If you are following along, turn
to Romans chapter 5. My text for this morning is Romans
chapter 5. It will probably be the text
for the next several times we gather together. Romans chapter
5. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only
so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation
worketh patience. and patience experience, and
experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which
is given unto us. For when we were yet without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely
for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good
man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified
by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if,
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. And not only so, but we also
joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received
the atonement. Wherefore, as by one man sin
entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon
all men, for that all have sinned. For until the law, sin was in
the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless,
death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned
after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure
of him that was to come. But not as the offense, so also
is the free gift. For if through the offense of
one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift of
grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that
sinned, So is the gift. For the judgment was by one to
condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses and the justification. For if by one man's offense death
reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace
and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus
Christ. Therefore, as by the offense
of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation. Even so,
by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men
unto justification of life. 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. That as sin hath reigned unto
death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal
life by Jesus Christ our Lord. I want to make a statement to begin. The language of Scripture is
never often precise. The language of Scripture is
never often precise. The language of Scripture is
always precise. If your mind starts to work,
well, the Bible's often precise, then you're going to miss it.
Your natural inability notwithstanding, you're going to miss it if you
approach the Word of God with that attitude. The language of
scripture is always precise. Not one word is ever used that
does not have precise, definite meaning. I don't want to hear, although
I'm sure I will. Well, I'm not used to hearing
it that way. I don't care how you're used to hearing it or
how I'm used to hearing it. It doesn't matter what you're
used to hearing. What matters is, thus has the
Lord said. God's truth is set forth in human
language. Just the way it is. It wasn't
given to us in a divine language, and then we had to be taught
this divine language to understand God's Word. God's truth, His
Word, is given to us in human language. We may fall short of
precision. But God who created man, and
God who ordained human language, even at Babel when He confused
the language. God never falls short. Never. Listen, you don't have
to turn to it, but listen to Psalms chapter 12. The words
of the Lord are pure words. As silver tried in a furnace
of earth purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord.
Thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever. So God's words are not only sure,
they're not only pure, they're not only kept, they're preserved. They're preserved. Somebody says,
but this is a translation. Get off your high horse. Get
off your high horse. God has preserved His Word. Listen to what Psalms chapter
19, the psalmist's writing says these words. The law of the Lord
is perfect, converting the soul. That's how important it is. The testimony of the Lord is
sure, making wise the simple. That's what it says. The statutes
of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of
the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord
is clean. enduring forever. The judgments
of the Lord are true and righteous, altogether more to be desired
are they than gold, yea, more than fine gold, sweeter also
than honey and the honeycomb. I am not here, and pray God will
never, pray God never, suffer me to
try to prove to someone that God's Word is what God's Word
is. But simply to declare what God's
Word is. Anything less than what I've
just read to you, specifically from them two Psalms. Anything
less is to belittle God's wisdom. Anything less is to insult God's
power. Anything less is to call God
a liar. Peter said that no prophecy of
Scripture is of any private interpretation. And I've actually heard people
say what that means is nobody can ever really know what the
Bible means. And I'm thinking, boy, have you
just got it totally wrong. What Peter is saying is this.
These are the meaning of the words. No Scripture is any private
interpretation. No writing of Scripture is any
man's personal take on thus saith the Lord. But as Peter then says,
holy men of God were moved by the Holy Ghost to speak as God
Almighty moved them to speak. The Scriptures are no man's take
on God. Some of you probably say, anybody
watch the History Channel? Morgan Freeman is going to tell
us about who God is. I had an argument with him about
that. Just a few weeks ago, in a dream. I was giving him a what
for? I woke up and thought, man, how
the mind works. Yeah, me and Morgan Freeman was
having a conversation on it. Wish to God I never even watched
the advertisement. Seriously. Me and Morgan Freeman
was having a debate about it. Well, it wasn't much of a debate.
