Four Faithful Sayings

Q: What does the Bible say about Christ coming to save sinners?

The Bible states that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, affirming His role as the Savior of the lost. The Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Timothy 1:15 that 'Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.' This faithful saying encapsulates the core of the Gospel, presenting Christ's mission to redeem those who are lost and without hope in their sin. It underscores the grace of God, that He would send His only Son to save those who have rebelled against Him. This statement is not just a theological claim but is also an invitation to those who recognize their need for salvation to accept this gift of grace. As stated, this saying is worthy of all acceptance, as it offers profound comfort to all who feel unworthy, revealing the unconditional love of God for sinners.

Q: How do we know the doctrine of election is true?

The doctrine of election is affirmed in Scripture, which teaches that God chooses His people for salvation before the foundation of the world. In Ephesians 1:4-5, Paul writes that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, predestining us for adoption as His children. This doctrine is rooted in God's sovereign will and omniscience, which means that before creation, He perfectly knew and chose those who would come to faith in Him. This teaching underscores the gracious nature of salvation, emphasizing that it is not based on our works or merit, but solely on God's purpose and grace. By upholding the doctrine of election, we are reminded of our total dependence on God's merciful choice, offering security and assurance in our relationship with Him.

Q: Why is the concept of total depravity important for Christians?

Total depravity emphasizes that all humans are affected by sin and incapable of saving themselves, pointing to the necessity of God's grace. The concept of total depravity teaches that every aspect of humanity—mind, will, emotions—has been affected by sin, rendering us unable to seek God or achieve righteousness on our own (Romans 3:10-12). This doctrine is vital because it highlights our absolute need for divine grace and the redemptive work of Christ. Apart from acknowledging our total inability, we cannot grasp the significance of Christ's sacrifice or the depth of His grace. It drives us toward reliance on the Holy Spirit for regeneration and enables us to understand the great mercy shown to us in salvation. Thus, total depravity lays the necessary groundwork for appreciating the Gospel fully: only through Christ, who fulfilled all righteousness, can we stand accepted before God.

Q: Why do Christians believe in limited atonement?

Christians believe in limited atonement as it emphasizes that Christ's sacrifice was specifically for the elect, securing their salvation. Limited atonement posits that Christ's death was effective for those whom God has chosen, ensuring their redemption (John 10:15). This belief is rooted in the understanding that Jesus' sacrifice fully satisfied God's justice and secured salvation for the elect without leaving anything to chance. By concentrating on the specific sacrifice made for the elect, we grasp the depth of God's love for His chosen people. It reassures believers that their salvation is not merely a possibility but a certainty grounded firmly in Christ's finished work. This doctrine encourages a mindset of assurance and gratitude, bolstering our confidence that God’s purpose in Christ is utterly effective and that He will ultimately save all He intended.

Q: What does it mean to maintain good works as a Christian?

Maintaining good works as a Christian means engaging in actions that reflect our faith and glorify God. In Titus 3:8, Paul instructs that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. This concept recognizes that while our salvation is by grace alone, it necessitates a transformed life that produces good works as evidence of our faith (James 2:17). Good works are not a means to earn salvation but a natural outflow of a heart changed by grace. They glorify God, demonstrate our obedience to Christ, and serve as a witness to the world of God's transformative power. By maintaining good works, Christians fulfill God's design for their lives, reflecting the character of Christ, and fulfilling our calling to serve others in love.

