Hebrews 10. Let's read verse 38. Now, the just shall live by faith. But if any drawback, my soul
shall have no pleasure in it." Now, the relationship of a believer and Jesus Christ is likened to
in the scriptures, it's likened unto the relationship of a child
and their parent. It is also likened unto the relationship
of a husband or a wife with her husband. Believers are called
children of God. They're called the bride, the
wife, Christ being the husband. And that's just what it means
to be a believer. It's to have a relationship with
a person. The disciples of old were people
that walked with the living Lord. They were not merely men who
believe some doctrine in their head. They knew a person. And this relationship between
a believer and Christ is two persons, living persons, loving and living with one another. Now, granted that when this relationship
begins, and when it begins, true conversion is when Christ meets
a person, when he reveals himself to a person. When God revealed
his Son in me, Paul said, It's not coming to a knowledge of
the doctrines of grace. That's not scriptural. But it's meeting a person. And granted, when that relationship
begins, it is, at least on the part of the human being, it's
very fragile because of our I'll give you an illustration. A little
child, they love their parent, a little
small child. And they understand, at least,
that the parent is indeed their parent. They understand something
of that relationship. But because the child is so immature, It's, you know, it's very weak
on their part, but it's real nonetheless. A little child does indeed know
their parent and love them as a real person. And a wife, it's like when we
first get married, we say we love one another, maybe we do. But really, that love is not
truly exhibited until later on, until after many years together,
because of our immaturity and our youth and so forth. But it's
real nonetheless, isn't it? It's real. We may be immature,
but it's real. And when a child of God, when a believer is truly born
again, born from above, truly meets this person named Jesus
Christ. Now, they are weak. That believer
is weak and immature and fickle. Their love is fickle at times
in their understanding of him, but it's real. It's real. And it grows. That is a characteristic
of true faith and love. It grows. It doesn't wane. It doesn't diminish. It grows. Right? You folks have been married
a long time. Has your love for your mate diminished? Or has it grown? Your relationship,
has it grown apart? Or have you grown closer? Well, this is what a disciple
in his Christ is likened to in the Scripture. And I believe
that really this is the heart of this verse here that says,
the just shall live by faith. A truly justified, the just,
the justified person lives Or has his being, his person, wrapped
up in this other person that he believes in? He lives by faith. Do you follow me? That is the
tenor of this whole message. Are you with me? A truly saved
person lives upon this other one. All right, and I'm going to get
back to that thought in a minute. But first I want us to see, just to dig into this and see
what this means, that just shall live by faith. Four times this
is quoted in the scriptures. Now, one time is important, but
four times? He quotes, this is in Habakkuk,
and it's also in Galatians and Romans and now here in Hebrews,
four times this is quoted, the just shall live by faith. What is faith? How many messages have you heard
on faith? How many books have been written
on faith? What is faith? and have already lost you. I
hope not, because this text implies that it's a matter of life or
death. We not only need to know what
it means, but we need to have it. It's a matter of life or death.
Faith in Christ, or knowing this one, he that hath the Son, John
said, hath life. He that doesn't have the Son,
doesn't believe in him, he shall not see life. Well, look at Hebrews 11. Look
at verse 1. It seems to give a definition
of what faith is. Hebrews 11, verse 1, it says,
Now faith is the substance or the ground or confidence of things
hoped for. Faith is the substance of things
hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, the proof of
things you don't see. That's what faith is. Faith is the ground or personal
persuasion, promises within of things you hope for, that you're
going to have them. And the evidence or the proof
that what you believe in is indeed real. Are what things? What's he talking
about? Things. Evidence. Faith is the
substance of things hoped for. What things do we hope for? Heaven? Pearly gates? Well, look up at verse 6. In
chapter 11, it says, without this faith, it is impossible
to please God. That makes it pretty important,
doesn't it? It is impossible to please God
without this faith. For he that cometh to God must
believe that he is. and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently want to go to heaven. Is that what that said? He is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him. Do you remember in Genesis 15
where he said to Abraham, Abraham, I am thy exceeding great I am
thy portion, and I am your reward." All right, look at that verse
one again. Now, faith is the substance or the ground or confidence
of things hoped for. What's that? David said in Psalm
73, 25, whom have I? Yeah, I want to go to heaven. Sure, I do. But David said, what
is heaven to me? What is heaven all about? He
said, whom have I in heaven? Mama, daddy. There won't be mama
and daddy to me in heaven. There'll be no relationships
like that in heaven. You know it? We'll be like Christ. There'll
be no relationship. You won't know your husband or
wife as your husband or wife. They're neither married nor given
in marriage up there. And no husband of Christ is going
to be your husband, your wife, your brother, your sister. you're
all your father, your mother. Who have I in heaven, David said,
but thee. Now, here's the key. And he said,
and there's none on earth that I desire but thee, beside thee, none on
earth. Those that diligently seek him,
him, The evidence of things not seen.
