to love God with our entire being. So
what's the purpose of the law then? It is there to condemn
us. It is there to constantly accuse
us of violating every statute found therein. Now, Paul explained
to the Galatians in Galatians 3.19, wherefore then serveth
the law? What is the purpose of God giving the law? Paul says
it was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to
whom the promise was made, and it was ordained by angels in
the hand of a mediator. Then he tells the Galatians,
for as many are as of the works of the law are under the curse. For it is written, cursed is
everyone that continueth not in most things contained in the
law. No, it says, cursed is everyone
who continueth not in all things which are written in the book
of the law to do them. The law shows us our inability
to do anything that would recommend us to God. It is our accuser. James declared this in chapter
2, verse 10. He said, for whosoever shall
keep the whole law and yet offend in one point. He is guilty of
all, if you break even one commandment of God's law in either deed or
thought you may as well have broken every one of them. You
may as well live the most vile life imaginable because you're
as guilty as if you broke every law of God. Paul also told the
Galatians this, but that no man is justified by the law in the
sight of God. It is evident for the just shall
live by faith. It is evident. It doesn't need
any further elaboration. So Paul asked the Galatians this
question. Tell me, ye that desire to be
under the law, do you not hear the law? Do you not realize the
insanity of a desire to be under the law? It can only lead to
one thing, and that is eternal damnation. Now Paul further said
in Romans 3, 19 and 20, now we know that whatsoever things the
law saith, it saith to them who are under the law that every
mouth may be stopped and that the whole world may become guilty
before God. 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. There is nothing but condemnation
to be found in God's holy law. It is there to accuse us, as
these hypocrites did this woman. It is impossible for any man
to keep it. Keeping it almost perfectly will
not cut it. And we know that there is only
one man who has ever lived who has done that. And he did it
not for himself, but he did it for his people. Now thirdly,
our own heart accuses us. We're like the lying prophets
that Jeremiah described in chapter 23. He asked this question, how
long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy
lies? Yea, they are prophets of the
deceit of their own heart. Now, our natural heart tells
us, now there's a way you can get right with God. You just
need to do this, this, and this. But Proverbs tells us this, there
is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are
the ways of death. The heart is referred to in the
scripture as the very core of our being. It speaks to the thoughts
of the heart, but we know, of course, that thoughts occur in
the mind. But our Lord taught us that all
actions proceed from ideas, and those ideas take place and spring
from the heart. He taught his disciples that
nothing but corruption can come forth from a man who has a corrupt
heart. He said, it's not the things
that enter into a man. All the whiskey you can drink
will not condemn you to hell. Your heart is wicked beyond imagination. Ralph Barnard once made this
statement, he said, honest men don't go to hell. And by that
he meant if we truly admit what we are at heart, we will seek
a remedy. and it will only be by God's
grace that we seek that remedy. God put a conscience in man that
is described in Romans 1 and verses 19 and 20 tell us that
because of the evident things of creation are seen by man that
they are without excuse. Our heart tells us that there
is a God and that we fall short of what is required to be in
His presence. Our very heart accuses us and
tells us that this is true. Fourthly, we have another group
who accuses us, the world and unbelievers. They did this to
our Lord when He walked in human flesh. They said He's a glutton
and a winebibber. He's just a drunk. And like lost men and women,
They like to point out the shortcomings of God's children. They like
to watch those that proclaim themselves to be Christians.
And there's a lot of shortcomings to point out. They don't have
to look very hard. We fall every hour of every day. But what the world does not understand
is those fallings of ours, those shortcomings only drive us to
cling closer to the righteousness of Christ as our only hope. The world is like that Pharisee
in that tale of the publican and the Pharisee in the temple.
The world likes to look at Christians and say, boy, I'm glad I'm not
like those hypocrites. But the believer is like that
publican who beats on his chest and pleads for God to show him
mercy, feeling the accusations of his own heart. And lastly,
we have one more accuser, our sin. Now if this were our only
accuser, it would be sufficient to damn us forever. The Scripture
tells us that we come forth from the womb speaking lies. When it comes to sin, we hit
the ground running, and it only gets worse from there. Romans
3 describes a natural man and his thoughts toward God, and
it is not an encouraging picture. John Bunyan, some of those of
you sitting here may be familiar with Bunyan. He's a Puritan that
lived back in the 1600s, and this man spent 12 years in Bedford
Prison for one thing, for preaching the gospel of Christ and him
crucified. But he also wrote a book, and
if you've not read it, I would encourage you to get a copy and
do so, called The Pilgrim's Progress. And for hundreds of years, that
book was the most read book in the world behind the Bible. Sadly
to say, it's not anymore. But Bunyan wrote the best description
of sin that I have ever heard or ever read. Listen carefully
to this. Bunyan said, sin is the dare
of God's justice, the slight of his power, the rape of his
mercy, the jeer of his patience, and the contempt of his love.
