All right, again, turn to Romans
chapter 4. Romans chapter 4. Now, I'm going
to reduce the context, at least in my reading, to just a few
verses of what I read earlier as our scripture reading, but
I want to read these verses again, and I will try to deal, of course,
not with every statement or every word, but try to deal with this
context as a whole. Romans chapter 4. If you're there,
let me kind of overlap a little of what I gave you last week.
I'll begin in verse 9. I'm going to read down through
verse 16. Cometh this blessedness then.
What blessedness? The blessedness of sin. Iniquity is rather forgiven.
Sin's covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin, the blessing of righteousness imputed. Cometh this blessedness then
upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also. For we say that faith was reckoned
to Abraham for righteousness, and it was, because that's what
the book of God says. The Old Testament is clear about
that. How was it then reckoned? When he was in circumcision or
in circumcision? The answer is clear. Faith was
reckoned to Abraham for righteousness while he was uncircumcised. Abraham was circumcised after
it is said that faith was imputed to him for righteousness. Thus
he says not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he
received the sign of circumcision, and that is what it is. A sign,
and as he will say, a seal, but that is it. That is it. And he received the sign of circumcision,
a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being
uncircumcised. So the circumcision, Mac, added
nothing to the righteousness. It was a sign and seal of the
righteousness he already had by faith. Which the seal of righteousness,
being uncircumcised, that he might be them is gone. And he
received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of
the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised, that he might
be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised. Because not all believers were
nor are circumcised. Some are, some are not. And he goes on, that righteousness
might be imputed unto them also in either state, whether it is
in the state of uncircumcision or in the state of circumcision,
and the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision
only, only, because law, deeds are not the
way before God. Circumcision didn't condemn anybody. It didn't condemn anybody unless
they looked to it for their righteousness before God. Therefore, I will
say this about circumcision. I am against circumcision for
righteousness before God. Now, if that makes me an antinomian,
so be it. But it does not. It does not
make me against God's law. It makes me against circumcision
for righteousness before God. I've got a point to get to here
in a moment, but I don't want to start that now. And the father
of the circumcision, not of the circumcision only, but look,
but who also walk in the steps. So Paul here is including our
walk as well. Yes or no? Yes or no? He's including our walk as well. And what is its basis? But who
also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham,
which he had being yet uncircumcised. So the circumcision did not profit
him before God, not one iota. He already had all the righteousness
he could have when he was uncircumcised, when he believed God. See that? Let's go on, four. Now here's
gonna be some strong statements. For the promise that he should
be heir of the world. We'll look at that a little later.
Well, the promise that he should be heir of the world was not
to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness
of faith. For, and he's going to explain
why he makes such a profound statement. For, if they which
are of the law, notice he does not even say they which are under
the law. but they which are of the law. For if they which are of the
law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise
made of none effect, because the law worketh wrath. And I will jump ahead. That's
wrath from God. and wrath from men toward God. The law never works anything
else but wrath. Wrath. Wrath. Because the law worketh wrath. For where no law is, there is
no transgression. As a matter of fact, This is
a side note. Paul will go on to tell us in
the next chapter, chapter five, that until Moses came and actually
gave the law, now the law is as eternal as God is, but the
law was not eternally given. As a matter of fact, Adam did
not even have the law of Moses written in his heart when he
was in the garden. He had no need for it. He had one prohibition. And one prohibition only, don't
eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And he broke
that one prohibition against God. And Paul makes an amazing
statement. There was no sin imputed until
the law was given by Moses. But yet sin existed and was real. But that's a side note, and that's
something we will consider later. Because the law worketh wrath,
for where no law is, there is no transgression. And here's
the end, it's verse 16 for my message this morning. Therefore
it is of faith. And I'm not trying to add to
the context, but this is the preponderant testimony of scripture.
