So we'll preach here next Lord's
Day at 10.30 and two o'clock. There'll be no service here on
Thursday as it is East Peckham anniversary services when pastor
is expected to preach at 3.30 and 6.30. We hope you will come
and join us there. There'll be a prayer meeting
here on Tuesday evening. Let us commence our worship 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 swell
the sacred song hymn 920 tune triumph 691 ? And their ashes let us assemble
? ? Let us adore them, let us love them ? ? Give us, Lord,
this day its true glory ? ? And heaven and earth adore them ? Rancher portals, rancher portals,
going to travel safe with us. Be good, find yourself some music,
fill your hearts that sing of sin. We shall have by God in nurture
Righteousness and vitality. Tis the covenant, tis the covenant,
O my everlasting God. Till she heard the sound providing,
That our wisdom had defied. From His eye forever shining,
Shines of every name and song. He that worships, He that worships,
? Mid thy pallid closer eye ? ? Adam and the tender morning
? ? Mid thy closer quickly gone ? ? But this righteousness of Jesus
? ? Loves a kindest holy God ? ? Tis that I do, tis it I do ? Let us read together from the
holy word of God in Paul's epistle to the Romans and chapter 3. The third chapter of the epistle
to the Romans. What advantage then hath the
Jew? Or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way, chiefly because
that unto them were committed the oracles of God. For what
if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the
faith of God without effect? God forbid. Yea, let God be true,
but every man a liar, as it is written, that thou mightest be
justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art
judged. But if our unrighteousness commend
the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous,
who taketh vengeance? I speak as a man. God forbid. For then how shall God judge
the world? For if the truth of God hath
more abounded through my lie unto his glory, why yet am I
also judged as a sinner? And not rather, as we be slanderously
reported, and as some affirm that we say, let us do evil that
good may come, whose damnation is just. What then? Are we better than they? No,
in no wise. For we have before proved, both
Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin, as is it written. This, friends, is a quotation
from the book of Psalms. 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 have they
used deceit. The poison of asp is under their
lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their
feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery in their
ways. and the way of peace have they
not known? There is no fear of God before
their eyes. Now we know that what things
soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law
that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become
guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the
law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by the law
is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of
God without the 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, for all have sinned and come short of the
glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus, which 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 of God. To declare, I say, at
this time his righteousness, that he might be just and the
justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law
of faith. Therefore we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law? Is he the
God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles?
Yes, of the Gentiles also. Seeing it is one God which shall
justify the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through
faith, do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid,
yea, we establish the law. May the Lord bless the reading
of his precious word and grant unto us a spirit of real prayer. Almighty, most merciful and eternal
God, the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name
is holy, We desire to bow before Thee now in the attitude of prayer. We desire to come to Thee in
all our need as poor sinners. Each one of us, O Lord, is one
of the fallen sinful sons of Adam or daughters of Adam. We come in all our need as poor
sinners. We feel our emptiness, our poverty,
our insufficiency, We feel our lack of spiritual mindedness.
We feel our lack of love. We feel our lack of everything,
O Lord. We prove experimentally, O Lord,
day by day, that we have this treasure in urdent vessels, that
the excellency of the power might be of God and not of us. So we
pray that thou wouldst come this day in thy Holy Spirit in his
heavenly power, in his divine unction and fill our hearts and
fill our souls and fill our minds with the things of the Spirit
of God and set our affections on things above and not on things
of the earth. Enable us by thy grace to lay
aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset that
we might run with patience the race that is set before us, looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our fate, who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame
thereof, and is now set down at the right hand of the Majesty
on high. O gracious God, do incline thine
ear, and do have mercy upon us, and do grant that we may touch
the hem of Jesus' garment this day and draw from that sacred
fullness, virtue, grace that is in him. For he is full of
grace and truth. Oh, that we may draw from that
sacred fullness. The fullness resides in Jesus
our head and ever abides to answer our need. Oh, to draw from that
wonderful fullness, but of him whose name is wonderful, counsellor,
the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Lord, we do pray that
thou wouldst grant us then that spirit of true worship, that
thou wouldst draw us to thyself. May we know those divine drawings
of a heavenly Father, drawing us unto his only begotten Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ, none come except the Father draw. And Lord,
if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
So we pray for these things, these divine realities. The eyes
of our understanding may be opened, that we may delve into the deep
that couched beneath in thy word, that we may truly worship thee.
