All right, if you wish to follow
along, turn to Galatians chapter two. Galatians chapter two, I want
to read the last four verses of Galatians chapter two. What
I want to do, I want to read these verses, then I will go
back and try to briefly give a running commentary as I read
through them one more time. So, one, I'll just read the words,
then I'll go through verse 18 through 21, give a running commentary,
and then I have some words to say about all that afterwards. So, Galatians chapter two, and
of course, And I told you, does it say 18? I'm sorry, it's 19. 19, 20, and 21, I'm sorry. 19, 20, and 21 of Galatians chapter
two. And Paul, of course, is continuing
here, but he writes these words. For I, through the law, am dead
to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with
Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in
the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son
of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate
the grace of God, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ
is dead in vain. My title for this morning is
this. We live life by Christ's faith. We live life. This song we sang. Oh, how sweet to what? Walk. Walk, we're talking about. Paul's
talking about our walk, how we live, right? Oh, how sweet to
walk in this pilgrim way. How? Leaning on the everlasting
arms. So again, let me give this kind
of a running commentary as we go through this one more time.
For I through the law am dead to the law. What's he talking
about? The law has this one great precept. Death separates a union. Death separates a union. Death separates the marital union. Those who here, and I don't say
this to be mean, I don't say this to try to pour salt in a
wound, but those of you here this morning that are widowed,
male or female, whatever you are, you're a widower or you're
a widow, that relationship you had with that husband or that
wife is gone. It may still be real to you.
but it legally is gone. And that's what Paul's talking
about. For I through the law am dead to the law. As a matter
of fact, even the law, the law of God, when a man or a woman
died, if they had debts, those debts for that person. It may
not be for others, but for that person, they're canceled. They're
gone. You cannot exact of them the
demand of that debt. The death made the separation
of the union. This is why Paul says, for I
through the law, not by any keeping of the law, not by not keeping
the law. Because remember, as he will
go on to say, it's neither circumcision nor uncircumcision that availeth
anything. We are not encouraging men and
women to be lawbreakers. We're saying you are lawbreakers.
You just are lawbreakers. For I through the law am dead
to the law. For what reason? Not that I might
live to myself. Now we're accused of saying that
or preaching that or teaching that or believing that, but we
through the law are dead to the law for what reason? That we
might live unto God. Now, this idea that you walk
an aisle, you pray a prayer, you tell God that you believe
in the historical facts of Jesus Christ, that he was virgin born,
that he lived a righteous life, that he died on the cross, that
he was buried, that he rose again, and now he's seated in heaven,
and if you confess that and tell God you're sorry for your sins,
you're saved, it's a lie straight from hell. It has no basis in
the word of God itself. Believing the historical facts
is not salvation. It is believing Christ that is
salvation. So again, for I through the law
am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. And I ask this
question, well, how was that so? How did that take place? Ah, here it is. Here's how that
death occurred. I am crucified with Christ. Do you see it? There's the death
that occurred. And I died, if I'm in him now,
I died with him way back then. Do you see that? I am crucified
with Christ. There's the death. That's the
death that separated me from the law, for I through the law
am what? I'm dead to the law. Now we, here's the thing, we
use that phrase, I'm dead to this person. You ever heard somebody
say that? I'm dead to you. But here's the problem, we lie
through our teeth when we say it. And that's why when we read
verses like this, or words like this, for I through the law,
I'm dead to the law, we don't really mean it. But Paul really meant it. And
God's people really mean it. For I through the law am dead
to the law. For what reason? Not for self.