I was just spouting off. I woke up feeling pretty good
until rising was just a dream. I thought, boy, I'm really moving
up in the world now. Now I'm serious. Isn't it amazing how
the mind works? In this chapter, Paul deals with
three interrelated, interconnected topics. The first topic is found
in chapter 5 and verses 1-5 and it is a summary of the last part
of chapter 3 and chapter 4. Chapter 5 verses 1-5 is Faith,
Essentiality and Benefit. That's the title of this morning's
message. Faith, Essentiality and Benefit. It is a summary
of the last part of 3 and chapter 4. In chapter 5, verse 6-11, Paul
deals with Christ's efficacious reconciliation. And I have chosen
these words carefully. I mean to say exactly what I'm
saying this morning. Christ's efficacious reconciliation. Then in chapter 5, verses 12-21,
Paul speaks of representative union. I know I'm supposed to
call it federal headship. It's just words. The truth of
it is representative union. And I want to start on that part. These three things, as I have
said, are interconnected. In other words, faith. When I
say faith, I mean spiritual faith. Is there another kind? Oh yeah. There is another kind. I used
to hear it years ago. Something along this line. You
plant a seed, you have faith that your crops will grow. And
then they would apply that to believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's not the same kind of faith. The faith Paul speaks of here
is spiritual faith or God-given faith. These three things are interconnected.
Faith, that is God-given faith, is essential and of great benefit,
verses 1 through 5. And they are essential and of
great benefit because, look at verse 6, 4. That means because. Why is faith essential and of
great benefit? Why? Because faith receives because
faith believes, because faith trusts that Christ wrought an
efficacious reconciliation. Chapter 5 verses 6 through 11. That's the particular nature
of faith. It believes in an efficacious reconciliation. Now to jump ahead,
it does not believe. Faith does not believe. God-given
faith does not believe. Spiritual faith does not believe.
Christ made it possible that men be reconciled. Faith believes
that what God has promised, He's able to perform. That's what
He's already said in chapter 4. God promised reconciliation
through the death of Christ, and it's done. And thus it is so. That's the
same meaning as the word wherefore. And thus it is so. See it? Verse
12. Thus it is so. Representative
union. Now listen to me. Representative
union is the determining key to the value of faith. You hear
what I said? Representative union is the determining
key to the value of faith. Chapter 5, verses 12-21. Wherefore, as for one man, sin
entered into the world. Death by sin and so on. But it's
not just represented in Adam. There's a people who are represented
by Jesus Christ Himself. As I said, Paul is not just writing,
spouting off different truths. They're all connected here. If you think I'm going to go
through this word by word, phrase by phrase, verse by verse, you
are wrong. Because the reason is, I have
listened even to men who are far more able at words, at putting
things together, and eventually I find that they all begin to
repeat themselves when they get to a phrase or a word they really
don't get, so they just start going back over what they got
before, what they had before. Or you find that when any man
tries to go word for word for word, eventually you're going
to find out he's losing his train of thought. If it were only that I as a preacher
and as your pastor were to go through this just word for word,
then all I really need to do is get up here and read the Scripture
and we can go home. Because who can say it better
than what's already been said? But I'm not called simply to
do that. I'm called to teach, to proclaim, to preach, not to
give my take, but to show you, thus saith the Lord, and here
is how it applies to living in this world. Because that's what
this is talking about. Now let me say again, the crescendo
of what Paul's saying, here's this, representative union is
the determining key to the value of faith. He's talked about faith. Many people think he's kind of
left faith. Or others think he's now explaining what faith affects. Faith affects nothing when it
comes to the work of Christ. Faith is the effect of the work
of Christ. It does not affect the work of
Christ. Yet men today switch these things
right around. This is the common tactic of
humanistic anti-Christ religion. It is to switch the truth of
God for a lie. That's what it does. For instance,
when Christ said, but ye believe not because you're not of my
sheep. They will switch it around and
say the reason you're not a sheep is because you don't believe.
