at 10.30 and 2 o'clock. A prayer
meeting will be held here on Tuesday evening at 7 o'clock. There will be no service on Thursday
evening as it is Tunbridge Wells Thanksgiving when Mr Brian Mercer
is expected to preach at 7 o'clock. Let us commence our services
today by singing together hymn number 920 to the tune Triumph
691. When to worship saints assemble,
let the song to Jesus flow. He forsook his ancient glory,
groaned and bled for worms below. Ransomed mortals join to swear
the sacred song. Hymn 920. tune triumph 691. The world should say to Samuel,
Let us all to Jesus dwell. ? His ancient glory ? ? Crown Him
with the crown divine ? ? Ransomed mortals ? ? Ransomed mortals
? ? Joy to the world, sing its song ? ? Ye who find yourself on earth
yet ? ? Ever want to sing, come to sing ? He shall have my God
imbued with Righteousness and righteously. Instagraven, Instagraven
? O my everlasting love ? ? Disciples shall provide me ?
? With the wisdom of divine ? From his eye, forever hiding, Sims
of every name and sign, He hath raised him, he hath And when the gentle morning breaks,
It's my purpose that they may know Of this righteousness of
Jesus Once applied, it's always on Let us read together from the
Holy Word of God. in Paul's epistle to the Romans
and chapter 4. Romans chapter 4 What shall we say then, that
Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found For
if Abraham were justified by works, he had whereof to glory,
but not before God. For what saith the scripture,
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 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 sins are covered. Blessed is the man to
whom the Lord will not impute sin. Cometh then this blessedness
then upon the circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also? For we say that faith was reckoned
to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned when
he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? not in circumcision,
but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision,
a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being
uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them that
believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed
unto them also, and the father of circumcision to them who are
not of the circumcision only but who also walk in the steps
of that faith of our father Abraham which he had been yet uncircumcised. For the promise that he should
be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed
through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if
they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and
the promise made of none effect, because the law worketh wroth.
For where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it
is of faith that it might be by grace to the end that 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. As it is written, I have made
thee a father of many nations before him whom he believed,
even God who quickneth the dead and calleth those things which
be not as though they were. who against hope believed in
hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according
to that word which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. And being
not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when
he was about 100 years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb,
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but
was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded
that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 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 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 offences and was raised
again for our justification. May the Lord bless the reading
of his own precious word and grant unto us a spirit of real
prayer. Almighty, most merciful, and
eternal God of heaven, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we bow before
thy glorious majesty. We desire to worship thee in
thy Son, Jesus Christ, for through him we have access by one Spirit
unto the Father. And we pray that thou wouldst
grant us that free access as we gather round thy word today.
Thou hast said in thy word that whatsoever ye ask in my name,
I will do it. Gracious God, we pray that thou
wouldst look upon us, give us to feel today as we gather round
the word, the love of our heavenly Father, and that we may be enabled truly
to say from the heart, my Father, my God, my Father, blissful name. Oh, may I call him mine. We do
thank thee, most gracious Lord, for the love of our eternal Father. And we do thank thee for the
Holy Ghost, we pray for his divine power and his heavenly unction
to reach into our hearts even today, that the word spoken may
be in power in the Holy Ghost and with much assurance. All we do pray, most blessed
Spirit of truth, that thou wouldst come and bless us this day, Come
and seal the word into our hearts. Come and fill our hearts with
that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus. Come and convince us of
our sin and lead to Jesus' blood and to our wandering eyes reveal
the secret love of God. O most blessed spirit of truth,
without thy heavenly power nothing can be done, nothing can be accomplished. We pray that it may be with us
today as it was with the dear Apostle when he could witness
that when he was at Thessalonica. For our gospel came unto you
not in word only, but in power, in the Holy Ghost, and with much
assurance. And we pray, O Lord, that it
may be so even today. And we pray for the sacred presence
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, we do thank thee for the
glory of his name and the fullness of his grace. We come as poor
sinners, Lord, born in sin, shapen in iniquity. As thy word declares, there is
none that doeth good, no, not one. And Lord, we painfully feel
it to be so. Oh, we do pray that thou wouldst
grant us that spirit of true confession, of our sins, of our
wanderings, of our backslidings. We leave undone the things that
we ought to do. We do the things that we ought
not to do. We find a law within our members
that when I would do good, then evil is present with me. We often
have to cry out with the dear apostle, O wretched man that
I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death. Gracious
God, we pray for thy delivering grace in Jesus Christ. We pray
for a revelation of Jesus Christ onto our souls. And may there
be one and another that have come here today, and that desire
in their hearts, if I might but touch the hem of his garment.
