that I know that that's the way
it is with God. All right, here in James chapter
2, I'm going to start reading at verse 8 and read down through
verse 18 and continue in our study in James. If you fulfill
the royal law according to the scripture, thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself, you do well. But if you have respect to persons,
you commit sin and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in
one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit
adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery,
yet art thou killed, killed thou art also become a transgressor
of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they
that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have
judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy. And mercy
rejoices against judgment. What doeth it profit, my brethren?
Though a man may say he hath faith, and have not works, can
faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked
and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them,
Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled, notwithstanding ye
give them not those things which are needful to the body, what
doeth it profit? Even so, if faith hath not works,
it is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast
faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy
works, and I will show thee my faith by my works." Well, you know there in verse
eight, believers, all of us as children of God, all of us who
profess faith in Christ, we have a A rule to walk by, and it's
been settled for us. It's settled for us. God settled
it for us. And that is according to the
Scripture. According to the Scripture. If you fulfill the royal law
according to the Scripture, that's our rule to walk by, right there,
according to the Scripture. And then verse nine tells us
this, that if you have respect of persons, you commit sin or
are convinced of the law as transgressors. It tells us that partiality,
favoritism, showing honor to one person, exalting one above
another because of some position they have or some power they
have or some wealth they have, and you show respect to them
because of who they are, what you can gain from them, that
is sin. It's a transgression of the law.
And many, many, many people, who flee some of the more outward
things and more obvious forms of sin, there's things that you
can see that people do that's obvious forms of sin. And they
shun those, they flee those, but yet they find themselves
to be transgressors of the law in a lot of other ways, by the
attitude they have. It's as easy to transgress the
law by an attitude, by spirit. Or by love or lack of love, as
it is any other way. You don't have to go out and
commit some kind of a gross sin to transgress the law. Because
what does the law say? The law is hung on two commandments,
love. And it's the spirit and the attitude
and our nature sometimes, we can transgress the law, not by
just always doing something outwardly, but in our spirit and our attitude.
But all here in verse 10, I want you to see this now. It says,
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in
one point, he is guilty of all. Now here's the thing, here's
the situation. A man can't just pick and choose what commandments
they're going to obey and those that do not neglect. You know,
he can't just pick and choose over and say, I'll do this and
I won't do that, and I'll obey this and I'll neglect that. But
he has to have respect to them all. You've got the whole law.
When he talks about the whole law, he's talking about everything.
And you see, the Pharisees believed that they kept the whole law.
And yet, there's lots around today that believe the same thing.
They believe that they're outwardly but keep the law because they're
outwardly moral. But what a sad, sad mistake that
is. Look over here with me at Matthew 19. It's a sad, you know,
and this is the thing. You know, they had that thing
down there in Alabama. And that guy tried his best, you know,
and they went to the court and all that to keep the Ten Commandments
inside that building, on those stones inside that building.
Now, they're debating where the law can be and where it can't
be and all that. But the thing is, beloved, that
law, no matter any time you look at it, you can't pick and choose
what part you're going to keep and what part you're going to
neglect. You can't say, well, I didn't commit adultery and
I didn't do this and I didn't do that. But have you ever thought
it? Have you ever felt it? Have you ever been tempted to?
Have you ever done it in your heart? I ain't never told a lie. Well, now wait a minute. Hyperbole
and exaggeration is a lie. And that's why, look where Matthew
19, look what it says here in verse 16. And behold, one came
and said unto him, good master, What good thing, his first thing
out of his mouth is, good master, what good thing shall I do that
I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, why callest
thou me good? There's none good but one, that's
God. You're going to either acknowledge me or God, or just another man.
And if thou will enter into life, keep the commandments. And that's what God says, do
and live. That's what God said in the commandment.
He says, do and live. You look in Deuteronomy, I believe
it's chapter 30, and there's me, and there's one man stood
over on this mountain, another man stood on this mountain. And
as Israel passed by over here, they told all the blessings.
