I please God to bless us together
this evening as we meditate in his word. Let us turn to the
epistle of Paul to the Romans, chapter four, and we'll read
verse three. The epistle of Paul to the Romans,
chapter four, and reading verse three. Four, what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it
was counted unto him for righteousness. Not only was that true of Abraham,
surely it's true of every believer. Everyone who is born by the Spirit
of God believes in God. And therefore, wonderful truth,
such a fact is counted unto him or unto her for righteousness. Because everyone who comes to
heaven at last will be righteous, not in their own strength, but
in what the Lord has given to them. And so how needful it is
for all of us to have the evidence that we come under this category
that are counted righteous. Now the verse tells us, it's
a question for what saith the scripture? Well, Paul the Apostle
is referring way back in Genesis. And in Genesis chapter 15 and
verse six we read, this is with regard to Abraham, before he
was called Abraham, And he believed in the Lord, and he counted it
to him for righteousness. And the account goes on to say,
and he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of
Ur of the Chaldees to give thee this land to inherit it. And he said, Lord God, whereby
should I know that I shall inherit it? Now, Abraham was singled
out by God. There were very many people living
in Ur of the Chaldees at that time. But God graciously and
very mercifully and very wonderfully came to Abraham and called him
out of that place. And he went to a place, directed
to a place where he didn't know where he was really going. this
totally unknown country, unknown people, he knew not, and yet
you see God gave him that wonderful faith to believe in the Lord. Now we today may not be called
perhaps to go out of where we live to another place, but nonetheless
we do need to receive that wonderful blessing of grace to Believe
in the Lord. Believe that the Lord is the
true God, that he is the almighty God. He is the one who has created
us. He is the one who has directed
us to the present moment of time. That one who has watched over
us and that one who has even brought us here this evening. It is a great blessing and a
great favour to be granted the faith that Abraham was and to
recognize the truth Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him
for righteousness and as we read through this chapter this fourth
chapter this evening the Apostle speaks so powerfully and clearly
of the needs to be blessed with this faith to believe Without
faith, it is impossible to please God. And yet, how wonderful it
is when God gives us faith to believe. Faith to believe the
wonderful truth of God and when the Lord has granted that to
us, it's a wonderful blessing and it's a wonderful favour. And we have a verse in the second
chapter of the epistle of Paul to the Ephesians, which is very
important. I suppose we might say all the
verses of scripture are important, but it seems that perhaps sometimes
verses have more significance than others. And in the second
chapter of this epistle, in the eighth verse, he tells us, for
by grace are ye saved. And that means through the unmerited
favor of God we are saved. through faith and that not of
yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man
should boast and how necessary it is that you and I must constantly
realize that we deal with a God who is jealous of his glory he's
jealous that he may receive the glory that he may receive the
praise of his church and that's why faith is not a works faith
is the gift of God and I believe it is the only place in the Word
of God where it's stated like this it is the gift of God but
we only need it recorded once to encourage us and once to direct
us so all of us tonight needs to have received this great and
glorious gift of faith to believe the gospel and to believe in
the Lord Jesus Christ and believe that he is the only one, the
only one that can redeem us from our sin, the only one who can
cleanse us from our sin, the only way, the only one who can
justify us, and the only one who gives us this great and blessed
gift of His righteousness. Now you may think well these
things are a bit theoretical, well the truth is they are not
theoretical, they are very necessary. And the problem is today that
people often turn away from the great doctrines in the Word of
God. Well, the doctrines in the Word
of God are wonderful and are true. And if people speak against
them, let us not forget what Luther said. That eminent man,
blessed so greatly of God, and he tells us, he left on record
this great word, he said, doctrine is heaven. You see, doctrines
are not to be despised. They're not to be turned away
from. They are food and drink to the hungry soul. So tonight
may we rejoice in this truth that we read together in this
verse here where Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him
for righteousness. And so we must recognise that
all of us need that faith, that living faith to believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Without faith it is impossible
to please God. It won't matter how knowledgeable
we are about the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation and
people have been able to quote large parts of it, perhaps almost
the whole Word of God and yet lacked the blessed gift of grace,
lacked the blessed favour of living faith to believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ. It comes down very simply to
that doesn't it? our faith, our belief in the
Lord Jesus Christ. And we are reminded of that faith
given to Moses and to Abraham and to many
worthies in that 11th chapter of the Hebrews where we are told
of that faith given perhaps more specifically as we're considering
at this time to God's servant Abraham and we are told from
verse 16 but now they desire a better country that is and
heavenly wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God
for he hath prepared for them a city that means every born-again
child of God who's been blessed with living faith desire by faith
a better country and that's a test of our religion you see if we're
satisfied with our earthly home then we don't show forth the
evidence that we possess the faith of God but if we are blessed
with this true desire for a better country that is in heavenly.
