Brother Tim said to preach to
him this morning. He's the reason that I almost
didn't preach this morning. Because every time he preaches
and I hear him, I retire right after that. I just want to go
somewhere and hide. Jim said I was pretty busy, We're
not so busy these days. Don't travel as much to preach
and stuff like that. And Tim said he didn't either
because it was my association with him. He didn't get asked
as much. But I am so privileged to be
here this morning. That song, it's one of my favorites. The dear brother that's gonna
preach for me in my place this morning, he sings that song and
I love that song. And I thank the Lord for this
congregation of people. And I thank him that he has kept
you faithful. Kept you faithful to the gospel. And I thank you. I thank him. Turn in your Bibles this morning,
if you would, to the book of Romans. The book of Romans. I want to just say a few words
before Tim preaches here. In Romans chapter 14, I'll go begin reading in verse
19. Let us therefore follow after
the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may
edify another. For me, destroy not the work
of God. All things indeed are pure, but
it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither
to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother
stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not
himself in the thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth
is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith. For whatsoever
is not of faith is sin. In this chapter, Paul has been
speaking with regard to Christian liberty, especially in these last words
regarding things concerning eating and drinking. Some had liberty
to eat and to drink. Some did not. And he tells us that each one
should be convinced in himself regarding what the scriptures
teach, but they are not to lord it over their brethren. They're not to condemn or weaken
others because of what is eaten or drunk. And the reason is we know that
salvation does not depend on these things. To make such a
work a requirement or such an abstaining a requirement, we
know that salvation is not based on these things. But in the last phrase of verse
23, He states and he reminds us of
a rule, I'll say, an axiom. And he says in that something
that will stand by itself. It's a statement of summary concerning
something in all of the scriptures. It's like a statement like, the
just shall live by faith. That's cover to cover in this
book. Or maybe something like, salvation
is of the Lord. That sums it up, doesn't it? But here he says this, for whatsoever is not of faith,
is sin. Think about that. That'll stand
right by itself. And it'll be a summary of everything
that you read in this book concerning Christ. But you notice here he does not
say, Whatsoever is not done, in faith is sin, although the
application could be made in just what he's talking about. But the statement says, for whatsoever
is not of faith is sin. Turn over to Hebrews chapter
11 and read what the apostle Paul if he be the writer. Read what we know also that he
says here in Hebrews 11 verse 6. He says, but without faith it
is impossible to please him. Without faith it is impossible
to please God. For he that cometh to God must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him." Without faith, it is impossible
to please God. But in neither place is he talking
about the act of faith. I hear people talking about my
faith, my faith. Well, there's only the faith
of God's elect and the faith that is the gift of God. No man of himself has this faith,
biblical faith. And anything that is not received
by faith cannot please God. Not one work, not one deed, not
one act, not one worship, Not one service. Not one prayer. Not one ceremony or ritual. Not one thing of us. Not one charitable deed. Not one thing, no matter how
great. Not one thing, no matter how
sincere. Not many can ever satisfy and
please God. Nada. Not one thing. In other words, no self-righteousness. No law obedience. You know how I know that? Paul
writes in Galatians, and he says this. It's plain. The law is
not a faith. So our obedience to any law,
the Ten Commandments, whatever it be, any legal principle, is
not a faith. And if you'll turn back to Romans
4, the Apostle Paul here in Romans 4 has this to say. Romans 4 and verse 13. He says, For the promise, yea, not just the promise, but
all the promises, For the promise that he should be the heir of
the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law,
but through the righteousness of faith. There is no righteousness apart
from faith. For if they which are of the
law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none
effect. Because the law worketh ran,
for where there is no law, no law is, there is no transgression. Now listen to this verse. Therefore
it is of faith that it might be by grace. That's the reason. It's of faith
that it might be of grace, and also, to the end, the promise
might be sure to all the seed. If it depended on anything in
them or done by them, it would never be sure. It's of faith, and that's the
grace of God. It's of grace that to the end
that it might be sure, but to that also which is of the faith
of Abraham, who is the father of us all. He's the father, said to be the
