Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to Genesis 31. Genesis 31. I'd like to look
at verses 36 to 42 this evening. And I've entitled this message
out from a question that Jacob asked Laban in verse I'll read
this passage in just a moment, but to bring us up to date, Jacob
has been harshly accused by his father-in-law of theft. Theft not only of Laban's family,
taking away his daughters and his grandchildren without even
giving Laban the opportunity, according to his side of the
story, of saying goodbye, but also accused of stealing Laban's
gods that he desperately wanted back. And concerning those gods,
Laban searched all the tents of Jacob's family, but he's failed
to find his gods because Rachel, his daughter, hid them in the
camel's furniture and was sitting on them. And she told her dad that she
couldn't rise up before him because the custom of women was upon
her. Well, having failed to find his gods, Jacob, who knew nothing
of the gods, it was just so foreign to him when Laban had mistreated
him all these years. He accused him of leaving, you
know, in a fit of just being disrespectful and dishonorable
to him and mistreating him. And Jacob, having listened to
Laban rant and rave about his gods, said this, let's read verses
36 to 42. And Jacob was wroth and chode
with Laban. And Jacob answered and said to
Laban, what is my trespass? That's why I've entitled this
message. What is my trespass? What is my sin that thou has
so hotly pursued after me? Whereas thou has searched all
my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? Set
it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge
betwixt us both. This twenty years have I been
with thee. Thy ewes and thy she-goats have
not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not
eaten? That which was torn of beast
I brought not unto thee, I bear the loss of it, of my hand didst
thou require it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. Thus
I was in the day of drought consumed me, and the frost by night in
my sleep departed from mine eyes. Thus have I been 20 years in
thy house. I served thee 14 years for thy
two daughters and six years for thy cattle, and thou hast changed
my wages 10 times. Except the God of my father,
the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me surely. Thou had sent me away now empty. God has seen mine affliction,
and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight. Now, Jacob has, as we've looked, Jacob
has been mistreated. Laban has tried every way in
the world to cheat him. To get him, get the best out
of him, squeeze him for all he's worth. Laban wanted to profit
by him. And the Lord has turned every
side that he's tried to approach, he turned it away. And Jacob
has had enough. And he tells him so. Now, while
we can truly understand Jacob's straightforwardness, he has been grossly mistreated. And our understanding, I get
it. I was reading what he said to
him and I thought, you know what? You just come to that point sometimes
and you just say, you know what? I've had it. I have had it. And
he did, he let him have it. He said, I bore the brunt of
everything. You took no losses, I bore them
all. If your livestock was taken,
you made me make good on it. While we can understand his anger,
it doesn't necessarily mean that Jacob's words were justified. Meaning this, Proverbs 15, one,
a soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger. Proverbs 25, 15, by long forbearing
is a prince persuaded and soft tongue breaketh the bone. Paul said in Romans 12, 19, dearly
beloved, avenge not yourselves. but rather give place unto wrath,
for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith
the Lord. I need to hear that. I need to
be reminded of that. We all do, don't we? So Jacob's
words of defense, they were truthful. No doubt about them being truthful.
May the Lord help us to remember, though the source When we're
accused, accused falsely, let us remember where these accusations
originate. I want you to turn to Revelation
12. Hold your place right there, Genesis. Revelation 12, 9 to
11. Whenever we're accused, and we
will be, will be accused falsely. I think to myself, how many times
I've been accused and I think to myself, well, you don't know
the half of it. What you're accusing me of, that's
just a drop in a bucket, I know. I know a whole lot more on me
than you do. But when we're accused, accused
by this world and its false religion, remember where it comes from.
Revelation 12, nine. And the great dragon was cast
out, that old serpent called the devil, Satan, which deceiveth
the whole world. He was cast out into the earth
and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven, now is come salvation and strength and
the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser
of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our
God day and night. And they overcame him by the
blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony. And
they loved not their lives unto the death. So we're going to
be accused. The Lord told us to remember
that he was hated before we were. And we're hated because of his
love for us. There is a, there is a, hatred
by nature of this world, Satan, this accusation is always gonna
be there. But remember where it comes from.
