Now let's stay right there in
Romans 9 and 10. These are passages of scripture
that are very familiar to us all, or most of us who study
the scriptures, and I quote from this passage quite often in my
preaching because what we have here is the heart of the gospel,
and especially in what I've indicated as my text this morning, verse
4 of chapter 10. which says, for Christ is the
end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. And
I think it's interesting and helpful to know that that word
end, Christ is the end of the law, that doesn't mean the conclusion
of the law as far as the Old Testament is concerned, which
he is, which he was. When Christ came into the world
and did his great work on the cross and was buried and arose
again the third day, that marked the end of the old covenant,
the law of Moses, and the beginning of the new covenant. So he was
the end of the law in that sense. But what this is talking about
is the end of the law for righteousness, and that word end is the exact
same word that Christ used when he was on the cross as written
in John 19.30 when he said, it is finished. So Christ is the
finishing of the law for righteousness. He's the fulfillment of the law
for righteousness. He is the ultimate one who did
everything the law required to satisfy the justice of God, which
equals righteousness. Now, to whom is that applied? You know, the Bible teaches that
God, before the foundation of the world, chose a people and
gave those people to Christ, put them in his charge. Isaiah
9-6 puts it this way. The government was upon his shoulders,
the government of grace. The government of salvation was
placed on the shoulders of Christ, not on our shoulders. If it had
been placed on our shoulders, it'd fail. But it was on Christ. He was made our surety. The debt
of sin, which had not even come about yet, the sin that had not
even entered into the world yet, was placed upon Christ. That's
our surety. And he was marked out and purposed
to be our substitute. That's why he had to come into
the world and take upon himself sinless humanity. God manifest
in the flesh so that he could be our substitute. He had to
die. God cannot die. But this person
who is God did die, and that's attributed to his sinless humanity. That's why he talks about in
the Lord's Supper, as he answered to the Lord's Supper, this is
my body, which was broken for you. That means his substitutionary
work, and then he said his blood, that's the finishing of the work,
that's his death. So he was set up to be our substitute
and our redeemer, to pay the full redemption price for the
sins of his people and establish righteousness, an everlasting
righteousness. And that righteousness is the
righteousness of God. It's not the righteousness of
man. In other words, it's not what we do for God, it's what
God has done for his people. And so that's the righteousness
of God revealed in the gospel, you see. And that's the righteousness
that he's speaking of here. Christ did that. He is that for
his people, and we know that he is because he arose from the
dead. He was raised from the dead, meaning that the work that
he accomplished was a done deal. It was the end of the law for
righteousness. Now, in these messages I've been
preaching over the past several weeks, I've been trying to show
how that Christ is the righteousness of his people, the salvation
of his people, the redemption of his people, the glory of his
people, and show the distinction between what we call faith and
believing, okay? Well, he says he's the end of
the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. So here
you see a distinction between righteousness and believing.
The righteousness is what Christ accomplished. The believing is
the fruit of what he accomplished. So how do I know he did it for
me? Well, God gives us the gift of believing. Faith, we call
it, and that's okay. For by grace are you saved through
faith. That's not of yourselves. It's
the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should
boast. Now where does that faith come from? Where does that believing
come from? It comes from Christ. For we are his workmanship created
in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. Well that's the whole point of
this. There is a distinction here. What is this thing of faith? What does it mean? And most people,
they parse that down into just, well, we believe. I told Randy
and Susan that I was coming on the way to the service here this
morning, I saw outside of a flower shop, they have on their sign,
only believe. Well, only believe what? And
most people say, well, believe in Jesus. Well, okay, that's
fine. But I'm gonna tell you something,
you can't believe in Jesus and not believe Jesus. Does that
make sense? In other words, if you believe
in Jesus, you're gonna believe what Jesus said. And what did
he say? And what he said is the doctrine
of Christ, the teachings of Christ. And so many people think they
believe in Jesus, but they deny or are either ignorant of the
doctrine of Christ, the teachings of Christ. And that's what this
Bible is all about. So go back to verse 30 of chapter
nine. Let me put it in the context
of what I'm saying. The first thing he shows us here
is the true nature of righteousness and faith and what it means.
Look at verse 30, he says, what shall we say then? Now he's drawing
a conclusion based upon teachings, doctrines that he had related
here by the power of the Holy Spirit. And it concerns the doctrine
of God's sovereign electing grace. What did God say in verse 13
of chapter nine? Jacob have I loved, Esau have
I hated? Oh God hates somebody? Well that's
what it says here. Well preachers say that means
loved less. No it doesn't. It means exactly
what it says it means. God chose Jacob and he did not
choose Esau and somebody said well that's not fair. Well look
at verse 14. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness
with God? God forbid. Is God unfair? Is God unjust?