The Bible is the first Timothy
chapter one. First Timothy chapter one going
to continue. My message. Which I began in February. On the fourth for faithful sayings. Last February, I looked it up. I. began a message entitled The
Four Faithful Sayings, intending to do all four of them in one
message and didn't get past this first one. And so now I'm continuing
that message some eight months later, and I hope I can get by
the first one. But the first one, the first
faithful saying here is, I guess I've preached from that
text more than any other. Because it's the greatest blessing
to me that I know of. And I'm talking about verse 15.
And I'll get to it in a minute, but the word faithful, we're
going to look at four faithful sayings in the scriptures. The
word faithful means trustworthy. Or sure. Or true, you know, when
you say someone is they're faithful, they're true, it means dependable. And you say about someone that
they are very faithful, that means you can depend upon them,
can't you? You can put your trust in them. They're pure, they're
sound, they're solid, they're true, they're dependable. And
there are very few people like that, you know? And very few truly trustworthy
or faithful people. As a matter of fact, Scripture
says that God is true. And every man is a liar. But apart from God's spirit,
apart from God's Holy Spirit, it's impossible to find a man
or a woman without some kind of impure motive. It's possible to find a man or
woman with a pure motive, without some personal aims or desires
in what they do or they say, even among professed believers.
Paul said the same thing, sadly. over in Philippians two he said.
All seek their own. And not the things of Christ.
That's sad isn't it. Even among professed believers
even though he was talking about preachers. And he said about
Timothy he said young Timothy was the only one like minded.
Who would naturally care for the souls of the Philippians
and really cared about And they said, others, they seek their
own. They're in it for their own name, their own glory and
for the money or whatever, not the things of Christ. I know
quite a few more than just one man, thank God. But that's sad,
isn't it? But the scripture says about
God's word. It says all his commandments
are faithful. And true, everything God says,
is faithful and true everything. Everything Christ told John concerning
the revelation he said you write these words down these are faithful
and they're true these are words you can depend upon these are
words you can count on they're true they're faithful there's
no hidden motive but just you're you're good. So there are four
things I want us to look at four statements that are trustworthy
sure things you can hang Hang your hat on. Hang your soul on. A nail in a sure place. This
is one of these nails that God has, in this rock called His
Word, has put in a sure place. A nail in a sure place. This
is one of those nails that you can absolutely hang all your
hope and confidence and trust in. Look at it, verse 15. This
is a faithful saying. Now, this is a trustworthy saying.
This is a dependable saying. This is a saying you can put
confidence in. Trust, hope, depend upon. Sure,
it's true. It's absolutely true. And worthy
of all acceptation. Worthy to be heard. Worthy to
be heeded. Worthy to believe. It's amazing that you have to
tell somebody that this is worthy. This is the greatest news ever
heard by human ears, and he says in the episode, it's worthy of
all acceptation. We ought to hear it. We ought
to rejoice in it. This is it. Here it is. The first
faithful saying, Christ Jesus came in the world to save sinners. Christ Jesus came in the world
to save sinners. Now, as uninteresting or as unimportant
as that may seem to some people, perhaps you, as I read that,
perhaps you just kind of made no effect on it at all. It didn't touch your heart at all,
just the thought of that blessed truth. Christ came into this
world to save sinners. It's incredible, but incredibly
glorious. Incredible. As unbelievable,
though, and difficult as it may be for some to receive, it's
one of the truest and most faithful, if not the most faithful, of
all the sayings in Scripture. Paul knew it. Paul believed it.
Paul experienced it. Paul rejoiced in this glorious,
faithful saying more than anything else. More than anything else,
he rejoiced in it that the son of God who made this planet,
God Almighty, who made planet Earth. A. And the people in it,
and they rebelled against him and and rose up against him and
hated him and did not want him to come, despised him, despised
his rule and everything about him, never gave God a thought.
He came down. He came down anyway. He came
down here to communicate with. To talk to these rebels you know
rebels don't deserve to be talked to. Remember back in the Gulf
War when. Saddam Hussein. Made overtures
of. Peace or he in other words after
his country had been bombed to smithereens He finally said,
Well, I've decided to talk. You remember that? Yeah, I've
decided we'll negotiate. That old boy doesn't deserve
to be negotiated with. And that's what I think of our
president. He said that very thing. We don't
negotiate with terrorists. We don't talk to the likes of
you. You're not worthy to be talked to. I wish I'd have snuffed
him out, by the way. But that's the principle here
in it. Why should God come down to this earth and talk to rebels?
Huh? Why should he negotiate with
terrorists? God-haters? He did. That's something in it. Just the fact that he came down
here. But he did. He came down. Son of God, who
made this planet, came down here to negotiate, not negotiate,
but communicate with, and finally to save some of them. There ain't
no one of them worth saving. I mean now, the whole bunch.
There's not one good apple in the whole bunch. They're all
rotten to the core. Why would he want a whole basket full of
rotten apples? What would you want to save any
of those for? What do you want to have anything to do with it?