Faith is the substance, the ground of things hoped for. Faith is
the promise of meeting Christ. That's who you hope for. Christ
your hope. One we hope, hope of earth and
joy of heaven. The evidence of things not seen.
Now, I've never seen streets of gold, and I'll be maybe perhaps
interested, but that's not what I'm after. Is it you? Or the pearly gates? You know,
that'll be really interesting, but I just don't imagine I'll
spend five, more than five minutes looking at them. Brother Ed Hale says, I'm looking
for something else, looking for scars. A man has scars in his hand,
a person. Things not seen, the evidence
of things not seen, faith is the proof of this one. Peter
said, whom having not seen you love. Is this possible? To really love a person, I mean
really love a person that you haven't seen, is it possible? It's the essence of faith. That's what Peter said to those
people. He said, whom having not seen, you love him. You love
him. Real love for a real person.
See, that's what I'm saying. That's what salvation is. It's
not embracing the doctrine. You know, when you get in trouble
or go through trials and afflictions and tribulations and all that,
you can't hug up to sovereign grace. much as I love the term and preach
it strongly, it will not get you through a trial. A person
will, though. And neither will a knowledge
of sovereign grace get you into the halls of glory. But a person will. And how else, you know, Hebrews
11, the whole chapter is filled, Hebrews 11, the whole chapter
is filled full of talking about people that women that were tortured
and men and so forth that died, how could you die for a doctor?
Could you? Jenny, would you give your children,
have your children see them butchered for a doctor? You see, this thing's a person.
It's faith in a person. It's knowledge of and belief
in and love for a person. for a person. Now, it says the
just shall live by faith. The just shall live by faith. Scripture says we are not just.
We are unjust. Scripture says there are none
righteous. Turn over there and look at it
with me. Romans chapter 3. Turn over there. Scripture says
there are none righteous, no, not one, and there are none that
doeth good. So this is not saying that moral,
outwardly moral person, or good person, or one who is just by
human standards, that's not who this is talking about here. The
just shall live by faith. Scripture says that we're unjust. It says the just shall live.
Scripture says we're dead. in trespasses and sin. And we've
got to be made alive. Look here at Romans 3. Well,
how can a man be just who is unjust? How can a woman be alive
to God when they are dead in trespasses and sin? A person who has no thoughts
of God, it says the very thing here in Romans 3, that God is
not in their thoughts. people who don't care for God,
how is it that all of a sudden they're interested? How is it that a man who is born
in sin and lives in sin, that's his nature, how is he made just
before God? Look at Romans 3 verse 10. As
it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. None. Read on, verses 11 through 18. There's none that understand,
there's none that seeketh after God. They're all gone out of
the way. They're together become unprofitable. There's none that
doeth good. No, not one. Well, he's a good man. No, he's
not. Scripture says he's not. Not before God. Read on. Their throat is an open sepulcher. That's the reason cursing is
so natural to the man. With their tongues used to see
lying. poison of asps is under their
lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, feet
are swift to shed blood. We watched a movie on the Holocaust
the other night. How can a man do to another human
being what some of those fellows did? It says it right here. That's
man's nature. If the tables were turned, those
Jews would have done the same thing to those Germans. That's the nature right here.
Was it not for the restraining grace of God that every woman
in here would be a whore and every man would be a drug dealer? Verse 16, there is destruction
and misery in their ways, a way of peace. Have they not known
there is no fear of God before their eyes? Now, we know, verse
19, that what things soever the law saith, it says to them that
are under That's the Ten Commandments. That's whatever law. It says
that every man, woman, boy or girl, what does it say? Well,
do this and live. It says that every mouth shall
be stopped and all the world become guilty before God. I preach a lot on sin here, don't
I? I mention this quite a bit. I talk to us. like dogs sometimes. But like my pastor preached one
time, all dogs go to heaven. You know that? That woman, that
Syrophoenician woman that came to the Lord and said, Lord, heal
my daughter. And he said, it's not right to
give a children's bread to dogs. You're a dog. And she said, that's true, Lord.
I am a dog. But I'm your dog. That's what
old Mephibosheth said to David, wasn't it? King David, when he
came in, he said, Who am I, such a dead dog? But I know two dogs
that went to heaven. Caleb was the only, other than
Joshua, Caleb was the only one that went into the promised land.