And they walked by, they'd tell the blessings. This fellow over
here would pronounce the curses. This fellow would pronounce the
blessings. This fellow over here would pronounce the curses. And
if you've done this here, You got blessed. If you didn't do
it over here, this fellow here is telling you what curse you
is under. And I tell you, the God that blesses over here is
also the God that curses over here if you don't do what he
says over here. And that's what this fellow is
saying here. He says, if you enter into life, keep the commandments.
And that's why God says, you do this and you'll live. And
that's why Paul said, if righteousness come by the law, then Christ
is dead in vain. And now it goes on to say here
now, Jesus, and then he saith unto him, which? Which commandments? Which commandments should I keep?
Which? That's what they say. What have I done? Oh, which? He asked the Lord Jesus. Thou
shalt do no murder. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness.
Honor thy father and thy mother, and thou shalt love thy neighbors
thyself. And that's just, that's the second law of the commandments.
That's the law that has to do with man dealing strictly with
man. Don't have nothing to do with
love the Lord thy God. Have no gods before me. Don't
bow down. Keep the Sabbath. Keep it holy.
Nothing to do with that. This is just man treating man.
And then the young man said unto himself, young man said unto
him, all these things have I killed from my youth up. And then he
says this, so what lack I yet? What's wrong with me? What's
wrong with me? That's what Paul said. He says,
I am a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee of Pharisees, a righteousness
after the law, which is blameless. And he goes on to say, that's
why some people think this is the same fellow right here. And
our Lord said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, and that's what
the law demands. That's what the law requires.
That's why it says if you offend in one point, you're guilty of
all of it. The law says that if you're going to be saved by
me, if you're going to be justified by me, if you're going to have
a standing with God before me, if you're going to be saved by
doing, you will be perfect. Go. Sell that that thou hast,
and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven.
And here's the kicker right here. Come and follow me. Was the Lord just trying this
fellow to see what he was going to do? No, the Lord knew exactly
what he was going to do. And that young man heard that
saying, and he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Great possessions. And so here's a fellow, and back
over in our text, for whosoever it says in verse 10 shall keep
the whole law, yet offended one point, he is guilty of all. And
he says, if you'll be perfect, You see, every one of those things
had to do with man. And love your neighbors as yourself?
If he loved his neighbors as himself, he would have had no
problem. He said, well, you know, I've got more than I know what
to do with. And if I have Christ, and I can follow Christ, and
I can have life, well, sure I can do that. But oh, he didn't have
that heart. He didn't have that spirit. And
that's what he says over here. That's what, you know, If you
offend in one point, you're guilty of all of it. That's what you
can't do, to offend in one point. And what we may think is a small
point is to be treated by the law as a transgressor. How small
that point may be. That's why we don't want to be
justified by the law. Oh, we don't want nothing to
do with that law. Thank God. And then watch what it says here
in verse 11. For he that said... Who said? God said. He's the one that gave that law
on Mount Sinai. He's the one who wrote it on
tablets of stone. He was the one who sent Moses
down from there. He was the one who sat down there
and told him all the things that people are required to do. For
he that said, Do not commit adultery, and that's the seventh commandment. Yet if thou kill, thou art become
a transgressor of the law. So that's what he says. You cannot
choose what you don't transgress and what you do transgress. And
God, it's God who gave the seventh commandment. It's God who gave
the seventh commandment. He is saying it. And James is
saying this, that the law of God is one. It's singular. Though many different precepts
to it, it's just one. It's singular. It stands and
falls together. And to violate one precept of
the law makes us violators of the whole law. And oh, my. Oh, I don't want I want to stand
back and do like Israel did. I said, oh Lord, Israel says
we don't want to hear your voice anymore. Just speak to us through
Moses. And oh God, I don't want to hear
your thunder from the Lord. Speak to me through Christ. Speak
to me through his blessed name. Speak to me through his blessed
blood and righteousness. And to the law, the law to most
people, and sin is what they're not doing and everybody else
is doing. Ain't that right? Yeah, the law
is what, other than sin, is what somebody else is doing, it's
not what you're doing. That's what law, that's what
most people are. And then look what he says here now. If you
kill, if you commit, you know, well, I didn't commit adultery,
but you killed. Well, I didn't kill anybody.
