to keep that which I've committed
unto that great day. And we've committed our eternal
souls to our Savior, haven't we? We have. We've committed
our eternal souls to Him. Tonight we'll be looking at the
fact that God is able. God is able. We'll look at five
different things where we see that God is able to do these
things. Now, God cannot be hindered to do anything that He desires.
There's no one who can hinder Him. No man, no woman, no creature,
nothing. If God has willed it to come
to pass, it shall come to pass. It shall come to pass. And all
believers like Abraham have been fully persuaded. We've been fully
persuaded, haven't we? There was a time when we were
not persuaded. We didn't know who God was. We may have had A God cooked up in our imagination,
as Calvin said, our hearts are idol factories producing gods
of our imagination. But when the true God of the
Bible reveals himself to a believer, to a born-again believer, or
to a sinner, who the Lord's drawn and has regenerated, and granted
them faith to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, they are fully
persuaded that he's able to do whatever he wants to do. And they're fully persuaded to
commit their souls to Him. To commit their souls to Him. He's the only one who is able.
He's the only one who is able. Ephesians 1, verse 11, Paul writes
these words, In whom also we have obtained an inheritance,
being predestinated according to the purpose of Him, who worketh
all things after the counsel of His own will. He works things
out, beloved, according to the counsel of his own will. So bring that home. You are saved
if you're a believer. You are saved because it was
God's will for you to be saved. Isn't that amazing? We look at ourselves and say,
me, a sinner? Because we know ourselves. We know what we are
deep down inside, and the marvel The marvel is that God's had
mercy on me. God has had mercy on me, a sinner. A sinner. And he, he works all
things after the counsel of his own will. He does not, he, you
know, presidents and kings, they have counselors, don't they?
They have people who would counsel. Any leader has counselors. Not
our God. Not our God. He don't need no
counselors at all. None at all. You can't gang up
on God. People like to say, well, let's
all pray about this and we're gang up on God and then he'll
change his mind. No, no, don't work that way. You can't gang
up on God. His will shall be accomplished.
Now, do we pray? Of course we do. We pray, Lord,
if it be thy will. If it be thy will. Oh, my. So he is able to work all things
after the counsel of his own will. He's able to do that. He is able to save the most vilest
sinner. And every believer will say,
yep, I know that's true because He saved me. He saved me. Oh my. And God-given faith is
altogether persuaded and totally satisfied in the ability of the
sovereign God to accomplish all our salvation. All of it. We
are fully persuaded, God-given faith, the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. The faith that God gives is fully
persuaded that God is able to do everything for the salvation
of a sinner. Everything. Fully persuaded. David prayed this, he said, I
will cry unto God most high, unto God that performeth all
things for me. Psalm 57 too, he performs all
things for me. That's the cry of the believer.
Has he not performed all things needed for our salvation? Everything. Everything, beloved. Everything
that's needed for our salvation is found in Christ, in Christ
alone. Everything that's needed for a sinner to be saved is found
in Christ, in Christ alone. Nowhere else. Mine. And believers rest in the awesome
ability of God, don't we? Because his ability is an awesome
ability. It's incomprehensible, the ability that he has, the
power that he has. It's incredible. And the same
power that raised Jesus from the grave raises us, we who are
born again from our dead natural state. Same power, same ability. And we say with the Apostle Paul,
we rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.
None at all. None at all. And if we take a
close look at the word of God, we can see that God is able to
perform all things for us in salvation. Turn, if you would,
to Romans chapter four. This is where we'll look at tonight.
Romans chapter four. Romans chapter four. Romans chapter 4. We'll first read Romans chapter
4 verses 1 to 12. What shall we say then that Abraham,
our father, is pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if
Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof the glory, but
not before God. So just like Abraham here, if
we were saved by our works or justified by our works, we would
boast about it. But we wouldn't boast before
God. We wouldn't be boasting before God because God won't
have nothing of it. But we'd be boasting before men. But other men and women can't
save us and we can't save them. There's only one who can save,
and that's our great God. For what say at the scriptures,
Abraham what? Believe God. He believed God and it was counted
to him for righteousness. Is the faith that Abraham believed
God with the same faith we have? Absolutely. It's a gift of God,
and we're seeing that Abraham trusted to promise. He trusted
in Christ. He trusted in that promise seed. It's the same faith. God's the same yesterday, today,
and forever, isn't he? When I was in religion, they
used to tell you, well, God saved people in the Old Testament this
way, and then he saved people in the New Testament in Christ.