You know what Caleb means? Faithful dog. And I talk to us like dogs. If
we ever come to the point where we feel like we're a dog, We've
got a mighty good master. But if we think we're something,
and I'm not talking about poodle dog, you know, cute little poodle. I'm talking junkyard dogs. But what the law says, it says
that every mouth would be stopped and all the world become guilty,
vile, wretched, no good, unrighteous worms. That's what the scriptures
And I'm sorry if that offends someone, but really, I hope it
does. And all the world becomes guilty
before God. We become guilty before God before
we'll hear mercy. You see? The world is hearing
preachers talk love, love, love, and all of that, and so what
need is there of mercy? I don't hear anybody crying out
like they did at Pentecost. Lord, have mercy on us. But guilty
people need mercy, don't they? Verse 20. So the law says, what
it says, that we may be guilty, verse 20, and by the deeds of
the law, or by keeping the Ten Commandments, no flesh is going
to be justified in God's sight. You see that? No flesh. By the keeping of the law, nobody
is going to be justified in God's sight. Read on now. This is important. But now, verse 21. But now, the
righteousness of God. You know, in order to get to
heaven, you've got to be as good as God. God's God loves holy things. It says
the righteous Lord loveth righteousness. And right there it said there's
nobody righteous, didn't it, Joe? Well, how's he going to
love you? Everybody says he does. How's
he going to love you, Joe, if you're not righteous? That's
inconsistent, isn't it? The scripture says the righteous
Lord loveth righteousness, and he hates iniquity. It says we're
full of iniquity, and we're unrighteous. How's he going to love you, Joe?
You're going to have to be righteous. How, Joe? Now, and you're going to hear
it right here and now, verse 21, the righteousness of God
without the law, without you keeping the law, is made clear. It's clear to us, isn't it, Stan?
Now, clear to some people because they go about to establish a
righteousness. They're trying to make God look
at them and be pleased with them. Not me. I want him looking at
somebody else. Not me. The righteousness of
the law, read on now, don't let me lose you here. I haven't lost
you, I'm just reading the scripture. The righteousness without the
law is manifested. God's being witnessed by the
law and the prophets. The law never said, now if you'll
keep me, you'll You'll be alright. The law just says guilty, guilty,
guilty, guilty. Verse 22, well here it is then.
The righteousness of God, which is by faith in, well it is faith in Christ, but
that little word there is a key word. The righteousness of God,
which is by faith of. Jesus Christ unto all that believe
in Jesus Christ. Because all have sinned, verse
twenty-three, all have sinned, that's you and me, and come short
of reaching what God demands of you. But verse twenty-four
says we're freely justified by his grace. So how is a man justified? Not
by keeping the law. Paul thought he could do that,
didn't he, John? He said, touching the righteousness which is in
the law. He said, I was blameless. He said, I kept it, all these
things, from my youth up. I was a good boy. He was guilty
before God. He was righteous before me, and
he was unrighteous before God. Paul said, when I really saw
what the law was saying, it killed me and pointed me to Christ. And said, now you can't keep
the law like God demands it. There's only one who ever did
keep the law. Only one man approved by God
Almighty for his righteousness sake. Only one man that God Almighty
is pleased with for his righteousness sake. And that's that man, Jesus
Christ. And he said, now if you'll trust
him, just believe, not yourself. Quit trying this and that to
please God. Just trust Him. Just believe
Him. Put all your faith in Him. You'll
be declared as just as He is, just as if I'd never sinned like
Him. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Well,
it is. Simple fact. And I fear, like
Paul said, that Satan in his subtlety should beguile you as
he did Eve from the simplicity that is in Christ. You know,
a lot of the world talks about just believe on Jesus, believe
on Jesus, but then they turn right around and have you looking
to yourself, don't they? Don't they, Stanley? Preachers
keep preaching, believe on Jesus and believe on Jesus and then
they turn around and say, now you better quit your drinking
or you'll go to hell. Well, wait a minute now, who's,
what's going to save me? The blood of Christ or me quitting
my drinking? Well, look over here, let's look
some more, okay? Romans chapter, look over at
Romans chapter 4. Look over here, Romans 4, verse It says that Christ was delivered
for our offenses and raised again for our justification. Because Christ didn't stay dead
and God raised him from the grave, that's proof that God accepted
him. Look at chapter 5, verse 9. It says it being now justified
by his blood, by his blood, declared holy,
declared righteous, declared sinless, justified, just as if
I had never sinned because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.
