So open your Bibles if you would
to Acts chapter 13. Excuse me, Acts chapter 13. The setting here is Paul and Barnabas
have departed Perga and come to Antioch and Sida and went
into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and they've sat down. We'll pick up in verse 15 where
we read a rather lengthy portion of scripture here. We'll read
verses 15 to 42 now. Following this, we won't look
at this, but following this is verse 48 where it says, and as
many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And that happens
the next day. If you continue reading, you'll
see that that happens the next day after, the next Sabbath day
actually, so the next week. Let's read verses 15 to 42. Verses
15 to 42. And after the reading of the
law, and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue, sent unto them,
saying, Amen, and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation
for the people, say on. So they said, well, if you have
anything to say, exhortation. The ruler said, yes, well, Paul
takes every opportunity he can to preach and proclaim the gospel.
And he's in the synagogue, they go into the synagogue. Then Paul
stood up and of course remember too this is all by God's divine
providence. They're there according to the
sovereign purpose of God. It's not by chance like the world
says and that's just a bunch of they're there by God's sovereignty
to proclaim this precious truth that we're looking at. Then Paul
stood up and beckoning with his hand said men of Israel and ye
that fear God give audience. The God of this people of Israel
chose our fathers and exalted the people when they dwelt as
strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm bought them
out of it. So he's bringing forth how God,
by his sovereign power and by his sovereign decree, bought
the children of Israel out of Egypt. And notice, the God of
this people of Israel chose our fathers. They're a chosen people.
They're a chosen people above all the other people in the world.
Just as God's elect are a chosen people, beloved. We're chosen
by God before the foundation of the world. So Israel's a pitcher
of the church. In about the time of 40 years
suffered he their manners in the wilderness. So they wandered
for 40 years. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the
land of Canaan, he divided their land to them by a lot. Notice
God brought them out by his sovereign power. God destroyed the nations
by his sovereign power. God is absolutely sovereign.
He takes care of his people. He watches over his people. He
guides his people. and he directs his people, and
we know he saves his people, and we'll see that later on in
this too. And afterward, they desired a king, and God gave
unto them Saul, the son of Sis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin,
by the space of 40 years. And when he had removed him,
he raised up unto them David to be their king. To whom also
he gave testimony and said, I have found David, the son of Jesse,
a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all mine will.
Now notice who's raising the kings up. He's God. He's God. He does whatever he
pleases. This is his world. And he puts
in power whomever he wills. It's right here before us. And
remember, look at, marvel at this too. David, we know David's
a sinner, right? Just like we are. But the scripture
says he's a man after God's own heart. Isn't that wonderful?
Oh, that's wonderful, beloved. That's absolutely wonderful.
Of this man's seed hath God, according to his promise, raised
unto Israel's Saviour, Jesus. He's of the lineage of David.
Just like God promised. Just like God promised. When
John had first preached before his coming, speaking of John
the Baptist, preached before his coming the baptism of repentance
to all the people of Israel. And as John fulfilled his course,
he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he, but behold, there
cometh one after me whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to
loose. So John's the forerunner of Christ, and he proclaims Christ.
The Messiah's coming, he's coming. And remember, when he saw him,
he said, behold, the Lamb of God. Oh my, my. Men and brethren, children of
the stock of Abraham, whosoever among you feareth God, to you
is the word of salvation sent. We proclaim the gospel to all,
but it's effectual for God's people. It's effectual for God's
people. The Holy Spirit takes it, and
it's words of life for us. It's words of life for us. For they that dwell at Jerusalem
and their rulers because they knew him not, nor yet the voices
of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath day, they have
fulfilled. them in condemning him. And though
they found no cause of death in him, he's the spotless, pure,
spotless, sinless Lamb of God. There's no fault. Remember we
read last week? Satan came and had nothing in him. Nothing in
him. He's perfect. He's pure. He's sinless. He's
spotless. And though they found no cause
of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be
slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him,
Oh my, they took him down from the tree and laid him in the
sepulcher. But God raised him from the dead. God raised him
from the dead. And that shows that God's satisfied
with the sacrifice of Christ in our room and place, beloved.
And he was seen many days of them. Now remember in 1 John,
we're looking at how John is not just an eyewitness, he's
an earwitness. He saw and he heard him while
he was here in his incarnation. Well, beloved, he saw and he
heard him, well, after he raised from the grave, too. He saw and
heard him then, too. God raised him from the dead.
