Good morning. If you would open your Bibles to
the book of Romans, Romans chapter three. Romans chapter three. Just a few weeks ago, I was in
a situation with a group of friends and the subject of religion and
salvation came up. Now, if anyone else is like me,
those opportunities are somewhat rare. And when they present themselves,
I'm always so hopeful that there's an opportunity for me to say
something and the Lord would give me the right words to say
that I might tell the truth and say what I believe. Well, when
the subject of salvation came up, There were three opinions
that were expressed, or I'll say two opinions and one of the
truth. I had made a comment about salvation
by grace. Someone else had made a comment
with not the exact words, but salvation by works. And then
someone else had said something about God loving everyone. And
a few comments were made, and something was said that was a
perfect lead-in for me to quote a verse of scripture that I thought
was just one of those moments where I thought I was going to
get to say something that was the right thing that might make an impact
on them. And right before I said that,
someone else in the group said about that conversation about
the different things we were saying about salvation, they
said, well, what's the difference? And turned and walked off. and
everyone else kind of parted ways at the same time and I was
left literally just my feet planted in this moment of just frustration
and confusion and just befuddlement of how did that just happen?
Well it bothered me and I couldn't stop thinking about it and that
comment of what's the difference? So the title of my message today
is what's the difference? Now answering that question So
what is the difference with salvation? Look here to a simple answer
in Romans 3, the last part of verse 22 says, for there is no
difference, the last part of verse 22, for there is no difference
for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The simplistic answer to what's
the difference between me and you and any other man or woman
is, there's not one, we've all sinned and come short of the
glory of God. Now, that is not what the purpose
of this message is, and I'll get more into that in a second.
The difference, the answer to that question, with anything
of salvation, what's the difference in salvation, is Christ. It's a who. So the question is
what's wrong with it. It's not the answer to what's
the difference, it's who's the difference. Christ, if we look
at the beginning of these same verses, chapter 3, verse 22,
even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ,
upon all and upon all them that believe. The difference is the
Lord Jesus Christ. It's not in us. The difference
is life and death. The difference in Christ is the
difference in being in religion and being in Christ. 1 Corinthians
4 verse 7 says, For whom maketh thee to differ? And what hast
thou done that thou didn't receive? I want to stay simple with this,
but I have to say something first. We've got to get a couple of
facts straight. So what is the difference between all men? Look
over to Romans 5 verse 12. Romans 5.12, Wherefore, as by
one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin. And so death passed upon all
men, for that all have sin. In Micah, it says, The good is
perished out of the earth, and there is none upright among men.
They all lie in wait for blood. Romans 3.12, right back one more
page to the chapter we were in, it says, They are all gone out
of the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good. No, not one. That's repeated
in the Psalms four times. There is none that doeth good. No, not one. So every man and
woman that is born of a man and woman are the same. We're all
born into sin. We're all sinners. And what does
it mean to be a sinner? Since I have sinned, my sins
must be punished. Sins don't just go away. We can't
hide them. We can't cover them up. It doesn't
matter if we've forgotten about them or anything else we do,
we're still sinners. Now, when I was a little boy,
I didn't talk very much. My sister did most of the talking
for me. But before even then, before I was even saying almost
any words, there was a moment where I was sitting on the ground
next to my sister and I'm not sure I'd actually said a word
yet. Some people might say this was my first word ever. But I
looked over at my sister and she had something I wanted and
I said, mine. I'm a sinner. I was born into
sin. That's all I've ever known. I'm
a coveter. I'm a liar. I'm a cheater. I'm
a thief. I'm anything you want to call
me. That's who I am. I don't want to be that. I try
not to do those things, but I've already done them. Let me give
you an example. If there is a man who has killed
someone, what can we call him? He's a murderer. He killed someone. He's a murderer. Does it matter
if he confesses his crime? He's still a murderer. Does it
matter if he's sorry, if he shows contrition? Well, he should,
but he's still a murderer. What if he does a whole lot of
really good things for the person he murdered's family? Or what
if he did a whole lot of really good works? Does that change
anything? Well, if all it does is maybe
we can call him a generous murderer. And what if he is killed for
his crime? What if he is executed? Even
in death, that's not enough to change the fact that he is a
murderer. Romans 3.23 says, all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God. So using the same analogy
of a murderer, let's switch it over to us as sinners. If we confess our sins, it does
not absolve us or remove any guilt. Our sins still must be
punished. If we are sorry, we regret all
those sins we've done. It does not change the punishment
or get us off any easier. And no matter how many good works
we do or how many great works we do, it does not cover the
fact that we are a sinner and it will not pay for our sins.