Uh-huh. That's what he says, but you
know, if you do either one of them, you're transgressing the
law. Oh my, just so speak ye, and
so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
So speak, and so do. What he's telling us here is
that believers ought to give attention to what they say, what
they think, and what they do. You know, words and actions should
be weighed. No, that's what he's saying now.
You go to stand up, and that's what that rich young ruler did.
He says, What? Like I yet? He should have weighed
what he was saying. He should have weighed what Christ
said. And he says, so speak ye and so do as you know you're
going to be judged by the law of liberty. Not by the Ten Commandments,
by the law of liberty. We've done found out we're guilty.
We've done found out we've offended the whole law. We've done found
out if you show respect to a person, the law convinces you as a transgressor
because you don't love your neighbors as yourself. You're seeking your
own gain. You're mercenary at what you're
doing. And so he says, so speak ye and so do as they that shall
be judged by the law of liberty. And so you give attention to
what you say. Give attention to what you think.
Give attention to what words and actions shall be weighed.
And God weighs them. Look over here in Philippians.
Keep James. Look in Philippians with me just a minute. Philippians
chapter 4. You know, the believer, is judged
by and responsible to the law of Christ. You remember he said
earlier there in James chapter 1, you know, by that perfect
law of liberty. That law of liberty. We have
liberty in Christ. And so speak and do is that law
of liberty, that law that Christ set us free with, that law that
Christ says, you know, by this shall all men know you are my
disciples because you love one another. Look what he says here
in Philippians 4 in verse 8. This is what we're talking about,
what you say, what you think, what you do. So speak and do.
I am the brethren. Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things
are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are
of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise,
think on these things. Think on things as good and right
and just and holy and pure. You know, death and life is in
the power of the tongue, and that's why it says, you know,
don't jump up and start condemning everybody. And don't jump up
and start justifying yourself and saying, I didn't do this
and somebody else done that. You weigh what you're going to
say, because you're going to be judged and be responsible
to the law of Christ. And I'll tell you, beloved, and
it says here, the law of liberty, back up there in what is in verse
twenty-five of chapter one, but whoso looketh into the perfect
law of liberty, and continueeth therein. What is that law of
liberty? It's the Word of Christ. It's
the very Word of God. And it pronounces freedom from
us. Freedom for our hearts, freedom
for our conscience, freedom for our mind. And Christ is our law. Christ is our law. It's by Him
we live. It's by Him who we obey. It's
Him that we want to honor. It's Him whose will we want to
be done. And our profession is weighed by Him. And what He's
saying here, don't lay claim to more than you are or more
than you have. Oh, be careful what you say and
do, as you're going to be judged, not by the Ten Commandments,
but by the law of Christ. And if you claim Christ, and
you claim you have an interest in Christ, don't lay claim to
more than you already have. Men in the world, when they lay
claim to more than they do, we call them braggers, and we call
them pretentious. And look, let me show you here
in Ecclesiastes, just a minute. Ecclesiastes 5. Oh, to be judged,
to be weighed by God. by the law of Christ here. What was the law of Christ? What
was His blessed law? What did He do? Oh, love, compassion, understanding,
mercy, tenderness, forgiveness. And that's why it says, so speak
ye and so do as you want to be judged. That's why he says, you
know, be careful what you say. Keep thy foot when thou goest
to the house of God, and be more ready to hear than
to give the sacrifice of fools and to jump up and have something
to say. For they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash
with your mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter
anything. Now, what's this? Before God. For God is in heaven. You're
on the earth, therefore let thy words be few. Don't start bragging
about what you're doing, what you haven't done, what you're
going to do. That's why we don't make resolutions
as believers. I hope none of y'all made any
resolutions. I hope you didn't. What do we need to make resolutions
for? Huh? We've got everything we want.