Well, he did. That's glorious, isn't it? He's faithful. And
he came down, and he didn't come down here with plan B. That's
what the dispensation would say, that the law didn't work. This
and that and the other didn't work, so he tried this, tried
that, and finally none of it would work, so God came down
here to see what he could do. He came down with plan A. It
had been planned and purposed before the foundation of the
world. It's the only plan there ever was, the only purpose there
ever was. He came down with an eternal
purpose and a covenant, a planned covenant. He didn't come down
here to try to do anything either. God doesn't try to do anything.
As I said last week, God doesn't try to tell you anything. People
say that you hear him say that all the time. God's trying to
tell me something. If he's out to tell you something,
you'll be told. He doesn't try to tell anything.
And God doesn't try to do anything. Christ prayed in John 17. He
said, I came down here to do work. Did he do it? He said, yes, I did. He said,
I finished the work you gave me today. What was that? Why
did he come? He came to save sinners. Did he? Yes, he did. He bet your soul
on it. He saved sinners. He didn't come
to make it possible. He came to save. That's the reason
I take issue with all of these so-called, all this so-called
preaching today that makes salvation merely a possibility. Where would
you find any good news in that? How can anybody find any good
news in that, that God has done all he can do? Now, listen, if
God's done all he can do, then I'm a goner. I mean, if there's
something left to be done and God didn't do it all for my salvation,
I am absolutely hopeless. Scripture says that. We're without
strength. Well, he says that when we were yet without strength,
Christ died for the ungodly. He came down here in due time. So it's true, and he didn't come
down to just show us how to live. He did, but he didn't come down
here for that purpose. He came down to give life. You
can't show a dead man anything, can you? You've got to give him
life. The Son of God came with express
orders from God Almighty. I like those terms. Express orders. God Almighty gave him express
orders. I've got a certain people. I've
called them my sheep. I'm giving them to you in a covenant,
an agreement. Now, I have determined to accept
every one of them, to have them with me someday, but there's
got to be a real change before I can have anything to do with
those scallywags, those sinners. I'm holy. I can't have anything
to do with sinners. So, son, you go down there and
you do everything necessary. You do everything. To make it
so I can have these centers with me one day. You go down there
and you live as a man. A perfect life. Thirty three years. Establish
righteousness according to the law. The law that I gave to men
that they were to keep. They didn't. You're going to
have to keep it for them. You keep all for them. I'll charge
it to their account. You'll do everything for all
these people. I'll charge it to their account. I'll make it
look like they did it themselves. Son, I said, I'll do it. And
then they're saying that to be paid for because I'm a holy God.
I can't just forget saying, I got to wipe it out, I got to I got
to punish it. I will in no means by no means
clear the guilty. Every sin must receive a just
reckoning. I'm just. God is just. He's a just God and the faith,
but he's first just and hope. So he said, son, you're going
to have to die. You have to pay the price. Of
seeing a broken law, which is death. The soul of sin will surely
die. And if you'll die for all of those elect, all of my chosen,
you'll die for every one of them. Then I'll not charge them with
any of their sins. I'll consider all their sins.
Paid in full. Paid for. Block the record out. I'll cover it in your blood.
And I won't say anything. Sunset, I'll do it. So these
were express orders given by God the Father to his son. And
he came down here and he did it. He did it. He did it all.
And then God said, now you come back after you've done that,
I'll raise you from the grave and sit you at my right hand
and you oversee the whole work. You'll be the overseer. The surety. You'll make sure every one of
them come. Every one. And he did. Christ
came, he lived, he died, he saved. He ever lives to make you understand
it's a faithful saying. All of your salvation. All of
your salvation is in this one called Jesus Christ. Every bit
of 100%. There's nothing for you to do. So wait a minute, there's nothing
for you to do. Nothing, but don't we have to
believe that's the gift of God. you'll believe. If God decides
to make you believe, you'll believe. I urge you to believe. I exhort
you to believe. I implore you. I beseech you,
as though God did beseech you by us, to believe. This is a
faithful saying, worthy to be accepted, but who's going to
accept it? Who hath believed our report? To whom is the arm
of the Lord revealed, the Christ of God revealed? To whom is it? Every one of his sheep will hear
his voice. Did you hear this sheep? Any sheep in here? This
is a faithful say. You don't have to do anything
beside. You can tell, you can tell everybody I said that to.
You don't have to do anything besides. It's all been done.
It's a faithful say. Now this doesn't make me want
to live like the devil. Does it you? What does this make
you want to do? What does that make you want
to do? It's the faithful say, worthy of all acceptation, Christ
Jesus, the Son of God, came down here into this world to do everything
necessary for the salvation of God's elect people, and he did
it, and it's done, and there's nothing left to be done, and
everyone will be saved. Center. What does that make you want
to do? Huh? Praise Christ? Huh? Thank you? Sure it does. Thank
you with your life. We'll get to that in a minute.
But let me be very, very plain. There's nothing left for you
to do. It's all been done. That's as good news as I've ever
heard. That's trustworthy, too. I'm being true to your soul right