No. But here's the conclusion. Verse
15, for he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have
mercy. I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
God says, I'm the one who chooses. It's his prerogative. In fact,
it's his glory. He's quoting here. Paul's quoting
here from Exodus 33, where God answered a question posed to
him by Moses. And what was the question? What
was the plea? Show me your glory. And he told
Moses, here it is. I'll have mercy on whom I have
mercy. I'll be gracious to whom I'll be gracious. Well, what's
the significance of that? Well, look at verse 16. So then,
it's not of him that willeth. It's not based upon your decision.
Those who believe, do we decide for Christ? Yes, we do. But that's
the fruit of salvation, not the cause, not the source. So then
it's not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, he says,
that's works, but of God that showeth mercy. So what are we
gonna say to such things? Well, look back at verse 30.
He says that the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness,
have attained a righteousness, even the righteousness which
is of the faith. Now, the title of this message
is Righteousness by Faith. What does that mean? Now, obviously,
he's not talking about all Gentiles without exception here. He's
talking about Gentiles who have attained to righteousness. He's
talking about believing Gentiles. Because Christ is the end of
the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. And
he'd already said down in these verses here that Brother Jim
read, there's no difference between Jew and Gentile. In fact, if
you want to get technical, and I'd like to do that, if you look
down at chapter 10 and verse 20, Isaiah, the prophet, he prophesied
something and he says, I was found of them that sought me
not. I was made manifest unto them
that asked not after me. Who's he talking about? He's
talking about the Gentiles specifically there, but that's really any
sinner who's saved by grace, you're saved not because you
sought after God, not because you made a decision, you're saved
because God sought and found you, gave you life, and your
decision came out of his power, out of the life that he gave
you in the new birth. You must be born again or you
cannot see the kingdom of God. Well, back over here in verse
30 of chapter nine, the Gentiles, they follow not after righteousness.
Now what he's doing here, he's showing a comparison between
the Gentiles who did not have the law of Moses and the Jews
who had the law of Moses. And so the sense that the Gentiles
sought not after righteousness is they weren't seeking the righteousness
of the law of Moses, but they found righteousness. It doesn't
mean that the Gentiles were not religious. Everybody's religious
in some way or another. But he says they found righteousness.
What is righteousness? Well, it's perfect satisfaction
to God's law and justice. It's the perfection of the law.
And the Bible has already told us plainly that we don't meet
that standard. For all have sinned, Romans 3.23,
for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. What
is the glory of God? It's the perfection of righteousness
that can only be found in Christ. He kept the law. He died a perfect
death. under the justice of God for
the sins of his people. We can't do that. Our death doesn't
satisfy justice, but his did because he's God manifest in
the flesh. So they attained it, those believing
Gentiles, they attained it, even the righteousness which is of
faith. Now, what is that? Does that
mean that they believed and their believing was their righteousness?
No. What is the righteousness which is of faith? Here it is,
verse four of chapter 10. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness. That's faith right there. That's
the faith. That's the knowledge of God.
That's the body of gospel truth that we believe, brought to believe
by God's word. And he says in verse 31, but
Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath
not attained to the law of righteousness. Israel sought the righteousness
of the law, but they didn't make it. They fell short. And why? Verse 32, because they sought
it not by faith. Now, what is faith there? Christ
is the end of the law for righteousness. That's what faith is. That's
the revelation of God. That's the knowledge that God
gives his people. how he reveals himself. Gospel
is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believe it,
to the Jew first, the Greek also, for therein is the righteousness
of God revealed from faith, knowledge revealed to faith, knowledge
received, learned, taught of God. And so he says, they didn't
attain it. Why? Because they sought it not
by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. They were seeking
righteousness by their works. They didn't make it. And it says,
for they stumbled at that stumbling stone, and he goes back to the
word of God in a prophecy of Isaiah. Here's what they stumbled
at. Verse 33, as it is written, behold,
I lay in Zion a stumbling stone, a rock of offense, and whosoever
believeth on him. Who's the him there? It's Christ.
