our salvation. And as you can
recall now, Job in his lowest moments, his lowest times of
suffering and affliction, he's been searching for an answer.
Why am I suffering? Why is God allowing this to happen? Why is he bringing it about?
And as you recall, he had his three friends who thought they
had the answer. And of course, the answer to
them was very simplistic, very simple. It was the answer that
all natural men give. Job, you've got the only reason
you're suffering is because you're sinning. Sinners suffer. The righteous do not. And of
course, we know that's the ultimate end of the matter. In the end, in the ultimate end
of all things, And what we have to look at it through from the
view of final judgment. It is true that the righteous
will be vindicated and they will live forever in the bliss of
eternal glory with God in Christ. And there'll come a time that
we who are righteous now understand that who the righteous are. That's
important. You know I hear preachers talking
about the righteous and the wicked and I wonder do you really understand
what you're saying because You could be like Job's three friends. They think they know who the
righteous are. And, of course, their assessment, their judgment
is Job is not one of them. If he would be, he wouldn't be
in the mess that he's in. And their assessment is that
they are righteous. Job's wicked, they're righteous.
Well, who are the righteous? Well, they're the justified.
Justified before God. They're sinners saved by the
grace of God in Christ. That's what a righteous person
is. We have God's express, plain,
clear testimony concerning Job's state and standing before him
in chapter 1. You can't deny that. But these
three men have a different view. And so they stated out to Job
in very harsh ways, and the longer the debate goes, the harsher
it gets. In fact, this is the last time
we'll really hear from either Eliphaz, Bildad, or Zophar. And so Bildad makes it very short
because Job had emphatically stated that his desire in this
matter of figuring out these things of suffering, why do the
righteous suffer? Why do the wicked prosper? His
desire was to plead his case before God. He basically told
these three men, it's useless for me to talk to you, and it's
useless for you to talk to me. I've seen your position, you've
stated it, you've seen mine. I need answers from the source
of all answers. I need to plead my case before
God. And of course, Job spoke of that
confidently. Now, he didn't always say that
which is right. Job, in his pain and suffering,
he didn't always speak right things. He messed up some, just
like we all do. There are times he said, God,
why are you my enemy? Well, God wasn't Job's enemy,
but Job felt that way. He felt like God had abandoned
him. Well, God had not abandoned Job. God never abandons his people. never abandoned his people. I
was reading tonight in Jeremiah chapter 3 where God issued a
bill of divorcement to Israel. There were two grounds for divorce
and that was adultery and abandonment. And Israel had committed both.
They had fallen into spiritual adultery, idolatry. and they
had abandoned God, and God issued a bill of divorcement. That's
a great testimony that that old covenant, which was a conditional
covenant upon those people, was a failure. And God, listen now,
that's God's testimony. If salvation were conditioned
on any of us, it'd be an abject failure. Now that's the bottom
line. But God never abandons his people
in Christ. He'll never issue a bill of divorcement
to his bride, his church, because all the conditions and requirements
and stipulations of the marriage covenant are conditioned on Christ
and not on the bride. And he fulfilled all that. He'll
never abandon. He said, I'll never leave you.
