We're looking again at Romans
chapter 4. And let me read beginning at
verse 19. Romans 4 at verse 19. And being not weak in faith,
Abraham, considered not his own body, now dead. When he was about
100 years old, God told him he was going to have that special
son. He was 100 years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.
Sarah was 90 years old. He staggered not at the word
of God. He staggered not, stumbled not
at the promise of God. He believed God. He staggered
not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith,
being fully persuaded that what he had promised, that is what
God had promised, he able also to perform. And therefore, it
was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his
sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for you, for me,
for us, for us also, to whom it shall be imputed. That is
righteousness, salvation, justification, it shall be imputed freely given
by his grace. If we believe on him that raised
up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who had delivered for our offenses
and raised again for our justification, What persuasion are you? Have you ever been asked that
question? People want to know what religious affiliation you
have or where do you attend services. They often would say or ask you,
what persuasion are you? Here's a good answer. Answer
it this way. I'm fully persuaded that what
God had promised He's able to perform. That's my persuasion.
I'm persuaded that God is able to do all that He says. Turn
over to Romans chapter 8. Here's another persuasion. Romans chapter 8 verse 37. Nay, He says, in all things we
are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. And I'm persuaded,
I'm persuaded this way, that neither death nor life, nor angels,
nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things
to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall
be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in our
Lord Jesus Christ." I'm persuaded. I'm persuaded that God is able. I'm also persuaded that man has
no ability. I'm persuaded that God has all
ability and we have none. Now what do you mean by that?
I mean no man comes to the Lord Jesus Christ in and of himself. We know faith's the gift of God.
Our Lord said this in John 6, no man can come to me, no man
has the ability, no man can come to me except the Father which
sent me does what? Draw him. And that's that drawing
power of Almighty God. He loved his people with an everlasting
love, therefore with love and kindness does he draw them to
himself. So the subject and title of the
message this morning is being fully persuaded that God is able
to do what? Able to perform all things that
He has promised concerning our salvation. Our salvation does
not depend upon us. It's not conditioned upon us.
But rather salvation is conditioned upon Him, His love, His power,
His grace, His mercy. Turn back one page, you remember
Romans chapter 3. Verse 23, and here's why it must
be by grace. For all have sinned, Romans 3,
23. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the
redemption that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are sinners
who need to be justified, and we cannot be justified by the
deeds of the law. How are sinners justified? Well,
look what it says in Romans 5, verse 6. Romans 5 verse 6, for
when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly, For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure
for a good man some would even dare to die. But God committed
his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. Much more than being now justified
by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath only through our blessed
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham, it says in verse 20
of Romans 4, did not stagger at the unchanging purpose and
promise of God, which is the Word of God, because it's impossible
for God to lie. He staggered not, and that means
he did not depart from or separate from, he did not stagger or doubt
what God had said. He believed God. He believed
God. That's what saving faith does.