But while we look at this precious passage back in Genesis 31, beholding
the accusations against Jacob, As I was reading these verses
again this morning, something became very apparent to me by
the grace of God, and I want us to consider these verses not
as a historical account of a family dispute, because that's everywhere. I bet you there's not one family,
there's not one person in this congregation tonight that doesn't
somewhere along the line in your family, that there's something
going on. There's always something. So
let's look past this account that we just read. This is just
one family in all of the families of the world. But what are these
scriptures about? These scriptures speak of Him,
the Lord. And looking past these verses,
there's more than just that historical account of a family squabble. Let's behold these scriptures
as a precious instruction of the Lord in the midst of our,
God's people, being accused of Satan, being accused of this
world, false religion, and even our own conscience. We're gonna
be accused. We're gonna be accused. Jacob
was truly, like all of us, born in Adam, He was a heel catcher,
a supplanter. Go back and read the account
of Jacob when he got the blessing. I mean, he was a liar, but he
was a vessel of God's mercy. The Lord loved him. The Lord
loved him. That made all the difference
in the world. And Jacob asked this question. Whenever he was
dealing with Laban and Laban was looking for his gods and
Laban was accusing him of taking his kids and his daughters and
all that kind of stuff. He hadn't been fair to me, this,
that, and the other. And Jacob, back in verse 36, he was wroth
and chode with Laban. Jacob answered and said to Laban,
what is my trespass? He asked that question. And as
we consider that question, and here's what I want us to do,
consider that question in light of all of us, not just looking
back, and as we're looking, we're reading about a man named Jacob,
and his father-in-law named Laban, and his daughters, and their
kids, and stuff like that. Let's bring it home right now.
And ask this question, what is My trespass. What is my trespass? Let's look at this thing of considering
how our guilt has been put away through the shed blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Let's consider his righteousness
being imputed onto our account. That righteousness that he earned
As a man, the God-man, mediator before God as he walked obediently,
before God in his holy law as our surety and federal head in
the days of his humiliation. Now I want us to remember something.
The question here is, what is my trespass? This is what he
was asking him. What have you really got against
me that's chargeable? What is my sin? What is my sin? You've treated me like this.
What is my trespass? Now remember, don't ever let
it be assumed that God's people failed to admit what they are
by nature. 1 Timothy 1 15, Paul said, this
is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. But Jacob's question, what is
my trespass? What is my sin that thou hast
so hotly pursued after me, is a question that can be honestly
asked only in the light of God's mercy to the objects of his choosing. Now, I want us to take our Bible,
hold your place, turn to John 1. What is my trespass? We know what we are in ourselves.
John 1, 43 to 47. Again, continue just to think. Think of the accusation and the
accusation and the accusation. My Laban against Jacob. Laban
is a picture of all the accusers. Like I said, whether it's Satan,
the world, false religion, my conscience, We all have accusers,
and we'll readily admit it. I'm guilty, I'm guilty. John
1, 43, 47. The day following, Jesus would
go forth into Galilee and find Philip, and saith unto him, follow
me. Now, Philip was of Bethsaida,
the city of Andrew and Peter, Philip findeth Nathanael, and
saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law,
and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him,
Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Now listen,
listen. Philip had just told Nathanael,
we found him. We found him. We found him. whom Moses, in the law, the prophets,
wrote. We've seen the Messiah. We've
seen him. And then Nathanael said, almost
as a rebuke, can there any good thing come
out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, come and
see. Jesus saw Nathanael. Now here's the one that just
asked the question when he heard that the Messiah had been seen. Jesus saw Nathanael come unto
him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite, indeed, in whom
is no God. The Lord spoke unto Nathanael
as being an Israelite indeed. Not because of his natural birth,
but because of the Lord's mercy toward him. Hold your place,
Romans 9, called him an Israelite indeed. Now this is the man that
just asked, when heard concerning the Messiah, can anything good
come out of Nazareth? We've seen the Messiah. Here's
an Israelite indeed, who is no guile. Romans 9, 6 and 7. Not as though the word of God
hath taken none effect, for they are not all Israel, which are
of Israel, neither because they are all. Are they the seed of
Abraham? Are they all children? But in Isaac shall thy seed be
called." Just because someone's born in the nation, physical
nation of Israel, doesn't make him, according to the Lord's
Word, an Israelite indeed. A true Israelite. One of the
spiritual Israel. The one who was the Jacob that
God loved and revealed to him, your name is not Jacob, your
name is Israel. those Israelites. The Lord looked
at Nathanael and said, here is an Israelite indeed. Here's a real Israelite, in whom
is no guile. Now when the Lord said to Nathanael,
in whom is no guile, what did he mean? What do you
mean? in whom is no guile." Well, I
know that it doesn't mean that he's not a sinner. When he said,
in whom is no guile, he wasn't saying that there's no sin found
in this man because all have sinned and come short of the
glory of God. But rather, turn with me to Psalm
32, verse 1 and 2, Psalm 32. When it comes to understanding
the dead, let's let the scripture tell us what it means when the
Lord says, an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile. Here's the answer. What does
it mean to have no guile? Psalm 32, verse one and two,
blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom
the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is
no guile. That word guile there, it means
deceit or treachery, meaning this, they have no desire to
conceal their offense before God. They have no desire to conceal
it. No guile, means that there is
a new heart that knows by nature what we are and believes that
the Lord has mercifully and justly forgiven them of their transgressions. Here was Nathanael and God told
him what he was before Nathanael ever knew what he was. God knew
him. Look at Romans 4, Romans chapter
4, here's a good Explanation of what it is, no
guile. Romans 4, verses 4 to 8. Romans 4, 4 to 8. Now to him
that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not,
but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted
for righteousness. Even as David also describeth
the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness
without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are
forgiven and whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. If, by the grace of God, the
Lord has taught a sinner that his guilt has been taken away
by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, But the Lord has made
him willing in the day of God's power to cast himself upon the
Lord Jesus Christ for mercy. That sinner, regenerated by grace,
called in mercy, kept by the power of God, that is an Israelite
indeed. You can now ask, as Jacob asked,
when accused by the world Are we guilty? Yes. Do we know that we're sinners?
