Next chapter 15. We'll be reading a lengthy portion
of scripture here and then focusing on one verse within that passage. I'd like us to read the context
of the verse, because this is a very important issue which
has been bought before the Jerusalem Council. It was an issue of,
was circumcision essential to salvation? in Christ or salvation,
all of grace. Now, this early dissension in
our text has arose in the church at this time, and it must be
dealt with. It must be dealt with, as with
all heresy, as with all heresy. It's in direct opposition to
salvation in Christ alone, plus nothing, as is all works-based
religion. All works-based religion adds
something that man must do to be saved. But salvation in Christ
is all of what He has done. All of what He has done. And
this is here for our learning. Because all schisms, all schisms,
all schisms spring from the corruption of men. pride, and they derive no sanction from
God. No sanction from God, no matter
what a man claims. No matter what a man claims. And we should further observe
for our learning that this right of circumcision, which the false
teachers contended for, was joined with the necessity, of course,
of keeping the law. keeping the law of Moses. Thus
they were shackling the free grace of God in Christ with the
will worship and the will working of man, which is another gospel,
which is another gospel. Ordinances are no saviors. We
love the ordinance of baptism and we love the ordinance of
the Lord's Supper, but they're not saviors. They point us to
Christ and they remind us of the things Christ has done for
us. There's no salvation at all in them. Salvation's only in
Christ. Now, let's see the context. To set the context of the setting,
turn, if you would, to Acts 14, just one chapter over. Paul and
Barnabas had completed their first missionary journey and
returned to Antioch and declared all the things that God had done.
They were rejoicing in the great things that God had done through
them. Look at Acts 14, verses 26 and
27. And then sailed the Antioch from
whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work
which they fulfilled. And when they were come and had
gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had
done with them and how he had opened the door of faith unto
the Gentiles. So they were they were proclaiming. To the church
at Antioch, the wonderful things the Lord had done, the wonderful
things he had done. Proclaiming God's dealing with
the Gentiles and with men. Saving mercies among the Gentiles.
Now this had filtered back to Jerusalem. And certain men took
it upon themselves to travel to Antioch. And they took it
upon themselves to try to undermine Paul's ministry. And convinced
the Gentiles who believed that it was needful to be circumcised.
You know, to be saved and to keep the law of Moses before
one could be saved. Look at Acts 15 verse one. And
certain men which came down from Judah, Judea, taught the brethren
and said, except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye
cannot be saved. Look at that. They're telling, they're literally
telling them, if you're not circumcised, you're not saved. It's like someone
saying, if you're not baptized, you're not saved. Or if you're not a member of
a certain church, you're not saved. See, nothing's changed. There's nothing new under the
sun. False teachers do the same thing nowadays as they did back
then. They say, yeah, keep the law to be safe. Here they are, except ye be circumcised
after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. So it appears
that Paul and Barnabas, who were true preachers of the gospel
of God's free grace in Christ, they were in opposition to the
doctrine of circumcision and law keeping tied in with salvation. Of course they would be, wouldn't
they? They'd be upset, as any grace preacher would be. And
just as you as believers would be too, all of us as believers.
If somebody tried to add works to salvation, we get upset, don't
we? get upset. And Paul and Barnabas had disputes
with these free will men and works mongers before the subject
was proposed to be bought before the apostles and that was the
truth. Look at verse two. When therefore Paul and Barnabas
had no small dissension and dispution with them, they were, as we like
to say in Canada, they were lit up. They were contending for
the faith here. They were getting excited. They
determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should
go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. So these worksmongers were inclined
to call and question Paul's authority and to run down his apostleship
and his ministry as much as possible and cause no small dissension
among the body of believers. And this is exactly what the
enemies of the gospel do. Unfortunately, this is what they
do. They do this to gospel preachers. So with that in mind, let us
look at Acts chapter 15. And we'll read a certain portion
of scripture. And certain men, which came down from Judah, taught
the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner
of Moses, ye cannot be saved. So there's the root cause of
what's going to happen. They're adding works to salvation.