now. There's nothing left for you to do for your salvation. It's all been done. That's good
news. Is that good news? Good news to me, Christ Jesus
came in the world to save sin. Well, did he do it? Is there
something left? No, he did it. Hebrews 1 verse 5 says, When
he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down. Well, that
means I can be seated in the beloved, doesn't it? Huh? He
rested from his work. What does that mean? It means
I can rest. Huh? It said God had accepted him.
What does that mean? That means I can accept this.
God's well-pleased for his righteousness' sake." What does that mean? It
means, I'm well-pleased. I'm well-pleased with Christ
and God's way of salvation. I wouldn't have it any other
way. Hebrews 9, 12 says, "...he entered into the holy place with
his own precious blood, having obtained eternal redemption for
us." He did it. He did it. Ah, boy. Well, he came to save
and he got the job done. That's what the angels heralded.
Call his name Jesus, he shall save. And then Paul later on
says, this is a faithful save and worthy of all acceptation.
Christ came in the world to save and he did it. He saved everyone
that he came for. Everyone has a particular redemption. Well, who did he come for? Well,
this is a faithful save and it's worth hearing. Why? Because I'm
looking at a bunch of sinners. As a matter of fact, let me look
real carefully. Yeah, I don't see one righteous
person here. Not one. No, there's not one. Not even their children. Not
one. We're all sinners here. Well,
this is a faithful saying, that Christ Jesus, the Son of God,
came down here to save sinners. Who is that? That's me. Do you need further proof that
you're safe? I've told you this many times.
I don't have many illustrations. So the ones I've got, I just
wear them out. The ones I do have, they're good ones. Charles
Spurgeon one time, he said, if my name was written in the Bible, it wouldn't give me any more
comfort or hope than this right here. He said, I just know if
he said Christ Jesus came in the world to save Charles Spurgeon,
he said, I just know there's another one somewhere. It's bound
to be. Why? Why? Because he knew he
was a sinner. No good. Unworthy to be saved.
Now, why would God come here to save Charles Spurgeon? Save me. Save Henry Slaughter. There's got to be another one
somewhere, if you're named. But when he says this, sinners, He
said, I know it's me. I don't make somebody smile or
something. I know that's me. And this is
what I accept. I accept it. They're asking,
will you accept that all that everybody today asking, will
you accept Jesus as your personal Savior? Well, that's not a very
good statement, but I tell you, I accept this statement here.
I believe this. I accept it. I bow to it. I sovereignly
am. I bow to it, that Christ came
to save sinners. Boy, I tell you, I accept that.
Do you accept that? I'm going to ask people to accept
it. Do you accept that? It's worthy.
Why? Henry Sword, you're a rotten
sinner. Christ came to save sinners. Good news. That's good news,
buddy. Good news. He came to save them. Well, let
me tell you something. He didn't come to save the righteous,
so if you're a pretty good fellow, Jesus Christ didn't save you. He said, I didn't come to call
the righteous. Are you righteous? Do you feel
like you're a pretty good person? Then you're lost. There's no
good people in heaven. All sinners, saved by grace,
make good by God. Am I going to get past this first
one? Huh? Well, this is a good saying,
though. This is faithful. This is faithful. There's none
righteous. No, not one. But some people
think they are, don't they? Good, moral. Well, Christ didn't
come down here to save the God-lovers. He came down here to save the
God-haters. He said, I don't hate God. If there never was
a time in your life where you didn't hate God, then you're
lost. You're yet in your sins. Not the godly. Christ didn't
die for the godly, good, moral, upstanding folks. He died for
the ungodly. Right? Not the self-helpers. It doesn't say anywhere in the
Bible, God helps those that help themselves. Who did Christ come
to save? The helpless. The helpless. Because he won't be Christ to
anybody that's not helpless. Right? He won't be a Savior to
anybody who doesn't really need a Savior. Huh? He'll just be a sugar daddy.
He'll just be a fire escape. But to an old helpless, ungodly,
worthless, hopeless, damned, doomed, dead sinner, he sees
Christ as all, all, all his help, his godliness, his life, his
acceptance, his work, everything, his righteousness. This is a
faithful saying, and worthy of everybody in here's acceptation,
that Christ came. Don't anybody accuse me of not
inviting or whatever, however you want to use this statement.
I know they're using it today. Don't accuse me of excluding
anybody. I'm telling you this is a faithful
saying, and worthy of all acceptation. Christ came to save sinners.
Let me tell you, you were a sinner when you were born. When you
were born, you were born a sinner. That's what David says, what
Psalm says, that came forth from the womb, speaking lies. You
were a sinner when you were born. You've lived in sin all your
life. You grew up that way, and you'll be a sinner when you die.
The day they lay you in the grave, they're still going to have to
say about you, there's an old sinner. Well, that old sinner's
dead. Let's hope they say about you,
that old sinner is in Christ. He was accepted in the beloved.
Christ came to save sinners. So don't despair. If you feel
that you're a sinner, you may despair, but I rejoice. I rejoice. Christ came to save sinners.
Despair of yourself, yes. Despair of helping yourself,
but don't despair of your salvation. Christ came to save sinners.
He came to save sinners. That's the work of the Holy Spirit
to make you feel like a sinner. Don't quit either because you're
a sinner. Don't do that. I'm just going to quit. I'm too
much of a hypocrite. That's why you're here. Right? Oh, I'm an old sinner. I'm going
to quit. It doesn't make sense, does it? I'm dirty. I'm going
