If you like to follow along I'm
gonna be in Galatians chapter 5 Galatians chapter 5 Let's just read the first six
verses Stand fast Therefore in the Liberty
wherewith Christ hath made us free I and be not entangled again
with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you
that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For
I testify again to every man that is circumcised that he is
a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect
unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law, ye are
fallen from grace. For we, through the Spirit, wait
for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ
neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision,
but faith which worketh by love. I'm gonna stop right there. My title today is Faith Works
by Love. Faith Works by Love. Before I
get started, I'm gonna read you a quote from Horatius Bonar.
That's where I got that song from, but this is something different.
And this I wanna make very, very clear. Faith is not our savior. It was not faith that was born
at Bethlehem and died on Golgotha for us. It was not faith that
loved us and gave himself for us. that bore our sins in his
own body on the tree, that died and rose again for our sins. Faith is one thing, the Savior
is another. Faith is one thing, and the cross
is another. Let us not confound them. That's what Horatius Monar wrote,
and I agree, I agree. Jesus Christ is the Savior. Jesus Christ is Lord. It's His
faith, and we're gonna get into that a little bit here. But I
do have to point out where Paul is talking. Stand fast, therefore,
in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not
entangled into the yoke of bondage. Paul is writing here of the law,
when he says, if ye be circumcised, Christ profit you nothing. There's
nothing wrong with circumcision. But if you're being circumcised,
ah, to keep the law, that's another thing. And that's what he's talking
about here. Because he does say it, I testify,
every man that is circumcised, he's a debtor to do the whole
law. And you can't. He's already made that clear.
Whosoever of you this is where he's talking about verse 4 Christ
has become of no effect unto you Whosoever of you are justified
by the law You're not in grace. You're falling from grace What else can I tell you about
the law What else can I say well I can say this I For we, through the Spirit, wait
for the hope of the righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus,
neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision,
but faith which worketh by love. But here in verse four, excuse
me, verse five, Paul writes this. That's where I wanna start. For
we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by
faith, by faith. First of all, we wait, we wait. Through the Spirit, we wait for
the completion, the perfection of righteousness. And we are
waiting by the Spirit through faith, we are waiting by faith. We wait for righteousness, the
perfect righteousness of Christ, which we have, righteousness
imparted and righteousness imputed, but then one day, folks, there's
gonna be righteousness realized, righteousness complete. We wait
for the completion of our salvation in Christ Jesus by faith. And that's what this is telling
us, is what Paul's writing to us. We, through the Holy Spirit,
wait for Christ to fulfill all of his promises. He said, him
that cometh to me, I'll in no wise cast out. Not only that,
I'm gonna raise him up at the last day. There's gonna be a
completion of this. There is, to wit, the redemption
of the body yet to come. We have Christ's redemption.
He completed it 2,000 years ago. But there is the redemption of
the body yet to come. Oh, I like that. And we are waiting
through the spirit as opposed to working in the flesh. Galatians 4, verse 31 says this. So then brethren, we are not
the children of the bondwoman, but of the free, but of the free. We wait, we wait. Believers stand fast in the freedom
given by Christ. What does it say? Stand fast
therefore in the liberty, the freedom wherewith Christ has
made us free and don't be entangled again in the law. You're free
from the law. Now the law was our schoolmaster
to bring us to Christ. And after, what? Faith, which
works by love. We'll get to it. After faith
come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. I guess I could tell you something
else about the law. We're not under the schoolmaster. We are
under grace. Believers stand fast in the freedom
given by Christ. And here it is, where is it? Verse six. Circumcision or uncircumcision. Neither one of them counts for
anything without faith. Without faith. And let's be clear,
circumcision or uncircumcision doesn't matter. The faith of
God's elect, the faith of Jesus Christ, is what matters. Is what matters. Because only
Christ matters in true faith. In true faith. The only matter
of the law in faith is this. Believe Christ and get out from
underneath that schoolmaster. Believe in Christ, perfectly
fulfilled and perfectly kept the law. And he did. He did. No one else ever has. And if anybody right now tells
you they're keeping the law, they're lying to you. And I mean
that sincerely. They're lying to you. Because
no man, no woman, no way, no how ever or now keeps the law. except the Lord Jesus Christ. He fulfilled the law. He fulfilled
every jot and tittle that I could not. Oh, what's it say? By faith,
we are free from the law of sin and death in Christ Jesus. Romans 8-2 put it this way, for
the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me
free from the law of sin and death. Oh, I like that. My existence, your happiness,
and our fulfillment in salvation does not require any law keeping
on our part. Not one. Christ fulfilled it
all. Christ paid it all. He paid it
all. All the debt I owe and all the
debt you owe if you're in Him. What does it say in that song?
