Alright, go with me if you would
back to Romans chapter 1. And let's read verses 16 and 17 again. For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation. to every
one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to
faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith." In
verse 16, the Apostle Paul said that the gospel of Christ was
the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth. Which tells us that there are
some people on this earth who do not believe the gospel of
Christ. There are two types of people
in the world. Believers and unbelievers. Two
types of people. In verse 17 he said, the just
shall live by faith. which tells us there are some
who are unjust, unjustified before God. The scripture continually
makes a comparison between the righteous and the wicked. It mentions the redeemed and
the condemned. And to put all of this in simpler
wording, it just means the saved and the unsaved. There are the
saved and the unsaved. Now, what makes the difference
in whether a person ends up being saved or unsaved is, what it
all boils down to is, whether or not a person has received
mercy from God. That's what it all boils down
to. It all boils down to whether
or not God has poured the blood of His Son all over that sinner. That's what it all boils down
to. If a sinner has received the
gift of the covering blood of Christ, He's saved. Period. He's saved. If He's under the blood, if He's
in the blood, He's saved. If He is outside of the blood,
not covered in the blood, He's lost. He's unsaved. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son hath
not life, but the wrath of God abides on him. What can wash
away my sin? Nothing but the blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's the only thing that will
do it. That's the only thing that will do it. Now we can see
that right here in verse 18. It says, For the wrath of God
is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness. God's wrath
is revealed from heaven. He has revealed it in many ways.
But nowhere has He revealed it more clearly than in His Word.
In the truth of His Word. And His wrath is against all
men, meaning mankind. Man, woman, boy, girl. His wrath
is against all who are ungodly and unrighteous. That's who His
wrath is on. All who are ungodly and unrighteous. Verse 18 says, For the wrath
of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
of men. Well, who is that? Who all is included in the ungodly
and unrighteous category? Look with me at Romans 3, verse
10. As it is written, there is none
righteous, no, not one. No human being is righteous in
His flesh. No human being. There is none
righteous. Somebody will say, now what about
him? Verse 10 says, no. Well what about her? Verse 10
says, no. You mean not even Mother Teresa?
Verse 10 says, not even Mother Teresa. Not one. Not one. Why is that? Verse 23, it's because all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God. Every soul born
into this world is in himself and in his flesh unrighteous. Every soul. And if you look at
Romans 5, verse 6 says, For when we were yet without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. He died for the ungodly. That means if He died for us,
which is what we confess, it's why we're here. We're all confessing
He died for us. He died for me. If He died for
us, that means we were ungodly. So seeing that, go back with
me to Romans chapter 1. We're going to read down through
these verses. And we're going to see what He has to say about
ungodly and unrighteous men. And as we read this, let's realize
that He is not talking about somebody else. Usually when we
read about wicked men, our mind says, well, that's somebody else.
No, it's not. There is none righteous. There is none righteous. This
is the ungodly man that Christ came to save. And if He died
for us, then this is us. This is us in our flesh, in our
sin, in this wretched condition before God. So, let's get honest
with ourselves. That's what I'm trying to get
to. Let's get honest with ourselves, alright? Don't say anything or do anything,
but go into your heart. And as we read this, see if any
of this describes the raw nature of our sinful flesh. See if any
of this, as we read this, see if any of it pricks you and says,
that one's you. That one's you. All right, verse
18, it says, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in
unrighteousness. They hold God's Word falsely. They preach God's Word and believe
God's Word wrongly, sinfully. Not looking to and trusting in
and glorifying the righteousness that God has provided and declared
in His Word. And has that ever been any of
us? Falsely. Worshipping a false
God. Wrapped up in the error of false
religion. That blasphemy of false religion. Verse 19 says, 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, being understood
by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead,
so that they are without excuse. God and His authority over man. His sovereign order in all things,
including His law that He's given to man, has been clearly seen. Clearly seen by man. Openly seen
and even inwardly seen by man. There is much about God that
must be revealed. But there is much about God that
He has written on the conscience of every man's heart. And man is truly without excuse.
He knows right from wrong. He knows thou shalt not kill.
He knows thou shalt not steal. But here's what's happened to
man. Verse 21 says, Because that when they knew God, they glorified
Him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in
their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. professing
themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of
the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible
man and to birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. Man
did not glorify God as he deserved to be glorified. Man was not
thankful to God for all of his goodness to man. And man decided
that he really didn't need God after all. That's what man came
to. I don't think I need God after all. He became vain in
his imagination. His foolish heart was darkened. And he foolishly thought, I'm
just as wise as God is. Wasn't that the message that
the tempter came to Eve with? He'll be just like him. Therefore, man's view of God
came down and came down and came down in his mind, in his heart,
in his message. He brought God down, not just
to a man's level, but lower than a man's level. Man put himself
in his own mind above God. Now, if I told that to the masses,
a lot of people would say, what do you mean man put himself above
God? Well, let me ask this question
to illustrate it. Is God able to save us by himself alone? And I think it's important to
be redundant. By Himself alone. Or does He need us to help Him
out? What does the natural mind of a man answer to that? Is God able to save us how He
wants to, when He wants to, where He wants to, Or is His saving
work dependent on whether or not we let Him? What does the natural mind of
a man answer that? If His hands are tied until I
say it's okay, then I'm above Him. I'm above Him. And we see how corrupt, we can
just clearly see how corrupt the thoughts of man are toward
God and the message of man has become toward God. He wants to
save you if you let him, brings him down. That just brings him
down and brings him down. And that's what man has done.
