Welcome to Reign of Grace. This
program is brought to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries,
an outreach ministry of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany,
Georgia. It is our pleasure and privilege
to present to you the gospel message of the sovereign grace
and glory of God in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that today's program
will be a blessing to you. Thank you for listening and now
for today's program. Welcome to our program today.
I'm glad you could join us. If you'd like to follow along
in your Bibles, I'll be preaching from the book of Hebrews. This
is Hebrews chapter 12. And I want to talk to you about,
and my text is verse 14, which reads, Hebrews 12, 14, which
reads, follow peace with all or all men and holiness without
which no man shall see the Lord. Holiness. without which no man
shall see the Lord. And the title of the message
is A Necessary Holiness. A Necessary Holiness. Now this
message is the final message in a series of four messages
that I have been doing on the subject of sanctification. And if you've listened to those
messages, and I'll just remind you, but if you haven't, then
understand, this word holiness, This Greek word, this New Testament
word, is oftentimes translated sanctify, sanctified, or sanctification. And so follow peace with all
men and sanctification, all right, without which no man shall see
the Lord. So you could say necessary sanctification, necessary holiness. And I've made a point to show
that this word sanctify, sanctification, holy, holiness, doesn't really
mean what a lot of people think it means. A lot of people think
that these words refer human morality, or even what they would
call Christian morality or ethics. religious devotion, religious
activity, a person who is holy. It's almost like a person will
give you the idea that, well, there are carnal Christians,
and then there are real Christians, and then there are holy Christians,
all that kind of thing. That's not what it means at all.
The word sanctified means set apart, and I've really stressed
that through all four of these messages. that if you will keep
in mind that when you read the word holy or the word sanctified
it means someone or something that is set apart by God for
a specific use and the use that God has intended it for. For
example, back in the Old Testament In the tabernacle, in the temple,
there were vessels that they used in the service of God. And
those vessels were even said to be holy. Now that certainly
doesn't mean that those inanimate objects were morally perfect
or pure or that they'd been washed with dishwasher or anything like
that. It simply means that those vessels were chosen by God and
set apart to be used only for one purpose. and that is for
the work of the temple or the tabernacle. Well, any time a
person is said to be holy or sanctified, that person is set
apart by God in a certain way. Now here in Hebrews 12, He's
talking about believers going through trials. He'd been talking
about that all the way up through Hebrews. The book of Hebrews
is written to Hebrew believers. That doesn't mean it's not written
for us who are not Hebrews because the truths of it apply to all
believers. But it's written specifically to Hebrew believers who are being
persecuted sorely. And Hebrews 11 speaks of the
hall of faith where Old Testament believers had gone through some
severe persecutions, even unto death. And so he tells believers
that we're to fight against the unbelief that would cause us
to compromise the gospel in order to relieve our persecution or
to have peace with the world. And that's the sin that so easily
besets us, he calls it in verse one. And he says, we're to run
the race of grace. How? Trying to be better people. Well, we should try to be better
people, but that's not gonna make us successful or help us
to cross the finish line in the race of grace. Verse two of Hebrews
12 says, we're to run the race of grace, looking unto Jesus,
the author and the finisher of our faith. who for the joy that
was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and
is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. So the
thing, the truth applied by the Spirit of God that enables a
believer to endure persecution, to persevere in the faith, is
the fact of the glorious person and the finished work of Christ.
And what does that mean? It means the battle's won. Now,
the battle, the fight, the warfare of the flesh and the spirit is
not over yet for us who are still on this earth, if we believe,
but it's won. Paul wrote about that in Romans
chapter seven when he came to the conclusion that because he
couldn't keep the law perfectly, he said, oh, wretched man that
I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? And he said,
I thank my God through Jesus Christ my Lord. And he said,
there's no condemnation to them which are in Christ. Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies.