And then finally, Our physical death, no matter the circumstances,
the death of this body under no means in no way is ever enough
to make an atonement for our sins. So in summary, so far what
I've said is that all men and women are born into sin. We're
all sinners and we all must be punished. And there is no way
for us to fix this sin problem that we have. So in that respect,
there is no difference between men and women. We all need saving. We all need a Savior. Now, turn
with me to John chapter 10. And let's turn the focus of this
now. When someone asks the question
in reference to salvation, when they ask the question, what's
the difference? I don't have anything that I
can find to separate myself from anyone else. I can't find a difference
in me, let alone a positive difference. I can't find a single verse of
scripture to justify why I might be saved. But if you ask the
question, who's the difference? I've got an entire book that
answers that question over and over again. So let's spend a
few minutes looking at the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the difference. In John 10, starting verse 24,
Then came the Jews round about him and said unto him, How long
does thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us
plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you,
and you believe not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me. But you believe 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. And I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father, which gave them Me,
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
My Father's hand. I and My Father are one. The Jews here didn't
believe that He was the Lord, despite Him telling them on multiple
occasions and despite everything else He had done. Why didn't
they believe Him? Look at verse 26, But ye believe
not, because ye are not of My sheep. They weren't chosen. They weren't
elected. Christ was not the difference
to them. Ephesians 1 chapter 4 says, he
has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that
we should be holy and without blame before him in love. And
Peter wrote, Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the
world, but was manifest in these last times for you? Who is the
difference between the sheep and everyone else? Look at verse
29 here. Who is the difference between
the sheep and everyone else? My father, which gave them me,
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand, I and my Father are one. Not only is the difference
Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ here, but it also gives us great
hope in the sense that no man is able to pluck them out. No
one can change that fact. And there are so many examples
in the scriptures of Christ being the difference. And before I
start listing them, let me make a simple statement. And if you're
going to take anything out of this, if you're going to remember
one line from what I say, remember this line. If you or I have eternal
life, it is because the Lord Jesus Christ interceded for you. And if you do not have eternal
life, it is because He didn't. You or I have eternal life. It's
because the Lord Jesus Christ interceded for you or for me. If you don't, it's because he
did not. John 17 9 says, I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. Now we're going to give or I'm
going to give a few different stories throughout the Bible
here that are going to give us examples of how the Lord Jesus
Christ was the difference. In Genesis, the Lord said, I
will destroy man. The wickedness of man was great
in the earth, and that every imagination and the thoughts
of his heart was only evil continually. God was going to destroy the
earth. But Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. That's the only reason. The Lord
is the difference. Who's the difference between
two brothers? Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. Who's the
difference between one woman and the rest of her city? And
Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive. By faith the harlot Rahab
perished not with them that believed not. Who's the difference between
three men and the wrath of a king? Turn over to Daniel chapter 3. Daniel, right after Ezekiel. Daniel chapter 3. in preparing this wrote down
that this story is almost made for this, to answer this question
of who's the difference. But all of these stories that
I'm saying are written that way. That's the point of all of these
stories. All of this, everything in this book is to show the difference
is the Lord Jesus Christ. So look with me at Daniel chapter
3 verse 13. Then Nebuchadnezzar, in his rage
and fury, commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake
and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?
