If you wish to follow along,
turn to Galatians chapter two. Galatians chapter two. My title
for this message for this morning is Christ's Faith Manifested. Now, I wanna just read two verses. Galatians chapter two, verses
15 and 16. We who are Jews by nature and
not sinners of the Gentiles, 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, and not by the works of the law, for
by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Now, I realize it's been a whole
month that we've been together because of the weather, And I
don't want to take a lot of time to go back and rehash to kind
of bring us up to speed, but there are two things I want to
say to you this morning before I go to my actual message about
Christ's faith manifested. First thing is this, this is
the rehash. We are justified by Christ's
faith. Now, I know most in religion,
when they hear that phrase, have no idea. They say, well, I thought
we're justified by his death, or we're justified by our believing,
all these other things. But Christ's faith is not as
we think of our faith. This is the way a lot of people
think of our faith, our believing in God, is when we come forward,
we make that decision, that's when we have faith. Faith with
Jesus Christ is not a one-time thing. or even an ongoing thing,
it is an eternal thing. We're justified by the faith
of Christ. Christ did not die and God did
not purpose that he die so that then if we will believe, we'll
be justified by our believing. That's not what this is saying.
This says we believe in him that we may be justified by his faith. Now, of course, that begs the
question, what is his faith? But before I go any further,
I pray that God this morning give me and you and anybody else
who hears this later, the ears and the heart to perceive what
I'm about to say. Again, most people think of faith
as something that is exhibited in spurts. You know, you come
forward, you believe. You go on about your life, but
something bad happened and you believe. You believe. Remember
what Hebrew says? Let me just give you a few examples.
By faith, Noah built an ark. Now think about that. It does
not say, though it's still true, it does not say because Noah
had faith, He then built the ark. That's not what it says.
It says by faith, Noah being warned of God moved with fear
and built an ark to the saving of his house. Faith is manifested
in action. This so-called faith that has
no action is what James calls dead faith. Valueless faith. So remember that when we talk
about, when I begin to talk about Jesus Christ's faith being manifested,
this is not about different places in the Bible we will read and
Jesus believed. Okay? Or Jesus had faith. It's not going to say it that
way. But every time we see Jesus Christ acting in accordance with
the purpose of God, it is Jesus Christ's faith. Let me just turn,
I wanna read a couple of those, and let's take the time to do
it this morning. Think about Hebrews chapter 11,
and I'll just hit a few of them. By faith, verse four, Hebrews
11. By faith, Abel offered. Do you see that? It doesn't just
say he had faith and then he offered, by faith Abel offered. And then verse five, by faith
Enoch was translated. And it says, verse seven, by
faith Noah being warned of God. Verse eight, by faith Abraham,
do you see that? Go on down, verse 11, through
faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed. But
again, that does not mean since she had faith, then God said,
I'll do something for her and Abraham. She believed the record
that God gave that you will have a son. Now, I wish I had the
language to so state this that I knew everyone who heard it
could get it, but I don't. It's not about how eloquent or
logical or rational I am. It's simply by trying to state
the truth. Faith can never, ever, not the
God-given faith, not that faith that resides in God's people
as a gift, can never be separated from our actions. Now, this is
a side note. This throws, A kink in this idea
that I was taught when I was very, very young in religion,
okay, you're saved by faith and God rewards you because of your
works. No, your works manifest your faith, or you got no faith. And this is just the scripture
truth. Now let's move on now, having said that, I want you
to think about this. The attribute, and I will state
this several different ways because I don't know the best way to
state this. That, the attribute. the characteristic,
that majestic quality called faith. It resides only in God
continually. You see, people think because
so much is preached about you need to believe. You need to
believe to be saved. You need to believe to get saved. If you
believe, God will save you. And everybody always connects
faith with salvation. Now there is no doubt that there
is a connection between faith and salvation. That includes
Christ's faith and that includes our believing in him that we
might be justified by his faith. But faith resides in God. Think about this, it's called
this, I'm not gonna read these, I don't have time for all this.
