Well, this morning, I'm going
to be talking about an election. Now, the election that I'm going
to be talking about, no, it's not going to be about a political
election. It's not going to be talking
about the ambitions of men, selfish men on this earth. And it's not
going to be about whether it's your vote or my vote that make
things happen. The election that I'm speaking
of this morning is God's election of grace. God's election of grace. It's mentioned in verse 5 of
Romans 11. But before we begin going over
these verses in Romans 11, just finishing up Romans 10, last
time I spoke, before we begin in verse 1 of chapter 11, I want
to give everybody a little context of what Paul had been talking
about that brought him up to verse 1 of chapter 11, those
last few verses in chapter 10. The Apostle Paul had made these
points concerning his kinsmen according to the flesh. This
was the nation Israel. This was Israelites. Paul was
a Jew. And in verses 18 through 21,
And we'll talk a little bit about them. And in order to give everyone
a little context, Paul had been talking about here in these verses,
his kinsmen according to the flesh, the nation Israel, and
they're hearing the gospel, but having rejected it. Majority
of them had rejected that gospel. Now Paul says in verse 18 through
21, that even though Israel had heard and that they didn't know
about how God saved sinners, most of that nation perished.
They perished in their unbelief and their pride, their religious
pride. Now, Romans 10, beginning at verse 18, it says, Paul says,
but I say, have they not all heard? He says, yes, verily,
their sound went in into all the earth and their words into
the end of the world. But I say, did not Israel know?
Yes, they knew about it. First Moses said, I'll provoke
you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish
nation, I will anger you. Here he's talking where Moses
spoke of the Gentiles, the coming in of the Gentiles. But Isaiah
is very bold. He said, I found of them that
sought me not, once again, Gentiles speaking of, I was made manifest
unto them that asked not after me, but to Israel, his kinsmen. He saith, All day long I have
stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient, and again saying,
a prideful people, the nation Israel. Those last verses that
we just read are really important because they lead Paul up to
make the next statement here in Romans 11 verse 1. In Romans
11 verse 1, Paul says, I say then, hath God cast away his
people? God forbid, and Paul uses that
God forbid and may it never be so. He uses that a lot in his
writings. Paul says, for I also am an Israelite
of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin. God did not
cast away his people whom he foreknew. The fact that the vast
majority of Israelites down through their history had rejected God's
promise of grace in and by the Lord Jesus Christ, and also the
fact that there were many unbelievers in Israel who perished eternally
in unbelief. Scripture is clear on that. Both
of these facts do not mean that God has cast away his people,
his elect, the people whom he promised to save eternally in
Christ. God had promised to save all
Israel, but all Israel whom God promised to save were not all
of the physical descendants of Abraham. but the spiritual descendants
of Abraham. Well, who are the spiritual descendants
of Abraham? Well, they're all who have the
same faith that Abraham had. Abraham looked to Christ. He
looked to that coming Messiah that was going to come in time
and work out a righteousness for him. It was all pictured,
typified in the sacrifice, the blood, the blood sacrifice. They are all who look to the
Lord Jesus Christ for all of their salvation. Abraham is our
spiritual father. Let's look at what the rite of
Hebrew says about the majority of Israelites that came out of
Egypt with Moses. Look at Hebrews 3 beginning at
verse 16. It says, for some, when they had
heard, did provoke. Heard what? Heard the gospel
of God's grace in Christ. the Messiah, the one that would
come in time and save his people from their sins. They heard about
that. Howbeit, however, not all that came out of Egypt by Moses,
but with whom was he grieved for 40 years. Our brother Bill
spoke on that this morning, how that they wandered in that wilderness
for 40 years. They didn't enter Christ, the
rest of Christ. Was it not with them that had sin, and that sin
here is speaking of the sin of unbelief, not believing God,
whose carcasses fell in the wilderness? And to whom swear he that they
should not enter into his rest, but to them that believe not.
