as we take our bulletin hymn,
Our Righteousness in Heaven Sits, and is sung to the tune of Majestic
Story. the Lord is praise. There in
the holy cell of God, the Lord our righteousness, the Lord our
righteousness. The King of heaven and on earth
may he ever cease to say that all earthly For all my life with Thee Through
balls and tears and every doubt I'm changing Thee alive Our righteousness
in heaven sets All hope in Him resides All hope in Him resides
Except within God's only love, every race shall sleep on, and
save from all the wrath to come, in Christ the Crucified, in Christ
the Crucified. O love, be great, let all ye
saints remember, Good morning. We welcome everyone. As Richard said, we've got a
little heat issue this morning, but
it's coming fast. It's just, I think a power surge
erased the date and erased the time, and so we're left with
a computer that doesn't know when to operate, operate the
heat. We're thankful for the Lord's
mercies in bringing us back into this place, for this privilege
to worship him for this privilege to obey his command to us to
not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. This opportunity
to be with those that are of like precious faith. We want
to pray for Jewel this morning. Continue to pray for her as she
recovers from surgery. I want you to pray for my daughter,
Stephanie. There's some talk of her going
home this week. She'll have to have the IV antibiotics
for six weeks. And pray for Roger and Vicki
and others that are sick. And pray for me always. I'm great. in weakness, great
in ignorance, great in inability. So let's remember each other
as we pray. Turn in your Bible for a reading
this morning to Psalm 85. Psalm 85. Lord, thou has been favorable
unto thy land. Thou has brought back the captivity
of Jacob. Thou has forgiven the iniquity
of thy people. Thou has covered all their sin. And then we have that word Selah. which I understand means pause,
meditate on that. The Lord has covered all their
sin. Thou hast taken away all thy
wrath. Thou hast turned thyself from
the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God of our salvation,
and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Will thou be angry
with us forever? Will thou draw out thine anger
to all generations? Will thou not revive us again
that thy people may rejoice in thee? Show us thy mercy, O Lord,
and grant us thy salvation. I will hear what God the Lord
will speak, for he will speak peace unto his people and to
his saints, but let them not turn again to folly. Surely his salvation is nigh
them that fear him. that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together. Righteousness and peace have
kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the
earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the
Lord shall give that which is good. and our land shall yield
her increase. Righteousness shall go before
him and shall set us in the way of his steps. May the Lord bless
those words to our hearts and minds, our understanding. Father, we come before you this
morning And we pray that you might, for
Christ's sake, meet with us, that you would hear us, that
you would help us in our great weakness, that you would look
upon your dear son and count him as all our righteousness,
all of our salvation, We pray that you would encourage our
hearts in the Lord this morning. And you who have saved us as
well as created us and who keeps us and sustains us through every
trial and abound every obstacle. And in all things, you keep us
by your power. We ask this morning for these
that we've mentioned, that you might help them in their sicknesses
and afflictions, in their trials and troubles, that you would
be mindful to all your people, that we might know continued
grace and constant strengthening as we live here in this world.
Lord, we know that you are the one who absolutely has determined
all things. And we pray that we might be
reminded and that we might be able to pray from our hearts,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That first and
foremost, the most important thing Is the exaltation of your
name. The glorification of your dear
son and his finished and accomplished work. Lord, we pray this morning. For all of your sheep. Wherever
and whoever they are. We pray for them that you might
help them call them out in this world manifest before this world
as your people, as those who bear that precious truth of the
gospel, that treasure that Paul spoke of that we carry in these
earthen vessels. We thank you for your mercy to
us. And we ask that you would be
in this place this day to glorify and magnify yourself through
your word. Give us understanding. Help us
that we might rightly divide the word of truth. Help us to
lean not on their own understanding or carnal reasoning, and most
especially the prejudices that have set our hearts against you
and against your word from the first time we breathed into this
world, from all the natural teaching of men, even our well-meaning
parents, all the things of false religion that we have been taught
not to question, but yet we must question them if we be your child. Help us, Lord. Deliver us. Redeem us from our all iniquities
and all things that keep us in this constant conflict in this
world. We pray for the peace that you
have promised your Jerusalem. And we ask that you would help
us, forgive us and sustain us, provide for us and protect us. all our days and then receive
us unto yourself and take us for that eternal home to be with
you. We pray in Christ's precious,
holy name. Amen. Turning the hymnals once again
to hymn number 243. Come, thou fount of every blessing.