We pray, most gracious Lord, that thou wouldst look upon each
one that has gathered and knowest their needs, their concerns.
We pray for dear Mrs. Field in the home in Tunbridge
Wells. We lovingly commend her to thee
and to the word of thy grace. Pray that thou wouldst draw near
to her and at the appointed time grant her and abundant entrance
into thy heavenly kingdom. Lord, do hear us, we humbly pray
thee. We seek that thou, in thy great
mercy, would remember us, remember our brethren, the deacons, give
them grace, give them wisdom, give them help, day by day, we
do humbly beseech thee. And that, Lord, we pray for a
sacred increase of that spirit of love that is among us, and
we thank thee for it. It flows entirely from thy grace,
even the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Help us to love each
other, serve each other, bear each other's burdens, thereby
fulfilling the law of Christ. Show us thy ways and teach us
thy paths, give us humility and love, and give it to us day by
day. We pray, most gracious Lord,
for any that are passing under the rod of chastisement and that
rod that is sent in everlasting love to thy people. Oh, we do
pray that thou wouldst help us to see the sacred reality whom
the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom
he receiveth. May we see it in its right light
that these things, afflictions, troubles, they come from thy hand and they
are given by thee for our humbling and to bring us to thy feet as
poor needy sinners. Remember each one of our brethren
and sisters in Christ and graciously bless us together. Remember the
whole of our congregation. We gather them all together.
We lovingly commend them to thee and to the word of thy grace
which is able to build them up and to grant them an inheritance
among them that are sanctified. Gracious God, do hear us. Do remember each one. Remember
any that are not able to gather today. We would lovingly commend
them to thee. We remember those that could
gather but have no desire to gather. Oh, that thou wouldst
put that desire into their heart. And remember the prodigals that
have wandered away. Stretch out thy almighty arm.
Cause them to be in one, cause them to return. I will return
unto my Father's house. Gracious God, may it be so. And
when they come, may they feel it is their Father's their heavenly
Father, we do humbly beseech them. Lord, we do pray that Thou,
in Thy great mercy, would bless the little ones and the children,
that Thou wouldst put the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning
of wisdom, into their hearts in their young and tender years,
and guide them unto Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of sinners.
Remember, our dear young friends, as they stand on the threshold
of life's journey, go before them in every untrodden step,
bring them to living faith in Jesus Christ, that they may close
with Christ, that they may touch the hem of His garment and draw
from that fullness a virtue that is in Him. Give them to feel
their need of Jesus Christ, their need of a Saviour, O Lord, Convince
us of our sin, and lead to Jesus' blood, and to her wandering eyes
reveal the secret love of God. Lord, do hear us, we humbly beseech
thee, but for thy great name's sake. We pray that thou would
guide and direct them in every path of providence, whether it's
to do with their education, give them wisdom, or whether it's
to do with future employment, grant them thy divine direction,
whether, O Lord, it is to do with a partner in life journey,
we lovingly commend them to thee. That great God that did bring
Ruth to Boaz and Rebecca to Isaac, thou art the same God, thou art
Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever. Lord, remember parents and give
wisdom and grace to bring up their children in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord. Remember the families as they
gather for divine worship and grant thy rich blessing upon
them. And do give parents wisdom to
grant their children spiritual instruction. We do humbly pray
thee. And may we not do those things
or have those things that would distract us from the ways of
righteousness and of truth. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou would remember all in the midst of the journey of
life and undertake for each one and graciously deliver us from
the temptations of Satan, deliver us from the allurements of this
vain world When the enemy comes in like a flood, thou hast promised
that the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
Lord, we do pray that it may be so. We pray, most gracious
God, for each one of us in the evening time of life's journey.