That I might live under God. How's that so? I am crucified
with Christ. A real, actual, literal death
occurred. And all whom he represented when
he died, they died with him. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. I live, you see, I'm alive. I'm alive. This may be a conundrum
to the flesh, but the spirit of God in a man or a woman says,
thank God almighty. I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless
I live. But yet there is this caveat,
immediately that the Spirit of God moves Paul to write, yet
not I. Do you see that? Yet not I, but
Christ liveth. It's not, you know, you've probably
seen the movie that's been promoted, God is Alive. No. No, God is life. There's a big difference between
that. God is life. I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless
I live, yet not I. But notice, Christ liveth in
me. This is not just some Christian
phrase, this is reality. Paul told the Colossians that
our hope of glory is what? Christ in us. Do you see that? Not only are
we in him, that is true, but that's not what he's talking
about here. He's living in us. Now, while I realize that carries
great responsibility with it, it also, to a true born-again
believer, gives great hope. great hope. I am crucified with
Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. And remember, this is not just
some fancy Christian phrase used to kind of go along and make
grace sound good. This is the reality of the believer's
life. Not just how I got saved. not
just my eternal glory, but my life right now today, because
he says, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now,
right now, years after he was converted, and sometime before
he lost his head, they say, according to, you know, lost his head,
the life that I now live in the flesh, I live, now I'm putting
this in there, not by faith in Christ Jesus, though that's certainly
a part of my experience in Christ Jesus, but it's Christ living
where? In me. Therefore the life that
I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. And all of that has its basis,
its fact, its acceptance, It's going to get the job done.
It's based upon what? Who loved me and gave himself
for me. Is it then any wonder he says,
I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness
come by the law, then Christ died for nothing. Do you see
it? Now let me start now. Legalism
for righteousness. And I'm gonna put slash justification
because they're the same thing. Do not think of righteousness
and justification as being two different things or two different
blessings. They're the same thing. Righteousness
is the state or the character of being right. Justification
is the declaration of the state of being right or righteous. You can't separate the two. If
a man or a woman is righteous, they're justified. If a man or
a woman has been justified, they are righteous. But let me say
this to you. A man or a woman who is righteous
slash justified is equally sanctified. And this is exactly what Paul's
talking about here. Yes, he says, knowing the man
is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith
of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in. Notice the past
tense. He's talking about how we started,
right? Even we have believed in Jesus
Christ that we may be justified by the faith of Christ, you see
it? but even the life that we now
live. We live by the faith of the son
of God who loved us and gave himself for us. Somebody says,
but how, Paul kind of dealt with, how do I work that out? You don't. It's him living in you. That's
the whole point. I'm crucified with Christ. Read
it again. I am crucified with Christ. There was a real bonafide death. Nevertheless, I live, but it's
not really me. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. Now let me say, do I dare say
this? Yes, I dare say this. Our brother,
the apostle Peter, told us this about a man named Lot. You remember
Lot? I'm not even going into all of
it. Lot made some terrible, horrible choices while he lived in this
world. Terrible, horrible choices while
he lived in this world. And both Lot and many around
him suffered because of his terrible, horrible choices. And yet our
brother Peter calls him this, a righteous man with a righteous
soul. Somebody says, explain it. No.
No. Christ loved me and gave himself
for me. Even the life I now live in the
flesh, it's not me. It's lived by the faith of the
son of God who lives in me and loved me. Gave himself for me
and let me sit. Let me listen to me lot was as
sanctified as he was justified He was as sanctified as he was
righteous. You know how I know that because
God drug him out of that city He wasn't really wanting to go
Just like you and I often We make our choices, and rather
than acknowledge them as just God shot full of hell evil, and
deciding to abandon them, we try to stick with them all we
can. But bless God, if Jesus Christ
loved us and gave himself for us, he will not let us perish
with the wicked, though we still have in us, in our flesh, just
as much wickedness as everybody else around us. But something
had taken place for Lot so that Peter calls him a righteous man
with a righteous soul. And he was so sanctified that
God Almighty drug him out of that city. Did he not? And somebody says, well, preacher,
that's your take. No, that's what this book teaches. Somebody
says, I don't like that. That's why you're not saved.
That's why you're not saved. Because God's people come to
life there. I can relate to a lot. I don't want to be a lot, but
I want to be a lot. Do you understand that? Can you
relate to it? I don't want to be a lot, but
I want to be a lot. Somebody says it don't make sense.