Saving Faith believes God, believes His Word. It says there in the
text, he staggered not at the promise of God, at the Word of
God, through unbelief, but was strong in faith. He was strong
in faith because his faith was in the Lord Jesus Christ, his
strength. And true Saving Faith, you know what it does? Look what
it says there, giving God all the honor and glory. True saving
faith glories only in Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ and Him
crucified alone. We are persuaded as believers
that all that God had promised, verse 21, we are fully persuaded
that all that God had promised, He's able to perform. Now, would
you venture to guess how many promises God has made in His
Word? I just learned this today. I've been at this 40 years. I
just learned this today. How many promises are made in
the Word of God? 7,478 promises God has made in
His Word. 7,478 promises He's made in His
Word. Of all that God had promised, how many promises will fail? I love what Joshua said when
they came into the land of promise. Joshua led them in. Moses could
not because he represented the law. Joshua represents the Savior. And when he brought the children
of Israel across Jordan, and they were enjoying the fruit
of the land, and Joshua, when he died, he made this statement. He said, all that God had promised,
Not one word has failed. All that God had promised. And
again, when Solomon was dedicating the temple, giving thanks unto
the Lord for all the good things that they were enjoying, he again
said, and he echoed what Joshua said many years before, of all
that God had promised, Not one word will fail. We read in Isaiah 42 that He
cannot fail. He cannot fail. God is faithful
that promised His people. God is faithful. He's faithful
to His Word. We read in 2 Corinthians 1, all
the promises of God, verse 20, all the promises of God in Him
are yes and in Him, amen, unto the glory of God by Jesus Christ. God is going to make good on
every word of His promise. Every promise of salvation, full
and complete in the Lord Jesus Christ. And saving faith gives
God all the honor and all the glory in all things. Now verse
21, Romans 4, And being fully persuaded, not partially persuaded,
but fully persuaded that what God had promised, he's able,
able, able to perform. True faith not only glories in
Christ alone, but true faith is fully persuaded fully persuaded
of all that God had promised he's able to do. Listen to these
scriptures. Psalm 57, he's able to perform. I will cry unto God most high,
unto God that performeth all things for me. Salvation is not
based upon your performance. Salvation is based upon his performance,
his blood, his righteousness. Again, we read in the book of
Job, but he's of one mind who can turn him, and what his soul
desires, even that he doeth. He performeth the thing which
is appointed for me, and many such things are with him. That's what the precious gift
of faith always looks back to, the Lord Jesus Christ who had
promised. I read earlier, don't turn, but
let me read it to you again. And this is a good definition
of what saving faith is. For the which cause, Paul writes
to young Timothy, for the which cause I awful suffer these things,
nevertheless I'm not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed,
and I'm persuaded that he's able to keep that which I've committed
unto him against that day. So we see three things about
saving faith, and it's a good definition, knowledge, I know
whom I have believed. Saving faith, not ignorant. Saving
faith comes from the word of God. I know whom I have believed.
And then confidence, I'm persuaded that He is able. And then thirdly,
committal. I've committed all my salvation
unto the Lord Jesus Christ. So I'm fully persuaded, every
believer is. Every believer is fully persuaded
of all that God had promised. He is able to perform. Now, I want us to look in the
Scripture what it says that God is able to do. Okay? So get your Bible ready. We're
going to see what it says in the Scripture, what God is able
to do. He's able to perform all that
He's promised. Okay? What He's promised. Let's
turn first of all to Hebrews. The book of Hebrews. Chapter 2. The book of Hebrews
chapter 2, for as much then, verse 14, Hebrews 2, 14, for
as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood,
he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through
death he might destroy him that had power of death, that is the
devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage. The Lord Jesus Christ incarnate,
God incarnate in the flesh, came to put away our sin, destroy
Satan and deliver them. Verse 16, For verily He took
not on Him the nature of angels, but He took on Him the seed of
Abraham. Wherefore, in all things it behooved him to be made like
unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high
priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for
the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered,
being tempted, he is able." You see that? He is able to succor
them. Now, that word succor is not
a word that we normally use, but if you look it up, it means
to help. It means to aid. It means to assist. It means
to be relieved. For in that He Himself has suffered,
being tempted, He is able to save them that are tempted. He's able. He's able to save
them. Now here's another in the book
of Hebrews. Turn to Hebrews chapter 7. I'm
fully persuaded. This is my persuasion that God
is able. Hebrews chapter 7 verse 22. Hebrews 7 verse 22, by the so
much which Jesus made a surety of
a better covenant, better testament, and they truly were many priests
because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death.