Then we have the evidence that we are amongst those who have
received this blessed faith. And we're told by faith Abraham,
when he was tried, offered up Isaac. And he that had received
the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was
said, let in Isaac shall thy seed be called, accounting that
God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence
also he received him in a figure and we should ponder perhaps
that great test of faith that Abraham had not to underestimate
it when we realise that God had promised to Abraham a son in
his old age and that's why we have this truth that Abraham
believed God. He believed that which was impossible
naturally God could bring to pass. Now God has not changed
and perhaps in our little lives we may think well that situation
is impossible that can never come to pass what we're doing
if we're saying that we're limiting the power of God. My friends,
God can do anything and God can do everything. The things which
are impossible with man are possible with God. And so may we have
that living faith to believe in these great and glorious truths
and to recognise it is so. Because in the earlier part of
this 11th chapter the epistle to the Hebrews we do read that
which I've said but without faith it is impossible to please God
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he
is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him these are great words
and they're solemn words and they're true words you see when
we pray when we come to God we mustn't come aimlessly we must
come with this blessed faith God-given faith believing that
we come to a God who is a rewarder that means a God who does hear
and a God who does answer of them that diligently seek Him
now it's not easy to be diligent in prayer What a blessing it
is when God gives us grace to be diligent to come to Him in
this way. To believe then that He is and
that He is a reward of Him that diligently seek Him. Let us be
found then praying to God in this way. And we have of course
this wonderful chapter, the 11th of Hebrews, which encourages
us in so many ways It encourages us with regard to Isaac, Jacob,
Joseph, Moses, and those worthies that we read of towards the end,
Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, and David also, and
Samuel and of the prophets. Yes, we have the glorious evidence
that they lived by faith, faith which God had given to them.
And through it, they received the wonderful blessing of that
righteousness which Abraham has received. Abraham believed God. And it was counted unto him for
righteousness. So tonight, you know, we're all
here, aren't we? Before God, but do we believe
God? Do we believe in God? Do we believe in God the Father
do we believe in God the Son do we believe in the Holy Spirit the blessing if God has granted
us that true belief because if he has it's his gift towards
us and if God has given us that true gift to believe then we
are wonderfully blessed because we will stand alongside Abraham
small and insignificant as we are by comparison but nonetheless
it will be true and such belief will be counted unto us for righteousness
and the Apostle goes on to say now to him that worketh is the
reward not reckoned of grace, but of dead. But to him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness. Well, what a mercy tonight if
we have the evidence in our hearts that God has given us grace to
believe, faith to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has come
into this world to save our souls. Now, you and I won't come there
unless we have been shown our need of a Saviour. And we will only come there when
that need has been revealed to us as a sinner. And we won't
be found a little sinner, we'll be found a great sinner. glorious
gospel is that we have a great God who is able to save unto
the uttermost all that come unto him by the Savior that's the
glory of the gospel that we have tonight yes it's a it's a wonderful
truth it's a wonderful gospel no one is too bad no one has
been too far off to receive this wonderful grace to believe in
God and to then be blessed with his righteousness and so we're
told by the Apostle he speaks about David who describeth the
blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without
work saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven
and whose sins are covered well surely there's no greater blessing
to know that our iniquities are forgiven
and our sins are covered and as the Apostle says blessed is
the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin that is a wonderful
truth isn't it because our sin if we are those who are blessed
with living faith our sin is imputed to the Saviour the Lord
Jesus Christ why should the Saviour have our sin placed upon Him
do you know why? because He has loved us with an everlasting
love and therefore He won't leave
us and therefore He won't forsake us and therefore He will draw
us unto Himself. Well it is a great mercy to know
this and to know this blessing in our own souls and as we came
towards the end of this chapter we read the last three verses
well perhaps we'll read from verse 21 and being fully persuaded
that what he had promised this is of course regard to Abraham
he was able also to perform remember nothing is impossible with God
and therefore it was imputed to him righteousness now it was
not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but
for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him
raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for
our offenses and was raised again for our justification. It surely is exceedingly humbling
to think that Almighty God, the Creator of all things, the Ruler
of the Universe, should so look upon us, and should so deal with
us, and should so bless us, utterly unworthy as we are, that He,
the great Saviour of sinners, imputes to us his glorious righteousness
and in so doing has given us that grace to believe on his
name and the apostle addresses the situation which obviously
arose in those days whether it was only applicable to those
who had been circumcised and he says no it's not because Abraham
wasn't circumcised when he was blessed with his favour so circumcision
doesn't enter into it but the great blessing is it's a favour
of God to grant us faith therefore it is of faith says the Apostle
that it might be by grace To the end, the promise might be
sure to all the seed. You see, God's word is sure and
certain. You and I can rely upon it. There's
many liars today in the world. There's many false religions,
but we can bless God for that faith he gives to believe the
truth of God, believe the word of God, that it might be by grace