Oh, we pray, most gracious Lord, that we may touch the hem of
Jesus' garment, that we may draw from that fullness that is in
him. We pray that we may feel the divine power of the blood
of Jesus, cleansing us from all sin. And we pray that we may
be clothed upon with that glorious everlasting robe of the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. Lord, we do pray that thou would
bless us as a church congregation and work mightily, powerfully,
and effectually among us. Oh, we do pray that we may see
signs following the preaching of the word, that we may see
an ingathering of precious souls, that we might see a reviving
and renewing and a replenishing in the hearts of thy people.
We pray that we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord
and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We pray for grace to lay aside
every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and
that we might run with patience the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus. We pray for our brethren, the
deacons, that thou wouldst bless them, Bless them with that rich
grace that is in Christ Jesus, and that graciously be with them
in all their responsibilities. Lord, bless each one of our brethren
and sisters in church fellowship, and grant that thou wouldst work
mightily, powerfully, and effectively among us, that thou wouldst pour
upon us the spirit of real travail. For as soon as Zion travailed,
she brought forth her children, May we see the bringing forth
of spiritual children. Lord, we pray for the little
ones and the children as they're brought into the sanctuary, that
the blessing of the Lord that maketh rich and addeth no sorrow
with it may be given unto them. We pray that the fear of the
Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, may be given to them
in their young and tender years. We pray for the young friends,
that thou wouldst bless them, and be with them, and undertake
for them, and guide and direct them, be with them in all the
paths of providence, but above all, O Lord, bring them to living,
vital, saving faith in Jesus Christ, that they may become
true followers of thee, and of those who through faith and patience
inherit the promises. Lord, we pray that thou wouldst
guide and direct those that would seek a partner in life journey.
We lovingly commend them to thee. We pray that thou wouldst graciously
grant them their petition. Thou art that great God that
didst bring a Boaz unto Ruth, or a Ruth unto Boaz, and a Rebecca
unto Isaac. And Lord, thou art able to do
these things. we lovingly commend them to thee.
May there be a generation that shall be raised up here to call
thee the Redeemer, bless it, and cause the prodigals to return,
and thy mighty power to be seen in this, we do humbly beseech
thee. What rejoicing there would be
to see those prodigals returning. O gracious God, grant us that
rejoicing, we do humbly beseech thee. We pray that the light
and power and glory of thy truth may shine into this village and
into the surrounding villages and hamlets, that we might see
an in-gathering from there, that we might see a building of the
wall of Jerusalem. Lord, remember parents and give
them grace, wisdom, and help to bring up their children in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And oh, most gracious
Lord, we pray that thou wouldst bless the families, bless them
in family worship, and be gracious unto them. What we read in thy
word, instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou
mayest make princes in all the earth. Lord, may it be so. Remember all in affliction and
trouble and trial and perplexity, sorrow, sadness, and bereavement,
Lord, undertake for them. We do humbly beseech of thee
for thy great name's sake. Remember all in the midst of
the journey of life and be gracious unto them. Deliver us from the
temptations of Satan, whether he comes as a roaring lion to
devour or whether he comes as an angel of light to deceive.