That's taking the truth of God and exchanging it for a lie,
even though they've just quoted the scripture. But they quote
it in the opposite order of God's ordination and God's truth. And
that makes it a lie. That makes it a lie. And people will hear that and
say, well, that's right there in the Bible. No, it's not. If you switch it
around, you've changed the whole thing. And this is where people
think, well, but you don't have to be precise. Really? Really? Christ said, I came to fulfill
every jot and tittle of the law. Now he's talking about the punctuation,
let alone, Mac, the words. The punctuation. which in the
Greek is built into the words, but it still has punctuation
nonetheless. As I said, this is a common tactic
of this humanistic, anti-Christ religion. I know I'm not supposed
to say it that way, but it's the truth. The mystery of iniquity
was already at work in Paul's day. It's still at work today.
Remember the beast, he was and is not, and yet He is. Some say Antichrist will come.
I've got no argument with that, but the Spirit of Antichrist
is already here and He's been here to switch the truth of God for
a lie. is always done because men are
trying to make man's will, man's work, and man's worth to be the
determining key to the value of Christ's work, or to the value
of faith for that matter. So then, for this morning's message,
remember, this morning is faith's essentiality and benefit. So then, Paul starts with his
conclusion to face essentiality and benefit because 5.1 starts
with therefore. Right? Therefore. Now if you want to look at faith
and its action. If you want to look at faith
and what it bestows by God's grace. If you want to look at
that, look at chapter 3 and chapter 4. But this is his summary of
faith. And the summary of faith is this.
Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. By whom, not by which, but by
whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. But it's not just that,
he says. We also glory in tribulations
also. How? That was by faith. by faith. We also glory in tribulations
also, knowing the tribulation work of patience, and patience
experience, and experience hope. And that's the only way you can
glory in tribulations. You don't glory in tribulations,
tribulation. You glory in the sovereign work
of God in tribulations, that it is bringing you to a foreordained
end. That's what Paul's talking about.
That's what faith does. Now, if you find yourself, even
as a believer, walking in any other thing, well, how am I supposed
to glory in tribulation only in light of all that he says
here? If you're glorying in tribulation
simply for tribulation's sake, you're morbid and twisted. Therefore, He says, and then
he sums it up, and hope maketh not ashamed. Ashamed of what?
God. Hope maketh not ashamed because
the love of God. He's the one that ordained all
this. He's the one that brought it
about. He's at least the one, Mason, that suffered it all to
come about. If God Almighty has all power and tribulation comes
your way and it's not for a purpose or a reason, then God Almighty's
cruel and capricious and mean. If he could have stopped the
tribulation and the tribulation didn't have a meaningful purpose,
then God's cruel. He's untrustworthy. But Paul
says, and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
If you don't love God, you don't have faith. If you have faith,
you're going to love God. These two things go together.
That's why there's a lot of people out here that say, I got faith,
and they do have a faith, but they don't love God for who God
is. Therefore, their faith is vain. James would call it a dead
faith. Is the body without the spirit?
What is the body without the spirit? Watch it for a few days,
you'll see. You'll start to rot and stink. So then faith without
works is what? Dead. And the works James is
talking about is not human works, religious works. It's not singing
in the choir. It's not teaching a Sunday school
class. It is believing God and bowing to his purpose. That's
what it's about. So then, Paul starts again, I
say, with his conclusion to face essentiality and benefit. Why,
therefore, therefore. First of all, faith and justification
go together, right? Sure, that's what it says. Therefore,
being justified by faith. It doesn't matter where you want
to put the comma. In the English, it still all
means the same thing in the Greek. Faith and justification are connected
together. therefore being justified by
faith. So faith and justification go together. But here's the question,
but in what way? How is it that faith and justification
go together? False religion, false Christianity
puts it this way. There is no justification until
you come up with faith, then God will justify you. That is
not what this teaches. It's not what this teaches. As
a matter of fact, Paul will go on to say clearly that we were
justified by his B-L-O-O-D. Faith receives a justification
that's already wrought. It doesn't accomplish or make
efficacious justification. It receives the justification.
