Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. If you have your Bibles today,
please turn with me to Matthew chapter 8. Matthew chapter 8. I want to read the first two
verses. Matthew 8 verse 1. When he was
come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
And behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord,
if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. We read here of a leper. A leper is one who has a disease
which is pervasive. It will affect the whole body.
It affects the inside as well as the outside. This defilement
is such that it will defile anything that it comes into contact with.
This is physically what leprosy does. What does the scripture
tell us leprosy is as it concerns God? Leviticus 13.3 says, And
the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh,
and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague
in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague
of leprosy. And the priest shall look on
him and pronounce him unclean. Leprosy is uncleanness before
God. Anything that a leper touches
will be unclean. What were those who had the plague
of leprosy to do? It says in Leviticus 13, 45 and
46, it says, and the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes
shall be rent and his head bare and he shall put a covering upon
his upper lip and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. All the days
wherein the plague shall be in him, he shall be defiled. He
is unclean. He shall dwell alone without
the camp shall be his habitation be. God commands us to put a
difference between unclean and clean. Leviticus 10.10 says,
and that ye may put difference between holy and unholy and between
unclean and clean. Yet thousands today do not put
a difference between clean and unclean. We by nature do not
do this. We are all unclean. What does
the prophet tell us in Isaiah 6-5? Then said I, woe is me,
for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I
dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For mine eyes
have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Compared to the thrice
holy God, all we are is unclean. Isaiah 1, 5, and 6 says, why
should ye be stricken anymore? Ye will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick and the
whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even
unto the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises
and putrefying sores. They have not been closed, neither
bound up, neither mollified with ointment. There is no doubt that
man as he is born is unclean before God in our flesh. We cannot and will not see the
difference between our uncleanness and God's utter cleanness. Now we hear of an unclean man
coming to the Lord of glory. Two things I want to point out.
Why would such a one come around anyone? What would be the response
of this one he came to? So why would such a one come
around anyone, let alone Christ? First of all, according to law,
this man should be out by himself somewhere. This man was not supposed
to be around anyone. And if he was around anyone,
he was to shout, unclean, unclean, Leviticus 13.45. He was to let
everyone around him know he was unclean and unfit to be around
anyone. This is not what we see in this
world. This man is an example of all
those who come to Christ. All those who come to Christ
do so because they know they are unclean and know they will
defile everything they touch. If you do not see yourself this
way, then you have not come to Christ. Scripture tells us that
they that are whole need not a physician in Matthew 9-12. What does it say when he comes?
It says he worshipped him. But that is not all it says.
It says he worshipped him saying. This world tells us that we should
feel good about ourselves. It tells us we need to make sure
we have a good self-esteem, pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps,
heal yourself. But here's what those who truly
worship Christ say in worshiping Christ. They first say, Lord,
that is master, that one which owns me. What else does this
man say? Lord, I've made my decision for
you. I've cleaned myself up and I
present you myself before you clean. I've done all this of
my own free will because I wanted to be clean before you. Many
of this world do say those things or think those things. But when
scripture speaks of someone coming to Christ, we never read of such
things being said of those seeking salvation. Here is true worship
of the Lord of glory. He says first, if thou wilt. He is bowing himself before that
one whom he knows owns him and confesses before him that his
salvation is all up to the Lord's will. That is God's choice and
not his. There is no boasting of what
he does or has done or will do. He knows he is unclean. He knows
that he defiles everything he touches. He goes on to say, thou,
that is Christ, can make him clean. This unclean sinner knows
that this one, that is Jesus Christ, is the only one who can
do this. He is the only one who can make
him clean, make me clean, and make you clean. He has the power
to do all these things. The question is, is He willing? Not everyone knows they are unclean. There are those who think their
righteousnesses, that is those things which they have done with
their own hands, make them clean before an absolute righteous,
holy, and just God. Scripture speaks of those who
will profess their wonderful works before Jesus Christ in
Matthew 7, 22. They say, have we not prophesied
in thy name, and in thy name cast out devils, and in thy name
done many wonderful works? If this is what you say to God,
then you are saying you work iniquity. Scripture tells us
even our righteousness says are as filthy rags in God's sight.
This is also confirmed in the next verse of Matthew 7. It says,
then will I, and the English word here is profess. The word
means to consent. That is, if you say this to God,
Christ will be in agreement with you that you work iniquity. When
you talk about what you have done by the work of your own
hands, you are confirming to Christ that you work iniquity,
and he agrees with you. You do this because he never
knew you. You can know all about God, but
if he does not know you, then you are only left with your works,
and they will condemn you before God because they are filthy rags
in his sight. No matter what kind of work it
is, it can be what I am doing right now. If you think what
you are doing gains you favor in God's sight, If this is so,
mark it down. It is filthy rags in his sight. We need someone who can make
us clean. He is the only one who can do
that, but only if he is willing. The one thing God gives to us
that shows how unclean we are is his law. The law does not
make us unclean. We are born this way before God.