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. This entering in is speaking
of that rest that we're talking about. Also look at Hebrews 4
beginning at verse 9. There remaineth therefore a rest
for the people of God. For he that is entered into his
rest, he also hath ceased from his own works. That is, this
is the believer's rest. As we cease from our works and
rest in the finished work of Christ alone. It says, we have ceased from
our own works, as God did from his. Let us, therefore, labor. Let us labor, therefore, to enter
into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of
unbelief. Speaking of the unbelief of the
majority of the nation Israel, does the fact that the vast majority
of the physical descendants of Abraham, that is national Israel,
does the fact that Most perish in unbelief. Does that mean that
there is no hope for any Jew to be saved? No. It doesn't mean
that there is no hope for any Jew. And that is why Paul brings
us here to Romans, the last part of verse one here, where it says,
for I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe
of Benjamin. Paul was both, he was both a
national Israelite and he was a spiritual Israelite, the true
spiritual Israel of God, which are all believers. That's who
we are. We're spiritual Israel. The proof
of his physical connection with Abraham, speaking of Paul here,
was his pedigree or his line of ancestors. It's revealed here,
and look at Philippians 3 verse 5. It says here that circumcised,
Paul is speaking here of himself, circumcised the eighth day of
the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of Hebrew,
as touching the law of Pharisee. He was a religious leader in
the Jewish religion. The proof of his spiritual connection
with Abraham, speaking of Paul once again, is his faith in Christ.
Look at Galatians 6 beginning at verse 14. Paul says, For God forbid that
I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by
whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For
in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision,
but a new creature. And as many as walk according
to this rule, peace on them and mercy upon the Israel of God. Now what rule are we talking
about here? Well, up in verse 14 it says,
God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of Christ.
That was Paul's hope. That was always hope. It was
Christ and him alone. And then in Philippians 3, 3
here, Paul says, for we are the circumcision, which worship God
as spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus. And we have no confidence
in the flesh. have no confidence in the flesh. We don't have any confidence
in anything that we do, deeds of law, or anything done in us
as far as salvation, gaining salvation. We just don't have
no confidence in that. All of our confidence is in Christ,
in Christ alone, based on his righteousness alone. When Paul
says, for we are the circumcision, he's speaking of spiritual circumcision,
and spiritual circumcision is where sinners are brought to
faith in Christ and repentance of dead works in the form of
idolatry. All those that God brings to this point, the point
where they have no confidence in their own works, is gaining
and maintaining salvation. Those that God brings to this
reality, we're the true Jew, the true circumcision, and the
true Israel of God. Now, we'll look at Romans 11,
1, of course, that we just got through with. We'll look at our
next two verses here, verses 2 and 3. God has not, this is
what Paul said, of course he said in Romans 1, hath God cast
away his people? Paul said God has not cast away
his people, and here's key, this is key here, which he foreknew.
Won't you not, or have you not known, or do you not know what
the scripture said of Elijah? How did he make intercession
to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets
and dig down thine altars, and I am left alone, and they seek
to kill me. They seek to take my life. Paul
shows here that God has an elect remnant, a small portion, a small
piece, of both Jew and Gentile. He has a remnant out of all nationalities,
no matter where you come from, who you are. He specifically
speaks of the Jewish remnant here because this is Paul's subject,
but the key to the elect remnant of grace is that they all seek
mercy from God in Christ alone. They all seek salvation, righteousness,
and glory by God's grace in Christ Jesus alone. So God has not cast
away his people which he foreknew, all whom God foreknew, not as
a fortune teller. God's not a fortune teller. He's
not this God that would look down that telescope of time to
see who would accept him and who wouldn't accept him and make
his decisions according to that. Or he just looked down that telescope
of time and saw somebody with a little bit more receptive to
him than the other one. There's something in the individual
that would make him choose that particular individual. He didn't
do that. He's not a fortune teller, but
as he determined to make them the objects of his eternal love.
That's how he foreknew them. His love and his grace by predestinating
them unto eternal life. Look at Romans 8, beginning at
verse 28. Paul says, and we know that all
things work together for them for good to them that love God,
them who are called according to his purpose. For whom God
did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom God did predestinate,
them he also called. And whom he called, them he also
justified. And whom he justified, them he
also authorified. Now, these scriptures are amazingly
clear, it's clear to the believer for sure, that God saves sinners
not based on their works or anything that they do or anything done
in them, but by the sovereign will and purpose of God. The
nation Israel was chosen among all the other nations in that
old covenant. They were called the people of
God and they were temporarily blessed as a nation with the
promises, the prophets, the law, and the sacrificial system. All
of this pointing and pictured and typified Christ, the coming
Messiah. But not all were foreknown of
God, as most of them perished in unbelief, rejecting salvation
by grace alone. Out of this nation, which as
a whole rejected Christ and refused to repent from their dead works,
but out of this nation there was an elect remnant. There was
an elect remnant. Paul refers to the Old Testament
prophet Elijah here in Romans 11 verse 3, where it says, Lord,
they have killed thy prophets and dig down thine altars, and
I'm left alone, and they seek my life. Paul thought he was
alone at that time, and to him, he was. He didn't know of any
more of God's elect at that time that were looking to the coming
Messiah, and he just didn't see it. And so when Elijah made intercession
to God against Israel, he says in 1 Kings 19.10, and this is
where Paul is quoting from, it says, and he, Elijah, said, and
I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts and the
children of Israel, for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant.
