All right, if you take your Bibles
now and turn with me to Romans chapter eight. Romans chapter
eight. And I've entitled this message,
The Foundation and Four Pillars of Justification. The Foundation
and Four Pillars of Justification. And we look here in Romans chapter
eight, and we'll begin our reading in verse 31. The Apostle says,
what shall we say then to these things? What things is he talking
about? These wonderful truths that he
has been espousing to us in this chapter. He says in verse 1,
there is what? There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in Christ. What wonderful thing is that?
No condemnation. That what we couldn't do through
the law, that because it was weak through the flesh, God sent
His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned
sin in the flesh. What wonderful things. What shall
we say to this? That the Spirit of God lives
in us. Verse 15, for you have not received
the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the
spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father. And the Spirit himself, itself,
beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.
What wonderful things. What shall we say to these things?
Look at this in verse 28. We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to his purpose. 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, then He also called. Whom He called,
He also justified, and whom He justified, He also glorified. What in the world will we say
to these things? These wonderful things. Here's
what He says. If God be for us, who can be
against us? If God be for us, who can be
against us? If God has decreed our salvation,
if Christ has accomplished our salvation, if the Spirit Himself
dwells in us and applies that salvation, if God has purposed
this, accomplished this, and applied this, what shall we say
then? If God's for us, who can stop
God from saving us? Who can be against us? Do you
think anything's against you right now? No, nothing can be
against you. Nothing can oppose you because
nothing can oppose God. God is for you, who then can
stand against you? to which the apostle applies
this reasoning, look at verse 32. He spared not his own son. How do you know God's for you?
Well, he spared not his own son, but delivered him up. Delivered
him up to the cross. Delivered him up into the hands
of sinful men. Delivered him up into the hands
of holy justice. He delivered his son, the most
precious thing, He gave the most precious thing. That's how you
know God's for you. He gave his son. God so loved
the world that what? He gave his only begotten son. That's the proof. That's the
evidence that he's for us. He spared not his own son. He
gave us the greatest possession. What then is the reasoning then?
How shall he not with him freely give us all things? All things,
all good things. What good things? Eternal life.
How shall he, if he gave Christ for our sins, how shall he not
give us this small thing of eternal life? If he gave Christ for us,
who made peace by the blood of his cross, how then shall he
not give us peace? You know what he said? My peace
I give unto you. Now as the world gives, I'm not
gonna take it back. The world gives and the world
takes. He don't take it back. I give you my peace. The kingdom of God. Isn't it
your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom? If he gave
his son, how much are these smaller things, will he withhold these
smaller things from you? which things we expect and wait
for by faith, having a good hope and confidence, not in ourselves. We have no hope and confidence
in ourself. Our hope and confidence is in
Christ who was given by God for us. Our hope is in God. Over in Hebrews, chapter 12 the
Apostle says this I'll read it to you I've got I've got several
I've got to get moving this is gonna be this is just the introduction
he says in Romans chapter 12 he says We should sing, we have
a great cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight
and the sin that easily besets us. That's unbelief, friends.
The sin that so easily besets us. He said, lay that aside.
Lay aside unbelief and run with patience the race set before
us. The race set before us. Believer,
you got a race set before you and I've got a race set before
me. Your experience in this life is not going to be the same as
mine. Okay? We should not therefore envy
our brother's race. I don't know, maybe I'm the only
one that does this. Maybe I look over at Scott and
I said, man, Scott's got it easy. I'd much rather run Scott's race. You know, if I probably had Scott's
race, I wouldn't last 10 minutes. We don't know what race our brother's
running. He said, let us run with patience,
the race set before us. How then shall we run this race
with patience? Because that's what he's called
us to do, run with endurance. Patience is not sit around twiddling
your thumbs. Patience is tough. It's hard. It's like a runner
running a race. He's enduring the race. Believer's not always jumping
up and down and happy. He's not always got a big smile
on his face. Usually he's in a puddle of tears. Usually life is hard for the
believer, and therefore he commands us run with endurance, with patience,
the race set before you. How do we run this race? The
same way you started it. looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith. And so in trials, in our afflictions,
we are to consider him so that we faint not. That's what he
said. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy set before him endured. There's his patience. He endured. Was that easy? No, he endured the cross, despising
the shame, and is set down on the right hand of the throne,
for consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners
against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your mind. Oh, believer, we're not deceived
about our life in this world, we're full of trouble. Job said, yet a man is born into
trouble as the sparks fly upward. It also said man is born of woman's
a few days and full of what? Trouble. Trouble. You got trouble. You got trouble. What kind of
trouble do we have? We have both kinds. Inward and outward. There's only
two kinds of trouble. Trouble within and trouble without. The trouble within is our conscience. The trouble within the believer
is the old man of sin. The trouble with the believer
within is self. There's our trouble. We're troubled by our conscience
and we see ourselves as we really are, oh wretched man that I am.
Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? We have troubles
without. What do troubles without do?
They expose our weakness, don't they? Troubles expose our weakness,
our inability in the flesh to deliver ourselves or keep ourselves. Now, it is impossible for us
to ever be able to endure outward afflictions. unless we are first
able to overcome inward troubles. It's always the order. This is
always the order of things. First, the inward troubles must
be dealt with in order that we might endure the outward troubles. If you ever try to endure the
outward afflictions without having the conscience dealt with, you're
in trouble. We're in trouble. the inward
must be dealt with first before we're ever able to endure the
outward afflictions. So we can by no means possess
true patience and confidence concerning our outward afflictions
if our own conscience is made to labor under conviction. You
know that you have some outward troubles, but I'll tell you this,
if you're not going to be able to endure that, have we not first
understood and have this settled that we are free from condemnation,
that we are free from sin. If you don't understand that,
then you're going to think all of these troubles are because
God is out to kill you. God is out to get you. I know
that's what we think, don't we? When we're not settled in our
conscience, all of our troubles appear as though God is trying
to destroy us. But if we were settled in ourselves,
what would our troubles on the outward be? That we'd understand
that they're used for God, for our good, for our chastisement,
for our rebuke, but yes, for our good. Go over to, I'm gonna
show you this. Go to Romans chapter five. Then
I'm gonna show you in our text, he does the same thing. He does
the same thing as he does in chapter five. Look at this. In
verses one and two, he deals first with the inward trouble. He says this, 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.
What did he do first? He dealt with the outward the
inward troubles. He settled this matter of the
conscience. You're justified by the faith of Christ. You've
been justified. Christ is the object of our faith
for justification. We have peace with God. And what
does this do then? Look at verse three. Then he
starts on the outward troubles. And he says, and not only so,
but we glory in tribulations. Why? Knowing tribulation, work
of patience, patience, experience, experience, hope, and hope, make
it not a shame, because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given unto us. See, the apostle
first deals with this matter of justification, our standing
before God through Christ, in which we have peace and access,
and by knowing this then, we are able only then to glory in
tribulation. You must understand this first.
There's an order that follows along here, friends, that you
can't disrupt the order. We want to go to the end first,
don't we? We want the love of God shed abroad in our hearts
first. Well, you got, in order to understand that, you first
have to understand that you've been justified. You gotta understand
you have access with God. You gotta understand that tribulations
and trials, by knowing that, then you're able to endure these
tribulations, and then the love of God, when they're done, you
say, look what God has done. The love of God shed abroad in
our hearts. And so now go back to your text,
and I want you to see he's doing the same thing here. He's dealing
with first the outward, the inward, so that we may endure the outward. Watch this. The N word is dealt
with in verses 33. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. What
is he dealing with first? Justification. Now look, who
is he that condemneth? As Christ died, yea, rather is
risen again, even at the right hand of God, whoever liveth to
make intercession for us. Now watch this. Who shall separate
us from the love of Christ? outward things, tribulation,
persecution, distress. You see, he first deals with
this matter of justification so that we might have the ability
then to endure the outward afflictions. And know this, if we know our
justification, we know this, nothing's gonna separate us from
the love of God's in Christ Jesus. That's what we have to learn
first, is our justification. Believers, We shall have tribulation
and nothing is going to prevail. Nothing shall prevail and separate
us from the love of God. Why? Because of our justification. Because God justified us. Because
Christ died for us. And so this is the foundation
of our justification. I'm gonna lay this out. I'm gonna
give you first the foundation of your justification. What's
the source? What's the source? Where did
your justification begin? Then, I want us to see the four
pillars on which our justification now stands. So let's see this
first, the foundation. Notice what Paul says in verse
33. He says, Who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? Now you believe in Christ. Here
Paul, by the Holy Ghost, reminds us of our election. This is the
foundation. This is where your justification
begins. It didn't begin when you believed. It didn't even begin when Christ
died. It began in eternity. Your justification is rooted
in your election. That's why Paul begins here.