God's law is like an x-ray. It does not either cause you
to be unclean and it cannot fix your uncleanness. It just reveals
that there is uncleanness there. You being dead in trespasses
and in sin cannot even see what the law says. God must give you
life before you can know that you are dead in your flesh. There
is only one that can create life and that is God. Ezekiel 16 says,
and when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own
blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, live. Yea, I said unto thee when thou
wast in thy blood, live. So it is God who gives life to
those he is pleased to give life. When he does this, he will also
use his law as that person's schoolmaster. Galatians 3, 22
through 24 says, but the scripture hath concluded all under sin,
that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to
them that believe. But before faith came, we were
kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards
be revealed. Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster
unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Those for whom God loves will
be brought to a place where his law comes up before them and
it will condemn them before God. Them knowing they are already
unclean and cannot fulfill his law. They need someone that can
heal them of their uncleanness. Those who look to work with their
own hands and that includes making a decision for Jesus. But those
who look to obeying the law of commandments for righteousness
before God will never find the righteousness of God. Scripture
says in Romans 3 in verse 20, therefore by the deeds of the
law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by the law
is the knowledge of sin. The law was only given for one
reason, that is to expose sin. Galatians 3.21 says, is the law
then against the promises of God? God forbid, for if there
had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness
should have been by the law. Life, that is righteousness before
God, will not be known by the works of the law. You will only
find that if Christ reveals himself to you, causing you to run to
him for cleansing. The problem we have is uncleanness
before God, being born that way before him. There is not a problem
with God's law. The problem is with man, being
dead before God and polluted in your own blood. But no one
will see this unless God has done something for them and God
does something to them. Jesus Christ came to save sinners
and he did this by his death on that tree, taking my place. My substitute taking the wrath
of God in my place and thereby cleansing me judicially in the
sight of God. Then in time, giving me life
so that I might then be able to see how dead my flesh is. by using his schoolmaster until
that time in which he sends me the gospel, saving my soul and
cleansing me in time so that I can then bow down to him in
worship and praise. Romans 7.13 says, was then that
which is good made death unto me, God forbid, but sin, that
it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is
good, that sin by the commandment might become exceeding simple. God will bring you to that place
that you have no other way to turn. No one else can help you
but him. This is that time when God gives
those of his the spirit of bondage to fear. Romans 8.15 says, For
ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but
ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,
Father. God, by his law, calls us to
fear, destruction and damnation from him. There will be no place
to turn for help, because you will find yourself guilty and
totally unclean before him. Those for whom God does not do
this will continue to do as those Paul spoke about in Romans. In
Romans 10 verses three, we read, for they being ignorant of God's
righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believeth. This is not so with those whom
he has loved with an everlasting love. He will in time woo them
unto himself. This he does by bringing them
down to nothing, having nowhere to turn by his law, no place
of help but him. He will then send them his gospel
and when they hear of him, they will come to him worshiping and
saying, Lord, if thou wilt, it is all up to you to show me mercy. Thou canst make me clean. So
what is the response to such a one as this man who came to
Christ? This man came to Christ and he
was a leper. He was because it says he was
a leper. Instead of crying out, unclean,
unclean, the man asked Jesus Christ to come unto him. He kneeled
down to him, that is the leper, bowed down to Jesus Christ. He
does not demand of Jesus Christ anything. Those who know themselves
to be unclean do not come to Christ demanding anything. They
acknowledge, just as this leper did, that the power is all with
him. That is, Jesus Christ has all
the power to do what he is asking him to do. He knows Jesus Christ
has the power to do anything he wants to do. He specifically
tells Christ. He knows that he could heal him.
He has no doubt of his power to do this. The only question
is, Does He will to do so? Scripture tells us who God saves.
Psalms 34, 18 says, the Lord is nigh unto them that are of
a broken heart, and save us such as be of a contrite spirit. This
God gives to those who are His when He is pleased to reveal
His Son in them. They will run to Jesus Christ. But this great merciful God will
save all those who be of a contrite spirit. Contrite in scripture
means to be crushed or destroyed. If you have your own righteousness,
then God is not near you and is not saving such as you are.