And then, Brother Tim, if you'll wait on the congregation. Come, thou fount of every blessing. In thy heart to sing thy praise. He dreams of mercy never ceasing,
far more strong, the loudest praise. Teach us all the glorious
song, sung by flaming thumbs above. Praise the mountaintops
that ? In redeeming love ? ? Here I
raise my melodies up ? ? Hither by thy help I'm come ? ? And
I hope by thy good pleasure ? ? Safely to arrive at home ? He too rescued me from danger,
Interposed his precious blood. Here's my heart, oh, take and
seal it. to live for thy courts above. so so I love you. So... I always think about those words
when we sing that song, Come Thou Found. Those words that I'm all too
familiar with, where the hymn writer says, prone to wander,
Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. May the Lord help us. Turn with me this morning in
the book of 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy chapter 2. Do we remember is that this epistle was first written
to. Turn back a page and look at
2 Timothy 1 and verse 2. He says, to Timothy, my dearly
beloved son, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and
Christ Jesus, our Lord. Paul wrote this to Timothy, but he was not really his blood
son. He calls him his son here, but
what he's referring to is He is his son in the faith. That's what he says. You're my
son in the faith. And he's writing it to Timothy
as this young preacher facing all that he'll face. This
young preacher. But they're words for every believer
as they live here in this world, as they seek themselves to bear
witness of the gospel. They're for all the Lord's people
that he has preserved it for, for such a long time. And he says, Thou therefore,
my son, chapter two, be strong in the grace that is in Christ
Jesus. Why would he have to say that
if we didn't need to be encouraged or if we didn't need to be reminded? He says, thou therefore, my son,
be strong not in yourself, but in the grace, the gospel of grace, and the
strength of God's grace in Christ. Be strong in the grace that is
in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast
heard of me among many witnesses, the same Commit thou to faithful
men. That isn't just reliable men,
that's believing men, believing people who shall be able to teach
others also. Commit this gospel, this gospel
of grace. And then he says, thou therefore
Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. We're in a warfare. We're in
a battle. It's not physical. It's spiritual. It's engaged against wickedness
in high places, the apostle says. Spiritual evil and error. So it says, in this conflict,
like a soldier in a battle, you face so much hardship. He says, be, endure hardness
as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. And then he says, no man that
woreth, those that enter into battle as a soldier, no man that
woreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life. He can't live in this place,
fight in this place. He can't engage in the things
of this world and be tied to the things of this world and
also at the same time fight in this battle. He says that he
may please him who have chosen him to be a soldier. particularly a preacher of the
gospel, chosen of God, not for his ability, not for his charisma,
but simply to engage in this business of preaching the gospel. And if a man also strive for
masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully. If you enter into the race, They
don't crown you unless you run by the rules. And he says, the husbandman that
labors, we've had a soldier here as a picture, we've had a runner
here as a picture of a preacher and as of every believer, and
also a farmer. The husbandman that labors must
be first partaker of the fruits. So he's saying here you'll suffer,
you'll be persecuted, you'll have hardness of circumstance
and treatment, but you're in a warfare of spiritual wickedness
and there will be disappointments, especially from some who profess
to know and believe the truth. It's a rough road. It's a continued
conflict. I asked Brother Mahan one time,
I said, when does this business of preaching and pastoring get
any easier? And he simply said, it doesn't. It doesn't. It's a warfare until
the end. But feed on the gospel. Feed on the Word of God. Preach the gospel. And he says
in verse 7, Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding
in all things. The only understanding any man
has, true understanding, comes from God. We understand nothing
of right, especially about what's going on. We understand nothing
like we ought to, except God give us this understanding. And
then he says this, remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David
was raised from the dead according to my His gospel, Paul's gospel, and
the gospel has to do with the fact that Jesus, who in these
terms, the seed of David, is a man in the lineage of David,
but more so in the spiritual sense, how that man who died
on the cross was raised from the dead According, he says,
to my gospel. He wasn't raised from the dead
to just be alive. He was raised from the dead in
evidence of God's power and of God's acceptance of his word
and of his accomplishment of that word. He's raised from the
dead to be seated now on high. And then he says this, wherein
I suffer trouble. In my trouble I suffer, it makes
me appear as an evildoer. And he says even unto bonds,
even unto imprisonment, even unto these chains that he was
probably wearing at the time, But the Word of God is not bound. You can tie me in chains. You can hide me in the dungeon
of a prison. You can do everything to me. But the Word of God will never
by anyone be bound. It cannot be stopped. And he says, therefore, I endure
all things, all these sufferings, this imprisonment, all these
hardships of life that come with this business of preaching the
gospel, I endure all things for the elect's sake. Not for my sake, not for my reward,
but for the elect's Those that God has chosen and given to Christ,
made his people, and this gospel is the means by which he will
call them out, speak to them, give them this good news. I endure
all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the
salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. That's why I'm preaching. That's
why we bear witness to the gospel. That God's people might, by the