He said, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? There's a believer, he's troubled.
He's accused. His conscience is convicting
him. Satan is hurling accusations
at him. And you know what? By all outward
appearances, he's right. But yet Paul asks this question,
who's gonna lay anything to the charge of God's elect? No one,
because they're elect. They're elect. We who believe
on Christ have not done, we've not believed on Christ by chance,
have we? We've not believed on Christ
by accident, but according to the sovereign will and election
of the Father. Our election was not ascribed
to us by any merits of ourselves. It was never based on anything
we have done or would do for God. Our election is by the free
mercy and grace of God alone. That's vitally important because
the root of our justification is election. If our justification,
if our election has anything to do with us, then our justification
has to do with us. But our justification has nothing
to do with us because it's rooted in our election that has nothing
to do with us. Look then at the foundation of
your justification, the foundation of this truth that you are free
from all guilt. You are free from all guilt.
It's rooted in our election of God by whom we were put into
union with Christ. We were predestinated to be holy
sons of God, not by the merits of the elect, but by the merits
of Jesus Christ, the son of God. You know these scriptures, but
we're gonna read them anyway. First Corinthians chapter one,
look at verse 30. It says, but of God are you in
Christ Jesus. I read this today. You know,
being in Christ Jesus is a place. It's like being in the ark. It's like being in the house
with the blood, being in Christ. We are in Christ Jesus, in union
with him who put you there. God put you there. And God made
him to be what? Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification
and redemption, all of which are necessary for being justified. Over in Ephesians, you know this
one as well, Ephesians chapter one. Ephesians chapter one, verse
four, according as God had the Father hath chosen us in Christ,
before the foundation of the world, For what purpose? That we should be holy and without
blame. What else is justification but
to be holy and without blame? That's what it is to be justified,
isn't it? You know, we always said that when I was growing
up. That was always a phrase. Justification means just as if
I never sinned. No, to be justified means this. You never sinned. That's what
it means, friends. It's not like if you never sinned. It means you never sinned. Justification
is not a pretend thing. God's not pretending you're without
sin. God purposed in the election
that you should be without sin. That's what God purposed. That you should be holy without
blame before him. Here's his motivation in love. in love, having predestinated
us under the adoption of children. Here's how it's going to be done.
By Jesus Christ. Not a combination of you and
Jesus Christ. Not a combination of your free
will and Jesus Christ. Not a combination of your work
and Jesus Christ. It is to be done by Jesus Christ
alone. This is the will of God in election.
That our justification be accomplished by Jesus Christ, all for the
good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His
grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved. Look
then at this foundation. is foundation. Our election makes
then all accusations of Satan, of the world, and even our conscience
to be empty and vain. Do you get that? All accusations
of your conscience are empty and vain. If you are the elect
of God, If you are the elect of God, if God in Christ puts
you in Christ before the foundation of the world and purpose that
Christ should be all your justification, then you pay attention. All accusations
against you are without any merit whatsoever. They're without any
merit. Well, how can that be? Look back
at your text. Paul tells us this, who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Listen, it's God
that justifies. It's God that justified us. It's God that justified us. When
did He justify us? He justified us in His sovereign
eternal election. according to His own purpose
and will in Christ Jesus. Now, there's nothing worse to
this religious age than the doctrine of God's sovereign election.
There's nothing worse to this religious age, even because men
have some kind of vain hope that they might have some ability,
some merit in their own justification before God. They want to have
some part in it. Surely there's got to be something
for me to do. Sin. That's what you've done. That's what you're capable of.
Sin. But no. We who believe understand
this. We were born dead in sins. We had no spark of life in us.
If God left our justification to our free will, we never would
have come. Jesus told us that, didn't He?