Lord, we pray that as the outward man perishing, that the inward
man may be renewed day by day. we do humbly beseech of thee. We pray, most gracious God, that
thou in thy precious mercy would send the glory, light, and power
of gospel truth from this house of prayer into this village and
the surrounding villages and hamlets and farmsteads. Oh, that
thy work may appear, that thy power may be known, that thou
would bring our sons from far and our daughters from the ends
of the earth. Arise, arise, O God of grace,
into thy rest ascend, thou and the ark of thy strength. Let
thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, the son of man, whom
thou madest strong for thyself, so will not we turn back from
thee. O Lord of hosts, O God of Israel,
O thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth, before
Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh, and come and save us. We do humbly
beseech of thee. We pray, most gracious Lord,
that thou in thy precious mercy would remember all thy servants
as they labour in word and doctrine upon the walls of Zion today.
that they may indeed dip their foot in oil and be made acceptable
unto thee. Brethren, the word preached may
be in power in the Holy Ghost and with much assurance, that
there may be mighty signs and wonders that shall yet follow
the preaching of the word. We look back, O Lord, in the
history of the churches in this nation and how there were those
times when suddenly there was an outpouring of the Spirit Suddenly
there were mighty signs and wonders following the preaching of the
word. O Lord of hosts, we pray that it may be so in our day,
in this day of declension, of falling away, and the love of
many waxing cold, we pray that we may see a reviving, a renewing,
a replenishing, an ingathering, a building up. Hear us, O Lord,
we humbly beseech of Thee for Thy great Namesake. Lord, we pray for all the little
causes of truth, even beyond our own churches, up and down
this land, wherever thy servants stand, wherever thy people gather. Oh, that there might be a reviving,
a renewing, a flowing together. Oh, to hear us in heaven, thy
holy dwelling place. And when thou hearest, O Lord,
forgive. For everything we pray for, and
everything we do, and everything we think, is stained and dyed
with sin. Cover with a mantle of thy forgiving
love, and let our prayers ascend unto thee like incense, O Lord,
we do beseech thee, perfumed in the precious merits of Jesus
Christ. And O Lord God, we do pray that
thou wouldst deliver us from all that is of the flesh, but
grant us that true spiritual-mindedness. May thy doctrine distill as the
dew, and may it be as the rain upon the mown grass. O Lord,
do hear us, we pray thee. Remember our government and give
wisdom to our leaders and guidance and direction. Bless and heal
our King, and bless him with that rich grace that is in Christ
Jesus. that this affliction may be used
of thee to humble him and to bring him to thy feet as a poor
sinner. Remember the whole of the royal
household, Lord, we lovingly commend them to thee and to the
word of thy grace, which is able to build them up and to grant
them an inheritance among them that are sanctified. O Lord God,
remember those that labour in word and doctrine among the nations
of the earth, We would especially remember those that go forth
from among us as a group of churches. We commend
to thee the Mombasa mission and thy servant there, that thy rich
blessing may rest upon them, that thy gospel may have good
success, precious souls may be gathered unto Christ. Remember
the Savannah Education Trust and that great work they're doing
in Ghana Lord, do bless them, we do humbly beseech thee for
thy great name's sake, that it may be down to the glory of thy
great name, the increase of thy church, and the benefit of that
nation. Remember Elias Sadler, as he
labors in so many different places in the earth, and the distribution
of the word and the exposition of it, gird him with all sufficient
grace, supply him With all His needs, O Lord, we do beseech
Thee. We thank Thee. We thank Thee,
O Lord God, for Thy tender mercies. Great is the Lord and greatly
to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. We thank Thee
for the profound glory of Jesus Christ, of God, manifest in the
flesh. We thank Thee that the Word was
made flesh and dwelt among us, O that we may behold His glory
even today. We thank Thee for the law fulfilled
and honoured and magnified in His glorious person, in His perfect
obedience. We thank Thee that He was made
of a woman made under the law, that He might redeem them that
are under the law. We thank Thee Most gracious Lord,
that everlasting righteousness has been brought in for thy people.
We thank thee that he also offered that glorious sacrifice on Calvary. In that holy sacrifice, sin was
put away, and divine justice was satisfied, and God and sinners
are reconciled, and peace is made between God and man. He
died for our sins. and he rose again for our justification,
has now bodily ascended into heaven and sitteth at thy right
hand, tis he. Lord, what a wonderful mercy,
tis he, instead of me is seen when I approach to God. Oh, we
do thank thee. We thank thee for the love of
our eternal Father. We thank thee for the gift of
the Holy Ghost. We thank thee for every mercy
of thy kind, Providence. We would bow in humble adoration,
praise, and thanksgiving before our triune Jehovah for all his
love, kindness, and goodness that has passed before us in
the world. Come and touch one's lips with
a live coal from off the heavenly altar. We ask for Jesus Christ's
sake. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 104. The tune is Kirk Eller, 600. Righteousness to the believer,
freely given, comes from heaven. God himself the giver. Hymn 104, tune Kirk Eller, 600.