It is of faith from start to finish. And we'll see that from
God's book. It is of faith from the beginning
to the end. As a matter of fact, I believe
I have the right to say it is of faith as far as in the purpose
and mind of God from eternity to eternity. Therefore, it is
of faith that it might be by grace. to the end, that is for
this reason, to the end, the promise might be sure to all
the seed, not to that only which is, notice this, of the law,
but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is
the father of us all. Now, excuse me. Let me say for
those who may hear most of these messages that are recorded and
go out live stream are eventually brought to TV, but they are brought
to TV much later. And I just want folks who may
hear these messages on TV that usually there's a lot more to
the message than what you get on TV. So I would encourage you
when you hear that message on TV, go to sermon audio or one
of these other places, go to the chapel website and listen
to everything the man preached. Now listen to me, here's my title
and this is what my subject is gonna be. Airship by law empties
faith and negates the promise. Did I state that any different?
I might have used a different word, but did I state that any
different than what Paul had just wrote here by inspiration?
Airship by law, this is my title, this is my subject. Airship by
law empties faith and negates the promise. For if they which
are of the law be heirs, and that's the indication, that's
all they got is law. Because if you got law, when
people were circumcised, most were circumcised when they were
eight days old, they had no say so in the matter. So circumcision
for them was just what they grew up to be. They couldn't help
be circumcised. Their parents had them circumcised.
That does not mean they're outside of the promise of God. But their
circumcision didn't bring them into the promise of God. Faith
must be given by God, even if you've been circumcised. Even
if you're trying to love, just trying to love God with all your
heart, mind, soul, and strength. For if they which are of the
law be heirs, faith is emptied. Do you see that? Faith is made
void and the promise, what a statement to make. The promise made of
none effect. I kind of see it as kind of equal
to that statement to where the Apostle Paul said, I do not frustrate
the grace of God, for if righteousness come by law, then Christ is dead
in vain. That's a big statement, is it?
Faith reckoned for righteousness transcends flesh. Faith reckoned
for righteousness transcends flesh works. Faith reckoned for
righteousness transcends the law. Faith reckoned for righteousness
transcends law works. Faith reckoned for righteousness
transcends flesh law works because law works deal with and with
only the flesh. And when these people think that
they can keep at least some part of the law, to have some kind
of, even if it's a righteousness that's not based upon acceptance
with God, but at least for God's blessings in this life, those
that do so are saying they are actually bringing their flesh
in lines with the command of God. Because the law deals with
the flesh. and the flesh is fallen. At best, at best, believers are
to mortify our members that are upon the earth, not try to conform
them to God's law because you cannot do it. So again I say,
faith reckoned for righteousness transcends all these other things. Even physical circumcision was
only a sign. Isn't that what this says? Was
only a sign and it was a seal, but it was never the proof nor
the reality of faith reckoned for righteousness. You hear what
I just said? Even physical circumcision was
only a sign and a seal, and was never the proof nor the reality
of faith reckoned for righteousness, because Abraham had righteousness
imputed when he was yet uncircumcised. And his circumcision didn't increase
his righteousness in any way. Anybody who don't agree with
that, don't agree with this book. But it's even deeper than that.
Paul also wrote these words, and we looked at them. For he
is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision
which is outward in the flesh, for he is a Jew which is one,
what? Inwardly. That's what matters. Inwardly, as circumcision is
that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter, whose
praise is not of men, but of God. righteousness imputed, yea,
iniquities forgiven, yea, sins covered, yea, sin not imputed,
was never and shall never be by flesh. It shall never be by
flesh works. It shall never be by law, and
it will never be by law works, because law works are flesh works. So much so that Paul, in writing
to the Philippian believers, calls the righteousness of the
law my own righteousness. And that's not what I seek to
stand in. He said, I want to stand in the righteousness which
is of God by the faith of Jesus Christ. He said, you want to
brag about the flesh? I more. I more. Yet there are some. Oh, we don't
brag about the flesh. We believe man's totally depraved. You say you believe he's totally
depraved. But if you believe that you can
conform to God's law, you are saying that your flesh is not
that depraved. It has always been faith, faith,
faith, faith, faith. Preacher, I get tired of you
saying that, so I will say it more. Faith, faith, faith, faith,
faith. Always faith. But not just faith
in a judicial sense. It is faith in an everyday walk
sense. And the father of circumcision
to them who are not of the circumcision only. but who also walk in the steps
of that faith of our father, which he had being yet uncircumcised. So faith is the only thing that
matters. Because even as a believer, you
do not love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.