The same power is used there that raises a dead sinner. Same
power, same power. It's actually God's power. God
raised him from the dead. And he was seen many days of
them, which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who
are his witnesses unto the people. And we bear witness, God's people
bear witness of who Christ is. We proclaim who Christ is, who
he is. And we declare unto you glad
tidings, how that the promises which were made unto the fathers,
God hath fulfilled the same unto us, their children, in that he
hath raised up Jesus again. As it is also written in the
second Psalm, thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.
And it is concerning that he raised him up from the dead,
now no more to return to corruption. He saith unto the wise, I will
give you the same mercies of David. Wherefore he saith also
in another psalm, thou shalt not suffer, thine only one, to
see corruption. For David, after he had served
his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep and was
laid unto his fathers and saw corruption. But he whom God raised
again saw no corruption. Be it known unto you, therefore,
men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sins. Every time a gospel preacher
gets up and proclaims the gospel, he's preaching and proclaiming
that through this man, that being Christ, is preached unto you,
anyone who listens, the forgiveness of sins. And look at this, and by Him,
here's the divide, all that believe are justified. Do you believe
on Christ? Do you believe on Christ? Because
if you believe, it says you're here, you're justified. All that
believe are justified from all things from which he could not
be justified by the law of Moses. See, all the law does is show
us our sinfulness. It can never justify us. It condemns
us. The law killeth. It kills. But The gospel preacher preaches
and proclaims the one who justifies his people, the Lord Jesus Christ. Beware, therefore, lest that
come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets. Behold, ye
despisers, and wander and perish. For I work a work in your days,
a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare
it unto you. And when the Jews were gone out
of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that those
words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Now, that's
the importance then. Look at verse 48, the next day. And when the Gentiles heard this,
well actually, let's read verse 47. For so saith the Lord commanded
us, saying, I have set thee to be alive with the Gentiles, that
thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And
sorry, this is not the next day, this is the next Sabbath. And
when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified
the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to eternal life,
believe it. See, Paul went first to preach
to the Jews in the synagogue. And then the Gentiles heard that
this was for them too, and they rejoiced. And we're all Gentiles. We're all Gentiles, beloved.
All here. Oh, this wonderful salvation. This wonderful salvation which
we have in Christ. Our verse today, where our text
will be found, is verse 39 there. And by Him, that being Christ,
all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye
could not be justified by the law of Moses. Now take a look
at that verse there. And by Him, that's Christ, all
that believe. There's the divide. Not everyone
believes. But all that do believe on Christ
are justified from all things. That's wonderful news. And then
it's by all things from which you could not be justified by
the law of Moses. See, the law will never justify
a person before God. But Christ justifies his people. Justifies his people. Think of
the damage that sin has wrought. It's terrible and widely, widely
Because we're all sinners, think of the damage that sin has wrought
in the human race. We're all born dead in trespasses
and sins. When Adam fell, every one of
us fell in him. Every one of us. As one commentator
said this, sin's death-dealing bombs have exploded in every
human heart, for there is none that doeth good and sinneth not.
None. None. Sin has infected all of
us. Sin is in all of us. We're sinners
by birth, we're sinners by nature, and we're sinners by choice.
And as Brother Matt brought out, we drink sin like water. Just
as easy as it is for us to drink a glass of water, that's how
easy it is for us to sin. Even after we're saved. Even
after we're saved. But praise God, the one who believes
on Christ is justified. from all things. We'll look at
that a little more in depth. Oh, it's wonderful. So man in
their natural state is in darkness, spiritually. Their mind are darkened
to the things of God. They're blind to the things of
God. The things of God to the natural man is foolishness. So
the natural born man is in a state of both spiritual and moral darkness
because sin has so infected us. The scriptures declare this of
God's born-again blood-bought people. For ye were sometimes
darkness. That's where we were. But now are ye light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light,
Ephesians 5.8. That was our natural state. We
were in darkness. And it doesn't take much for
us to look back and how we thought and how we acted to know that
we were in darkness. If we're honest with ourselves,
we will say, Oh Lord, what great darkness you took me out. What
great darkness you took me out. Look at man from the standpoint
of his affections and it will be seen that he's in love with
evil, in love with sin. and hates God, and God is the
sum of all excellency, beloved, but natural man despises Him,
despises Him. We know this to be true, the
Scriptures declare in Romans 8, verse 7, because the carnal
mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law
of God. We're rebels at heart, beloved.