That's what that verse meant back there, the faith of Jesus
Christ, the righteousness of God which Jesus Christ produced. by being faithful to God and
faithful to you, his people. There's a verse, Brother Henry,
over in Timothy that says, if we believe not—and there are
times when we don't, aren't there? Our faith is—you know, we're
not justified by our faith, because sometimes we believe, sometimes
we don't, don't we? Sometimes our faith seems strong. It may not be. And in other times,
it seemed like you don't have it at all. Well, that version
of Timothy says, well, if we believe not yet, he abided faithfully. He can't deny himself. You may
deny him, but he won't deny you if you're in him. Isn't that
good news? Oh, I like that. Justified by
his faith. I like that. I like that. And because he was faithful,
he said, Faithful is he that hath begun a good work in you.
Faith. He'll also do it. He'll finish
it. You'll remain faithful, John,
unto the end. You're not of them that will
draw back unto perdition. Don't you like that? There's
one fellow, and you're smiling. Turn over to Colossians 3 now,
lesson in closing, and let me get back to that first point.
Did I make it clear to you how a man or a woman is saved or
justified or accepted with God Almighty, huh? Did I? Did I? We're not accepted by God or
justified. He says we must be justified
because there's none just, none righteous. We're not justified
by the works of the law, by anything we do. God will not accept anything
we do. You know what that verse said?
Of the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his
sight. Why? Because it's not good enough.
Our motive's wrong. Our thoughts are wrong. I remember
my wife one time telling her, her grandmother, who was an unbeliever,
told her one time that she said, in trying to talk to her about
Christ in the gospel. She said, there's enough sin
in my prayers to send me to hell. And her grandmother was shocked.
Sin in prayer? Yeah, because see, there's nothing
we do or say or think that's not selfless. or without selfishness
in it, or a selfish motive, or self-righteousness in it, or
an evil, ungodly motive. It's not for the glory of God
and the good of others and all. It's not self, not I, not pride
in it. A man is justified. He cannot
be justified. A woman cannot be justified or
accepted by God. by what they do, because it's
never good enough. Never. But everything Jesus Christ did
was good enough. Everything he did, his thoughts. You see, God doesn't see as man
sees. God doesn't look on the outward
countenance. I look pretty good to you, don't I? Well, I tell
you, on the inside, I'm a rotten fellow. So what does God look at? He
looks on the heart. Well, Jesus Christ's heart was
perfect. His thoughts, his words, every
word out of his mouth, every deed he ever performed was perfect. And God said, I'm well pleased
in this man for his righteousness. And then we use the term imputed. The scriptures use it. I'm not
trying to impress you. Romans 4, it's all the way through
there, isn't it? Imputed. And what that simply
means is that Jesus Christ took what he did, that life he lived,
and all that God chose, all that God chose to save, Christ imputed
or charged that life to them. And now God looks at... He's able to present us faultless
before his throne, holy, unblameable, unreprovable in God's sight.
There's therefore now no condemnation to them. We're justified by Christ,
by faith in him. Why would a man look anywhere
else? Pride. It's only one reason. He wants
a little glory. But not unto us, is what I say,
not unto us be the glory, but unto him be the glory. And that's
what faith is, just dependent on Christ for it all. Boy, that
sounds simple, doesn't it? And it really is, if pride didn't
get in the way. All right, now look at Colossians
3 in closing. Look at this with me, all right? Colossians 3, verses 1 through
4 says now, and you remember how I started this whole thing
off? Now, Margaret, relate your relationship. Being a believer is not just
just just believe in everything I said. I mean, you need to. But it's not just in your head
saying, I believe all that, it sounds logical and I believe
it. You see, I was talking about
a person. I wasn't preaching doctrine to you. I was talking
about a person who did something, a who. Not just a what, but a who. And you know, we can believe
in justification by faith, but that won't save us. Well, if
we believe in the One that justifies, He'll save us. Come unto Him. Let us therefore
go unto Him without decamp. He that cometh to God must believe
that he is, and he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
him." Colossians 3 says, "...if ye then be risen with Christ,"
or since you are risen with Christ, "...seek those things which are
above." What things? Heaven? No, it's where Christ
is. where he sits on the right hand
of God. Set your affection, your mind, on things above, not on
things on earth. You're dead, and your life is
hid with Christ in God. When Christ, look at it, verse
4, when Christ, look at it, when Christ, who is our life, not just makes us live before
God, I mean, he did. He said, I'm come that they might
have life to raise them from the dead, but Christ then becomes
your life. Do you follow me, Stan? He's
not just simply a system of doctrines. Now you're a sovereign gracer.