We pray to be delivered from his power and from his influence. Be with those of us, O Lord,
that have now reached the evening time of life's journey, and that
graciously guide us safely unto thy heavenly kingdom, and grant
that we may see the King in his beauty, and behold that land
that is a very far off. All do hear us, Lord, humbly
beseech thee for thy great namesake. Lord, remember all thy servants
as they labour in word and doctrine today. Do be gracious and fill
them with thy spirit, and grant mighty signs and wonders to follow
the preaching of the word. We pray thee, the great Lord
of the harvest, to send true labourers into the harvest and
to build the walls of Jerusalem Remember our Dutch friends that
are meeting with us today and grant that they may feel at home
among us. We do humbly pray thee. Bless
the churches in Holland. Bless the churches of God up
and down our nation. Return to Jerusalem with mercies. May bear thine holy arm in the
gospel. We plead those precious promises
I will bring thy sons from far and thy daughters from the ends
of the earth. And they shall come from the
north and from the south and from the east and from the west.
Lord, let us see thy work. Let us see thy power and thy
glory as thou usest to be in the sanctuary. And instead of
a decline in the church of God, may we see a building up, a renewing,
a reviving. We do humbly beseech thee. We
pray, O Lord, that thou wouldst remember our nation, that thou
wouldst bless our king and the royal household, that thou wouldst
bless them with healing, but above all that thou wouldst bless
them with that rich grace that is in Christ Jesus. Grant wisdom and understanding,
guidance and direction to our leaders. We do humbly beseech
thee. And O Lord, we do pray that thou
wouldst be with those nations where there is war and bloodshed.
Lord, we pray that thou wouldst put a stop to war, bring to naught
the counsels of the ungodly. Thou art God over all and blessed
for evermore, and there is nothing too hard for thee. With heaven
and earth at his command, he waits to answer prayer. Lord,
bring peace on the earth. We do pray thee. We pray, O Lord,
for those that labour in word and doctrine that go out from
among us. We think of Ian Sadler and that great work that he does
in so many different places on earth in the distribution of
thy word and in the exposition of it. Supply all his needs. Bless the Savannah Education
Trust and that great work that they're doing in Ghana in the
Christian schools. Bless them on bas-a-mission and
thy servant there. Grant that they may see thy work
and thy power. Lord, we do thank thee that thou
dost hear and answer prayer. We thank thee for the throne
of grace. We thank thee for our great high priest who is passed
into the heavens. We thank thee for every mercy
of thy kind providence. We thank thee for the incarnation
of the Son of God. and the holy life he lived and
everlasting righteousness brought in for thy people in that perfect
obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ. We thank thee for Calvary, where
the lamb was slain, where sin was put away, where divine justice
was satisfied. We thank thee that he died for
our sins and rose again for our justification and has now bodily
ascended into heaven. For such an high priest have
we, who is passed into the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. Lord,
we thank thee for thy word and for thy truth. Come now and touch
one's lips with a live coal from off the heavenly altar. Come
and open thy word to our heart and to our understanding. Come
and make up in giving where we do so fail in asking. we ask
for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 236. The tune is St. Paul, 62. Faith's a convincing proof a substance sound and sure, that
keeps the soul secure enough, but makes it not secure. Hymn
236. Tune St. Paul, 62. ? There's a moment in me ? ? The
stars themselves have shown ? ? And it's as though I'm standing there
alone ? ? O gentle harvest, yes ? ? I bid
them to treat well ? ? My joy, O mercy, my refreshment ? ? May we find our riches ? ? And
may the people sing ? ? May we find our riches ? ? Worship and worship evermore
be ? ? To praise the God of Israel evermore be ? Lord, give us grace ? Unbidden in my head ? ? Unquenched
by itself ? ? And from the air and from the tree ? ? From hell and from
the sky ? ? Good shepherd, bread and wine
? ? Give some to eat and bring ? ? To children give them goodly
wine ? ? Through faith we find our God
? ? And pure in heart we find ? ? Jesus, our great and wonderful
God ? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help, I would direct your attention to the chapter
that we read, the fourth chapter in Paul's epistle to the Romans,
and read in verse 16. Romans chapter four, verse 16. Therefore it is of faith 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. How clearly and how beautifully
does the Apostle open to us the faith of God's elect, the faith
of the Lord's people, true faith, living faith. You know, friends,
there are many faiths. There's a historical faith. We've
just been singing a notional faith because you've been brought
up under the truth and because that you know the truth in your
head. And some people rest on that. They rest on that for their
eternal welfare. Because you're always at the
house of God and it's a good thing that you are. I wouldn't
discourage anyone from that at all. But just being here does
not make you a child of God. You must be born again. Accept a man, be born of water
and of the Spirit. He cannot enter the kingdom of
heaven. It's an utter impossibility,
my beloved friends, to reach heaven having not been born again
of the Holy Ghost. And if a person is born again
of the Holy Ghost, there is a wonderful gift that
he gives, the Holy Ghost gives to that person. And it's the
gift of faith. It's a gift of faith. You know, we hear a lot today,
it's your duty to believe, it's your duty to do this, it's your
duty to do that. My beloved friends, faith isn't
a duty. It's a grace of the Spirit. It's given by God. It's placed
in the heart. Now, we need to analyse ourselves. Do we have this true, this living
faith? You know friends, it is possible
to have dead faith. To have dead faith. The church
at Sardis had dead faith. You might say, what do you mean?