As he will also say, it receives the reconciliation, which is
already wrought by Christ, but it is received by the people
of God. How? By faith. By faith. Faith and justification go together,
but in what way? Paul will say it this way, we
have peace with God. Therefore being justified by
faith we have peace with God it is from here to up there Not
from up there to down here. Do you see what I'm saying? We have peace with God not God
is at peace with us He loved us even while we were sinners
He commended His love toward us in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us. He goes so far as to put it this
way. He says, for when we were yet without strength in due time,
Christ died for thee. What? Ungodly. This is God's
love in action. God in Christ has never been
at odds with these people. You hear what I'm saying? This
is the complete testimony of Scripture. We were accepted in
the Beloved when God Almighty predestinated us under the adoption
of children. I say when, that's even probably
a false word, but I have no other way I know of saying it. When
He predestinated us under the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to Himself. And based upon that, He also
chose us in Christ that we should be holy and without blame before
Him in love. And because of that, He says
He's blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places
in Christ. Faith goes with justification
in that it brings me peace with God, but it does not bring me
peace before God. Go to Colossians chapter 1. Sometime
I'm not going to go read it. Go to Colossians 1, 20 and 23. Jesus Christ made peace. How? By giving us faith? No. Jesus Christ made peace by the
blood of His cross. Peace, like justification, is
an established judicial thing. But just like any man locked
up in prison, when the court says, all right, that man is
free, he's justified, what if the court back left him in prison?
Would it do him any good? All the legality, all of the
judicial trappings would mean nothing to the one who had been
locked up if he's still locked up when they declare him to be
justified. You see, you don't believe to get justified, you
believe you have been justified. That's what it boils down to.
Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God,
and even then, it's still what? Not through faith. but through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Is that not the precise words
that the Apostle Paul uses? Now if the Bible you're reading
says anything different, then get rid of it and find one that
does. Because that's what it's teaching.
We have peace with God. But as I said, even this peace
is through the Lord Jesus Christ. A faith that's not of Christ,
now listen to me, Listen to what I'm saying here. A faith that
is not of Christ and a faith whose object is not Christ. There's a question. Is it useless? Nobody wants to answer. Is it
useless? No, it ain't useless. It's damning. Did you hear what I said? A faith
that is not of Christ and a faith whose object is not Christ, it's
not useless, it's damning. How does faith and justification
go together? Here he says, by Christ we also
have access by faith into this grace, what grace? The grace
of justification. The grace of peace with God.
That's the antecedent to the words. By Christ, but again it's
still how? By Christ. Faith is his as a
quality, not mine. Faith is a fruit of the Spirit
of God. It's a quality, a characteristic
of God Himself, not of humanity. And that faith is given in portion,
in God's own portion, to each and every one of God's people
in God's given time. By Christ, Paul says, we also
have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand. Is that
melody? By whom also we have access by faith into this, not
into the grace of God. You don't access grace by faith.
You can only have faith by grace. And by that gracious gift of
faith, you then have access, what? Before God in peace through
our Lord Jesus Christ. So let's read it again. Therefore
be justified by faith. We have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also, he keeps emphasizing it's
all by Christ, all by Christ, right? By whom also we have access,
but it's still by faith. Don't come to me and say, well,
I believe I'm just one of the elect and everything will be
okay. If you die without faith, you die without Christ. If you
die without faith, you die without grace. If you die without faith,
you die without election. If you die without faith, you
die without predestination. If you die without faith, you
die without being accepted in the beloved. I don't care what
you claim to be. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand, and only that way. If I, and this is probably not
the best way to say it, here's where I may not be as precise
as I wish I could be, but anytime I step outside of faith, or anytime
I conduct myself outside of faith, there can be no peace with God.