He came to save sinners. This man knowing this came to
Jesus Christ. knowing Christ had the power
to do so, but also knowing it was up to God's will to do so. All he could do now is wait on
God. Will he reach out to me? It says
here in verse three, he put forth. When Jesus Christ hears one of
his cry out to him, he will reach out to them, because it is he
that calls them to cry out for him. He knew this leper would
come to him. Jeremiah 31, 18 reads, I have
surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus. Thou hast chastised
me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke. Turn
thou me, and I shall be turned, for thou art the Lord my God. It says he put forth his hand. First of all, let's make a note.
The word will tell you that God has no hands but your hands,
and God has no feet but your feet. But this man, our Lord,
that is God himself, first of all in the passage, we see that
he walked down off of the mountain with his own feet. So there is
one lie by men manifested to be a lie by scripture. Then we
read here, he stretched forth his hand. So there you have a
second lie by men manifested by scripture. God has his own
hands and feet, and we can see here he extends or stretches
forth his hand, and it is in the sense of having power. What
does he do? He touches a defiled man, a leper. Then he tells us why he touches
this leper. He says, I will. It is the will of God to do what
he is about to tell this man, just by stretching forth his
hand and speaking. This is said in the positive.
I will to do that for which you need done. He was not willing
for everyone else that was around to be cleansed. There were no
others at this time coming to him in such a way. No one else
was sick. They had no need of the great
physician. Only this one man who asked of
him and bowed down to worship him. No one else knew they had
any need of being healed. In this account we are reading
here, it was only this man that we read about that knew he was
unclean. He came to the one who he knew
had the power to do it. He just did not know if he was
willing to do it. But then he hears Christ say,
I will, be thou clean. When God says something, it is
so. Immediately his leprosy was cleansed,
it says. Christ touches man, a defiled
man, and yet he himself is not defiled, and touches God and
is not consumed. Your hands and your feet cannot
do this. For those who are such as this
man, Jesus Christ will reach out to them, touching them by
his spirit and speaking to them by his gospel. They will hear
these words, which will joy the soul and turn fear to love. Love for him and love for his
people. They will hear. I will. Be thou
clean. Oh, the weight that is lifted
from the shoulders. having the light burden of His
yoke placed upon them so that they might serve Him who is their
God, their Lord, their Master, their Friend, their Savior. To be cleansed by our Lord, that
Lord who is our peace. In Him, God is at peace with
us. Him dying the sinner's death
on that tree. He is our peace, having made
peace with the almighty consuming fire, which is God. In time,
Him coming and cleansing the unclean, causing them to have
peace with God. They lay down their arms against
Him, no longer having the wrath, that hatred toward Him. But they have peace with God
through their Savior, Jesus Christ. Oh, what a place to rest in. Let it not be that this great
God allows me to say I will do something, but may it be that
he causes me to come to him and say, Lord, if thou wilt, thou
canst make me clean. This mighty God who purposed
to save sinners causes those of his to become poor, to become
worthless, to become unclean before him, forcing them to him
for everything. showing them this just but merciful
Savior, one who has all power that he can just touch me and
say, be thou clean. This Savior who purposed to do
this for those who are his, coming down, condescending to be made
flesh. We are talking about an infinitely
holy God, perfect in every way, who is light and life. This one
was made flesh. He knows what it is like to be
flesh just like you and I are. But he was not weak in the flesh
as we are because he is also God at the same time. Not two
different natures, he is God manifest in the flesh. He who
was touched by the filling of our infirmities. He knows what
you go through because he has been there. But thank God we
do not know what he has went through being made a curse and
sin for us, being forsaken of God. What does scripture tell
us of what Christ did? Hebrews 9, 12 says, neither by
the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered
into once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
for us. But through this, that is the
sacrifice of himself, He has obtained, the word obtained there
in Hebrews 9.12 means to find, or that is to see. Jesus Christ
being God sees eternally. It says what he found was redemption,
or that is salvation, but it also adds eternal, and the word
there means perpetual. That is it, it never stops. He
has found, he has obtained perpetual salvation for us by what he did. Perpetual salvation by our Lord
Jesus Christ. God sees us redeemed or that
is bought and brought back to himself. How clean do you think
we are then? As clean as God is in Christ
because of what he has done. My hope is that there are some
who are hearing my voice. That God in his mercy has brought
to that place of letting them know they are unclean. Undone
before this thrice holy just God. I pray he opens your understanding
so that you might see the Christ who can make you clean. Are you
unclean? There is but one man that can
cleanse you. That man is Jesus Christ the
Lord. If he wills to do so, he can
make you clean. Now just a reminder, at 12 noon,
you can tune in to WVVACW and see a portion of one of our Sunday
morning messages. Or come be with us at 135 Annabel
Lane here in Beaver, West Virginia, just a little bit past Little
Beaver State Park. Our services begin at 10.30 a.m. on Sunday. Come hear Jesus Christ
and Him crucified proclaimed.