God is called the faithful God. And when I was in religion, they
tried to separate having faith and being faithful. They did. Like I said, you can have faith,
but you may not be faithful. That's a human, even a divine
impossibility. Faithfulness is what flows from
a true, genuine faith. But think about it. He's called
the faithful God. And I'll just give you a few.
Deuteronomy 7, 9. Psalm 40, 10. Psalm 89, 1, 2, 5, 8, 24, and 33. Psalm 92, 2. Psalm 119, 90.
They're like God's faithful, don't they? Now you cannot be
faithful if you don't have what? Faith. Faith. Think of it, Isaiah 25.1, Lamentations
3.23, Romans 3.3, shall the faith of God be made of none effect?
God forbid. Romans 3.25, 2 Timothy 2.13,
Galatians 5.22, the fruit of the spirit is, and one of them
is called what? Faith, now you know the way most
people talk, don't you? Here you have the Spirit, and
He just is. He's God, okay, if they even
believe that. Here He is, He's God, and then
He works a fruit in you of faith. No, the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, long-suffering. Notice repentance is never mentioned
there. You know why? Because God doesn't
repent. His characteristic, a majestic
quality of God is not repentance, God does not repent, but God
is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness,
faith. Faith, I'm saying again, that
faith, that faith that this book honors, that faith that this
book, God highly favors. God highly favors it because
it is intrinsic to him alone. Any man or woman, boy or girl,
young or old, who has faith, it came from God. From God. It's not something
God creates and gives to us, it's who God is. And he gives
us that in measure, Romans chapter 12. Of course, Christ's faith
is mentioned, and it's Christ's faith, is mentioned five times. Now I want you to think about
that. Five times in the New Testament, and yet when I was brought up
in religion, Jack, I never once ever heard a message that I can
remember about the faith, of Jesus Christ. I was always told
about our faith, our need for faith, our need to exercise faith,
our need to put our faith in the right place with the right
person, but I was never ever instructed in any way concerning
the faith of Jesus Christ. But Mac, if he's mentioned five
times, then there's got to be something to it. Now, I want
us to consider Christ's faith manifested just in two ways this
morning. The first one is this, Christ's
faith during his incarnation. The second one is Christ's faith
in our justification, because that is the actual context of
the text, right? We who are Jews by nature and
not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, That's a fact. There's no debate. There's no playing games. There's
no trying to figure out what does Paul really mean. He means
exactly what he says. The works of the law never justify
a man or a woman before God. but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Do you see it? Now the whole
question, it's justified. That's the whole subject of this
verse, is being justified before God. It's not by the works of
the law, how is it? How is it by? By the faith of
Jesus Christ. Look, even we have believed in
Jesus Christ and believe in Jesus Christ, you must. or you never
have been or never will be justified by the faith of Christ. Even
we have believed in Jesus Christ, and notice it doesn't say so
that we might be justified by our believing. It does not say
that, yet almost everybody is teaching that. Even we have believed
in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of
Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the works of
the law shall no flesh be justified. So, think about this. Turn to Luke, Luke chapter two. Now all of this is going to be
familiar with everyone here this morning and probably If any other
person listens in the other venue, it's probably going to be familiar
with some of them. But remember, by faith, Abraham
did something, right? By faith, Noah, what? He did
something. And what's all these doing? They
did what God said to do. That's what, they did what God
said to do. Think of it. Luke chapter two
in just one verse here. Jesus Christ's faith was manifested
even even when he was 12 years old. Now look at it, Luke chapter
two, and just one verse, verse 49. And you know the account,
so I'm not gonna go back through it. And he said unto him, how
is it that ye sought me? Wished ye not that I must be
about my father's death? business. How many 12-year-olds
do you know that are about God the Father's business? Now come
on now, really? Oh, I know we get them through
psychological tricks and ploys, we get them down the aisle and
have them exercise faith and pray the sinner's prayer, but
that's not what this is talking about. The book never speaks
in any language like that. When he was 12 years old, He
knew his parents were in the caravan going that way. Where
was he at? In the temple, speaking about
the word of his father. He was about his father's business. Think of it, for 30 years, that's
before. It says that he began his public
ministry when he began to be about 30 years of age. That's
what the book says. For 30 years, he walked in perfect
faith Perfect faith. And nobody caught it. You see,
nobody caught it. And yet we think somehow we got
to show everybody our faith. I gotta pray when I go in the
restaurant. Now I'm not saying it's wrong to pray before you
eat your meal in the restaurant, but most people do it to be seen
of other men. To be seen of other people. And
what did Christ say you got when you do that? You got your reward.