Spirit of God, hear his word, be quickened and enabled to believe
this gospel that glorifies God alone. So he says, you study to preach
in the midst of the apostasy that Christ said will precede
the coming of our Lord? That some who had lied about
the resurrection saying that it was already passed and someone
believes that they've missed it, that it's already happened? He says, it is a faithful saying,
for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. In other words, if we died in
Christ, in that cross, we also will be raised at his coming. And if we suffer, we shall also
reign with him. If we deny him, he also will
deny us If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful, he cannot
deny himself. And of these things put them
in remembrance, charging them before the Lord, that they strive
not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the
hearers. Study to show thyself approved
unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings,
for they will increase into more ungodliness, and their word will
eat as doth a canker or gangrene, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus. who concerning the truth have
erred, saying that the resurrection is past, and overthrow the faith
of some." That isn't a very pretty picture,
is it? But from Paul's day right down
to the day, it has been the exact same thing. It has been difficulty, and hardness,
and a race, and tilling, and sowing, and all these things,
the gospel, and people, those believers and preachers of the
gospel have been treated like Paul, who was cast into prison. And some had apostatized, some
had left the faith, Some had brought in error. Some had upheld
all these things that were nothing but lies. There were debates
and disputes over things that didn't matter a hill of beans. But if people are not gonna believe
on Christ, if preachers are not gonna preach
Christ, They have to be involved in something. But even as these things have
gone on, in the first century church, with Paul, the apostle, and even though they go on in
the day in which we live. I love that word that begins
verse 19. Nevertheless, even though it's a battle, even
though there are hardships, disappointments, even though some leave and forsake
the gospel, even though there are those that teach error and
overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless, nevertheless, none of these can stop or stall
the purpose of God. That's a consoling thing. That's the only thing that keeps
me afloat. Nevertheless, none of them, no enemy, no false
prophet, no power, no man or devil, no apostate, nobody, and
nothing can stop or hinder the purpose of God, especially His purpose of grace
to His elect. As a matter of fact, everything
that goes on is working, as God says, together for good, just
simply for those people, everything. They may disappoint us. They
may hurt us. They may do all kinds of things
to us. They may bring difficulty and
all these things, but they do not hinder the purpose of God. They're part of the purpose of
God. Nebuchadnezzar found that out. He said, and all the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing. And he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the
earth. And listen to this, and none
can stay his hand. Man's always reaching up. trying
to stay or stop the hand of God as it moves forward in his purpose. But none can stay his hand. They haven't even stalled it
for a second. It moves on. Because he says, nevertheless,
the foundation of God standeth sure." The foundation, this is
the foundation God has laid. We're not talking about reformers,
we're not talking about great men, we're not talking about
the mightiest men that ever lived on this earth. This is the foundation
of God, that God Almighty, sovereign and immutable, He has laid this
foundation. It has to do with these principles
and this purpose. Because that word foundation
means he's laid it. He's laid it. God laid it. No man will uproot any stone
that God has laid, any foundation. He's the almighty sovereign. He's set it and fixed it. and it's in the Lord Jesus Christ,
amen. That's why it's not gonna be
moved. The foundation stands sure because
the foundation is Christ. He's said to be the rock of his
people. They said our rock is not like
their rock. And though he be a stumbling
block, He is nevertheless the sure foundation. Listen to the
prophet Isaiah. Therefore thus saith the Lord,
the Lord God, behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation. God laid this foundation. A stone, a tried stone, a precious
cornerstone, a sure foundation, though he be the stone that the
builders, those Pharisee builders, set at Nau. Those who always
want to build and do, though he be that one that they set
at Nau. He's nevertheless the foundation,
and he is a sure foundation. Listen to what he said. He that
believeth shall not make haste. When we have it in the New Testament,
the same quoted verse, it says, he that believeth in him shall
not be ashamed. Those who rest everything in
Christ and on Christ. An old preacher said one time,
he said, I've quaked on the foundation, but I've never felt the foundation
quake. All of salvation rests not only
in him, but on him. You remember that figure in mythology,
the Atlas that holds the world on his shoulders? Atlas doesn't
hold the world on his shoulders. Christ does. He's the one who is the foundation. Everything rests in him. Paul
said, For other foundations can no man lay than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ." They call me a simpleton. They say I'm a one-note preacher. And I'm going to keep sounding
that one foundation. upon which all of God's church,
all of God's people rest on and find security and salvation in. There is no other foundation
that can be laid than that which is already laid, which is Jesus
Christ. It's not founded on the confessions
or creeds. Not founded on the books of old
writers. It's not founded on your opinion
and mine. It's all God's foundation is
the Lord Jesus Christ. He is that stone, that precious
cornerstone that holds up the whole building. And notice what he says, the
foundation stands. It's going to be that way forever. You look at our day and they
say religion is on the decline. Hallelujah. But the gospel's not on the decline. Christ is not on the decline.