to the end, the promise might be sure to all the seed, not
to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is
of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. It's good, isn't it, to run back
through the word of God and to see how the Lord wonderfully
dealt with Abraham. And of course, he called him
out of Ur of the Chaldees, he led him about, he directed him,
but he did have his faith tested as we read in those few verses
in Hebrews when he was called to offer up his only son Isaac
and just let us realize that in Isaac was the promises of
God and we might think well if he was called to do that surely
he would lost his faith he would have found his faith was of the
flesh but no God gave him faith to believe that he could be raised
from the dead now that's great faith isn't it let us remember
that God gives great faith and he gives us you and me faith
today necessary for the situations that we come into don't expect
reserve of faith but you can expect to receive faith for your
every need day by day and the reason for that is why you and
I don't receive a reserve of faith it is to cause us to pray
unto our God that he will continue to support us and continue to
stand by us and continue to give us that belief in the Lord Jesus
Christ how necessary it is isn't it to believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ because if we're amongst those who do not believe and
the Bible tells us about the evil heart of unbelief the devil's
all the while trying to dissuade us from believing the truth of
God what a mercy then if God comes and gives us that grace
to believe in what he has done you know in the epistle of Paul
to the Galatians we read something of this where it speaks of the
works of the law and the hearing of faith and in the third chapter
we read in verse 6, even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted
to him for righteousness. You see, we're not left with
just the odd verse, although an odd verse can be very important
as we've spoken in the Ephesians, yet here we have this great truth,
this great doctrine, spoken to us again and again, even as Abraham
believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know
ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the
children of Abraham. That means the children of God.
That means those who are called by the grace of God. And the
scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through
faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham saying in these
shall all nations be blessed so then they which be of faith
are blessed with faith for Abraham for as many as are the works
of the law are under the curse if we're relying to keep in the
law we are under the curse for it is written cursed is everyone
that continueth not in all things which are written in the book
of the law to do them So if we were able to keep the command
of God in every detail then there would be no need for faith that
we need no need for the blessing of God and the favour of God
because we would be able to justify ourself but we are unable to
and we're unable to because of sin which entered into the world
through Adam and Eve And that sin passed upon all men and women,
and all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Be
not deceived, that is the truth of God. But that no man is justified
by the law in the sight of God is evident, for the just shall
live by faith. You and I today are to live by
faith, to believe in what God has said, believe in the great
and glorious truths of Scripture, and not to rely on anything else. The man that doeth them shall
live in them. And then he comes to this great truth, which is
so important. Christ hath redeemed us from
the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written,
Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Now, if God has given
us faith to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed
us from the curse of the law. And the curse of the law is the
soul that sinneth, it shall die. And we're under that curse. And
therefore we need to be delivered from that curse. And we can only
be delivered through the sin atoning death of the Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ. And have it made over into our
hearts that we are redeemed with a precious blood of Christ. That is a glorious truth, that
is a wonderful truth, that is a truth which will encourage
us and sustain us as we carry on through life. And so says
the Apostle, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the
Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise
of the Spirit through faith oh what a favour then to have the
evidence in our heart and my friends it's the Spirit's work
to convince us of our sin and to lead us to the Saviour and
give us faith to believe in Him but you see if God has given
us this faith to believe then we have the evidence within that
secret evidence the secret of the Lord is with them that fear
Him it's not with everybody in the world it's that fear of the
Lord which God gives what a mercy tonight then if we can join in
these great and glorious truths and realise that God has given
us faith to believe in God and because of that like Abraham
it's counted for righteousness what a mercy it is and so the
Apostle says brethren I speak after the manner of men though
it be but a man's covenant yet if it be confirmed no man disanalyth
or addeth thereto now to Abraham and his seed were the promises
made the promises of God the promises contained in the Word
of God to encourage us that we can trust in what the Lord has
said, and two seeds as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed,
which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant,
and the covenant is a sworn promise by Almighty God, that was confirmed
before of God in Christ, the law, which was 430 years after,
cannot disannul that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of
the law, it is no more a promise, but God gave it to Abraham by
promise. Well, we could read on. It's
a very wonderful chapter, that sixth chapter. in the epistle
of Paul to the Galatians but we will move on to thank God
that we have this great truth here before us and what saith
the scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him
for righteousness well it's not the works of the flesh we need
to be very clear about that Because 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. And what a mercy it is for us
today if our faith, God-given faith, is counted to us for righteousness. And we can rejoice in that tonight.
To be righteous before God means that we have been justified,
made just. And how has that come about?