Well, listen to the message that Jesus Christ gave to the church
at Sardis. Thou hast a name that thou livest,
and yet art dead. What a solemn thought that is.
A name that thou livest. What does he mean by that? Thou
hast a name that thou livest. They were professed followers
of Jesus Christ. They professed that they followed
him, they served him. And yet, the Lord Jesus who tries
the hearts and the reins, of his people. He was very clear,
wasn't he? They had a name to live, and
yet were dead. Now my beloved friends, it's
one thing to know these things from the Bible, and we read about them, and to
accept what we read. What do we know of it in our
hearts? I always think of that word in
Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1 you hath he quickened that's an old
English word which we used to give life you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and in sins and that is where every
single one of us is by nature we are dead in trespasses and
in sins and that was where Abraham was too until the Lord called him by
divine grace. As far as I can perceive in Holy
Scripture that the one thing that is so
vital and so important is to be called. The apostle says in the Galatians
that He says that he that separated me from my mother's womb and
called me by his grace has a divine call that reaches the heart of
every child of God. In the Romans chapter 8, and
we read from verse 29, for whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
he did predestinate, them he also called. And whom he called,
them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified. What shall we then say to these
things? If God before 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 justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that dieth. Yea, rather that is risen again,
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession
for us. Who shall separate us? See, in
this, my beloved friends, the eternal safety and the eternal
security of the church of God, of the Lord's living family,
who shall separate us? From the love of Christ shall
tribulation or distress, or persecution. We won't read it all, but he
says very clearly, for I am persuaded 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 Christ Jesus our Lord. having loved his own, he loved
them to the end. You got that lovely, beautiful
word in Jeremiah, yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting
love. That's a love that is without
beginning. And it's a love that is without ending. I am he which
is and which was and it is, which is to come. He, Jesus Christ,
the same yesterday, and today and forever. You can't be in
Christ one day and out the next. No. But the vital point, moreover
whom he did predestinate, them he also called. A divine call
reaches the heart of every single vessel of mercy. Why is this
so? And why is it so certain? Because
they were chosen before the foundation of the world. They were chosen
in Christ. They were given to Christ in
that eternal covenant, ordered in all things and sure. And the
Lord Jesus Christ agreed with his eternal father in that eternal
covenant to redeem his people. He agreed to come to this world
as a man. The Eternal Son of the Eternal
Father was made flesh. And dwelt among us. And dwelt
among us. He lived as a man here upon earth. What a great mystery, isn't it?
How the Son of God took human nature, became bone of our bone
and flesh of our flesh. He lived here upon earth for
33 years. The Apostle says in the Galatians,
he was made of a woman, made under the law that he might redeem
them that are under the law. That's what he came to do. I come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. You know, one of the great dangers
good thing, right thing to bring up your children in the nurture
and administration of the Lord, is a good and right thing to
teach some holy scripture. But the danger, the great danger, is that you just become a Christian
in name, not in power. And do you know what that produces?
