What do you think? I suppose
that's a question that all of us have been asked at one time
or another. What do you think about this? What do you think
about that? What are your thoughts on this
subject? What is your opinion on that
issue? So I want to ask each of you
here this morning that question concerning four particular subjects. What do you think of the Bible?
What is your opinion of yourself? What do you think of Jesus Christ? And what do you think of the
gospel of salvation? Let me say in the beginning that
in one sense of the word, What you and I think of these four
subjects, these four topics, doesn't really matter because
what we think changes nothing. The truth remains the same regardless
of what we think. Just like the old saying that
we've all seen on bumper stickers, T-shirts, and church signs, the
saying I speak of is God said it, I believe it, that settles
it. You might think that old saying
is true, but it's not because if God says it, that settles
it. It really doesn't matter if you and I believe it or not,
it doesn't change anything. And yet on the other hand, what
we think concerning the Bible and what we think concerning
ourselves and our opinion of Christ and who he is and what
we think of his glorious gospel means everything. For if our
thinking is wrong concerning these things, we'll be lost,
condemned, and forever under the wrath of God." Serious business. This is serious
business. It's a matter of life and death. And the word interpreted, think,
in the New Testament is the Greek word, dakel. It means, how does
it seem to you? It means how do you suppose it
to be? Do you think it to be true or uncertain? And in the
English dictionary, the word think means to have a particular
opinion or belief or idea about someone or something. So for
a few minutes, I want you to consider and think about what
you think or what you believe concerning these four subjects.
The first again being, what do you think of the Bible? Do you
believe the Bible is the true word of God? Do you believe the
Bible is God's inspired word? Do you believe the scriptures
are, thus saith the Lord? Here's what the Bible says about
the Bible. This is what God's Word says about the Scriptures.
This is what God says about His Word. Turn with me to 2 Timothy
3, if you would. Verse 16. All Scripture is given
by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness,
that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all
good works. Now let me quickly interject
that in order for a sinner to be reconciled and accepted of
God, and you know this, that sinner has to be perfect to be
accepted. Leviticus 22, 21. God accepts
in nothing less than perfection. We talk about that all the time.
God says, be ye holy for I am holy. We must be as holy as God
for him to accept us. Christ said that except your
righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees,
you shall in no case and no wise enter into the kingdom of God.
No one had more outward righteousness or what men considered to be
righteousness than the scribes and the Pharisees as touching
the law or keeping the law like Paul, the religious Pharisees
were blameless. You couldn't hardly accuse them
of anything that they were guilty of concerning the law. However,
the righteousness that God requires, must exceed their righteousness.
In other words, you have to be, you have to have a perfect inward
righteousness. That's what we talked about,
those of you that were here in the first hour. You have to be
as perfectly just, righteous, and holy as God. For the Lord
seeth not as a man seeth. For man looks upon the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks upon the heart. And that's what
God's inspired word says. Paul says here that all scripture
is God-breathed. I like that. That's what inspired
means, is God-breathed. All scripture comes from the
heart of God. What do you think? What do you
believe? Do you believe that this book
is the inspired word of God? God says all scripture is useful
for teaching, correcting, and instruction in righteousness.
And I wanna comment further on that phrase. It seems like everywhere
we look, it's talking about righteousness. God's word instructs us in righteousness. That's what he says here. We
need to be instructed in righteousness. Do you know why? Well, what do
I mean by that? Well, we need to learn how righteousness
comes. Why? Because Paul said, by nature,
men and women are ignorant of God's righteousness. And they
go about to establish their own righteousness and have not submitted
themselves unto the righteousness of God. How do you think that
righteousness comes to a sinner? That's a very valid and important
question. The righteousness of God is not
something that sinners conjure up within themselves, create
within themselves. It's not something within the
sinner that they develop, that they refine, and that they improve
upon. Not according to the Word of
God. You're here in 2 Timothy, turn over a page or so to Titus
chapter 3. Let me show you this while we're
this close. Look at verse 3. Speaking to
believers here, speaking to Titus and to other believers, Paul
says, for we ourselves, this is not just concerning unbelievers,
this is concerning believers. For we ourselves also were sometimes,
what? Foolish, disobedient, deceived,
serving divers lust and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful
and hating one another. But after that, the kindness
and love of God our Savior toward man appeared. How did it appear?