No man can come unto Me. Except what? The Father, which
has sent Me, draw him. If one thing was left to us to
perform, one act of religion was left for us to do, we surely
would be cast into hell forever. Why? Because sin is mixed with
all we do. But the confidence and comfort
of the believer is that God chose us for Himself before anything
was there to oppose us. You understood that you were
chosen before there was any opposition? There was no objection because
there was nothing and no one to object. You were chosen before
there was any to object, before there was any sin. to object
or accuse you of. You were chosen in Christ. He chose us based on His own
sovereign grace and love. He justified us by putting us
into union with Christ. And consider this, you who are
chosen of God, that our justification is founded on an eternal, an
unchangeable, immutable purpose of God. That just simply means when God
justified you, you pay attention, you were justified. And there's
no variable nor shadow of turning with him. Listen what he says
of himself, I'm the Lord, I change not. Now listen, if he justified
you yesterday and you're not justified today, that's not God.
Any God that justified you yesterday and unjustifies you today is
not God. Why? God says, I change not. Therefore, what? You sons of
Jacob are not consumed. Why am I not consumed? Scott, how many sins have we
committed today? How many, honestly, have we blatantly
disobeyed our God and failed miserably? How many? And yet I know this, I am in
the eyes of God perfectly justified. Why? Because no one can bring
accusations against me because God who cannot change justified
me. Justified me. Therefore I'm not
consumed. I'm not consumed. We're not consumed
because God who chose us ordained that we should be holy by Jesus
Christ and He doesn't change. His will is immutable. His love
is eternal. It does not change. So then this justification is
only for who? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of, listen, God's elect. It is God that justifies. Who did justify? His elect, his
elect, only his elect. God did not choose and justify
all men without exception. False religion proclaims such
foolishness as to say God loves and God's justified all men without
exception. The only thing they need to do
is accept it. The only thing they need to do
is exercise their free will and that makes God's justification
applicable. But that's not the gospel. God's
gospel says this. He chose some of Adam's race.
As many as the Father had given me. He gives life to as many
as the Father has given Him. Not one more, not one less. He
prays not for the world, but for them which were given Him
of the Father. Not one more, not one less. And
I'll tell you this, not one more and not one less is justified
than the elect. Well, how then may I find comfort
in this? How may I know I am elect? Listen friends, I want to be
justified. Am I justified by God? How shall
I know this? The only evidence of this, are
you cold? Are you cold? Look what he says
back in verse 30. He said, moreover, this is talking
about his election. Whom he did predestinate, there's
the elect. He also did what? He called. And listen, whom He called, what
does He do? Justified. And those who are
justified, guess what? They're glorified. They're glorified. Are you called? Are you called? Do you believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ? There's the evidence of our election
and there's the evidence of our justification. Even our faith
in Jesus Christ alone. Now I know that all who repent
and believe on Christ are the elect. I tell every man everywhere
to repent. You know why? I don't know who
the elect are. I don't know if you're one of them. I just tell
you believe. Repent. Turn. Come to Christ. Come now. Come without delay.
The door is open. Come in. wash yourselves in the
blood of the Lamb and be cleansed. Isn't that what the scripture
says? They that made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.
How did they do that? They believed on the Son of God
and the moment one believes, you know this, he is justified. He is justified. Now listen,
His faith is not the cause of His justification, it's simply
the reception of it. It's simply the receiving of
what Christ has already accomplished. What God has already purposed.
We receive this by faith. Faith is the manifestation of
our election and our justification. Now we who are the elect of God,
let us find comfort in this. This is the foundation of my
justification. This is why no one can accuse
me, not myself and not Satan and not the world. Why? Because
God chose me and God justified me. God justified me. And I know God justified me simply
because I was in Christ. You can't be in Christ and not
be holy. You see that? You can't be in
Christ and not be... How can you be accepted in the
blood and not be holy? You can't. The scripture says
this that over in Ephesians it tells us
that we were by nature the children of wrath even as others, but
God. But God who is rich in mercy with His great love wherewith
He loved us even while we were dead in sins. Hath what? Quickened us together with Christ. You see, when Christ was in this
world, I was in Christ. When Christ died on the cross,
I was in Christ. When Christ rose again from the
dead, I was in Christ! I was in Christ. And now Christ
sits in the heavens, and guess where I am? I am in Christ. and
you can't be in Christ and in heaven without being justified.