I'll never forsake you. But Job felt that way. But at
the same time, as you go through here and you read these things
that Job states, and you might have a hard time figuring some
of these things out, you know. I mean, you might even read something
Job says and you might look up to him and say, well, how could
a believer say that? Well, hold on in your life. Just wait a
little while. But even with all the things
that Job was wrestling with in the darkness of providence, he
had a confidence, and I love that. And that confidence was
that if he could just plead his case before God, he'd be vindicated
by God. He'd be vindicated by God from
all charges brought against him by these three miserable, self-righteous
friends. Now, Job, in saying that, in
having a confidence of being vindicated, and I want you to
understand this because this is something that... Job is a
good example for us here. When he says he has confidence
of being vindicated before a holy God, that's who he's talking
about. Terry read there about justification in Romans 3, and
one of the key things in that whole issue, that whole matter
of justification, is these three words, in his sight, in God's
sight. Now, I want to project a good
witness before me. But when it comes to my justification
before God, what I'm concerned with is how God sees me, not
how men see me. And it's in His sight. And when
you consider His sight now, God's sight, what does God see? He sees me as I really am. He sees things about me that
you don't see. He sees things about you that
I don't see. And I'll tell you this much,
he sees things about me that even I don't see. He looks to
the heart, to the thoughts, the motives, the intents. You see that? Now how could a
sinner have any confidence of being vindicated, being justified,
being declared not guilty, even innocent and righteous before
a God who sees everything about me. How is that possible? And
there's not but one way. And that is as we stand in the
person and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Period. You say, well, I've been born
again by the Spirit. Well, I have too. But my friend,
even my best efforts as a born-again sinner do not make me righteous
before God. They don't. You think they do? Can you honestly say that you
love God? Now, let me tell you something. Now, if you're a believer,
you can honestly say that. But now, does your love equal
the righteousness of the law? Absolutely not. Not yet. One
day it will. But I won't be on this earth
when it does. So how could Job say this with confidence? And
what I'm saying here is this. Job wants to state his case before
God, and he's confident that he'll be vindicated, that he'll
be justified. But Job, when he says that, he's
not claiming sinless perfection in himself. He's not saying now,
now look, he's not saying that I've reached a point in my life
where I live above sin, and now God would vindicate me. That's
not what he's saying at all. In fact, he has made it clear.
I'm a sinner. If God were to mark iniquities,
I wouldn't stand. That's right. Blessed is the
man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquities. That's what I
am. I'm a blessed man. If you're in Christ, you're a
blessed woman, you're a blessed man, because God doesn't charge
you with your sin. He charged them to Christ. But
now to his three friends, the worst thing Job could do is present
in this case before God. You see, they don't see it the
way Job sees it. They're thinking naturally. They're
thinking wickedly. They're thinking self-righteously.
And Bildad states that here. You see, he states out some profound
issues here. The heart of the gospel is right
here. These are the questions that I wish every man and woman
in this world would become concerned with, these questions here. that
bill that poses especially in verses four five and six i wish
every person in this city would become concerned with these issues
i asked the lady one time years ago i said what can you tell
me how god can be just and justify the ungodly and she looked at
me she said what does that have to do with anything i'm serious
and she claimed to be a preacher what does that have to do with
it That has to do with everything, my friend. That's the heart of the gospel. But you see, that's what Bill
Dadd is saying here. He raises two points in these
six verses. And what he's saying here is
that, Job, there's two reasons why you don't want to bring your
case before God. Now, Bill Dadd states truth here,
but he applies it wrongly. And here's the first reason.
It's in the first three verses. Look at it. Then answered Bildad
the Shuhite, and he said, Dominion and fear are with him. He maketh
peace in his high places. Is there any number of his armies,
and upon whom doth not his light arise? Job, you don't want to
enter into a debate with God. His dominion and majesty are
so high and powerful above us The fear that mere creatures
must have in the view of God, Job, you ought to be trembling
in your boots, that's what he's saying, before you would even
think to go before God. And you know what Bildad is saying
here, he's saying, Job, if I can tell you what's wrong, just think
about what God could tell you. The fact that God keeps peace
in the highest levels of the universe. So how could a mere
man argue with God and prevail with and Then he says God sees
and knows all things about us everything's above board with
God. He looks on the heart Man hides in the darkness of pride
and self-righteousness, but it will not shield you from God's
sight Job you the worst thing you could do bill dad is saying
Job the worst thing you could do is go before God. Let me tell
you something. I Here's the here's the reality
here's what bill dad doesn't see The worst thing that any
sinner could ever do Is to go before God seeking to be vindicated
or justified based on his works. That's true If that's what you're
doing if that's what I'm doing that is the worst thing we could
do Cain did it Look what happened to Cain he was rejected He sought
an audience with God. He sought salvation from God.
