I got everybody's attention,
everybody's looking at me. I hope you got your ears open.
In Hebrews 9, verse 27, it says, and it is appointed unto men
once to die, but after this, the judgment. Judgment is coming. All will be there. because he, because God hath
appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness
by that man whom he hath ordained. That man is the Lord Jesus Christ. God the Father hath given to
his Son the Lord Jesus Christ all authority to judge. For as the Father hath life in
himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself,
and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because
he is the Son of Man. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son
of Man, is also God. God manifests in the flesh. Are you in Romans? Just look
at Romans, chapter 3, verse 19. Now we know that what thing soever
the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every
mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before
God. All mankind is guilty before
a thrice holy God. Whether you're a Jew, a Gentile,
religious, not religious, it does not matter. There is no
difference. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. Our God is holy, righteous, and
just. In Psalms 99, it says, the Lord
reigneth. Let the people tremble. He sitteth
between the cherubims. Let the earth be moved. The Lord is great in Zion, and
he is high above all the people. Let them praise thy great and
terrible name, for it is holy." The God of the Bible is holy. He is holy God. He is holy, fully,
completely righteous. just and good. God is absolute
truth. He will no wise clear the guilty,
just can't up and forgive sin. Sin has to be punished. Every transgression and disobedience
shall receive a just recompense of reward. The soul that sinneth
shall surely die. In Romans 3, verses 10 through
12, it says, as it is written, there is none righteous. No,
not one. There is none that understandeth. There is none that seeketh after
God. They are all gone out of the
way. They are together become unprofitable,
there is none that doeth good, no not one. When you hear this, does this offend you? You know
this world out here, That offends them. That offends the natural
man. Religious man. The natural man. His foolishness. They don't want
to hear it. I remember trying to talk to
my mother about the things of God and she would hold her hands
up to both ears and cry, I don't want to hear it. I don't want
to hear it. And this way this world is. No
man can faithfully preach the gospel of Christ without offending
someone. To many, it is a stone of stumbling
and a rock of offense. The preaching of the cross is
the one means which God has ordained for the salvation of sinners.
Yet, it is most offensive to the natural man. The gospel of
the grace of God offends man's dignity because it addresses all men
as sinners. It addresses, the gospel leaves
no place for human dignity. Can you hear everything shaking?
That's me. The preaching of the cross is
the one means which God has ordained for the salvations of sinners. Yet, this is offensive. The gospel levels out all men,
whether you're religious, not religious, whatever. All are
sinners. None are good. No, not one. Yes, men are sinners. In Romans 5, 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. Men complain that it's unfair
that they should be charged with Adam's sin. Nay, but, O man, who art thou
that replyest against God? Shall the thing formed say to
him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? This is not
up for debate. God said it, therefore it's true. God is true and every man is
a liar. If we say that we have no sin,
we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess
our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. For since by man came death,
by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all
die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. If you want
no part of Adam's sin, then you'll have no part in the righteousness
of Christ. God commands all men to repent. In Isaiah 53, 6, it says, all
we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his
own way. To repent is to turn from our
own way, our own wisdom, our own will, our own righteousness,
our way. There is a way that seemeth right
unto man, but the end thereof is death. It's not God's, it's
not our way. It's God's way. Lord Jesus Christ
said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto
the father but by me. Can you agree with God against
yourself? Can you cry with David in Psalm
51? Have mercy upon me, O God, according
to thy lovingkindness. According unto the multitude
of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly
from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin. I acknowledge
my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Against 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. Can you cry this in your
heart? I pray you can. I pray you can. Are you a hell-deserving sinner? There's no other kind. There's
none other kind. Can you cry out? God be merciful
to me, the sinner. Not just a sinner, but the sinner,
the chief of sinners. God has mercy on the chief of
sinners. Turn, if you will, to Luke chapter
18. Luke chapter 18 speaks about two men went up
to the temple to pray. The one was a Pharisee, the other
was a publican. Pharisee is religious man. Publican, he's just a heathen.
