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 with
you today, turn with me to Romans chapter 5. Romans chapter 5. I'm going to start with one verse. Verse 20. Romans chapter 5 and
verse 20. Moreover, the law entered that
the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound. I think most who hear this message
will be well acquainted with the hymn, Amazing Grace, written
by John New. I want to go through the words
of this hymn today as it relates to our text in the Word of God. This is a hymn that most of the
world sings. But this is one hymn that most
of this world does not understand what they are singing, nor do
they really believe what they are singing. Not only do they
not know the God of amazing grace that is being spoken of, they
also do not understand the one whom God enabled to write this
hymn and what this hymn meant to him. So just what is amazing
grace? That is, from the word of God. And also, what did it mean to
John Newton? At least as far as what can be
gathered from his writings. First we have in this hymn, amazing
grace, how sweet the sound. Our text immediately comes to
light when I see these words. But let's put our text a little
more in context. Let's read the verse right before
it along with our text verse. So in verse 19, it says, for
as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by
the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover,
the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded,
grace did much more abound. In verse 19, this one man being
Adam, and it's clear from this chapter, for as by one man's
disobedience, many were made sinners. So by the obedience
of one, and this is Jesus Christ, it is evident from this chapter,
shall many be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered that
the offense might abound. What offense? The offense of
being made a sinner. The offense of having committed
sin against God. The law entered and condemns
me to death because I am unable to do it because of what I am
and what I do. It says here that there are many
who will see they cannot keep this law. Many were made sinners,
it says. Are you a sinner? If you are
a sinner, then read this next part of the verse. but where
sin abounded. And we can see that it does for
many, not all, but many, according to this verse. What does it say
next? Grace did much more abound. For many, not all according to
this verse, but for many, grace has abounded to righteousness.
And that is righteousness in Christ Jesus. That is amazing
grace. To see those for whom were made
a sinner and then also the law coming and causing that offense
of sin against God to abound in them because of what they
are and what they have done. That is a sinner who has sinned
against God. That grace abounding much more
than the offense has abounded, and that all because of Jesus
Christ himself, and nothing of me. That is a sweet sound. But even John Newton goes on
to say in his hymn, that saved a wretch like me. Most people
do not understand or know what a wretch really is, let alone
really feel themselves to be one. Paul the Apostle explains
to us what a wretch is in Romans 7 in verse 23 and 24. But I see
another law of my members warring against the law of my mind and
bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my
members. O wretched man that I am, who
shall deliver me from the body of this death? A wretch is one
who has been brought into captivity to the law of God. That law for
which they cannot get away from in and of themselves. They are
captive to it. They have no ability of themselves
to become freed of that law, knowing they cannot keep it.
This is what makes them a wretch. They cannot do what God commands. What else does Paul say in Romans
7? Let's turn to Romans 7. Romans 7 and verses 7 through
14. What shall we say then? Is the
law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known
sin, but by the law. For I had not known lust, except
the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion
by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law, sin was
dead. For I was alive without the law
once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment which was
ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin taking
occasion by the commandment deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and
the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which
is good made deaf 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 sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual,
but I am carnal, sold under sin. The natural man, or that is the
carnal man, that which is born of the flesh, that which has
its seed in Adam, is totally opposed to the law of God, which
is holy, just, and good. Man as he is born in Adam cannot
and will not obey God's law. Paul from this says, O wretched
man that I am, The one who wrote this hymn believed God's word
concerning who man is and who God is. Hear his words from his
sermon on January 1773 on Amazing Grace. John Newton had a heading
in his sermon that says, who am I? Under this he had three
points that he mentioned in part of his sermon. And this is only
under these points that he had that I'm gonna speak on from
his message. The first one he has is listed as miserable. The
second one, rebellious. And the third one, undeserving.
So first, miserable. He says, shut up under the law
and unbelief. What must have been the event
had the Lord left us there? After a few years spent in vanity,
we must have sunk to rise no more. Rebellious. Blinded by the God of this world,
we had not so much a desire of deliverance, instead of desiring
the Lord's help, we breathed a spirit of defiance against
Him. His mercy came to us not only
undeserved, but undesired. Yea, a few of us, but resisted
his call. And when he knocked at the door,
our hearts endeavored to shut him out till he overcame us by
the power of his grace. Undeserving. It was the Lord
against whom we sinned and who showed us mercy. He needed not
What just cause of admiration that he should appoint such salvation
in such a way in favor of such helpless worthless creatures? Those were John Newton's words.