A Christian in name, not in power. Pharisaism. Come not near unto me, for I
am holier than thou. That's what it produces. And
that is not the fruit of the spirit. That is the fruit of
our flesh. And that is what we are by nature. Oh, my beloved friends, It's
part of my position as the pastor here to warn you, to warn you
of these pitfalls. Now we read here then of Abraham,
his call. What shall we say then that Abraham,
our father, as pertaining to the flesh has found? For if Abraham
were justified by works, he hath went on to glory, but not before
God. Works, justified by works. Just think of the illustration
given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels of the publican and the Pharisee. The Pharisee was looked up to
in his day and generation as being the most religious of all
the Jews, the most fervent, the most zealous, and he was looked up to as such. The publican, he was a tax collector,
generally very fraudulent. They took much more and kept
it to themselves. They were despised. Now the Lord Jesus uses those
two characters as an illustration. Two men went up to the temple
to pray. The Pharisee, when you analyze
it friends, it wasn't prayer. I thank God that I'm not as other
men are, even as this publican. I fast, I do this, I do that,
I do something else. He didn't have need of anything.
He was self-righteous. He was right in his own eyes.
And he believed that he was right in the eyes of God. The publican. He could not so
much as lift his eyes up unto heaven, but he smote upon his breast,
saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Now, we read that the Pharisees
in particular, but the Jews were astonished at the doctrine of
Christ. And you just think of this illustration he uses of
the Pharisee and the Publican. See, all the people looked at
the Pharisees as being the most religious, the most godly of
all the people. The Lord Jesus turns it completely
upside down. He says concerning the Publican,
this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. The sinner. The Lord Jesus said, I come not
to save the righteous, but sinners. That's who he came to save. Sinners
can say, and none but they, how precious is the Savior. You know friends, and I know
I've said it many times, but it's so very true, I could not
give you anything for your religion if it does not have sin in it. Because where the Holy Ghost
works, where there is that divine work of the Spirit in the heart,
there is a constant and a continual convincing of sin. There is. There's one thing the
true child of God knows, I'm a sinner. I'm a sinner. Do you know that? Oh yes, you
say, I've been brought up to believe that and of course we
know that we're poor, wretched, ruined sinners, miserable sinners.
We've been brought up to realise that and to know that. So I know
that. One hymn writer says, to see
sin's slights but To own with lip confession is
easier still, but oh to feel, and that this is where it brings
in the living child of God, oh to feel, cuts deep beyond expression. Do you feel that you're a sinner?
Not just that you have these notions in your head, but you
feel and you know, and what happens when you feel that you're a sinner? That's what Saul of Tarsus was
on the road to Damascus and when the Lord spoke to him out of
heaven. He felt and knew and realized
he was a sinner before a holy God. And what is the witness
of the word of God that happened to Saul of Tarsus when he felt
and realized he was a sinner before a holy God? Behold, he
prayed. Behold, he prayeth. One of the
clearest marks and evidences, my beloved friends, of the life
of God in the heart, prayer. Prayer. Prayer is the soul's
sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed, the motion of a hidden fire that
trembles in the breast. Prayer. And you pray out of Necessity. You pray because you need something. You think of what the Lord Jesus
says concerning the Pharisee when he prayed. He praying with
himself. He praying with himself. Do you pray? You know, sometimes the work
of the Spirit is very gentle. And it's like it says in Isaiah,
hear a little, there a little, line upon line, precept upon
precept. But as the Spirit of God works
in your heart, one of the hymn writers puts it in this way,
an aching void, that the world can never fill, an aching void.