They're adding something that the sinner does. saying, you
must do this to be saved. And therefore, Paul and Barnabas
had no small dissension and dispution with them. They determined that
Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to
Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. And
being brought on their way by the church, they passed through
Phoenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles.
Now, what happens when they're declaring to the other churches,
what happens when they're declaring the conversion of the Gentiles?
Well, look what happens when believers hear of other believers
being saved. It caused great joy unto all the brethren. Well,
we rejoice, don't we? We give glory to God. Praise
his mighty name for what he's done, for what he's done. And
when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received at the church
and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things
that God had done with them. But there rose up certain of
the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying that it was
needful to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law
of Moses. Well, there's them worksmongers. Here they are. And the apostles and elders came
together to consider of this manner. And when they had been
much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, men and brethren,
ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us
that the Gentiles, by my mouth, should hear the word of the gospel
and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts,
bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did
unto us. and put no difference between
us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore,
why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples,
which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? And here's our text, which we'll
go back to verse 11. But we believe that through the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they. But we believe that through the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they.
Then all the multitude kept silence and gave audience to Barnabas
and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among
the Gentiles by them. And after they held their peace,
James answered, saying, men and brethren, hearken unto me. Simon
hath declared how God at the first did visit Gentiles to take
out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words
of the prophets as it is written, after this I will return and
will build again the tabernacle of David which has fallen down
and I will build again the ruins thereof and I will set it up.
That the residue of men might seek after the Lord and all the
Gentiles upon whom my name is called. Now remember, this was
a shock to the Jews that the Gentiles were to be included.
This was a shock to them. saith the Lord, who doeth all
these things. No one unto God, now there's
another spectacular verse, no one unto God are all his works
from the beginning of the world. There's a proclamation of who
our God is. He's absolutely sovereign. Wherefore
my sentence is that we trouble them not, not them, from whom
among the Gentiles are turned to God. but that we write unto
them that they abstain from pollutions of idols and from fornications
and from things strangled and from blood. For Moses of old
hath in every city them that preach him being read in the
synagogue every Sabbath day. So we have here, we have seen
in our text that Paul and Barnabas traveled to Jerusalem to consider
this vital question with the apostles and elders of the Church
of Jerusalem. And after there'd be much disputing,
Peter stood up and clears the air with this plain God-inspired
statement of the gospel. Look at verse 11. We believe that through the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they. What a statement. What a statement. And this will be our text today.
And I'd like us to consider four things that we can learn from
this wonderful statement of salvation through Christ alone plus nothing.
Because that's what Peter's declaring right here. He's declaring that
salvation is in Christ plus absolutely nothing. It begins with him and
ends with him. He's the Alpha and the Omega,
scripture declared, doesn't he? That's who he is. That's who
he is. So from this one statement, we
can learn at least four things. In this text, we have a proclamation
again of salvation by grace alone, and we see all believers are
saved the same way through Christ alone and by God's grace alone. So the first point I'd like us
to consider is this. Number one, salvation is all
of grace. It's all of grace. In our text,
the scriptures proclaim, but we believe that through the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ, salvation is all of grace. Salvation is
through the grace of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. God is holy. God is holy. And we are sinners. Every single one of us in this
room are sinners. Some are saved and some are lost. But we're all sinners. Every one of us. And God is absolutely
holy. Holy. The only way that God, who is
absolutely holy. Can be just and justify the ungodly. Which are we who are safe sinners,
right? Is by his sovereign grace. by His sovereign grace. If we
are to be saved, we must be saved by the sovereign grace of God
alone. There's no other way. And it's
in and through Christ alone. And this is the plain teaching
of the Scriptures. Turn, if you would, to Romans
chapter 11. Romans chapter 11. And then put your finger in Romans
chapter 3. Saved by the sovereign grace
of God. We are chosen by His grace, beloved. The believer in Christ, God's
elect, is chosen by the grace of God. Look at Romans 11, verse 5. Even so, then at this present
time, also there is a remnant, according to what the election
of grace. The election of grace, we are
chosen by his grace. And in turn, if you would, the
Romans chapter three, we'll see that we're justified by his grace. We're justified by his grace.