You can love God in the Spirit and by the power of the Spirit,
but you still have the old man and you never love God with that
man. And anyone who is teaching law,
righteousness in any way, shape, or form, I don't care what they
say, the book equates law with governing the flesh. If you think
that you're keeping God's law, you're saying your flesh ain't
really quite that bad. But our flesh is quite that bad. As a matter of fact, it's worse
than we really know. It's worse than we really, really
know. So again, it is a faith in the
everyday walk sense. Those who teach Salvation by
grace through faith, but walk by grace and law they are liars As a matter of fact They are liars sometimes sometimes
of the deepest die Because they while they will port their fingers
at me. I And they will point their fingers
at the other ministers who stand here and publicly preach the
Word of God. And they will point their fingers
at other ministers who are out there trying to preach the free
and reigning grace of God. And they will point their fingers
at people like you and like you because you don't understand
the law like they do. They are liars. Somebody showed
me one of them's social media page. And I looked at it. And one of the headings this
person had in their social media page. Be careful, folks, when
you put your stuff out there on the social media page. Single Christian man. He's a twice divorced Christian
man. At best. Single ain't the same as divorced.
Single means you ain't married. You ain't never been married.
You are single. They lie. The book says don't
bear false witness. What is it to call it when you've
been divorced? I don't care if you've been divorced one time,
Jack, just one time. You can't call yourself single. And then here's the kicker. You
look at the friends. Now, folks, I got to be careful
here. Not because I'm afraid of exposing someone. That person's
already exposed himself. Left this assembly and called
us all heretics. But then you look at the friends. I don't know a lot about these
social media pages, but I am told you can pretty much delete
a lot of this stuff. Somebody sends you, you can get
rid of it. But it's still there. I've seen
it myself. Scantily clad women. in lewd positions. Now, what are you trying to do,
be a friend of publicans and sinners? That's what a self-righteous
man do. Well, I'm just being a friend
of publicans and sinners. No, you are consorting with publicans
and sinners. You take that kind of trash down
off of your public media spot. You don't associate. Folks, I'm
talking about lewd stuff. And yet they want to point the
finger at you. Point the finger at me. They
are hypocrites. And so am I. If I ever try to
tell you, I'm making some inroads concerning God's law. Because
I ain't never made one inroad concerning God's law. The law
of God is at best fulfilled in me, but it is never fulfilled
by me. Let me tell you something. I
know some people think us preachers are supposed to be, we love everybody
and people fuss and we just cowed out in the corner. By God's grace,
this preacher ain't going to. I'm not gonna cow down in the
corner. Faith does not need law also. And the father of circumcision
to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who walk in the steps
of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. Here's the second thing. No,
no, no, I won't give you this one. Turn with me, if you will,
to Galatians. If Matthew said that Galatians
will tell you about the law and grace, it will. It will. Listen to what Paul wrote in
Galatians chapter 3. Oh foolish Galatians. who hath
bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose
eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently sent forth, crucified among you."
Notice, it's crucified among you. In other words, the gospel
came to you in such a way that the crucifixion of Christ, as
though it happened right in front of you, it became real to you. It's your only hope. It's your
heart's desire. This only would I learn of you. Received you the spirit by the
works of the law. See how he puts it in that phrase?