He's a tax collector. a wicked tax collector. He'd
always charge more money than what was due, and he would pocket
the rest. Men hated him. Two men went up into the temple
to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee
stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee that I am not
as other men are, extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even as
this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give
tithes of all I possess. I read my Bible every day. I
pray out loud wherever I go. I want everyone to see how good
I am, how religious I am. In Matthew 23, our Lord said,
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto
whited sepulchres, a whited grave, which indeed appear beautiful
outward, but are within full of dead men's pwnes and all uncleanness,
full of pride and self-righteousness, which God hates. Then we have
the publican, the crooked tax collector, despised and rejected
of men. And the publican, standing afar
off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but
smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me, thee sinner. I tell you, this man went down
to his house justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone
that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted. If you think you're something,
you ain't nothing. If you think you're a good person,
you're not. If you think that all of your
good deeds deserve some kind of merit, they don't. In Luke chapter 17, you don't
have to turn, I'll just read it to you. But which of you having
a servant plowing or feeding cattle will say unto him, by
and by, when he is come from the field, go and sit down to
meet? We have a servant. He's been
out working hard. And we say, well, come on in
the house. Let me feed you. Let me feed
you, take care of you, comfort you. No. If you're a slave owner,
that's not the way it works. But we would rather say unto
him, make ready wherewith I may sup, and afterward thou shalt
eat and drink. Does he thank that servant because
he did the things that were commanded him? No. So likewise, when ye
shall have done all things which are commanded you, say, we are
unprofitable servants. We have done that which was our
duty to do. That's the duty of man, is to
bow to God and follow his commandments, do what he says. It's only right. We don't deserve no merit for
it. They that are whole have no need
of a physician, but they that are sick. The natural man, whether he be
religious or irreligious, atheists don't need a God. They are their own God. They
worship themselves. They worship their knowledge
and all their doings. And the religious people don't
need a savior. They're working to save themselves. They're not beggars. We'd be not sinners. That's who
Christ came to save was sinners. Because thou sayest, I am rich
and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest
not that thou art wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. Christ said, I came not to call
the righteous, but sinners to repentance. So far we have established that
judgment is coming. Our God is holy. All are guilty
sinners. God commands all men to repent. Man cannot save himself. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight, for by
the law is the knowledge of sin. The purpose of the law is to
show what sin is. The knowledge of sin, revealing
sin, exposing sin. Tell me ye that desire to be
under the law, do you not hear the law? Do you not hear the
holy and strict standard of the law? It's got to be kept perfectly. to be accepted of God. In James
2, it says, for whomsoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend
in one point is guilty of all. For he that said, do not commit
adultery said also, thou shalt not kill. Now if thou commit
no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor
of the law. The thought of evil is sin. Do we love God with all our heart,
soul, mind, and strength? Do we love our neighbor as ourselves? I wish I could, but I don't.
I can't. God's law demands perfection
in thought, word, and deed. For the Lord seeth not as man
seeth. For man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. Man's concept of
holiness is all wrong. Touch not, taste not, handle
not. I've never done this. I've never
done that. Have you ever wanted to? That's sin. I don't smoke. I don't drink.
I don't run around on my wife. I don't cuss. I go to church. I try to treat my neighbor right. I wear this. I don't wear that.
I eat this. I don't eat that. In Romans 14,
the kingdom of God is not in meat and drink, but in righteousness
and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost takes the
things of Christ and reveals them to his people. Man's concept
of holiness is highly esteemed among men. In Luke 16, 15, it
says, Christ said to the Pharisees, ye are they which justify yourselves
before men. But God knows your hearts. For
that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in
the sight of God. Self-righteousness is an abomination
to God. It is the leaven of the Pharisees. A little bit of self-righteousness
will damn your soul. It's either Christ alone or nothing
at all. It's not by our works of righteousness
which we have done, but by his mercy he has saved us. Yet the Pharisees, they pride
themselves in their religious deed, how they are separate from
sinners. You can spot them praying in
restaurants, praying on street corners. They do what they do
to be seen of men. Proverbs 16, 5, everyone that
is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord, though hand joined
in hand, He shall not be unpunished. Proverbs 6. These six things
doth the Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him,
a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent
blood, and heart that devises wicked imaginations. Do we have wicked imaginations? Yes. Feet that are swift are running
into mischief. Many make even a faith a work.
They make faith a choice of their own will, a decision which they
have made. I accepted Jesus. They let God save them. They let Jesus enter their heart. He couldn't get into their heart
store. They had to let him in. Therefore,
they get a little credit for their salvation. They cry, God has done all he
can do, and now it's up to you. That's an abomination to God. It takes away the the glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ. If we have to let our God do
anything, then our God is not the God of the Bible. In Isaiah
43, it says, I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is
no Savior. I have declared and have saved
And I have showed when there was no strange God among you. Therefore, ye are my witnesses,
saith the Lord, that I am God. Yea, before the day was, I am. And there is none that can deliver
out of my hand. I will work, and who shall let
it? Faith is not the work of man. is the gift of God. For by grace
are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. Faith is not a watch. Faith is
a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. So we've been speaking about
judgment is coming. All are guilty sinners. God commands
all to repent. Man can't save himself. Up to this point, we've been
talking about the bad news. The gospel is the good news,
how God saves sinners without a sinner keeping the law. Can't do it. There's no difference
between a religious man and irreligious man. There's no difference. All
have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The gospel is good news for a
sinner. The righteousness of the Lord
Jesus Christ is our salvation. In Romans 3, 21 through 22, it
says, But now the righteousness of God without the law, as without
us keeping the law, is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of
Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe for there
is no difference Jew or Gentile Says by the faith of Jesus and
say by faith in Jesus the faith of Jesus Christ It's not a misprint
Christ's faithful obedience to the law is the righteousness
that God will accept. We're accepted in the beloved. It's his faithfulness. It's his
death. Our death can't satisfy God's
justice. And our works can't satisfy the
law. It's all by Jesus Christ. Christ's perfect life, his righteousness
imputed, is charged to everyone who trusts Christ alone for salvation. It says in Galatians chapter
3, for as many as are of the works of law are under the curse,
for it is written, cursed is everyone that continueth not
in all things which are written in the book of the law to do
them. but that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God. It is evident the just shall
live by faith, the faith of Jesus Christ. Christ has redeemed us from the
curse of the law being made a curse for us. For it is written, cursed
is everyone that hangeth upon a tree. Salvation is of the Lord,
period. In Isaiah, chapter 53, it says,
so who hath believed thy report? I hope everyone here is believing
what I'm saying to you. I hope. And to whom is the arm
of the Lord revealed? We just can't. Natural man just
does not figure this out on his own. The natural way of man is,
I'm going to do it all by myself. I don't need anybody to show
me what to do, how to save myself. My works are good enough. Ain't
so. in Romans 9, so then it is not
of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but it is God who
showeth mercy. God will have mercy and not our
sacrifice, not our good deeds. Preaching the gospel is the operation
of the Holy Spirit on the hearts of God's people. He is elect,
chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. It is written in
the prophets that they shall be all taught of God. Every man
therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh
unto me. His sheep will hear His voice,
and they will follow Him. He said, I am the Good Shepherd.