You got your reward. But religious people don't think
of it that way, do they? I'm showing people I've got faith.
No, you ain't. Even James, who says, I'll show
you my faith by my works. Isn't that what James says? And
I like what old Tim James says. He didn't. He didn't. He pointed you. to Abraham and to Rahab. He didn't put himself up as a
prime example, though James is and was a prime example. But
he said, I'll tell you about Abraham and Rahab. And as old
Tim James says, you know what the good work that Rahab did,
for God was? She lied. Now go figure that
one out. The preacher, you're leaving
me hanging, I ain't leaving you nothing. That's what the book
teaches, okay? She lied for the benefit of God's
people because men were out to kill them. Think of it, at 12
years old, he was manifesting faith toward the Father. And
for 30 years, he did this, Jack, and nobody caught it. Some people
seen a few glimpses, but Mary and Joseph didn't catch it, did
they? They said, why have you done
this to us? Think about this. Turn to Matthew 27. Matthew 27. Some of these I may just mention
and kind of move on, but we've got time. There's only two of
us preaching this morning. I guess for most folks that's
really a bit of fright. I gotta listen to two preachers?
We usually have three. Matthew chapter 27. Now think
about this. The one thing, one thing, now
there were many things, but one thing in particular that Jesus
Christ was mauled for while he was on the cross was what? His
faith. His believing God. Look at Matthew
27 and verse 43. Look at what the book of God
says, 27, 43. He trusted, do you see it? He trusted in God. You know what that is? That's
faith. That's faith. He trusted in God. Let him deliver
him now if he will have him, for he said, I am the son of
God. Do you see that? That's Christ's
faith manifested. Now also turn to Ephesians chapter
two. Ephesians chapter two. We'll get there and then I'll
make the statement and we'll look at that passage, Ephesians
chapter two. And I think here's the third,
remember at 12 years old, he was manifesting his faith toward
the Father. He was mocked for his faith when
he was on the cross. And think of this, those who
teach and believe that faith is a quality residing in fallen
man or that it must be mustered up by fallen man, these are declared
to be heretics. Now, you hear what I'm saying?
Heretics. I even heard on the TV, this was some people that
some of you may have seen on the History Channel, whatever
it is, and these people live in Alaska, and there's different
families that live in Alaska, and one of them says, you may
put your faith in luck, you may put your faith in the elders,
you may put your faith in God. If you're putting your faith
in anything, it will do you no good. Because this is what the
book says. Ephesians 2, verse 8, for by
grace are you saved through faith. Well, that's what we're saying.
No, that's not what they're saying. Look, for by grace are you saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves. You see it? So if you put your faith in Jesus,
it will profit you nothing. Even Paul said to the Corinthians,
we knew Christ after the flesh one time, but we now henceforth
know him after the flesh anymore. We don't, that's not the way
we know him. Why? Because for by grace are
you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is
the gift of God. It's not of your effort. It's
not of works, lest any man should boast, for we are His workmanship. Do you see it? You see, if I
got faith, it's because God took a little piece of his faith and
give it to me. If you have faith, it's because
God took a little piece of faith, his faith, his faith, Jack, and
gave it to you. And think, think about this.
I know we usually, No, let me not go there. We think about
it. Christ said if you had faith as the grain of mustard seed,
you could say to this mountain, be thou removed and cast into
the sea, right? Just go on with it. Think how
powerful faith is. Think about it. Now you say,
but I can't remove a mountain. But if you got faith, you got
that which can. It's not if you have faith, then
you will remove the mountain. It's faith. By faith, Sarah received
strength to conceive. So let me go on, number four.
It's clear, and I'm not gonna turn to this one. In Hebrews,
I think it's chapter 12. In Hebrews chapter 12, it's said
clearly that Christ is the author and finisher of faith, right?