father of them that believe. Look over in chapter 5 and verse 17. He says, for if
by one man's offense death reigned by one, much more than they which
receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall
reign in life, by one, Jesus Christ. And then look at one more place
in Romans chapter 10. And look at what it says in verse
10 of Romans 10. Paul says, for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness,
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed. The only righteousness that there
is is the gift of God. And the only way anyone receives
that gift, to know it, and to exercise it, you might say, is
by the faith that God gives. And nothing but that righteousness
which is by faith, the righteousness of God in Christ, the righteousness
that is revealed in the word of faith, for the obedience of
faith, has ever nor ever will please God, will never please God. So think about all that has gone
on, all that will go on. In the name of pleasing God,
in the name of worshiping God, in the name of being instructed
by God. Think of all the prayers and
the offerings and the sacrifices and the activities and the charitable
things. Think about every one of those
things, a multitude by billions since time began. And it never pleased God. Never
pleased God. Think about all the religions
in the world. But notice what this scripture
says. It says that not only does it
please God, does it please God, and it's not left as something
that just hangs there as neutral. He says, that which is not of
faith is sin. Now, there's just something about
our flesh that rebels against the very idea. So and so does a good Christian
deed. So-and-so is faithful to church. So-and-so is so sincere about
what they believe. All these things appear to us
as those things which naturally we like, we admire. Human righteousness is something
we admire. I don't know why, blindness. But absolutely, we'll brag on
somebody, we'll recognize, we'll call them a Christian. We call them a Christian based
on something that they don't do, or something that they do,
or something that they practice. some morality that they carry
on in their life, but not what they believe. That's why all religions can
come together, because they distinguish themselves by what they do and
what they don't do, and who they vote for and who they don't vote
for, all these things. It has to do with what they believe. They'll even say things like,
it's not what you believe, it's who you believe. But the who is distinguished
in the Word of God by the what. It isn't just Christ, we don't
just preach Christ and we don't just believe on Jesus, we preach
Christ crucified. We believe on the Christ of the
cross and what he accomplished in that. And if you notice here,
it's not just left in some neutral state, it's not just that it
doesn't please God, it's unpleasant to God. It's sin. It's sin. Turn over with me to Matthew
chapter 7 for just a minute. I won't take long this morning,
but I want you to turn with me to Matthew 7 and look at what
will be said when men stand before God. They're basing their hope and
their acceptance on all these things. In verse 21, he says this, not
everyone, this is our Lord talking. This is the righteous judge talking. And he's talking about that hour
when men stand before him. He said, Not every one that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but
he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Well, surely these people have
done the will of God. They said they were. They said the Lord led them this
way. They said the Lord told them.
They said the Lord said from his word to do it. And many will say to me in that
day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? We've
preached in your name. We witnessed in your name. We
have won souls in your name. How many souls did Jesus this
year? And in thy name have cast out
devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works. We should be impressed. Surely they must have been Christians. Most people don't even realize
that the uses of that word Christian in scripture, that name was used
as a name of contempt. But they get bragged on as Christians
because they do this or do that or do the other, have done all
these things. But listen to Christ. He says,
and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, ye that work iniquity. You did it in my name. You did
it and the world recognized you. You, your own self, are ready
to stand before me and brag on what you've done. You call them
many wonderful works. They're wonderful to you, but
they're not wonderful to me. They're inequity. They're not
equal with what I require. There's sin. That's all there
is to it. You've done what you call many
wonderful works, what the world calls wonderful works, what religion
calls wonderful works, but I call it iniquity. Imagine the shock. Imagine the disappointment. Imagine the natural offense of
such. You just suggest something like
that. But you see, that which is highly
esteemed of men is an abomination to God. And all these errors are simply,
as one man said a long time ago, all these errors are born out
of a high view of man and a low view of God. We think we can do something.