Romans chapter three, starting in verse twenty one. But now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifest, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets. Even the righteousness of God,
which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that
believe, for there's no difference, for all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. Look at verse 24, being justified
freely by His grace. Oh, we're justified by His grace,
beloved. Through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation
through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness. Where's
God's righteousness found? Only in Christ. Only in Christ. To declare his righteousness,
that he might be just in the justifier. And here's the clause,
of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? Can man
boast in this? Absolutely not. Where is boasting? It is excluded. By what law of
works? Nay, but by the law of faith. So we are chosen by his grace.
We are justified by his grace. Now turn, if you would, to Ephesians
chapter two, verse eight, and then put your finger in Galatians
chapter one. Next, we'll see we're saved by
his grace. If we are to be saved, it must
be by God's sovereign grace, beloved. We are saved by his
grace. Now here's a couple verses that
are very well spoken, but not very well known. But the true
believer knows what these verses are talking about. Because we've
been taught of God, look at this. For by grace are you saved. We're saved by grace. Ephesians
chapter two, verses eight to 10. Ephesians 2, verses 8-10. For by grace are ye saved, through
faith, and that not of yourselves, it's a gift of God. So the believer
is chosen by God's grace, justified by God's grace, and here we see
we're saved by God's grace. For by grace are ye saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works,
lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained,
that we should walk in them. And then turn, if you would,
over to Galatians chapter 1. We are called by his grace, beloved. You see, again, salvation is
all by God's sovereign grace, or it's not salvation at all.
And that's why Paul was disputing with those false brethren who
were saying, you've got to be circumcised to be saved. No. No, I'm either saved by the grace
of God in Christ, or I'm not saved at all. Look at Galatians
chapter 1. We are called by His grace. Now,
for the believer, this is marvelous, because we know we were dead
in trespasses and sins. We had no way to come to God.
Look at Galatians chapter one, verse 11 to 17. But I certify
you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached to me is not
after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught
it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye have heard
of my conversations in times past in the Jewish religion,
how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God and wasted
it. He was going around hauling Christians out of their homes
and throwing them in prison and having them, they were being
executed. All kinds of things were going.
and profited in the Jewish religion above many mine equals in mine
own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of
my fathers. And look at verse 15, beloved. But when it pleased
God, when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's
womb and called me by his grace, every believer is called by the
grace of God. Oh my beloved, to reveal his
son in me. He's born again by the Holy Spirit
of God. He said, Christ revealed to him
that I might preach him among the heathen. Immediately I conferred
not with flesh and blood, nor neither when I up to Jerusalem
to them which were apostles before me, but I went into Arabia and
returned again unto Damascus. Beloved, from election to redemption,
to our calling, to our glorification, salvation is all of grace. All of grace. All of grace. And think of this, we who are
recipients of this grace are trophies of His amazing grace. That's incredible. We're trophies
of His grace. The next point I'd like us to
consider is this, salvation is through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now there's many out there who say salvation is by this one
and by that one, right? Many false religions out there.
But we want to know what the Scriptures declare and what the
Scriptures declare alone. Look at Acts 15, verse 11 again. But we believe that through the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they. So we see here the contrast that
salvation is not through circumcision and not through the law of Moses
along with Christ as the false teachers were proclaiming. We
see here that salvation is not by any works of the law, which
we do, moral or ceremonial, but salvation is in and through the
grace of God, in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. In the
fact that he assumed our nature, God himself became a man to die
for his people. To die for his people. And that
he died in our place. That he suffered the wrath of
God in the place of his people. And that he purchased his people.
with his own precious blood, and we looked at this morning,
the life of the flesh is in the blood. He gives his life to redeem
his people from their sin. And we looked at this morning,
too, that we were enemies with God. Would you give your life
to those who were enemies in their minds and hearts towards
you? But remember, he's loved us with an everlasting love.