Alright, verse 24. Wherefore God also gave them
up to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts to dishonor
their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God
into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than
the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. We live in a wicked time. We live in a very wicked time.
You talk about people dishonoring their bodies and worshiping and
serving the creature more than the Creator. We live in a wicked
time. I know that there have been many
wicked times throughout the ages, but we're in one of them right
now. Verse 26 says, For this cause God gave them up unto vile
affections, for even their women did change the natural use into
that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving
the natural use of the woman burned in their lust, one toward
another, men with men, working that which is unseemly, and receiving
in themselves that recompense of their error which was meat. Our Lord is exposing all sin
before Him. Sin of every kind. He doesn't
hide anything. Have you noticed that in the
Scripture? It's embarrassing to read some of the things that
God has recorded in His Word. He hides nothing. Nothing. He exposes all sin. Verse 28, And even as they did
not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over
to a reprobate mind. That means a mind void of judgment. Just completely gone. To do those things which are
not convenient, that means not becoming, not fitting, not fit
to dwell in His presence. Being filled with all unrighteousness,
that means sin. And filled with all fornication,
and we know what that is, that's union outside of a covenant.
Filled with wickedness, just covetousness, never enough, it's
just never enough, I want more. Maliciousness, that means a desire
to harm somebody or a desire to see somebody be hurt. I hope
he falls flat on his face. Full of envy, that means I don't
just want more, I want what you have. I want it and I don't want
you to have it. Murder, which the Lord said starts
right here in the heart. Debate, just arguing, arguing. Deceit. Malignity. That means a bad character,
just a bad heart. Malicious. Whisperers. Backbiters. Haters of God. Despiteful. Just doing it for
spite. Just doing it to spite you. Proud. Boasters. Inventors of evil things. Don't have enough evil in the
world, we have to invent more. disobedient to parents, without
understanding, just foolish, completely foolish, covenant
breakers. You know, our salvation is ordered
and sure and founded on a covenant. Is that not our hope? We've been
given a covenant. I say this fearfully and cautiously,
but what if God was a covenant breaker? That's what man is. He will not break his covenant. Verse 31 says, without natural
affection, implacable, that just means unforgiving, unsparing,
unmerciful. That's what man is, unmerciful.
who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such
things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure
in them that do them." We're in bad shape, aren't we? We are
in bad shape. Mankind is in a horrible, horrible
condition before God. What do we need? What is our only hope? What is the only hope that sinners
in our condition have of being spared the wrath that God has
promised to ungodly and unrighteous men? We need the gospel of Jesus
Christ. Paul said in verse 15, As much
as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel
to you that are at Rome also, for I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every
one that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Man is in a horrible condition before God. A condition that
will condemn Him for all eternity. Sometimes that really hits me. Sometimes I really enter into
that. And what we're doing here, all of us. What God has called
us to see and believe and preach. Man is in a horrible condition
that is going to condemn Him for all eternity. But there is salvation from that
condition. There is hope, there is mercy,
there is forgiveness. There is one living way. And Paul said, for that reason,
I'm going to preach it to you because there is a way. I'm going to preach it to you.