Impossible. Impossible. And we are justified
by God in Christ. But we had no claim on this until
when? Until we were called. Today, listen to me, you have
no claim on justification unless you're called. But if you are
called, I want you to know this, No accusations shall ever stick
against you. There you are. You lied. Caught red-handed. And someone looks at you and
says, look, there's a liar. And we say, truth. We confess
our sins. We're not overshadowing that.
We confess our sins. But you know what God sees? God
sees only one who tells the truth. Why? Because of our union with
Christ. Because of our union with Christ.
Do you believe on the Son of God? Then behold, the foundation
of your justification is your election. And rejoice that our
election hath obtained our righteousness, even as Jesus has for us merited
and obtained it by His grace. Notice this, you're in Romans. Move over to Romans chapter 11,
look at verse five. Romans 11, and look at verse
five. It says, even so at this present
time, there's a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace there's no more
works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works
and there's no more grace, otherwise work is no more work. What then?
Israel hath not obtained that which is secret. What did they
obtain? They wanted to be justified.
They wanted to be righteous. They could not obtain it by works. I'm gonna tell you right now,
you cannot be justified by your works. How then are we justified? How then are the remnant justified?
It says, but the election hath obtained it and the rest were
blinded. How is it that the elect obtained
it? Because God gave it to them by grace. God gave me this justification
by grace. And so what's the foundation
of my justification? Listen, I'm telling you what,
we're full of trouble inside. We're full of accusations. We're often cast down because
of that old man of sin that still remains in us. But this is our
comfort. This is the hope of the elect.
It's God that justified me. That is my only hope. That's
my only hope against any accusation, because if that's not true, then
every accusation sticks. But if this is true, none of
them do. God justified me. I'll tell you this, it wouldn't
do any good if a man justified me, would it? If we justified
each other, what good would that do? Our sins against God. Listen what God says, I am he
that blotteth out transgression. There's only one person that
can justify you, it's God. Not by merit, but for mine own
sake, he said, I will not remember thy sins. We are justified only
by God. So does your sin trouble you
today? Are you accused and feel the guilt of your sin? Who then
can lay anything to your charge seeing it's God that justifies
you? The only answer is nothing, no
one. There is no charge against you. There is no charge against
you. You elect of God, our justification
is by God who is just, and he can only justify justly. That's important, isn't it? This
is not a backdoor, shady, political deal. This is true, perfect justification. That's the only kind of justification
God can do, is perfect justification. And this is what I'm sent to
preach to you, to comfort you with this. Comfort you with this. Now we see our foundation. Now
then let's look at these pillars real quickly. Look at verse 34.
Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God,
who make ever liveth to make intercession for us. Now let's
see this. He said, who can lay anything
to the charge? And now he asked the question,
who can condemn us? Now consider, if no one can lay
a charge to you, surely there can be no one to condemn you. You know, imagine a police officer
took you before a judge and says, condemn him! And the judge says,
what's the charge? He said, well, I don't have a
charge. I don't have an accusation. Well, how can I condemn Him without
an accusation? There's no such thing. You can't
do it. Believer, God Himself, who is
holy, is pleased to justify us, to deliver us from all condemnation,
for He views us as possessing perfect righteousness. Isn't
that what I said at the very beginning? He said in verse one,
there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
Why? For what we couldn't do through
the wet law was weak through the flesh. God sending his son,
the likeness of sinful flesh, condemned sin in the flesh. Listen,
that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us. You see, that's what's taking
place. There's no condemnation because the righteousness of
God is fulfilled in you. by Jesus Christ. Well, then this question comes,
how can this be? How can this be knowing truly
we have sinned, knowing that we really are guilty of breaking
God's law? How can God justify us? How can
he declare us righteous? How can he not accuse us? How
can he not condemn us? You know this daily, you are
condemning you. Believer, you and I condemn each
other, we condemn ourselves daily. And we have this question is
popping in our heads, how is it possible that I can be without
sin and yet be so full of it? How is it possible God can justify
me? Well, then that's what these
four pillars are for. Look at this, this is how you can not
be charged and how you can not be condemned. Listen, first of
all, here's this pillar, it is Christ that died. It is Christ
that died. See that His death, that by His
death the just penalty of the law on the account of our sin
was executed and satisfied God's divine justice once and for all.