See, the ways of God are not our ways, I think. No, not at
all, not at all. He's loved us, we're His chosen
people from before the foundation of the world. His love has been
set upon us. And even though in our minds we were enemies
with shaking our fists at Him and grinding our teeth at Him,
oh, God commandeth His love toward us in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. What a Savior. And salvation
is only through Christ and Him alone. And He has purchased His
people. He has purchased pardon for His
people. Now think of that. May we let that sink in. He's
purchased pardon. Our pardon before God for the
believer is purchased, is complete. I don't think I'm ever gonna
get, that just leaves me in awe every time I consider that. That
Christ himself purchased my pardon, and if you're a believer, you're
pardoned too. Of not just some of your sins, but all other sins. And He did it though by the shedding
of His own precious blood. And salvation's only through
Him. There's salvation in no other, right? No other name among
men, given among men, whereby we must be saved. No other name
but Christ. And this scripture declares that.
Salvation is through Christ. So that means anyone who's trusting
in themselves or in false religion or false gods, that means they're
lost. And we who are redeemed go, we
were there. But by the grace of God, He saved
me. How did He save me? Through Christ. Through Christ
and Christ alone. And Christ purchased my pardon.
He paid everything that God demanded. What a Savior. And He did it
with His own precious blood. Salvation is by Christ. As Jehovah
the Father appointed Him to be His salvation, He sent Him. He
sent Christ to come and to save His people from their sins. And
Christ willingly came, didn't He? He left the glories of heaven,
willingly. And He willingly died upon that
cross. He willingly wove the coat of
righteousness that we're clothed in by the perfect obedience of
the law. And by his death upon Calvary's
cross, willingly, willingly. And salvation's only in him. He came to save sinners from
their sin, and he did it. He did it. And He has obtained,
we looked at that too, He's obtained eternal salvation for us. He
has, He's obtained it. It's wonderful. And it's only
in Him. Salvation's only in Christ. That's
why we say, flee to Christ. Flee to Him alone, may God make
you willing to flee to Him. There's no salvation anywhere
else. Nowhere else. Oh, may God have mercy upon your
soul. That's what He did for us, isn't it? We who believe,
we all say, yeah, He had mercy on me. Oh my, He had mercy on
me. I'm saved by the grace of God
in Christ plus nothing. And what moved Him to do this?
It was His love for us. It was His love for His bride.
It was His love for those who the Father gave Him in eternity.
that moved him to engage in this wondrous work of redemption before
the world began. And it was in pure love for his
bride that he came to this earth. Pure love for his bride. Greater
love hath no man than this. And the man laid down his life
for his bride. And Christ laid down his life for his people,
didn't he? No greater love than this. He came to this earth to
redeem his people by laying down his life for his people. to save his people from their
sins. And it's declared here that we
believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we
shall be saved. Salvation's only in Christ. Only
in Christ, which leads to our next point. Salvation is certain
for those whom God hath foreknown. Salvation is certain for those
whom God hath foreknown. Look at Acts chapter 1511 again.
But we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we shall be saved even as thee. Now the gospel preacher, we get
up and we proclaim the gospel to all. I have no idea who God's
elect are, but God knows. And he uses the preaching of
his word to draw on his lost sheep. To draw on his lost sheep. Preachers are just mouthpieces,
that's all we are. We're just proclaiming the great
things God has done for us. God has called us to a high calling
and we don't take it lightly, it's wonderful and it's a great
privilege, but we're just mouthpieces. Proclaiming the great things
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And look what it says here. There's
no uncertainties with God. And that's in this verse, there's
no uncertainties with God. There's uncertainties in this
world, isn't there, and with people? There's uncertainties. But look
at verse 18 in Acts. We looked at that verse while
we were reading the context chapter. We see that there's no uncertainties
proclaimed in the Word of God. No one under God are all his
works from the beginning of the world. He knows. He knows everything's
going to happen. All the things which God does
in the church were all foreknown and predetermined by Him from
the beginning of the world. Now, let's bring that right home
to we who believe. Let's just bring that right home
to us. We know how we were. We came into this world dead
in trespasses and sins, just like everybody else. And God,
by His mercy and grace, called us by His blessing. And I know each one of us who
are saved, we can look in our lives and see other people, he's
just passed right by. But his love, beloved, was set
upon us from eternity. And he knows, he knows. Like
I say, the preachers don't know. We preach and proclaim the gospel
that's called the general call. It goes out, and then the effectual
call is wrought by the Holy Spirit of God, where you're born again
by the Holy Spirit of God, and you flee to Christ. And no one unto God are all his
works from the beginning of the world. All those given to Jesus
Christ in the covenant of grace, all those of whom Christ was
made surety, all those for whom Christ died for upon the cross,
all those whom Christ is the mediator and savior must be saved
and will be saved. Look at our text, shall be saved. Isn't that wonderful? That's
absolutely wonderful. God's people shall be saved. Because salvation's not in us,
is it? It's in the one we trust. It's in the one we rest in. Oh, my. The blood sacrifice of
the Lord Jesus Christ guarantees the salvation of God's people.