to take a bath from here on out. Too dirty. I'm too sinful. I'm not going to come to Christ."
Well, where are you going to go? I'm too sinful. No, you're not. No, you're not. Paul said, I'm
the chief, and God saved me. God saved me, he said. Verse
16, look at it, he said, And for this cause I obtained mercy,
that in me first Christ would show a pattern of longsuffering. to them which should the hereafter
believe. You don't understand how bad the apostle Paul was,
people. Those of you, anyway, that say,
I'm just too great of a sinner, you don't understand. Paul was
a sinner of the worst sort. He was a sinner, a self-righteous
sinner, and it ain't nothing worse to God Almighty than a
self-righteous sinner. See, a publican and a harlot—you
know, Christ said the harlots will enter heaven before the
Pharisees would. You know that? That's what he
said, wasn't it? The publicans, the worst, the scum of the earth,
the gutter-snipes will enter heaven before self-righteous,
good, moral people who think they have heaven coming to them.
And Paul, above that, not only was he self-righteous, he said,
I was blameless before God. He was one of these that could
have said, here I am Jesus, aren't you glad? Or here I am God, aren't
you glad to accept me? Aren't you glad to see me? Paul
took men and women, poor, Christ-seeking men and women who knew themselves
to be sinners, who were just looking to Christ to be saved,
and took them to jail, had them committed to jail, had them killed
for believing that. And Paul said, I was a persecutor,
blasphemer, injurious, but I attained mercy. He said, I'm a pattern
that God saves the worst of the bunch, the worst of the bunch,
for his glory. And that nobody would despair.
Nobody in here should despair of salvation because the Apostle
Paul, Saul of Tarsus was saved. Nobody. Nobody. And nobody in here should despair
of salvation if you're looking at this man. If you're looking
at this man and you see what you think to be is a saved person,
you've got no cause to despair. None whatsoever. If God can save
this old Rascal, I guarantee you he can save you, guarantee
you. All right, look over at 1 Timothy
4. Look over chapter 4. That's a first faithful saying.
Like I said, I just about didn't get by it, did I? We could stay there a long time. Look at this one here in 1 Timothy
4, verses 8 and 9. It says, bodily exercise profiteth
little. But godliness is profitable unto
all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of
that which is to come. This is a faithful saying, and
worthy of all acceptation." In other words, what he had just
said was a faithful saying. Godliness is profitable unto
all things. Bodily exercise profiteth little.
Now, Paul had just been dealing here in chapter 4. Look back
over verse 1. Look up there. It says that the Spirit expressly
says that, in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits, doctrines of devils, speaking
lies and hypocrisy, having their conscience speared with a hot
iron. And here are some of the things that they institute in
their religion. Forbidding to marry, commanding
to abstain from meats which God hath created, and so forth. And
Paul goes on down there to talk about this. He's not talking
about exercise here, bodily exercise. It would do some of me. I'm guilty. I need more exercise. I was working
with Brother Rick the other day, and I said, I'm tired. He said,
what are you tired for? We haven't done much. I said,
I've got a desk job, and it keeps me Well, I need some exercise. It is profitable a little bit,
but that's not the exercise he's talking about here. Some of us
could obviously do with a little more exercise. But the exercise
he's talking about here is those things he was just saying. The
exercises of religion, outward exercises, celibacy. That's what some religious organizations
command from their priests and so forth. Abstinence from certain
things, foods, drinks. In other words, teaching that
things are sin. And if somebody will just avoid
these things and live an outwardly moral life, then God will save
them. God will accept them. No, no,
no, no, no, that's not true. Turn with me over to Colossians
chapter 2. I want you to look at this just
for a minute. Colossians 2. I didn't write
it down, but I think, yeah, this is it. Colossians 2, it says
in verse 20, if you be dead with Christ from the rudiments of
Why, as though living in the world, are you subject to ordinances
such as touch not, taste not, handle not, which all are to
perish with the using? Christ himself said that the
kingdom of God is not in meat and drink. It's in righteousness
and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. It's an inward thing.
and inward thing. After the commandments and doctrines
of men, which thing, look at verse 23, says these abstinences
and all these ordinances and so forth that the world thinks
is so important, bodily exercises of religion. They have indeed,
and he's speaking, I believe, sarcastically or facetiously
here, a show of wisdom, just an outward show. a hypocritical
show of wisdom in will worship. They're worshiping their own
will. They're saying, I've done this, have you? Or humility. Yeah, I'm humble and I want everybody
to know it. You know? The Pope getting down off the
plane, kissing the ground. Oh, what humility. Yeah, 100
million people saw him do it. He had his reward. a show of
humility, neglecting of the body, not in any honor to the satisfying
of the flesh." Paul says that this is a faithful saying, back
at the text, 1 Timothy 4. He says that bodily exercise
profiteth little, but godliness is profitable unto all things. An outward show of religion,
he says, profiteth little, but godliness, true godliness, is
profitable in all things. All right? You know what question
I'm going to ask? What is godliness? Or let's put it this way. People
like to appear to be not worldly. You know, here would be the opposite. for the opposite of godliness
would be worldliness, right? Well, what is worldliness? People