Shall not be ashamed. shall not be confounded. What
is my faith? What is your faith? If your faith
is that God saved you because you believed, you've got the
wrong faith. Am I clear on that? If you've
got the faith that says that God saved me because Christ worked
out a perfect righteousness that ensures my salvation and the
glory, that's the right faith. And he proves it, look at verse
one. of chapter 10. Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Now he's
acknowledging the generality of the people of Israel as being
lost. Now he acknowledges, along with
Isaiah, that there is a remnant of believers, a small portion,
but as a whole, they're lost. And we can say the same of humanity
in general. in general we're lost but God
has a people a remnant according to the election of grace that's
what he calls us in Romans 11 but he says this now I understand
what I mean when I say they're lost I don't mean that they're
all perverted raving lunatics out here trying to kill each
other and all that, they may be, but he said, that's not what
I mean. He says verse two, for I bear
them record that they have a zeal of God. Now notice this, and
I believe if you look at the, if you do study the Greek language
and all that, I believe this is translated right. He doesn't
say they have godly zeal. He said they have a zeal of God.
They have some notion of God and they're zealous to pursue
that notion, but not according to knowledge. And that knowledge
there, that's faith. What knowledge? The knowledge
that God reveals to his people. They're ignorant, he says, verse
three, they being ignorant. Well, they're ignorant of God's
righteousness, God's justice, you could say it that way. How
do you know they're ignorant of it, Paul? Because they're
going about to establish their own righteousness. They're trying
to work their way into God's favor. Well, that's not faith. Now they do believe, but what
do they believe? They believe they can work their
way to God for righteousness. I mentioned this, I think, last
week, Cain and Abel. You know Cain and Abel? You know,
both Cain and Abel were believers, but Cain believed a lie. Abel
believed the truth. Abel had faith because God promised
salvation based upon a suitable sacrifice, the blood of the Lamb,
which pictured Christ. And Abel believed it. Now, why
did Abel believe it and Cain didn't? Was Abel just a better
guy? The answer is no. I'll tell you why, because God
chose to give Abel faith and he chose not to give it to Cain.
You say, well, I don't like that. Well, that's what God says. And
God didn't take your opinion into view. He's God. He doeth as he wills, the scripture
said, as he pleases, for his glory. But verse three of chapter
10, they being ignorant of God's righteousness. God's righteousness
is the faith there. And what is God's righteousness?
Verse four, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone that believeth. So he said, they're going about
to establish their own, have not submitted themselves unto
the righteousness of God. Now, what is the righteousness
of God? For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness.
For who? To everyone that believeth, to
everyone whom God has given the gift of faith. Now he goes on,
verse five, in all of this, see, he's showing us that Christ is
our righteousness, not our believing. The fact that you believe doesn't
make you righteous. The fact that you believe, if
you do believe the gospel, indicates that you have been made righteous
in God's sight by his grace and his power. And so he says it
this way, and he goes back to Moses, verse five. For Moses
describeth the righteousness which is of the law. Now here's
what the righteousness of the law says. That the man which
doeth those things shall live by them. You gotta keep it all,
basically. If you're going to appear before
God based on your works, it better be perfect. Nothing missing. Not one black mark. Not one negative. Not one debit, you see. Well, somebody says, well, then
there's no hope for me. Not in your works, there's no
hope for you. My hope is built on what? Nothing
less than what? Jesus' blood and righteousness. You understand? So he says in
verse five, that's what Moses said. He says in verse six, but
the righteousness which is of faith Righteousness which is
of faith. What is that? The righteousness
which comes by Christ. That's the righteousness of faith.
That's the righteousness by faith. That which comes by Christ, who
is the end of the law for righteousness. It speaks this way, on this wise. Say not in your heart who shall
ascend into heaven, that is to bring Christ down from above,
or who shall descend into the deep, that is to bring Christ
up from the dead. What's he saying there? He's
saying the righteousness which is of faith or by faith does
not tell you that it is something you have to work for. It's not
something you have to jump high for or get low for. You can't
do it. No matter what you do, you cannot
attain it. Why? Because we're sinners. We come short of the glory of
God. We can easily see that at our worst. But we need to understand
that even at our best, we still fall short. You cannot attain
it by your works. And so he says in verse eight,
what saith it? What does it say? The word is
nigh thee. What word? He says, even in thy
mouth and in thy heart, that is the word of faith, which we preach. Well, what are
we preaching? Are we just running around out
here saying, oh, you got to believe, you got to believe, you got to
believe, only believe. No. What are we preaching? We're
preaching Christ crucified and risen from the dead. That's the
word of faith. That's the content of the gospel.
That's the doctrine of Christ, His person. Who is Jesus Christ? He's God, manifest in the flesh.