? Christ has risen from the dead
? ? In the never-shut-off night ?
? O come, O come, O come, Emmanuel ? ? King of kings ? Amen. Amen. ? And so it is with every child
? ? All the angels and all the angels ? ? Sing to thee, O Israel
? ? It's a happy Sunday ? ? It's
a happy holiday ? ? It's a happy holiday ? ? He lives on with the new creation
? ? Blessings come from above ? Greatly feeling to need the Lord's
gracious help. We direct your attention to the
chapter that we read, the third chapter in Paul's epistle to
the Romans, and we'll read verses 21 and 22 for our text. Romans chapter three, verses
21 and 22. But now the righteousness of
God without the 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. But now, In the Epistle to the
Romans we have a very clear, what you might say, compendium
of the doctrines of the Gospel. It's a very comprehensive book. I suspect that that is why the
Spirit of God has put it as the first epistle to the churches
that were written by the apostles, because there is in it such a
fullness of the sacred doctrine of truth very clearly laid out
before us, the doctrine of the divinity of Christ, the doctrine
of the awful fallen state and condition of mankind, the doctrine
of the law, the doctrine of righteousness in Jesus Christ, and the experience of it in the
heart of the believer. And right the way through this
book, one of the great doctrines which is surrounding our subject
here is the doctrine of justification by faith alone. And the apostle
makes it very clear that it is only by this justifying faith
in the person, power and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that
a sinner is saved. therefore being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. But you know, this morning as
I've sat reading and it seemed to stand out to me, the dear
apostle in the first chapter of this epistle to the Romans,
he speaks initially of the foundation, And what is the foundation? In chapter one, in the first
verses there, he speaks of the foundation. In Isaiah, and we
read there, behold I lay in Zion a foundation. The apostle, when
he writes to the Corinthians, other foundation can no man lay
than that which is laid. the eternal foundation, the rock
of ages, the glorious person of our Lord Jesus Christ. And
when he begins this epistle, he comes straight to that point.
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated
unto the gospel of God, which he had promised to for by his
prophets in the Holy Scriptures. concerning his son, Jesus Christ,
our Lord. You see, he comes straight to
that point. And you'll notice in all the
epistles, he comes straight to that point. The glorious person
of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. You know, friends, every
doctrine of truth contained in the gospel flows from Christ,
centers in Christ. If you speak of the doctrine
of election, chosen in Him. That's where the doctrine of
election is, chosen in Christ, before the foundation of the
world. See, the sanctifying of the believer,
it's in Christ. Yes, it is a divine work of the
Holy Ghost in the heart, but it's in Christ. That is what
sanctifies the believer. It's because they're in Christ. Concerning His Son Jesus Christ
our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the
flesh. Christ was born of the seed of
David. It's clearly defined in Holy
Scripture, especially in Luke. where it speaks of the generations. And it goes through. Joseph and
Mary were both of the seed of David. And when the decree went
out for the whole world to be taxed by Caesar Augustus, they
made their way. They lived in Nazareth. They
made their way to Bethlehem, the city of David. You see, my
beloved friends, they wanted to be taxed in the place where
their parentage was. It's very important to the Jews. You see, they were of the seed
of David. But you see the wonderful overruling
providence of God in that. Because the prophet had declared
that in Bethlehem, Judah, that is where the Christ would be
born. And so, in the wonderful Weigh the Lord unbeknown to them. Make sure that they're there.
You know when Caesar Augustus made that decree, he had no thought
whatsoever of the Son of God, but God overrules everything. God overrules everything. All
things work together for good. To them that love God, all things,
we tend to look at just the good things. just the pleasant things,
just the blessings. We say, well that's for our good.
Yes, but the troubles, the trials, the perplexities, the sorrows,
the sadnesses, they work together for our good. They humble us. And we need humbling. We're proud
by nature. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth.
What does it mean? He humbles, he disciplines. If
the Lord loves you, he disciplines you. But let us not digress too
much here. Concerning his son, Jesus Christ
our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the
flesh, decreed and purposed by God. And that was fulfilled. The lineage
of David was now living in obscurity. No longer was it the royal household. Herod was the king. The Roman
governors, they had the power over the land at that time. But it was still of the seed
of David according to the promise. Thou shalt not fail thee a king
to sit upon thy throne forever. Now that promise is pointing
to Christ, the King eternal, immortal and invisible, the only
true God. Thou shalt not fail thee a king.