How did it come? Well, verse five, not by works
of righteousness, which we've done. It didn't come that way.
How did it come then? But according to his mercy, he
saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost,
which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior. So let me ask again, how does
the righteousness of God come to a saved sinner? Verse five,
according to God's mercy, no other way. Not by words of righteousness
that we've done. There's again, let me say, there's
nothing we can do to provide the perfect righteousness that
God requires. That's important to know. How
is this washing? How is this regeneration? This
reviving, this rejuvenating, that's what the word means. This
renewing of the Spirit of God shed abundantly on us. Verse
six tells us very plainly, through Jesus Christ, our Savior. That's
the only way. That's the only way. And everywhere
we look in this inspired Word of God, we see that it's the
same answer. in, by, through the Lord Jesus
Christ. So again, let me ask you, what
do you think of God's Word? Is it of man? Or is it of God? Paul said, we thank God without
ceasing. Because when you received the
Word of God, which you heard of us, you received it not as
the Word of man, but as it is in truth, the Word of God. which effectually, effectually
worketh also in you that believe. Now turn with me to John chapter
five. We've been studying this chapter
in our Bible study hour at 10 a.m. every Sunday morning. We've
been in chapter five for a few weeks now. We looked at this
verse earlier today, verse 39, John 5, 39, but let's look at
it in reference to what we're talking
about this morning. John chapter 5 verse 39, the
Lord Jesus says, search the scriptures for in them ye think, there's
that word again, what do you think? What do you believe? You think you have eternal life
and they are they which testify of me. Now there are many today
that think. that believe that they are saved,
that they're redeemed, that they're reconciled to God. They've searched
the Scriptures, they've studied the Bible, and they've memorized
a great portion of it, and they can proudly quote it, and because
of that, they think that they have eternal life. You know,
the Jews kept the outward doing of the law. They dotted every
I, they crossed every T. But salvation, now listen, eternal
life is not in how much Bible doctrine you know. It's redemption
has nothing to do with how much of the Bible you've memorized. Salvation doesn't have anything
to do with how much you know about Jesus Christ or how much
you know about God and His Gospel. Salvation is knowing Christ. It's knowing Him personally.
It's having a personal relationship with Him. It's knowing who He
is. Do you know who Jesus Christ is? He's God. He's the Son of
God, but He's God the Son. He's as much God as God the Father. God in three persons. It's knowing
who He is and it's knowing what He's done. He was made to be
sin for His people that they might be made the righteousness
of God in Him, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Himself said,
you search the scriptures, in them you think, you believe that
you have eternal life. And yet, they are they which
testify of me. What you think and believe on
this matter is crucial. Because if you think and believe, what you think and what you believe
can be wrong. You see, the Bible is about Jesus
Christ. And after the Lord had risen,
resurrected, Christ met, and walked with those two men on
the road to Emmaus. And these two disciples of the
Lord, as I said in the earlier hour, were sad and heartbreaking
that Christ had been crucified. And the Lord Jesus looked at
them and He said, O fools and slow of heart to believe all
that the prophets have spoken. all that the Old Testament Scriptures
spake and testified concerning the Messiah, He said, ought not
Christ to have suffered these things to enter into His glory? You've heard these things all
your life. You've studied the Scriptures.
In them you think you have eternal life, and yet you're surprised
when they come to pass? And it says, in beginning at
Moses, which is in Genesis, and in all the prophets, David, Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and all the others, He expounded
unto them. Christ preached unto them. Oh,
wouldn't you have liked to have been at that meeting? There was
just three there. Well, two or three are gathered
in His name. But the Lord Jesus expounded unto them in all the
Scriptures the things concerning Himself. What did Christ expand? All things concerning himself. A little later, when Christ appeared
to his disciples, he told them, these are the words which I spake
unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be
fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the
prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me. We say it all the time, we'll
say it again. The Bible's a hymn book, it's
all about hymn. Search the scriptures for in
them you think you have eternal life and they are they which
testify of me. Now, look at verse 40 here. And
you will not come to me that you might have life. Salvation
is coming to Christ. Not coming to the front of the
church, not coming to a priest, not coming to a preacher, not
coming to an altar. Salvation is coming to Christ. The problem with men and women
today is that they don't see that the Scriptures, the Bible,
the inspired Word of God testifies and bears witness of Jesus Christ. They don't see that the Word
of God is concerning Him. They don't see that eternal life
is trusting in Him. So they will not come to Him
that they might have life. They will not trust Him, and
they attempt to trust in themselves. I picture this often in my mind. I can just see the Lord standing
there on the last day of the Passover saying, come unto me.
Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I'll
give you rest." I wonder how many folks walked by and never
gave him an ear. I wonder how many people just
glanced at him and walked on by. He said, take my yoke upon
you and learn of me. Salvation is learning of Him,
friends. He said, for I'm meek and I'm
lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls. That's what I need. I need soul
rest. I need rest of my soul. So, let
me ask you again. What do you think of the Bible?
Do you see that it's a book concerning Jesus Christ? Do you see that
this book gives witness to Him? If you missed that, you've missed
it. That brings me to the second question. What do you think of
yourself? What do you think of yourself?
What is your opinion of yourself? I can assure you of this. And
I'll endeavor to prove it to you from the word of God. Men
and women think too highly of themselves and too lowly of God,
too low of God. That's just a fact. Paul gives
the warning in Romans 12, 3. I'm going to read you a few scriptures
here. You don't have to turn to. But Paul said in Romans 12,
verse 3, for I say through the grace given unto me to every
man that is among you not to think of himself more highly
than he ought to. Don't think of yourself too highly.
In Galatians 6, verse 3, he said, For if a man thinketh himself
to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. You see,
before God, we are nothing and we have nothing that we can offer
God that He would be mindful of us, that He would want to
Show us mercy and grace in any fashion. By nature, we don't
only think too highly of ourselves, but we think we know a whole
lot more than what we know. This is what God's Word says
about us. 1 Corinthians 8, verse 2. And if any man think that he
knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing, yet as he ought to know.
Men and women by nature not only think too highly of themselves,
not only do they think that they know everything, but they think
that they are in and of themselves sufficient to provide God what
He requires. And Paul said in 2 Corinthians
3, 5, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything
as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God. Our sufficiency, friends,
is of God. Again, God requires perfection.
We cannot provide what God requires. Only Christ is sufficient to
provide what God requires. Look at Romans chapter three
with me. Romans chapter three. I'll turn you to a couple more
passages and look at this with me. Romans chapter 3. Here Paul
describes every man, every woman, every sinner outside of Christ.
And in light of who and what we are, I must read these verses
to you. I want you to see them again
for yourselves in your own Bible. This book that you claim that
you believe, to be the inspired word and truth of God. This is
what God says about every fallen son and daughter of Adam. Some
might say, Preacher, I don't appreciate what you said about
me. I didn't say it. This is what God said. He said
it about me, and He says it about you. Look at verse 10, Romans
3. As it is written, 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, an open sepulcher. With their tongues, they've used
deceit. The poison of asp is under their lips. Mouth, their
mouth, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their
feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in
their ways and the peace and the way of peace, have they not
known? Well, there's no fear of God
before their eyes. Look down at verse 23. For all
have sinned and come short of the glory of God. So in reading
these things, let me ask you, is there any hope for any of
us? You better believe there is.
Verse 24. being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. And there we have it again. This
free grace, this redemption is through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners of whom I am chief. For when we were yet without
strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. Now I don't like the fact that
I'm ungodly, but I sure do love the fact that Christ died for
the ungodly. And I'll gladly take that place,
I'll gladly sign my name under that category in knowing that
that's who Christ died for. Who died for the ungodly? Christ
died for the ungodly. And that's exactly why Paul said,
he said, for I determined not to know anything among you except
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. You know, there are only two
things that we really need to know to be saved and reconciled
to God. First, Jesus Christ. Who He is. And secondly, Him crucified what
He did. This is not hard. This is not
hard. It's so simple. But it requires
God-given faith, divine revelation to believe it. And that's what
we ought to be praying for. As Brother Tommy prayed in his
prayer, Lord, give us eyes to see. Give us believing hearts. Enable us to believe this glorious
message that You've given us in Your Word. There's only one
that can save you from your sin. That's Jesus Christ. And you
have to know who He is. He's God. Only God can save you. How does He save sinners? He
does for them what they cannot do for themselves. He died the
death of the cross. He died the just. He's the just
One. He died for the unjust, for chosen
ungodly sinners. Why? That He might bring us to
God. It doesn't have anything to do
with our coming. It has to do with His bringing.