And you feel that aching void right in your very heart. It's a mercy if you feel that. It's a mercy if you feel that. See, true religion is more than
notion. Something must be known and felt. And now it says here, verse three,
for what saith the scripture, Abraham believed God, and it
was counted unto him for righteousness. That's a quotation from the book
of Genesis. Abraham believed God. What is
it to believe? It's to exercise faith. faith that is given. Look at
the Philippian jailer, how the Lord gave him faith. He was ready
to fall in his sword and Paul said to him, do thyself no harm. And then he said to Paul, what
must I do to be saved? He felt his need of salvation. What must I do to be saved? And
Paul's answer, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt
be saved. Abraham believed God. God had
promised Abraham, in thee shall all the nations of the earth
be blessed. What a promise, isn't it? That's
the promise of the coming of Christ. In thee shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed. In the glorious person of our
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the other thing that comes
out so clearly here, and especially in our text, therefore it is
of faith, that it might be by grace. What is grace? What is grace? What does grace
mean? It actually means the free, unmerited
favour of the Eternal God. Notice what I say, free, unmerited. You can't work for it, you can't
pay anything for it. It's priceless. It's the free, unmerited favour
of God. The first reference that we have
in Holy Scripture, and it's always very interesting to look at the
first reference of something in scripture. It's very instructive. We find it in Genesis with Noah. And Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. That was the only reason that
Noah was saved. And it's the only reason why
you and I will ever be saved. When we find grace, the free
unmerited favor of the eternal God. It wasn't because Noah was
any better than the other man. He was just as wicked and sinful
as all the men that were with him. But he found grace. You don't find grace because
you're better. I come not to call the righteous
but sinners. To repentance, righteous. In the previous chapter, in chapter
3, the apostle, he quotes from verse 10, he's quoting here from
the book of Psalms and he's speaking of what man is by nature, as it is written, so he's quoting
here from scripture, there is none righteous, no not one, there
is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God,
they are all gone out of the way, they are together become
unprofitable. There is none that doeth good,
no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher.
With their tongues they have used to see the poisonous ashes
under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.
Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery
are in their ways, the way of peace. Have they not known there
is no fear of God before their eyes? Sinner, that's you! And
it's me by nature. That's where we are by nature.
We're lost. We're ruined. We're sold unto
sin. That's where we are by nature.
Now we know that what things whoever the law saith, it saith
to them who are under the law, that's every one of us by nature,
that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become
guilty before God. What a mercy if you and I are
brought in guilty before God. Poor, guilty, wretched, how a
deserving sinner. What a mercy if we know this,
therefore by the deeds of the law there is no flesh, there
shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by the law is
the knowledge of sin. And that is the extent of the
law, my beloved friends. By the law is the knowledge of
sin, nothing else. The law cannot reconcile you
to God. The law cannot bring peace and
comfort into your soul. The law cries with loud thunder
and burnings. Cursed is every man. that doeth
not all things that is written in the book of the law to do
them. The hymn writer says, doesn't he? Cursed be the man, forever
cursed, that does one willful sin commit. That's the law. That's
the law. But now, the righteousness of
God, without law, is manifested, 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 is no difference what does he mean unto all and
upon all them that believe gentile and jew upon all them for all have sinned Gentiles
and Jews and this is what he's it's a great leveler. This is
what he's doing He said there's no different the Jews that felt
that they were more righteous than everybody else, but he said
you're not You're no different to the Gentiles
it is despised for all of sin or That we might know this teaching
in our hearts for all of sin and come short of the glory of
God being justified freely by His grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus. What is it to be justified? We use these terms continually,
but what does it mean? It means to be declared to be
without sin. You may say, Yeah, but you're
saying that we are all wretched sinners. Absolutely right. But
when a poor sinner has faith given and believes in Jesus Christ
and Christ is revealed to them, then they're justified. Beginning
of chapter five, therefore being justified by faith, we have peace
with God. through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Therefore,
it is a faith that it might be by grace, as he's already sought
to establish, not by works, not by works, not by what you can
do, not by what I can do, but the Christian is saved by
what Jesus Christ has done. It's what Jesus Christ has done. As he says here in chapter three,
concerning Christ, verse 25, whom God has set forth to be
a propitiation, that is an atonement, through faith in his blood, to
declare his righteousness, for the remission of sins that are
past, through the forbearance, that's the grace of God, through
the forbearance of God, to declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness,
that's the righteousness of Jesus, that he might be just and the
justifier of him that believeth in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I am the way, the
truth and the life. No man cometh unto the Father
but by me." It's only in Christ that we can find peace with God. It's only in Christ that we find
salvation. Therefore, it is a faith that
it might be by grace to the end, the promise might be sure to
all the seed. What does he mean to all the
seed? Well, he tells us here, not just the Jews, not just those
that are under the law, but to the Gentiles also. The great divine commission that
the Lord gave unto the apostles was, go ye into all the world. preaching the gospel unto every
creature. He that believeth shall be saved. He that believeth shall be saved. Oh, my beloved friends, there
is a beautiful simplicity in the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Have He brought you to feel your
sinnership? Have He brought you to feel your
emptiness, your poverty, your insufficiency, your helplessness,
your hopelessness? You say, I've been like this
for years. I feel so hopeless, I feel so
helpless, and yet I can't seem to lay hold of Christ. He's revealed. It's a divine work of the Spirit. Some are seeking Christ for many
years. But eventually Christ is revealed. They feel their sinfulness, they
feel their wretchedness. They pray like the publican,
God be merciful to me a sinner. They almost despair of life.
