Good morning. If you would be
turning in your Bibles to Romans one, we're going to go through
verses 16 through 18 to start out with. And today I'm going
to deliver a message on the gospel of Christ. The title of today's
message is facing opposition in the gospel. Romans one 16
through 18 reads for. I'm not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone
that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein
is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is
written. The just shall live by faith
for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Now Paul starts out by writing
in verse 16, for I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for
it is the power of God unto salvation unto everyone that believeth,
to the Jew first and also to the Greek. The apostle Paul knew
from his experience the opposition that the gospel encounters everywhere.
The truth is that people by nature will not come to know the true
gospel. They do not like the gospel of God's redeeming grace,
especially the religious and the self-righteous. They will
have nothing to do with the gospel of God's sovereign, redeeming
grace in Christ. The gospel of Christ, the true
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, has no opposition quite like
those who are trying to work their way into heaven. Bill,
he mentioned this in a message he preached just a few weeks
ago. People are constantly trying to find a way to be righteous
or find a way to get right with God. That right there is what
this is all about. How to be right with God. And
this religious world can be broken down into two simple categories. And I don't care what religion
it is. It can be Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, or what some would call
Christianity. They'll fall into either one
of two categories. Number one, there's a religion
of grace, and number two, there is a religion of works. The true
religion is the religion of grace. That is what's described in the
scriptures, and that is what's preached here at this church.
It's the religion of Christ, and all of a person's salvation
is based on Christ's finished work of salvation at the cross
of Calvary. No more work needs to be done
in the religion of grace because Christ's death completed the
need for any further work to be done. Now, if someone plays
a part in their own salvation, if they have to do a work, follow
the law, say a prayer, walk an aisle, or do anything else, then
it's a works-based religion. In Christianity, there are people
that believe in works-based salvation, and there are those that believe
in salvation by grace. If a sinner in any way, shape,
or form depends on themselves to make a decision for Christ,
then it's a works-based religion, and that's a false gospel. It's
false hope, and here's why. The problem is that it takes
all the honor and glory away from Christ. Let me ask you a
question. If we can make a decision for
Christ to save us, then why did Christ have to die? That's a
good question. If we can make the difference
between going to heaven or going to hell, then why did Christ
have to die? There are so many people in this
religious world today that unfortunately fall into this works-based religion
category. The unbelievers and false professors
don't see it, and they'll go so far as to argue with true
believers that they make the decision for Christ. The scripture
shows and says that works religion is not the way to salvation.
You see, we don't choose Christ. The Christ we believe in made
the choice. Christ is the one that chose
his sheep and reveals the gospel to them in his own time. Let's
look at two men in scripture that came to God seeking to make
an acceptable offering to God the father. It's in Genesis four
verses one through five. This scripture will give you
insight into the effects of seeking the Lord's favor by the works
of your hands. Look with me in Genesis four
verses one through five. It says, And Adam knew Eve his
wife, and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten
a man from the Lord. And she again bare his brother
Abel. And Abel was a keeper of the sheep, but Cain was a tiller
of the ground. And in the process of time it
came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an
offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he was also brought
of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the
Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering. But unto Cain
and to his offering, he had no respect." Here in the book of
Genesis, we can clearly see the necessity of God's grace and
salvation. We see Cain and Abel, two brothers. Cain was the firstborn and Abel
was the second. They're described here with different
job descriptions. Listen to their job descriptions.
They're very important in this story. Cain is described as the
tiller of the ground. He was a farmer who worked the
land with his hands. Abel was a keeper of the sheep.
He watched over the sheep and took care of them. When it was
time for them to bring their offering to the Lord, Cain brought
the works of his hands. He brought his harvest as his
offering to the Lord. He brought the best he could
bring. Abel, on the other hand, brought the firstlings, the firstborn
of his flock of sheep. Abel's offering pictured and
typified Christ, the Lamb of God, who would live and die and
shed his blood for the payment of sins. Abel's sacrifice represented
what is required by God to take away sins and clear guilty sinners. So Cain brought the works of
his hands and Abel brought the lamb, free of defects, unblemished
as it represented Christ, the perfect lamb of God. Abel looked
forward to the coming Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the one
that would come in time and shed his blood on the cross of Calvary.