No, no, we're all saved in Christ, or we're not saved at all. That's
true. Because what does the Lord say
about the scriptures? They testify of him. Old and
New Testament, they all testify of Christ, all of them. All of
them. Now to him that worketh, it is
the reward, not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness. We don't work for our salvation.
We don't have to. Christ did it all. Christ, look
at it, it says right there in verse five. But to him that worketh
not, but believeth on him, that's by God-given faith, that justifieth
the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David
also described the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputed
righteousness, look at this, without works. So our works,
again, the scripture's so clear, is like filthy rags in the eyes
of the Lord. The believer is justified by
faith in Christ, and that faith is given to us by God. And it's without works. It's
a gift of God, not of works, the scripture said, lest any
man should boast. And look at it continues in verse
seven, saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven
and whose sins are what? Covered. And it's not by anything we do.
It's all by what Christ has done. It's glorious. It's truly glorious. Blessed is the man or woman to
whom the Lord will not impute sin. Will not impute sin. Remember
we saw this morning, they're gone. They're gone, beloved. They're washed under the precious
blood of Christ, aren't they? They will never be held against
us. We will never come into judgment. We who are the people of God,
we who are born again by the Holy Spirit of God will never
come into judgment about our sins. Because they were all judged
at Calvary's cross when Christ died in our room and place. That's good news. Cometh this
blessedness upon the circumcision only or on the Jews only? No.
Or upon the uncircumcision? That's us, Gentiles. For we say
that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it
then reckoned? When he was in circumcision or
in uncircumcision? Well, not in circumcision, but
in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision,
the seal of the righteousness of the faith, which he had yet
been uncircumcised. He was a believer before he was
circumcised according to God's command. So it's not circumcision that
saved him. We'll see later he had faith in Christ. He's looking
to Christ, beloved. He believed what God said. He
believed what God said. that he might be the father of
all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that
righteousness might be imputed unto them also, and the father
of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision, so there's
the separation of the Jews and the Gentiles, that's all that
is, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father,
Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. And now we see
the promise realized. Look at this, look at this in
verses 13 to 25. For the promise that he should
be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed
through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. And
again, God-given faith has one object. One object. That's the Lord Jesus Christ.
That's the Lord Jesus Christ. For if they which are of the
law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none
effect. So if you can be an error by your doing of the law, well
then faith has no effect. But we know that no man is justified
by the law, right? It just shows us our sinfulness.
That's all it does. Because the law worketh wrath.
Again, it shows us how we've sinned against God. For where
no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is a faith that
it might be by grace. To the end, the promise might
be sure to all the seed, not that only which is of the law,
that being the Jews, but also that which is of the faith of
Abraham, who is the father of us all. We'll see that statement
makes reference to the Gentiles. Do you know that all believers
are the true children of Abraham? We'll see that. The true children
of Abraham. My oh my. As it is written, I
have made thee a father of many nations before him whom he believed,
even God who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which
be not as though they were. God already knows the end from
the beginning. He already knows how it's all going to work out.
That's being bought forth right there, the eternality of our
great God. Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become
the father of many nations, this is speaking of Abraham, according
to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. In being not
weak in faith, he considered not his own body, now dead, when
he was a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.
So our great God told him, when he was 100 years old, and when
Sarah was 90, that they were gonna have a baby. And he didn't even stagger at
the promise. He didn't even stagger at it. It says there, he staggered
not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith,
giving glory to God. He believed what God said. Do
you believe what God says? Do you believe what the scripture
says about God? Do you believe what it says about
Christ being the only way? That he's the only savior of
sinners? Do you believe that? I pray,
if you don't, that God would make it so. Because that's what we
believe as believers. There was a time when we staggered
at what was said, but now we don't anymore. And we're seeing
the next verse. Look at the next verse. Look
at this. And this is true of every born again, blood washed
believer and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he
was also able or he. OK. And being fully persuaded
that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Abraham believed that promise
that God gave. Because He knew that our great
God was able to do that which He says He's able to do. And we commit our eternal souls
to the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that He's able to save us to
the uttermost. And He's able to save all who
come to Him by faith. And again, that's God-given faith. And therefore it was imputed
to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his
sakes alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also. Oh, it's written for we who are
believers. To whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him
that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered
for what? Our offenses. Christ is the sinless,
spotless lamb of God. He's delivered for our offenses.