Grace ain't about making sense. It's about God Almighty, the
Son, becoming human flesh and loving and dying for a people
in their stead. And not just that, but he comes
and lives in us. In spite of us. Huh? Aren't you glad he said I'll
never leave you nor forsake you? Aren't you glad he chose not
to divorce us? Because we deserve to be divorced. But God abhors, this is even
the law, God abhors putting away. Therefore those he has joined
himself to, he will never leave them nor forsake them. Somebody
says, that gives me license to sin. Okay, go ahead, because
you will. And I will. Again, legalism for
righteousness slash justification is clearly rejected in the scripture. And we as believers, we reject
it as well. Right? He's already stated this,
I read part of it, knowing, even us Jews who are not sinners like
the old Jews, we're taught people. We're learned people. God's taught
us, gave us his word. They had great advantage over
the Gentiles. Knowing, we Jews, we who are
Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that
a man is not justified, but is not. How hard is that to understand? It's not difficult to understand
at all. It's impossible to love it apart
from grace though. knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.
Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified
by the faith of Christ, but look, look at this caveat, and not
by the works of the law. You see, believing Christ is
not just believing Christ, it's rejecting your own efforts, your
own works, your own righteousness, your own justification, your
own sanctification. It's to reject it all. And this
is why you have so many people, you ask them, do you believe
in Jesus? Oh, I believe in him with all my heart. And then they
turn around and talk about things like, Paul, you mentioned. about
trying to keep God's law and doing God's law. They've never
been saved. Now I'm not trying to be mean.
We'll never be able to tell somebody the truth until we face who they
really are. These people out here, I don't
care how much, I don't care if they believe in total depravity,
I don't care if they believe in unconditional election, I
don't care if they believe in limited atonement, I don't care
if they believe in irresistible grace, I don't care if they believe
in perseverance of the saints, if they believe that any righteousness,
any justification, any sanctification comes through their effort, they
are not saved. because that's where God brings
you to initially, knowing, knowing that a man is not justified by
the works of the law. Until God brings you to know
that, he's not brought you to know anything yet. You see it? But then it goes on. But if while
we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners,
is Christ the problem? That's what some people, it's
that preaching. It's that Jesus Christ only. No, he's not the
problem. God forbid. For if I build again the things
which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. If I say today,
I'm going to love God with all I am, you know what I've just
done? I've made myself a transgressor. Because I will not do that. as
much as I would will to. Paul and I are preaching the
same message, just from slightly different texts. Of course, he
had to go to mine to get all of his, too. Why? Because this is Christ.
Christ is never the problem, he's always the answer. And that
may sound simplistic, but it's just the facts. For if I build
again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor,
because I through the law am dead to the law, that I might
live unto God. And how did that happen? Through
Christ, Christ, Christ, Christ, Christ. I died when he died,
but I'm still alive, but it still ain't me. It's him living in
me. In the life that I now live, even in this body, in this flesh,
I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave
himself for me. I'm not going to frustrate the
grace of God. I'd rather be misunderstood and
not frustrate the grace of God and be accused of all kinds of
vile things that people want to accuse you of, that I would
to try to somehow lessen the truth of grace to make it so
palatable to the unregenerate man or woman that they could
say, oh, I will accept that doctrine. All you gotta do is just add
in circumcision. That's all you gotta do, just
circumcision. All you gotta do is add in, well,
just tithing. Just tithing, huh? All you gotta
do is just add in, well, love your neighbor as yourself. And
when we say that, the fact is, I know very few people that's
ever paid tithes. You remember Earl teaching us
this years and years ago? It's not 1 10th. The law didn't
demand you to give 1 10th. It demanded you to give 10ths. 10ths, that has to at least be
Jack 20% to have two 10ths, right? Or 30%, it's the whole thing.
It's tithes of everything, and isn't that what the Pharisee
said? I gave it even down to the spices in my house. Isn't
that what he said? Even the spices in my house. But over on the other side was
an old fella, he just, he couldn't even look to heaven. He smote
on the problem himself, his breast, his heart. And he cried out for
propitiation from God. God, be merciful to me, the sinner. And Christ said, that man rather,
that old sinner man, he went down to his house what? Justified. Rather, rather, Not more than, he's a little
more, no, rather than the other. Isn't that what he actually said?