Who can condemn us? It's Christ that died. You see
all that. And so that's how we're to run the race. But when we're
going through persecutions because of the gospel, we're to consider
Christ. Look at what he went through
on behalf of his people. And he says, consider in verse
four, he says, that you have not yet resisted unto blood,
striving against sin. You've not yet been killed. I
thank God we live in the day that we live in. The early Christians
in the New Testament church, they struggled against opposition. Many of them lost their jobs,
they had to leave their homes. They were scattered abroad. Think
about that. Before the Lord comes back again,
there may come a time when we who truly believe the gospel
will be persecuted, be jailed, lose our jobs. And then in Hebrews
12, he says, now here's how you're to think of these things. Now
this is something. This takes the grace of God. You're not to think of these
persecutions as God's punishing you for your sins. Now my friend,
there are consequences to many sins that we commit. And I often
go to the very core of it to say, if you get out here and
you speed in your car and the policeman pulls you over and
gives you a ticket and you have to pay a fine, that's a consequence.
That's not gonna redeem you from your sins eternally. But When
we go through persecution over the gospel, over telling the
truth, and somebody says, well, why would we go through persecution
over telling the truth? Well, remember what the Lord
said in John chapter three, verse 19? He says, this is the condemnation,
that light is coming to the world, and men love darkness. He goes
on to say, they hate the light. Men love darkness because their
deeds are evil. You see, the gospel, the gospel
message tells the truth of how God saves sinners, not by the
works or the wills or the decisions of men and women, but by the
grace of God through the blood and righteousness of Christ.
And anyone who does not believe this gospel, all of their efforts
to make themselves right with God are evil deeds. They're evil
works, they're dead works because they don't glorify God and they
deny Christ. And that brings on persecution.
Christ said in John 15 to his disciples, he said, marvel not
if the world hate you. It hated me before it hated you.
And what was he talking about? What kind of hatred? Religious
hatred. Over in John 16, he said, they'll throw you, listen, in
John 16, he didn't say they'll throw you
out of the bars and the brothels. He said, they'll throw you out
of their synagogues. They'll throw you out of their
church services because they don't know God, the God you preach,
the God you witness and serve. And so he says, Don't think of
these persecutions as punishments for your sins. Think of these
persecutions as the loving chastisements of your heavenly Father that
proves that you're the children of God. Loving chastisement,
well yes. Don't you discipline your children?
That's what chastisement is. If one of your children disobeys,
do you throw them out of your family? No, you punish them. Hopefully you do. You teach them. See, that's what chastisement,
the Lord's teaching us. And this tribulation brings patience,
endurance. And he says, if you're without
this, you're illegitimate children, bastards and not sons in verse
eight. So he goes down through here and he says, now this chastening
is not pleasant, it's not easy to go through, but it's only
afterward when God brings us through it, that we yield the
product of it, the result of it, in verse 11, is the peaceable
fruit of righteousness. And what does that mean? That
means after we're brought through it, we're looking to Christ even
more. We're resting in Christ even more. We're pleading His
righteousness even more. I tell our congregation all the
time, I said, you know, I've never gone through a trial, and
we're always going through trials, some light, some harsh, but I've
never gone through a trial that when having been brought out
on the other side, when it's over, that I feel good about
myself. Oh, look how I did. No, but I
always come out of the other side of the trials, having been
brought by God on the other side, feeling good about Christ. Oh,
I'm so glad, amazing grace, how sweet the sound. My hope is built
on nothing less than Jesus blood. Now, it's in that context that
the writer here writes in verse 14, follow peace with all men. Christians, true believers, are
to be peaceable people. We're not to be brawlers. We're
not to draw swords or pull guns in the name of God now. I mean,
we can defend ourselves, don't get me wrong. We can defend ourselves
when we're attacked or somebody robs us or whatever. But as far
as our instigating any warlike behavior, violent behavior in
the name of God or the cause of God in truth, we're forbidden
to do it. Blessed are the peacemakers, the scripture says in Matthew
5, for theirs is the kingdom of God. They're the children
of God. And that puts a lot of history
in perspective, doesn't it? You think about the false Catholic
church, the Crusades and all that, that was all ungodly. All of it, no matter how sincere
they were. Follow peace with all men, we're
to strive to be at peace with everybody. But there's a codicil
here. Look at verse 14, follow peace
with all men and holiness, sanctification. And he says, without which no
man shall see the Lord. Now what is he saying here? He's
saying that we're to strive with every fiber of our being to be
at peace with everybody, to live at peace with everybody, believers
and unbelievers, but not at the expense of holiness, not at the
expense of sanctification, not at the expense of that which
sets us apart from the world. Do you understand that? In other
words, we're not to compromise our holiness. that which sets
us apart and distinguishes us as Christians. Because if we
do that, what does that prove? It proves that we don't believe.