He's the author and finisher of faith. That is, he who commences
and he who brings to completion faith. Now I'm gonna make this
statement. Christ was and is the believer. Do you hear what I'm saying?
He was and is the believer. You want an example of a believer? It's not Abraham. It's not David. It's not Paul. They all had their
faults. He perfectly believed the Father. The Father gave him something
to do when he came down here, and by faith, he did it all,
because he said twice. First of all, he said, I have
finished the work you gave me to do. And then second, on the
cross, he cried out, it is finished. finished. So again, I say Christ
was and is the believer, the only intrinsic believer. Now
think of it, he is the man of faith in and of himself. It naturally,
even naturally resided in him as a man. Because the spirit
of God, maybe it was the angel, I'm sorry. Anyway, Mary, Mary was told that that holy
thing that shall be conceived in you shall be called the Son
of God. Everybody wants to be an example
of faith, but you're not. I would like to be an example
of faith, but I'm not. Now somebody says those folks
in Hebrews chapter 11 were. Yeah, they were examples. But
remember what it says about that. Now hold on. Let me turn back
to that again. Hebrews chapter 11. And remember
what it says about this faith. First thing it starts out in
what we call chapter 11 verse one. Now faith is the substance
of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained
a good report. But here's the question, before
who? Before who? Now look at what
it says. Through faith we understand that
the worlds were framed by the word of God so that the things
which are seen were not made of the things which do appear. By faith Abel offered, and here's
what it, unto God. You see, God's the only one that
could ever honor faith. My honor of your faith means
nothing. You ever thought about that?
Nothing. Now let me just move on. But
our text declares something else. To me, it's just astounding. A most gracious, astounding truth. Believers are justified, how's
it, by the faith, of Jesus Christ. Have you ever doubted the faith
God gave you? You ever doubted you had it?
You ever doubted how strong it was? You ever doubted if it was,
you ever wondered if it was weak and faulty? His was not. Now, I've said this over and
over again, and I wanna say it again so that no one misunderstands
me here. That little bitty piece of faith
God gave us, and I'm putting it that way for a reason, that
little bitty piece of faith God gave us, that faith in and of
itself has no imperfection, even as small as it is. That human
baby is just as much a human being, Tommy, when it's that
long and crying and fouling itself and slobbering everywhere and
can't even grip its own hands together and has to be cared
for, it's just as much a human being as I stand here about 62,
63 years old today. We don't ever look to our face. We look to a faith, but it's
the faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for
us. And isn't that not exactly what
Paul went on to say in this chapter we're in? Verse 20, I am crucified
with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I. Do you see how he's
constantly taken away from himself? 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 believing in the Son of God. Many translations
will tell you that, but that's not what it says. Why do they do that? Because
they really don't want to trust Christ completely. They don't
think it real. Believing in Christ just means
accepting this book and then I go on and I do my own thing.
Look what he says. 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 died for nothing. That's strong language,
isn't it? Christ is dead in vain. So let me move on. Our text declares
that we're justified by his faith. My faith, this is what I was
going on to say, but I haven't got there yet. My faith, even
though it's just a real small bit, is still perfect. My problem's not that little
bit of faith. It's all that unbelief that still
resides down in here. Do you understand that? That
little bitty faith, little bitty piece of faith that God gave
you is marvelous. It is a quality, as I said, an
attribute, a characteristic, a majestic quality of God himself. Mac, even if it's just a little
bitty piece of it. My problem is not that little
bitty piece of faith God gave me. It can remove mountains.
Right? My problem is my unbelief. My problem is my flesh. My problem
is me. Me. Because even the life that
I now live, I must live it by the faith of Jesus Christ. Not my faith in him. Now you
know what that lets me do a little bit? It just lets me breathe. Because
when I think my faith has faltered, when I think, I'm not saying
it has, but when I think my faith has faltered, it's not my faith
faltering, what is it? It's that old evil rotten me
down in here, that old unbelief. But even when that's true, and
though that's true, he never fails. He's up there believing
God for us now. He's believing God for us now.
