I loved that Psalm 121. I loved
that. That was a blessing. And when
you were saying that, I thought you need to make a CD of some
kind. Is that what you call them? Yeah. That just sounded so good. And I have, I told Lynn while
we were driving over here, I hope the Lord allows me to live long
enough to see what all the Lord's going to do here. because I just
believe the Lord's blessing is upon you. I love your pastor
and I love you and esteem you and it's been such a blessing
to be with you. While you were singing Psalm
121, my mind was right back to 1989. I was sitting in your backyard,
Hannah, and I was looking out over the mountains and At the
time, I had to make a decision whether or not to go back to
work or not, to just continue to preach. And I'd become sick
and it was time for me to go back to work. And I thought I
shouldn't do it. I ought to just preach. And I
thought, but we don't have enough people to support me. And I looked
at the hills. And I thought of Psalm 121, I
could just hear it, the Lord is thy keeper. And that's when
I made that decision to not go back to work. So that Psalm 121
is always very special to me. Would you turn back to Romans
chapter five? Now, Friday night we considered for whom did Christ
die? And last night we considered
who does God love? And what I want us to consider
now is the result of the love of God and the result of the
death of Christ. And let's read these same verses
we've been reading beginning in verse six, Romans chapter
five. For when we were yet without
strength, In due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die. Yet peradventure for a good man,
some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward
us. in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. And here is the result of God's
love and the death of Christ, much more than being now justified by his blood We shall be saved
from wrath through him. Now here is the result of God
loving me and Christ dying for me. Here's the result. He loves his elect. He died for
his elect. It wasn't generic, it was special,
it was particular. And here is the result. Everybody that God loves, everybody
for whom Christ died is now justified. You were listening to your pastor
read that passage of scripture regarding the publican and the
pharisee. The pharisee stood and prayed
thus with himself, God, I thank thee. He gave God the credit.
God, I thank thee. I'm not as other men are. He
didn't say, I thank you for your mercy or your grace or the precious
blood of your son. He said, I thank thee that I'm
not as other men are. And then he started talking about
the things that he was not. I'm not an extortioner or an
unjust or adulterer. And he started talking about
the things that he did. I fast twice a week and I give
tithes of all that I possess. He stood and prayed thus with
himself. I love the way the Lord said that, don't you? He thought
he's praying to God. God never listened to him. He
was praying thus with himself. And then the publican. stood
in the back, smiting on his breast, saying, God be merciful to me. The sinner. The definite article is in the
original. The sinner, the worst man to
ever live. And then the Lord Jesus Christ
says, I tell you, Isn't there something powerful when he says
that? I tell you. This man went down to his house,
what? Justified. Not forgiven, though he was. Not pardoned, though he was. Not shown mercy and grace, though
he was. but justified. I think it's very interesting
that the Lord simply makes this declaration with no comment and
he uses the entire Bible to tell us how this is so. Now, this
is utterly unique to the gospel. This is not even addressed in
other religions. Not even an issue. How God can
be just and yet justify somebody who by his own admission was
the sinner. How can that be? Well, that is
the result of God's love and Christ's death. Only the Bible
shows us how God be just, absolutely righteous, and yet justify somebody
like me, who I know in and of myself, I am nothing but sin. Now before we proceed, two things
must be established. And the first is this, you're
there in Romans, look in Romans chapter 3 verse 20, Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, now what is meant by the deeds of the law? Anything you
do, anything you do, any work you have, any intention that
if you, anything you do, that's what's meant by the deeds of
the law. By the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be
justified in his sight. by the law is the knowledge of
sin. Now if any aspect of my salvation
is dependent upon my doing something. I don't care if you put it at
the front end of salvation. Salvation is dependent upon me
of my own free will accepting God's offer of salvation. That's
the way most religious people put things. You gotta, of your
own free will, accept God's free offer of salvation. Or if I put
my works in the middle, my works of obedience makes me more holy
and more sanctified and I become more pleasing to God and less
sinful. Or if I put works at the end of salvation and I look
at the position I have in heaven to be in accordance with somehow
with my obedience here on earth. I got a higher reward because
of some work I performed. If I put works anywhere in salvation, there's no hope for me. Job said,
if I justify myself, my own mouth would condemn me. David said,
enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight
shall no man living be justified. Now, if any aspect of salvation,
I don't care what it is, if any aspect of salvation is dependent
upon my works, my obedience, my law keeping, I won't be saved,
and neither will you. And that must first be established.