Christ is the spotless lamb of God. Those who despise the gospel
of God's grace in Christ are the religious people who are
working and trying by their own efforts and by their own works
and by their own obedience to certain laws to gain favor with
God Almighty. The scripture says the preaching
of the cross. When we say the preaching of
the cross, we're talking about substitution. We're talking about
effectual deliverance. We're talking about righteousness
established through the death of Jesus Christ. First Corinthians
118 says, For the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it
is the power of God." To those in false religion, Christ
is the stumbling block. Now what is there about the gospel
of Christ that makes it offensive to the natural religious person?
What is there about the gospel of redeeming grace that makes
it so offensive? that makes it a stumbling block
to the natural person. I'm going to give you four things
today. Some of these things may bother some people, but we cannot
compromise when it comes to the gospel. In Romans 1 16, Paul
said, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. He's talking
about the gospel of God. He's talking about the gospel
of God's grace. Paul is talking about the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ and his sufficient, effectual, and
redeeming work of salvation. Many people are ashamed and many
people are offended by the gospel of Christ. Paul said that he
is not. I know a lot of people are out
there thinking, why would someone be ashamed of the gospel? Why
would someone be offended by the gospel? And here's the first
point. The gospel of Christ addresses
everyone as a sinner, and that in itself offends the natural
person. Romans 3, verses 10 through 23. Romans 3, verses 10 through 23,
it says, as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth,
There is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
the way. They are together become unprofitable.
There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is
an open sepulcher. With their tongues they have
used deceit. The poison of asps is under their
lips. Whose mouth is full of cursing
and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed
blood. Destruction and misery are in
their ways. and the way of peace have they not known. There is
no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things
soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law,
that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become
guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For by
the law is the knowledge of sin, but now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of
Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there
is no difference. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God." To the non-believer, that would
be some bad news. It starts out saying there is
none righteous, no, not one. There is not one person based
on their works, based on themselves, based on anything in them or
by them who are considered to be righteous. Then it says, therefore,
by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in
his sight. Based on our efforts and what
we do, we can never be justified. In Romans 6.23, it says, for
the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. The penalty of sin is death.
In God's word right here, it says that death will come upon
those who sin and we're all sinners. In Romans 8.23, it says, for
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. It says
in scripture that we're all like sheep and have gone astray. And
it even says to break even one point of the law. Just one point
is to be guilty of the whole law of God. That's the first
point of offense. That's the first stumbling block.
The gospel of Christ addresses everyone as sinners. Now it doesn't
address us as good sinners, pretty good sinners, not pretty bad
sinners, but it just addresses us as sinners. We're all grouped
under one heading, sinners. Secondly, people are offended
when they hear that the gospel of Christ is learned by revelation. The reason that people don't
like salvation by God's grace is because it's not learned by
education or by a person's intellect or their wisdom. It's learned
by revelation. The true gospel comes as a revelation
by the Holy Spirit, and that offends a natural person's wisdom.
We all think we're so smart and we're so intelligent that we
should just be able to get this. But the truth is that the word
of God says in first Corinthians two fourteen. It says, but the
natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God.
For they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them. because they are spiritually
discerned. It says the things of the spirit are given by God. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, as
he lifted his eyes to heaven, in Luke 10, 21, he said, in that
hour, Jesus rejoiced in spirit and said, I thank thee, O Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from
the wise and the prudent. and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed
good in thy sight." In John 3, Christ was talking to Nicodemus. And remember, Nicodemus was one
of the smartest, one of the most intelligent Pharisees of his
day. Christ said in John 3, 3, Jesus answered and said unto
him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again,
He cannot see the kingdom of God. Christ said that you have
to be born again in order to understand the kingdom of God.