We're rebels at heart. I remember talking to Brother
Ron down in Ashland. He said, even after we're saved,
we're still rebels, brother. Yeah, yeah, but we're saved rebels,
aren't we? Oh my, but we still are. We still
have sin. We still are battling with this
all the time. The carnal mind is enmity against
God, for it's not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can be. And then in Jeremiah, the scriptures
plainly declare, the heart is deceitful above all things, desperately
wicked. Who can know it? Jeremiah 17,
nine. Look at man in his first estate
in the garden. He was wonderfully made. Adam
and Eve were perfectly made, but they fell. They fell. And sin entered into the world.
and place the germ of this disease, if you want to call it that.
It's a plague, really. Sin is a plague in the human
heart so that man is short-lived and he begins to die as soon
as he begins to live. And this plague has conquered
the race in all ages. Sin. From the infant to the old
man. I was talking to someone the
other day about crime and different things with crime and trying
to understand where it all comes from. And I said, well, there's
only one root cause. Sin. And the person said, you always
bring it back to that. Yep. Yeah. Because that's the truth. That's the root cause. Sin. Wherefore is by one man sin entered
into the world. In what? In death by sin, the
scriptures declare. And so death passed upon all
men, for that all have sinned. When Adam fell, we fell in him, and sin entered
into the world. In death by sin. If the natural man was in his
right mind, such a condition would make him miserable beyond
words. But a natural man walks on the cliffs of hell without even knowing
it, and without even caring. Suppose a man commits murder
and immediately loses his mind. The process of the law and his
indictment, arrest, and conviction makes no impression. He does
not grasp the meaning of the sentence of death. This is the
way with the sinner until the Holy Spirit opens the sinner's
heart to the things of God and convicts us of our sin. Convicts us of our ruined state. Convicts us and shows us how
we are before the holy God of the universe. And then we have
revealed to us, don't we? The awfulness of sin. The awfulness is. Our Lord went
to Calvary because of our sin. And then the Holy Spirit brings
the sinner to Christ through the preaching of the gospel.
And oh, what joy floods our souls, beloved. What joy floods our
souls. How glorious to the born-again
believer is salvation through Christ. How glorious it is to
us. Turn, if you would, to Luke.
Luke chapter 15. If sin ruins the mind, then in salvation
there is given a sound mind. A sound mind. Look at here with
the prodigal. It's said that he comes to himself,
beloved. He comes, every believer comes
to himself after the Holy Spirit revealed Christ to us. Oh my,
it's a picture of us, beloved. This is Luke 15 verses, we'll
just read two verses, 17 and 18. And when he had come to himself,
he said, how many hired servants of my father have bread enough
and despair and I perish with hunger. I will arise and go to
my father and will say unto him, and is this not our, is this
not our cry when the Holy Spirit reveals Christ to us? Is this
not the cry of every believer right here? Father, I have sinned
against thee. I have sinned against heaven
and before thee. See, our sin is against God. Our sin is against God. It's,
we break his holy law. And His holy justice, because
that law is broken, demands satisfaction. God doesn't play games. He doesn't
play games. His law must be satisfied. Must be. Look at this. Father, I have sinned against
heaven and before you. That's a cry of the believer.
That's a cry of the believer. Now, the born-again believer
sees ourselves in a whole new light. In a whole new light. We see the sinfulness of our
sin. We see that we've sinned against
God, the holy God of the universe. We see that we love sin. We see that we drink it like
water. And then we think about the salvation
that we have in our Savior. We think about the wondrous salvation,
how the Lord, not only He saves us by His grace, but He fetches
us too. He comes to us like that lost
sheep and picks us up and carries us home, beloved. Oh, my, that's
what he does for every one of his people. But he saves us by
his grace. And even though we still struggle
with sin, oh, what a hope we have. Now we love the one who
we once hated. Or if we didn't say, well, I
hate him, in our actions and in our sins, it said that. Now
we love the Savior. We love the Redeemer. We want
to hear about our Savior. And that's why we need to keep
hearing the gospel, because we forget, beloved. We forget. We need to keep hearing about
our gospel. And the one who once loved sin
now hates sin. And the one who once hated God
now loves God. Only God can do that. That's
a miracle of grace. Only God can do that, beloved.