What did He accomplish in His death on the cross? He established
a perfect righteousness by which God is just to justify sinners
and ensure their salvation unto glory. That's the word of faith. It, there is the command, believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Repent or
you shall perish. All of the, listen, but it only
comes in light of the righteousness which is by faith. You can feel sorry for your sins
and we all should. More than we do. All sin. You can walk a hundred aisles.
You can get baptized so many times that the tadpoles know
you by your first name. You can give money, you can do
all of that. And say you believe and believe
and believe. But your believing is not your
righteousness. If your believing were your righteousness,
it would have to be perfect in every way without any smidgen
of doubt. And I don't believe any of us
would be so self-righteous as to claim that. You see, this is the righteousness
which is by faith. The Word is nigh thee. Faith comes by hearing. Well,
what are you hearing? Just the command to believe?
Only believe? Well, believe what? Faith comes
by hearing, and hearing by what? The Word of God. The Bible said,
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord. What is his
name? That's not talking about titles
and labels. That's talking about the nature
and the character and the revelation of God as to who he is as the
God of all grace who saves sinners by his grace and mercy through
the Lord Jesus Christ. By his blood and his righteousness.
And it goes on here, it says in verse nine, that if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus. What is it to confess
the Lord Jesus? Is it just to look up into the
sky and say praise the Lord? No. It's to confess that he is
who he said he is. Only believe. Well, believe in
Jesus. Well, that begins by believing
Jesus. What did he say? What did he
teach? Who did he claim to be? A lot of people say, well, he
never claimed to be God. Well, why did the Pharisees pick
up stones to stone him? Because he claimed to be God.
He said, he told a woman one time, he says, your sins be forgiven
you. And they knew this, they knew
that only God can forgive sins. How many times did he say this,
I am, the phrase I am, which can only apply to the eternal,
immutable, ever-existing God. He told the Pharisees, if you
don't believe that I am, you'll die in your sins. He is God, manifest in perfect,
sinless human flesh. He went to the cross because
the sins of his people were charged to his account. He's our surety. He died on that cross, was buried,
and arose again the third day, indicating the establishment
of a perfect righteousness which fulfilled every jod and tittle
of the law to ensure the spiritual life, salvation, and glory of
all for whom he died. That's the faith right there. That's the Lord Jesus. That if
thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe
in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt
be saved. What does it mean to just believe
that God raised him from the dead? What does that mean? Does
that mean if I just believe in the historical fact of his resurrection
that I'm saved? No, look at verse 10. For with
the heart man believeth unto righteousness. What does that
mean, believing unto righteousness? Verse four, Christ is the end
of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. That's
what it means. Our believing is not our righteousness. Our believing does not make us
righteous. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to everyone that believeth. Do you believe? Well, verse 11 says, the scripture
saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. When
I read passages like that, I think about Matthew chapter seven. In verse 21, where the Lord said,
not everyone that saith Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom
of heaven. And he said there'll be many
who come to him saying, Lord, have we not preached in your
name? Lord, have we not cast out demons? Lord, haven't we
done many wonderful works? Only to hear him say, depart
from me, you that work iniquity, I never knew you. Can you imagine how those standing
there hearing him say that were ashamed? Confounded. And what was their problem? Preachers
tell you, well, they weren't sincere. Really? Is that what it says? No. And
if that were the case, let me ask you this. Do you expect to
enter heaven's glory based upon your sincerity? And if you do, I'd ask you this.
How sincere do you have to be? What's the standard of sincerity? Because I'll tell you something
about righteousness, God doesn't measure it on a sliding scale.
He measures it by Christ, who is the end of the law for righteousness. God has commanded all men everywhere
to repent because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge
the world by their sincerity? No. He will judge the world in
righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained, in that he
hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him
from the dead. You see, those men and women
who were pleading, their preaching, their demon, being able to cast
out demons, they were presenting that before God as their righteousness. But they had none. And that's why, what were they?
They were building their house on sand, not on the solid rock
of Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believe it. And so he says, whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. What is it to
call upon the name of the Lord? It's to call upon Christ as a
mercy beggar saying, Christ, I'm a sinner. I have no righteousness
of my own. I can work no righteousness of
my own. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness. And he's my only hope. He's the
only way of salvation. Righteousness by faith is righteousness
in him. And that's our faith, isn't that
right? That's what we have been brought by God, by the gift of
faith to believe. God has revealed it to us. Well,
let's sing nothing but the blood. Hymn number 212 is our closing
hymn.