They think, can ever I find this life? You know friends, this
life has to find you. It does. It's when the Spirit
enters the heart, the Holy Ghost enters the heart, Life is given. And when life
is given, you begin to feel. You begin to feel. When a person
is born again, just like that little babe, it cries. If you
hurt it, it'll cry. If it's hungry, it'll cry. It's
just what it is with the born again believer. You may not feel
you have faith, but do you feel that you're a sinner? Do you
feel that you're wretched and undone? You know, we read here
in verse 18 of this chapter concerning Abraham, who against hope believed
in hope that he might become the father of many nations according
to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. Against hope,
believed in hope. Do you have this conflict in
your heart? against hope, believed in hope. Hope, make it not ashamed. Hope
is the anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, anchored
within the vow, anchored in Jesus Christ, anchored in his precious
blood, anchored in his glorious righteousness. Lord, I have nothing
of my own. I'm a poor, wretched, ruined,
helpless sinner. for everything I have. All my
hope is in Jesus Christ. It's in his precious blood that
cleanses from all sin. And Lord, I'm a sinner. It's
in his glorious everlasting righteousness. Lord, all my righteousnesses
are as filthy rags. That's what the Lord brings you
to feel. But then he reveals the righteousness of Christ.
That glorious everlasting robe of the righteousness of Jesus
Christ. Therefore, it is a faith that
it might be by grace. To the end, the promise might
be sure to all the seed. You know, look at it in this
way. It says here the promise to all
the seed. Let's just consider We've used
this illustration before. When the children of Israel were
in the wilderness, and the Lord, because of their sins and their
rebellion, the Lord sent fiery serpents among them. And many, many died. Thousands
died from those fiery vipers. And when Moses prayed unto the
Lord, to intercede for the children of Israel, the Lord said to Moses,
make a brazen serpent and lift it up in the middle of the camp
of Israel. And whoever looks to that serpent
will live. Whoever looks to that serpent
will live. And they did. They did. And we read in the third chapter
of John's Gospel, it says there, and as Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal
life. But the point I wanted to make,
it says to all the seed, both Jew and Gentile because this
is the point that the Apostle is making. Some of them were right in the
middle of the camp and they looked and they saw
every feature of that serpent. They looked and they lived. Now
you must remember that the camp of Israel was about two million
people. It wasn't a small camp. And right on the periphery of
that camp, there were those that were being bitten by serpents. They looked, now they couldn't
see distinctly all the features of that serpent, but they looked
and they lived. The Lord Jesus Christ says to
us in Isaiah chapter 45, look unto me, all ye ends of the earth
and be ye saved. For I am God and there is none
else. Look unto me. They looked and
they lived. Now, look at the different experiences. Those that were near, they had
clear views. Every feature. And that's like
that with some of the Lord's living family. They are given
such clear revelations of Christ. They behold the beauty and the
loveliness of Christ. They're enabled to say, my beloved
is mine and I am his. Jesus suffered and bled and died
for my sins and he loved me with an everlasting love. They're
able to say that, they feel it, they experience it. But there are others like those
on the periphery of the camp, they look, they can't tell you
all about Jesus Christ but they look and they live. Have you
looked? They look and they live. They don't have such a deep experience.