He sought blessing from God. He sought communion with God
by his works. That's the worst thing any sinner
can do. You know, that's what Bildad
and Zophar and Eliphaz are actually doing. They're going before God
based on their works. And here this sinner, Job, he's
pleading the merits of his Redeemer. He said, I know my Redeemer liveth.
He's talking about Christ there. His kinsman-redeemer, that's
what he means by it. His goel, that's what that word
is in the original. Same word used in the book of
Ruth. I have confidence that I'll be vindicated, but not based
on my works, Job. It's based upon my kinsman-redeemer,
the blood of the Lamb of God. Abel did that. That's the best
thing any sinner can do. You know, that's the best of
the best of the best right there. I don't care if you give a million
dollars to charity. If you've got it, I hope you
give it to charity. But I'll tell you something better.
Go before God and plead the blood and righteousness of Christ.
That's the best. Right there. Saying I'm a sinner
worthy of death and have no, no works or no character or nothing
to recommend me unto God. I stand in Christ as my substitute. And then here's the second reason
Bill Dadd says that, Job, you shouldn't go before God. He says
in verse 4, listen, how then can man be justified with God?
Well, by his works, no man can. We read that in Galatians 2,
didn't we? By deeds of law shall no flesh be justified in God's
sight. And that's what, and Bill Dadd, he's not seeing these things
right, but he is stating the truth here, isn't he? Bill Dad
thinks he himself is justified with God. You remember at the
end of the book, God tells Bill Dad and his other two friends,
you've not spoken that which is right concerning me. He says,
or how can he be clean that is born of woman? We're born in
sin. That's right. We fell in Adam, folks. We're
ruined by the fall. Ruined by the fall. There's no
goodness in any of us by nature. That's right. not according to
God's standard of goodness now. And that's what we're concerned
with here. This is where this question takes us now. This question
takes us not about how we are viewed among men and how we are
judged among men. It takes us to how we are viewed
by God. How can man be justified with
God? That's what he's talking about.
How can he be clean that is born of woman? David said, I come
forth from the womb, speaking lies, incended by mother, conceive
me. Born dead and trespasses in.
How can he be clean that is born of woman? He says in verse 5,
behold, even the moon and it shineth not. Even to the moon
and it shineth not. Yea, the stars are not pure in
his sight. He's using symbolic language
there to show something of the holiness of God. God is holy. How are you going to approach
a holy God? How's Bill Dagg going to do it?
How's Job going to do it? How's Bill Parker going to do
it? How are you going to do it? Approach a holy God. He says
in verse 6, how much less man, that is a worm, and the Son of
Man, which is a worm. Now, Moses understood something
of this. When he approached God, when
he approached God at the burning bush, which I believe was a pre-incarnate
appearance of Christ, he said, take off your shoes. This is
holy ground. This is holy ground. Sinners
cannot approach unto God without Christ. God says that he's a
merciful God, but he will by no means clear the guilty. What
does that mean? That means if you're cleared,
the guilt has to be removed some way. And here he says, how much less
man that is a worm. That word worm there is maggot.