We think we can separate ourselves from the pack. We think we can
judge ourselves by others who are just like us. We think all of these things,
and we imagine all these things in false religion, and they're
held up to God for acceptance. He says they're sin. You mean to tell me that all those years I scrimped
and scraped by trying to preach to that little church before
the Lord saved me, you mean it counts for nothing? You mean to tell me as many years
as I've been a member of that church, as much as I've given,
as much as I've baked, as much as I've sold, as much as I've
witnessed, as much as I've done all these things, you mean it
counts for nothing? Oh, it counts for something.
Sin. Well, you mean to tell me that
my daughter, or my grandmother, or old brother so-and-so that
was my pastor, the sweetest man I ever knew? You mean to tell
me that his preaching counted for nothing? You mean to tell
me that all she did counted for nothing? Do you mean to tell
me that all those good works that those groups and those people
did in the name of the Lord, you mean it counts for nothing?
No, it counts for sin. That's what it is. Because it's
not of faith. It didn't come from God. All these people that tell men
and women that the Lord told them something, the Lord revealed
something to them, all these extra-biblical revelations, you
say, you better not say anything bad against them. I'm saying
it's sin. Because it's not found in the
word of faith. You see, there's a verse in Proverbs
that really tells us something about this. Because the writer of Proverbs
tells us that the plowing, you know what plowing is? Well, it's
a hard word. The walk behind the mule, I'm
sure in that day, the plowing, the providing for your family,
the seeking to raise up food and crops and provide for your
family, the plowing of the wicked is what? Sin. Proverbs. It's sin. Because it's done by a sinner. It's not a faith. I once, back when I was pastoring
the church I am now, in the early days, and I was, as they say,
as poor as a church mice. So I bought an old used copy
machine. And I used that copy. I wanted
to print a bulletin. Brother Henry Mahan told me way
back then, he said, don't start anything you're not going to
finish and maintain. But I wanted to have a bulletin.
I wanted to write articles. I wanted to print other good
articles. So I got this old copy machine.
And it had a toner cartridge in it. And everything about it
was worn out. Such a mess. But you could take
that toner cartridge and get it straightened out and ready
to do some nice printing. But invariably, you're going
to get some of that cartridge on your hands. And then every
page you pick up, every part of the machine you touch, if
you scratch your chin, Every bit of it was marked with
a dirty black fingerprint. And that's how it is on everything
we do. Everything we touch, everything
we think, everything we do, everything about us from the time we're
born to the time we die in this world, every thought, every deed,
every so-called good deed and work, It's got the mark of sin
on it. And it doesn't please God. It doesn't please God. I thought about this. I'll probably
get killed for this one. Brother Tim mentioned the flooding
in western North Carolina. And I had been reading this,
Matthew 7 again. Lord, in your name, we did these
things. And all of a sudden, the news commentator was, they
were interviewing Franklin Graham. And he began to tell what he,
and don't get me wrong, I want those people to have all the
help they can get. And the Lord will use even a
crooked stick to mark a straight line. But they were interviewing him. He was telling all how many this
and how many that and how he did it, things like that. And
when they were just about to close out the interview, he said,
but I want to say, we did it in the name of Jesus. I thought to myself, you just said it. You just confessed
it. They did it in the Lord's name.
But he preaches a false gospel. All those followers, for the
most part, I'm sure, believe a false gospel. They believe
in salvation by free will. They believe in salvation in
part by works. They didn't get that in the faith. But they did it in the Lord's
name. whether it's me, whether it's
my two children, whether it's my precious granddaughter, if it's not of faith, it's sin. In other words, if what we recommend
ourselves to God with or seek acceptance with Him for, if it's
not that which He gives through faith, It's just sin. Did you get it from yourself? Is it your act? Whatever it is,
then it's sin. And the only thing that isn't
sin is what is received by faith. And that's the righteousness
of God in Christ. Turn over to Titus. Here in the book of Titus, listen
to what he says in Titus chapter 1 and verse 15. He says, unto the pure, all things
are pure. How are we pure? Who's the pure?