Sin had left a crimson stain, but He washed it white as snow. And I'm gonna tell you something,
when Christ washes something white as snow, it's white as
snow. And it's never gonna be anything else. Nobody's gonna
dirty up Jesus Christ's laundry Does that make sense? You're
not gonna dirty up the garments of his salvation and you're not
gonna dirty up the robe of his righteousness No way he says
it's white. It's white and it'll be white
Understand we don't love God with all our heart mind soul
and strength but Jesus Christ does Jesus Christ does We don't
honor our father and mother. Not the way we should. But Jesus
Christ does. He does. We do steal and covet
and commit adultery and he does not. And he gives us faith to believe
him. To believe in him and to believe
him. Oh, I like that. And His people do believe according
to the working of His mighty power. Oh, I like that. I like
that. And the law doesn't enter into
any of that. Not a bit. We are free in Christ Jesus now,
always, and forever. I'll say amen. Oh, I like that. I do. But then
we come to what I wanted to talk about here, this one statement
here. See, in Jesus Christ, neither
circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but faith,
which worketh by love. So, if you want to, just leave out
the law part of this sentence. What we have is for in Jesus
Christ, faith avails everything in Christ Jesus. Circumcision
doesn't avail anything. Uncircumcision doesn't avail
anything. Oh, but faith does. Faith which
worketh by love. I like that. Let me tell you
some things we know about the faith of Jesus Christ. We know
that without faith it is impossible, not hard, not difficult, not
onerous, impossible to please God without faith. Now, according to Acts 16 verse
five, we know churches that the Apostle Paul established were
established in faith. That's what it says. We have
faith. We know to receive them that
are weak in the faith, but not to disputations. Because they
have faith. They might be weak in the faith.
They might be strong in the faith. It doesn't matter. We are to
receive them. We know that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. And we know that by the works
of the law, no flesh is justified. None, absolutely none. It's in Galatians 2 and verse
16. We know, according to Galatians
2 and verse 20, that Christ lives in us. Whoa. And the life we now have, the
one we have now, We live by the faith of the Son of God. And faith works in love. Oh,
I like that too. Oh, I already said it. We know
the law was our schoolmaster under Christ that we might be
justified by faith. And after that faith is come,
we are no longer under a schoolmaster. And we also know that we are
no longer under the law, but under grace, under grace. Now, and according to this verse,
we know that faith, true faith, the faith of God's elect, the
faith of Jesus Christ is tied to the love of Jesus Christ. because that faith, true faith,
is a gift from the Lord Jesus Christ in love to every one of
his people in his good time. He does what he wants when he
wants. A lot of people have a lot of
problem with that one. We want it, we want it now. Well,
it's not up to us, it's up to him. He does give faith to every
one of his people in his good time, in the fullness of time,
is what it says. And here's this, in love. Galatians 5 and 22 says this,
but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, goodness. What's that last one there? Faith,
faith. Faith is tied to the love of
Christ. Faith is tied to the fruit of the Spirit, which also
is love and joy and peace. Ephesians 6.23 says this, peace
be to the brethren and love, with faith, with faith, from
God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Peace and love with faith
from God. Faith works by love. Faith works
by love. You can't separate these things.
Love with faith is given by the Father and the Son to His chosen
people. 2 Timothy 1 verse 13 says this,
hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in
faith and love. which is in Christ Jesus. Which
is in Christ Jesus. You can't separate faith from
love. You can't separate love from faith either. It works both
ways. Let's see, Philemon, one in verse
five. Hearing of thy love and faith,
Paul wrote, which thou hast, here's where love and faith go,
toward the Lord Jesus. toward the Lord Jesus, and also
toward all saints, all saints. The love of God toward us who
believe in faith is in the beloved Christ Jesus. Luke three and verse 22 says
this, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove
upon him, and a voice came from heaven which said, Thou art my
beloved son. In thee, I am well pleased. And Matthew took this, chapter
17, verse five. This is of the Mount of Transfiguration. And while he yet spake, behold,
a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the
cloud which said, this is my beloved son. in whom I am well
pleased. But he didn't stop there. He
said, hear ye him. Oh, I like that. I like that.