I'm going to preach the gospel to you. I'm going to declare
the declaration that saves men's souls. And I'd like to do the
same thing right now. This declaration is the power
of God unto salvation. And it's amazing to me that this
is what God said. He said, you just declare this. It's the power of God unto eternal
salvation. Many do not believe it. Many take
offense to it. But Paul said, I'm not ashamed
of it. This declaration is the only hope. And by God's grace,
we'll declare it with Him. Alright, turn with me to 2 Timothy
chapter 1. 2 Timothy chapter 1. Verse 9, "...who hath saved us, and called
us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according
to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began." Salvation is something that God
purposed for all of His people before this world ever began. He chose a people to save before
this world ever began. We were saved in the mind and
the will and the purpose of God before He ever laid the foundation
of this earth. If Christ the Lamb was slain
for us, the scripture says He was slain from the foundation
of the world. That's how far salvation goes
back. And man wonders, what do I need
to do? And am I going to lose it? Or
it started before the foundation of the world. Acts 15 says, Known unto God
are all His works from the beginning of the world. Every soul was
selected and placed in Christ the Lamb by the will of God the
Father, and once He willed it, it was done. He was done. As soon as He willed it, as soon
as He purposed it, it was done because He does not change. That's
amazing, isn't it? Boy, we're so dead set on something
for about 41 seconds and then, no, I think I'm going to change
my mind. Not God. He does not change. And in the moment that He purposed
to save His people, they were saved. I mean, they were saved. All right, now turn with me to
Matthew chapter 1. Matthew 1 verse 21 says, And
she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name
Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins. In time,
in God's appointed time, Christ came to physically fulfill All of the will and purpose that
God the Father had purposed to be done. He purposed for all
of these things to be done. And Christ came and He physically
gave Himself on a cross just outside of Jerusalem as a sacrifice
to God. to physically save His people. He physically made a payment
for His people. He physically redeemed. That means bottom. When you go
to the grocery store and you put your money on the counter,
you are redeeming your groceries. He came and physically redeemed
His people. All of His people that had sold
themselves into this horrible condition. He physically saved
them by laying all of that horrible Romans 1 sin. I mean that very sin we read about. That just, again, that hits me
right now. That hits me right now. Romans
1 can be difficult to read. He took that sin. And He laid
it on Himself. He removed that from His people. Laid it on Himself. He totally
delivered them from it. Actually took it off of them. And the horrible marring of His
body, that horrible suffering of His His body proves it. His death proves it. And in that actual moment, He
completely delivered His ungodly, unrighteous people. And when
He cried, it is finished, it was finished. I mean, it was
finished. The number one question in a
sinner's mind is, what is left to be done? That's what divides
all the denominations. What is left to be done? Nothing. When He said, it is finished,
it was finished. Put a nail in it. They were saved. I mean, they were saved. All
right, now turn with me to 1 Corinthians 1. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 18 says, For the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it
is the power of God. What does he mean by that? Verse
21. For after that, in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." Preaching
what? The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of Christ. For each
sinner, that God the Father purposed to save before the foundation
of the world, and each sinner that Christ God the Son physically
saved in His death on the cross. For each particular sinner throughout
all the generations of the world, there comes a point in that sinner's
life when the salvation that Christ
accomplished is revealed in the sinner. It is experienced. It is given. It is quickened. Through the
preaching of the Word, God's Holy Spirit comes and quickens
a sinner to the saving spiritual life that has been provided for
him. The life he was chosen to and the life that Christ earned
and gave to him. All of the darkness and all of
that deadness to the truth of the Word and the truth of self
and the truth of God. It's removed. And the light of
Christ is made known. And from that moment on, that quickened to spiritual life
sinner will spend the rest of his days, by faith, waiting for
the final eternal experience of being saved from all presence
of sin. They'll spend all the rest of
their days waiting to be saved from the body of this death,
waiting to be saved from the world of this death. Go with
me one last time to 2 Timothy, this time chapter 2. 2 Timothy 2 verse 10, Therefore I endure all things
for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation
which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. That final eternal
salvation unto glory. God's people were saved in the
purpose of the Father from before the foundation of the world.
Were God's people saved from the foundation of the world?
Yes. They were saved in the blood of Christ on the cross of Calvary. That's the moment they were saved.
Were they saved right there? Yes. They are saved by the quickening
call of the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the gospel.
Is that when a sinner is saved? Yes. And they all will be saved. The day the trumpet resounds
and the skies open up and there He is and there we go to eternal
glory. That announcement is called the
Gospel. It's not my announcement, that's
God's announcement. And the Apostle Paul said, I'm
not ashamed of it. I enter into that so greatly
because as but, but, buts come, and you start to learn, I don't
believe that, you're a fool for preaching that. I can't tell
you how many times somebody said, you mean to tell me that you
believe My answer is, well, it doesn't matter what I believe.
I mean to tell you that's what God's Word says. But after all that and all that
and all that, by God's grace, His people still say, I'm not
ashamed of it. You mean to tell me you're willing
to be completely alienated by everybody else? Yes, I'd rather
not be, but yes, I'm not ashamed of it. Do you mean to tell me
you believe that God uses the means of a man standing up in
a pulpit declaring this to save his people? Yes, I'm not ashamed
of it. You mean to tell me that it doesn't
matter what a man does, that God purposed it from before the
world? Yes, I'm not ashamed of it. You really believe Christ did
it all and there's no cooperation? Yes, I'm not ashamed of it. I'm
not ashamed of the announcement. I'm not ashamed to tell people
that over and over and over. Well, if we just go to that church,
all He's going to do is tell us what sinners we are, and that
God chose everybody He was going to save, and Christ only died
for those people, and the Spirit's going to call them through the
preaching of the gospel, and they can't be lost. That's all
we're going to hear. I'm not ashamed of it. over and
over and over and over. By His grace, if He is willing,
this will be our message till the day we leave this earth.
If He'll keep us, this will be our message. to the day we leave. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ, it is the power of God unto salvation. And my sincere
prayer is that God may take His Word and save one of His own
with it today. Whether it's me preaching or
one of these other men who preach the truth anywhere in this world,
may God save one of His own today. All right, let's all stand together.