They've thrown down our altars and slain thy prophets with a
sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life to
take it away." This is quoted back in 11, verse 11, chapter
11, verse 3 of Romans. When the majority of the nation
Israel had rejected God's prophets and God's gospel, the gospel
that was given to the nation Israel in picture and type that
pointed them to the promise of the Messiah. Elijah being in
distress, as he fled from Jezebel, who was trying to kill him, he
was fleeing from Jezebel, he pleaded with God against Israel.
His charges were true. He said, Lord, they have killed
Thy prophets and dig down Thine altars. Israel, as a nation,
had rejected God and His truth. It seemed to Elijah that he was
the only one left alone to believe and serve God. that they were
seeking to kill him, speaking of the nation Israel at that
time. But look what God told Elijah in our next verse, verse
four of 11, Romans 11. It says, but what saith the answer
of God unto him, unto Elijah? He says, I have reserved to myself
7,000 men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
God answered to Elijah, as recorded in 1 Kings 19, verse 18. Notice that all were idolaters
except those whom God had reserved for himself. They were kept by
God and for God himself. Salvation is of the Lord, and
it's of the Lord from the beginning to the end. And if it were not
for his sovereign electing grace in Christ, we would all remain
idolaters by nature. You might say, well, I know that
I was in a false works religion, But I don't think that I would
call myself an idolater. Most people think of idolater
as somebody who worships a piece of wood or some kind of inanimate
object like that. Well, were you worshiping a God
if you don't consider yourself an idolater by nature before
God saved you? Were you worshiping a God that
could not save unless you let him, unless you let him? If you
were, then you were worshiping an idol. you were not worshipping
the true God of the Bible. Are you or have you ever worshipped
a Christ that came to this earth just to make men savable, just
to make them savable, if they would just believe on Him? Or
if you would just do this or do that, depending on what denomination
that might be out there. You see, the true God of Scripture
did not send His dear beloved Son here, the Lord Jesus Christ,
into this world just to make men savable. Christ saved his
people from their sins. All that Christ shed his precious
blood for, they're saved, saved by his grace, redeemed by his
blood. They were saved in old eternity
in the mind and purpose of God as he elected them. Give them
to his dear son who stood as their surety, the surety to pay
the debt, the sin debt that they owed but couldn't pay. They were
saved in time as Christ, by his blood sacrifice, accomplished
all things necessary for their justification before God. They
experience this salvation as God sends his Holy Spirit to
regenerate and convert them, convert each and every one for
whom Christ died. And they will be saved and experience
final glorification when Christ returns again. We'll be all glorified. and be with Christ throughout
eternity. Let's look at some scripture where Christ tells
us these things. Look at John 6, beginning at
verse 37. Now, this is what Christ is saying
here. It's Christ speaking. All that
the Father giveth me shall come to me. Now, we need to really
think about this thing here. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. The Father give Christ to people.
He says all that the Father giveth me, he says they'll come to me. They give him, the Father give
him to him in eternity, in that everlasting covenant of grace.
He stood as their surety. He stood as their representative. And him that cometh to me, he
says they'll all come to me, all that the Father giveth me.