In our justification, I'm not gonna have time to read all these. We've looked a little bit at
his faith manifested during his incarnation, but let's look at
his faith manifested in our justification. All of Christ's life of faith,
according to Hebrews chapter two, I do wanna read that one,
Hebrews chapter two, verse 17. Now think about this. Hebrews
chapter two, verse 17. You'll hear men quote this verse
and not throwing off. I don't mean to throw off on
some folks, but all of Christ's life of faith is vital to our
justification. Think about the wording. Hebrews
2.17. Wherefore, in all things, it,
do you see that next word? Behooved. That means it was an
absolute necessity That's what that's talking about. It behooved
him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful
and what? Faithful. Do you see it? Faithful,
high priest in things pertaining to who? The one that it really
matters before, God. God to make reconciliation for
the sins of the people. Secondly, Christ's life of faith
manifested his fitness. John 17, turn there. Maybe I will read most of these,
we'll see. John 17, think about these words. This is Christ's own prayer,
his own words. John 17 in verse four. I have glorified thee on the
earth. You go around saying that? I
don't. I don't. I have glorified thee
on the earth. Look at it. I have finished.
Can you say this about yourself? Can I say this about myself?
No. I have finished the work which thou gavest me, do you
see that? Which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou
me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee
before the world was. Here's the third thing, John
chapter 10, turn back. John chapter 10, Christ's life
of faith gave him authority even over his own death. John 10 verse
17 and 18. Therefore doth my father love
me because I lay down my life that I might take it again. No
man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power
to lay it down. I have power to take it up again.
Look at it. This commandment have I received
of My Father. Here's another thing, Romans
chapter five, turn there. You say, preacher, but why is
it that we just study all, why is it always about Christ, Christ,
Christ? Because he's our only hope. My, as glorious as it is that
my faith My faith is surrounded by unbelief, and rebellion, and
self, and ego. I can read God's word about being
forgiving, long-suffering with one another, and then turn around,
and in my mind, maybe I don't do it out here, but in my mind,
I start accusing everyone of, others amongst God's people of,
well, they didn't do this, or they didn't do that. You ever
done that? It had done that, huh? It just festers within us. And then we sit around and think,
well, I'm pretty righteous for thinking this about them because
they're sinners, but so am I. Do you understand what I'm saying?
So am I. Yeah, maybe they did foul up
royally, but so have I. Now, you know how easy it is
just to turn on a dime on somebody up here. Up here, now we may
keep it inside here, but boy, we can turn on them up in here. Think about it. Again, I'm saying,
Christ's faithful shedding of his blood, think about it. Christ's
faithful shedding of his blood secured our justification, Romans
five and verse nine. Much more then, being now justified,
how? by his blood, do you see it? Not by faith, but by his blood. We shall be saved from wrath
through him. And then Paul says these two
words, for if, it means I'm gonna explain this to you. I'm going
to explain what I just meant by that. For if, when we were
enemies, do you see it? We were enemies, we were reconciled
to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we
shall be saved by his life. I know this, if he died for me,
I am reconciled. If I was reconciled, I shall
be saved. And somebody says, when? Forever. Forever. It'll never cease. Here's another one. Turn to Philippians
chapter two. Now, I know all of these passages,
no doubt, are familiar to us. But when we read these passages,
do we think of them as Christ's faith? Or that's just what he
did? You understand what I'm saying?
Well, Christ did this. He was manifesting his faith. He was showing his obedience
to the Father. And our passage here shows that.
Christ's faithful obedience unto death secured his exaltation
in it. Psalm two, verse eight. And being
found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself. Dare I say this. We never have
done that. Do you hear me? We never have humbled ourselves. Oh, I know the book commands
us to. Anytime we are humbled, we have been humbled. Do you hear what I just said?
Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. Yes, but how does
that ever take place when he does it? when he humbles me,
when he hymns me up in the corner and I can't go anywhere else,
huh? When he brings the circumstance
upon me, boy, all I can do is what? Look up to him, because
I'm down here in the dirt. He humbled himself and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. That's faithfulness. Now, tell me if that's not faithfulness. I don't know what faithfulness
is. Here's the one who was Look at it, verse six, who being in
the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God,
but made himself of no reputation, took upon himself the form of
a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. This one humbled
himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross, wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given
him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of things in heaven, of things in earth,
and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
And then preachers like me, even me, turn around and say, will
you bow to Jesus Christ as Lord? That's not the question. You
will. I will bow to Jesus Christ as
Lord. The question is how and when. Everyone will bow to Jesus Christ
as Lord. but a lot will not bow to him
now. But some have been bowed down
to him now. You know, in our day and age,
nobody wants to be bowed down, do they? Isn't it amazing that when God
bows you, when he starts to do it, you kick against it with
everything you are? But when it's over with, guess
what? You're glad for it. And then that again, again, let's
go back to Hebrews, chapter 12, verse 11. Now no chastening. Remember, chastening is not always
God punishing me for something I did wrong. I was always taught
that in religion. When you're chastened, you're
punished for doing something wrong. Job was chastened, and
he had done nothing wrong. I mean, nothing outward over
it. He had a life that God said was upright. Now, if God says
it, that means something, don't it? But think about it, think
about it. Now, no chastening for the prayers that seemeth
to be joyous, but what? Grievous. God may be putting
you under the gun, not because you've sinned, but because he's
gonna teach you a lesson. And we have an old saying, something
along, the best lessons learned are the hard lessons we learn.
Learning it, I say it this way, learning it the hard way. You
ever heard that? That's what God's talking about
here. I'm gonna teach it to you the hard way. Why? Because we're
so stubborn. So thick, so much unbelief, so
much self. Now no chastening, for the present
seemeth to be joyous, but grievous nevertheless. Afterward, it yieldeth
the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them, now look, which are
exercised. Not which exercise. Don't get
that wrong. Which are exercised. See it? Which are exercised thereby. God does this. When we're humbled,
who did it? When we are humble, who did it?
God did it. Let me move on. Here's the last
one. Turn to Hebrews chapter 10. If
you turned a minute ago, you should be pretty close. Hebrews
chapter 10. I got one more. Hebrews chapter
10. Think about all of Christ's life
of faith is vital to our justification. Christ's life of faith manifested
his fitness to justify us. Christ's life of faith gave him
authority even over his own death. And we are, the next one was
justified, reconciled by his death. Isn't that what the book
says? Christ's faithful obedience unto death secured his exaltation. And here's the sixth one. Christ's
faithfulness to the Father's will secured sanctification and
perfection for all for whom he suffered. You don't have to work
out your own perfection and sanctification. It's been worked out for you
by the faith of Jesus Christ. Hebrews chapter 10 and verse
9. Then said he, that is Christ,
that's who that's speaking of. Look at the context later. Then
said he, lo, I come to do thy will. Now that's faith, isn't
it? He said I come to do it. I often think I've come to do
it. Mac, I don't. I don't. I screw it up, I foul
up, I mess up. But he could say this. Why? Because
he's the man of faith. He's the believer. Then said
he, lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first
that he may establish the second, by the which will we are sanctified
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Do you see it? Now, I've asked
this before, and I really want somebody to answer this question
for me. How can you be more sanctified than sanctified? I mean, just
tell me, how can you be more sanctified than sanctified? I'm
partly sanctified. If that was in the book, I'd
preach it. I'm mostly sanctified. If that was in the book, I'd
preach it. But we're either sanctified or you're not sanctified. There
is no in between. There's not progressing in sanctification. You're either sanctified or you're
not sanctified. And how are we sanctified? What
does the book say? Through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all. And let's go on. And every priest
standeth daily, ministering and offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, which can never take away sins, but this man, after
he had offered one sacrifice, four sins, forever, sat down
on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his
enemies be made his footstool. Now that's what everybody's going
about. He gonna put, metaphorically speaking, he gonna put his foot
on our necks, every one of us. He gonna make the whole universe
confess things in heaven, things in earth, things under the earth.
Is that what we read? I'm Lord. I'm lowered. Look, but here's the verse. For
by one offering, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. So if I get sanctification, but
I can progress in sanctification, how can I call that initial sanctification
perfection? See, I didn't make this up on
my own. It's coming from the book of God. I'm not just sanctified,
I'm perfectly sanctified. And somebody says, well that
means whole or complete. You still ain't escaped the truth
yet. That's exactly what I'm talking about. Do you see it?