We've got everything we need. I know I'm not going to get any
better as far as my flesh is concerned. I'm not. I can resolve to change this
and change that and change something else. But I tell you, here's
the situation. I need Christ. I'm trusting Christ.
I'm looking to Christ. And I tell you, the only hope
I've got, as I get older, I get more sinful. As I get older,
I get weaker. As I get older, I feel my way
and lonesomeness. And I look to Christ. And Christ
is my Lord. I don't look to the... I look
to Christ. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to everyone that believes. Huh? And oh, so we're not going to
come in and say, so speak ye and so do. He's talking here
about the law, about partiality, about showing respect to persons.
So don't you brag and say, I don't do that. Or I do this thing and start
telling all the good things you do. He says, you just wait. You be very, very careful what
you say and what you do. Whatever you lay claim to, you
better possess it. You better have it. If you lay
claim to faith, you better have it. Good works, you better have
them. Strength, you better have them. Kindness, you better have
them. Love, you better have. And holiness, if you claim to
have a certain kind of holiness, you better hold on to it, because
you're going to be judged by whatever you lay claim to. And
that's what he goes on to say here. Verse 13. For he shall
have judgment without mercy that has shown no mercy, and mercy
rejoices against judgment. Oh, judgment without mercy? What
he said here, that soul who has shown no mercy to that poor man
who come in, that weak man, that needy man, and those members
of the body of Christ who don't have anything and you can gain
nothing by it. But for gain, you've shown respect to the powerful. Oh, he says here, you'll receive
from God judgment without mercy. You go into this world and you
have shown no mercy to those that are weak and needy in the
body of Christ. And this fellow comes in here
who you think you've gained something from and you show respect to
him and you didn't show mercy. He says, that's what's going
to happen to you. You'll not have any mercy. You remember
that wicked servant that he came to his master. His master called
him in and said, You know it's time to pay up. You owe me all
this money and all this. He was a steward. And he says,
Oh, forget it. Give me time and I'll pay you
all. He just forgave him. And then he turned around and
went out and started getting everybody that owed him some.
And choking them. And mistreating them. Pay me
this and pay me that and pay me this. And somebody went and
told his master what he was doing. And he called him forth and said,
you wicked, wicked servant. You know, I forgave you, and
I showed you mercy, but you didn't show anybody mercy that owed
you. You owed me more than all them
fellows put together, and I forgave you. And you went out there and
started mistreating them. And that's what he said. You
do that, and oh my, you lay down the law without mercy? And you
require much, God will lay down the law, and there'll be no mercy
shown. And that just absolutely is just
frightening to me. Frightening to me. And then he
goes on to say here, and mercy rejoices against judgment. Those
who are merciful, those who've shown mercy in Christ's name
and for Christ's glory, they aren't afraid of the judgment.
They're not afraid of the judgment. But they rejoice in view of you.
You know why? Because that in Christ there
is no judgment. And I'll tell you something,
it is natural for a believer to be merciful, to be gracious,
to be kind, and be forgiven as it is for him to breathe. And
if somebody finds that hard to do, you know what that is, don't
you? Question mark. I mean, believers have the ability,
by the grace of God, to let something pass like it never even happened
and forget it. They really do. I was up with Scott one time. I was telling him something.
He'd done something for me, and I said, thanks, Scott. He said,
I really appreciate that. He said, ah, thanks for nothing,
Zold. John Wayne says, just thanks
for nothing. You know, he said, don't feel
like you've done nothing. Just thanks for nothing. And
that's what it's the way it is. And when you have forgiven, and
when you have been kind, and when you have been gracious,
and when you have been merciful, what have you done of what God
worked in you? God gave you the grace to do.
