Open your Bible this morning
to the fourth chapter of Romans. While you're turning there, what grace it is to be blessed
of God. As sinners, we know what it is
we deserve. The Lord brings us to that point
of knowing our standing before God in this flesh. But aren't
you thankful that He doesn't leave His people there? Shows
us the grace of our Savior. In Ephesians chapter 1, we are
told that all spiritual blessings come by the way of Jesus Christ.
That's in verse 3. We are also told that there are
those who are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the
world, election. That's in verse four. And in
verse five, we are told that we are predestined to be under
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself. Because
the Son of the living God, Christ the Lord, because of Him and
what He has done, Christ and Him crucified, we've been redeemed
by the shedding of His blood. That's what we read in verse
7 of Ephesians. What a most wonderful blessing
it is to learn of our state before a thrice holy God. We've all walked in the flesh
at one time, completely blind to what the
true blessings of God are, thinking they were just something out
there dangling in front of us that we had to reach out and
grab a hold of, not knowing that our state was so destitute. so depraved
that we couldn't even reach out. Not only could we not reach out,
we didn't want to. We didn't want to have that one
who rules over everything rule over us, did we? He who came to us when we were
yet dead in trespasses and sin, we who were laying in our own
blood and filth, our Lord and Savior walked by. and said, live. He quickened us, as it says in
verse 1 of chapter 2 of Ephesians. We walked according to the prince
of this world, living as others, fulfilling the desires of our
flesh. We were by our very nature as others, children of wrath,
as it says. But God, who is rich in mercy,
has a great love for His people. So much so that He sent His Son
to be our substitute. He provided Himself our sacrifice. He provided Himself our scapegoat. Our Redeemer, our Lord, our King,
our Priest. Look with me if you would in
our text in Romans chapter 4 verses 7 and 8. Saying, blessed are they whose
iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is
the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. I don't know about you folks,
but that really blesses me a lot. Walking around in this flesh
every day, seven days a week, hearing those words from my Lord
and Savior spoken to my heart just blesses me greatly. I'd like to talk to you a little
bit today about iniquities forgiven. There was a time in my own life
when that word was too big for my vocabulary. I was a truck
driver, and I'll just leave it at that. You can guess what my
vocabulary usually was. Norm was introducing me to a
lady up there in Oregon that runs a gun shop. And he said,
she used to be a dispatcher for a trucking company. She had dispatched
like 30 truck drivers. You can imagine what her language
is being. Don't be offended. I said, Norm, it takes a whole
lot more than that to offend a truck driver. No, iniquity
was not something you would find in my vocabulary at all. It's a rather large word. According
to the Webster's Dictionary, it means immoral or grossly unfair. Here are some of the synonyms
that are used to describe this big word, wickedness, sinfulness,
immorality, atrociousness, evil, sinful, vileness, criminal, offense,
violation, wrongdoing. That just about sums up John
Reeves all the way through. Do any of those words fit us?
What did it say in our text? Blessed are they whose iniquities
are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Folks, that's just a
sample. Those definitions are just a
sample to give us an idea of what God's Word is telling you
and I, what He is saying to our hearts. Blessed are those whose
iniquities are forgiven. Turn over to Numbers chapter
15 if you would with me for just a moment there. Numbers chapter
15. We'll leave Romans. The God of all creation is a
holy God. That means he cannot even look
upon sin. When Adam and Eve sinned in the
Garden of Eden and threw the entire nature of every man, every woman,
every child that would ever walk this earth into a nature of condemnation,
a nature of sin, we were separated from God. He took them out of
the Garden. They could no longer be in the
presence of God. Not without the shedding of blood,
and it has to be perfect blood. Which is why the Lord Jesus Christ
and Him crucified is our message once again. Same message I preached
Wednesday night, and as I told those folks, the same message
I preached last Sunday, and I told them I'd preach this same message
today too. Look at Numbers 15 verses 30
and 31. Numbers chapter 15 verses 30
through 31. But the soul that doeth ought
presumptuously, whether he be born in the land or a stranger,
the same reproaches the Lord, and that soul shall be cut off
from among the people. Speaking of doing the sin. Those
who sin, and all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God. Verse 31, Because he hath despised the word of the Lord,
and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut
off, his iniquity shall be upon him. That's what it's talking
about in Ephesians when it says that we walked according to the
nature of this world. All by nature shall have their
iniquity upon them. And she'll have to answer for
it before a holy God. There's going to be a lot of
people. A lot of people who are going to say, didn't we cast
out devils in your name? Didn't we help the poor? Saying, in the name of Jesus?
Wasn't that enough? No. Salvation is a heart matter.
We've spoken about this many times in the last few weeks.