This is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, that little
babe of Bethlehem. He's the King of Kings. He's
the Lord of Lords. He was anointed with the Spirit
without measure. We read of it in the third chapter
of John's Gospel, how the Holy Spirit was poured upon the human
nature of Christ. He was divinely anointed. Indeed,
the name Christ means the anointed. The Messiah means the anointed. Under the Levitical dispensation
there were three offices that required anointing. The office
of the king required anointing. The office of a prophet required
anointing. The office of a priest required
anointing under the Levitical dispensation. Why? Because Christ. They prefigured. They pointed to Christ. who was to be anointed the prophet,
the priest, and the king of his people. Not one in the Old Testament
was a prophet, priest, and king. There were more than one that
was a priest and a king. There were another, such as David,
was a prophet and a king. But not one was a prophet, priest,
and king. The only person that could do
that was the glorious person of Jesus, the Son of God, who
was anointed with the Spirit without measure. The Anointed
One. That's who Christ is. Concerning
His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of
David according to the flesh. According to what the prophet
of old declared in Isaiah chapter 7 and in Isaiah chapter 9. part of the same prophecy, a
virgin shall be with child. She shall bring forth a son.
That's a prophecy pointed to Christ. And the wonder of wonders,
a virgin. Mary, when the angel spoke to
her, she said, how can this thing be, seeing I know not a man?
The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee. The power of the highest
shall overshadow thee. therefore that holy thing that
shall be born of them shall be called the Son of God. It's a
wonderful act of the Almighty God of the Lord Jehovah that
Christ was born in Bethlehem. He was anointed without measure
as the prophet the priest and the king of his people concerning
his son our Lord which was made of the seed of David according
to the flesh. You see the Son of God took flesh. He became bone of our bone and
flesh of our flesh. There's that lovely word in Galatians
chapter 4 and I think it's verse 4 Made of a woman. Who is it speaking of? The Son
of God. The Eternal Son of the Eternal Father. This is such
a profound mystery, my beloved friends. Made of a woman. Made under the law, and yet it
was from everlasting. And you notice that here, it
says, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh,
that is his human nature. and declared, notice it doesn't
say made the son of God. There are those in the past ages
that have made that terrible mistake and to say that he didn't
exist, that Jesus Christ didn't exist until he was born. My beloved
friends, he was from all eternity. That's why it makes the distinction
here. His flesh was made, but he's
declared to be the son of God. And He has been the Son of God
from all eternity. He's Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
and today, and forever. He's the Eternal Son of the Eternal
Father, and declared to be the Son of God with power, with power. According to the spirit of holiness,
by the resurrection from the dead. Now this according to the
spirit of holiness, it's speaking of the divine nature of the Son
of God, according to the spirit of holiness. I've often explained
to you that passage in the epistle to the Hebrews, Hebrews chapter
9, and there in Hebrews 9, we read of the offering or the sacrifice
of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it starts in first part of
that chapter down to verse 10. He speaks of the tabernacle worship
and the Levitical dispensation. And then in verse 11, but Christ. So he speaks of all those things
that prefigured Christ and typified Christ. And then now he speaks
of the person of Christ. Christ be in common high priest
of good things to come by greater more perfect tabernacle that
is the that is the human nature of the Son of God where it says
in John chapter 1 the word was made flesh and dwelt among us
that word dwelt elsewhere in scripture is translated tabernacled
a tabernacle is a dwelling place And so here is speaking of the
divine nature of the Son of God, but Christ being come and high
priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say not of this building,
it was a divine act of God. It wasn't by natural generation,
not made with hands, not of this building, but the Holy Ghost
overshadowed the womb of the Virgin. neither by the blood
of goats and of calves but by his own blood who the son of
God but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place having
obtained eternal redemption for us for if the blood of bulls
and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean
sanctified to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall
the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit, what does
that mean? It's the divine nature of the
Son of God. The divine nature, the eternal
spirit. I do not believe it means the
Holy Ghost. And here in what we have before
us in the Romans, according to the spirit of holiness, that's
the divine nature of the Son of God. How much more? shall
the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself
without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God. Concerning his Son, Jesus Christ
our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the
flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according
to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. He rose from the grave. He destroyed
death and him that had the power of death. Now it says in our
text, but now. So obviously there's a connection