You know what a maggot is? Feeds off of corruption. That's what a maggot does. And
that's what we are by nature. That's a symbol of man by nature
who drinketh iniquity like water. And that doesn't mean now, that
doesn't mean that everybody deserves jail time in this earth. It doesn't
mean that we're all Immoral in the sense of what man's laws
are even in our religion Drink water like iniquity self-righteous
religion Religion without Christ religion without grace religion
without truth. That's iniquity. We drink it
like water And he says in the Son of Man which is a worm now
that word worm there Refers to the crawling worm And it refers
to our inability. So the first wordworm shows how
we're born. That's our nature. That's fallen,
sinful, human nature. The second wordworm speaks of
our works and our efforts which are totally impotent before a
holy God. We cannot, we cannot do anything
to improve our state and our standing when it comes to God. Now we can do a lot to improve
our standing here on earth and our state here on earth. If you're
hungry, you can get a job and get a paycheck and go to the
grocery store and buy food. You can do that. That improves
your state here on this earth. And if you want people to like
you and be nice to you, you like them and be nice to them. That's
improving you. But that has nothing to do with
how God justifies a sinner. that will not improve your standing
and state before a holy God." There's none righteous, there's
none that doeth good. No, not one. By deeds of law
shall no flesh be justified in his sight. And this is in that
verse 6, that second word, worm. And I told you last time, I'm
going to bring a whole message on this next time. It's the crimson
worm. In fact, that word for worm there
is translated crimson. in Isaiah 118, come now let us
reason together, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall
be as wool, though they be red like crimson, they shall be white
as snow, that word crimson, that's the same word for worm here,
the crimson worm. When Christ is prophesied in
the Psalm of the cross, Psalm 22, he said, behold I am a worm
and no man, same word, the crimson worm. And what we see there is
a type of Christ. And I want to preach a whole
message on that. It'll be a fascinating study
to you who are really hungry for the Word of God. And I don't
have time to do all that tonight. But here's the thing. Bildad,
he does not know the answer to this great riddle. How then can
man be justified with God? That's a riddle to man. You know,
there's no religion on the face of this earth that even poses
that question all right, but let alone has the answer to it
except one religion, the true religion of God's grace in Christ. There's no other religion of
man, no other cult of man, no other major religion, small religion,
offshoot religion, that even begins to answer this question.
It's all salvation by works. And Bildad, he thinks he knows
the answer, but he doesn't. He poses this in the form of
questions from which God reveals the heart of the gospel to his
people, the central issue and the foundation of our salvation,
right here. This is the riddle of all ages.
Men have come forth with many answers trying to answer this
question, but they're all wrong. How can God be just and justify
the ungodly? How can a sinner be vindicated
in God's sight? How can man who's born of woman
be cleansed? Cleansed from sin, that's what
he's talking about. We're stained with sin. Within
and without, how can we be clean? Well, most people turn to their
works in some form, fashion, or degree, deeds, religious deeds,
moral deeds, works of charity, works of devotion, works of self-denial,
efforts to keep the law. Some claim the Ten Commandments,
some claim the Eightfold Path, some go within and get in a lotus
position and stare at their navel for months on end. Some deny
themselves food and water, The Jews, they sought after righteousness.
That's what this is all about. That word justified means to
be righteous. The same word, the root word,
both in the Hebrew and the Greek. How can a sinner be righteous
before God? How can he be right with God?
That's what that's talking about. Just with God. Right with God.
Not guilty. Innocent. Righteous. How can
he be? Well, the Jews sought it. Romans chapter 9 tells us
about it. Paul said the Jews sought after righteousness. How? By works of the law. What was
the end result? They didn't find it. They didn't
reach it. They didn't attain it. There were some preachers
who stood before the Lord as he recorded in Matthew 7, 21.
They sought it through their preaching. Well, I preached in
your name. Well, is that what makes me righteous
before God? The fact that I'm standing up
here tonight preaching in his name and I've done it for 30
years? Does one of the messages, ten of the messages, or all the
messages together make me righteous before God? Is that how I'm justified?
The answer is no. And if I think it is, it's iniquity.
That's when it turns to iniquity. Nothing iniquitous about the
act itself, but when I think that it recommends me unto God
or makes me righteous, then I turn it into iniquity. Self-righteousness,
unbelief. Some have turned to sacrifices
and ceremonies. But the Bible tells us it's not
possible that the blood of bulls and goats can take away sin.
Animal blood cannot justify a sinner before God. All the rivers of
animal blood shed for 1,500 years under the Old Covenant. Understand
now, animal blood was shed before the Old Covenant, wasn't it?