The foundation stands. And he stands in heaven to receive
according to what the scripture says He stands in heaven to receive
every one of His people when He calls them home. And it says
that it stands sure. It's unchangeable. It's immovable. It's signified as a rock. This has to do with the covenant
that He says in itself is sure. You know why it's sure? Because
of the surety. That's why people don't have
assurance. They're trying to mix everything
up. They're trying to add law and grace and mix works and grace
together. They have no assurance because
when it leaves the surety, there is no assurance. What's a surety? He's the one
that stands and has stood at the beginning and made himself
in that everlasting covenant of grace accountable for all
the salvation, all the sins of all his people of all time and
forever. Look over in 2 Peter. 2 Peter 1.19. Here's why you've got to preach
timid. Because even though some of the apostles were eyewitnesses
to the glory, to the manifested glorification of Christ in the
mound. They saw and they heard a voice
from heaven and they heard the Lord say, this is my beloved
son and him shine with all the fullness of his sonship and his
Godhead. But he says in verse 19, he said,
we heard his voice, but we have also a more sure word of prophecy. What could be more sure than
seeing with your eyes the Lord of glory transfigured on a mount
and hear God speak from heaven? His word, that's what he's given
as his word. It's more sure word of prophecy,
where unto you do well that you take heed as unto a light that
shines in a dark place until the day dawn and the day star
arise in your heart. What's the day star? That's the
sun. That's the sun of righteousness
that rises with heating in His wings. That's the Lord Jesus
Christ. His word has made everything
sure. Look over in Hebrews chapter
9. I mean, Hebrews chapter 7. Chapter
7. And listen to what it says, beginning
in verse 19. For the law made nothing perfect. It never will, it never has,
it never could. But the bringing in of a better
hope did, by the which we draw nigh unto God. And inasmuch as
not without an oath, he was made priest. For those priests were
made without an oath, but this with an oath by him that said
unto him, the Lord swear and will not repent, thou art a priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek. And by so much was Jesus made
a surety of a better testament, a better covenant. in what God calls the everlasting
covenant, which is a covenant made on behalf of his elect,
but yet entered into an agreement between the Godhead to perform
everything necessary to their salvation that Christ has spoken
of here as the one who makes surety of this better covenant. Foundation stands sure. He's the solid rock. Incline your ear and come unto
me, and hear, and your soul shall live, and I will make an everlasting
covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. David. You know, David is not like. This Bible story, but David. When you read the Word of God.
You see more than just him playing on a harp and slaying Goliath
and such is that David. Like every believer. He had issues. He committed adultery. He had a man put to the forefront
of the battle so he would be killed. He numbered the people in disobedience
to God. He even failed with his children. And yet, God says of David, he's
the man after my own heart. And David comes down to his deathbed, having failed in all these ways. Hadn't lived what I'm sure that
most would call the Christian life. But by the grace of God, He'd say, although my house be
not so with God. It looked like God's gonna be
pleased save his children. Doesn't look like that God could
look at his life and say, oh, what a good boy you've been.