It's come about by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on that
cross at Calvary, when he removed, he took away all the sins of
his people. He bore the punishment instead. The punishment due to you, due
to me. the Saviour bore it. And that
punishment was He had to give His life as that one perfect
sacrifice for sin. The picture had been demonstrated
throughout the Old Testament that without shedding of blood
there was no remission, there was no forgiveness. But you see
that wonderful truth was fulfilled when the Saviour died. upon that
cross at Calvary when he shed his precious blood so that the
sins of all his people forever washed away in the blood of the
Lamb. Well what a mercy it is tonight
if we believe in God and that means we believe in what the
Lord Jesus Christ has done, that we believe in his sin atoning
death. It's that which we rest upon. Let us not be satisfied with
anything short of this. Let us not look anywhere else.
My friends, often go to Calvary. Often, by faith, view the suffering
Saviour. By faith, receive the wonderful
blessing of God. the Holy Spirit confirms to us
that we are amongst those who are justified amongst those who
are made righteous because no unjust person enters into glory
no one who is not clothed with Christ righteousness enters into
glory these things are not mere Words of no importance, they
are vital. And so may we thank God that
he has given to us such great truths in regards to this wonderful
free gift of his grace, the wonderful free gift of his faith, and the
wonderful free gift of believing in what he has done. Farther
on in this epistle of Paul to the Romans, the apostle tells
us from verse 9, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth
the law of Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. That's a very
simple statement. It's a very succinct statement. It's a very important statement.
Because we're told here, if we confess with our mouth the Lord
Jesus, that means what it says, doesn't it? To confess that Jesus
is our Saviour. But not to just go on through
life with no confession. It's so easy to be sidetracked
from so many people hide under the fact that well of course
they don't speak much about the things of God and they somehow
think it's a good thing but of course it's not a good thing
because you and I are on this earth as the Lord's witnesses
and what a blessing it is therefore if we do confess with our mouth
the Lord Jesus and shall believe in our heart not believe in our
head there's a great difference you may remember that there was
that occasion of Simon Simon the sorcerer as he's known we
read of in the Acts of the Apostles who thought he could purchase
the gift of the Holy Ghost he'd been baptised he'd followed the
other people and thought he could do that and then when those people
received the gift of the Holy Ghost he thought he could purchase
it well he couldn't Peter told him very clearly because he had
not believed in his heart and further on in that chapter we
we read there about the I think it's a Philippian jailer who
believed in sorry no it's not Philippian it's the Ethiopian
eunuch who believed in his heart thus thou believeth in thy heart
and yes he did that's the vital thing to believe in our heart
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from
the dead. So there's two conditions here. First, to confess with
our mouth the Lord Jesus. The second, to believe in our
heart that God hath raised him from the dead. And if so, we
shall be saved. Thou shalt be saved. How important that is for all
of us here tonight to know that we are saved. Saved from eternal
hell. saved from our sin. And so the
Apostle goes on. For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation. These are very straight words,
aren't they? We often turn aside from them.
For the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on him shall not be
ashamed. what a mercy that is we don't
want to be ashamed of the Saviour I hope you don't because we don't
want God to be ashamed of us, do we? for there is no difference
between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is
rich unto all that call upon Him for whosoever whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved That's a good
gospel word, isn't it? How then shall they call on Him
in whom they have not believed? It's obvious, isn't it? If we
don't believe, there's no purpose in calling, no purpose in praying. And how shall they believe on
Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? as it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things. But then he says, but they have
not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who hath
believed our report? Remember in Isaiah, who hath
believed our report? Well, tonight we have a report
before us. It's God given us faith, given
us grace to believe the glorious report of the gospel. So then,
faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Well, it's a mercy, isn't it,
that you and I today are privileged to hear the word of God. there
are millions perhaps billions in the world today who have never
heard the gospel and we are wonderfully privileged and wonderfully favoured
but you know we are not to turn away from the
things of God to whom much is given much is required you and
I tonight will never be able to stand before the judgment
seat and say well of course I was never warned I was never told
I never heard these things all of us tonight are very solemnly
without excuse so may we though come and understand by the grace
of God the truth of these words Abraham believed God and it was
accounted unto him for righteousness. So may it be true of all of us
that we have, by grace, by his faith, believed God and to know
therefore that such a great truth and such a great blessing is
counted unto us righteousness and therefore to be amongst those
who are justified who are righteous and because of that in that great
day when we leave this earth it will be to go and to be with
Christ that one who has saved us from all our sins that one
has paid the enormous price in order to redeem us and there
we shall be then in glory and be able to praise him as we ought. But let us remember, praise does
not start in glory. Praise starts on this earth. And what a mercy tonight if God
has given us faith to behold the Lamb of God that taketh away
the sin of the world and that Lamb of God who has taken away
our sin.