But we like to say, well, the old sinner, he just knew a little
more. No, he knew him who is to know, him who to know is to
know everything. And the Pharisee knew all kinds
of stuff and yet knew nothing, nothing. You see, legalism cuts
at the heart of the gospel of our blessed master's cross work.
I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness
come by the law, Christ died for nothing. So then why would anybody then
stand up and say, well, but after you're saved then. No, the life
that I now live, I live by the faith of the son of God who loved
me. That's why we need to what? Lean
on Jesus. Huh? Lean on Him. And you know what? Most people
who lean on, they're weak. You lean on someone else for
what? All the strength. Lean, there's nothing wrong with
leaning on Him. Yeah, but don't God give you
something? Yeah, Him. That's the whole point. He is
the reward. He is the good thing. But what
do most people want? They're Christian, they're saved
by grace, but then everything else, their sanctification, their
reward, everything else is by what? By their effort. I was
taught that as a Baptist, as a grace-believing Baptist. Yeah,
God saves you by grace, but everything after that has to do with your
what? Your works. Your works. Paul put it this
way, and God willing, if we live long enough, we're still here,
we'll look at that. He said in this same letter, stand fast,
therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and
be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. And don't try
to play games here, he's talking about the law. And even if you
add one thing, circumcision, and that's something you don't
do to yourself, somebody else does it to you. Right? That's one of the easiest things
to keep, Jack, is have your parents do it to you. Right? You got no say-so in the matter. But Paul said, but look, behold,
I, Paul, say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall
profit you little. Is that what he said? No, N-O-T-H-I-N-G. That's strong language, but it's
truth. Look, for I testify again to
every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to the whole
law. Christ is become of no effect
unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are
fallen from grace. Some legalists may give lip service
to the necessity of Christ crucified, but they cannot find it in their
heart to reject some kind of legalistic act or acts to add
to Christ's death for efficacy in his justification, righteousness,
or at least my sanctification. Now, I started once to call this
sanctification, but I knew that would probably, most people don't. Those who like to say they're
being sanctified, don't really want to talk about their real
sanctification, because they know they ain't really got none. Now come on, come on now. Those who do brag about it find
themselves right in the pocket of the Pharisee, don't they?
They know that, they know that. So we don't brag about it, we
just kind of sneak it in, as Earl used to say, through the
back door. The gospel of Jesus Christ is
more than our initial justification. And it's more than our ultimate
acceptance in the glory. The gospel of Christ deals with
our everyday life lived in this body. Righteousness. Justification and sanctification
go hand in hand. Show me a man that's sanctified,
I'll show you a righteous man or woman. That's right. Show me a righteous man or woman,
I'll show you one that's sanctified. And it's just that simple. I
mean, where in this book does it ever tell us here's a righteous
man, but he wasn't sanctified? Really? No such creature exists. No such creature exists. Again,
the gospel of Christ doesn't deal just with our beginning
and our ultimate end, it deals with it all. All. And it doesn't matter. Think
about it, but my faith is so small. Yes, I understand that. I understand that feeling. But
Christ said if you got it as great as a mustard seed, you
can say to this mountain, be moved into the sea. Now evidently,
my faith's really, really small. To think what kind of faith it
is. It's the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave
himself for me. And Paul, if it's just ever so
minuscule, it's still perfect. Because it's a portion of his
faith freely bestowed on me. In such a way that I do what?
I believe in him and I reject justification by my works. You remember the passage. And
I read it last week and I caught some of us, I say us together,
I caught some of us off guard. Remember, but to him that worketh
not. And you could put it to the man
who refuses to work. You could put it that way. But
to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifies
the ungodly. His faith is counted for righteousness.
So there's two things there. One, you gotta take your place
with the ungodly if God's gonna ever justify you, right? And you're gonna believe him
who justifies who? The ungodly and the one who counts
their faith for righteousness. So let me move on. As I said, this, the righteousness,
justification and sanctification go hand in hand. Christ's faith
is that which works our everyday sanctification. We've just read
it. For I through the law am dead
to the law. So if you're dead to it, what's
that mean? No relationship left whatsoever. That first relationship
is severed. The death of Christ severed it. When are we gonna really believe
that? When are we gonna really believe
that? For I through the law am dead to the law that I might
live unto God, I am crucified with Christ, there's the death,
nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and
the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith
of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. And
somebody says, but preacher, that almost sounds like you're
saying it's God's responsibility, not ours. If you ever get there,
I'll say amen. Thank God. And Paul, I just wish
I could always stay there. Because I find myself doing this.