to what is going before, but now. He speaks of the Jews and the
Gentiles. in these first three chapters. He speaks also of the God of
judgment, that he would judge the world in righteousness, God
will. And the day of judgment is a
very solemn thing. It says in verse 18 in chapter
one, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in
unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is
manifest in them for God hath showed it unto them for the invisible
things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen
that's in this creation being understood by the things which
are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are
without excuse that it says in the beginning of chapter two
therefore thou are inexcusable oh man whosoever thou are how
he sets before us here the doctrine of man's accountability we must
all appear at the judgment seat of Jesus Christ every one of
us therefore thou inexcusable oh man whosoever thou are that
judges See he goes on here in this second chapter and he speaks
of the man in his lost estate. He says concerning the mercy
and grace of God in verse 4 in chapter 2, or despises thou the
riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing
that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. But after
thy hardness and impenitent heart, treasures up unto thyself the
wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous
judgment of God, who are rendered to every man according to his
deeds. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek
for glory and honor and immortality, this is the Christian believer,
eternal life. But unto them that are contentious
and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation
and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth
evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile. You see, my beloved
friends, solemn thought, isn't it? The eternal judgment of God. And he speaks here in this chapter
three of the holy law of God. And he says here, what advantage
then hath the Jew, or what profit is there of circumcision? Much
every way, chiefly because unto them were committed the oracles
of God. And even today, Jews are still,
you look back in the history of Israel since they've been
in the nation of Israel, We know at present, in what you might
say a broad general sense of the word, they're no better than
heathen people. They've rejected Christ. But,
the apostle here, he said God honours them. God honours them. That we're committed unto them,
the oracles of God, that's the holy law of God and the prophets.
And according to Holy Scripture, it appears that in the latter
days, the Jews will, in a far greater way, turn to God. But
as the Apostle says that the election have obtained these
things, he said, I'm a Jew. I'm a believer. That's what the
Apostle says to us. The Lord has not turned his back
upon his people in that way. There is still an election among
the Jews. Paul said, I'm a Jew. I was a
Pharisee of the Pharisees. But the Lord had mercy on me.
There were many Jews in the early church. You see, he says here, verse
3, For what, if some did not believe, shall their unbelief
make the faith of God without effect? God forbid. Yea, let
God be true. But every man a liar, as it is
written, that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings. and
might overcome when they are judged. You see, my beloved friends,
how it clearly lays out here. Then he goes on and he says the
Jews and the Gentiles are equal before God. We've all sinned
before God. Everyone, Jew and Gentile, There's inequality. And he quotes to us, I believe
it's Psalm 14, from verse 10 onwards, there is none righteous,
no, not one. There is none that understandeth,
there is none that seeketh after God. What is he trying to say?
Jew and Gentile, all under sin, all under the condemnation of
the law, all under the wrath of God, that's what he's trying
to say. their throat is an open sacrifice, their tongues they
have used to see the poison of ass under their lips. Sinner,
that's where you are by nature. Unless God has quickened your
soul, unless the Holy Spirit has entered into your heart,
unless you have been born again, you're under the wrath of God. You're under the law of God.
The soul that sinneth, it shall die. It shall die. And as it says here in verse
20, therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh
be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of
sin. The great burden to the apostle, here in the epistle
to the Romans, salvation cannot be obtained by works. It's an
utter impossibility. We can only obtain salvation
by faith in Jesus Christ. And that is the very point that
he's making. And then this word, and now, and now, now in these
New Testament days, Christ has been revealed, Christ has come.
Christ has fulfilled the law. It says here in the Romans, Christ
is the end of the law for righteousness unto all them that believe. When
the Philippian jailer was about to fall on his sword, the apostle
Paul, he said, do thyself no harm. And what did he answer? Sirs,
what must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. God so loved the world, he gave
his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth on him shall be saved. This is the very center, the
very kernel of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am the way, said
Jesus. the truth and the life, no man
cometh unto the Father but by men. But now the righteousness
of God without the law, without the law. The Jews labored under the law
and so do you and I until the Spirit of God enters our soul,
quickens us and leads us to Christ. We labor under the law. We labor
in bondage. We labor under sin and corruption.