Every believer can look at that and say, he was delivered for
my sins. But look at the next part of
this verse, and he was raised again for our justification.
You know what that him being risen proved? That God was satisfied
with the sacrifice of Christ. God had accepted the sacrifice
of Christ. Isn't that wonderful? Therefore
we are what accepted in the beloved. We're accepted in Christ. Wonder
of wonders. Sinners are accepted in Christ. Look at this verse 21. And being
fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also
to perform. What he had promised he was able. Also to perform. And think upon this, beloved,
this faith which Abraham had, believing God, is a gift from
God given to Abraham. Given to Abraham. And this faith
is extraordinary. It's extraordinary because it
has one object, Christ. And it believes what God says.
It believes what the Savior says. It believes what God's promised.
The scripture says that Christ obtained eternal redemption for
his people. And we believe that, don't we?
We hang our souls on that truth. We hang our souls on the promises
that all the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ. We wonder and awe, the scripture
says, he shall not fail, and he did not fail, did he? He fully
accomplished that which he came here to do. And we are fully
persuaded that he's able to save our eternal souls. Fully persuaded. And just as Abraham believed
what God had said to him and what he promised to do, this
is what the believer does. True saving faith, true saving
faith rests in Christ and Christ alone, without any works by us. None. And isn't it amazing when
you think about it, that God takes a sinner who's shaken his
fist at him, in our natural state, and turns him into one whose
lips just praise his almighty name. That's a miracle. That really is. And every believer
is a trophy of the grace of God in Christ. Every single believer. It's wondrous. It's wondrous,
the salvation in Christ. No wonder it says in the scripture
that Abraham was fully persuaded that what God had promised, he
was able also to perform. He believed God he believed what
God had told him now Sarah Sarah laughed about it Which shows
unbelief Which shows unbelief, but he
believed what God had told him that Sarah would be given a son
by birth and Whose children should be numerous that his children
would be numerous as the stars of heaven He believed that. And
also the gift of one particular seed in whom all the nations
of the world would be blessed. He did not stagger at that promise. He had been given faith by God
to believe that. And as incredible as these events
appeared, he staggered not at God's promises relating to them. And he was fully persuaded He
was fully persuaded that they should be fulfilled in their
due time, in their due season. Because God had said it would
be so. And he believed it. Now considering his age and Sarah's,
he being 100 years old and she 90, there was no hope in the
course of nature that that would occur. They're past the time
of childbearing. They're past the time of childbearing.
Past the time that the child should be born unto them. But
I like what one commentator said. Listen to this. He said, but
natural impediments were of no account with Abraham. None. He knew that whatever God should
promise, he was able also to perform. And therefore, while
Sarah laughed at the tidings in a way of unbelief, Abraham
believed what God said he would do." End quote. Isn't that wonderful? Natural impediments were of no
account to Abraham. He didn't care what other people
said or thought. My God said it. I believe it
and it's gonna happen because he said it and the scripture
says he didn't even stagger He didn't even stagger at it Turn
if you would to Galatians Galatians chapter 3 Now the gift of the Savior to
was to descend from his loins a Savior in whom both his own
soul and the souls of all his believing children are should
be blessed and he fully believed that God was able to perform
this. He fully believed it. Look at Galatians. Chapter three,
verse 28 and 29. And we know that our Lord told
us, told the Jews that Abraham rejoiced to see his day. Abraham
rejoiced to see his day. Abraham, by faith, looked to
Christ, beloved. Look at this in Galatians 3,
verses 28 and 29. There is neither Jew nor Greek.
That's circumcision and uncircumcision. There's neither bond nor free.
There's neither male nor female. For ye are all one in Christ
Jesus. And look at this marvelous verse.
Look at verse 29. And if ye be Christ, then ye are Abraham's
seed. Look at that. and heirs according
to the promise. Oh, my. So true believers are
Abraham's seed. Isn't that wonderful? And that's
in and through Christ. That's in and through Christ.