He knew something of what he was and who God was. being captive to the law, blinded
by the God of this world, and that is Satan, and sinning against
the Lord, we are totally lost, not able to seek that which is
needed for our salvation, that is God himself. But yet we are
found, found by him whom we have offended, that one who in grace
sent his son to reconcile us to himself by himself. Romans
10.20 says, but Isaiah is very bold and saith, I was found of
them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them
that asked not after me. This is the New Testament referencing
the Old Testament saying that God was found of them that sought
him not. Those who found God were not
seeking God. So how were they found? God found
them. It also says that it is God that,
it also says he that is God was made manifest to them that asked
not after him. They were not even inquiring
about God. It says they asked not after
me. It is confirmed in Romans 3.
Romans 3 11 says, there is none that understandeth. There is
none that seeketh after God. Just as the blind man who was
born blind in John 9, that is, he was born this way, just like
you and I are spiritually. We are all born blind. But just
as he said, that is, this blind man, I now say, as one who could
not see. John Newton also said, as one
who could not see. The blind man says in John 9,
25, he says, one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now
I see. So we have these words from John
Newton in his hymn. I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind, but now I see. It is this holy just God who
sends down his grace to us in his power and strength. No man
has any strength in himself. But God sending his spirit down
to us, giving us life, our eyes then being opened, he sends us
his gospel wherein we can now see. We can now understand what
he tells us in his word. When we first do, we are enabled
to fear by his grace. This grace shed on us when we
were not looking for it. It is what causes us to then
fear God. Fearing God is the beginning
of wisdom, the scripture says in Proverbs 9, 10. The fear of
the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of
the holy is understanding. Fearing the one that can destroy
both body and soul in hell is the one that we need to fear.
We need not fear men who can destroy this body. Most of us
do not even fear because they will destroy this body. We fear men because they might
think we are strange or that we are over the top. We might
fear men because we will no longer be able to do those things we
like to do. We may fear men because we will not get from them like
we're getting now. The fear that God Almighty brings
by His power is a fear of Him. The one given this gift, knowing
that this self-existent one can destroy both my body and soul
in hell forever. It is by God's almighty strength
that has saved a wretch like me. I have no strength, but he
has. Romans five and verse six reads
this way. For when we were yet without
strength, In due time, Christ died for the ungodly. What does he say next in his
end? Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears
relieved. This same grace given by God
himself that causes us to fear him is also that same grace in
seeing Jesus Christ and what he has done now relieves those
fears into hope. Christ being my hope of eternal
salvation of my soul for the reconciliation he has done, bringing
sinful men back together with a thrice holy God in communion
with him. Christ who is able to touch man
and not be defiled, yet touch God and not be consumed, bringing
them both together in Himself in communion of life. Man's only
hope for communion with God is that if Jesus Christ died for
you, reconciling you to God by His death and resurrection. Romans
5.10 reads, When we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God by the death of His Son. Much more being reconciled,
we shall be saved by His life. The next words from the hymn.
How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed. To the believer, when God first
does his work on an individual, forcing them to submit to his
son in love, but to the believer, this grace first appearing to
us when we thought all hope was lost. He first puts his people
in a situation where we just know God is going to destroy
us for who we are and what we have done. Bearing this awful
weight of sin, But by the gospel and the power of his spirit,
we then have the weight of judgment lifted from our shoulders, the
guilt of sin from our shoulders. Know this, that Christ bore our
sins in his own body on the tree, taking them as far as the east
is from the west, never to be seen again. Oh, how precious
that is. But the believer never loses
this. This grace continues to appear to the believer time and
time again in the gospel. Every time we hear of the gospel
of Jesus Christ and him crucified, it renews that hope that was
first given to us by his amazing grace, and we are refreshed anew. We next have in the hymn, through
many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. Tis grace
has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
For the believer, God and His purpose and providence protects
those that are His, bringing them through many things through
this life. To those for whom were chosen
of God in Christ from before the foundation of the world,
He, that is God, keeps them safe by His power and providence.