God gave you the opportunity to do it. So what have we got
to glory in? And that's why mercy rejoices
against judgment. We know that in Christ we have
mercy, and beloved, it's natural for us to do this, and that's
why we don't fear the judgment. That's why we don't fear the
judgment. And then he goes on to say here
in verse 14, What profit is it? What does it profit, my brethren? Though a man say he hath faith,
and have not works, can faith save him? What is the use? And what he's saying, what is
the use? A man says, I have faith and have not works. Can faith
save him? What's the use for anyone to say that they have
faith in Christ if they have no good works? No labor of love
to show for their faith in Christ. If you have no, you know, look
over here in 1 Thessalonians. And I was looking for it today
and I couldn't find it. I should have looked up before
I come in here, but over in James it says, God is faithful to remember
your works of faith and your labor of love. But 1 Thessalonians
chapter 1, you know, what's the use for anyone to say, I've got
faith in Christ, if they have no good works? No labors of love
to show for their faith. Can this kind of faith save him
if he has no labors of love? Of course not. Look what he says
here, verse 3, 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Remembering without
ceasing your work of faith. Now God did that work of faith
is what God does. And labor of love. Oh my, I remember
your faith and I remember your labor of love. And I remember
your patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ and the sight
of God and our Father. That's why I know you're one
of God's elect. Your work of faith and your labor
of love. And watch what he goes on to
say. And our gospel, it came unto you not in word only. And
that's what it is to a lot of people, just words, just doctrine. and in sayings, but also it come
in power, and it came in the Holy Ghost, and it came with
the assurance that what you was listening to was the gospel.
It came from God, and it had power in it. And you know what
men are, man, we were among you for your sake. And watch this,
and here's how he knows that they have faith. This is how
he knows they have worth. And you became followers of us,
and of the Lord. And you received the Word in
much perfliction. And then watch what he goes on
to say here in verse 7, so that you were examples to all them
that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. You were examples to
them. How were they examples? By their
faith and labor of love. That's how. And following Christ. For from you they even sent out
the gospel, labor to get the gospel out. For from you sounded
out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia,
but also in every place your faith that God were to spread
abroad. We don't have to say anything about you. And ain't
that the way we know about so many people? We hear about them,
we know about them, we give thanks to God for them, their faith,
their labor. Their commitment. We talk about
people that we've known for years and years and how committed they
are on faith. And that's what he said here. We don't have to
say anything about it. Their very lives are witnesses. Their faith and their labor of
love and their following Christ and their sounding out the gospel
is witness enough. For they themselves, verse 9,
show us what manner of entering in we had unto you and how you
turned to God from idols. to serve the living and the true
God. And you're just waiting. You're just waiting now for His
Son from heaven who embraced from the dead even the Lord Jesus
Christ. Oh, everything about their life
gave evidence that they knew Christ. And that's why it goes
back over here in this text. It says in verse 14 of James
2, what does it profit? My brethren. He calls them brethren
again. A man says, I've got faith. And he doesn't have any works.
Can this kind of faith save you if you don't have no labor of
love, didn't turn from idols, don't follow Christ, don't have
any labors of love, don't give evidence of being God's elect,
that Holy Ghost coming in power and assurance, turning from idols? No, of course not, it can't.
True faith that saves is more than historical faith, or faith
that exists only in works. I'll tell you what it is. It's
an operative grace. You know, I read it to you there
in Colossians this morning, that faith is the operation of God. You know where grace is and faith
is. It's alive and it's vital. And
it works by love and kindness to our Lord Jesus and others.
If any man be in Christ, what is he? He's a new creation. And
Paul told the Galatians, says, your faith works by love. And it works. And then he goes
on to say here in verse 15 and 16, And he uses an illustration like
he used the illustration of the poor man and the rich man. The
fellow in bad clothes and the fellow in good clothes. And this
is an illustration here he shows us. He says, If a brother or
sister be naked and destitute of daily food. Now he don't mean
that they're running around absolutely stark naked, but they're in sorry
clothes. Don't have good clothes. And they're destitute of daily
food. And back in those days that happened lots of times.
And there's lots of places in this world where it's still happening.
Still happening. And one of you say unto them,
when he says, Well, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled,
notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful
to the body, what profits to them or to you? And here are
a brother or sister, they don't have any proper clothes, don't
have proper clothes. You say, depart, goodbye. Keep yourself
warm, keep yourself filled. But you don't close them, what
good have you done them? What good have you done them?
