Learn with me, if you would,
to the book of Romans. Romans chapter four. Romans four. The Apostle Paul is dealing here
with the issue of justification by faith and not by works. That's what he is dealing with
in this whole section of Romans. When it comes to the truth of
the doctrine of Christ. That's how the scripture describes
the teaching of the word. It's the doctrine of Christ,
the doctrine of the word, the word of God, doctrine God has
declared. When it comes to the truth, there
are two very close variations of it. that sandwich it on either side
of what God has declared. God has declared the truth. And there are two very close
variations of it that sandwich it on each side. Now, if it is
a variation of what God has declared, if it's a variation, then it's
error. If it veers From what God has
said, it's error. That's just plain and simple. If it veers from what God has
said, it's error. All error is error for two reasons. Number one, it's because it's
not what God said. You know how your kids will come
and say, why? Here's the answer. Because I
said so. Period. It's not what God said. And number
two, because it steals the glory away from Christ. When you deviate
from what God has said, any deviation steals the glory away from Christ. To steal that glory away from
Him is error. Error. And we've been going through
Romans. We're in chapter 4. And Romans
chapter 4 clearly declares justification. And what that means is salvation.
Salvation by faith. By faith in what Christ has done. Romans 3 is all about justification
by faith. That's how it ended, that chapter
ended. Romans 5 is all about justification
by faith. It's a very critical issue in
the scripture. This is a critical, critical
issue. When it comes to faith, we have
what God has to say about it, And then we have these two deviations
from it. And the Apostle Paul deals with
both of those deviations in Romans chapter four. Both sides of it. So I want to tell you what they
are and then we'll read what God's word has to say about it.
Ephesians 2 verse 8 says, by grace are you saved through faith. I wonder why the two words through
faith are in that verse of scripture. It's because it's through faith.
By grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God. The first error is this, trying
to make a work out of faith. That's the first error. Trying
to make a work out of faith. Faith is not a work. It is not a work. Faith is a
gift. Many people in error give the
credit for faith where it's not due. They give the work for performing
faith, that performance of faith to whom it's not due. They give
it to man. The credit for faith, hey, believing,
believing they give that credit to man and to give the credit
for faith to man is to steal the glory. Of the work and the
gift away from Christ. Many people say. Many people
say this now all these things are so everything all these promises
they are so. But only if you believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now here's the thing. You gotta
make up your mind that you're gonna believe Christ now. That's
on you. You're gonna have to make that
decision. That's just not so. That's not
so. Either you believe something
or you don't. Either you believe something or you don't. And to
say that this is your decision to believe, that's error. That is stealing the glory away
from Christ. It is the faith of Christ. It's His faith, it's not ours. Faith is not of yourselves, it's
not of ourselves. You know, people, we get so down
on ourselves. I just, I need to exercise my
faith more. I need to, well, it's not mine.
It's his. This is what faith cries. Please,
would you exercise my faith more? He's the one who gives it. He's
the one who performs it. He's the one who reveals the
object of it, which is him. All from him, of him and to him. So, To see faith is to see God's
work in a sinner. That's what it is. It is God
which worketh in you both to will and do of his good pleasure. Faith is not the cause of salvation. What must I do to be saved? Well,
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That sounds like if you'll believe,
that'll start your salvation. Faith is not the cause, it's
the evidence. It's the evidence of the fact
that it's already finished. It does not start the work. It
evidences that the work is already finished. And let me show you
that right here in the scripture. We're picking up today with verse
nine, but let's begin reading in verse one. It says, what shall
we say then that Abraham, our father, as pertaining to the
flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified
by works, he hath whereof the glory, but not before God. For
what sayeth the scripture, Abraham believed God and it was counted
unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the
reward not reckoned of grace, but of dead. If a man works for
it, he's owed what he worked for. It's not grace that's debt.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly. That's what sinners believe.
That's what God's people believe. Christ justifies the ungodly,
not those who make themselves godly. To him that believeth on him
that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto
whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, blessed
are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Verse nine says, cometh this
blessedness then upon the circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision
also? For we say that faith was reckoned
to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned when
he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Meaning, was
it after God revealed himself to Abraham or before God revealed
himself to Abraham? Was Abraham's faith the cause
of his salvation or was it the evidence of his salvation? Verse
10 goes on to say, not in circumcision but in uncircumcision. Lost. Abraham's faith came before he
knew who God was. He was an idol worshiper. His
faith revealed the truth that his salvation was finished while
he was yet a sinner. And that's what he believed.
He believed when that faith came that the work was over. God had
already finished the work. Verse 11, and he received the
sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith,
which he had yet being uncircumcised. that he might be the father of
all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that
righteousness might be imputed unto them also. So the first
great error in regard to what God has to say about justification
by faith is, man puts the credit for faith where it does not belong.