If you have been told that election is not in the scripture, then
you have been told a lie. It might behoove you to listen
to someone who desires to speak the truth to you. The truth is,
if God did not choose us in Jesus Christ from before the foundation
of the world, then none would be saved. Those for whom God chose in Christ,
God sent his son down to this earth to die for them. Having
been made what they are by nature, and that is sin, taking away
that for which condemns them before God, never to be seen
again. then in time he has been pleased
to send forth his gospel to let those know for whom he did this
that they are saved. Listen, no one gets saved. You have to be saved by God or
you will never know salvation by God. What did the Philippian
jailer ask? What must I do to be saved? Acts 16 verses 30 and 31 reads
this. And brought them out and said,
sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved in thy house. They did
not say, in order to get saved, you must believe. They said,
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. What you must do is believe that
Jesus Christ the Lord did the saving on that tree. He suffered
being forsaken of the Father. He cried, my God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me? When he had accomplished that
for which it was required for salvation of men's souls, he
also cried, it is finished. This is grace to the believer.
God does not shed his grace on anyone that is not his. Grace
is particular. It is grace that will keep you
until the end. John Newton goes on to say in
his hymn, the Lord has promised good to me. His word my hope
secures. He will my shield and portion
be as long as life endures. God in his word, that is his
gospel, and even more specific, the gospel of Jesus Christ and
him crucified, is what secures and assures me of eternal life
in him. It is Jesus Christ who is all
for me, that is my protector, my life. But God does this for
all his people. Turn with me to Romans 8, Romans
8. verses 28 and 29. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are recalled
according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brethren. All things are
worked out by God for the good of his people. Those are the
people who love God. Those being the ones he called
and that according to his purpose. He predestinated those for whom
he foreknew. Meaning he knew them in love,
that is intimately. Those ones he loved in Christ,
those are the ones he predestinated to be conformed to the image
of his son. Next we have in the hymn, yes,
when this flesh and heart shall fail and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil a life of joy and peace. Although we will lay this body
down should Christ not return first, the hope we have in Christ
Jesus is that life and peace shall continue and forevermore.
Because in Christ we live and move and have our being and that
will never change because he has given unto us eternal life. That is, if you love Christ,
That is, if you believe Christ. If you do not know him, and I
mean him, the very one I am speaking about to you right now, you do
not know him, you will never see life. I cannot give you joy
and peace. Only Jesus Christ can do this. He did this in love, choosing
you from before the foundation of the world in himself, and
coming down in love, dying on that cross for your sins. raising
again, being seated on the Father's right hand on high, seating you
with himself, sending us his gospel to let us know about that
salvation in time, to the saving of our souls, wherein we have
peace with God. It is he that does this. He did
bring these things to pass, and he must bring these things to
pass if you are ever to know him. What do we have next in
this hymn? The earth shall soon dissolve
like snow, the sun forbear to shine. But God, who called me
here below, will be forever mine. The believer, those chosen in
Christ, those for whom Christ died to secure their salvation,
those for whom God's spirit gives life, bringing them the gospel. those for whom by His power are
kept unto the end, those for whom will be raised in incorruption
and glorify. Those are the ones when this
earth passes away with fervent heat, and Christ is the only
light there. They will forever be with Him,
forever to be able to commune with God in His Son, Jesus Christ,
the Lord. Whatever heaven is, it will be
Jesus Christ, the Lord, that makes it so. For any place without
him does not have life or light, because he is the light and the
life. Let's go back to our text for
just a moment. Romans 5 verse 20. the law entered that the offense
might abound. But where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound. If sin does not abound in you,
then grace will not much more abound. If you feel you can choose
God, that you have the power and the will to choose God, you
have no sin abounding in you. If you feel you can keep God's
law in any way to gain favor before God, then sin is not abounding
in you. Sin abounding causes you just
as the publican did. He was not able to even lift
up his eyes to heaven. Beating on his breast, he says,
God propitiate me. Take my place, O God. I cannot
do it. If you do not do it, then I will
forever perish in sin and unbelief. But those for whom God has chosen,
even when they, for those whom God has chosen, even when they
believe, must confess to God Almighty, Lord, I believe. Help
thou mine unbelief. Do you believe in the God of
grace, the one that has purposed salvation, carried out salvation,
and informed his people of that salvation, and will ultimately
glorify them in salvation? Do you believe yourself to be
a wretch without hope within? Can you see the grace that brought
salvation down to men? Jesus Christ the Lord being all
in all. I pray this is so. If so, then
maybe you can finally sing with praises to him. Amazing grace,
how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was
lost, but now am found. Was blind, but now I see. Amazing grace. Remember, we have
a 12 noon broadcast on WVACW. Please tune in if you can. Or
if you can, come join us at Sovereign Grace Chapel starting at 10.30
on Sundays to hear the God of amazing grace. That is Jesus
Christ, the Lord.