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 would, please be turning
with me today to 1 Timothy 1 and verse 15. 1 Timothy 1 and verse
15. I, like the Apostle Paul, must
proclaim what Paul says here in this passage, 1 Timothy 1.15. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners, of whom I am chief. When speaking to you,
when going about my daily life and interacting with people,
there are only a few things that I can exclaim with any confidence
or any truthfulness. One of those is this, I am a
sinner. But not only that, I am the chief
of sinners. This word chief means best. So if you want to know what I
am best at, I'm best at being a sinner. You want to know what
a sinner is or what a sinner looks like? Then look at me.
This is what Paul the Apostle says and what this Paul is saying
to you now. Even standing here as a preacher
of God's salvation as it is in the face of Jesus Christ, I can
proclaim that I am a prototype of what a sinner is. I'm afraid
that too many people want to be like other fallen sinners
of whom they are associated with. I cannot say that I am totally
separate from having this fault, but I can tell you that if you
are looking at any other fallen sinner as being your rock, your
example, your model of how to please God, you are looking in
the wrong place. You are not building on the rock.
Just as I am guilty of doing, any fallen sinner that you look
at as to how you should believe or think or walk, you're looking
and counting on a broken stick, a fallen sinner. Even if that
someone is yourself. Maybe you feel you have to think
better of yourself. Maybe you think you need to love
yourself more. Maybe you think you need to think more positive
about yourself. You are, I am, a broken stick. a wretched fallen sinner. I'm here to tell you not that
you should stop doing these things, but instead I would like to direct
you to look at the one that came into the world to save sinners. In doing this, if by His grace
you are enabled to do so, you will be so consumed with seeing
Him that you will forget about yourself and others, and His
glory will be a consuming glorious thought So we have here in this
passage two men being spoken of. One, a sinner, yea, the chief
of sinners, and one who has his work and affections set towards
sinners. I want to talk about those two
things today, sinners and a savior of sinners. First, sinners. Here specifically in this passage,
the sinner we read about was one that was going about either
putting to death or putting in prison those who named the name
of Jesus Christ. He was not a nice man and actually
God's people, they tried to stay away from him. They didn't want
to be around him. He was the one when Stephen was stoned to
death after preaching the gospel of Christ that those who were
throwing stones, they threw their coats down at his feet. This
was Paul then called Saul of Tarsus. This signifying that
he was giving his approval for them to do this. We don't know
physically too much of that kind of thing anymore. I mean where
someone is physically put to death because they hold to the
name of Jesus Christ the Lord. It may happen in some places,
but it's not something that we see or experience much anymore,
at least here. We may experience this in our
mind, and I'm not belittling that, but in our mind and verbally,
God's people may be persecuted and slain in that way. However,
we do still experience this hatred in our hearts and minds as we
are born in this world, just as these did and Paul or Saul
did, stoning Stephen to death. Now I'm going to speak of Paul,
not the one in this passage, but the one speaking to you right
now. There was a time when my rebellious heart was in the forefront.
I despised anyone to tell me what I could or I could not do.
Unfortunately, there were some who were on the wrong end of
that rebellion against God. This rebellion came to a peak
one day. When after reading Romans chapter nine, I said to myself,
walking up a country road in anger, if that is who God is,
I don't want a God like that. What I had read that day, I want
to read and go through with you today. In Romans nine, if you
can turn with me there and follow along beginning in verse six,
it says this, Romans nine and verse six. Not as though the word of God
hath taken none effect, for they are not all Israel, which are
of Israel. This is saying, even though someone
may be an Israelite by blood, it does not make them a true
Israelite or a child of God. Verse seven. Neither because
they are the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in
Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children
of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children
of promise are counted for the seed. This is saying that those
God promised to the Son are true Israelites. This includes some
Gentiles as well. Now Paul is going to give us
an example of what he's talking about. So let's read on. Romans
9 and verse 9. For this is the word of promise. At this time will I come, and
Sarah shall have a son. And not only this, but when Rebecca
also had conceived by one, even by her father Isaac, for the
children being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might
stand not of works, but of him that calleth. This is saying
that they had not done any kind of work. They did not do any
evil work. They did not do any good work.
None at all. They were not even born yet.
This is quite clear what God is telling us here in this passage.
Why was it done like this? What reason does God give us
here? It is said that it was done this
way, that the purpose of God, according to election, whose
election? God's election. That it might
stand. So it says, it is because of
God's purpose in election, it is not of anyone's works, good
or evil. It is not up to you to work for
your salvation. None, because God's Word says
it is of him that calleth. How does he go on to show this
and make it clear? Let's continue on and read. Romans
9 and verse 12. It was said unto her, The elder
shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved, But Esau have I hated. God hated Esau before he was
even born and had done any good or evil. God loved Jacob even
before he was born and had done any good or evil. So what made Jacob better than
Esau? Nothing. In fact, when you look
at scripture, you will find out that Jacob was not such a nice
guy either. If I were to tell you out there
that I hate you or someone you know, you would know exactly
what I'm talking about, wouldn't you? You would probably have
a few choice words for me or maybe even some other activity
if I come up to you and said, I hate you. You would know exactly
what that means. We know what is being said here.