This is how I know I'm justified. This is how I know I can't be
condemned because Christ died in my stead. This was God's purpose in the
election, wasn't it? That by Jesus Christ we should be made
holy. And how then should we be made holy except sin first
be dealt with? Seeing we really sin, sin must
really be dealt with. God could never pardon or forgive
us, or accept us, except first justice be satisfied for our
sins. Therefore, atonement must be
made in order that God might justify His elect. And this was
set forth in those types and shadows of the Old Testament.
Listen to what the writer of Hebrews says. He says, almost
all things of the law were purged with what? Blood. And without, what? Blood is no
remission. There's no such thing as justification
without blood. This is the principle the law
sets forth. Therefore, these are patterns,
Paul says. These are figures of the truth. It says, for Christ
entered not in the holy place made with hands, which are figures
of the truth. but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us, yet, nor yet that he
should offer himself often as the high priest entered in the
holy place every year with blood of others. Then he must have
suffered since the foundation of the world, but now once,"
listen, once at the end of the world, he hath appeared to do
what? Put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. As it is pointed
unto men once to die and after this the judgment, so Christ
offered, was once offered to bear the sins of many. And unto
them that look for him, he shall appear the second time without
sin to salvation. You see, Jesus Christ was appointed
to be our faithful high priest to offer himself as a sacrifice
for sins. Our God took those real sins
that we really committed And he really imputed them to Christ. The scripture says he made him
to be sin for us. And at the same time he knew
no sin. You see that blood must be innocent
blood. It must be sinless blood. And
yet he was made sin. And as soon as God saw the sin
of us, he really suffered. He really died. He really experienced
the full measure of God's wrath against that sin. So then if my sin was imputed
to Christ and Christ really paid for my sin, how then can it be
anyone accuse me of it? How could anyone condemn me of
it? You see, God being just cannot demand twice payment. He can't demand payment at Christ's
hands and then again at mine. That sin was really paid for.
and you pay attention, that sin is really gone. Whatever sin
it is, it's gone. It will never, ever be brought
up again by God to us. Is that not the most astounding
thing you've ever heard? Is that not the most wonderful
thing? That's what justification is.
This is the pillar of it. It's founded in our election
and God's purpose, but it was accomplished by Christ's death.
It was accomplished by his death. This one man, after he'd offered
one sacrifice for sin, sat down. Why? He hath perfected forever
them that are sanctified. That's what Christ did to justify
us. Free from the law, O happy condition.
Why, Jesus had bled and there is remission, cursed by the law,
bruised by the fall. Christ hath redeemed us once
for all. There on the cross your burden
unbearing, thorns on his brow your savior was wearing. Never
again your sin need appall. You have been pardoned once for
all. That's what it is to be justified,
friends. Oh, what a wonderful pillar this
is. Why then shall you not be accused? Why then shall you not
be condemned? You were chosen of God. You were
justified by God. And Christ justified you by dying
for your sins. Notice the second pillar here.
The second one is this. Not only did Christ die, He rose
from the dead. He rose from the dead. Now if
Jesus who died for our sins failed to be raised from the dead, this
would prove fatal to all the elect and we would never be justified. You see, if Christ was not raised,
then listen, he still had sin. Why do you think men are out
there trying to search for his tomb right now with his body in it?
They want to prove that he failed. Well, that's impossible because
he didn't fail. Why do you think the book of
Acts is so full of that fact of his resurrection? Because
his resurrection proves his success. Here's a pillar. He paid for
thy sins. How do you know it was done? He rose from the dead. That's
how we know it is done. Paul said this, if Christ be
not raised, you are yet in your sins. This is a pillar of our comfort
that he is risen, that he is raised from the dead without
what? Sin. And so if I'm in him, guess what
I'm without? I'm without sin. I'm without sin. I'm one with
him. This shows that He eternally
abolished our sins and forever put them away. In His death, He bore our condemnation. In His resurrection, He proves
our absolution and justification. Now what the Scripture says,
He was wounded for our transgression. He was raised again for what?
Our justification. Our justification. The third
pillar is what? He not only died, he not only
rose again, who is even at the right hand of God. Here's a third
pillar, that Christ is now ascended to the right hand of the throne
of God. This is a figurative language.