That's nothing no man can do. But God, He has the power. And
He has the power and He has the ability and the authority to
save whom He wills, when He wills. And praise God, He does. Praise
God He doesn't leave us in a natural state that we were in. My, this
is grace. Grace that knows no bounds. No
bounds. Mercy that's endless. Oh, what
a Savior. What a Savior. And then the things
that we once hated, now we love. And the things we once loved,
now we hate. It's the opposite. But we still
struggle, don't we? We still struggle with sin every
day, every day. But oh, what a Savior. Think
of this, if sin ruins the body and takes it to the grave, then
salvation in Christ provides a resurrection with a deathless
and glorious body. And it does. It does. If sin
sends a man to hell, and it does, then salvation in Christ takes
men to heaven and women to heaven. Takes all who believe to glory. If sin separates us from God
and brings His curse upon us, then salvation brings the believer
to God and into His favor. As Christ has been made a curse
for us, for His people, and has redeemed us from all our sins. Let's go back to Acts 13.39. And think of this, if sin makes
men the children of the devil, then salvation in Christ makes
them the sons of God. Look at our text again. And by
him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye
could not be justified by the law of Moses. Let's consider
that our sin makes us guilty before God, doesn't it? Our sin
makes us guilty before God. That's why the scripture says
that all men are guilty before God. In our natural state, all
men. Sin makes us guilty before God.
Those who are in Christ, those who are born again by the Holy
Spirit of God, those whom Christ has redeemed at Calvary, those
who have been granted faith by God to believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ alone for the salvation of all their sins, this scripture
declares that they're justified. They're justified. And who are
they justified? Well, if our sin condemns us
before God, then we're justified before God in Christ. That's what this is saying. And
by Him being Christ, all that believe are justified from all
things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. Now the word justified there
in our text in the Greek, it means to render righteous. I like that. That's wonderful. Because I know I'm a sinner,
do you? And the scripture says there that all who believe on
Christ are rendered righteous. That's good news for sinners.
That's wonderful news. Because there's not one of us
in this top side of this earth who can make ourselves righteous
before God. But you know who can make us
righteous before God? God. And the scriptures here
declare that He does that. He does that. And by Him, Christ,
all that believe are justified from all things, from which He
could not be justified by the law of Moses. The word justified also means
to show, exhibit, reveal one to be righteous. God's people
are revealed to be righteous by the righteousness of Christ,
by the righteousness of another. And then it goes on, the definition
goes on, to declare, pronounce one to be just. Oh my goodness. This is good news. One to be
just, righteous, or such as he ought to be. Such as he ought
to be. To justify the sinner in Christ
is an act of God's free grace, beloved. It's an act of God's
free grace. It's an act of God's mercy. whereby he freely pardons the
sinner. And it says, look at this text.
Now think of all, think of the handwriting of ordinances that
was against us, Colossians says, right? So the law, we've broken
the law multiple times, billions of times in a lifetime. All those
against us, it says here. And by him being Christ, all
that believe are justified from all things. The law has no claim
on the belief. They're justified from all things. From which he could not be justified
by the law of Moses. You see now why Paul said, stand
fast in the liberty wherewith God hath made you free. Not to
be yoked again with the bondage. People that try to put you under
the law are trying to put you under bondage. And we love the
law of God. It's holy. It comes from God.
It's wonderful. But it cannot save a soul. But
Christ is the only one who can save His people from their sins.
The only one who can justify us, beloved, before God. The
only one. And this is an act, again, of
God's free grace, where He fully pardons the sinner, justifies
the sinner in Christ, notwithstanding all our own unworthiness and
transgressions. We do not deserve what we get. If we got what we deserved, we'd
be in hell for eternity. Again, it's just pure mercy.
Pure mercy. It's the mercy of God in Christ.