That's God's people. Their purity they've received
of Christ by faith, God-given faith. It's like a pipe, a conduit
by which water flows. Nothing in the conduit, nothing
in the one receiving it, it's in the one pouring it in. Faith
is that conduit by which God reveals to us, gives to us, and
blesses us with His mercy, grace. Unto the pure, all things are
pure. That's what Christ said. Peter
said, just wash me all over. He said, you're already clean
everywhere. But unto them that are defiled
and unbelieving is nothing pure. I'm telling you that says something.
Unto the unbelieving nothing is pure because all they have
is something of their selves. But even their mind and conscience
is defiled. They're unbelieving. You say,
well, I believe in God. So do the devils, and they fear
and tremble. I believe in the doctrines of
grace. There's really just one doctrine of grace, and that's
the doctrine of Christ. Just one gospel, the gospel of
grace. Just one God, the God of all
grace. And every benefit that He gives as far as us receiving
it and finding comfort and peace in it, He gives through faith,
through the word of faith. Everything God has to give is
right here in this book. in the Lord Jesus Christ. In short, everything but Christ is sin. So if you don't have Christ,
you don't have anything but sin. Is that simple enough? That's
why I say there's things in Scripture, if I say salvation is of the
Lord, well, it can't be of anybody else. It can't have any help
in it. If it's not of Christ, it's sin. That's all you've got. That's all you've got. Turn over to Philippians 3. Listen to Paul. Paul, here in Philippians 3. The amazing thing is here, what
Paul was is what most folks want to be. And when the Lord revealed himself
to Paul, when he gave him that conduit
and he first acknowledged him as Lord, I don't know who you
are altogether yet, but you're the Lord. You've unhorsed me. He didn't add on to what he already
had. I remember growing up in Sunday
school, I looked like one of those third world generals. I
had a pen, I had the wreath, I had all them bars. First year,
third year, sixth. Well, when the Lord saved me,
I didn't just add another bar. I threw away the whole thing. That's what Paul is saying here.
You were a teacher. You were a Pharisee. You were
a moral man. You were of a natural lineage
of Israel, and you were a Roman citizen. You're all those things.
Paul said, I was before a blasphemer. He didn't just change gears.
He was before, nothing but sin, a blasphemer. You know he didn't just come
right out and say, ain't no God. He didn't just go out and say, well,
I'll get drunk tomorrow and I'll do all these other things, so
immoral and irrelent. He didn't do all those things.
But even that, because he did it, because he trusted it in,
nothing but sin. He said, I was before a blasphemer. I wasn't a Christian, you know,
but the Lord gave me some higher doctrine. Oh, I was saved back
then, but the Lord taught me the doctrine of grace. That's
the most deadly, counterfeit, deception. When did you believe, Paul? After
that you heard the word of truth, the word of faith. Before that, I was a blasphemer. I was a blasphemer. So Paul here is a repentant man. You want to know about repentance?
It's not godly sorrow over your drinking and your carousing and
all this. Repentance is from these works
that simply bring forth death. Repentance from dead works to the work of Christ, to the
work of Christ. Paul says in chapter three, He said, finally, my brethren,
rejoice in the Lord, to write the same things to you. To me,
indeed, it's not grievous, but for you it's safe. You just harp
on these same things, Paul. It's what you need. Not grievous
to me. Just reminds me of God's grace
to me. Beware of dogs. Beware of evil
workers. Beware of the concision. Beware of all those who trust
in outward, fleshly, man-centered, man-produced things. Beware of them all. And beware
of them that preach it. Because the law is not a faith. For we are the circumcision,
we're the true Israel, which worship God in the spirit and
rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. No confidence. Oh, it gets a
little bit, no confidence. Paul said, I know that in me,
that is in my flesh dwells what? No good thing. Oh, he's a good man. No. I cringe every time somebody
even hints that. No good thing. Nothing God will
accept. Nothing God will approve. Nothing
but sin. Sin. Though I might also have
confidence in the flesh. Ah, but that which is born of
the flesh is what? Flesh. Not improved flesh. Not high-grade flesh. Flesh. Rotten flesh. If any other man
thinketh that he have whereof he might trust in the flesh,
I more. Circumcise the eighth day. of
the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of the
Hebrews, as touching the law of Pharisee, concerning zeal,
persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is of
the law, blameless." That's a pedigree. That's a resume. That's what
these fellows were doing. They were presenting to Jesus
at the judgment their resume. I've done all this. You know, God tells us that man
at his best state, a man considered by himself, well,
what's his best state? Well, his best state is being
in a justified state. But what is he still in himself?