He said, I will know why it's cast to mine. For I came down
from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that
sent me. And this is the father's will,
which has sent me. That all which he hath given
me, once again, I should lose nothing, but should raise it
up at the last day. Now, does that sound anything
like a Christ that only made men savable? It doesn't to me. It does sound like a salvation
that's sure and certain, though. Do you know why? Well, because
this salvation is not conditioned on the sinner, but on Christ
and Christ alone. That's the reason it's sure and
certain. If it was conditioned on any of us, anything, no matter
how small you might look at it, it might or it might not take
place. We're sinners. We're subject to fail so many
times. But it's not. The reason it's
sure and certain is because it's a condition on Christ. God has
a remnant according to the election of grace. And that remnant is
sure and certain for final glory. Make no mistake about it. Romans
11.5, our next verse, says, Even so, then, Now, he was speaking
in Elijah's day, how God told Elijah he had a remnant according
to the election of grace. He said, I reserve to myself
7,000 who have not bowed and kneeled to Baal. Now, he says, even so then at
this present time, this speaking of in Paul's time, also there's
a remnant according to the election of grace. He pointed to himself. He says, for I'm an Israelite. Paul here in verse 5 is referring
back to verse 4 when he says, even so, or in the same way that
God had reserved for himself in Elijah's time a number of
people, that he also had some reserved in Paul's time, according
to the election of grace. This was further proof that God
did not cast away all his people of the Jews, and that as Elijah
was not the only worshipper of the true and living God in his
time, So the Apostle Paul was not the only instance of grace
among the Jews in Paul's day. This same example that Paul is
given here is also true in our day, the day we're living in. Even so then, at this present
time, I can say also there's a remnant according to the election
of grace. This remnant was and is a small part of the nation
Israel, as you think of it, as Paul was
talking about in his day. But it is also made up of both
Jews and Gentiles, this remnant, who have come to believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ and repented from their dead works. God has
a remnant according to the election of grace. And then Paul says
in verse six here, our next verse, here in Romans 11 verse 6, and
if by grace, we're talking about an election of grace, and if
by grace, if salvation is by grace alone, then there's no
more works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace.
But if it be of works, then there's no more grace. Otherwise, works
no more work. Now, Paul emphasizes that this
elect remnant is saved by God's grace in Christ and not by their
works of law. This emphasis that Paul places
here on grace is due to the Jews' rejection of Christ and his grace
and their insistence upon being saved, being rewarded or blessed
and glorified by their works. Salvation by works is natural
to all men and women by nature, both Jew and Gentile. We're all
in the same boat when it comes to that. We're born here in that
condition. And that is that we think that
God's going to save us based on something that we do or don't
do. And these religious folks around here, these religions,
false religions, are going to just back up that statement because
they believe the same thing. That's the only thing. They're
going to teach what they believe. Look at these next verses and
we'll see a good picture of man's sinful state before God. We'll
also see God's assessment of sinful mankind. And we'll see
his verdict toward all men by nature, whether you're a Jew
or a Gentile, no matter what nationality you are. And that
is, the verdict is guilty before God, based on our natural state. And these verses here I'm about
to read in Romans 3, beginning at verse 9 here. The reason I'm
going to read these is to show You what God says concerning
the impossibility of being saved by your works Beginning here
in verse 9 it says what then are we better than they this
talking about there's any difference between the Jews and Gentiles
any nationality or any any part of mankind for we have before
proved both Jews and Gentiles that they're all under sin as
It is written. There is none righteous except
No, not one. By nature, there's none righteous.
There's none that understandeth. There's none that seeketh after
God. They're all gone out of the way. They are together become
unprofitable. There is none that doeth good.
No, not one. Now, we know there's a lot of
what we would call good things or moral people in these other
religions and a lot of good work done. They give their money and
And they have food kitchens all around, and they do these sort
of things and everything. But God's talking about when
he says there's none good, no not one, he's talking about as
it relates to their standing before God and whether they have
a righteousness or they're perfect. That's what he's talking about.
Their throat, he says, is an open sepulchre. Now, I'm going
to say something there, too. And I can remember this real
good when God began working with men as I was in a false religion. This thing right here says their
throat is an open sepulchre. That sepulchre is like a grave.
And I can remember when God began showing me my condition before
him and my sinful condition before him. He used another scripture that
talks about how those Pharisees, and I seen myself, boy, he showed
me. I was a Pharisee. Boy, when it comes to, I thought
that something that I did was going to save me. At that time,
I was going to church on Saturday, and I thought that was a Sabbath.
If you didn't do that, you know, you had some problem. But I thought
about that sepulchre when I Paul talking to the Pharisees, he
says, outwardly now, you look real good. You look real nice. You, on the outside, you look
real moral. And nobody can't see any flaw
in you, really. And I thought about that sepulchre,
he said, but he says, you're like a painted sepulchre. You're
like a painted gravestone. You look real pretty on the outside.