And they will be saved by grace alone, through Christ alone,
by faith alone, through God's glory alone. They will be. Here, make them willing. Here,
regenerate them. Oh, my. And the preachers on
the trail of God's sheep, the brother Henry used to say that
all the time, and that's so true. We're just proclaiming the word
of God and letting God do whatever he wills with it. It's wonderful. The last point I'd like us to
consider is this, that God saves all whom he saves by the same
means. Look at our text. But we believe
that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be
saved even as they. Now, these were these were the
Jews at Jerusalem talking about the Gentiles. We shall be saved
even as they. Now, no, the things it does not
say. It does not say that you can
be saved by your works. It doesn't say that, does it?
That text does not say that. It does not say that you can
be saved by your baptism. It doesn't say that. It does not say that you are
saved by anything you do or I do. It does not say we're saved by
law keeping. It doesn't say we're saved by
circumcision. in light of our text. And it
does not say, it emphatically does not say that there's a co-redeemer
with Christ. Which the Catholic Church proclaims
all the time. It doesn't say that. It says,
but we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we shall be saved, even His name. I remember a long time ago, someone telling me that the Jews
were saved by offering sacrifices and the Gentiles were saved by
believing on Christ. I remember back when I was in
dispensationalism and lost as a white goose in a snowstorm.
I didn't have a clue. They told me that, they said,
oh yeah, that shows an utter lack. and other lack of biblical
knowledge of who Christ is and the salvation that is only found
in Christ and Christ alone. Salvation is through the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ and it is through him we shall be
saved. We learned in our study in the
book of Colossians, turn if you would to Colossians chapter two.
This is a wonderful portion of scripture to bring out to someone
who says, well, you have to do this to be saved and you have
to do that to be saved. This is an actual wonderful portion
of scripture to bring out to someone and present it to them. Because we learned in our study
in the book of Colossians that the Old Testament sacrifices
were pitchers and chattels pointing to the one who would be the substance
of all that of all, and that being the Lord Jesus Christ.
And Paul again here is battling the false teachers. And you'll
notice that if you read the epistles, that Paul's constantly battling
works-based salvation in a lot of the epistles. And he's countering
that with the free grace of God in Christ and that salvation
is in Christ alone. And he's battling these false
teachers which had crept into the Colossian church. And he
brings forth that Christ is the fulfillment of those pictures
and types and shadows. Look at Colossians 2. Let no
man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of
a holy day or new moon or of the Sabbath days. Colossians
2, verse 16, and we'll read the verse 23. Let no man therefore
judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a holy day or
of a new moon or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things
to come, But the body is of Christ. The Old Testament sacrifices
were types and shadows. You ever notice when someone's,
even right here, my shadow goes before me here, right? You're
walking and your shadow sometimes depending on how the light's
hitting is going before you. That's what those Old Testament sacrifices
were. They were types and pictures,
they were shadows. But the substance was yet to come. And the substance,
beloved, is Christ. is Christ. They all find their
fulfillment. They all find their end in Christ,
in Christ alone. That's where they find their
end. They all point to him. They all point to him. Which
are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ. Now,
now look at this warning Paul gives them. Let no man beguile
you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels.
And there was a problem at the Colossian church where they were
worshiping angels or the false teachers were trying to bring
that in. And that there was actual, they were saying there's a hierarchy.