It's. It's incredible. Abraham knew
himself to be a sinner before God, just like we know ourselves
to be sinners before God. He knew that. And he knew that
he needed a better righteousness than his own. He'd been fully
persuaded of that. Because that's what God-given
faith believes that, right? We believe that our righteousness
is like filthy rags before the Lord. Because that's what the
scripture says. And he knew that he couldn't
secure acceptance with God by his own works. He knew that.
He knew that. And he believed that the promised
seed which being Christ, should work out a righteousness for
him, a righteousness equal for his needs, a righteousness that
would make him acceptable before God. And he looked to Christ,
beloved, just like we look to Christ, because true, again,
true God-given faith looks to Christ. So the Old Testament,
they were looking towards the cross, And we look back to the
cross, but we look to the one hanging on the cross. He's not
there anymore, is he? No, beloved, he's risen. He's
risen. He is risen. Praise his mighty
name. Look at Galatians chapter three,
verses six to nine, we're in the same chapter there. Look
at Galatians chapter three, verses six to nine. Speaking of Abraham
here. Even as Abraham believed God
and it was accounted to him for righteous, he believed what God
said. No, he, therefore, that they
which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
In the scripture, look at this in the scripture, foreseeing
that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before
the gospel under Abraham, look at that. Look what that says.
Preached before the gospel unto Abraham. In these shall all nations
be blessed. That's talking about the seed.
That's talking about Christ alone. It says right there, right? That
God shall justify the heathen through faith preached before
the gospel unto Abraham. Oh my. These shall all nations
be blessed. So then they which be of faith
are blessed with faithful Abraham. Abraham had the same faith we
have, beloved. He looked to Christ. He looked
to the only one who's called the Lord our righteousness. Oh, it's wonderful. It's absolutely
wonderful. Note in verse eight, the word
of God is represented as declaring the purpose of God before it
comes to pass it's it's declaring the purpose of God before it
comes to pass in the Word of God is declared to Abraham that
in his seat should all nations be blessed that all nations because
where do we come from every tribe kindred tongue in nation right
the redeemed are from every tribe kindred tongue in nation therefore
it says that doesn't mean everybody But that means the elect scattered
in those nations, beloved. In his seed all nations shall
be blessed. Now look at verse 16 of our same
chapter here, look at this. Now to Abraham and his seed were
the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds as
of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is who? Christ. Christ. So the promise, singular
seed, that all nations shall be blessed in is Christ, beloved. It says it right there. Now to
Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not,
and to seeds as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which
is Christ. All the promises of God are yea
and amen in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Yea and amen in him. It's wonderful. Genesis chapter 12 says this,
and I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curses
thee. And indeed, shall all families of the earth be blessed. The
gospel of righteousness in and through Christ was preached to
Abraham, beloved. Because Christ is the seed in
which all nations shall be blessed. He's the messiah, he's that promised
messiah. He's the promised messiah. God
told Abraham the Messiah would spring through him Spring through
him and in the Messiah All the nations are blessed Well, we
know who the Messiah is Is God incarnate in the flesh, isn't
it? It's the Lord Jesus Christ our mighty Savior. Oh Our mighty
Savior And God gave Abraham faith to
believe. Faith to believe the promises.
And Abraham believed God. He believed God. He didn't stagger.
He believed Jehovah. With God given faith. He believed
who he said he was. He believed that he's the Almighty
God. King of kings and Lord of lords, in his faith rested upon
the power of God, with whom nothing is impossible. It's impossible for us to save
ourselves, isn't it? It's impossible for God to save
a sinner. Every believer is proof of that, isn't it? He or she,
we're proof of that. God is able. Let's quickly consider
five points Five points quickly from scripture where we can see
our great God's ability and the fact that He's able to do that
which He says He can do. Turn if you would to Hebrews
chapter 7. The first point is, let us consider that God is able
to save to the uttermost. He's able to save the most vile
sinner. He saves all who come to Him
by faith. All who come to Him by faith. look at this Hebrews chapter
7 verses 22 to 27 Hebrews chapter 7 verses 22 to
37 or 27 I'm sorry by so much was Jesus made a surety of a
better testament And they truly were many priests, because they
were not suffered to continue by reason of death. This is speaking
of Christ as our high priest, beloved. But this man, because
he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore, note these
words, wherefore he is able to save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
for them. For such a high priest became
us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made
higher than the heavens. Who needeth not daily, as those
high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then
for the people's. For this he did once, when he
offered up himself. Look at verse 25. Wherefore he
is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto
God by him. The only salvation for sinners
is Christ. and he is able to save all who come to him. Oh,
I pray God make you willing, if you don't know him, that he
make you willing to come to him. That's all he's done for we who
are poor sinners saved by the grace of God. He made us willing
in the day of his power. He's able to save to the uttermost
all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make
intercession for them. Oh, what a great God. He's not
turned a sinner away who comes to him by faith. He's not turned
one away. We know that's God-given faith,
don't we? It's glorious. It's truly, truly glorious. The
disciples asked the Lord Jesus Christ, who then can be saved? That was one of the questions
to them. Who then can be saved? And he replied, with man, it's
impossible. It's impossible for us to save
ourselves. But listen to these words. Now, if it stopped there,
we'd be hopeless, wouldn't we? That's actually our natural state.