And that holiness that he's talking about, without which no man shall
see the Lord. Now let me read you a verse here
over in Romans chapter 12. And listen to this, this is the
first two verses of Romans chapter 12. Paul writes, by inspiration of
the Spirit, he says, I beseech you, or I beg you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, in other words, because God has
been merciful to you, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, separate, that's what that means, set apart, acceptable
to God, which is your reasonable service, verse two, and be not
conformed to this world. but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and
acceptable and perfect will of God. Don't be conformed to the
world. In other words, if my having
peace with an individual or a group of individuals involves me being
conformed to their false religion or their false ways or their
immoral behavior, don't do it. Follow peace with all men and
holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Now, here's
the thing. In order to understand what that
holiness, what that sanctification is, we have to understand what
really separates and sets apart God's children from the world.
And so many people have that wrong. So let me give you a few
things that really distinguishes, separates God's people from the
world. These are the things we cannot compromise in order to
have peace. In other words, if I have to
compromise these things to have peace, then throw peace out the
window. Marvel not if the world hates
you. It hated me before it hated you. The Lord told his disciples,
you're gonna be persecuted. Paul called it in Galatians,
the persecution of the cross. Preaching the cross will bring
persecution from the unbelieving world. Now we're to strive to
be at peace and live at peace, but if I have to compromise the
preaching of the cross, the preaching of the gospel, Then no, I'm set
apart. Well, what sets us apart? Let
me give you several things. Number one, what sets believers,
sinners saved by grace, true Christians, apart from the world? Be not conformed to the world.
And number one is our message. Our message, the gospel itself. What is the gospel? Well, the
gospel is the preaching of how God saves sinners, not based
upon their works. That's a lie. Not based upon
their decisions. That's just as much a lie. But
based solely upon the work, the merits, the blood, the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there's no other way. There's
only one way. That's it. Every other way is
a false way. I had a lady visit our church
several years ago who left her church because she said they
were promoting progressive Christianity. And she asked me if I knew what
that was. Well, I've always considered progressive Christianity to be
the spirit of compromise. And I was right. I asked her
to tell me what she thought it was, and she said that there
are other ways of salvation other than the Lord Jesus Christ. In
other words, other religions, whether they be Islam, a Buddhist,
or Hindu, or whatever, or Zoroastrian, they can be saved if they're
good enough. Well, my friend, if that's what it takes for you
to have peace with people, That's without holiness, without which
no man will see. That's a compromise. The gospel
of God's grace, the gospel, God's sovereign, God is the only source
of salvation. His electing grace, God chose
a people before the foundation of the world and gave them to
Christ, made Christ their surety. And that salvation is for God's
elect. And we're seeking God's elect
by the preaching of the gospel. And Christ's righteousness, His
obedience unto death, the merits of His obedience unto death as
my surety, substituting, and redeemer, and my preserver, is
the only ground of salvation. The only ground upon which God
will save me and accept me and bless me is the imputed righteousness
of Christ. My sins were imputed to Him,
He died for them, He put them away, I'm forgiven by His blood. Mercy and grace is what it's
all about. The love of God which passes
understanding, all of that. And that faith and repentance
and obedience is all the fruit and the result and the effect.
For by grace are you saved, through faith, that not of yourselves,
it's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.
If you call yourself a Christian, but you think salvation is conditioned
on your believing, and you're repenting, my friend, you're
not separated. You're not sanctified, you're
not holy. That's a lie. Faith and repentance and obedience
are the fruit and result of what Christ accomplished on the cross.
The Bible doesn't say that God loves everybody and trying to
save everybody and Christ died for everybody and now you make
the difference. That's a lie. The holiness of God is wrapped
up in the person and work of Christ. So our message, our gospel,
sets us apart. Here's the second thing. Our
God-given faith in Christ and repentance of dead works separates
us, sets us apart. You see, if we're sanctified
by the Spirit, if we're set apart, if we're separated unto the grace
of God, we hold Christ to be precious, we trust in Him, we
boast in Him, and have no confidence in ourselves. Paul wrote about
that in Philippians 3 and verse 3. He says, we are the circumcision,
that means spiritual circumcision, born again. which worship God
in the Spirit. And we have confidence, we boast,
we glory in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.