Can't be. Well, it doesn't matter. I have
peace through Christ. That's right, you have peace
through Christ, but you only have the access to that peace
through faith. Do not try to take one part and
hammer in on that one part and leave all the other parts out. Because it says, by whom also
we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and
only there and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Why is it
that sometimes I feel So unsure about myself. The reason is because
I moved outside of walking by faith. I started walking by sight
and I'm looking at myself rather than looking at Christ. And when
you do that, you are not going to have peace with God. If you
do, then you're deceived and you're living in la la land. Faith in Christ brings peace. and constant access to that peace. That's the whole meaning of the
word. We have access. It's like a constant. It's not
just I had access back yonder and now it's one time fixed up
forever. It's a constant. By faith we have a constant,
constant access. And this access by faith enables
us to rejoice in hope of the glory of God. So much so that
then Paul would say in chapter 8, he would say these words,
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons
of God. For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit
of adoption, whereby ye cry what? Papa, Father. That's a whole
lot more than just knowing some doctrine. That's having a personal
relationship with God Almighty in and through Jesus Christ.
The Spirit itself, he goes on to say, beareth witness with
our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then
heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. If so be that
we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together. For
I reckon, I count it to be so. Paul says, I can't prove any
of this. You're not going to experience any of this. It's
a reckoning. It's putting it into account. For I reckon that
the sufferings of this present time, does he not talk about
suffering in chapter 5? And not only so, we'll look at
that in a moment. I reckon that the sufferings of this present
time, they are not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us. In us. The glory has already been revealed
to us. But then it will be revealed in us. And look at the context.
What's he talking about? When God wraps this thing up
for us. Whenever God wraps up this and God delivers us from
these corrupt bodies and our old nature. So again I say, faith
in Christ brings peace and constant access to that peace and this
constant access enables us to rejoice in hope of the glory
of God. Isn't that glorious in itself?
But Paul says there's also more. Right? And not only so. You see it? And not only so. But we glory in tribulations
also. Now how is it? Don't forget,
don't think, well we've left faith behind, now how do I deal
with tribulation? The only way you're going to
deal with it is by faith in God Almighty. It's the only way. If not, it will drive you mad.
At least it will have you running to the doctor to have some pills.
That's right. If you've got to have pills,
I'm going to tell you something, that's not faith. Don't come to me and say you're
not a doctor. I know what this says. If you've got to have pills to
live in this world because your mind can't deal with circumstances,
who is it that you're doubting? The God Almighty, the God of
heaven and earth that controls your circumstances and has ordained
those circumstances for your good. I'm not saying if you're a believer
you can't have, I'm saying if you're a believer and you've
got to have something to help you cope with this world, you
know why? Because you don't believe God like you should. And people
can say all they want about it. They can call me trying to delve
into arenas that I know nothing about. I do know something about
believing God. The only time I have peace is
when I believe God. That's the only time. And I'm
not trying to tell some unbeliever, if you'll just come up with faith,
everything will be honky dory. He can't do it. She can't do
it. But there is more, Paul says. Faith. Faith in Christ. Remember? faith in Christ because
a faith that doesn't have Christ as its source, a faith that doesn't
have Christ as its object, it's not just useless, it's damning. I mean, our Lord Jesus Christ
told some Jews one time, he said, you trust in Moses. That's faith. He said, but you don't believe
what Moses wrote though. Because you don't believe me. He said,
if you'd have believed Moses, if you'd have really believed
Moses, you'd have believed me. Because Moses wrote of me. So
here's the first thing on this second thought, that there's
more to it than this. There's more to faith than just
its essentiality. We've seen that. That's the essentiality,
what we've just talked about. Now we see its benefit in just
everyday life. The benefit of faith in everyday
life. Faith in Christ enables boasting
in tribulation. Did Paul say that or not? Look
at it. And not only so, but we glory
in tribulations also. Not because of some morbid fatalism,
but in trust concerning God's sovereign purpose. It's not just
the tribulations that we know about, that we see, it's this.
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also knowing
that tribulation worketh patience. Patience, what does it work?