The average person thinks that they can just open a Bible, read
it, and comprehend all that is written in there through their
natural wisdom and their natural intelligence. Scripture says
that the only way we will know the things of the spirit is when
God reveals it to us. Christ said in Matthew 11 27
all things are delivered unto me of my father and no man knoweth
the son but the father neither knoweth any man the father save
the son and he to whomsoever the son will reveal him and again
our Lord said in John 6 44 through 45 no man can come to me except
the father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him
up at the last day. It is written in the prophets,
and they shall be all taught of God. Every man, therefore,
that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me."
Now that can be an offensive message to the natural person.
Christ is saying that the only way to get to heaven is by him. It takes all of the works out
of the equation, and that's offensive to the natural person. If you believe in a message of
self-righteousness, human works and obedience to the law, like
trying to obey the Ten Commandments and in order to gain merit or
earn your way to heaven, then you're not following what it
says right here in the Holy Scriptures. Now, I'm not saying that you
shouldn't do good things. Because you absolutely should
try to be the best you can be. but let me make it clear, salvation
has nothing to do with what you do. The true gospel is the message
of free grace, the message of salvation by the cleansing blood
of Christ and the righteousness established by Christ. It can
be an offensive message, calling someone a sinner, a lost sinner,
going to offend their dignity. Telling someone that they cannot
naturally or intellectually find an interest in the things of
God because Christ's death is a mystery and God must reveal
this to them could offend a person's wisdom. And here's the third
point that the gospel of Christ is so offensive. It's a message
of substitution. Isaiah 53 5 says, but he was
wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities.
The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes,
we are healed. This gospel of Christ is the
gospel of substitution. Christ took all my sins so that
I could have eternal life. Naturally, what does a person
want more than anything else? They want to be able to do something
in order to save their self. Their natural self-pride will
not allow them to come to God and beg for mercy. A person's
pride will not let them come to God as a destitute, poor,
broken sinner. Their pride will not let them
come to God guilty and ask for mercy as a sinner. Their pride
simply will not allow it. They think that they can work
their way out of this situation. And listen, When a true believer
of Christ goes out and declares that grace is free grace, and
mercy is sovereign mercy, and Christ's blood is applied by
the will and sovereignty of God to whom he will, and in the day
of his power, you'll have a fight on your hands. Do you know why
this message is despised by so many? Even our Lord was despised
by many. Everybody who was anybody when
Christ was here, turned thumbs down on Christ because of what
he preached. It wasn't because of what he
did. He healed the sick, he fed the hungry, and he was very good
to the poor. He went about doing good things,
but they despised what he taught. Because our Lord Jesus Christ
taught that the gospel is free grace. Fourthly, the gospel of
Christ is offensive because it is the gospel of sovereign mercy.
Now what does the word sovereign mean? Sovereignty, when it comes
to God, means that God reigns and God rules. The gospel of
Christ is the gospel of sovereign mercy. God said in Romans 9,
15 through 16, for he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom
I will have mercy, and I will have compassion whom I will have
compassion. So then it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."
In other words, God Almighty owes no person here on earth
anything. He is not obligated to anything
or any person here. In the New Testament you'll find
the Apostle Paul saying to the Gentiles in Ephesians 1 verses
3 and 4, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly
places in Christ, according as he hath chosen us in him before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before him in love. Christ came as a fulfillment
of the tabernacle, the sacrifices and all the pictures and types
found in the Old Testament scriptures. but they did not receive him.
Salvation is the gift of God. It's not the award of works presented. It's not the reward earned by
the human race. It's the gift of God. Now, by preaching a works-based
salvation, preachers present God as a weak and helpless God,
dependent on the sinner for their own salvation. But let me make
this abundantly clear. God the Father is on the throne,
and he rules this world. He rules in both heaven and on
the earth, and he will save those that he chose. Remember that
Romans 9, 15 and 16, it says that God will make the choice
when it comes to redemption and salvation. It says, I'll have
mercy on who I want to have mercy on, and I'll have compassion
on who I want to have compassion on. It's all of God's choice.