It's almost like the co-redemption. They were saying there was a
hierarchy and Christ was like one of the top ones and you had to
go through them. It's just lies from the pit of
hell. So he's warning them here. Let no man beguile you of your
reward in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels, intruding
into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by
his fleshy mind, and not holding the head, which is Christ, from
which all the body, by joints and bands, have a nourishment,
ministered and knit together, increases with the increase of
God. Now look at this in verse 20. Wherefore, if ye be dead
with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though
living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances? touch not, taste
not, handle not, which are all to perish with the using after
the commandments and doctrines of men. We can apply this to
what was happening with the false teachers saying you must be circumcised
to be saved. There's something you must do
to be saved. Look at what Paul calls this. Which things have
indeed a show of wisdom and will worship. Well, they puff up the will.
They puff up the free willer. They puff up those who think
that they're saved by their own works. And humility and neglecting
of the body, not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh.
So we see that Paul proclaimed the same message to the elders
at Jerusalem as he proclaimed in that epistle, that salvation
is by Christ and Christ alone. Christ is the substance. Everything
else was just shadows and they could not save. They could not
save. All those who are saved are saved
the same way. All the elect in the Old Testament
and New are all saved the same way. Through Christ and Christ alone.
Through Christ and Christ alone. It's wonderful. It's wonderful. Either you're saved by Christ
or you're not saved at all. It's absolutely wonderful. There's
salvation. There's not one method of salvation
for the Jews and another for the Gentiles. Now, our text proclaims
here, we shall be saved even as they. How? Through the grace of God in Christ
alone. In Christ alone. It's so God-honoring,
beloved. It so exalts Christ in who he
is. It destroys It destroys man's
works in trying to gain merit and favor with God. And it brings
all glory to Christ and Christ alone. The redeemed of the Lord are
saved by the pure grace and love of Christ in his dying for them. We are 100% dependent, 100% dependent
upon Christ for salvation. We are 100% dependent upon Christ
to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before his
throne. Salvation is all in the Lord
Jesus Christ, plus nothing at all from us. Can you keep the law of God perfectly? Now, we can't even keep one of
them, can we? Oh my. But Christ did this for
his people. Rejoice, beloved of God. Rejoice,
ye who are redeemed by the Lamb of God. Rejoice. Christ perfectly kept the law
of God for his people as their substitute, as their substitute,
their salvation and no other. The only way of salvation is
in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice atoned
for the sins of his people and whose blood has purchased our
pardon. And it is his righteousness that the believer is clothed
in currently and will be in eternity. And therefore we are justified
before God. My, the believer is accepted by God in Christ. And we have communion with God
through Christ. And it is all by His wondrous,
sovereign grace and mercy. All by the work of Christ and
Christ alone that we are saved from our sins and that we have
an everlasting salvation. Saved from the law of God. Saved
from death. Saved from hell and the dominion
and damnation. Saved from the wrath of God.
All through Christ and Christ alone and all by the grace of
God and Christ alone. And the salvation of God's people,
both Jews and Gentiles, is all of grace. All of grace. No one is deserving of it. We've
all sinned and come short of the glory of God. And we are
sinners by birth, nature, and choice. And we've all sinned
in the sight of God. And we could not save ourselves.
We could not save ourselves. But God's people proclaim, praise
God. Praise God for His grace, which
has been bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus our Lord. And we
are saved by grace. And we only boast in Christ,
don't we? We only boast in Him. Turn, if
you would, again to Revelation chapter 1. I had us turn there
in Sunday school, but I want us to turn there and read this
again. And so we've seen from our text
that no Jew or Gentile will ever be justified by the law, but
only through the mighty grace of God in Christ alone. And look
at this in Revelation chapter one, we'll read verses four to
eight. This is an absolute marvelous
portion of scripture here. And it ties right in, right in
with our scripture. But we believe that through the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they.