You are, but no, now you're a Christian, a disciple, a follower of a person. You see that, don't you? when
Christ, who is our life, not only He gives life, but He becomes
your life. The just shall live by faith, or by this one, in
this one. Paul said it in another place,
he said, for me to live is what? Christ. To die is to be with
Him. But now, To live is, Paul said,
that I might know Him, win Him, the fellowship of His suffering.
For me to live is Christ. And I'm not saying anything to
discourage a young believer, any one young believer in here
who says, well, I just don't have that intimate, close relationship
that you're describing, and it just seems that I know mostly
about Him and don't so much I'm not saying that to discourage
you, I'm saying it to encourage you. And I said all this to start
with, that a young believer, their relationship, it's, you
know, you don't know him like you will. But do you know him? See, this separates. This separates. Head knowledge is important,
but it's also dangerous. It'll harden you. There are people who have heard
the gospel for 30 and 40 years to whom it has become old hat
instead of a sweet-smelling savor. Now, what's the difference? It's the difference between a
man standing up and talking about a person, and you delighting,
or a man standing up talking about doctrine which you've heard,
and you know. You know, here's some characteristics
of Christ. Paul said for me to live is Christ,
and I said to begin with, this thing is a relationship between
two persons. Christ and a believer, a man
like a man and a woman. characteristics of a real loving
relationship, and here's some characteristics of that. If you really love somebody, you love to be with them, don't
you? Huh? You like to talk about them?
Huh? Jenny, what if we were going
to—I'm not picking on you, you're sitting there. What if we were
going to devote one whole Sunday to talking about Anna and Sarah
and Laura? Do you reckon Jenny would be
here? She'd be here two hours early
with her tape recorder in hand. Well, you know, Sunday morning
we say, we're going to stand up and I'm going to talk to you
about Jesus Christ. Who loves him? You know, a husband, a husband
and wife, a husband who really loves his wife, he's not looking
for other things to do, is he? Come on. That's what I said to
begin with, this whole thing. is described in the scriptures
as a relationship between Christ and his bride. The scripture says faithful in
a few things, and really, you know, there's only one area that
we can be much faithful at. You know what that is? The things
of Christ, the things of God. What are the things? That's what
we're doing right now. John, he said where two or three
are gathered, that's where I'm going to be. Do you love him? Prove it. Prove the sincerity
of that. You show me a man who would rather
be out with the boys, and I'll show you a man who does not love
his wife. Is that right? Is that right? You show me a man or woman who'd
rather go here or there or do this or that than come worship
his Christ, I'll show you somebody that doesn't know Jesus Christ. Just live upon this person. You know, Peter said, Peter said,
you know, the Lord It looked like the Lord was making an attempt
to drive people away from him when he was saying hard things.
And one by one, people kept leaving until a whole flock of nearly
everybody left him. The whole crowd said, this is
hard saying, this is too, we can't, we can't, we can't receive
this. We're leaving. And then the Lord
turned to those twelve disciples. You remember what he said? Y'all
wanna go? There's the door. You can get
whatever you want to. There's the world. Have it. Have it. It's yours. What Peter
said. What you gonna say? Lord, to whom shall we go? To whom shall we go? Thou hast
the words of life. Christ is our life. He either is or he isn't. This is where the rubber meets
the road. He either is or he isn't. And I haven't said any of this
to discourage anyone, but rather to encourage them, because Jeremiah
23, 19 says this. Now, you listen to it. If you
haven't heard it, you know this thing. He says, In seeking me,
you shall find me. That's a promise. When? You shall search for me with
all your heart. My son, give me thine heart.
No man can serve mammon and God. When you search for me with all
your heart, anybody in here who doesn't know Christ, or you ever
had a wrestling match like Jacob, I suggest you go home and get
in the closet and have a wrestling match and say, I ain't letting
you go. till you bless me, till you reveal
yourself to me." Huh? That's searching with all your
heart. Isn't that searching with all your heart? I'm not quitting.
I'm going to come here every time a door is open until you
reveal yourself to me. Like the importunate widow. I'm
going to keep calling on him till he avenge me. Really? Oh, I say, shall not
God avenge his very elect which cry unto him day and night, though
he suffer long?" Yes, speedily. When you search for me, I'll
be found of you, he said. You seek me, you'll find me. Darn it, find me, me, a person. You've got the doctrine, and
you need the doctrine. It's about a person, though.
You need a person, don't you? All right, Brother Joe, would
you come up and get a hymn picked out? What number is it? 228.
228. This is a good hymn to sing, I believe.