The mercy of God in Christ. God delivers the blood-bought
sinner himself. God delivers the blood-bought
sinner himself. Why? Because Christ is God in
the flesh. God himself does this. He delivers His people from the
guilt of our sin, from the dominion of our sin, from the punishment
that was due our sin. Now we are not delivered from
the presence of sin, but one day we will be. One day we will
be. And He's the one who takes us
home to be with Him. But think of that. The guilt
of our sin is gone. even though we still feel guilty
about our sin, it's paid for. The dominion of sin, it once
had such a stronghold upon us, now we hate it. Now we struggle
with it, don't we? The flesh battles the spirit. It never did before we were saved,
because we were dead in trust, but dead spiritually. Now we're
alive spiritually. Now we have this battle that
goes on amongst us, and then the punishment of our sin. All
the wrath of God that was due for my sins, and if you're a
believer, if you're one of the ones who our texts talk about
believing, all the wrath for our sins was poured out on Christ. Poured out. And he paid it all. He paid it
all. And so in light of that, how
wondrous are the words. It is finished. Jesus paid it all. All to Him
I owe. That's who we owe. We owe Him
everything, don't we? We owe Him everything, beloved.
Oh my. And God the Father accepts the
blood-washed, born-again sinner in Christ. And thus the believer
is blessed, as our text says here, with being justified before
God. All in and through the finished
work, the salvation that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn
if you would to Galatians chapter 3. Galatians chapter 3. Let's consider Galatians chapter
3 verses 1 to 8 in light of what we've been looking at here in
Acts 13.39. Galatians chapter three. Galatians chapter three, and
we'll read verses one to eight. O foolish Galatians, who hath
bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth, before whose
eyes, Jesus Christ, have been evidently set forth, crucified
among you. This only would I learn of you. Received ye the Spirit by the
works of the law? Did you receive the Holy Spirit
by things that you've done? By supposedly fulfilling the
law? Which we know we can never do,
right? So Paul's asking them this. By the works of the law
or by the hearing of faith? There's the contrast. Salvation's
either of works, which religion pushes, but we know is not true,
it's false. And Paul's saying, it's all the
grace. We know that, we know that in
the crux of this book, he's battling the fact that that the Galatians
had believed another gospel or they were leaning, they hadn't
did that, but they were leaning that way to people, false teachers
had come in and said, you must be circumcised to be saved. That's
the works of the law. So they're adding works and grace.
We know that salvation is only in Christ alone and no works
at all. And so Paul here is setting forth
before them a contrast. Received ye the Spirit by the
works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish,
having begun in the Spirit? And we know that faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. We know that we're
born again by the Holy Spirit of God, it's His work. Are ye
so foolish, having begun in the Spirit? Are ye now made perfect
by the flesh? So he's saying, are you now made
perfect by your works? Well, we know as believers, we're
only made perfect in Christ. What does Paul pin in Colossians? You see, this was a continuous
thing going on. Paul writes to the Colossians
and says, you're complete in Christ. You're not, nothing you
do affects that. We're absolutely complete in
Christ. So he's asking them here, he's
bringing forth before them. Are you made perfect by the flesh,
by your works? Absolutely not. Our works condemn
us. Right? And he says, have ye suffered
so many things in vain, if it be yet If it be yet in vain,
he therefore that ministereth you in the Spirit and worketh
miracles among you, doth he it by the works of the law or by
the hearing of faith? Well, even as Abraham believed
God, there it is right there. So what's he do? He brings forth,
he brings forth that Abraham believed God. What does our text
say? And by him all that believe.
are justified from all things. Even as Abraham believed God
and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore
that they which are of faith are the same as the children
of Abraham. We looked at that last week, didn't we? Look at this, in the scripture
foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith. Through faith. preached before
the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be
blessed. We receive the Spirit by the
work of the Holy Spirit. He comes in us, but we're born
again by the Spirit. It's a work of God. It's not
by anything we do. So Paul's contrasting here the
false gospel, which people are bringing forth and saying you're
saved by your works. And he says, no, you're not made
perfect by anything you do. We're justified by Christ. We
look to Christ by faith. Look at that again. In the first
scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through
faith. Who's our faith centered in?
Christ. Just like what's said in Acts
13.39, and by Him, Christ, all that believe are justified. Are
justified. from all things from which he
could not be justified by the law of Moses." My, salvation is wonderful. And again, look at verse 8 there,
it's so clear. Justification before God comes
through Christ. The believer in Christ is justified
by God. Justification is the opposite
of condemnation. That's why I say we don't get
what we deserve. The justified man or woman is
not condemned. And if not condemned, will not
be punished. Why? Because Christ, again, was
punished in the place of his people for our sins. The sinless
one. And that's what makes the death
of Christ so absolutely incredible. The sinless one, the perfect
spotless lamb of God takes our punishment. And we receive the opposite of
what we justly would deserve. We're justified instead of condemned.