And that's our message. That's our gospel. Jesus Christ
and Him crucified. It's the message of substitution.
The gospel of God perfectly keeping the law for His elect. The good
news of God satisfying His own justice for us. And He says of
Himself, there is no God else beside Me. There's no other person
that can help us, shall He? There's no other place we can
go. There is no God else beside me. I'm a just God and a Savior. There's none beside me. That's
why Christ is both just and justifier of them that believe. And again,
we say there's one God and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus. That one God and that one mediator
are one and the same. Jesus Christ is God, and only
He can save you. Well, that brings me to the third
question. What think ye of Christ? That's the most important and
urgent question that any sinner's ever been asked. Turn with me
to Matthew chapter 22. Matthew chapter 22. Let's look
at it ourselves. Matthew chapter 22. One day a lawyer came to Christ,
verse 35, not a lawyer like in our day, not an attorney that
practices law, but a man who was a specialist, one that learned
and skilled in the Old Testament law of God. No doubt in my mind
that the Pharisees hired this man, got this man who was probably
the top in this field. Probably nobody knew any more
than this one man did. And they sent him to the Lord
Jesus. The scripture says to tempt him. And he asked this question in
verse 36. And his question was, Master,
which is the great commandment in the law? And Jesus said unto
him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and
with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and
great commandment. And the second is like unto it,
thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. And then he said
this, on these two commandments, hang all the law and the prophets. You can keep every, you can attempt
to keep every law written, the Ten Commandments, all the Levitical
law, all the do's and don'ts. But on these two things hang all
the law and the prophets. Then in verse 41, it lets us
know that the Pharisees had gathered together around the Lord Jesus.
I'm telling you, they I can just picture them. They gathered around
Him. They wanted to hear what He had to say, how He answered
this question to this specialist, this lawyer. And while they were gathered
together around Him, Jesus asked them this question, What think
ye of Christ? What think ye of Christ? Remember,
this question is asked in light of the answer that Christ had
just given them concerning the first and great commandment.
And in all the law and the teaching of the prophets in the Old Testament
hang upon the commandment of loving God with all your heart,
with all your soul and mind, and loving your neighbor as yourself.
So their answer to Christ's question here is going to expose their
state and their standing before God. What was his question again? What do you think of Christ?
Now notice that he didn't ask them if they believed in Christ's
existence. He didn't ask them if they believed
that Christ would come. The Jews were in continual expectation
of the Messiah coming. What our Lord is asking is this. Do you think that I am the Christ? Do you believe that I am the
Messiah? If loving God was the greatest
commandment, and I'm telling you, they were all about keeping
the commandments, did they and would they acknowledge Jesus
as the Christ, God in the flesh, and did they love Him? Was He just a man? Or was he
God? Was he just another human, or
was he divine? Would they bow to him as both
Lord and Christ, or would they hate him without a cause? Would
they reject him as their Savior, or would they bow to him in submission? Let me ask you, is there a Savior
necessary for your case? Do you yourself need a savior? What do you think of Christ? Do you see whose son he is? They
said to Jesus that the Christ was the son of David, but our
Lord Jesus lets them know that a greater than David is before
them. He says, for David called him
Lord. Look at verse 43. He saith unto them, how then
doth David in spirit call him Lord? Saying, the Lord said unto
my Lord, sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies
thy footstool. If David then called him Lord,
how is he his son? And no man. was able to answer
him a word, neither durst or neither dare any man from that
day forth ask him any more questions." I'm telling you, he sent them
home with their tail between their legs. What do you think of Christ,
dear sinner? Do you see that He's the Son
of God? Do you see that He's God the Son? Do you see that
God sending Him into the world was necessary in order for you
to be saved? Do you see that you, apart from
Christ, are cursed? For cursed is everyone that continues
not in all things which are written in this book of the law to do
them. Do you believe that Christ has quickened you, made you alive,
who were dead in trespasses and sins? Do you believe that Jesus
Christ, who knew no sin, was made to be sin for you, that
you might be made the righteousness of God in Him? What do you think? Fourthly, what do you think of
salvation? Well, let me ask you that in
another way. How does God save sinners? Do sinners save themselves? Or does God save them by His
grace? You know, it can't be both. Ephesians
2, 8 through 10, you know the verse by heart. For by grace
are you saved through faith, and that's not of yourselves.