And I'm not gonna tell you which one's right and which one's wrong.
Sometimes when you think you're up here, you're really way down
here. And sometimes when you're way
down here, you're really way up here. Again, leaning on the
everlasting arms. It's okay to say, God, if you
don't save me, I won't be saved. It's okay. It's not just okay
when you start, it's okay for your everyday living in this
world. God, if you don't do it, if Christ
don't do it in me, if he's not in me, I'm a goner. Somebody
says, oh, well, I don't believe that way. Oh, so you don't believe
with all your heart. You may believe with part of
it. This other thing. Well, but every
man has the law written in their heart. I believe that was true
even before the law was given. But remember what the heart is.
desperately wicked above all things. So you know that heart's
gonna do what? Twist the truth about the law.
It's gonna twist it. Huh? So that don't give me hope. That just condemns me the more.
Because while God's put it in here, Jack, I just twist it to
my own designs. And usually, like I said, the
Seventh-day Adventists love to be Seventh-day Adventists. They
don't call them, we're not the lovers of our neighbors as we
are lovers of ourselves, are we? They call themselves Seventh-day
Adventists. Why? Because it's easy just to
say, I'm gonna rest on one day. Come on, people. This is what
all of humanity, we pick out what we think is easiest for
us and we make that our denomination or our hope or that doctrine
that really makes us stand out or be sanctified more than someone
else. Listen to chapter three, same
chapter. O foolish Galatians, who hath
bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth, before whose
eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you?
This only would I learn of you. This is it. Received ye the Spirit
by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? It's rhetorical.
If you did receive it, it was by what? Faith. If you did, now
look at it, it's still the same thought, same thought. Are you
so foolish, having begun in the spirit? Now we'll talk about,
there you go, they say righteousness, justification, but he's gonna
move to sanctification. Having begun in the spirit, are
you now made perfect by the flesh? Do you see it? The answer again
is rhetorical. No, no. This thing of Christ being our
savior, our redeemer, our substitute, is from eternity, and I don't
even know that this is the best way to say it. Is this the only
way I, from eternity, Mac, to eternity. From beginning, all
the way through the middle, all the way to the end, it's always
Christ. Listen to Philippians two, you know these. Philippians
chapter two. Verse 12, wherefore my beloved,
as ye always have obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now
much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear
and trembling. I'm not afraid of that, that
don't scare me at all. But look, for it is God that
worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. So that kind of lets me know,
Jack, I ought to just lean on the everlasting arms, doesn't
it? There's one more, Hebrews 13.
A book that to most people, even professing Christians, is just
as blank and dark as any other book in the Bible. They just
don't get Hebrews whatsoever. Look at what Hebrews, the writer
of Hebrews says. Hebrews chapter 13, verse 20,
now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord
Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood
of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect, and we talk
about a little bit of sanctification there now. Hebrews 10 connects
sanctification and perfection together by the death of Christ,
does it not? connects them together, make
you perfect in every good work to do his will. Isn't that what
true believers want? Certainly, certainly. Look, working
in you. So who gets the credit for it?