But see, again, the law of God and the justice of God must be
satisfied so Christ dies in our place. When you sit and you start to
think upon this precious truth, it just takes your mind away. It's absolutely incredible. I
don't think we can even plumb the depths of all this, of what
our Lord suffered for. And don't forget it's not just
for my sins or your sins if you're a believer. It's all the sins
of all the elect of all the ages. A multitude that no man can number. It's incredible. It's absolutely
incredible. And justification does not describe
any moral change wrought in the sinner. Justification does not make a man righteous,
but it's a declaration that he is righteous in Christ, in Christ. He's righteous, he or she, the
believer in Christ is righteous before the law of God. And it's
all in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. It's all in and through
what he's done. Justification before God through
Christ delivers a man or a woman from the guilt of all our sin.
But again, not from the presence of it, but one day, one day the
presence of sin will be taken away, and we're gonna shout when
that happens. We're gonna shout, beloved. We're
gonna shout. We're standing in the presence
of our great God, absolutely sinless. And it's all because
of Christ. It's all because of Christ. only
because we've been justified in Him. That's the only reason.
That's the only reason. Clothed in that perfect, spotless
righteousness. One commentator brings forth
that, in justification, God says to the sinner, My law no longer
regards you as a sinner. You are free from the guilt and
penalty of sin. You are delivered from the wrath
to come. That's wonderful. That's wonderful. And we know,
as believers, it's all through Christ. It's all through the
sinless, spotless Lamb of God. The fact that He died for us,
the fact that God is satisfied with the sacrifice of Christ.
Let's turn to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. We'll see who the author of this
justification is before God. Romans chapter 8. We'll read verses 28 28 to 31, Romans chapter 8, verses 28 to 31. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to His purpose. See, God has a purpose, and it
will be wrought out. And God's people are called,
are saved, are justified in Christ according to the purpose of God.
For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate,
them He also called. Notice it's all past tense here.
And whom He called, them He also justified. And whom He justified,
them He also glorified. What shall we then say to these
things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? That's an incredible verse. If
God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own
son, but delivered him up for us all, for all of his people.
How shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Look
at this in verse 33. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? Anything. Why? It is God that, there's that
word again. Justify. We're made righteous. Through
Christ, is God the justifier? Who is he that condemneth then?
So if we're justified by God, who can condemn us? Now our hearts sometimes do,
right? Not even our own hearts can condemn us. We are justified,
those who believe are justified. We saw that in Acts, remember
Acts 13, 39. We're justified before God in
Christ. In Christ. This is wonderful, wonderful
news. It is Christ that died. He died as the sinner's substitute.
He died as a substitute of his people. He paid everything that
God demanded. The law of God is satisfied.
For my sins, as a believer, is all satisfied. The justice of
God is satisfied. If you're a believer, same thing.
The law is fully satisfied. The justice is fully satisfied.
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather that is risen again, proving that God is satisfied with the
sacrifice of Christ. Who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us. He's mediating for us
right now. Oh my. And note the answer to the question
of who it is that justifies us is found in verse 33. It's God.
God justifies us. God justifies His people. And
we know it's in and through Christ and Christ alone. So we clearly
see here that God is the author of that which is spoken of in
our text, which is justification. Let's go back to Acts 13.39.
Acts 13.39. And by Him, that being Christ,
all that believe are justified from all things from which ye
could not be justified by the law of Moses. It's God who justifies
us. Only those who are born again
by the Holy Spirit of God, only those who look to Christ by faith,
can draw comfort from this blessed truth of justification. No sinner
can justify themselves before God. The holy law of God must
be satisfied. The justice of God must be satisfied. And you and I, by our works,
could never satisfy that law and never satisfy that justice.