Did not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which
I have set up? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, We are not
careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God
whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace,
and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. But if not,
be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods,
nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then
was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was
changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Therefore he spake
and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times
more than it was wont to be heated. Go down to verse 24. Then Nebuchadnezzar
the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake,
and said unto his counselors, Did not we cast three men bound
in the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the
king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see
four men loose walking in the midst of the fire, and they have
no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. The safest place in the king's
chambers, in the king's castle, was in the fiery furnace. Everyone
who was outside that furnace was at risk. The men who threw
them in, they all died. Everyone inside the furnace,
the fire had no effect on them because the Lord Jesus Christ
is the difference. Who's the difference between
one man and a crowd? And when Jesus came to the place,
he looked up and saw him and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make
haste. Come down, for today I must abide
at thy house. And Jesus said unto him, This
day is salvation come to thy house. For the Son of Man is
come to seek and to save that which is lost. Who's the difference
between a Pharisee and a publican? Two men went up into the temple
to pray. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. The
publican, standing afar off, would not lift up as much as
his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God,
be merciful to me, a sinner. I tell you, this man went down
to his house justified rather than the other. Who's the difference
for the woman by herself at the well? But whosoever drinketh
of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. But the
water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing
up unto everlasting life. This story is of one woman by
herself. And part of the reason I included
it is it seems to be that there has to be two people for there
to be a difference. But that's not really what we're
looking at. The difference is between who
I am by nature and who I am in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
the difference for this woman. This woman came to the well looking
for water and she found everlasting life. She found the water that
would never thirst again. Who's the difference between
two thieves? One of the malefactors on the
cross railed on him saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself
and us. The other thief answering rebuked
him, Do not thou fear God? And he said unto Jesus, Lord,
remember me when thou come into the kingdom. And Jesus said unto
him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in
paradise. Between all of these stories,
we have seen a person by themselves. We've seen a few people together.
We've seen someone without family. We've seen someone that had their
whole family saved. We've seen the destruction of
many or few. We've seen someone who was a
thief, who was a harlot. We have seen someone who was
thought highly of. All of those factors are irrelevant
when it comes to who's the difference. It's all about the Lord Jesus
Christ, our station in life, everything that we do here. Now,
I say this knowing that The Lord's children do everything they can
to honor Him in the way they act and the way they behave and
everything. But what we do here on this earth has no bearing
on salvation. The only difference is who the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now let's go over to Exodus 12. After all the plagues in Egypt,
the Lord told Moses in Exodus 11, verse 1, And the Lord said
unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh
and upon Egypt. Afterwards he will let you go
hence. What was the purpose and the
result of this final plague? Look down to verse 7, chapter
11, verse 7. The second part of it starts,
that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between
the Egyptians and Israel. Realize that this is chapter
11 before chapter 12 where he actually explains what they have
to do. He says in chapter 11 verse 7,
look at the first part of this, "...but against any of the children
of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue against man or beast,
that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between
the Egyptians and Israel." As we're going to look and spend
a few minutes, the Passover and the act of killing the lamb and
the blood and everything, that was not what saved these people. What saved these people was before
the Passover was even explained that the Lord said, I will make
them to know that the Lord doth put a difference between the
Egyptians and Israel. The Lord put a difference between
his people, between his sheep and everyone else. Before the
foundation of the world, it was predetermined. It was 100% sure
that the Lord would save his children. And this Passover,
a great example and picture of our Lord on the cross, is the
way that he chose to do it. But it was predetermined beforehand
that it was not only going to be done, that it would be successful
for 100% of his children. So let's look at this. The Passover
lamb is a special type of Christ. So we'll look at it as a picture
of Christ, our Passover, who is sacrificed for us. His sacrifice
on the cross, the fulfillment of the eternal covenant, is the
difference in salvation. The description of the Lamb was
very particular, just as our Savior had to be perfect. So
we will look at these requirements for the Passover. The first,
the Lamb was to be without blemish. This signifies the absolute perfection
and sinfulness of our Lord. For we have not a high priest
which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities,
but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. The Lord Jesus, in order to be
our righteousness, must live a perfect life. And in order
to atone for our sin, he must have no sin of his own. For he
hath made him sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be
made the righteousness of God in him." In Leviticus it says,
the sacrifice shall be perfect to be accepted. Remember I said
it doesn't matter, our life is not enough to pay for our sins
because the sacrifice shall be perfect to be accepted. The lamb
was to be taken out of the fold. Jesus Christ, our Lamb, was taken
from among men. He was the seed of woman, the
seed of Abraham, made the seed of David according to the flesh.
The lamb was to be a year old and was to be killed. This shows
that our Lord, in His full strength of life, should be put to death.