It's impossible for us to save ourselves. With man it is impossible,
but not with God. For with God all things are possible. And we who believe know the truth
of that verse, don't we? We know the truth of that verse.
And we say, praise His mighty name. because of our total rune
in Adam, because of our sinful condition by nature, we are unable
to improve our standing before God. But Jesus Christ, the Lord,
became our surety and mediator of his people, and he fully accomplished
salvation for them through the shedding of his precious blood.
Through the shedding of his precious blood. Number two, he's able
to keep his people from falling. Turn, if you would, to Jude chapter
one. There's only one chapter in Jude.
24, June 24. Again, there's some people who
teach that you can be saved one day and lost the next day. But
we're always remember that type of teaching is totally foreign
to scripture. It's foreign to scripture, it
really is. It's one of the most foreign
things to scripture that's out there. the believer we know we found
out today and looked at even more is kept by the power of
God look what it says in Jude 1 24 now unto him that is able
again able he's able we're not able now unto him that is able
to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before
the presence of his glory with exceeding joy praise God he's
able He's able to save from the uttermost and he's able to keep
his sheep from falling. That's wonderful. In John chapter
10 he says this, my sheep hear my voice and I know them. Gnoska,
that's the intimate knowledge in the Greek. I know them and
they follow me. And I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand." No one. No one. What security the believer
has in Christ. The third point is our great
God is able to build us up. Turn, if you would, to Acts 20,
verse 32. He's able to build us up, beloved.
And as newborn babes, we're to desire what? The sincere milk
of the word, right? The sincere milk of the word.
We're to desire the scriptures, beloved. Just as a baby desires
milk. Why? Because they grow. Never
let the scripture become commonplace, beloved. Always be in awe of
it. Always be in awe of it. It's
a wondrous book. It's a wondrous book. It's an
absolutely wondrous book. And it's what God uses for us
to grow in grace. The scripture says, as newborn
babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow
thereby. That you may grow thereby. If so be ye have tasted that
the Lord is gracious. And every believer in Christ,
we've tasted that the Lord is gracious. We've tasted the graciousness
of God in Christ. Look at Acts 20, verse 32. And
now, brethren, I command you to God and to the word of His
grace, which is able to build you up, able to build you up,
and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. So the word of God is able to
build us up, strengthen us, beloved, as we grow in grace. And this
is all by the power of the Holy Spirit of God. It's all Him working
in us mightily as we saw this morning at the end of Colossians
chapter 1. Now when Paul wrote this he was
about to leave a group of believers at Ephesus. And we see he strongly
commended them, commended them to God in the word of grace,
the word of God's grace. Which again he's able to build
us up. The word of God is the children's bread. The word of God is the children's
bread. It's it's it's God's children's
bread. We feast on it. It's the children's
bread which we which we grow and in our nourish with spiritual
strength. Beloved. Let's go back to Hebrews
chapter two and we'll see the fourth point is that he's able
to help us in all our times of trouble. He's able to help us
in all our times of trouble. Hebrews chapter two. We looked
at this in the message on the impeccability of Christ. We looked
at this portion of the scripture. But our Lord, He's always able
to help us in our times of trouble. Hebrews 2, verses 17 to 18. Wherefore, in all things it behooved
Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to
make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he
himself has suffered being tempted, again, he is able, to what? To succor them that are tempted. Now the Greek word there for
succor, it means this, it means to run to the aid of. I like
that when I saw that, to run to the aid of. Our Lord just
doesn't leave us sitting there and, well, you're going to suffer
for a while. He runs to our aid, beloved. We're His beloved bride. We're His beloved bride. He runs
to our aid. He runs to the aid of those who
cry for help. It means also to advance to the