The devils know who the Lord Jesus Christ is, and they tremble. And they're not saved. The angels
that fell are condemned to hell forever, just as those who do
not belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, just as those who the
Lord did not shed his blood for. And once again, the whole object
of us talking about this on Sunday mornings, on Friday nights, whenever
we gather together, is once again to raise our Lord and Savior
up for His mercy and grace to you and I. To remind us, this
is coming to this table, we come to the table to remember what
He has done. Because we're weak in the flesh. And even in the flesh, we go
out of this room and we go out into the world and within two
minutes, two seconds of being out that door, our mind can wander
off away from who our Savior is and think there really is
something to do with this flesh, isn't there? Now look at verse 32. And while the children of Israel
were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks
upon the Sabbath day. And they that found him gathering
sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. And they put him in a ward, because
it was not declared what should be done unto him. And the Lord
saith unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death. All the congregation shall stone
him with stones without the camp. And all the congregation brought
him without the camp and stoned him with stones. And he died
as the Lord commanded Moses." This is exactly what we deserve.
Judgment. Yet there was one who gave himself
for us to be judged in our stead. What a picture of the cost of
sin. To you and I, to all of the people
of God, to all of those for whom the Son laid down His life, to
all of those that the Father had given Him before the world
was, we see mercy and grace. because we're not receiving this
picture that we just saw of sin, of the cost of sin. Our Lord
received it for us. But let's not overlook what this
man's sin was. You see, he was doing a work
on the Sabbath. The Sabbath was to be a day of
rest. Do all you need to do, Monday
through Saturday, no, Sunday through Saturday, And on the
Sabbath day, rest. The work of preparing your meals
or any other type of work was proclaimed to be a sin if it
had been done on that day to these people of God. And that's
what Israel was a picture of, the people of God, God's chosen
people. And one of the laws given to
Moses was to rest on that Sabbath day. All that you might need
for that day was to be prepared the day before. so that on that
day there would be no works of the hand of men. And this too,
that very law was a picture of not mixing the works of men with
the grace of deliverance by God. Grace and works do not mix. God declares grace and works
cannot mix in the book of Romans, chapter 11, verse 5. Even so
then, at this present time, there is a remnant according to the
election of grace, and if by grace, then it is no more of works.
Otherwise, grace is no more grace. Can you get any more plainer
than that? But if it be of works, then it
is no more of grace. Otherwise, work is no more work.
Our works are an iniquity in the sight of God. And we are
full of sin. Everything we do is tainted with
sin. That's why our blood can never
be shed on any cross for our sins. You can take John Reeve's
blood from here till eternity and it's never going to pay for
one sin because it's tainted with sin. It's tainted with the
very sin that the blood needs to cover. And the only one who
is perfect in the sight of God was His Son, the Lord Jesus. Aren't you thankful? Is that
not good news? Our iniquities are covered in
Him. Do you need a Savior? As I had said earlier, God has
loved a people before the world was, a people chosen unto salvation
through the wonderful works of Christ. Christ, who is the Lord
of the Sabbath. He's the fulfillment of the Sabbath.
He's the fulfillment of all of the Law. So that the Scriptures
should be fulfilled is what He says in His Word. He is our Sabbath,
our day of rest. We rest in His works. Turn over
to the 51st Psalm if you would, please. Psalms number 51. The people of God are brought
to an understanding. We have nothing to offer God
for our iniquities. We are broke, completely depraved
of any righteousness of our own. Our righteousness is as filthy
rags according to His Word. In order to be perfectly righteous
and stand with God, one must be as holy as He is. You must
be as holy as He to be in His very presence. David, a man after God's own
heart, knew this. How did he know it? The same
way you and I do. God's Word spoke to him. When sin had risen up in David,
In His flesh He cried unto the Lord. Look at verses 1-12 of
Psalms 51. Have mercy upon me. Remember
that poor guy over in the corner? We've talked about several times
in the last few weeks. That poor beggar who's down on
his knees pounding his chest. What is David doing here? Have
mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness. Not because
of anything I have within myself, he says, but because of Thy lovingkindness. Folks, we don't have anything
to stand on. But we do have everything to stand on, don't we? If we're
a child of God, we have Christ Jesus, and that is everything
you need. according to Thy lovingkindness,
according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies, blot out
my transgressions, blot out my iniquities, wash me thoroughly
from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge
my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me against Thee,
and Thee only have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight.
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear
when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth
in the inward parts and in the hidden part. Thou shalt make
me no wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall
be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter
than snow. This is not an offer. This is
a cry unto the Lord who can and does. David is crying out that,
Lord, I know You're the only one who can, and I know You will
if I belong to You. Make me to hear joy and gladness
that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy
face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in
me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit
from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. Does your heart burn within you
when you hear about the salvation of the Lord? Restore unto me the joy of Thy
salvation and uphold me with Thy free spirit." His cry was, have mercy upon
me, O Lord. Blessed is the man whose iniquities
are forgiven. How are our iniquities forgiven? Turn over to Isaiah chapter 53.