The lamb was to be roasted with fire. This probably signifies
the manner of Christ's death, that on the cross he was crucified,
enduring the fire of God's wrath for our sins, the wrath that
we deserve, that we had coming to us. The lamb was to be roasted
whole or complete. Not a bone was to be broken as
the scripture declared of Christ, for these things were done that
the scripture was fulfilled. A bone of him shall not be broken. The blood of the lamb was to
be sprinkled upon the lentil and sides of the door. Just as
the blood of Christ is applied by faith, there is no salvation
nor deliverance apart from faith. And he that believeth on the
Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not on the
Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.
God did not put the blood on the door. The people put it there,
believing God. The blood of the door denotes
an outward confession, an evidence of heart faith. In all of that, every time going
out and coming in from the door, a reminder, the blood of the
Lamb is before us. And I read in chapter 11, because
we just said that God did not put the blood on the door, the
people put it on their believing. But we already read as a precursor
of this, he knew who would believe because he gives them belief.
The belief comes from him. It wasn't a doubt that he just
happened to think that all of those people would do it, but
all of his children believed and put the blood on the door.
The Israelites were to eat the flesh of the Lamb. This signifies
that we must, by faith, feed upon Christ. Truly believing
on Christ and receiving Christ within us is called eating His
flesh and drinking His blood. We have an ordinance that we
do that. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth
in me, and I in him. He that eateth of this bread
shall live forever." They were to eat the lamb with unleavened
bread. Leaven is a type of evil. This
is to signify that those who come to Christ, the true Passover,
are to come in sincerity and truth. They hate evil and they
hate hypocrisy. They were also to eat the lamb
with bitter herbs, which probably shows the sorrow for sin and
repentance in the hearts of those who came to know Christ. And
the lamb was not to be eaten raw, nor sodden with water, nor
boiled in wine, oil, or water. It was to be roasted. That was
it. Christ endured the full wrath and judgment for our full justification. And nothing is to be mixed with
that. Nothing is to be added nor joined
to him. He took the wrath of God in its
purity, what we deserve. In our belief in Him, there's
nothing added to it. We can't add any part. We can't
change anything. He took the wrath, and we need
to be found in Him. And then nothing of the lamb
was to remain. This says that the whole Christ
is to be received and fed upon by faith. Christ in both nature,
divine, and human. Christ in all his offices, the
prophet, the priest, and the king. Christ in all his person
and work. And we're almost done. We've
got a couple more. These people were to eat the Passover dressed
and ready to move out of Egypt. This is one that always struck
me as a child. Why are these people at night eating this stuff
in their clothes? And it even says to be holding
their staff in their hand. This is the Lord's Passover and
effectually saved. The world or Egypt to Israel
here is no longer our home. We are pilgrims temporarily here,
but awaiting his call to move out and go home to Canaan. These
people were to have the faith that through this Passover, they
were going to be free and it was going to be quick. They didn't
depend on their memories, these other plagues that all happened,
that there was this moment where it was, you know, okay, get out
of here, you guys, you're free, but they really weren't free
yet. They all were to be dressed and ready because salvation was
coming, and salvation is every believer's, the moment that it
was determined before the foundation of the world that Christ would
be crucified on the cross. And finally, when I see the blood,
I will pass over you. This is why the ordinance was
called the Passover. because the Lord, at the sight
of the blood of the Lamb, passed over the Israelites and delivered
them. His judgment and wrath pass over
us because of the blood of Christ, in whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of his grace. This or there is therefore now
no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. When it
comes to salvation, what's the difference is a question that
so many people ponder and think about. There are many discussions,
many seminars, many colleges that spend an awful lot of time
discussing what's the difference. It can be analyzed from infinite
angles. It can be answered with so many
potential answers. But ultimately, everyone who
gets stuck, who spends all their time on the question of what's
the difference in salvation, they will find themselves eventually
lost with no guide and no idea where to go. I implore all of us to focus
on the question, who's the difference? Focus on the answer to that.
Focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. If we are ever shown the answer
to that question, who's the difference? We will find the only one who
can provide, will provide, and has provided salvation for his
people. The difference in salvation is
the Lord Jesus Christ.