The love of the father is in the son. The love that he has
for us as his people is in his son. The well-beloved son. Oh, yes. This is my beloved son. Hear ye him. Hear ye him. Hear him. The love of God is
in Christ Jesus. Because we, in ourselves, are
not lovable. We're not. We're not. Not in
God's sight. Not in God's sight. But Jesus Christ is. He is eminently
lovable. Oh, I like that. He is love. You understand, God is love.
Jesus Christ is God. Jesus Christ is love. He is love and grace and goodness
and mercy and truth and we are none of the above. He's every
good thing and we're every bad thing. You understand that saying,
you can't preach Christ too high, you can't preach man too low.
I mean the scripture calls us maggots, worms. Red worms, less
than the small dust of the balance. Nothing but a drop in a bucket,
an empty bucket, which means basically we're nothing. But
he is every good and perfect thing, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, 1 John chapter three, And verse
23 says this. Well, verse 22. And whatsoever
we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and
do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his
commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son, Jesus
Christ. love one another as he gave us
commandment. Faith works in love. Faith works
by love. Oh, I like that. Believe and
love. That's the commandment. Now if
you want to turn the page, 1 John chapter four. I don't have to
turn the page. Verse seven. John goes on, beloved,
Let us love one another. For love is of God. Love is not of man. Faith works
by love. And love is not of man. Love
is of God. And everyone that loveth is born
of God and knoweth God. I like that. Oh, everyone that
is quote, everyone that loves is
born of God and knoweth God. What's it say next? He that loveth
not, this is tough, folks. He that
loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love. God is love. In this was manifested the love
of God toward us. toward us because that God sent
his only begotten son into the world that we might live through
him. Oh, I like that. You understand,
that's the love of God. He sent his son to die for us.
We who deserve death, the death of the ungodly, the death of
the malefactor, Understand the death of the guilty Don't receive
it because of Jesus Christ Because God sent his son to die for us. Oh what but Verse 10 here in
his love here in his love Here in his love here in his love
Not that we love God but that he loved us. And sent his son
to be the propitiation, the mercy seed, the one who could bring
the two people together. The propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us,
we ought also to love one another. No man has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells
in us and his love is perfected in us. Not because of us, but
because it's God's love. It's his love. Oh, I like that. Here in his love, faith that
works in love. Because at one time we did not
love. At one time we did not know God. Oh, what? He that loveth is born
of God and knoweth God. At one time I was not born of
God. I didn't know, I didn't love, I didn't love, and I didn't
know. We didn't know the true love
of God which is in Christ for His people. For His people. Because this is love. Faith that
works in love. You understand? I got a question. Do you want to know? You understand? He that loveth is born of God
and knoweth God. So I mean, I can't ask you if
you love God, but I can ask you, do you want to know the real
Jesus Christ? Because there's plenty of false
Christs running around. There's plenty of false Christs
being preached right now on television. I guarantee it. And that's just
on my little cable channels. If you want to know the real
Jesus Christ, he's in this book. And this book is true. They've
tried to adulterate it. They've tried to cut it out.
And still there's truth in theirs. But this is it. Do you want to
know him? Look in his book. Look in his
book. Wait a minute. Listen to the
gospel being preached. Because here it is. Christ died
for his people. He died for us according to the
scriptures. Right here they are. He died
for us according to the scriptures. And I'll add this here. in love
for his people, in love for us. Oh, his faith works in love.
And here's the thing, true faith works. Isn't that tough? You say you don't believe in
works, you believe in grace. No, we believe in grace and then
works, not works to get grace. That's the way most people preach
it. And they're wrong. And some of them are just flat
out lying. We believe in grace and then works. Because here's
the thing. True faith works. Not only by
love, but true faith works in love. What did it say about Abraham? What did Paul write about Abraham?
He said, Abraham loved God. Well, I'll say this. Abraham
believed God. Now, he didn't say, and that's
true, he didn't say Abraham believed in God. He didn't say Abraham
believed there was a God. No, he said Abraham believed
God. What God told Abraham, Abraham
believed. Here you go, folks. It's right
here in this book. What God told Abraham and what
God is telling us. what God is telling His people.