And while you're turning there, allow
me to read from Ephesians chapter 2, some very familiar words that
we read all the time. Chapter 2, beginning at verse
4, The question I say again, how
are your iniquities forgiven? But God, who is rich in mercy,
for His great love wherewith He loved us. Don't you just love
that? Knowing that our Lord has loved
us with an everlasting love, we have nothing to fear. We don't
even have to fear that sin that is ever before us in this flesh. Because it's all been laid upon
Him. He who knew no sin was made sin that we would be made righteous
in Him. Even when we were dead and sins
have quickened us, given us life. together with Christ, by grace
ye are saved, and hath raised us up together and made us to
sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the
ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace
in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus. For by grace ye
are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is
the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." Now
look with me at chapter 53 of Isaiah. Who? have believed our report." Isaiah is crying out, who have
believed the report that salvation is of the Lord and of the Lord
alone? And to whom is the arm of the
Lord revealed? You know, Jesus Christ is the
arm of the Lord. He's the right hand of God. The strength of
God Almighty is in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For He shall
grow up before Him as a tender plant and as a root out of dry
ground. He hath no form nor comeliness,
and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire
Him. He is despised and rejected of
men, a man of sorrows and account quenched with grief. And we hid
as it our faces from him. He was despised, and we esteemed
him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten
of God, and afflicted." But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. There was no transgressions in
God. There was no transgressions in
Jesus. He fulfilled the will of the
Father perfectly. He did everything that the Father
wanted of Him. He fulfilled all the Scriptures
perfectly as our substitute. He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes
we are healed. How? How is it? How is it that
we are saved? How is it that our iniquities
are forgiven? Blessed is the man whose iniquity
is forgiven. Blessed is the man whom the Lord
will not impute sin. Abraham believed God and righteousness
was imputed to him. Whosoever believeth shall have
everlasting life. That's what the Lord says in
John 3.16. Whosoever. Who are those that
are the whosoever? All those that the Father giveth
him, his elect, those who he has chosen to make vessels of
mercy. Again, in Ephesians 2, verse
8, we read this, for by grace ye are saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works.
Well, didn't he mention both? And I ask you this, who can resist
the will of God? Who can turn the hand of God?
Oh, to be blessed of God, what mercy and what grace! This is what is left for man
if God is not for us. We read in Luke chapter 13 verse
24, Strive to enter into the gate, into the straight gate,
For many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not
be able. Once the master of the house
is risen up and has shut the door, shut to the door, and you
begin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying, Lord,
Lord, open unto us. And he shall answer and say unto
you, I know you not when she are. Then shall ye begin to say, We
have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not which you are.
Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity." Picture this for
just a moment. The ark. When the Lord God flooded
this world, it began to rain, and who closed the door on that
ark? Remember the story? Did Noah and his members of his
family get in there and pull on the chains and raise that
ark up, you know? No. It says God closed the door
of that ark. Now, let's remember one other
thing about that story. Did God open that door back up
again? Nope. Eight souls. Imagine all those
who watched Noah all those days building this big old huge box
thinking, what do you mean it's going to rain? What in the world
is that? You're just as crazy as can be,
old fart. Just as crazy as can be. And then all of a sudden, the
rains come. And they realize right then and
there, uh-oh. We're not in that ark. And they're
not getting in. Once again, we see the mercy
and the grace of our Lord and Savior in saving a people at
all. He said to everyone outside that
ark that day, depart from me, ye workers of iniquity. I never
knew you. The word knew, when the Lord
states that, I never knew you, is a personal, intimate knowledge. Not just a knowledge of who you
are, not just a knowledge of everything
about you, but the knowledge of a woman and a man in marriage,
intimately. He knows His people. And He says
this, My sheep hear My voice. Isn't that a wonderful thing
to know that we hear the voice of God speaking through His Scriptures
because He first loved us? Is your trust in something that
you have done this morning? Something that you are doing?
Or does the event at Calvary The death of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ, cover your iniquities. If you can say with all of your
heart. There was a man in a chariot
out in the middle of a desert. And God sent one of his preachers
out to speak to that man in the desert. That's what we have here.
That's what it is outside of God's Word. It's a desert. It's dry bones. And Philip went out and came
to a chariot with an Ethiopian eunuch sitting in there reading
from the book of Isaiah. He asked Philip, who's this talking
about? Is he talking about himself or is he talking about another
man? And Philip joined him in the chariot and began to preach
Jesus Christ. Salvation is of the Lord. Oh, what a blessing it is to
know that our iniquities were laid on Him. that we walk in
the sight of God in His righteousness, in His righteousness alone. Amen.