Who was the first to shed animal blood? God himself. He slew an
animal and made coats of skin. He was teaching an object lesson
there, a symbol, a type. And he was teaching that he wasn't
teaching that animal blood could cleanse you. The blood of bulls
and goats can never take away sin. Ceremonies, you can get
baptized, you can wash, you can wear robes, collars, you can
wear long dresses and wear your hair up in a bun. You can do
all these things. You can taste not, touch not,
handle not, all those things. Can't do it. Can't cleanse you
from one sin, let alone the multitude that we have to deal with. Some
turn to their own wills. Some say, well, all you've got
to do is accept Jesus as your personal Savior. Now, let me
ask you a question. Will accepting Jesus as your personal Savior
cleanse you from sin? The answer is no. Absolutely
not. It's not our acceptance of Jesus
that cleanses us from sin, that justifies us before God. You
see, some turn to their faith. Well, you believe, and then that'll
happen. No. Remember now, what does it
mean to be justified? That's the question. How can
man be justified with God? If I'm going to answer that question,
I've got to know what it means to be justified. Remember what
it means. It means to be not guilty. I'm
a sinner. How can I be not guilty? Didn't
we read there, didn't Terry read there in Romans chapter 3? That
under the law, look over at Romans chapter 3. When he said, now we know, verse
19, that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who
are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all
the world may become guilty before God. That's the conclusion of
the plight of man in sin. There's none righteous, none
good, no, not one. I'm a sinner, how can I be not
guilty, you say? How's that possible? I'm void of a righteousness that
answers the demands of God's law and justice in my best efforts
to keep the law. So how can I be righteous? I'm
a sinner. I'm stained with sin. How can
I be clean? God's blessings, listen to me,
God's blessings are only to those whom God justifies. Period. And that's the righteous. That's the righteous. Here's
some facts. People say, well, the gospel's
more than facts. You're right, but it begins with
facts, and here's the fact. Somebody said, that's a fact,
Jack. Well, here it is. Now, you listen to this. In order
to be saved from sin, sinful man must somehow be justified
with God. That's a fact. You can't be saved
and not justified, and you can't be justified and not saved. Here's
another fact. In order to save sinners, God
must remain just when He justifies. He's not going to pervert His
character, His nature, His honor, His glory to save me or you.
His love will never be shown, expressed, and enacted without
His justice being magnified and honored. He must be just when
He justifies. His mercy. Oh, God is merciful,
isn't He? Doesn't the Bible say how many
times, His mercy endureth forever, but there is no mercy from God
without His holiness and His truth being honored and magnified. His grace, where sin abounded,
His grace did much more, but there's no grace from God apart
from His justice. That's a fact. Here's another fact. The gospel
begins with the nature and the character of God, not with the
needs of men. Do you hear what I'm saying? The gospel is centered around
the nature, the character, the glory of God, not with our needs. It's not a matter of us having
our felt needs met, because in this matter we don't have any
felt needs. Man by nature imagines that he can become righteous
by his works and his efforts to keep the law, and that shows
an ignorance of God's nature, character, and righteousness. Man by nature imagines he can
become righteous by accepting Christ as his personal Savior.
And those who are, listen to me, those who are justified before
God will believe in, and submit to, and rest in, and follow Christ. But that's not what makes them
righteous. That's not what justifies them before God. And how can
we be clean? Man by nature imagines he can
be cleaned by his works, his tears, his baptisms, his dedication,
his rededication, his confession. And those things who have been
cleansed, those who have been cleansed will, will repent. They will follow Christ in these
areas. That's not what cleanses them. Here's the next fact. In order
to be justified before God, Mark this down, in order to be justified
before God, that question that Bildad asked, we must have, we
must have the righteousness of God himself. That's the only
thing it'll do. The righteousness of man in any
shape, form, or fashion will not, will do us no good. And that's the foundation of
salvation. Now, where are we going to find the righteousness
of God? Well, look back there at Romans 3. Now, listen to what he says.
Now, Paul had already written back in Romans 1, 16 and 17 that
the gospel is the revelation of the righteousness of God.