But this man, because he continuous ever has an unchangeable priesthood,
talking about the king priest, our Lord Jesus Christ, wherefore
he is able He is able also to save them to the uttermost, forevermore,
as the marginal reference has, that come to God by Him, seeing
He ever liveth to make intercession for us, for them. For such a
high priest became us, who was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate
from sinners, made higher than the heavens. So what is He able
to do? He's able to save them to the uttermost. Salvation is
not just a possibility in Christ, it's an absolute certainty for
those for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died. Now, turning on
over toward the book of Revelation, here's another reference in the
book of Jude. There's just one chapter in the
book of Jude, but it's right before the Revelation, the last
book in the Bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Here's where
our Lord is able to do. I'm fully persuaded he's able
to perform all things. Okay? The book of Jude, verse
24. Now to him that is able to keep
you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence
of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God, our Savior,
be glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and forever. He's not only able to help us,
assist us, he's able to save us, and then he's able to do
what? Keep us. We're kept by the power of God.
We don't keep ourselves. He keeps us. were kept by the
power of God. He said, I give my sheep eternal
life and they shall never perish. No man can pluck them out of
my hand. My father which gave them me
is greater than all and no man can pluck them out of my father's
hand. So our God is able to save and
he's able to keep, he's able to perform all things for us. Turn to the book of Ephesians.
Let's see another one here. The book of Ephesians. Galatians, Ephesians, chapter
3. Here's another. I'm persuaded that he is able. Ephesians 3, verse 14, for this
cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would
grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened
with might by his Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell
in your hearts by faith, being rooted and grounded in love.
May be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth,
the length, the depth, and height and to know the love of Christ
with passive knowledge, that you might be filled with all
the fullness of God, now unto him that is able. There it is
again, verse 20. To him that is able to do exceeding
abundantly above all we ask or think according to the power
that worketh in us, the power of God unto salvation, unto him
be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world
without end. He's able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think. He's able. He's able to do all
things. He does all things after the
counsel of His own will. Now turn a few pages over to
Ephesians, excuse me, Philippians chapter 3, Philippians chapter
3 verse 20. Philippians chapter 3 verse 20,
For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for
the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body,
talking about His second coming, that it may be fashioned like
unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is
able even to subdue all things unto Himself. He is able. I'm
persuaded he is able to save us, to justify us, and to call
us to glory, and one day he's going to raise this vile body,
change it like unto his glorious body, because he has all ability
to do so. I know this, I cannot give myself
life. I cannot give myself salvation.
I cannot raise up my dead body. He is able. We look to Him. Saving
faith is fully persuaded. Aren't you persuaded? God is
able to do all that He says that He will do. Here's another one. Let's turn to the book of James. The book of James, chapter 1.
I'm fully persuaded that he is able to perform all that he had
promised. James chapter 1, look at verse
17. Every good gift, every good gift and every perfect
gift, faith is the gift of God. Christ is the gift of God, the
perfect gift from above, and cometh down from the Father of
lights, with whom is no variable in us, neither shadow of turning.
Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should
be a kind of firstfruits of his creature. Wherefore, my beloved
brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow
to wrath, For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness
of God. Wherefore, lay aside all filthiness,
superfluity of naughtiness. Receive with meekness the engrafted
word which is able to save your soul." The word of God. Faith
comes by hearing. Hearing by the word of God. Paul writes this in Acts chapter
20. Now brethren, I commend you to
God in the word of His grace, which is able to build you up
and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified. The word of God. Now here's one
more. Can you find one more? And I
just recently added this. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter
9. 2 Corinthians 9, look at verse
8. 2 Corinthians 9, verse 8. Well, let's go back to verse
7. 2 Corinthians 9 verse 7, Every man, according as he had purposed
in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity. For God loveth the cheerful giver.
And God is able to make all grace toward you, abound toward you,
that you always, having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to
every good work. God is able to make all grace abound toward
you. You know the grace of God? We
know something of the grace of God? Look right across the page
over here to 2 Corinthians 8 verse 9. Here's this grace of God that
abounds toward us. The free, unmerited, sovereign
grace of God. 2 Corinthians 8 verse 9. For you know the grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes
he became poor, that you through his poverty might be made rich. That's grace. That's grace. He laid down His life for us.