Not one of us. Whether you think you could or
not, you can't. You can't. Most of us could find friends
who would say, oh, They're good people. That person ought not
to be punished in hell forever, but the truth is there's none
righteous, no, not one. The truth is even the believer
doesn't get what we deserve. That's the truth of it all. But it's God who must justify
us. It's God alone who must justify us. And the believer's hope is
in Christ and Christ alone. We don't have any other hope
but Him. Our faith rests in him and what he's done for us, just
as the scriptures here declare, and by him, all that believe
are justified, that being Christ, are justified from all things,
from which he could not be justified by the law of Moses. Let's consider the way of justification
quickly. The scriptures declare that there's
only one way for us to be justified from our sins, and God must justify
us, and it is only through Christ and Christ alone. Now natural
man's always trying to justify themselves before God. I know,
I was there. I know you all were too, who
believe. We used to try to justify ourselves before God. Let it be proclaimed that man's
way of justification is futile because no man will be justified
before God by his own works. No man, no woman, no one. But
God's way is always effective, beloved. It's always effective.
because it's through Christ, the God-man, and his work is
a substitute of his people. It's always effective. Man's
ways destroy God's justice by overlooking sin, but God's way
of justification honors God's justice, fulfills God's law by
punishing sin in the substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ. Man's
ways make posters out of men, They tell you the things that
they do. But God's way brings man low,
like Brother Matt said, brings man low, brings us down. And
what's it do? Makes us praise our great God
for what He's done for us and in us through Christ alone. Look at these two ways separately.
Man's way of justification is by works, something that the
sinner does. Therefore, man's way makes self-righteousness
the sanctuary against the day of God's wrath. Justification by works takes
a thousand forms, which is justification by man's doing. It takes a thousand
different, millions of different forms. Some may say, oh, I trust
in my prayer that I prayed, or my church going, or the observance
of certain things, their character, their family tree saying they
were, I've even had people tell me they were born a Christian.
I've never seen that in the Bible. It's not true, but people say
that stuff. No, no one's born a Christian.
We're born in trespasses and sins. Oh my, some trust in their
orthodoxy, or their doctrine, or their morals, or their reputation,
or their honesty, or their sobriety, and countless other things. The
list just goes on and on and on. And this way of justification,
man's way of justification before God, shows the blindness of the
sinner. It proves that they are blind
to the requirements that God demands. blind to their own helpless
condition, blind to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, blind
to the only way of salvation which is through Christ and Christ
alone. The scriptures say this about self-justification. If
I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me. If I say I
am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. Keep thee far from
false matter and from the innocent and righteous. Slay not, slay
thou not, for I will not justify the wicked. And then we have
that portion in Luke chapter 16 with the Pharisee, also who
was covered as hurt, all these things, they derided Christ. And he said unto them, ye are
they which justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your
hearts. For that which is highly esteemed
among men is an abomination in the eyes of God. That's what
God thinks of self-righteousness. That's what God thinks of people
trying to gain merit and favor by their works with God. It's
an abomination to him, the scripture. And the Lord is the one who said
that, beloved. God incarnate in the flesh said that. That's
in Luke 14 and 15 if you want to look at that later on. Now
let's consider the way of justification, God's way of justification, which
is abundantly and expressively set forth by the Spirit. God's way of justification is
based on the punishment of sin. Much more, Romans 5.9 says, much
more than being now justified by His blood, by the shedding
of His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. The justice
of God again must be satisfied and God justifies the sinner.
Turn if you would to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5. 2nd Corinthians chapter
5. God justifies the sinner through
Christ. The just one died for the unjust
that he might bring us to God. Look at this in 2nd Corinthians
chapter 5 verses 19 to 21. to wit that God was in Christ,
reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses
unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."
The preacher preaches the word of reconciliation. Reconciliation
with God in and through Christ alone. Now then we are ambassadors
for Christ's sake. As though God did beseech you
by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be you reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin
for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. Our sins are imputed to Christ,
the sinless sacrifice, and he dies before God's law and justice,
the sinless sacrifice. And his perfect spotless righteousness
is imputed to us. It's wonderful. And justification
is God's declaration that the sinner is righteous in Christ. Righteous in Christ. And if God says I'm righteous,
then I'm righteous. Right? Ever think of that? If
God says we're righteous, then we're righteous. Even though
we don't feel righteous, do we? Because we're sinners. But we're
saved sinners. It's not by anything we've done.
It's all by what Christ has done. And the righteousness of Christ
is imputed to the believer. This is what's called by, I like
what the commentators, the old commentators, the old timers
called an alien righteousness. An alien, because it's not ours.