What is being said here is exactly what is written. It was written
in the Old Testament and here in the New Testament. God does
not lie. God does not change. And he does
not exaggerate. God, you know, he is sovereign
and he does this. He does not exaggerate. Does
this offend you? Does this make you mad? Or are you indifferent to this?
It made me mad. But God knows this, how natural
man will react to hearing this. Paul wrote it down, so let's
read on. Romans 9 and verse 14. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? So here Paul knows what the natural
man thinks of this as he probably thought it himself when he had
started to be shown what God's word was really saying. Maybe
when Stephen was preaching, he heard what Stephen had said.
I don't know. But what is Paul's answer to
this question about unrighteousness with God? What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with
God because of what's been previously said? Jacob have I loved, Esau
have I hated. Paul's answer in scripture to
us, which is God breathed, this is God's word, it says, God forbid. But we are not finished, let's
read on. Romans 9 and verse 15. For he saith to Moses, I will
have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So God's word tells us specifically
that God shows mercy to whom he will. So don't think you will
demand mercy from God. He will only give mercy to whom
he has chosen to give mercy. But let's read on. Romans 9 and
verse 16. So then, it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. You think you're going to will
to have mercy? This says is not of him that
willeth. So even if you do will it, it
is not up to you. Do you understand what God is
telling us, sinners? Not only that, it is not of him
that runneth. So you will not have mercy by
working or spending energy to get to God, running after it. It's not up to you, sinners.
It is of God that showeth mercy. Paul is going to give us another
example, so let's read on. Romans 9 verse 17. For the scripture
saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised
thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name
might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath
he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth."
So we read here that he has mercy on some, and some he hardens. God says this in the Old Testament,
and he says this in the New Testament right here in this passage. So
you look back at the account of Pharaoh. Pharaoh was said
to harden his heart. You read it several times. We
all by nature will do this. This is what I was doing when
I said, I don't want a God like that. But continue to harden
your heart, sinner, against the God of this Bible, the one true
God, and he may just harden your heart for good. If you question
this, let's read on because Paul expects natural sinful man to
react this way. In Romans 9 and verse 19, continue
on. Thou wilt say then unto me, why
doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? So you might say, if I cannot
do anything to change God's mind because he already hasn't made
up, how can he find fault with me? What's Paul's answer here
in Romans 9 and verse 20? Nay, but O man, who art thou
that replies against God? Shall the thing formed say to
him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? God Almighty
is creator of all things. He made us and He had the right
as to how He made us. But let's keep going and see
what God has to say about the rest of the matter. Romans 9
and verse 21. Hath not the potter power over
the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and
another unto dishonor? What if God, willing to show
His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering
the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, and that He might
make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy
which He had aforeprepared unto glory? We were all of the same
lump. fallen, sinful, rebellious mankind
against God, hating God and not wanting Him to reign over us.
That is the lump we all come from. There are some, because
of what the lump is already, who are fitted to destruction
because they hate God already. Dead in trespasses and in sin,
hating God and hating one another, fitted to destruction. Then there
are those whom He loved from before the foundation of the
world, those whom He chose, whom He prepared unto glory by the
work of His Son, Jesus Christ, who is God Almighty come in the
flesh. Does this make you mad? If it
does, I pray God, just maybe He will give you life. that life
that He has prepared for those vessels of mercy so that you
come to love this very God in this passage, knowing this, that
had He not done so, you are fit for destruction. You might think
that you are indifferent to this and it neither makes you mad
nor do you love it. Christ said this, you are either
for me or against me. There is no middle ground. If
you do not love God who came down in the likeness of sinful
flesh, who came down for those vessels of mercy to prepare them,
then you hate God. This is true whether you realize
it or not, whether you think so or not. It does not matter
whether you care or not. The reactions of sinful human
beings will be as the above passage has given us. Just as it was
with me, it will be so with you, unless God Almighty changes your
mind like He did mine. My hope is that He causes you
to love Him. So this is who God is, the one
true God. He has revealed Himself in His
Word, the Word that is God-breathed. This same Paul who wrote this
says he was the chief of sinners, the prototype of a sinner. He
says, and it is recorded so in scripture, that he hated God
and his church, and he persecuted it and wasted it. But then God
did something. That something is what I want
to talk to you about next. The other man in our passage
that we started with, our text, the savior to sinners. Jesus
Christ. Jesus Christ was the one walking
in the cool of the day in the garden. The voice of God. The word of God. This one who
is as holy and righteous as God because He is God. This one came
down to save sinners. Sinners like Paul the apostle
of scripture and like the Paul speaking to you right now. From
the beginning, God had purposed to do all things. He is sovereign
and He controls all things, and He will see to it that His purpose
is done. No matter what it is, if it happens,
then God purposed it. God purposed that He would come
down as a man on this earth, specifically so that salvation
could be shown to man. It was not an afterthought after
Adam failed. It was not a reaction from God
to Adam's fault. He purposed from before the world
to descend down to this earth to be born of a virgin in the
likeness of sinful flesh. In the likeness, not as sinful
flesh, but in the likeness of sinful flesh. This one who is
just. God is a just God and that is
Jesus Christ. He does not overlook sin or sweep
it under the rug. In Deuteronomy 32, 4 we read
this. He is the rock, speaking of God here. His work is perfect,
for all His ways are judgment. A God of truth and without iniquity. Just and right is He. We are iniquity in God's eyes
as we are born in Adam. He, God Almighty, is without
iniquity. Proverbs 16.11 says this. A just weight and balance are
the Lord's. All the weights of the bag are
His work. He will measure things out according
to His just, righteous, holy scales. Again, in Proverbs 17
and 15, we read this. He that justifieth the wicked
and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination
to the Lord. God says He will not justify
the wicked. That is what each and every one
of us are by nature. Very wickedness against God.