like to go to great extremes to keep the peer from being worldly. Does it mean looking like the
world? Can you be unworldly by not looking
like the world? Let me ask you something. How
are you going to do that? You are the world. Huh? God so loved the world! If you're not—are you a human
being? Well, sure you are. How are you
going to not look like one? Did Christ look like the world? Come on! Did Jesus Christ dress
so differently and distinguish himself in his dress so that
everybody said, well, there's an unworldly man? No! He looked
just like everybody else. That's the reason they saw nothing
in him. Well, he just looks like everybody
else. What's the big deal? Somebody said that to my wife
one time. Well, you don't look like the
preacher's wife. She says, well, thank you. Thank you, thank you. What a compliment. Is the unworldliness not looking
like the world? How are you going to do that?
Now, I know there's extremes you can go to. Certainly, you
women can paint yourselves up like Tammy Baker, or whatever
her name's going to be now, in such a way that you look like
a prostitute on the street. Now, that is worldly, no doubt
about it. But that's not it. That's not it. That's not worldliness.
Christ looked like an ordinary man. Well then let me ask you then,
what does it mean to be unworldly? Well, that's what the term godliness
means. Godly. If you're not worldly,
you're godly. What is godliness? It says this
is a faithful slave, worthy of all acceptation. Godliness is
profitable unto all things. What is godliness? Well, it can't
be bodily exercise. It can't be an outward show of
religion, can it? Huh? That's easy, Joe, that's easy.
If godliness is quitting your drinking, smoking, cussing, chewing,
running around, going to the pool hall, going to the bars,
what's the name of something else? Buy you a black car, or no car, live in a trailer. I can do all that, no problem. All these things have I done,
what like I did. Right? That makes me godly, right? God
will accept me. Oh, no. You see, that'd be easy,
wouldn't it? If Sam was in a bottle or a box,
all I'd have to do is just not do it. Just put it away. Isn't
that what the world's saying? Huh? Uh-uh. That's not it. That's not godliness. Can't be.
Can't be keeping the law. Well, this is what I'll do then.
I'll not only do all that, but I'll keep the law. I'll, at least
outwardly, I'll try. You don't hear it if you claim
to keep it, but I'll try to keep the law. I'll be fair to my neighbor.
I'll pay my bills. I'll do this and that. Now, is
that it? No, by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified. Scripture plainly says that,
doesn't it? It can't be it. So it can't be
outward form, can it? Can it have anything to do with
outwardness? Huh? Come on! Let's lay this bare
like it is. It can't be outward. The Pharisees
were the best, the most outwardly religious, moral, upright people
of their day. They were man at his best state. What does the Scripture say about
it? All right, what is vital godliness? What is this godliness he's talking
about? God-likeness. It's on the inside. It starts
on the inside. Yes, it will manifest itself
outwardly, but there are some gray areas there, some things
you can't not absolutely put a finger on and say, well, that
man is worldly, he has a TV set. Man, I'm not going to get into
that. Maybe all he does is listen to the VCR tapes of preaching.
Where does that prove he's got a TV set? But it starts on the
inside. It will manifest itself outwardly,
and we'll see that if I get to it. But it's on the inside. It's a Godward change starting
on the inside. Christ derided those Pharisees
and said, you clean up the outside of the cup. When on the inside,
you're full of extortion and excess. He said, clean up that
which is on the inside, and the rest will take care of itself.
Get to the source of the problem. It's on the inside. And so whose
work is that? Huh? It's God's work, isn't it? God's work. All things are of
God, especially this inner, inward work. Without Him, I can't do
anything. I can't clean up the outside,
let alone My heart, who can say he's made his is free from saying
he's made his heart pure? Nobody. God can say it. He said, I purified him in the
heart and it begins on the inside. And let me just let me hurt it.
Godliness. Is a change on the inside, the
inner man that makes you have thoughts of God. Whereas once
there were none. No thoughts of God. Thoughts
like God. Principles like God. Principles like God. Well, you
didn't have any of those. You had nothing but worldly,
selfish desires for God. Spiritual desires, that is. Not
just worldly desires for dead things, but for life. An interest
in the things of God. Christ. where Christ sitteth
at the right. Set your affection on things
above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. It's a love
for Christ, for the gospel, for the things of God, worship and
the people of God, where you didn't have that before. You
can't fake these things. Well, you can, to a certain degree,
but true godliness is on the inside. It's a desire and an
effort on the inside to be like Christ, out of love and gratitude. Don't let anybody tell you that
externals are the most important thing in religion. Not at all. This is a faithful
saying, that godliness, true godliness, which is an inward
change of the heart, is profitable unto all things. Read on with
me. It's profitable unto all things. In other words, it'll
regulate the life. It'll regulate the life. It will
lead you. Christ, his Holy Spirit, will
lead and guide his people in all truth and all paths of righteousness. It's health to the body and welfare
to the soul. To live by God's rules is health
to you, not only to your body, but welfare to your soul. It's
profitable in all things, having promise of the life that now
is. and that which is to come. Christ said, Seek ye first the
kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things be added
to him. That is, it has a promise of life that now he is. Christ