They can't define all the doctrines of grace, but they look and they
live. Oh, my beloved friends, may the
Lord enable you to look. To the end, the promise might
be short of all the seed. You know, my late dear wife,
I always felt right from when I first met her that she was
a seeking soul. I was already a member of the
church. I felt I couldn't have married her if I didn't think
she was. I felt sure she was. But you know, friends, she could
never make a profession of the name of Christ. If I used to talk to her sometimes
on spiritual things, and I would try and draw her out, but you
know, all I could get from her I am just a nothing. And that's
how she felt. I am just a nothing. But as you
know, in the closing weeks of her life, Christ was made so
precious to her. You see, she was like those on
the periphery of the camp. They looked, they looked and
they lived. No great profound experience.
but they looked and they lived. You know the hymn writer says,
and this is the experience of the more, those that are led
more deeply and fully into the mystery of Christ and of salvation,
my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but wholly lead on Jesus name therefore it is a faith
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 Abraham is the father of us all what did he mean well
the jews make great thing Abraham's our father The Apostle is saying
here that he's the father of every true Christian believer
in Christ. Christ was born of the seed of
Abraham. And those that believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ have become followers of Jesus Christ. They
are the seed of Abraham, the spiritual seed of Abraham. What
a wonderful thing. Indeed, shall all the nations
of the earth be blessed. It is. Therefore, it is of faith 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. And so
it says in verse 19, and being not weak in faith, he considered
not his own body now dead. When he was about a hundred years
old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb, the Lord had
promised him a seed of Sarah. He staggered not at the promise
of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory
to God, being fully persuaded. You know, friends, There are
times when the Lord fully persuades us, being fully persuaded that
what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Now, it's this faith in Christ,
the believer is made righteous. Therefore, it was imputed to
him for righteousness sake. Now it was not 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 that raised up Jesus our Lord
from the dead who was delivered for our offences and was raised
again for our justification that we should be declared to be without
sin and therefore Travelling home to God. Travelling to that
eternal kingdom. Let not your heart be troubled.
You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are
many mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place
for you, I will come again and receive you. Yes. even those
of little faith. It's not the quantity of faith,
it's the quality. It's the quality. A little that
a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked.
You see, this little faith in Christ. What a wonderful thing,
isn't it? These precious truths that are
left for us in God's Holy Word. May the Lord add his blessing. Let us now sing together hymn
number 103. The tune is Justification 360. Jesus, thy blood and righteousness My beauty are my glorious dress,
Mids flaming worlds in these arrayed, With joy shall I lift
up my head. Hymn 103, tune Justification
360. This is to you, my glorious days. I give to you, my glorious days. Rich like a rose, Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice! ? I give all of my treasure ? ? And from the cross I'll bend
my knees ? ? There take my body and my soul ? turning the skies. O, in them shall it be, O, how
I weep. Jesus, that ? And thy glory ? ? Jesus, bless
him ? ? And thy glory ? ? All shall worship thee ? How elegant thy touch and grace! How sweet thy food and so divine! ? Of sin's repentance ? ? Bless
and shame ? ? Of sin's repentance ? ? Bless and shame ? Thus may we ever remember God,
as though the earth is all we ? Savior of sinners ? ? We praise
you ? ? Savior of sinners ? ? We praise you ? ? Was fulfilled the dream of man
? ? Grace found its power ? ? The
Saviour came ? ? When growing old the street still
is, ? ? A vacant garden's glorious hue, ? ? The growth of Christ
is ever new ? ? The growth of Christ is ever new ? O men, O men, now hear His voice,
And all thy purpose watch rejoice. ? The beauty, bliss, and gloriousness
? ? Which bless the Lord of righteousness ? Now, may the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, the sacred fellowship
of the Holy Spirit, rest and abide with us each. Amen.