He says He will not justify the wicked. He also says He will
not condemn the just. It actually says here that it
is an abomination for Him or for anyone else to do either
of these things. It is an abomination to God. So what are we to do then? If
we are wicked and God will not justify the wicked, we have to
be made righteous. We are made that in Jesus Christ
our Lord. He came to take the place of
those for whom he loved, to pay for their sins by his blood and
death on that tree. The book said he is the lamb
slain from the foundation of the world, from before the foundation
of the world. He himself would satisfy God's
justice. This Jesus Christ tells us in
Colossians 1 and verse 16. By Him, all things were created,
things in heaven and things in earth, visible, invisible, thrones,
dominions, principalities, powers. All things were created by Him
and for Him. This Jesus Christ is the one
who was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification. It tells us in Romans 4.25. What else do we read? In Galatians
4, verses 4 and 5, it tells us this. But when the fullness of
time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made
under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that
we might receive the adoption of sons. He did this when he
died on that tree. This holy, just God came down
and did not come in grandeur or great pomp and circumstances,
although he deserves all of that. He made himself of no reputation
and was not comely that someone would notice him. He was not
a good-looking man. He came down and humbled himself.
He was placed in a manger, and the indication seems to say that
he was born in a barn, basically. He grew up in the town of Nazareth. If you remember, Nathaniel asked,
can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Yes. Yes, there can. As Philip told
Nathaniel, I'm telling you right now, come and see. This same
Christ, who came down, said He Himself was anointed to preach
the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, preach deliverance
to the captives, recover sight to the blind, to set at liberty
them that are bruised, and to preach the acceptable year of
the Lord. He said this in Luke 4, verse
18. Then it says, He closed the book and sat down and said to
them, Today is that scripture fulfilled. Jesus Christ had compassion
on people. He fed the poor. He healed the
lame. Gave sight to the blind. Made
the deaf hear. Caused the dumb to speak. Healed
lepers. Healed those with bloody infirmities.
Raised people from the dead. This man who helped people is
the same man, the same God, from Romans 9. The God-man Jesus Christ,
the Lord. Hear what he says in Christ's
own words in Mark 2 and verse 17. When Jesus heard it, he saith
unto them, they that are whole have no need of the physician,
but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance. This is saying that if you think
you are okay and are not sick, if you think you are righteous,
then Jesus Christ did not come to save you. He came to save
sinners. The scripture tells us that there
is none righteous, no not one. That is God Almighty telling
us this. Will you tell a just, holy, sovereign God that you
are righteous when you are not? There are some who think they
are righteous. This is what the previous passage is telling us
in Mark 2 17 there. God says that you are not righteous
and he did not come to die but for sinners only. Those people
who have committed a capital crime against him and they know
they have. This crime earns them their wages.
This wage is death. Without Jesus Christ, this is
all yours to pay. whether you know this or not.
The problem is, whether you know it or not, you have nothing to
pay but your eternal soul. All you can pay, since you have
no righteousness of your own, is to be forever separated from
God in eternal torment. But those who know they are sinners,
even if you do not know anyone else around you to be a sinner,
This is the Christ that I set before you today, that one I
am bringing you to see. I'm not offering Jesus Christ
to you. He's not mine to offer. I'm asking
you, are you sick? Are you a sinner? I'm asking
you to come see this man. Come see this man from Scripture.
This one who is the physician, bow down to him, asking him for
mercy for your soul. If you believe him, the sovereign,
holy, just God this book speaks about, the one that has purged
his people's sin by his death on the cross being made sin for
them, if you believe him, then this book tells me you shall
have mercy. This one who by his work, His
death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to God the Father
made us righteous in Him. The work He has done causes us
to rest in Him. No more work to be done. You
will only believe by His mighty power. But Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners. I am an example once standing
before you today. And all I can tell you is to
seek His face because He came into the world to save sinners.
Are you a sinner? Don't walk an aisle, say the
sinner's prayer, don't go to a preacher. Cry out to God for
mercy, because he is the one that has to be willing to make
you whole. Pray to him to save you. He is a merciful God who
delighteth to show mercy. But he only does this through
his son, Jesus Christ. Bow your heart and mind to him,
ask him for mercy, and you will find rest for your weary soul.