For by one offering, he has perfected forever. That means consecrated
us fully and forever. perfected forever them that are
sanctified. No wonder, Paul says, even we
have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by
the faith of Christ. Do you get just a little bit
of it? No, we don't understand it fully. Ellen, we don't understand.
If we really got a hold of that, we'd never have another trouble
in this life. No matter what happened to us, no matter what
happened to us, we'd never have another trouble in this life.
But aren't you glad for those times when he lets you just rest
in his son? He did it all. He sanctified
me and he did it unto perfection. What else do I need? The only
thing I need is to be done with myself. I don't need to be done
with you. I could put up with you if I
was perfectly in everything. Now I'm perfectly sanctified,
but I'm not perfect in this flesh. I'm not perfect in this body.
Did not Christ put up with us? Does he still not put up with
us? Is he still not loving and long-suffering to us in spite
of our rebellions? I am now, I'm not amazed that
Paul would say, it gives me comfort when I say, even we have, he's
telling Peter this. And remember, Peter just got
raked over the coals, so to speak, you know, let me put it. I mean,
he has reprimanded Peter in front of everybody. Right? I mean, how would you feel if
I did that to you this morning? Called you out personally on
the carpet in this assembly. That's exactly what Paul did
to Peter. But then he tells them, even we have believed in Jesus
Christ. Why? That we might be justified
by the faith of Christ. And not by the works of the law,
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Do I? Just a question, do I? Do you trust Christ only? Now we say that, I hear people
say that, well, I trust Christ only. And then you see them turn
around and bragging about their law works. Right? Oh, I believe in Jesus
Christ, I know he's everything. And then turn around and say,
well, if I don't get my tithes, he won't bless me. He's already
blessed you with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places
in Christ. How are you gonna get more, give him 10%? Right? Do people that profess to be
Christians ever really think about these things? He's already
blessed me with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ, and I think by praying more and reading the Bible, now,
we ought to pray more. I'm not saying we shouldn't.
We ought to read more, but I'm not saying we shouldn't. But
those things don't give us any more perfection, sanctification,
justification, nothing. I'm already blessed with all
spiritual blessings. I just don't see them. I don't
see them. I've used this, it's good for
me. I don't know if it helps anybody else out or not. You
see, when Israel left Egypt, they pretty much had everything
they would need when they left for that whole journey. But it
didn't look like it when they initially left. It didn't look
like the same thing as when they finally got into the wilderness
and started gathering up all this gold and silver and making
the temple, or the tabernacle, right? But it was all there,
Paul. All along, it was always there. And you say, well, when will
I see this in God's good time? Things that are happening to
us folk here, a lot of it's just age, right? It's just age. As Clay Curtis said, you're not
getting more holy, my brothers and sisters, you're just getting
old and too tired to sin as bad as you used to. That's just a
fact. You just ain't got the gumption
to go out like you used to and do the things you used to do
that were wrong. Where's your hope? Where's your
hope? It's basically just give up and
let go. Believe Christ. Quit, when you're fighting, I
was about to say quit trusting in yourself. You're going to.
I do, you do. But when you do, Paul said call
it D-U-N-G. Right? He didn't deny that that
was all there. He just said, you know what it
really is? D-U-N-G. Why? That I might win Christ
and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which
is of the law, but that righteousness which is of God through the faith
of Jesus Christ. Next time somebody asks you,
why are you saved? Because Christ believed God. Let's see what
they say. I'm not, I know we laugh at that, but I'm serious.
Why are you saved? Because my Lord believed God.
Just maybe, God might move them, say, you know, I need to find
out what that means. Just maybe. Heavenly Father, we're so, so
blind, short-sighted, self-centered. Oh, God, break us of ourselves.
As we stray, Lord, take your mighty hand and bring us back
into the way. We thank you for your mercy and
your compassion, your longsuffering, your forgiveness. We thank you
for all of that in the person of your son, in Christ's name,
amen.