What does it profit? Will your words warm them? Will
your words feed them? That's what he's saying. And that's what he goes on to
say, if a man shall have faith and have not works, he's foolish
to believe that words alone can profit a man in a circumstance
like this. A man's a fool who thinks that
his works of religion will take the place of works of faith.
You can use all kinds of words. You can use all kinds of words.
And that's why He says, be careful what you say. Careful what you
lay claim to. I've got faith, but here comes
this person, they don't got what they need. You've got to build
you to do it. Well, you be warmed, you be filled,
you go in peace. Did your words clothe them? Did
your words feed them? So you be careful what you say.
Be careful to lay claim to faith. And that's what he's saying there.
And that's why he says, if a man says that, he thinks his words
have some power to him. Without words, his words just
fall on deaf ears. And then he goes on to say here
in verse 17, Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead.
Oh, what's dead? Lifeless. Lifeless. No vitality to it. Faith without
works is dead. It's useless. It's false. Works without faith, the Scriptures
tell us, are dead works. And Christ saved us from dead
works. He says anything that's not of faith is sin. And I tell you, beloved, good
works are of necessity flowing from a life of faith. Just out
of necessity they do. And those works is clear evidence
that faith is alive and it's active. Now listen to what I'm
going to tell you now. Listen to this. Works are not
infallible proof of genuine faith. Having works is not infallible
proof of genuine faith. There's lots of people doing
lots of works. But the absence of works is certain proof of
the absence of faith. You can have works and not have
faith. But you cannot have faith and
not have works. Now, ain't that right? You can
have lots of works without faith. But you can't have faith and
not have works. You know, over in Ephesians 2.10
it says this, it's God created us, created us in Christ Jesus
unto good works. Now, listen to this, which He
hath ordained that we should walk in them. And that's why
Titus says, be careful to maintain good work which is profitable
also. Boy, who's it profitable to? It's not so much profitable
to us. We know we're saved by grace.
We know that Christ's righteous over righteousness we have. We
know that our works will not earn us one blessing from God,
will not earn us any blessing. But you know who is profitable
for us? It's profitable to everybody around us. It's profitable to those that
are around us. It's profitable for our profession of faith if
people say, well, that fellow, you know, he don't just say,
he actually does. And that's what folks say all
the time. They say, well, he says and does. And that's what our Lord
said too. You say and you do not. And then look what he says
here in verse 18. Yea, a man may say. Here's what
a fellow may pursue. And that's what he says. So speak
yet so do as you should be judged. And he says, yea, a man may say. And what this means is that we
can ask somebody this. A man can say to another man,
you have faith? You say you have faith? You ask
this, they say you've got faith? And I have works? Now watch this. Show me thy faith without thy
works, and I'll show you my faith by my works. You know, a true
believer, a believer in Christ, may justly, justly call upon
a religious professor who has no works of faith, no labor of
love, no life of dedication, no commitment to Christ, no commitment
to the church, no commitment to the gospel. He'll call on
to prove what you possess. You say you profess. You say,
I've got faith. When you say you have faith,
prove it! Prove it! I don't say anything
about having faith, but it's evident to you and everybody
around that I do have faith because I have words. I believe Christ.
I worship Him. I support His gospel. I help
His people. I show mercy to the needy and
support the weak. He says, I'll show you my faith
by my words. And watch what He goes on to
say here. He says, Show me your faith. Prove to me your love
for Christ. Prove to me you believe Him.
Give me some evidence that you're a child of God." Now listen,
it's impossible to show a person your faith. It's an impossibility. Faith is something of the heart.
Faith is an inward principle in a man's soul. But oh my, it's a hidden thing,
and the only way you can see it or know it It's about what
it does. That's why he says, show me by your works of love. Show it to me by your mercy,
by your forgiveness, by your kindness, by your fruit. You know, and that's why he says,
a tree, our Lord Jesus said, neither a tree beareth good fruit
or it beareth bad fruit. No milligram. And you'll know
it's real. How? By its fruit. And I know this much, that the
faith of Christ, which is real, don't need words to confirm it.