By the works of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in
his sight. By the law, it's the knowledge
of sin. Now, here's the second thing that needs to be established
Justification is what God declares you to be. Justification is what the judge
of all the earth, that one of whom Abraham said, shall not
the judge of the earth do right, Justification is what the judge
of the earth declares you to be. Now, understand this. Justification
is not something the great judge offers you. I'm offering you
justification or condemnation. That's the way most religious
people present justification. You want to be justified? You
want to accept justification? You want to be condemned? It's
up to you. Take your pick. Judge never does that. A judge never
offers someone justification. Do you want to be justified?
No. Justification is what the great judge of the earth declares
you to be. He declares you're justified. And justification means you never sinned. It's not just as if I never sinned. I never sinned. I never did anything wrong. I've
always done that which is right. That's what justification means.
And that's the only thing I got any peace in. I don't really
get any peace in. Well, you're counted as if you didn't sin.
No, better than that. I never sinned. That is justification. And that
is the result of the love of God and the death of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Look in Romans chapter four,
verse five. But to him that worketh not. Would that describe you? You really believe that you cannot
be saved by what you do. You really believe that? Would
that be you? To him that worketh not. but believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly. That justifies. He takes that
ungodly sinner and he makes it to where he has no sin, that
he never did anything wrong and he's always done that which is
right. That's what justification is. His faith is counted for
righteousness. Now, how can that be? God who
said, I will by no means clear the guilty. If you or I are ever
viewed as guilty before God, he won't clear you. He'll send
you to hell. How can he who said I'll be by
no means clear the guilty clear somebody like me? That's the great mystery of the
gospel. That's the message of scripture. Now, I want to try to answer that
question from the scriptures. He does justify the ungodly. And it has something to do with
being in the Lord. Turn within Isaiah chapter 45.
Verse 25. In the Lord. This is such an important concept. Isaiah 45 verse 25, in the Lord
shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory. Now, what does it mean to be
in the Lord? Let me show you a scripture in
Hebrews chapter seven. That's helped me a great deal. Hebrews chapter 7, because you
read all chosen in Christ, justified in Christ, accepted in Christ,
abiding in Christ. What's it mean to be in the Lord
and to be justified? In Hebrews chapter 7, beginning
in verse 9, the writer of the Hebrews says,
and as I may so say, Levi also, who had not been born, the one
you were supposed to pay the tithes to under the Levitical
law, but yet he had not yet been born. And yet, as I may also
say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes in Abraham,
for he was yet in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met
him. Now, when Abraham paid those
tithes, you know who else paid those tithes? Levi wasn't born, but he was
in Abraham. And when Abraham paid those tithes,
Levi did too. I was in the Lord Jesus Christ
when he kept God's holy law, I did too. You remember when
the Lord comes up to John the Baptist and he says, I want you
to baptize me. And John the Baptist says, Me? Baptize you? I have need
to be baptized in you. And the Lord said, Suffer it
to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill. All righteousness. You see, everything
Christ did, he did as in us. He did it for all those in him. Now, Christ never sinned. He worked out a perfect righteousness
before God's holy law, and that is my personal righteousness
before God. If you want to know the skinny
on me, read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and there you'll read
my history. justification in the Lord. You know, I believe we make a
mistake when we simply call justification a legal term. I hear preachers
say that it's a legal term. No, it's a reality. It's reality. It's not some piece of paper
document that says I'm justified. I am justified without sin. When God sees me, the scripture
says in Colossians 1.22 that Christ presents us holy and unblameable
and unreprovable in his sight and have God sees things. That's
the way they really are. justified in the Lord. And then in Romans chapter 3,
would you turn there? Justification, this thing of
actually being without guilt before God has something to do
with being in Christ. But look at this verse, verse
24 of Romans chapter 3, being justified And that is actually
in the passive voice or tense. Having been justified is what
it saying that, but having been justified, not something you
did to get that way. Having been God justified you
having been justified, being justified freely by his grace
justification. has something to do with the
grace of God. Being justified freely, that
means without a cause in us. It's not God responding to something
you do. You did this, therefore I'll
justify you. No, justification is free with
no cause whatsoever in us by his grace. Now 2 Timothy 1.9,
says He saved us and He called us. Which came first, saving
or calling? He saved us, then He called us. With a 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. And let me ask you a question.