But now, the righteousness of God without the law. Are you
still trying to fulfill the law? Are you? Are you still thinking
I've got to make myself better before I can come? I've got to improve myself. I've
got to forsake my sins, I've got to do this, I've got to do
that, I've got to do something else. Sinner, you've set yourself
a target, it's utterly impossible. You will never fulfill God's
holy law. You might say, why? Because you're
born in sin and you're shaped in iniquity. You're full of corruption
and sin. You can't fulfill that righteous
law of God. You can try with might and main
and many many millions have done so, tried their hardest to fulfill
God's holy law. You can't do it. It's an utter
impossibility but now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,
that is shown for 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 he's saying there, he's
making the distinction between Jew and Gentile. And he said,
there is no distinction. We're equal before God. 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 now
here twice here in the text it speaks of the righteousness of
God and he's speaking of the righteousness of Christ why did
why did the son of God become a man Why was he made of a woman and
made under the law? Why this profound mystery of
God manifest in the flesh? Because the Son of God has a
man. That human nature that the Son
of God assumed in the womb of the Virgin was his own personal
human nature. It was. never ever had an existence
separate to Christ. As soon as the Holy Ghost overshadowed
the womb of the Virgin, the Son of God assumed that human nature. It never existed separate to
the Son of God. And in that union that was made
between the divine and the human is an eternal union. It never has and never will be
dissolved. No. It was his own personal human
nature. It was pure and holy and without
sin. If he'd have been born by natural
generation, it would have been tainted and stained and dyed
with original sin. But no, my beloved friends, great
is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh.
He assumed human nature. He lived on earth as a man. The Son of God lived upon earth
as a man, and thou shalt call his name Jesus. Joshua. Do you know the actual meaning
of the word, the name Joshua? Jehovah that saves that is the
meaning of the name Joshua You might say what is this significance
in? Jesus is exactly the same name As Joshua you might say
why then is it Jesus and not Joshua? because Joshua is Hebrew
and Jesus is Greek The Old Testament is written in Hebrew the New
Testament is written in Greek Jehovah that saves. Thou shalt
call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. What a wonderful name, isn't
it? How sweet the name of Jesus sounds to the believers here.
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, and drives away his
fear. Now let us look more closely
then, but now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested
being witnessed by the law and the prophets right through the
Old Testament from the seed of the woman in Genesis chapter
3. The seed of the woman is Christ. The seed of Abraham in thy seed
shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. It's Christ. The glorious person of Jesus,
the Son of God, manifest in the flesh, witnessed by the law and
the prophets. Even the righteousness of God,
which is by faith. Faith is synonymous with believing. It means the same thing. A person
that is given faith. We are instructed in Ephesians
chapter 2, Faith is the gift of God. It's a divine gift. It's a divine grace. When the
Holy Spirit enters the heart of a sinner, when he quickens
their soul into life, when they're born again, the Holy Spirit dwells
in their heart. And he gives the gift of faith.
He enables them to believe. Here in the Romans, we read in
the 8th chapter, therefore, there is therefore now no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the spirit. For the law of the spirit of
life, that's the Holy Ghost, in Christ Jesus, hath made me
free from the law of sin and death. Now listen, for what the
law could not do. Now what cannot the law do? It
cannot give you the power to obey its holy commandments. That
was lost when Adam fell. It was lost. And the law cannot
give you the ability to keep its own commandments. For what
the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh.