said you'll never go hungry, you'll never be without raiment,
you'll never be without a place over your head. And what else
do you need? Huh? Isn't that it? The rest of it's gravy. He never
promised gravy, he promised the biscuit. The bread, which is
Christ, right? Bread and water. You can subsist
on that. Yeah, you can. But he gives along
with it. He gives honey, he gives so forth,
milk, wine. He keeps on giving it. That's
all Christ. Promise of life to come. See that? Promise of life that
now is, the things of this life, and that which is to come. Oh,
my. Oh, my, my, my, my promise of
eternal life, which is far better, and it's far worth it's worth
waiting for. You know, that's the ultimate
reason for all trials is to wean you from this life and make you
desire a life to come. True life. Barbara and I have
talked about this several times. We're ready to start living.
I mean, at her, she's 60 years old. In case anybody didn't know,
Barbara is sixty years old. She's old. But I'm young, but
you're ready to start living now at sixty? Yeah, you'll live
when you die and go to be with the Lord. You'll really live
then. Eternal life. And all that that means, real
life, eternal life, what a life that is now. What little bit
of enjoyment you have in this world, believer, is really, it's
all can be. One of the ladies called me on
the phone and we were talking and she said, you know, I was
driving down the road the other day and just looking at the sunshine,
nice cool air and beautiful, just the world and just it's
a good day. She said, oh, and I thought about
how my heavenly father ordered all this. That's what makes life
sweet now. The world out there has no appreciation
for the, really has any appreciation. That baby, Jenny, new baby you
had, when you see that as a gift of God and as His goodness to
you and your full household and all the blessings that come from
God, oh, it makes these things more precious to you, doesn't
it? Sweeter to you and just more enjoyable to you is seeing them
come from the hand of God Almighty. And people that don't acknowledge
God But they take these things for granted. They don't stop
and smell the roses. But those who know the rose of
Sheriff, those who know that all these things came from him,
that he made the rose, boy, they'll stop, they'll smell it, they'll
marvel in it, they'll thank God for it. Thank God for it. Nothing wrong with enjoying this
world as long as you don't hold too tightly to it. See, roses
are beautiful. to look at and enjoy putting
the base, but don't go. Hanging on to the pricky, they'll
hurt you bad and they'll fade away. All right, let's look at
the third one. Look over second Timothy two,
second Timothy two verse eleven. When did I start? I'm sorry,
I forgot, so I'm just going to finish. I forgot only one service
this morning. Second Timothy two, look at this.
It's another faithful saying, oh, I like this one. Oh, I like
this. Verse eleven, it's a faithful
saying, if we be dead with Christ, we will also live with him. Oh, I like that. Oh, that's faithful. But what does that mean, be dead
with Christ? Look over at Romans six. Romans
six. Romans chapter six. Look at it. Faith will say you now, he's
trustworthy, he's dependable. You can hang your soul on this.
If you be dead with Christ, you'll also live with him. You'll live
with him. Romans 6. Let's read down through
here, beginning with verse 5. Now, if we've been planted together
in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness
of his resurrection. Knowing this, our old man is
crucified with Christ. that the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. He that
is dead is freed, justified, cleared, declared innocent from
all sin. Now, if we be dead with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him. Knowing that Christ
being raised from the dead dieth no more, death hath no more dominion
over him, in that he died, he died unto sin once, or because
of sin, he was made sin. But in that he liveth, he liveth
unto God. Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves
to be dead indeed unto sin." I hope you're getting a hold
of this, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. I'm not sure I can make this
plain, but Jesus Christ came down here to be made sin, to
establish a righteousness Impute that to us, and for God to take
all our sins and put it on him. Be made sin, and for God Almighty
to kill him in our place. And the scripture said there,
it says now if you're dead with Christ, you're free from sin. What gives you problems? What
is it that riddles you with guilt and fear and destroys your peace
and your confidence? What is it? Huh? Somebody say
it. Sin! God's punished it out. You're dead. God killed you and
cried. Two thousand years ago, Job Park
was hung on a cross and God punished all his sin. God doesn't hold
him accountable anymore. That's worth accepting. That's
a faithful saying. Worthy of all acceptation. This
is a faithful saying. If you be dead with Christ, you're
going to live with him. John Davis, you have no right
whatsoever to be in heaven. You have no rights. You earn,
all the rights you've earned is hell. If God gave you what
is coming to you, he'd send you to hell, wouldn't he? God, you're
going to be in heaven and just and and and and able and be. Worthy to be there. How? In Christ, right? It like old rolling hill. One
time you went to heaven and it dreamed he went to heaven and
a fellow stopped him at the gate and said, wait a minute. Well,
right, you got to be in here. And he said, I've got no right
at all. I've got no rights at all, but
I'm here on the rights of another. I'm here on the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. And God said, all that come to
him by Christ can come in. Come on in, you tell me. If we be dead with him, we shall
also live with him. That's where I want to be. Oh,
look on down. Verse 13 says, If we believe
not I don't have time to deal with verse twelve. If we believe