He puts the credit in man's hands instead of in God's hands. He
makes it a work of man instead of the gift of God, and he puts
it in the wrong spot. He credits it in the wrong place. He makes it the cause and not
the result. That's a big error, a big error. That's a common error. All right,
the second great error in regard to salvation, justification,
doesn't credit faith at all. The second great error does not
credit faith at all. It acknowledges that God's faith
does exist and that he does give it to some. And those that he
gives it to, they do have a greater sense of peace and they have
a greater sense of comfort. If you had more faith, you could
relax more. But they say it is in no way
a component, especially a critical component. in the saving work
of Christ for his people. They say it's not involved in
the saving work of Christ, which is another way of saying it's
not the evidence. The first error says it's not the evidence, it's
the cause. The second error says it's not
the evidence, it's irrelevant. Faith is irrelevant. They both
agree. that it's not the evidence. In error, they both agree. They're
just on opposite ends of the spectrum. One's on this side
and one's on the other. The fact of the matter is, faith
is the evidence. Faith is the evidence. Hebrews
11 verse 1 says, faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen. Everything that Christ did for
His people was for His glory. Everything that Christ did was
for His glory. It was all for His praise. Ephesians 1 tells us that everything
God the Father did for us in Christ. It keeps saying in Christ. Everything he did, all of those
blessings that the Father gave was to the praise of the glory,
his grace. It was for his praise, it was
for his glory. God the Father chose his people. God the Son redeemed those people. God the Spirit calls those people. to the praise of the glory of
his grace. He did not do all of this with
the intent of never notifying his people. He did not do all
of this with the intent of never notifying his people. It was
all to the praise of the glory of his grace. He himself said
in John 6 45, they shall all be taught of God. Every man therefore
that hath heard and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. So the idea and the belief that
faith is not a critical, exact evidence that God has given to
reveal who his people are, that denial is not only error, dangerous. It's very dangerous. Turn with
me over to John 14. John 14 verse 16, our Lord said,
And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another comforter,
speaking of the Spirit, that He may abide with you forever,
even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because
it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him, but you know Him. For he dwelleth with you and
shall be in you. You know him, he dwells with
you and shall be in you. Verse 25 says, these things have
I spoken unto you, being yet present with you, but the Comforter,
which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
he shall teach you all things. and bring all things to your
remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you. He will teach
all things concerning God's holiness. God's people will come to a knowledge
of God's holiness and man's sinfulness. God's people will understand
something of their wretchedness before him. And the only way
that a sinner can be justified before God, which is in the blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ, not by my works of righteousness,
only by his blood. That's it. His blood alone. He
said, he will teach you the truth of these things. Look with me
at John chapter 16. John 16 verse six. But because I have said these
things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless,
I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that
I go away, for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto
you. But if I depart, I will send
him unto you and when he has come, he will convince, he will,
that's what the word reprove means, convince the world of
sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Every soul throughout
the world that God sends his spirit to, he will come and convince
that soul of his sin and God's righteousness and the judgment
that's coming out of Christ, and the only hope of judgment
being in Christ, surviving judgment in Christ. Verse 13 right here
says, how be it when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He
will guide you into all truth, for He shall not speak of Himself,
but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak, and He will
show you things to come. He shall glorify me. For he shall
receive of mine and shall show it unto you. The work of the
Holy Spirit is he brings faith. That's the work of the Spirit.
He points men and women to Christ. He comes and he points men and
women to Christ. He opens the eyes and the ears
and the mind and the heart. and he quickens spiritually dead
sinners to life. He is the one who brings this
life-giving evidence. Through his work, faith comes,
a heart to bow comes, repentance comes, all of these things come
to a child of God. To deny the work of the father
in election. Just think about that for one
moment. Think about what if we denied the work of the father
in election, choosing who he would say. Father chose who he
would say. If we denied the work of the
father in election, that would be blasphemy against the father. If we denied the work of God
the Son in redemption, If we denied that the blood of Christ
paid the debt of the sin for His people, if we denied it,
that would be blasphemy against the Son of God. To deny the saving
work of God's Holy Spirit, that He will come to His people and
quicken them and call them and put faith in them and reveal
the things of Christ to them, to deny the work of the Spirit
is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Now turn with me if you
would to Matthew chapter 12. Matthew 12 verse 30 says, He that is not with me is against
me. And he that gathereth not with
me scattereth abroad. Wherefore I say unto you, all
manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the
blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. The denial of the work of the
Holy Ghost that God sends, unbelief. Unbelief. Now watch verse 32.