People are always saying that it's not fair for God to choose
one person and pass by another. But it clearly says in Romans
9 21, hath not the Potter power over the clay of the same lump
to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? The
apostle Paul here is explaining the sovereign and unlimited power
that God has over his creatures. In this passage, God is described
as a potter. Man is described as the clay. God created the clay. And we
all know what a potter does. He takes the lump of clay and
he forms it. So God, according to this scripture,
has power over the clay to form and to shape it the way that
he wants. He either forms the clay into vessels of honor or
vessels of dishonor, but the key is that God decides what
he's going to form. He puts it on the wheel and it
comes out exactly the way that he wants it. People always say,
Christ came, Christ died, he even rose from the grave to make
salvation possible. But leave some part of salvation
to the will and the work of the sinner. Don't give Christ all
the glory. Let everyone decide whether his
atonement was effectual. let us decide whether or not
his work at the cross was sufficient. But that is not how it is. Christ
did the work, he died on the cross, and he satisfied the sin
debt that was owed. Now, I'm not ashamed to declare
that Jesus Christ, from the foundation of the world, was the Lamb slain,
for he was made our representative. I'm not ashamed that he was designated,
ordained as our surety, that he was appointed as our savior
and our substitute. God sent Jesus Christ to redeem
a people. When the appointed time came,
he was sent down to this earth. He was God and human flesh. He
was born of a woman. He was made under the law as
our representative, and he met the law and obeyed it completely.
He sweated, he wept, And he walked. He was hungry, thirsty, and tired. He was a perfect man. He was
doing these things for the people that he represented. He went
to the cross, and there was laid upon him our guilt and our sin,
and he paid for it. And he paid it in full. And he
died on the cross under the charge of our sins, and he was buried,
and he rose again. God raised him from the dead
because he accepted his sacrifice and his sin offering. He ascended
to the right hand of the heavenly father and triumphed in victory. And he's waiting until every
person he died for has been delivered. And all of this is in scripture.
But what amazes me is that no matter how unscriptural a religious
system is, the natural person is not ashamed or offended by
it. Some groups will take a person, they'll even make them a religious
leader. They'll wear a hat and a robe with gold and silver all
over it. They'll carry a staff and people
will follow that person and they will even bow down to them. They'll
kiss that person's ring and he can put his hands on them and
bless them. That person can even claim to
be the substitute of Jesus Christ. They can do all of these things
and people are not ashamed or offended by it. Down in Mexico,
on November the 1st every year, they put out food in cemeteries
and have ceremonies on what's called the Day of the Dead for
the spirits of the departed to come and to eat. And people aren't
at all ashamed or offended by that. People go through all these
ceremonies in the name of God, no matter what the doctrine is,
no matter that it's not in God's word, that it's not in scripture,
and people aren't ashamed of it. They'll spend certain days
during the week doing without something and actually believe
that God Almighty is impressed with that. How in the world can
anyone believe that the God of heaven and earth The eternal
sovereign God of the universe that created everything cares
what I eat or whether I give up this or give up that. That's
works-based religion. And yet, no matter how far outside
the scripture this doctrine is, no matter what the tradition,
no matter what the ceremony, no matter what the system, people
are not going to be ashamed or offended. They'll just go along
with it. They'll even brag on it. But
let someone come along and tell the truth about man and tell
the truth about God and tell the truth about Jesus Christ.
And everyone gets mad and they get offended. Why? Because I
tell them that all of salvation is of the Lord. Friends, if you
are truly trusting in Christ, then salvation can only be of
the Lord. I'm going to wrap it up here.
A lot of things will make you religious, but only Christ can
save. A lot of things will give you
a good feeling, but only Christ can save. A lot of things will
give you a system to bow to, but only Christ can save. Because
only Christ can honor effectually every attribute of a holy God. Listen to what I'm about to say
very carefully. God cannot and will not ever
save anybody at the expense of his law, his righteousness, and
his justice. The God in the Holy Scripture
is a just God and a savior. At the end of the day, this is
what I ask you to do. Don't look at me. I'm just a
sinner and I can't save anybody. I can't heal you and I can't
give you what you need. What I can do is this. I can
point you to Calvary's cross where Christ died, to the right
hand of God where he sits as mediator. That's where he is
assuring us of God's favor, not according to who we are or what
we've done. His assurance is all based on
what he's done and because of who he is as our representative.
Thank you.