Is justification among those things that were given us in
Christ Jesus before the world began? Absolutely. Now, I can't comprehend this,
but I believe it. God's elect in His sight have
always been justified. They've never been under His
wrath. Now, as far as our experience goes, we were under His wrath.
We're scared to death the Lord was going to send us to hell.
But God's elect have been eternally justified. Now, I wish I could
grasp that. I can't, but I believe it. I
believe it. Do you see everything God does
is eternal. He, he, he is eternal. He never did. Everything that
is done in time is what he purposed in eternity. And when he purposed
it, it became history before it took place. That's who God
is. Justifications by grace. Is election
by grace? Well, sure it is. You weren't
even born when you were elected. For the children being not yet born,
neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of
God according to election might stand, not of works. Well, justifications
by grace, being justified. That's how that publican, beaten
on his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. He
really believed himself to be guilty before God, sinful before
God, unclean before God. And yet Christ said, I say unto
you, this man went down to his house justified. You see, he
was in the Lord Jesus Christ and justification is by the free
grace of God. Now turn with me to Galatians
chapter two. Verse 16, knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus
Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not
by the works of the law for by the works of the law there shall
no flesh be justified in his sight. Now I hope you have King
James Version for this reason all these other versions say
we're justified by faith in Christ. Every one of them do. Except
the King James. I don't know of another one that
doesn't. They all say you're justified by faith in Christ.
But that's not what this verse says. It says we're justified
by the faith of Christ. The faithfulness of Christ. The righteous obedience of Christ. That's what we're justified by.
By the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, He never sinned. That's the obedience I'm justified
by. You know, somebody had to believe
God perfectly. Somebody had to believe God with
no doubt whatsoever. He did. He said, though he slay
me, yet will I trust him. And when he was hanging on the
cross, forsaken by God, he never quit believing him. He never
quit trusting him. He rested even then when he felt
nothing but his awful frown and wrath against sin. Somebody had
to believe God perfectly, and he did. justified by the faith of Christ. You believe that, don't you?
Justified by his faithfulness. And then in our text, in Romans
chapter five, verse nine, it says much more being now justified
by his blood. Now we're justified by being
in Christ. We're justified by grace. We're
justified by his faithfulness. And this verse of scripture says
being now justified by his blood. Now, why did he bleed and die? Look at Romans chapter four. Verse 25, who was delivered for
our offenses. Our offenses against God became
his and he was delivered for our offenses and he was raised
again for and you can just as easily translate that because
of. our justification. Now he was
delivered for our offenses and God's wrath was poured upon him
and he died. He died. But his death was like
nobody else's death. If I die, you wouldn't be surprised, would
you? I go the way of all flesh. If you die, there won't be anything
remarkable about it. But when he died, he never went
through the process of decay because he completely satisfied
everything God requires and his blood actually justifies everybody
he died for. He was delivered for our offenses
and he was raised again for our justification. He didn't stay dead. You see, his resurrection is
because God demands our salvation. The very justice of God demands
our justification. That's how complete this justifying
work of Christ is. We're justified by his faithfulness
or his life, and we're justified by his blood or his death. I
think it's what Isaiah was talking about when he said, for by his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many for he shall
bear their iniquities justified by his blood. I turned to Romans
five verse one, you're there in Romans. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. Look in Romans four, verse five,
to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly. His faith, his faith is counted
for righteousness. Now, does that mean, let me ask
you a question. Does that mean that faith is
a substitute for righteousness? No, no, no. It doesn't mean that
at all. It doesn't mean faith is a substitute
for righteousness. It doesn't mean that God looks
at your faith and counts that faith as your righteousness.