By the works of the law or by the hearing of faith. Are ye so foolish? Having begun
in the spirit, are you now made perfect by the law? Is that what
he wrote? He said, by the flesh. Why? Because
the law deals with the flesh. And the law still tells me how
bad my flesh is. Mac, every time I read God's
law, it exposes my flesh and your flesh and how corrupt it
still is. My only inroads before God Almighty's
holy law is the blessed son of God himself when he died on that
tree and satisfied the law's holy demands. That's my only
hope. Having begun in the spirit, are
you now made perfect by the flesh? The answer is rhetorical. A resounding
God forbid. Secondly, the promise of God
is faith-oriented only. Verse 13 of Romans 4. For the promise that he should
be heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through
the law, but through the righteousness of faith. What does it mean by
heir of the world? I know there are those out there today that
that means you're supposed to have all the cars you want and
all the money you want and your job's always great and you're
always being blessed of the Lord. Put that in quotes. Now that's
what they think that means. Heirs of the world. No, he's
talking about Abraham being the father of all the faithful. Abraham
being the one who stands out as the prime example of God's
work of salvation through Jesus Christ by grace through faith. The promise that he should be
heir of the world was not to Abraham or his seed through the
law, but through the righteousness of faith, because if they which
are of the law be heirs, faith is emptied and the promise is
nothing. Nothing. No law. No law. Should I say that? Do I have
to say it again for somebody to get it? No law was not What
is it? Was not through the law. How many times must God say it
for us to believe it? He should only say it once. But
as I've told you before, as I begin this, this whole book here, there's
no coincidence that things, anything happened as they happened. I
told you, be careful when you've got a this. And it's a thus saith
the Lord. And you think, well, since this
is true, then that must be true. But that is not thus saith the
Lord. Let the that alone. Don't try
to reason it in your own mind, because you will go askew of
God's holy truth. And as we will see, this applies
also to our life and our conduct. Shall we continue in sin that
grace may abound? God forbid. For how shall we
that are dead to see Him? Now, that's the question. Now,
I don't want to get off on that one yet. Dead to see Him? Here's
the question. Am I dead to see Him? That's
the question. And I see some of you just standing
there wondering, what's that mean? You'll have to keep listening
if God keeps you alive, because I ain't going into that right
now. Dead to the sin! But those who are not dead to
sin, they will continue to sin. And they will continue to convince
themselves, this will be an avenue of God's grace toward me. It
may, it may not be. Because grace, after all, is
sovereign. There are people in hell for murder. There are murderers
God has saved and took to heaven. There are whores in hell. There
are whores that God saved and took to glory. And I remember
one whore he saved, and I like the way Tim James said it. He
said, woman, where are those thine accusers? If no man accuse
thee, she said, no man, Lord. And he said, listen, think of
it, neither do I condemn thee. Oh, that he would tell me that.
But he didn't stop there. And I will put you in court.
This is Tim James' quote from it. Now quit that whoring. That's
what he told her, didn't he? Neither do I condemn thee. Go
and sin no more. He ain't talking about sinless
perfection. Quit that whoring. Drop it like a hot potato. Now
do you need Christ's forgiveness or do you need your whoring?
Take your pick. Take your pick. No law, no law,
no law. The promise was not through law. Here is the third thing. No legalist
is an heir. For if they which are of the
law be heirs. You see that? Now, notice what,
it's not they who are of the law but believe God because some
people were of the law and believed God. He goes on to say that in
verse 16. But if you're just of the law,
you are not an heir. If your righteousness, you think
it proceeds from the law, you're not an heir. Somebody said, Preacher,
I just don't understand all this. God don't tell you or command
you to understand it. He commands you to bow down to
His Son. to worship Him, to serve Him,
to walk for Him. That's what He commands. Why? Because the law works wrath. Isn't it amazing how the legalists
don't ever really want to tell the truth about what the law
really does. They want to talk about how they try to keep the
law. You see, it's not just those
under the law, but it's also those who are of the law. If
that's all you got, you got nothing. No legalist is there. Legalists
are an affront to both faith and promise. Remember what that
says? They're an affront because, for
if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void
and the promise of none effect. Now, do they really make that
so? No, but they do for their own
souls. And they're standing before God. Let me go on. They are, a legalist
is the enemy of God. No matter how much he or she
points, they're almost always pointing their finger at somebody
else. They never can show you their
true good law obedience. As I told you, one legalist told
one of our pastors here, well, you're just not quite there yet,
but never would tell him where he was and how to get there. Because he really thinks if you're
more like me, you'll be there. And isn't that what that one
legalist prayed in the temple? Lord, I thank thee that I'm not
like other men. Well, I am like other men. And
I have both immorality dwelling down in here, and legalism dwelling
down in here, and I hate them both. And God help me, how do
I walk contrary to those things? Only by faith. Only by faith. Somebody says it can't be that
simple. It ain't simple. God's got to give you the faith
to do it with. He's got to sustain you in the
faith to do it with. He has to chasten you when you
go out of the line from when you're in it. It ain't simple. It is a profound, complex work
of the Almighty God. I tell you, I don't have it safe. I think that the salvation of
a sinner is a greater creation than when God created this universe.