You look real clean on the outside. But he says, in actuality, what
you are and who you are is what's on the inside of that grave. And I saw myself, and I said,
oh boy. But I thought I'd mention that
having to do with that, you know, you think about a pretty cemetery,
all that pretty grass and the white tombstone, and it looks
real nice. But by nature, we're, like it
says here, their throat is an open sepulchre. and their tongues
they have used to see, the poison of asthma 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." Don't know the gospel.
Don't know how God saves a sinner based on Christ's righteousness
alone. They're ignorant of that. There is no fear of God before
their eyes. This is a description of all men by nature. That is,
in their natural state. Then we'll see in verse 19, here,
God's verdict toward men, after looking at all these verses.
He says, Now we know that what thing 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. Now
in verse 20, the results of this is, 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. Now, all the law will do
for you is condemn you. It will condemn you because nothing
you can do will meet that standard of righteousness. It will condemn
you by showing you that you fall short of what God requires and
what he commands, which is perfection. You might say, well, how do you
know that God requires perfection then? Because, you know, when
you tell people that, they don't believe that. They don't believe
that he requires perfection. That's one reason they go about
establishing their own. They feel like that you just
do the best you can. And maybe it'll turn out where
God will accept you. Well, let's look and see what
God says in his word about that. Look at Luke 1731. It says, because he, or God,
hath appointed the day in which he will judge the world in righteousness. That's perfection. By that man
whom he hath ordained, well, who did he ordain that we might
be judged by? Well, whereof he hath given assurance
unto all men that he raised him from the dead. Christ is that
perfect standard of righteousness. Christ is that perfect standard
of judgment by which God will judge all men. So I ask you,
do you have that perfect righteousness that will measure up to what
God requires? If you say you do, I ask you,
where did you get it? Is it a perfect righteousness
that you worked out or that God enabled you to work out? Or is
it one that was credited to your account? The one that you had
no part in producing? That's the one that I'm looking
to. One that you had no part in producing.
As you think about these things, make sure you don't forget what
God's assessment is of all men and women by nature. We just
got through reading it back in Romans 3, verse 10, where it
says, as it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one.
Salvation cannot be by sinners' works or deeds of law, because
according to Romans 3, 20, by the deeds of the law, there shall
no flesh be justified. in his sight, for by the law
is knowledge of sin." Now, Romans 11, 6 that we're talking about
here, Paul also emphasizes here in this verse that grace and
works cannot be mixed. This was revealed by God from
the beginning when he removed Adam and Eve's fig leaf aprons,
which is a picture of man's attempts to cover his sin. And then God
made them coats of skin and clothed them according to the promise
of Christ, that Lamb of God. Now look at Genesis 3.15 also. And I will put enmity between
thee and the woman, God says, and between thy seed and her
seed. It shall bruise thy head. Speaking of Christ bruising the
head of Satan, that final death blow when he went to the cross. And thou shalt bruise his heel.
Speaking of Satan and bruising the heel of Christ. It's not
a death blow. He died on the cross. He shed his blood and
provided all things necessary for his elect. But he ever lives. for us. Genesis 321, he says,
unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of
skin and he clothed them. This was a picture of salvation
by grace through the blood and righteousness of Christ. His
obedience, Christ's obedience unto death and not the works
of men. Salvation by grace is not by
works or deeds of law. The law was never given by God
in order for sinners to be saved. if they would just keep it or
try to keep it. God tells us why the law was
given in Romans 5 beginning at verse 20. Moreover, the law entered
that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound, that as sin had reigned unto death, even
so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life
by Jesus Christ our Lord. Now, God gave the law that we
might see our sinfulness. And by seeing our sinfulness,
we would flee to Christ for righteousness, the righteousness that Christ
alone accomplished by his perfect obedience to God's holy law and
his justice. This grace toward sinners would
reveal when God accepted Abel and his offerings, and he rejected
Cain and his offerings. Y'all know the two sons of Adam
and Eve, Cain and Abel, and it says in Genesis 4, beginning
of verse 3, It says, in the process of time it came to pass that
Cain brought the fruit of the ground and offering them to the
Lord, the best he could produce in his works. And Abel, he also
brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. Abel brought what God required,
and that is a blood sacrifice, which pointed to Christ. Abel
knew that he had no hope but for the coming Messiah. that
would come in time and save him from his sins. And the Lord had
respect to Abel and to his offering, but to Cain and to his offering
he had not respect. And Cain was very wrong and his
countenance fell. And you remember after this, speaks of Cain being mad. He was mad at Abel and at God. And Abel told him, said, Cain,
if you would do well, God would accept you. Now, when he meant
to do well, and that is to bring a blood sacrifice, look to Christ
alone. But y'all know what happened
then. Cain wound up killing Abel. He got mad at him. Oh, you can't
tell me that I can't do something to be saved. God's unfair. He killed him. He got mad at
him. He killed him. Cain's offering was the work of his own hand,
but Abel's offering was from the blood of the Lamb, which
typified the blood of the Lamb of God. Grace is salvation conditioned
and based entirely on Christ, who alone fulfilled all the conditions
of salvation for his people. Works is a salvation condition
on the sinner who tries but fails miserably to fulfill those conditions,
those conditions which is perfect righteousness. Many claim that
some preachers mix works and grace, but there can be no such
mixture. You can't mix works and grace.