He does. Not just as a, well, I'll give
God the credit. No, he earned the credit. Do
you see it? Make you perfect in every good
work to do his will, but what about when I don't? Whose fault's
that? I've got something to go, don't
stop now. Make you perfect in every good
work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing
in his sight through Jesus Christ. Do you see it? Through Jesus
Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever, so be it. Now that's
not there by coincidence, is it? Think about it. Noah, at
least for 120 years, preached righteousness. This is what the
book, I'm not gonna go into all this. For at least 120 years,
while the ark was preparing, while he was building the ark,
preached righteousness for 120 years. How did he do it? How did he
live that life for 120 years? Hebrews said he did it by faith. Isn't that what it says? He didn't
even have the law. Now he may have had it in here,
but it was in his what? His heart. And his heart was
as corrupt as anybody else's heart. Think of Abraham, he lived
and walked hell by faith. For all of those years, he had
no law, and yet he gave tithes. Remember? Not because it was
some rule. but because he rejoiced in God,
what God had given him. And he says, hey, it's all he
is. What's a few tenths gonna matter
to me? Huh? What's a few tenths? One tenth,
two tenths, whatever it is, Jack. What's that gonna matter to me?
You remember the one king once said, here, you take all of this.
He said, I'm not even gonna take a shoelatch from you. because
I'm not gonna let you say, you the one that's made me rich,
my God's taken care of me all my, I'm paraphrasing, my God's
taken care of me all my life. Everything I got came from him.
And then it says in Hebrews chapter 11, these all died, how? By keeping the law. By at least
tithing. by at least circumcising, by
at least loving God with all your heart, mind, strength, and
soul. No, these all died how? In faith, in faith. You see, what people are actually
doing was that, oh, I believe in Jesus, but they are mocking
the great and grand, great, grand, and glorious majesty of that
thing that resides in God alone intrinsically, and that's faith. And God is so gracious to say,
here, have a little bit of it. Huh? Have a little bit of it. Somebody, I'm just gonna pick
one out. Somebody's got a Hershey's bar. And they're eating that
thing, Paul. They don't have to give me the
rest of it for me to enjoy it, do they? They can just break
off what? A little piece. And Jack, the taste of that one
piece, it will be just like all the other pieces that they never
even offered to me. Never even put out there at my
disposal. See, it's not how much you got,
it's who gives it. That's what it's all about. Noah,
think of Noah. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, they all
walked out by faith. And then we come down to even
David, who was under the law, and who no doubt tried to keep
the law, but he didn't. Remember a little old gal called
Bathsheba? Huh? And like old, Paul Mahan
said, you think, he said, well, my life's actually, I've done
pretty good in my life. Well, you ain't evidently run
up on your Bathsheba yet. That's what Paul Mahan said.
You ain't met your Bathsheba yet. Now, that Bathsheba could
be a lot of things. That's it, when you run up on
your Bathsheba, God'll remind you what you really are. But
here's what even David himself, that sweet psalmist of Israel,
even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto
whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, blessed
are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Somebody says, is it really that
simple? It's really that simple. Just lean on Christ. Just lean
on him. You see, to say I trust Christ,
to have wrought my justification on the cross, and I believe him
for the imputation of that justification, and yet I do not trust him to
work in me, in my life, the very life I now live in the flesh,
is the highest of insult to his love and his sacrifice at Calvary. And that's why Paul ended up
what we call this chapter two, I do not frustrate the grace
of God, for if righteousness come by law, there was no reason
for Christ to die. That's a strong statement, is
it not? And yet you got these Calvinistic
people, I believe in Christ with all my heart, but there ain't
no but to it. Think of this, I'm not gonna
read the passages. Christ is our sanctification.
1 Corinthians 1, 30 and 31. Christ wrought our sanctification
on the tree. Hebrews 10, verse 9 through 14,
but I do wanna read this one. Turn to Hebrews, if you're there,
and read this one. Now we know of Hebrews 10, where
it said, Christ, when he died, those he died for, he sanctified.
And those he sanctified, when he died for them, he perfected
them forever. So I got not only sanctification, but I have perfection
in it. That's what the book says. Jack
does not lean on the everlasting arms. But look at this one, Hebrews. Let me find my spot, Hebrews
chapter 13 and verse 12. Wherefore Jesus also that he
might sanctify the people with his own blood. So who does the
sanctify? Do we progressively work it up?
Do we work unto it? No. No. Wherefore Jesus also
that he might sanctify the people with his own blood suffered without
the gate. Do you see it? Suffered without
the gate. And think of this, God's truth,
according to our Lord Jesus Christ, continues our sanctification.