assistance of anyone, to help or to aid. To help or to aid. Beloved, he was tempted in all
things, yet without sin. He suffered, he hungered, he
thirsted, he was despised. He's a man of soils, acquainted
with griefs, yet without sin. He's the perfect, spotless Lamb
of God. Therefore, he's able to sympathize
and aid us in our infirmities, isn't he? He's able to aid us
in our infirmities. He is, he's our great God. The
last point is he's able to subdue all things to himself. All things. Turn, if you would, to Philippians
chapter three. Remember last week we looked at the great white
judgment throne? And every single person who ever
lived will stand before him. He's able to subdue all things,
visible and invisible. Why? Because he's God. He's God
Almighty, beloved. He's God Almighty. Look at this
in Philippians 3, verses 20 and 21. He's able to subdue all to
himself. For our conversation, that in
the Greek means our citizenship. For our citizenship is in heaven. From whence also we look for
the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body
that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according
to the working whereby he is able, again, he's able, to subdue
all things unto himself. Beloved, our citizenship is in
heaven. Our citizenship is in heaven, our interests are in
heaven. We're not bound to this world like we used to be. Now
we're living here, we're passing through, But this is not our
home. Our citizenship is in glory,
beloved. It's in glory. And in Christ
we are the sons of God, seated in Him, heirs of eternal glory,
and we patiently wait for His return. All we are, have and hope to
be, is in Christ, isn't it? He's our all in all, like Paul
wrote. He's our all in all. And the Lord Jesus Christ, by
His infinite sacrifice for His people, subdued all their sins. Didn't He? He subdued all our
sins. All of it. The penalty that we
were deserving fell upon Him, the sinless one. That being the
wrath of God, fell upon our Savior, beloved. And again, I'll bring
up those glorious words we looked at in Sunday school. It is finished. Finished. He subdued. He subdued all our sins. He paid
for them all. Therefore, one day He will change
our vile body and fashion it like unto His glorious body.
Why? How? Because He's able to. Because it's His will. And He will complete the work
that He's begun in us. You ever think of that too? When
we go to glory, he's completing the work that he begun in us.
Isn't that wondrous? That's wondrous. He'll complete
the work he's begun by changing our vile bodies into the glory
and majesty of his own body, exerting the power which enables
him to subject everything to himself. Everything. So we've
seen from the scripture that Abraham was fully persuaded that
God was able to do that which he promised to do, that which
he promised to perform. And Paul also spoke in this fashion
as we saw in the book of Philippians and in Hebrews. And it was imputed to him for righteousness,
not for the strength of his faith, Not because anything he's done,
but because his faith rested wholly. His faith rested wholly
and truly in the Lord Jesus Christ, and not in anything he could
do. We see that in our closing text. I'll read this, verse 21 and
22 again. Speaking of Abraham and being fully persuaded that
what he had promised, what God had promised, he was able also
to perform. And therefore it was imputed
to him for righteousness. To God be the glory. Heavenly
Father, we thank you again for allowing us to be here tonight,
allowing us the privilege and honor of looking into thy word,
O Lord, allowing us to have a place where we can come and gather,
Lord, an oasis where we can come. and listen to thy word preached
and proclaimed and that we who are your people, our hearts are
lifted up in joy at this wondrous salvation, at the wondrous mercy
and grace that we have received from you, Heavenly Father, in
and through Christ Jesus alone. And we praise thee, Father, and
we praise thee, Lord Jesus, and we praise thee, Holy Spirit,
because our salvation is all of thee. All of you were involved
in the salvation of our souls because you're all God. God the
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in the great
three in one. Oh, we praise you by your name.
Let us leave here thinking upon what we have heard tonight. Let
us ponder it this week, oh Lord. The fact that you are able. You are able to save to the uttermost.
You are able to keep us from falling. Oh, you are able to
strengthen us. Lord, you are able. We're unable
to do these things, but you're able. Praise your name. We love
you because you first loved us. In Jesus' name, amen.