This is an amazing verse. And whosoever speaketh a word
against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him. But whosoever
speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him,
neither in this world, neither in the world to come. That makes
this a critical issue, doesn't it? This issue of faith, how
believers receive and understand the work of faith. Is it critical? Is it necessary? Absolutely. Who does the glory for it go
to? Is it our doing? Is it God's doing? Don't turn,
but Acts 13 verse 48 says, as many as were ordained to eternal
life believed. Not just believed anything. Believed
the truth. He is the spirit of truth. Believed
the truth about God, the truth about man, the truth about salvation,
being the work of Christ alone. It's the evidence that God has
given to reveal his people. Go with me to John chapter 10. John 10, 24, then came the Jews
round about him and said unto him, How long dost thou make
us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us
plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you,
and you believed not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me. but you believed not because
you are not of my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep,
hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. Back in verse
five, he said, a stranger will they not follow but will flee
from him for they know not the voice of strangers. They will
not sit under a false message. The Lord's people, they will
not. They will not stay under and be content to listen to a
message of lies. They will not follow the voice
of anyone but Christ. He said, where two or three are
gathered in my name, I'm in the midst of them. And that's where
his people want to be. They want to be where he is.
They will hear the gospel message. They will hear his truth through
a preacher. And the spirit through that preached
message will convince the child of God to come out of the message
of lies. Gather where the truth of his
word is being preached and that child in obedience will do so. And the reason is because it'll
become a life and death issue to him. I must gather where God's
name is and his word is being preached and his glory is and
his people are those who bow to him by faith. That center will cling to the
scriptures alone, grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, the
glory of God alone. That's the evidence. You'll see
everything else other than that to be damnation. It's damnation. Go with me to 2 Thessalonians
2. Be very quick. 2 Thessalonians 2. Hmm. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse
7. It says, the mystery of iniquity doth already work. Only he who
now letteth will let until he be taken out of the way. And
then shall that wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with
the spirit of His mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of
His coming, even him whose coming is after the working of Satan
with all power and signs and lying wonders." Now watch verse
10. and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish." In them that perish. Because they received not the
love of the truth that they might be saved. That makes this critical. That makes this critical. That
makes faith in Christ. Faith on Christ. He said, I am
the truth. That love of the truth. He said,
I'm the truth. That makes it a critical component
of his salvation. Hebrews 11 verse 6 says, without
faith it is impossible to please God. So it's critical. That's
what Paul is stressing at the end of Romans 4. Go back over
there and we'll close this. Romans 4, verse 11. He received the sign of circumcision
as a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had, yet being
uncircumcised that he might be the father of all them that believe. Though they be not circumcised,
that righteousness might be imputed unto them also, and the father
of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only,
but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham,
not to the Jew only, but also to the Gentile, whoever God gives
faith to, which he had, being yet uncircumcised. For the promise
that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham
or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness
of faith." This eternal promise, not through the deeds of the
law, but through the Righteousness of faith that God gives. Verse
14, for if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made
void and the promise made of none effect. Because the law
worketh wrath for where no law is, there's no transgression.
Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end,
the promise might be sure to all the seed. not to that only
which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of
Abraham, who is the father of us all. As it is written, I have
made thee a father of many nations before him whom he believed,
even God, who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things
which be not as though they were. who against hope believed in
hope that he might become the father of many nations according
to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be." Abraham was
given faith to believe God. God said, I'm going to give you
a number, a seed that no man can number. You have one son,
go kill him. Abraham believed, I'm going to
have a seed, a number no man can number. Isaac, let's go. Verse 19, being not weak in faith,
he considered not his own body now dead. When he was about a
hundred years old, neither the deadness of Sarah's womb, he
staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but
was strong in faith. Does Abraham get the credit for
this faith? No, it goes on to say in verse 20, giving glory
to God. and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he
was able also to perform. Hebrews 11 tells us he believed
God was able to raise his son from the dead. He believed God's
word. God said, you're going to have
a seed no man can number, go kill your son. And he believed
God was able to raise him from the dead. And the amazing thing
is to that point, no one had been raised from the dead. To
say that now, we can read in the word of all these people
that were raised from the dead. To that point, nobody had been
raised from the dead. Verse 21, being fully persuaded that what
he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore
it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his
sake alone that it was imputed to him. but for us also to whom
it shall be imputed if we believe on him. Does that mean that's
our work that we have to do? If we believe on him that raised
up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses
and was raised again for our justification. He said, if we
believe, if we receive this hope, if we receive a hope that Christ
was delivered to the cross and delivered to the justice and
judgment of God. Delivered to the grave, delivered
to the punishment and the payment for our offenses. He said that's the evidence of
salvation. Nothing thrills me more than to see a person come
into this place crying, oh wretched man that I am. I hate what I
see in myself. What hope do I have? The blood
of Christ, that's it. That's all I have. He said that's
the evidence. If he gives faith to believe
that our sin was laid on him and he put it away. Abraham,
he was doing something and he was saying, I don't see, how
can I have this great seed through this? I don't see it. And God's
people come in going, I just don't see it. I don't see it. You're holy and without blame,
spotless and washed and sanctified and perfect as he is. So are
you. I just don't see it. As he says it is. Faith cries
and that's how it is. That's how it is. In him, in
his death, we're justified. And he said that was not written
for Abraham's sake alone. That was written for us too,
if God gives us this faith. I believe, Lord help my unbelief. May the Lord increase our faith.
All right, you're dismissed.