because he satisfied divine justice and had to in his son to create
a saved sinner. He created this universe out
of nothing. He created us out of the blood and sweat and sufferings
of Jesus Christ. He did not create us out of nothing.
Do you hear what I just said? God either saved you by circumcised
you or you'll never be saved. Now there's your circumcision
to lean on. He is. Hmm? He is. I said that one time
in the church and people's mouths dropped open. It's like, and
these are people been hearing the gospel for years, really?
You don't realize that Jesus of Nazareth, your Lord, was a
circumcised Jew? And he's still a circumcised
Jew. And he kept the law. And I thank God he did. The law
is not associated with peace, but wrath. As I said, it's God's
wrath against sin and sins and man's wrath against all that
pertains to God. The law, when seen rightly, will
show you your hatred for God, not your love for God. Any man
or woman, boy or girl, old or young, that says, well, at least
I'm trying to love God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. That's not what the law commands. It says love God with all your
heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. I've tried to convince myself
at times I've done that. I ain't never done that. Ain't
never done that self is always back there in the forefront somewhere
And I don't say that I'm not boasting that folks Don't seek
righteousness before God by law It will never work don't try
to become an heir by law and It will never work. Don't seek the promise by law. It will never work Legalists
while claiming sanctification under righteousness. They are
actually under wrath and they will exhibit that wrath toward
others You watch them you could sit and smile shake your hand
put up with you know, this and that, but after a while they
cannot stand Christ, Christ, Christ, Christ, Christ, Christ,
Christ, Christ, and it gets under the skin and eventually that
proverbial straw will break the camel's back and they can take
it no more. You don't have to run. You don't
have to kick them out. You don't have to give them the
ex cathedra. You don't have to excommunicate
them. They will eventually leave when you refuse to bow to their
self-righteous legalism. And when you continue to publicly
proclaim right in front of their face that salvation and service
and walk from beginning to end is all by the grace of God in
Christ Jesus. Airship and promise are of faith
and faith only by grace and grace only Even the circumcised Jew
must have faith by grace Because that alone manifests airship
to the promise verse 16 Therefore it is of faith Remember face
not the law What Paul says what he says? Not to that only which
is of the law. He's talking about the same thing
as he said in verse 14, but he's not negating what he said in
verse 14. In other words, is a law keeping
Jew then without hope? No, because this is true. Therefore
it is of faith. that it might be by grace. To
the end, the promise might be sure to all the seed, not to
that only which is of the law, because even the man writing
this at one time was one of those people. But to them also, which
is of the faith of Abraham. Do you see it? who is the father
of us all. Now, there are legalists who
will go to verse 16 and say, see right there, you gotta have
of the law and faith. That ain't what he's talking
about. He's saying there are those who are of the law. Are
they damned forever? Not if God gives them faith.
And it's got to be that way. Because if it ain't that way,
nobody would ever be saved. Now, let me just put it this
way. Oh God, thank you for Christ. and you're graciously giving
faith in Him. And thank you for that faith,
because it's faith only in Him. I realize the legalist and the
self-righteousness, but you've got to have a law to whip people
in line. I don't have to have the law
for God Almighty to conquer your soul in the beginning, and I
don't need a law for God Almighty to continue to conquer your soul
into the end. If he could bring you out of
the spiritual grave, bless God, he could keep you by his power.
And he will. And if you're not kept, then
he never brought you out of the grave. I don't care what you
think you are, how far you think you've been. You might go 30,
40 years. You've turned your back on Christ
and Christ only. You've turned your back on your
only hope. God be pleased with that truth.
Father, we pray that you bless us. Keep us and guide us by the
truth of Thy word, in Christ's name, amen.