Experience. And experience, what does it
work? It works hope. And what does hope do? It maketh
not ashamed. And why is that? Because we love
God. We trust Him. We depend upon
Him. We rely upon Him. Because the
love of God is shed abroad. Shed abroad! It's not just I
got a little bit of love for God. In the arena that Paul's
talking about, it's nothing but. love for God. Yeah, that's right. We'll look at that, God willing,
later when we get to this representative union. It says, let me read it. Look at what it says. And listen
to what it says, not what men said about it. I don't care what
men said about it. For as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners, not imputed Adam's sin. You weren't imputed
Adam's sin. If all we were was imputed Adam's
sin, we could still be the righteous folk. Imputation is just something
you put to somebody's account. This says, for as by one man's
disobedience many were what? Made sinners. Even so, or so,
by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. And we'll see that from the scripture.
We're not just imputed righteousness by faith. We're made the righteousness
of God in Christ. I don't just have faith to my
account. I have one who is in representative union with me
and he is my righteousness. Somebody says, I don't understand
that. God didn't say I understand it.
He says, believe it. Know it because I've said it
so. I'm telling you people, you read
most of the commentaries. They talk imputation, imputation,
imputation. When Paul is clear, for until
the law, sin was not imputed into the world. Why? For until the law, sin was in
the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Therefore, from at least Adam
to Moses, Adam's sin was not imputed to anybody. What happened? They were made sinners. That
means you're a real bona fide sinner. That means you're actually
a sinner. It wasn't just put to your account.
You are what you are because Adam one disobedient act and
it made you, it made me a sinner. Not just his sin was put to my
account. It don't teach that. This is the major passage, and
you'll hear most everybody talk about, here's what we see Adam's
sin was imputed us. You can say that. It says exactly
the opposite. That's why he uses the word made
sinners, not imputed sin. Because there was no law back
when Adam sinned. It wasn't. And the one law that
was given, the one law, if you want to put it that way, was
given for him, not for us. God's never told you you can't
eat of that tree. You don't even know where that tree's at. You
don't even know what it looks like. You don't even know what
kind of fruit it is. Even if it was here today, you wouldn't
have any idea what it was. That wasn't for us. That was
concerning Adam. And when Adam committed that
one disobedient act, many were what? Made. sinners. That's real union. Not judicial,
imputed union. That's real union. Now see, I've
jumped ahead. You ain't got that part, so you
know where it's coming from. Faith, there's the second thing
here, there's more also. Faith is for our benefit, our
benefit, not God's. Most people think faith is something
you come up with to prove to God you really mean business
about this. You come up with faith or you exercise faith.
Whatever terms they want to use. Terms that are never even found
in Scripture. Terms that are never even related in other terms
of the same meaning in Scripture. Never so. And they'll tell you
or me to come up with faith or exercise faith. And if you do,
then God will save you by His grace through Jesus Christ. That's
not what this passage teaches. Faith is for our benefit, not
God's. Your faith, the faith you have,
the faith you were given, it doesn't prove anything to God.
He's the one that gave it to you. It's His character that
He, and I say this with all reverence, broke off a piece and gave it
to you. It's His. He knows what faith is. He's
the only one who has faith intrinsically. Faith is for our benefit, not
God's. Faith does not allow God to be gracious to us. But that's
what religion teaches. Faith manifests that God has
been gracious to us. Solely based upon the person
and work of Jesus Christ. Why? For when we were yet without
strength in due time, Christ died for, wait a minute now.
He died for us when? When we were ungodly. Now, if
God did that for me when I was ungodly, how much more should
I trust him? Much more, doesn't he go on to
say? He uses several much mores here. They're called some superabounded
mores. They go far beyond what we even
see and experience in Adam. And yet, false Christianity sees
none of that much more. There's none of it. So again
I say, faith does not allow God to be gracious to us. Faith manifests
that God has been gracious to us solely based upon the personal
work of Christ because his next phrase is, for. For, when we
were yet without strength. When I didn't love God. When
I didn't believe God. When I was not only not a friend
of God, I was at enmity against God. I was his enemy. He wasn't
my enemy. Well, he committed his love toward
us. That's not an enemy as it may seem. No, but I was an enmity
against him. I was his, but look what he did
for us even when we were in that state. And then he goes on to
say, here's how you got in that state. And here's your only hope
of deliverance from that state. See, I'm saying this is a unified
whole. It's all, this is not just several different mishmash
things together. Now we need to kind of figure
out how this would work and add a few words here and add a few
words there to make it all sound good. No, it's all right here.