I give my life for the sheep. And there are some Pharisees
over there to the side, mocking Him in unbelief. And our Lord
said to them, ye believe not, because you're not My sheep. How does one become a sheep of
God? Are ye in Christ Jesus, who of
God has made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification,
and redemption? And he that glories in the Lord, him that
wants the glory in himself, Let them glory in the Lord. Salvation
is of the Lord. In Romans 3, 24 and 25, it says,
We are justified freely by His grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus. We are justified freely by His
grace. In Revelation 21, 6, and He said
unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is
a thirst of the fountain of water of life freely. Ho, every one that thirsteth,
come ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, come
ye, buy and eat. Yea, come by wine and milk without
money, without price. We're justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Man has no redeeming qualities. Redemption is to deliver someone
from the charges of a crime by payment. You get caught for speeding,
you have to pay the fine. You've got to pay the price or
else you'll go to jail. We can set free someone by payment
of a ransom. A child is kidnapped. The kidnappers
set a ransom price. In order for you to get your
child back, you've got to pay the ransom price. If you do not
pay the price, the child will die. Every sinner that is saved
has to be redeemed by price. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. In Romans 6, for the wages of
sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal
life through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is what all men have earned. Men cannot redeem themselves. We can't live the perfect life,
and we can't pay the perfect death. Christ did. Jesus paid it all, all the debt
I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow. Thou shalt call his name Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. It's done. In Galatians 3, I think I've already read that.
Yes, I have. Well, it's easy to get lost in
it. That's just our nature, to get
lost. We're prone to wander. Lord,
I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. I wish I could love my God with
all my heart, soul, and mind and strength, but I can't. It's
not in me. It's not my nature by birth. We're justified freely through
the redemption that is in Christ. In Romans 3, 25 through 26, it
says, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through
faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission
of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. To declare,
I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just and justifier
of him which believeth in Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ has been
clearly set forth in God's holy word to be the only sin-atoning
sacrifice. In Romans 5, 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 perventure
for a good man. Some would even dare to die.
But God commended his love toward us sinners. And that while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us much more than being now
justified by his blood. We shall be saved from wrath
through him. For if, when we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more
being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only
so, but we also join God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom
we have now received the atonement. in Book of Acts chapter 13, and
by him all that believe are justified from all things which he could
not be justified by the law of Moses. The great transaction
is done. Christ did it all. So in Romans 3, 27 through 31, so where is boasting is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. The Lord
Jesus Christ kept the law. for his people. He lived a perfect
life and charged that perfect life to their souls. Is he a God of the Jews only?
Is he not also the Gentiles? Yea, of the Gentiles also. saying
it is one God which shall justify the circumcision by faith and
the uncircumcision through faith. Religious, irreligious, Jew,
or Gentile, Christ came to save sinners. Do we then make void the law
through faith? God forbid. Yea, we establish
the law. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness. The whole purpose of the law
was to point men to Jesus Christ. All the law could do was expose
sin, reveal sin. But keeping the law could never
save anyone, only Christ. Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster
to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith."
We're justified by Christ. He is our faith. But after that
faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. If the
Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. There is therefore now no condemnation
to them who are in Christ, who walk not after flesh, after their
doing, their believing, and it's all after Christ. Christ is all. The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled
and established all righteousness needed for the salvation of God's
chosen sinners. Christ by His death paid the
wages of sin that we owe. That's good. That's good. Because I can't do nothing but
sin. My very best deeds are sin. All of my imaginations are only
evil and that continually. But Christ died. It is finished, and so am I.