Our sin is ever before us, inescapable, a constant reminder of our wretchedness
before God. It is there to accuse us. But there's hope to be had, folks. In the book of Chronicles, 2
Chronicles chapter 20, we have the story of how the multitude
of Israel's enemies were assembled against them to destroy them.
And along with them, Jehoshaphat, who was their leader. Now, this
is a type of our many accusers. And in verse 3, it says that
Jehoshaphat feared. Then he prayed this prayer to
God. He said, O Lord God of our fathers, are not thou God in
heaven? And rulest not thou over all
the kingdoms of the heathen? And in thy hand is there not
power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? And
we hear our Lord Jesus Christ say to us, as Jezreel said to
that nation in verse 15 of that same chapter of 20 and 2 Chronicles. He said this, and I love this. This is what Christ says to his
children about our many accusers. Be not afraid nor dismayed by
reason of this great multitude. For the battle is not yours,
but God's. The battle is not yours, but
God. Believer, don't despair because of the multitude of your
accusers. Because there is one who stands
mighty to save. Now our God is obligated, and
I use that word purposely, our God is obligated to answer those accusers of his
people bound by the promises that he made in Christ before
the foundation of the world. Turn over with me to the book
of Romans, chapter 8. These are very familiar verses,
but I'd like us to look at them. Romans, chapter 8. Romans chapter 8, we'll begin
reading in verse 28. As I said, very familiar ground. 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 did
also 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. What shall we say then to these
things? 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 anything 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, who is even at the right hand of God,
who also maketh intercession for us. Now in these verses,
we find two full reasons why we can rest in the finished work
of our Lord Jesus Christ. First, it is God that justifies. Second, it is Christ that died. That is as good as it can possibly
get. But some might ask, why is that
such good news? And if you ask that question,
it is evident that you do not know the terror that takes place
in the heart of a sinner when God shows him what he is by nature
and God shows him that he deserves all that he is about to receive.
There was a time when the Lord showed me my lost condition. And I was teaching Sunday school
at the church in Danville at the time. Debbie and I have been
there actually this month for 50 years. And people were astounded when
I made it publicly known that I was as lost as a goose. But the fact that you ask why
this is such good news tells me that you have never known
that terrible, terrible conviction that the Lord puts in the heart
of a lost sinner before he speaks peace to that heart. before he shows you that your
transgression is paid for, your accusers are silenced. As stated
in Romans 3, 26, it says, to declare, I say, at this time,
his righteousness, speaking of Christ, that he might be just
and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. There is
no violation of God's law when he declares his people to be
justified, because we are justified in Christ. Now, there's some
pretty good security systems on the market. They protect your
home. They protect your online identity. And some security systems, I
read up on this a little bit, they have a redundancy that prevents
them from being overridden or rendered ineffective. And this
is achieved by duplicating key components, by having a backup
system, by having secure storage, power supplies, and so forth.
But many times, those systems can still be hacked, and many
times they are. But there is no security system
in the world like that which is enjoyed by the child of God.
Paul asks this question in Romans 8.33, we just read it. Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Come on accusers,
line up, state your case. But they're not going to bring
any accusation against us that carries any weight. In the second half of this verse,
He answers his own question by listing our first assurance concerning
our security. It is God that justifies. The great ruler and sovereign
potentate of this universe declares his people justified. So who's
going to bring any accusation in the court of God's law that
is going to stand up? There will be none. The verdict
is already in. Not guilty by reason of imputation. The price has already been paid.
There is no violation of God's law when He declares His people
justified. Justice has already been carried
out on our blessed Passover lamb. God's divine nature does not
allow Him to simply wink at sin. It must be punished. It must be. Then in the next
verse, He asks this question, Who is He that condemneth? Come
on accusers, let's hear it. Who is he that condemneth? But
he answers his own question again with the second redundancy in
our assurance of security. It is Christ that died, and not
just that. Yea, rather, that is risen, and
not just that. who is even at the right hand
of God, and not just that, who also maketh intercession for
us. So who shall lay anything to
the charge of God's elect? Who's going to accuse them of
anything that has not already been addressed by these two assurances?
It was not already addressed 2,000 years ago on Golgotha's
tree. Now I've heard many preachers
throughout the years speculate on what our Lord Jesus Christ
wrote on the ground when they brought him, this woman, taken
in adultery. Some think it's maybe names and
dates that showed that these hypocrites had done even worse
than this woman was accused of. But we'll never really know,
the scriptures do not reveal it. But this we do know, our
Lord Jesus Christ figuratively stoops down and writes on the
ground to answer each of our accusers that he did this woman.