When an earthly monarch would want to give honor to someone,
he would have him sit at his right hand. The scripture says, who being
the brightness and image of the person of God, upholding all
things by the word of this power, after he had purged our sins,
rose again from the dead. What did he do? He sat down on
the right hand of the majesty on high. Behold how God has honored
Christ. Here's a pillar for you. God
has honored him. How do I know my salvation is
secure? God has honored him. Behold how men strive in vain
to erase Christ's name from the history books. Behold how they try to erase
him from their very minds and yet they cannot do it because
God will honor him. God will always honor. You know
Christ never wrote one book and yet how many books are written
of him? Christ never wrote one song,
yet how many songs are sung of Him? He chose not the mighty and the
noble, but the poor and the weak, and yet how victorious is His
gospel and how it still spreads, even though it's hated by the
whole world. Why? Because God chose to honor
him. Wherefore, God hath highly exalted
him and given him a name that is above every name. Now you
listen, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every
tongue shall confess that he is Lord. To the glory of God
the Father. God hath highly exalted him.
And there he sits now. And what is he doing at the right
hand of God? What did he say in that high
priestly prayer? He said this, as thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him. You know what he's doing right
now? He is moving all things to save his people. Friends, this world is not in
chaos, it's a symphony. Everything is moving in perfect
time and rhythm. Symphony is not something that
you just throw together. It's something planned. It's
something orchestrated, and every instrument plays its certain
note at a certain time, and it makes a harmonious sound. That's
what Christ is doing. He is conducting a symphony in
heaven, and He's drawing all His people to Himself. All those
God purposed to justify, all those He died for, all those
He rose again for, He is now calling them. Calling them to
Himself. And because he's seated on the
right hand of God, who then shall remove you from him? See, he has all power. That's
a pillar, isn't it? Isn't that something to stand
on? And the fourth pillar is this, he ever liveth to make
intercession for us. The intercession of Jesus Christ
is this last pillar that holds us up as perfect before God. He daily, constantly, persistently,
perpetually intercedes for you. Believer in Christ, you and I
are not yet without sin. I know in the purpose of God,
in the mind of God, in the eyes of God, and in Christ we are.
But in our experience we still have sin. And what do we need
now in the midst of our troubles, in the midst of our pains? We
must first deal with this sin inside of us, this conscience.
And what then settles this? Listen, Christ ever liveth to
make intercession for us. John was not ignorant of this.
He said, if any man say he has not sinned, he makes God a liar.
Any man say he has not sinned, the truth's not in him. But if
we confess our sins, he is what? Faithful and just to forgive
us our sins. And he said this, little children,
I write these things unto you that you sin not. Believer, sin
is not, just because we have been justified, does that give
us any reason to sin? No. Shall we sin that grace may
abound? God forbid. Believer, sin not. But when you sin, remember, you
have Jesus Christ, the righteous,
constantly interceding for you. So then I'll close with this. There's a picture of this in
Zachariah. You remember Joshua, the high
priest? Joshua the high priest was standing
before God. He was a high priest. He's supposed
to have the robe. He's supposed to have a white
linen garment. He's supposed to have all of
the jewels. He's supposed to have the crown. But instead he
has a filthy garment on, standing before God. And there's Satan
standing at his right hand, ready to accuse him. What does the
Scripture say? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies, and
you remember, Christ intercedes at that moment, and he said,
is this not a brand plucked from the burning? Is this not mine? Is this not mine elect? Is this
not one I've justified? Is this not one that I died for? Is this not one that I was raised
for? Is this not one that I called
by my power? Is this not one that I intercede
for right now? And you remember what happened?
He said, you go get the best robe. You'll get that robe and
you put it on him. Take that filthy thing off and
you put on that robe of righteousness. You put on that crown on his
head. And you know what the scripture says? And the angel of the Lord
stood by. You know what that means? He
made sure it was done. You know how I'm gonna be justified?
Why I'm justified? Because he makes sure it's done. When all's said and done, I'm
justified. Who justified me? God did. How do you know? Christ
died. Christ rose. Christ is seated
on the throne of glory and Christ ever lives to make intercession
for me. So then who's going to accuse
you? Who's going to condemn you if God justifies you? What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? Who shall separate you from his
love? What reason would God have to
throw you away if he already took your sin and put it away?
You bet he will call you unto himself. I pray God will bless this to
you. Let's be dismissed in prayer.