My confidence, my assurance. You know, there are people today
who say, well, you believe in Christ for salvation, but you
gain your assurance by your obedience. Oh no, that doesn't set you apart.
That blends you in with the most of false religion. The obedience that believers
work is the work of God in them. And they don't have any confidence
in what they do. It's all in what Christ has accomplished. My assurance is in him. I'm persuaded like Paul that
he's able to keep that which I've committed unto him against
that day. And so, When God sets us apart
by the Spirit, He separates us from the world in bringing us
to faith in Christ. God forbid that I should glory
save in the cross, the finished work of Christ, by whom the world
is crucified unto me and I unto the world, Galatians 6 14. He
separates us by bringing us to believe in Christ, to trust Him,
and to have no confidence in the flesh. That's repentance
of dead works. I don't have any confidence in
anything I have done, am doing, or will do. That as far as saving
me or keeping me, it's all Christ. Looking unto Jesus, the author
and the finisher of my faith. Should I be obedient? Yes, sir. Should I strive to be obedient?
Yes, sir. But not in order to attain or
maintain salvation. It's because I'm already saved
and preserved by the grace of God in Christ. That sets believers
apart. And sometimes that'll bring persecution
when we state that. over there in Ephesians 2, 8,
9 that I quoted. That, for by grace are you saved
through faith, that not of yourselves is the gift of God, not of works,
lest any man should boast. Verse 10 says this, for we are
his workmanship, created, not by what we do, but created in
Christ Jesus unto, not because of, but unto good works, which
God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. And that's
what I'm talking about. Now here's the third thing. Now
listen to this. Our standard of judgment sets
us apart. That's our wholeness. How we
judge righteousness, how we judge whether or not we're Christians,
that's it. You remember when Paul said,
I quoted a while ago, Galatians 6.14. He said, God forbid that
I should glory save except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the person and work of Christ by whom the world is crucified
under me. I count the crucifixion means
being cursed. Cursed is he that hangeth on
a tree. I count the world, the unbelieving unregenerate world
as being cursed because they don't glory in the cross. They
glory in other things. That which is highly esteemed
among men is an abomination to God. They glory in their works,
they glory in their might, they glory in their riches, they glory
in their religion. But believers glory only in one
thing, the person and work of Christ, the blood and the righteousness
of Christ. So by whom the world is crucified
unto me, and I unto the world, they look upon me as being cursed.
That's why they persecute believers. And he went on in verse 15, he
said, for in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision
availeth anything but a new creation, a new creature. The Jews gloried
in circumcision, physical. They gloried in their law keeping.
They gloried in their physical connection with Abraham. He says
that means nothing. The only thing that means anything
is have you been born again by the Spirit? And the only way
you can know that is do you glory in Christ? Let he that glorieth
glory in this, that he knows the Lord. Glory in the Lord.
And then in verse 16 of Galatians six, verse 14, 15, six, he said,
and he that walks according to this rule, what rule? God forbid
that I should glory in the cross. He said, God's been merciful
to him. That's the Israel of God, spiritual
Israel. And so our standard of judgment.
Well, what is our standard of judgment? Well, I quoted it earlier,
Acts 17, 31. God has appointed a day in the
which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man
whom he hath ordained in that he hath given assurance unto
all men in that he hath raised him from the dead. That's Christ. If someone were to ask you, how
do you know you're saved? Whatever you answer, now listen
to me very carefully here. Whatever you answer, has to equal
the perfection of righteousness that can only be found in Christ.
And the only thing that I answer that is His righteousness imputed. That's what sets believers apart
from the world. That's the necessary holiness
that God requires because He gives it. He works it in His
people to the praise and the glory of His grace. I hope you'll
join us next week for another message from God's Word. We are glad you could join us
for another edition of Reign of Grace. This program is brought
to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries, an outreach ministry
of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany, Georgia. To receive
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today and may the Lord be with you.