not, yet he about it faithfully can't deny himself. Well, people, I got news for
you. There's days I wake up and I don't believe. How about you? There's times
I get up, there's days I go through where I feel like you're not
saved at all. You're not saved, you're a hypocrite,
you're a liar. And I am. But bless God, this
is a faithful saying, Christ won't deny himself. What does that mean to me? You
see, I'm in Christ. I'm in Christ. How many times
does it say that in Scriptures, Henry? In Christ. In Christ. That's your hope of
glory, to be in Christ. He can't deny himself. When they
tried to deny me access to heaven, Christ said, no, that's me. That's
my body. That's my son. He's me. Are your children just part of
you? Sure they are. Well, I'm in Christ. I'm his
son. I'm his child. He can't deny
himself. I believe that's the true meaning
of this. Faithful say, that's a dependable saying. That's worth
hanging your soul on it, but he won't deny himself. And so
he'll never deny you. Unless you deny him. Now, what
it says here, and I think that means final denial, apostasy. I believe that's what that means.
Final apostasy, a sin unto death. Walk no more with him, right?
You know, Peter denied Christ, didn't he? Didn't Peter deny
Christ? What did Christ say as soon as
he rose from the grave? Go tell your disciples, and he's
the sweetest words, sweetest words Peter ever heard, and Peter. That'd be a good title of a message,
and Peter. Go tell them. Go tell the disciples
and Charles Ross. He denied, but Lord he denied
you he's no good. You don't need him, the likes
of him. Tell him anyway. That's the reason Peter kept
saying, To whom cometh? See, Peter came to Christ. Christ
said, Follow me, Peter, but I'm not worthy. I'm just an old fisherman.
Follow me anyway, Peter. Okay, I'm following you. And
Peter later denied him, sinned against him, didn't appear to
be a disciple and all that. And Christ said, Peter, do you
love me? Then follow me. He stopped coming.
Here I come, Lord. To whom cometh? You keep coming. Sheep, oh, we like sheep, have
gone astray. But bless God, you sheep, because
he made you sheep. Go tell those sheep. Turn. Follow me. To whom coming? Last one. Titus chapter 3. Titus
3. I'm going to get through them,
but it took me too long to do it, didn't it? Titus chapter
3, verse 8. Titus 3, verse 8. This is a faithful
saying. And these things I will that
thou affirm constantly." Talking to young Titus, a young preacher,
Paul, the old apostle, said, I want you to preach this constantly,
that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain
good works. These things are good and profitable
unto all men, good works. I do not deny good works. I don't
preach against good works. gives me instructions from God
Almighty to affirm constantly that they which have believed
in God do maintain good works. Why? Well, it's your reasonable
service, number one, isn't it? Your reasonable service, and
the reason he gives here is it's profitable. It's profitable. They're good, these things are
right, and they're profitable, profitable in the men. Profitable. Good for you, they're right,
they're just, they're true, it's to God's glory. Didn't Christ
say, herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit to his
glory, right? Which God good works is what
God Almighty hath before ordained that we should walk in. He's
making a people just like Christ. Did Christ have good works? Every
work he did was good, right? For the glory of God, the benefit
of others, good and profitable all men, it proves true It proves
true faith. Whatever good work is, it proves
true faith. James said, without works, faith
is dead. Faith without works is dead.
It's true. It's true. By grace you're saved,
not by works, but God hath ordained that we should walk in them.
So these, I hope you got something out of them. I'm glad I got through
them, for your sake. There's a whole counsel of God
there in it. The whole counsel of God. Christ is all the counsel
of God. Faithful say, faithful to your
soul, faithful to God's word, faithful to God's glory, faithful
to God's son, faithfulness of his son. He came to save sinners.
He came down to save sinners and he got the job done. And
if you be dead with Christ, oh boy, you're going to live with
him. You're going to live with him. And he tells us to maintain
good works to the glory of the Father, the whole counsel of
God. You're dead, buried, and risen
with Christ, risen to walk in newness of life, godliness, and
good works to the glory of God the Father. Brother Joe, I have
a hymn written down there, don't I? 474? I think that's only a
sinner in it. Come up here if you would, please. Four hundred seventy-four. Joe and Sherry Cobb will stand
and sing four hundred seventy-four, a couple of verses. Please stand. I'll sing the first and the last thing.
The first and the last. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. This is the story of God being
holy, a holiest sinner saved by grace. Suffer a sinner who are overflown, But He is Savior, to give what
He knows Much more than it could I embrace I'm only a sinner, saved by grace Only a sinner, saved by
grace Only a sinner, This is my story. God, raise the glory. I'm only a sailor saved by grace. Thank you in your dismay.

Four Faithful Sayings

What does the Bible say about Christ coming to save sinners?

How do we know the doctrine of election is true?

Why is the concept of total depravity important for Christians?

Why do Christians believe in limited atonement?

What does it mean to maintain good works as a Christian?

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Four Faithful Sayings

What does the Bible say about Christ coming to save sinners?

How do we know the doctrine of election is true?

Why is the concept of total depravity important for Christians?

Why do Christians believe in limited atonement?

What does it mean to maintain good works as a Christian?

Sermon Transcript

About Paul Mahan

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