Look at John chapter 17. What is the Lord's Prayer? John
chapter 17, and listen to these words. Remember, this is from
the heart of the Son of God to the Father. John chapter 17,
verse 17, let me start there. Sanctify them, So who's he crying
to? The Father. Who's doing the sanctifying? The Father. We're not sanctifying
ourselves in any way, shape, or form. Sanctify them through
thy truth. Thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the
world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for
their sakes, I sanctify myself. I was the only man that could
ever really do that. You wanna put yourself on the
level with Jesus Christ? I ask you that question, would
you? We dare not. And for their sakes,
I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified through the
truth. You see it? So what are you saying,
preacher? I'm saying, well, hold on, hold
on. Turn to Ephesians five, I wanna give you this one. Ephesians
chapter five. Ephesians chapter five, let's
start in verse 25. Husbands, love your wives, even
as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, that he
might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by
the word. Do we lean on him for that? We
do. And when we don't, it's called
what? Unbelief. It's called rebellion. It's not
a lack of faith, no. Remember, don't you blame that
little piece of faith God gave you. It can remove mountains. Let us not blame God. If while
we're seeking to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are foul
sinners, is Christ therefore the minister of sin? God forbid. God's fixed it so all the fault
goes to me and all the glory goes to him. That's just the
way it is. And if you don't like that, you
don't like the way of Christ. The way of Christ. Where was
I? Okay, here we go. That he might sanctify and cleanse
it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present
it to himself. Do you see it? We're not gonna
say, here God, I'm finally here. Look at me. Look at how I've
progressed. Huh? If progressive sanctification
is the truth, why couldn't I say that? Right? He's gonna present
it to himself. You see that? That he might present
it to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or
any such thing, but that it should be sanctified. Do you see the
holy? That's what it is. That's the
word. That it should be holy and without blemish. Somebody says, but I don't see
that. But he does. That's the whole point. He's
gonna present you to himself. It ain't about you presenting
yourself to him. But I think that's why often
we feel so horrible because we try to. I'm gonna do a little
better. We all try to do better. But
if you seek any merit or peace from it, that's why you're so
troubled. Me included. Me included. Think about it. Turn to 1 Thessalonians
5. I know I'm getting a little long,
but I gotta finish this whole thing up. 1 Thessalonians 5. Now before we read, listen to
this. Even when we fall, I said, even
when we fall, and fall we will, and sometimes we will horribly
fall. And there will never, ever, ever
be any justification for it. We and our old evil flesh will
be to blame. even when we fall, and fall we
will. Our repentance is an act of God
in and by Jesus Christ. You at 1 Thessalonians 5, look
at verse 14. Now we exhort you, brethren,
warn them that are unruly. Ever been there? Uh-huh. warn them that are unruly, comfort
the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient to all, see
that none render evil for evil unto any man, but ever follow
that which is good, both among yourselves and to all men. Rejoice
evermore, pray without ceasing, and everything gives thanks,
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. For you notice,
he ain't mentioned not one of the Ten Commandments yet. but
yet has encouraged us toward what? All good. You see it? Do you see it? You don't have
to have the law for that. All the law's gonna do is bring
you down. Look, quench not the spirit. Despise not prophesying. Prove
all things. Hold fast to that which is good.
Abstain from all appearance of evil. Here we are. and the very
God of peace sanctify you holy. Not progressively, until you're
holy. I know, holy, W-H-O-L-L-Y, holy. And I pray God your whole spirit
and soul and body, do you see that, be preserved blameless
under the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if that were
it, I could say, whew, okay, but look, look, one more verse.
There's more than one more, but look at this, one more. Verse
24, faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it. Will you see that? So when you screw up royally,
who you gonna blame? I can't even blame you, even
if you were the instigator of it, I should've knew better.
Or if I was the instigator of it, you should've knew better.
When we screw up, who do we blame? Me, my flesh, my ego, my old
man. But who do we depend upon to
get us through this quenching knot and despising knot and proving
and holding fast and abstaining? Who do we depend upon? Him. Right? Now every other passage
that talks about sanctification, that's the precedent. That comes
first. apply those passages under the
auspice of these precious verses. Do you hear what I'm saying?