It's the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should
boast, for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. What
do you think about that? Huh? Look at Romans 8 with me and
I'll wrap this up. Here's another verse that you
can, pretty much all of you can quote it by heart. Romans chapter 8, look at verse
28. Romans 8, 28, you know the verse. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are they
called according to His purpose? Now let me ask you, do all things
work together for good for everyone in the world? Well, no. No, not all things work together
for good to them who love the Lord, to them who are called
according to His purpose. Does everyone love the Lord?
No. Is everyone called according
to His purpose? Absolutely not. What do you think? It's urgent that you know. But
Paul goes on to answer that question for us in the following verses.
Look at verse 29. For whom He, God, did foreknow,
those whom God knew beforehand. Before what? Before the foundation
of the world. Before you ever bowed to Him. before the world was ever made.
He, God, also did predestinate, He predetermined, He determined
beforehand for you to be conformed to the image of His Son, that
He, being Christ, might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover, whom He did predestinate, those whom He predetermined,
them He also called, and whom He called, them He also justified,
and whom He justified, them He also glorified. Sounds to me
like salvations of the Lord. What shall we say then to these
things? Well, I can say this much, believing this. If God
be for me, who can be against me? I can say that. Before the world was ever framed,
God chose a people in Christ, gave them to Him, and He saved
them in the fullness of time, according to Galatians 4. Now
turn over a page to Romans chapter 9. And look at verse 9. For this is the word of promise. At this time will I come and
Sarah shall have a son. And you know the story here.
God promised Sarah and Abraham a son. Abraham was 100 years
old. Sarah was 90. when they conceived. Why then, you might ask? Why
did God wait so long to give them a son? I'm going to tell
you why. To show them and to prove to
them that this was all God's doing. That's why. Abraham's body was now dead to
produce seed. Sarah's womb was dead and barren
to conceive. This was done so that man might
know that life comes only from God. Verse 10, and not only this,
but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac,
for the children being not yet born, neither having done any
good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. And it was
said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger, as it is written,
Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say
then? That question asked again, is
there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For He said to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I'll have mercy, and I'll have compassion
on whom I'll have compassion. So then, here's the conclusion. It's not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Now I have to ask you, what do
you think Do you believe the salvations
of the Lord? Or do you believe that you have
a free will in the matter? Paul said it's not of him that
wills. It's not of him that runs, not of him that works, but of
God that shows mercy. Could that be any plainer? God
has mercy on whom He wills. God has compassion on whom He
wills. And whom God wills, He hardens. And so because of that, people
ask, well that's not right, that's not fair. Is there unrighteousness
with God? God forbid. Absolutely not. God has the right to do what
He will with His own. Even so, Father, it seemed good
in Thy sight. So, dear sinner, what do you
think? Do you think that you chose God? Or do you believe
that God chose you? Well, what did Christ say? He
said, you've not chosen Me, but I've chosen you and ordained
you that you should go forth and bring forth fruit and that
your fruit should remain. Friends, God saves us and God
keeps us. It's all God's doing. Salvation
is of the Lord from first to last. From beginning to end.
And I nor you would have it any other way. God chose us, God
called us, God saved us, God conforms us to Christ, God keeps
us, God will one day soon glorify us, God will give us bodies free
from sin. What do you think about that?
No? What do you believe? What do
I think about the Bible? I don't think anymore. I believe. I believe it's the Word of God.
I believe it's the inspired Word of God. The Bible is the Word
of God. Thus saith the Lord. What's my opinion of myself?
I believe that I'm a great sinner. The worst of the worst. I don't
deserve the least of God's mercies. What do I think of Christ? I
believe that Christ is a great Savior. I believe that He died
for me and He gave Himself for me. that I might have His perfect
righteousness and that I might have eternal life. I don't think
anymore, I believe. I know it's so. His spirit bears
witness with my spirit that these things are so. What do I think
of salvation? I can put it pretty plain. I
believe the salvations of the Lord from start to finish. How about you? What do you think?
May God enable you and I to trust Him and trust Him alone. Well,
today we're going to partake of the Lord's table together.
What a blessed ordinance this is.