Man lost his ability to honor the law. and to live according
to his holy commandments when he fell into sin. And the law
cannot give you any energy or power to be able to fulfill it. For what the law could not do
in that it was weak through the flesh. The weakness is not in
the law but it's in you and I being the fallen sons and daughters
of Adam. There's a solemn inability to
fulfill the law. For what the law could not do,
in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh, and forcing condemned sin in
the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled
in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh
do mind the things of the flesh, they that are after the Spirit,
the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is
death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because
the carnal mind, this speaks of the total, complete and utter
depravity of man. For the carnal mind, because
the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to
the law of God, Neither indeed can be, so then they that are
in the flesh cannot please God. You can't. It's what the Bible
is telling you. You're trying to do something
you can't do. It's an utter impossibility. But now he speaks to those that
have been born again, but you are not in the flesh. but in
the Spirit. And if so be it that the Spirit
of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, that of course is the Holy Ghost, he is none of
His. But if Christ be in you, the
body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because
of righteousness. But if the spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his spirit that dwelleth in you. But now the righteousness
of God without the 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 unto all and upon all them that believe and
here just to emphasize the point speaking of jews and gentiles
for all have sinned and come short of the glory of god what
is the righteousness When the Son of God was made
of a woman, made under the law, when He lived here upon earth
for 33 years as a man, it was under the law. And He fulfilled
the holy law of God. He lived a life that was perfect
and obedient and consistent with the law of God. Something you
can't do, something no man has ever done except him. Oh I love
that verse in Psalm 37 and it speaks of Christ, Mark the perfect
man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace. Christ is the perfect man, Christ
has fulfilled the law, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
unto all them that believe 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 Jew or Gentile there's no difference
there's only one righteousness acceptable with God and that's
the righteousness of Christ the perfect obedience of Christ In
the prophet Isaiah, it's called the robe of righteousness. In
the closing verses of Isaiah 61, it's called the robe of righteousness. The hymn writer says, a royal
robe to cover thee. A royal robe to cover thee. That's
what the righteousness of Christ is. Oh, my beloved friends, It's
a most precious thing. My mind often goes to Revelation
chapter 7. And there in Revelation chapter
7, what was revealed unto John. Remember the book of the Revelation,
the revelation of Jesus Christ? And look what was revealed unto
John in Revelation chapter 7, and from verse 13. And one of the elders answered,
saying unto me, What are these that are arrayed in white robes? Those white robes is the righteousness
of Christ. The white robe is the righteousness
of Christ. What are these that are arrayed
in white robes? And whence came they? These are
Christian believers. And I said unto him, Sir, thou
knowest And he said to me, these are they which came out of great
tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in
the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, therefore, all that
precious blood of the Lamb and that glorious righteousness of
Christ, the only reason that you and I will ever reach heaven
is because of the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Therefore, are
they before the throne of God. and serve him day and night in
his temple. And he that sitteth on the throne
shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither
thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any
heat. For the lamb which is in the
midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto
living fountains of waters. And God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes. But now the righteousness of
God without the 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. And then he goes on, doesn't
he, here, speaking of the righteousness of Christ being justified. This
is the fundamental doctrine of the faith. What is it to be justified? To be declared to be without
sin. That's what it is to be justified.
Therefore being justified by faith, being justified freely
by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom
God has set forth to be a propitiation, a sin atoning sacrifice through
faith in His blood, to declare his righteousness, for the remission
of sins that have passed through the forbearance, that is the
grace of God, to declare, I say, at this time, he repeats it,
his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of
him that believeth in Jesus. You see, where is boasting then?
It is excluded. By what law? Of works? but by
the law of faith. Oh, my beloved friends, we glory
in Christ. We glory in his precious blood
that cleanseth us from all sin. We glory in his righteousness
which covers our nakedness by the law of faith. Therefore,
we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of
the Lord. Is he the God of the Jews only?
Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also. Oh my beloved friends, may these
things be a sweet living reality in each one of our hearts. And may the blessed Spirit lead
you to this glorious Saviour, You know, the old Puritans often
used a term. Some people don't like it. I
think it's a very beautiful term, to close with Christ. It's when
a poor sinner, by the inward teaching power of the Holy Ghost,
is brought to close with Christ, to be united to Christ. Oh, that
the Lord may grant it to each one of us. Amen. Let us now sing together hymn
number 103. The tune is Abends, 275. Jesus, thy blood and righteousness,
my beauty are, my glorious dress, midst flaming worlds in these
arrayed, with joy shall I lift up my head. Hymn 103. tune abends
275. ? This I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I Rejoice! Rejoice! ? To die I shall in the skies ?
? And then shall there be more
of me ? ? Jesus Christ, Lord at Thy birth ? ? How can I stand, amen ? ? How can I stand, amen
? ? How dear thy power, God's own
I am ? ? From sin's tremendous crown thou hast crowned me ?
? Abraham, the friend of God ?
? A song below his throat with love ? ? Savior, O Savior ? O say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of Ever an angel sings in praise
of his country. The robe of Christ is upon you. Thou that art ever with thy foes,
? In the pine-palace mount rejoice ? ? Let beauty fade like glorious
dews ? ? Jesus, come down ? 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.