You know, so the gospel is not a revelation of the righteousness
of men or man. It's not a self-improvement program. It's a declaration, a revelation
of the righteousness of God. Now, what is the righteousness
of God? Well, Paul answers it right here. He says in verse
21 of Romans 3, now listen to this, he says, but now the righteousness
of God without the law, that is, without our works, that's
what he's talking about, How do you know that? Because the
context tells you. What did he say before that? By deeds of
law shall no flesh be justified. All right? Now there's a righteousness
of God without those deeds of the law. It excludes our deeds. It excludes our works. And it's
manifested. That is, it's made known. All
right? And it's being witnessed by the
law and the prophets. This is what the law of Moses
taught. That man's righteousness won't
do. We need the righteousness of God. What was the law of Moses
given for? To expose sin. What's the law of Moses? What's
the message of the law of Moses? You're guilty, you deserve to
die. I'm guilty, I deserve to die,
and my words can't get me out of this mess. I need something
better, something greater. I need the righteousness of God.
And that's what the prophets told them. And verse 22, even
the righteousness of God, this is what we need, which is by
faith of Jesus Christ. Christ had faith. Did you know
that? He believed some things. Who
is Jesus Christ? He's the God-man. He's the God-man. What did he believe? He believed
that the Father would give him what he earned, what he promised
to do, because he himself is one with the Father. By nature
he is God, and yet he is man, God and man in one person. And
how was he faithful? Well, he made some promises.
before the foundation of the world when God chose a people
and gave them to Christ, Christ promised to do everything required,
everything necessary to save those people from their sins.
And you know what? He didn't miss a beat. He was
faithful in all things. He who is God, the second person
of the Trinity, took on human flesh without sin, the Word made
flesh. He promised to do that. How do
you know he promised to do that? Because that was manifested back
in Genesis 3.15, the seed of woman. He promised to keep the
law perfectly as a substitute for his people, as God made,
and die for their sins. How do you know that? That was
manifested back in Genesis 3.21 when God slew an animal. and
made coats of skin. And that message kept ringing
right on through, didn't it? Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy, right on through, all through everything, the history,
the Psalms. And everything that he promised
to do To establish the ground of the justification of his people
by his obedience unto death, he did it faithfully, he did
it perfectly, he didn't miss a leg. Even when he was in the
Garden of Gethsemane struggling with sin that was charged to
him, he still faithfully said, nevertheless, thy will, not mine. Hanging on that cross, he was
faithful. He didn't sin. He wasn't corrupted
in his mind. He had perfect faith in his Father,
even at the lowest point. What do you think the lowest
point on the cross was? Eli, Eli, lama, sabachthaner. My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? Did you notice what he said there?
He didn't just say, oh God, why have you forsaken me? He didn't
say, God, why have you forsaken me? He said, my God, my God. Why hast thou forsaken?" He knew
even then his Father was his God, his Father. And even when
he gave up the ghost, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend
my spirit. He was faithful in every way.
And he died and was buried and rose again the third day. He
accomplished redemption. Look at it. He was faithful.
He says, the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus
Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. This is not
just for one segment of society. This is for anyone who believes.
For there is no difference, for all sinning comes short of the
glory of God." Now look at verse 24, Romans 3. He says, being
justified. That's what we're talking about. How? How can man be justified
with God? How can he that is born of woman
be clean? Being justified freely. Well, it's an unconditional matter.
It's without a cause. There's nothing that we can do
to inspire or incite God to do this. It's free. It's free grace.
And it's by his grace, but there is a requirement. There is a
condition. There's a debt to be paid. You
see? Our debt charged to Christ, imputed
to him, accounted to him, and that's why it says through the
redemption, through the paying of the price, the meeting of
the conditions, the meeting of the requirements, that is in
Christ Jesus. It's not through your meeting
any conditions. It's not through my meeting any
conditions. It's through His redemption. And then verse 25,
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, a satisfaction.
That word set forth is foreordained. It's always the way it's been.