Us who are ungodly. Us who are unlovely. The Lord
Jesus Christ. Hereby, if we see we the love
of God, He laid down His life for us. Who is the Lord Jesus
Christ? God Almighty. He bought the church
with His own blood. Now back to Romans chapter 4. And being fully persuaded, verse
21, that what He had promised, God promised a whole lot. Everything
He had promised, He will perform, perfect, execute. Verse 22, and therefore it was
imputed Abraham was persuaded, every believer is persuaded,
and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now how good did this sinner
need to be to stand before God? You ever think about that? How
good did this sinner, I'm a sinner, how good do I need to be to stand
before God? As good as God. Well preacher,
how can that be? only as we are one with Christ,
only as we're found in Christ. Did you notice what it says over
here in Romans 4.6? Even as David also describeth
the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness,
without works, without the deeds of the law, without any contribution
on your part, God imputed, counted, reckons to your account. Righteousness. God made him to be sin for us
who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him without works, not on our part, on his. Saying,
verse seven, think about this. Blessed are they whose iniquities
are forgiven. That's the blessed man. Whose
sins are covered. That's the blessed man. Now look
at verse 8 carefully. Romans 4 verse 8. Blessed is
the man to whom the Lord will not charge sin. God will not even charge one
sin to the believer because the Lord Jesus Christ paid all their
sin debt. I'm sure of it. I'm fully persuaded
of it. Turn to Romans 8. Look at verse
32. Well, we read in verse 31, what
shall we say then to these things? Romans 8, 31. If God be for us,
who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies us. Who is either condemned as Christ,
who died, yea rather, that is risen again. Who is even at the
right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. I'm fully
persuaded. How about you? I'm fully persuaded
that all that God had promised, He is able to do. Now, if you go back and look
at Romans 4 one more time, Now it was not written, verse
23, it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed. Abraham believed God that it
was imputed to him for righteousness, but it was not written for his
sake alone that it was imputed. Oh, verse 24, but for us also,
to him it shall be imputed. What? Salvation, righteousness,
if we believe on him that raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from
the dead. This One who was delivered for
our offenses and raised again because He justified us with
His own blood. Much more than being now justified
by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him and Him,
Him alone. All salvation is received by
believing God. Faith does not Accomplish salvation. Faith does not produce salvation.
Saving faith receives the Lord Jesus Christ who performed all
things for us. Saving faith always looks to
Christ alone for all salvation. Verily our Lord said, he that
heareth my word, heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent
me hath everlasting life, and shall not come in condemnation,
but is passed from death unto life. Be it known therefore unto
you, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sin, and by him all that believe are justified
from all things which could not be justified by the law of Moses."
Acts 13, 38 and 39. In closing, look at verse 25. Our Lord Jesus Christ was raised
from the dead, and the reason that He died He had no sin of
his own. He was raised from the dead.
He died for our sin according to the scripture. He was delivered
because of our offenses. He bare our sin in his own body
on the tree. He's the just one dying for the
unjust that he might bring us unto God. He was delivered for
our offenses. Our sins, our transgression,
and was raised again because He justified us with His blood. Now how do we know that what
He did, His death, His atonement for our sin was accepted of God? How do we know? When He by Himself
purged our sin, He sat down on the right hand of God. You know
why He sat down? He said it's finished. Salvation's
finished. It's done. I'm persuaded, I'm
fully persuaded that He is able. He is able. Now, what persuasion
are you? What persuasion are you? Can
you look at this scripture and say, I'm fully persuaded that
what God had promised The Lord Jesus Christ was able to perform
salvation. His performance, not ours. His
doing, not ours. Salvation, we often say it this
way. Salvation of the Lord. In eternal
purpose, in its execution, in its application, its sustaining
power, and its ultimate perfection. He has performed all things for
us. I'm persuaded, aren't you? I hope you are. And if not, God will persuade you.