Well, what does it mean then? It says being justified by faith,
we have peace with God. To him that worketh not, but
believeth on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted
for righteousness. What's that mean? What's faith? Hebrews 11 one says, faith is
the substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not
seen. Now, faith has something to do
with what we hope for, and it has something to do with things
that we can't see. Now, I have a hope that when
my name is called on judgment day, God will say, well done, thou
good and faithful servant. Hope has something to do with
an expectation regarding the future. Now, as far as me looking at
myself and saying, you did good. You're a faithful servant. I
do not see that. I can't look at myself and say,
yep, you did great. You're a faithful servant. You
know, as far as that goes, I have a hope that I've united to Christ,
but I can't see it. I can't, I can't look at something
in myself and say, yep, you're united to Christ. Well, what's
the evidence that I'm united to Christ then? I'm relying on him. That's the
evidence. I have a hope that my name is
written in the Lamb's book of life. I've never seen the lamb's
book of life. I've never seen my name written
there. I've got to hope it's there. What's the evidence it's
there. I'm relying on the Lord. Jesus
Christ is all I have. He's all I have. I'm relying
on him to bring me into glory. That's the evidence. I believe
I'm justified. That means I believe I don't
have any sin before God. I believe when he looks at me,
he sees someone without sin. What's the evidence? Faith in
Christ. You see, all these things I can't
see, but I don't need to see them. We believe the gospel. Faith
is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen. Faith, me, really, here's what
I'm relying on. Here's who I'm relying on. What
I need, I don't need a new start. I don't need a clean slate. I
need a new history. That's what I need. I need a
new history. And that's what justification
is. It's a new history. To where all about me, it's all
good. That's what justification is.
I need a new history. And I'm relying on the Lord Jesus
Christ as my history. His story. His story is my history. And I'm relying on Him. If God
is looking for a thing out of me, I've got no hope, none at
all. I'm relying on Christ. That is
the evidence of things not seen. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn to James chapter two. at two more. Justification by
being united to Christ, justification by grace, justification by blood,
justification by faith, and justification by works. James chapter 2 beginning in verse 20. But wilt thou know, O vain man,
that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified
by works? when he'd offered Isaac his son
upon the altar. Seest thou how faith wrought
with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the
scripture was fulfilled, which saith, Abraham believed God,
and it was imputed unto him for righteousness, and he was called
the friend of God. You see then how that by works
a man is justified, and not by faith only. Faith is never by works, and
faith is never without works. Now what do I mean by that? May
the Lord give us the grace to deal with this scripture honestly.
It's been said that Paul and James were talking about two
different things. Paul talking about your justification
before God, and James was talking about your justification before
men. It's your works that prove whether you're justified before
men. Now I want to say this carefully. Because I want my life, I want
my works to adorn the gospel, and you do too. You really do. I want my life and my works and
my conduct and my character to adorn the gospel. But I also
want to say this, if I'm justified before God, I'm not real concerned
about whether any man thinks I'm justified or not. I'm not real concerned about
being justified before you. If I'm justified before God,
I don't want to say that callously, but I don't care what you think.
And you don't care what I think either. Somebody, I've had many
people ask me, do you think I'm saved? And my reply is, what
difference does it make what I think? If I think you are,
it doesn't mean you are. If I think you're not, it doesn't
mean you're not. All we're concerned about is what God thinks. We don't need man's affirmation. It means nothing. And their condemnation
means nothing. Here's what James is talking
about. God made a promise to Abraham.
He said, the Messiah is going to come through Isaac. Abraham believed God. Some years later, God says, you
take Isaac. and kill him and offer him up
as a burn offering to me. Now, what if Abraham would have
said, if I do that, God's promise won't take place. If I do that,
the Messiah won't come. I can't do that because then
God's promise wouldn't take place. What would Abraham prove by that?