Vanity. Man in his best state is vanity. He ain't worthy to be weighed
like dust in the balances. You put him on the scale and
he's zero but sin. But this is repentance. But what
things were gained to me, those I counted for loss. for Christ. Where did he come from? He revealed
himself to the Apostle Paul as Saul of Tarsus. He never saw him with the natural
eye. He experienced apostolic gifts,
a lot of experiences, I don't know what happened for those
three years in the desert, but he walked by faith. He believed God. He believed what God said. He
believed the word of faith and was used of God to give more
words. Now listen to this. He ain't
doubtless. And I count all things but loss. You ever seen a profit and loss
statement? It lists things that are assets
and the things that are liabilities. Well, Paul put everything in
the liability column, and there was just one name in the profit
column. That's Christ. His Word. What He did. He represents me before God. God's pleased with Him. See,
that's why it's without faith, it's impossible to please God,
because Christ believed on. That pleases God. You know, everyone in Christ,
if God wanted to, He could speak audibly from heaven this very
morning and say, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. You say, I wish he'd say that.
He's saying it right here in the Word of Faith. I believe
by the grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ and His death on
the cross, the shedding of His blood in Him altogether and only
in Him, the Lord is pleased with me. Because He said so. He made us
accepted in the beloved. Listen now. I've counted it lost,
all things but lost, for the excellency of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all
things, and do count them but done. You're just sitting around polishing
poop. You know what dung is, don't
you? And that's what Paul had been
doing all his life. But if you polish a poop, it's
still a poop. Excuse me, but it is. And that's
what we're offering up to God. Are we crazy? Yes, we're crazy,
we're blind, we're insane, and we'll be otherwise until God
in His mercy comes to us in this word of faith by His Spirit and
reveals to us, gives us that conduit of faith by which He
pours in us, if you will, Christ and Him crucified. I count them but done. They were
once my treasures, our little treasures, just polished boots. But that's all they were now,
see. The Lord's opened my eyes, and I count them lost, that I
may win Christ. and be found in him, not having
mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which
is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness of God, which
is of God by faith." It's by the faithfulness of Christ,
not my faith. But he gives it to me, and reveals
to me, and makes it mine, and makes me believe it, and causes
me to count it as precious by faith. By faith. In short, everything, just like
it was with Cain and Abel, we don't know much about them boys. We don't know but a few things
about what they did. We know that Cain offered an
offering from the ground. We know that Abel offered that
God commanded and provided sacrifice, a sacrifice of blood. We don't
know how they lived otherwise, but we know that Cain rose up
and he killed Abel. Why did he kill him? because
his works were righteous and Cain's was not. Who said that? God said it. How was Abel to
have righteousness? By faith. By faith. And so when John writes about
doing righteousness, What is that? Believe on Christ? Trust Christ alone? In other
words, everything but Christ, His work of righteousness, His
blood, His work, His satisfaction, everything but that is sin. Is that any wonder that Paul
said, I've got one fear as a preacher and a pastor? That you'd be drawn
away, that you'd be seduced, and you'd be drawn away from
the simplicity which is in Christ. You say, well, that's... No,
the singleness of Christ. Christ alone. My hope is built on nothing less, and
certainly nothing more, than Jesus' blood and righteousness. And I dare not trust the sweetest,
the most sincere, the most outward, the most praised, I dare not
trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean by faith on Jesus'
name. And whatsoever is not of faith,
sin. For me, for you, for everybody. Christ did it all. And that's
why he is all. God bless you. Let's take a little bit of a
break. Get up and stretch your legs.
Rest your men and women that way. Men, go through this door. Ladies, through this door.