It's written right in this book. What God has told us about His
Son is right in this book, Old Testament and New. Thank God
for His great love, wherewith He loved us. Even when we were dead in trespasses
and in sins, and He hath quickened us together with Christ. You know what Paul said? By grace are you saved. Ah, I
like that, I do. His faith works in love. By grace
you are saved, through faith, and that none of yourselves.
It's the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should
boast. For we are what? His workmanship. created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Faith works
by love. You understand, you look at what
they call the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, and you'll say,
talk about Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and what'd they say?
Abraham got up and got out. Faith works by love. Abraham
did stuff. Oh my, others did stuff. But
faith works, and here it is, in His love. Faith works by His
love. And His faith works in love in
you, if you believe Him, if you know Him. Jesus Christ will put
in you, what's it say? Both to will and to do of his
good pleasure. Faith works by love. Faith works
by love. Oh my. I'm gonna confess something
here. I always feel guilty speaking
about love. And I understand that because
I probably am guilty of something. But here's the thing, I feel
unworthy of love and I feel deficient in love as far as talking about
it. But I can read this word and
I can preach this word by his grace. I can't comprehend love
like I should. I must confess also that I'm
much better with anger than with love. I comprehend anger a lot
better. Now, I know I'm not supposed to put much stock in feelings,
but I still have them. But thank God, I'm not saved
by my feelings. Thank God I'm not saved by my
feelings. Oh, my. That's worse than trying
to be saved by law. Go by feelings. And neither are
you. But here's what we need to know.
The faith of Jesus Christ works by love. And it's not your love,
it's His love. It's God's love for us in His
Son. And it's His Son's love for us
where He gave Himself for us. Oh, I like that. The faith of Jesus Christ works
in love in every one of his called out people. The father chose
every one of his people in the beloved. In his son. In Jesus Christ. The father chose
us in Jesus Christ, the beloved. And he gives life to his chosen,
given people. You understand? God and Jesus
Christ speak. and the dead live. Oh, what does
it say in the Old Testament? I kill and I make alive. I kill and I make alive. Jesus Christ speaks the word
and the dead live. Those dead in trespasses and
in sins. Oh my. Now, there's coming a
day when he's gonna speak and the dead in Christ are gonna
raise up Oh, that's coming. That's coming. Faith works by
love. We're looking forward to it.
What's it say? I told Walter this 30 some years
ago. I read a description that says,
and so shall we ever be with the Lord. And I told Walter,
and I said, you know what happens after that? It don't matter. Because so shall we ever be with
the Lord. There's nothing better. And it
doesn't matter what happens after that for me. Now for somebody
else, it might matter, but I'm just looking for that. And we'll
go from there, because I know where I'm going to be. And I
know where you're going to be if you're there. It was with
him in love. Oh, and it won't be by faith
then. It'll be by sight. Oh, my. I'm looking forward to
that. I want this mortal to put on
immortality. I'm getting kind of tired of
this mortality part. It's all right. God gives faith. Jesus Christ gives his faith
to every one of his chosen given people. And we are justified
by his faith. Oh, which works in love. Which
works by love. Because here it is. If you love
someone, you'll want to work for their happiness. You'll want
them to be happy. Oh, they're good. And Christ's faith works in love. Because of faith working in love,
faith working by love works from Christ and love from Christ and
love for Christ, both, both. Spurgeon wrote something here.
To trust in God in the light is nothing, but to trust him
in the dark, that's faith. I like that, and I agree. Because
to trust in God when you're sick and worn out, down, depressed,
oppressed, is faith that works by love. Thanks be to God for
the gracious gift of faith in Christ Jesus. Faith works by
love. His love, which never fails. His love, which is perfect love. Our Heavenly Father, we're thankful
for this time and this place. Most of all, thank you, Lord,
for the love you have shown us in your Son, the grace you have
given to us through your Son, the life you have given to us
by Jesus Christ, Every good and perfect gift comes down from
the Father of lights. And there's no shadow of turning.
That which you have given, you will not take back from us. Thank
you, Lord, because you have given us your Son, Jesus Christ, and
you will never take him back from us. Be with others as they
come to hear your word preached. Be with Walter as he preaches.
Be with others as they preach your gospel. and be with the
hearers and let them hear your word today for them. In Christ's name we pray, amen.