The book does talk about being sanctified by the way we conduct
ourselves. But who is it that's doing it?
Him! Because faithful is he that calleth
you who also will So let me wind it up. We are
not being progressively sanctified. Nor do we progress unto sanctification. We'd never make it if that were
the case. You cannot, and I've said this before, but I want
you to think about that next time somebody talks about, but
you need to progress in your sanctification, in your holiness,
in your way of life. Ask them, how can you be more
sanctified than sanctified. How can you? You can't. You're either sanctified or you're
not. Now there is no question that
we need continual sanctification, right? But we never progress
in sanctification. Turn to Hebrews 2. Now wind up,
this is it, the last passage. Hebrews chapter two. Again, I
know I've been long here. There is no question we
are being continually sanctified, but even the passages we've looked
at, who is the author and finisher of that? Jesus Christ. If I'm doing something, tell
me if I'm doing something that is clearly wrong according to
this book, and I put it away, I have no glory in it because
it's him that worked in me both the will and the do of his good
pleasure. If he hadn't have done that to
start with, I'd never let it go. I'd have been just like that,
holding on to it. So now look at Hebrews chapter
two, and I say this, Let us thank God, let us thank God, let us
ever be grateful for our union to Christ, but more importantly,
more importantly, his union to us. Because that started first. Before we ever joined to him,
he had joined himself to us. And let me prove it, Hebrews
chapter two, and just a few verses, verse 10. For it became him. It was right. This is right in
God the Father's sight. For it became him, for whom are
all things, and by whom are all things. Kind of just sums it
up, don't it? In what? Bringing many sons unto
glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through
sufferings. Look, for both he that sanctifies
and they who are sanctified are all of one. If you're in Christ,
you're as sanctified as he is. Even though you will never see
that. until he presents you to himself and says to the Father,
look here what I've wrought. Think about one day, brothers
and sisters, we're gonna stand, one day it'll happen. It's happened
for many of our loved ones here before us, but we'll stand before
him and it'll all be okay. We won't have Jack a spot. I'm full of it now, aren't you? But we won't be there. Look,
for both he that sanctifies, clearly in the context, Christ
is the sanctifier. For both he that sanctifies and
they who are sanctified are all of one, for which cause he is
not ashamed to call them brethren. And he does that about me now,
even while I'm in this state. I can't even begin to point out,
there's nothing I can relate, there's no illustration I can
give to give it about what it's gonna be like one day when God
sheds this flesh from us. And we appear before him in his
likeness. And think about, even old Job
knew that. And they say Job maybe was way back during Abraham's
time or before. Didn't have no Bible. Yet he
knew, I know my Redeemer liveth and in the latter day I'll see
him in my flesh. Even though all of it just dissolves
away. Let's go on though. For which
cause he's not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will
declare thy name unto my brethren. Now think about this. In the
midst of the church, will I sing praise unto the, he's singing
over us this morning. While we're doing what? Mourning. Downcast. Paul and I both have
reminded us how bad we really are. Have we not? But he don't
see it that way. Oh, he knows, I refrain. He knows we're dust, but he's
dealt with that in the crucifixion of his son. Now, bless God, if
that ain't good enough for you, I ain't got no gospel for you. Is that clear enough? I mean,
if that don't float your boat, then you don't have one. As Henry Mahan said, if that
don't ring your bell, you ain't got a clapper. Oh, you got the
old empty husk of a bell. That's all it is. But if God
ever allows you to hear that gospel, it'll give you some breathing
room. Yes, it'll make you fear for
yourself sometimes. It'll make you doubt yourself,
but rightfully so. There's one person whom we should
never, ever doubt. That's Jesus Christ. Heavenly
Father, God, we're so prone to forget these things. pass by
even when we remember them. Oh God, we thank you that you
force us by your grace to lovingly, joyfully be able to gather back
together and hear the truth of your word. It's your ordained
way to feed your people. We thank you for our private
devotions and studies and prayings to you, but oh God, we thank
you that we're allowed to gather together and encourage one another
in Christ's name, amen.