He didn't believe God. But he believed that God's promise
would take place even though he slew his son. He believed
God would raise him from the dead because he believed God
cannot lie. His promise must take place. Look in Hebrews chapter 11, what
the writer of the Hebrew tells us about Abraham. Verse 17, By faith Abraham, when
he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received the
promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was
said that in Isaac should Isaac be called, accounting that God
was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also
he received him in a figure. You see, Abraham in his mind
He already slew that boy and he knew that God was raising
him from the dead because God's promise must come to pass. You see, it was Abraham's works
that proved what he believed. You know, Cain proved what he
believed by his works, didn't he? He brought his works to God. Abel proved what he believed
when he brought the blood of the lamb. He proved he believed
the only way he could be saved was by the blood of the lamb.
Esau demonstrated what he thought about the birthright. He sold
it for a bowl of soup. That's how valuable it was to
him. To Jacob, it was everything. You see, your works will prove
what you really believe. You know, that Pharisee proved
what he believed when he's praying, didn't he? His works demonstrated.
He believed he's going to be saved by something he did. Oh,
the poor public and praying. His works proved what he believed. Your works will demonstrate what
you really believe. They will. Faith without works
is dead. being alone. What I want to say next will
be my last point. Would you turn with me to Matthew
chapter 12. Verse 37. For by thy words, the things
that come out of your mouth, by thy words, thou shalt be justified. And by thy words, thou shalt
be condemned. Do you agree that justification is utterly
in Christ? By your word will you say, that's
what I believe. That's what I want to be identified
with. I don't want it any other way. Do you confess that with
your mouth? Do you confess that by identifying
where this is preached? Do you confess with your words
that justification is utterly by the grace of God? You say,
that's what I believe. You might not even be able to
articulate it as well as you'd like, but that's what you believe.
And you say, that's it. Do you confess that justification
is by the faithfulness of Christ? And not by your faithfulness,
but by his. You really believe that and you
confess it. You say, yes, that's what I believe.
Do you confess that justification is utterly by the blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ? It's his blood that cleansed
you and made you just before God. Do you really believe that? Do you confess this? What I believe this is who I'm
relying on justification, my faith. Do your works say you believe
justification in Christ? Somebody says, I believe that,
but they go to a church where it's not preached. No, they don't
their works. The diet can't happen. Won't happen. Do your works say
you really believe justification? Do your words line up? You see,
the Lord will meet me and you on the ground. We want to come. You come completely dependent
upon a justification in Christ by grace, by his faithfulness,
by blood. You come that way. He'll meet
you there and you'll be accepted. You come in your works. He'll meet you there. If that's
what you want. Well, that's something I don't want though. Paul said in Philippians chapter
three, Oh, that I may win Christ and be found in him. When God comes looking for me, I don't want to be found preaching
or reading the Bible or praying or witnessing or any of the things
that we like to imagine. Have you ever thought about Christ
coming back while you're committing some kind of sin and you think
about how horrible that would be? All of a sudden he returned
and there you were, or you thought, I'd rather be reading the Bible.
Wouldn't you like to be reading the Bible or praying when Christ
comes back? or witnessing or preaching or
something like that. Paul said, no, not me, not me. Oh, that I may win Christ and
be found in him. So that when God sees me, all
he sees is him. Now that's justification. That's
justification. If God loves you. If Christ died
for you, here's what you are. Just like that poor old publican
in the temple. Justified without sin. Amen. Pastor. What a blessing. Thank you, Todd.
Let's turn to 268 and stand together. Let's sing the first, third,
and fifth verses of 268. How firm a foundation, ye saints
of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word. What more can He say than to
you He hath said, To you who for refuge When through the deep waters
I call thee to go, the rivers of woe shall not thee overflow. for I will be with thee thy troubles
to bless and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress last verse
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose I will not, I will
not desert to his foes That soul though all hell should endeavor
to shake I'll never, no never Don't ever forsake. Let's be dismissed with prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for your word. We
thank you so much for your messenger. We pray, Lord, that you would
be with him as he travels today and bless him again as he preaches
in Crossville tonight. We pray that you would keep this
word with us and bless it to our hearts and hedge us about
and bring us back again to worship your holy name one more time.
We ask all these things in Christ's name. Amen. You're dismissed. Oh.