It has to be either grace or it has to be works. There can
be no middle ground. The very least condition placed
on sinners only denies grace. Look at what Paul says in Galatians
5 beginning at verse 2. Paul says, Behold I, Paul, say
unto you that if you be circumcised, if you do anything, if you do
anything thinking that it will save you or appease God in some
way or make you some way gain God's favor in some way. He said,
Christ will profit you nothing. You put any work in there, Christ
will profit you nothing. For I testify again to every
man that is circumcised. That is, they're doing something
thinking that, well, I believe on Christ, but you've got to
do this too. And that's what the Jews were saying at that
time. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised.
He's a debtor to do the whole law. Christ has become of no
effect unto you, whosoever. of you are justified by the law.
You have fallen from grace, meaning you never did believe the grace
of God. God justifies the ungodly based
on the righteousness of his Son. Some would argue that God the
Holy Spirit enables a sinner to fulfill the conditions of
salvation. This kind of teaching only says
that Christ died in vain. The work of the Holy Spirit in
a believing sinner is the direct fruit and the effect of Christ
having fulfilled all righteousness for his people and his bloody
substitutionary death. In other words, Christ's death
on the cross, it demands that all he represented when he went
to the cross is their substitute, surety. Be given the Holy Spirit
and all other blessings of grace, which includes justification
before God, faith, to look toward Christ, repentance, repenting
of all those works that we thought recommended us unto God, and
perseverance, our perseverance in the faith. God the Holy Spirit
convicts us of sin and shows us that we cannot fulfill what
God requires, and this conviction drives us to Christ. It causes
God's elect to rest in Christ, rest in His fulfillment of all
the conditions and all righteousness for salvation. Look at what Paul
says in Galatians 3 and begin at verse 10. For as many as are of the works
of the law, they are under the curse. For it is written, Curses
is every one that continueth not in all things are written
in the book of the law to do them. The reason they are under
the curse is because they can't provide this righteousness that
God demands right here. And if you're going to be going
about trying to keep the law, thinking that you can, it's His
curse. You're under a curse. But that
no man will be justified, made righteous by the law in the sight
of men, in the sight of God, is evident. For the just, those
who are just, those who are justified before God, they live by faith. Also, I say with the Apostle
Paul in Galatians 4 verse 21, tell me, Paul says, as he wrote
to the Galatian church here, tell me, you that desire to be
under the law, do you not hear the law? Don't you hear what
that law says? Don't you hear, don't you see
that the law demands perfection in every way? Have you seen that
by looking at that law that you're a sinner? that you need to flee
to Christ for all of salvation? Don't you hear what that law
says? Don't you hear and understand that the law requires perfection
from the cradle to the grave? And don't you understand and
don't you see that this is something that you or I were just not able
to do? Well, in closing, God says back
in Romans 11 verse 5, even so then at this present time also
there is a remnant according to the election of grace. God's
words clear that salvation by grace. And if it is by grace,
if it is unmerited favor by God, which it is, then it cannot be
based on the sinner's works. and deeds of law, and that according
to Ephesians 2, beginning at verse 8, where it says, For by
grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourself, it's
a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. As
I said earlier, grace and works cannot be mixed. It's either
grace or it's either works. Thank God for his amazing grace.
that saved a sinner like me. Thank you. Amen.