Look at Revelation 1 verses 4 to 8. John to the seven churches
which are in Asia. Grace be unto you and peace from
him which is and which was and which is to come. That shows
us the eternality of God. And from the seven spirits which
are before his throne. And from Jesus Christ who is
the faithful witness. There's only one faithful witness,
beloved, and that's Christ in him alone. And the first begotten
of the dead, he alone rose from the dead. And the prince of the
kings of the earth, there is his universal dominion. Unto
him that loved us, how long has he loved us? Since eternity,
beloved. Unto him that loved us and washed
us, washed us, oh, we're made whiter than snow, washed us from
our sins, how? In his own precious blood. He
shed His blood for sinners upon Calvary's cross, for God's chosen
sinners, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His
Father. To Him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He cometh with
the clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also which
pierced Him, and all the kingdoms of the earth shall wail because
of Him. Even so, amen. Oh, they call for the mountains
to fall upon them, those who do not know Christ. I am Alpha and Omega. The beginning and the end, say
it to the Lord. Oh, we look to Christ. And Christ
alone, which is and which was and which is to come. The Almighty. There's no one else. There's
only one Almighty, beloved. The Almighty. And this is our
Savior. This is our Redeemer. The great
I Am. Looking unto Jesus. Turn, if
you would, to Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12. We'll
look at two verses and then we're closed shortly. Look at this
wonderful portion of Scripture here. Hebrews chapter 12, verses
2 and 3. Who does a believer look to?
Oh, he looks to Christ and Christ alone. Hebrews chapter 12, verses 2
and 3. Looking unto Jesus. the author
and finisher of our faith. He's the Alpha and the Omega
of our faith. He's the Alpha and the Omega of our salvation,
beloved. The author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame
and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For
consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against
himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Oh, beloved,
faith is looking to Christ. Faith is looking to Christ, not
to how much faith I have. No, it's not faith that saves,
but it's Christ who saves, beloved. It's Christ who saves. Faith
is looking to Christ, not to my prayers, not to my worship,
not to my meditations. But faith is looking to Christ
and Him alone. Oh my, faith is looking to Christ
and not the law. The law wounds, but never heals.
It kills, but never gives life. And faith is looking to Christ
and Him alone. It's in whom we believe. Christ. Faith is looking to Christ and
not to His mother, nor His apostles, nor to a cross. Because there's
only one God and one mediator between God and man, the man
Christ Jesus. Faith is looking to Christ, not
to the brethren, neither the best nor the worst of them. Because
we put no confidence in the flesh, do we? But our confidence is
in Christ and Christ alone. Faith is looking to Christ, not
to my strength nor to my weakness. All grace or strength we have
is by His grace. And when I am weak, He is strong. He is strong. Faith is looking to Christ and
not my works. Without Him, our righteousness
is like filthy rags. And faith is looking to Christ
yesterday, today, and if He gives us tomorrows, tomorrows. We just
keep looking to Him. We just keep looking to Him.
And faith is looking to Christ at all times. And we never stop
coming. We never stop looking and resting
and trusting and believing and depending or leaning upon our
Lord Jesus Christ. He's everything to the boy. He's
everything. This is the one true Savior,
the one true Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one true
Savior. And we who are saved are saved
by His mighty grace. And we are saved in Christ, in
Christ alone. And let we who are redeemed,
as we take the Lord's Supper today, as we remember what our
Lord has done for us, let us be grateful. for the wondrous
salvation. And it is a wondrous salvation,
beloved. Amazing grace. The wondrous salvation
that we have in Christ, in Christ alone. And may our hearts be
lifted up in praise. And may we give Him all the glory.
And may we praise His mighty name. Gracious Heavenly Father,
we are so thankful. We who are Thy redeemed. Oh,
that you came and took us out of the pit of sin that we were
in. We could not help ourselves. We could not escape. But with
cords of love, you drew us. With cords of love, help came
from above, oh Lord, in and through you, Lord Jesus. And we pray
that if there's any of your lost sheep here today, oh, that you
would speak peace to their hearts, that you would, that the Holy
Spirit would regenerate them if it's your will. And we would
give you all the glory and honor and praise. We pray that these
messages that go forth would go forth for thy glory and thy
honor and that you would use them to draw lost sinners by
the Holy Spirit of God. We love you and praise you. We
give you all the glory for our salvation. In Jesus' name, amen.