It's not our righteousness. It's Christ's righteousness.
And it's imputed to us. It's not of our making. It's
the pure, spotless righteousness of Christ imputed to the believer.
It's the wedding garment, beloved. It's the wedding garment that
we're clothed in. And we're clothed in that garment
forever. Forever. I don't take it off. It's on us forever, beloved. We don't put it on. God puts
it on us. It's amazing. It's absolutely
amazing. So the righteousness of the believer
is not the result of our obedience to the law, because we're all
lawbreakers in every sense. But the result of Christ's obedience
in His life And his death is our substitute, which fully and
perfectly fulfilled the law of God in our place. For by one
man's disobedience, many were made sinners. So by the obedience
of one, shall many be made righteous. Romans 5.19. Lastly, let us consider
God's way of justification is by faith. Consider our text here
in Acts 13.39. Look at this. And by him, all
that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could
not be justified by the law of Moses. Now I ask you, who is
the object of our faith? For we who believe, who's the
object of our faith? It's Christ. It's Christ. We're all answer,
we who believe, Christ. And we know that that faith that
we have in Christ, that's a gift of God. There's nothing we can
muster up, nothing we can do by ourselves. It's a gift of
God, it's given to us. When we're born again by the
Holy Spirit of God. Turn, if you would, to Romans
chapter three. Romans chapter three, we're almost done. Romans
chapter three. Romans chapter three. And again,
I'll read our text. And by him all that believe are
justified from all things from which ye could not be justified
by the law of Moses. Look at this in Romans chapter
3 verses 28 to 31. Therefore we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law, simply
by looking to Christ. That's why we proclaim, look
and live. Look to Christ and live. It's not by anything you
do. Look to Christ, look to the one who's done all the work.
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified, there's that word
again, so made righteous by faith without the deeds of the law.
Declared righteous too. This is wonderful. Is he the
God of the Jews only? Is he not of the Gentiles? Yes,
of the Gentiles also. Seeing that there's one God which
shall justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision
through faith. We're all saved the same way.
See, when I was in religion they used to say, well the Jews were
saved by the works that they did, and in the New Testament,
saints are saved by faith. No. That verse destroys that
right there. We're all saved by faith. And
that faith is in one person. The Lord Jesus Christ. And Christ
alone. Nowhere else. Nowhere else. Do
we then make void the law through faith? God forbid. Yea, we establish
the law. It's all fulfilled in Christ,
beloved. It's all fulfilled in Christ. And then over in Romans
5, 1, it says, therefore being justified by faith, again which
is a gift from God, what do we have? We have peace with God.
How? Through our Lord Jesus Christ.
It's all through Him again. Same as what's being spoken of
here in Acts 13.39, and by Him all that believe are justified
from all things from which He could not be justified by the
law of Moses. And it says, by whom also we
have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice
in the hope of the glory of God. So it's the work of Christ and
His righteousness that God accepts on the sinner's behalf. It's
also written this, even as David described the blessedness of
a man or woman unto whom God imputed righteousness without
works, without works, without works, without works, without
works, all about what he's done. It's all about what Christ has
done, not anything on us, nothing. Nothing in my hand or brain.
The gospel of God's free grace of God in Christ is a message
of redemption accomplished by the substitutionary sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the proclamation, beloved,
of the free forgiveness of sins and complete justification before
God for the believer in Christ. In Christ. Wherefore the law
was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might
be justified by faith. And that faith again is in Christ.
But after that faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. The law has no demands on the
believer anymore. For ye are all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus. Now the gospel goes forth. The
gospel goes forth. And it's the responsibility of
all to believe. If you do, if you trust the Lord Jesus Christ,
you shall live forever. If you refuse, if you reject
the gospel and despise the Son of God, unutterable woe shall
be your eternal portion. To you is this word of salvation
sent. May God grant you faith to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father, we thank Thee
Again, for thy word, oh, we thank thee for the precious truth that
we've looked at today, that all who believe on thee, O Lord,
are justified before God, not on anything we've done, because
we know, Lord, all we do is sin. But, O Lord, what marvelous is
this grace that we have in you, this salvation that we have in
you, marvelous the grace of God. which has been manifested to
us through the old Lord. We pray that you would use this
message and use the messages today for thy glory and thy honor
and thy praise. And so you will give all the
glory in Jesus name, amen.