Through faith in His what? His blood. There's the payment
price. And His blood equals righteousness to declare His righteousness,
God's justice. for the remission of sins that
are past." You see, when God... The sins that are past means
the Old Testament saints. And what it says is, when God
did not destroy them immediately for their sins, He had in mind
the work of Christ on the cross in the future. It was a sure
thing, Christ being assured. And that's why God was just in
His forbearance. Look, through the forbearance
of God. When God allowed them to go on
for a time, Was he unjust? No. No. Through faith in his
blood, to declare, I say at this time, his righteousness, that
he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Our sins imputed to Christ, his righteousness imputed to us.
That's how God can be just and justify the ungodly. The way
of justification by God's grace in Christ is all through the
Bible, folks. It's the theme. It's the heart.
It's his blood. His blood is the blood of righteousness.
Christ is our righteousness. He was made sin, Christ who knew
no sin, for us that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him. His righteousness accounted to
us, imputed to us. That's the ground of our justification.
His blood is the blood of reconciliation. We're made nigh unto God by the
blood of Christ. God said it in the Old Testament,
and it rings true for us today. When I see the blood, I will
what? Pass over you. When I see what? Your faith?
No. When I see your works? No. When
I see the blood, I will what? Pass over you. When I see the
blood, that's the righteousness of God right there. That blood
and that righteousness of God are one and the same. It's the
obedience unto death of the Lord Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ
is the blood of cleansing. How can a man be clean who's
born of woman? Cleansed by the blood of Christ.
For by one offering he has sanctified forever them. Them. He has set us apart. Them that
are sanctified. His blood is the blood of redemption.
We're redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, the full, final,
eternal, unchangeable payment for all the sins of all the elect
made to meet on Christ, paid for. His blood is the blood of
intercession. We have an advocate with the
Father. He's Jesus Christ, the righteous. We have the righteousness
of God. And He is the propitiation, the
satisfaction for our sins. His blood is the blood of access
to God. We come boldly to the throne
of grace because of our great high priest. We enter into the
holiest of all by the blood of Jesus, His righteousness imputed
to us. His blood is the blood of sanctification. What does sanctify mean? It means
to set apart, to regard as holy, to make holy. How can that be
applied to me or to you? through the blood of Christ,
the imputed righteousness of Christ. It means to be washed
clean by his blood, never to be soiled again. Think about
that. You mean even the sins that I
will commit tonight and tomorrow? Oh, no, they won't be charged
to me. Christ put them away at the cross. We'll never be soiled again in
that way. God will not impute sin to us. If he did, none of us would stand.
Oh, Lord, if thou, Lord, shouldest mark a nickel. Continually cleansed
our way by the word, wherewith shall a young man cleanse his
way? By giving heed to the word of God. And what does that do?
Drives us to Christ. His blood is the blood of the
covenant. The blood of the new covenant. The blood of the everlasting
covenant. It's the ratification of the
covenant. That's why our husband will never
put us away. Will never issue a bill of divorcement
to us. You say, because he saves us
and he keeps us. And his blood is the blood of
unity and fellowship and communion. We're met here around the blood
of Christ. And let me tell you something.
Now, there are a lot of groups they meet around a lot of different
common things. Even religious groups. Somebody
said, well, they got a lot of young people there and they got
a lot of programs. Well, that's their unity. That's their common
ground. Somebody says, well, I like their
singing. They plug it in and turn it up, and we just start
jumping, you know. And that's their unity, all right?
What are we met here tonight around? What is our communion?
What is our unity? It's the blood of Christ. It's
not our personalities. And I hope, listen, I pray every
night that you're all's personalities will improve. Along with mine. But that's not
our unity, you see. That's not our common ground. If it is, it won't last. You know that. It's the blood
of Christ. It's how God can be just and
justify. It's how a man can be just with
God. It's our mutual love for Christ,
our faith in Christ. We're here to honor Him, to lift.
We've got to decrease. Let's decrease. He's got to increase. Isn't that right? That's our
unity. That's our communion, you see. He is how a sinner can be just
before God. All right. Let's sing as our
closing hymn, Jesus, the very thought of thee. Now, we're going
to have some food in the back, and everybody is welcome to stay.
I hope you do.