It's all right here. Here's my conclusion, so we can
gather here and eat a little bit. Here's my conclusion. Faith's
essentiality flows from Christ's person and work, not vice versa. Never. Faith does not make who
Christ is and what Christ did of value. who Christ is and what
Christ has done makes faith of value. Faith's benefit, again,
is for us, not for God. Faith doesn't prove anything
to God. He knows you better than you
know yourself even today after He's given you faith. Thirdly,
faith's essentiality and benefit is not merely to escape hell.
It is for our present, ongoing relationship to God and in our
circumstances. It's the only thing that's going
to get you through this world with any sense of peace. Real, bona
fide peace. Number four, it is then no wonder
that the Apostle John wrote in 1 John Chapter 5, Whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. It takes a work of God's
grace first for you to believe in God. And he says this about
those who believe in God. They love God and they love others
who believe in God. I'm paraphrasing, but that's
what he says. Everyone that loveth him that begat loveth him also
that is begotten of God. You don't love the people of
God, you don't love God. You don't love God, you don't
believe Christ. You don't believe Christ, you're not born of God.
Period. It ain't up to me to be able
to tell you whether that's true. That's true. Whether I see it
or not. It's true. And then he writes
these words and I want to read the exact words. 1 John Chapter
five, he says, by this we know, in verse two, by this we know
that we love the children of God. When we love God, keep his
commandments. For this is the love of God,
that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not
grievous. For whatsoever is born of God,
overcometh the world. Isn't that an amazing statement?
So which comes first, the birth or the overcoming? The birth
comes first. For whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world. And this is the victory that
overcometh the world. What? Faith. But it's even personal. It's our faith. Not yours for
me. Not mine for you. Our faith. Not ours intrinsically. Ours
by gift. But it is ours by gift. Mason,
the faith I have was given me by God. It's mine now. It's real. It's genuine. It's of God. It's a fruit of the Spirit. Now
look, for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world,
and this is the victory that overcometh the world. Faith doesn't
allow you to overcome the world. Faith is your overcoming of the
world. That's it. Faith itself. Religion
is teaching you when you come up with faith, when you exercise
faith, then you can overcome the world. Now if God's given
you faith because He's birthed you into His family, if He's
done that, you have overcome the world. It's done. And by that faith,
you know what? You have peace with God. You
have access by faith into that grace wherein you stand, peace
with God. You have justification, you're justified. You, you're
justified. Simply upon the manifest, I didn't
say the grounds, I said simply upon, the people say, upon the
grounds of faith, though upon the manifestation of faith. The
grounds of our justification is Jesus Christ's blood. The
means by which I have access to it, have joined to it, is
faith. So it's no wonder that John wrote
those words, is it? You see, I've been turned away
from it again. Let me finish it. For whatsoever is born of
God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh
the world. Even our faith, who is he that overcometh the world?
But he that believeth. that Jesus is the Son of God. It's that simple and yet that
profound. The reason you haven't been sucked
back in to all of that morass from which God called you out
is only because of His grace and His gift of faith. That's
the only reason. You have a tuck tail, turned
away from Him, and run back to it all, whatever it was. False
religion, immorality, or both, or whatever. It's the only reason. Why? God's grace and the gift
of faith in Jesus Christ. That's the only thing that's
kept you where you are. When you stumble and fall flat on
your face, it's nothing but God's grace and the gift of faith.
And that's where it stands, Father, as we continue here. Lord, bless
our fellowship together. And Lord, we do pray for those
who weren't able to be here because of those hindering circumstances. Lord, oh God, forgive me. Help us to boast in those things,
not to murmur and complain about them. I ask these things in Christ's
name. Amen.