And in doing so, he silences each of them. There's two verses
that tell us what is about to become of our first accuser,
Satan. I read the one at the beginning
of this message and I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now has
come salvation and strength in the kingdom of our God and the
power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down. which accused them before the
throne of God day and night. This great accuser of the brethren
will one day be cast into the lake of fire, never to accuse
us anymore. And the second verse that tells
us what will become of Satan is in Romans 16, 20. It says
this, the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet
shortly. We are going to stomp his head.
And in our next accuser, the law steps up and lays out the
accusations against us, but there's hope to be had, as we read in
Romans 10, 4, that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone that believeth. The law has been dealt with in
the blood of Christ on our behalf, the death of Christ, which accomplished
what's described in Colossians 2, 14, blotting out the handwriting
of ordinances that was against us. As those government people redact
these documents, they've blotted them out. You can't read them
anymore. So it is with our accusations and our accusers, Christ has
blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us,
which was contrary to us. and took it out of the way, nailing
it to his cross. And verse 24 of Galatians 3,
speaking of God's law, says this, wherefore the law was our schoolmaster
to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. We are beyond condemnation. because
that justification took place long ago. We already read it,
how that he foreknows us and predestinates us, glorifies us,
justifies us. But some people say, but I've
not yet been glorified. And this text speaks of it in
the past tense. He says, them he also glorified. Now, how does that take place?
Only one way it takes place, when Christ was glorified and
his people were glorified in him. And we looked at how our
own heart condemns us and accuses us. 1 John says, 1 John chapter
3 says, for if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart
and knoweth all things. Psalm 57.7, David wrote these
words. My heart is fixed, O God, my
heart is fixed. I will sing and give praise.
Now I know that when he says, my heart is fixed, it means that
it's steadfast and sure in praising God. But I believe it also applies
to the new heart that we're given, which God bestows upon us when
he gives us a gift of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is
described in Ezekiel 11, where we read these encouraging words.
It says, and I will give them one heart, and I will put a new
spirit in them, and I will take the stony heart out of their
flesh and will give them a heart of flesh. that they may walk
in my statutes and keep my ordinances and do them and they shall be
my people and I will be their God. This is how our corrupt
heart is fixed. As I said before, our heart is
described as deceitfully wicked above all things. Not just wicked,
deceitfully wicked. But that heart is now replaced
with a heart that loves God. and desires to do His will. This
promise of a new heart is repeated again in Ezekiel 36. It says,
a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I
put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your
flesh, and will give you a new heart, a new heart that no longer
accuses us, but a heart that can only praise our sovereign
God. And when the world accuses us,
Christ gives us this assurance. He said this. In the world, you
shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome
the world. Overcome means to conquer, to
prevail, to defeat. And finally, that accuser, which
charges us every moment of every day, has also been silenced. Hebrews 9 26 says, But once in
the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself. Listen, listen, believer, you
hear that? Silence. Complete silence. because all the accusers of all
the brethren had been rendered moot. Now, this woman taken in
adultery in the very act was indisputably guilty. The law
said that she should be stoned. Yet, because of the intercession
of Christ, I should say, on her behalf, she escaped the death
that her sin required. Does that sound familiar? It
should. We're guilty of every charge
brought against our accusers, Satan, the law, our own heart,
the world, and our sin, all of which require eternal death. Yet, like this woman, we who
rightly deserve the sentence of death are saved from that
death by the same way this woman was saved, by the intercession
of the Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf. Now we have much to grieve
over in this life and many times, I don't know about you, but I
can't help but wonder if I even know the Lord. Sometimes our
accusers overwhelm us, but the spirit of God and the spirit
of comfort comes to us and reminds us of all the blessings that
we have in Christ. And that spirit asks us, child
of God, where are those thine accusers? And the believer can
reply with full confidence, Lord, they're gone. You've rendered
them silent. You shut them up and shut them
down. We have no more accusers. And
the last thing that our Lord said to this woman taken in adultery
was this. Neither do I condemn thee, go
and sin no more. Now this man, or this, our Lord,
I should say, gave this woman a commandment that she could
not possibly keep. Go and sin no more. And when
He gives us the assurance that our accusers have been silenced,
He says to us, neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more. Now, how is this possible when
we just read that everything we are and everything we do by
nature is nothing but sin? There is only one way that it
is possible. Speaking of that new man, John
wrote in 1 John, listen to this. encouraging beyond words. Whosoever
is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in
him, and he cannot sin. This is how the believer can
go forth and sin no more. We have a new nature that cannot
sin, completely separate from that old nature which does nothing
but sin. So child of God, I encourage
you, take your rest in the finished
work of Christ, knowing that all your accusers, though they
be many, cannot bring a charge against you that will stand up
in the court of God's holy law. They've been silenced forever
by the imputation and the work of our