Oh, those who have faith in Christ and have the faith of Christ
in their heart, they don't need words to confirm it. Don't have
to tell everybody. It's confirmed and evidenced
by good works. And I'll show you that over here
in Luke 7. You know, I heard an illustration
the other day about Brother Barnard. There's been a meeting and this
woman had renewed, rededicated her life to Jesus. And she said,
Brother Barnard, she said, you reckon I ought to stand up and
tell the church that I've rededicated? He said, I don't believe I'd
do that if I was you. It says, if it's real, you'll
find out soon enough. And that's true. If there's anything
real there, you'll find out soon enough. You'll find out soon
enough. You can't hide it. And look over
here in Luke 7. And you all know the story of
the woman here that came to Christ, stood at His feet in verse 37.
It said, a woman in the city which was a sinner. And she knew
that Jesus sat at the meeting of the Pharisees' house, brought
an alabaster box along, stood weeping at his feet, washed him
with his tears, wiped him with the hairs of her head, kissed
his feet, and owned him. And the Pharisee, which had been
him in verse 39, saw it, spake within himself, This man," now
here he goes, judging scene, without mercy. He's speaking. God's weighing him, like we talked
about. If he were a prophet, he would
have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth
him. For she's a sinner, no mercy, no kindness, no tenderness. And
our Lord said, Simon, I've got something to say unto you. And
he said, Master, go ahead and say on. A certain creditor had
two daughters, one owed five hundred pence, the other fifty.
And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave both.
Tell me therefore which will love him the most. Simon answered
and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. He said
unto him, you rightly judge. And here's what he done. Simon
did not know anything about what was going on in this woman's
heart. And look what our Lord did. And
he turned to the woman and said unto Simon, see this woman here.
He pointed to her. See this woman. I entered into
your house. You didn't give me no water.
for my feet. She washed my feet with her tears
and wiped them with her tears. She showed, our Lord showed Simon
her faith by what she was doing. She had faith, her faith wasn't
she wouldn't have come there. She loved Christ if she wouldn't
have come there. She worshiped Christ if she wouldn't have come
there. And watch this now. And you gave me no kiss, but
this woman since the time I came in has ceased not to kiss my
feet. My head, you didn't anoint with
oil. You didn't give me something for that old dry skin when I
come in out of the sun and the dust and that. You never washed
my face and let me have some oil to put on my face to make
it, that old dry oil. But this woman hath anointed
my feet with oil. Everything, she had all this
faith. She had this faith. She had this love for Christ,
this commitment to Christ. But for the Lord Jesus to let
everybody else know that she had it, He appointed everything
she done. You see the difference? She didn't have to say one word
about, I have faith. She didn't have to say one thing
about, I love Christ. Do you see the difference? Yeah, a man may say, well, show
it to me. Show me your faith. Our Lord
showed Simon this woman's faith right here. Huh? Showed Simon
his faith. Oh, our blessed, blessed, blessed,
glorious Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, how we come to bless
you, to praise you, to magnify your wondrous name. How kind
and gracious, forgiving, and strengthening you are. Oh, Lord
Jesus, thank you for preserving us, for keeping us, strengthening
us, giving us words to say. I pray we honored you tonight,
magnified your grace, your power, showed us all our desperate need
of You again, how we need You. Not only do we need You, but
Lord Jesus, we want You. And Lord, we don't do what we
do, if we do anything, to be seen of men, to be bragged on. Oh God, if we ever do that, please
show it to us, reveal it to us, and keep us from that. God, please
help us to bring glory and honor to Your name. way that's true
to you, true to your Word, true to the Spirit of Christ, true
to the faith that you've given us. God bless these dear saints
when they go to their jobs or homes, their needs. Please, again, we ask you to
be merciful to our children and our grandchildren, those that
we love. We ask you in Christ's name.
Amen. Amen. Yeah.