Yes. We know this, that the Lord has
put away the guilt of our sin by the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And we own it. We'll admit it. There's no guile. We're not ashamed
to admit what we are. We know what we are. Laban had accused Jacob, this
is what you did, and this is what you did, and this is what
you did. And Jacob asked him, what is my trespass? What is
my sin? Every believer can ask this question. God has put away my guilt. I
know what I am. I own it. I confess it. What
is my sin? That is, what is my condition
of sin? What is my guilt of sin? God has put it away. The Lord
won't charge me with it. What is my trespass? What is
my transgression? What is my rebellion? What is
the guilt of my transgression? The blood of Christ has covered
it. That's an amazing thing for a
believer to know and admit. I know what I am by nature. I admit what I am. Laban accused
him. Jacob, what is my transgression?
What is my trespass? The Lord of glory has answered
on behalf of his people. Revelation 14, I'll wrap this
up here in just a couple more verses. Revelation 14. Brethren,
we stand as needy sinners who know that the Lord has forgiven
us. And he's been pleased to not
impute our trespasses to us. Again, we own them. We know what
we've done. But he won't charge them to us
because he charged them to his son. Revelation 14, 1 to 5, And
I looked, and lo, a lamb stood on the Mount Sion, and with him
144,000 having his father's name written
in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven
as a voice of many waters and as the voice of a great thunder.
And I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps and
they sung as it were a new song before the throne, before the
four beasts and the elders. And no man could learn that song
but the 144,000 which were redeemed from the earth. These are they.
which were not defiled with women, for they're virgins. These are
they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed
from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And
in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before
the throne of God. They're without fault. How can that be, being by the
grace of God? I'm a sinner. I am a sinner by
birth. I'm a sinner by choice. I'm a
sinner by practice. Being found in the Lord Jesus
Christ, I have no fault before the throne. Laban accused him. They accused
him. And accused him. Jacob said,
what is my trespass? What is my sin? God has put away
my guilt. Back in Genesis 31, Jacob freely
admitted his frailty, as we do tonight, against all who would
accuse us. Again, you'll never find a believer
that's gonna say, I'm without sin. You'll never find one. If
we say we have no sin, we make God a liar. But standing before
the throne of God, washed in the blood of the Lamb, robed
in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, what is my trespass? God has put away my guilt. I stand in Him complete. The scripture declares Romans
8, one, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after
the spirit. All that Jacob endured during
his 20 years of faithful service to Laban was truly a picture
and type of the perfect faithfulness of our Lord and Savior on the
behalf of his people in the very midst of those who opposed him
and therefore oppose us. Jacob admitted his frailty as
we do tonight against all that would accuse him, accuse us.
He said in verse 42, after he told him all these things that
he had done He said in verse 42, except the God of my father,
the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac had been with me. Surely
thou has sent me away now empty. God has seen my affliction and
the labor of my hands and rebuked thee yesterday night. The heaven
sent revelation of being justified freely. I told you this before,
I'll tell you again, I need to hear it again myself. Justified. No record. No record of guilt. No record. I'm a sinner. That new man created in righteousness,
true holiness, that man that sinneth not, what is my trespass? You accuse me of all you want
to. God has borne my guilt, paid my debt at Calvary. He's robed
me in the righteousness of His precious Son. And I have no iniquity
charged to my account. I'm justified freely by His grace. Romans 8, 33, 34, Who shall lay
anything? to the charge of God's elect.
It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died, rather that is risen again, who is even at
the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Brethren, we can only, by faith,
believe those words. Someone may accuse us and say,
you think You stand before God? I told you about my buddy that
I went to school with, ran around to college with, and did all
kinds of stuff that I'd rather not bring up. When the Lord was
pleased to reveal himself to me, and I told him, I said, God
saved me. Taught me of his Savior. He called
me everything that you could ever imagine. And he said, I
know you. I know you. You were right there
with me doing just what I was doing. I said, you're right.
You're right. I'm guilty. But the Lord's put
it away. And he's not charged it to me.
He charged it to his son. I pray the Lord bless these words
to our heart for Christ's sake. Amen.