But he said, although my house be not so with God, yet he hath
made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure. covers everything. And it's sure. And this is all my salvation. This is all of it. And he says it's God says it's
all given these promises and this promise that's in Christ
Jesus. He said he's made it to be received
by faith, faith that he gives, faith that only he can give,
faith that when he gives it, men believe. Why is that? So the promise might be sure. So he says, nevertheless, the
foundation stands, and it stands sure, having this seal, The Lord knows them that are
His. The Lord knows. You remember
when Peter was all worried about what so-and-so and so-and-so,
the other apostles were gonna do? And Christ looked at him,
he said, Peter, feed my lamb. Feed my lambs. You don't worry
about everybody else's business. You just simply feed my lambs. And it came on down to the question,
asked by Christ again and again. And then Peter had to finally
say, Lord, thou knowest. I look right now at myself, I'm
not your child. If I go by my feelings, I'm not
your child. I just don't know, but I'm glad
you know. You know, thou knowest. Christ said, feed my lambs. The Lord knows them that are
his. You might say, of course, he
knows everything. Some people think that's a great
acknowledgement of God to say, God knows everything. But I'm
afraid he knows more than you think he knows. He knows everything
before it happens. He knows what's going to happen
simply because he's the first cause of it all. He's the first cause of it all.
Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. But what this speaks of is much
more. This knowledge is more. This
knowing is a knowing that involves an intimate relationship and
an eternal affection. Over in the book of Genesis,
it says, Adam knew his wife. Well, I guess he did. I guess he did. Just standing
right there in front of him. There wasn't anybody else to
be aware of at the time. No other woman, no other person. Adam knew his wife. What in the
world does that mean? It means that he entered into
a loving, intimate relationship with her. Because it says that
she bore a son. And just like all, so many parents
in this world, they think they're gonna raise a Christian, She said, I've gotten the man,
that one that the Lord had spoken of. The Messiah, I've gotten
a man. What has she got? A devil. A devil. Grace don't run in families. And likewise, Foreknowledge,
in the scripture, is not only foreordination, used in that
same word translation, foreordained, but it's also foreloved. Everlasting love. God hath not
cast away his people which he foreknew. Foreloved. for whom he did foreknow, not
just know ahead of time, not just prior knowledge, but he
foreknow, he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed
to the image of his son. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ
to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, and by then elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father. He foreloved them. The Lord loves
them that are His. He certainly knows who they are.
He knows all about them. But even in spite of that, in
grace, in Christ, He loved them in Christ. And he foreloved them. He's always loved them. He loved us and gave himself
for us. That's the greatest act of love
of all time. Somebody said, well, God loves
everybody. No. He hated Esau. He hates all workers
of iniquity. On and on. But he loved Jacob. He loved
Jacob. And look at what else he says
in this text. Nevertheless, the foundation
of God standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them
that are his. Already his. given to Christ, and let every one that nameth
the name of Christ depart from iniquity." It's at this point that there
is usually an emphasis on the believer's conduct. You know, I'm accused of not
emphasizing these things enough. Well, let me ask you this. Doesn't the Bible say that the
Gentiles, and I suppose we're all Gentiles, that the law is written on their
conscience? Weren't most of us, I'm not saying
all, but weren't most of us raised and taught some kind of morality? Don't steal, don't lie, don't
kill, don't commit adultery, all these things. Don't we live in a country that
is basically based on what they call the Judeo-Christian ethic
that has to do with morality, how we're to live, conduct ourselves? Don't we, who are supposed to
be believers, don't we read the Bible? Have you never read Ephesians?
Husbands, love your wives. Don't we in every text read over
something that says something about how we're to conduct ourselves? Hasn't God sown those things,
reminders, all throughout the scriptures as we read them? Is
that the center of our message? No. It's husband love your wife
even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. It's always about Jesus Christ. It's always about his word. It's always about his love, his
accomplishment, all these things. Doesn't the Bible say sin not? I've always found that The more
I told my children not to do something, the more apt they
were to do it. And Paul said that's the effect
of legal teaching on everybody. A man stands in a church and
he says, preaches, don't commit adultery, don't commit adultery,
don't commit, that's his message, his teaching. First thing I'll
say, he's probably doing it right then. But he's about to have
a church full of adultery. Our motivation for service is
because of what Christ has done for us. But what is iniquity? Let everyone
that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Well, we only know by how it's
used in scripture. We only know by how it is in
the context in the verse. And the context here is what
Paul is talking about when he talks about preaching the truth,
preaching the gospel, avoiding error, be careful about error,
don't be discouraged when others fall into error, and all these
things. This word is translated in the
scriptures, in the New Testament, as iniquity six times. Six times. I'm going to read
you the first one. You know probably where it's
at in Matthew chapter 7. Matthew chapter 7 and verse 21. Not everyone that saith to me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he
that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will
say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied they did it name in the name
of Christ preached taught have we not prophesied
in that name thy name and in thy name cast out many devils and in thy name done many wonderful
works I always am amazed at how obvious
it is that the blindness will be for these people right to
the day they stand before Christ. They're going to be blind by
this right to the day and hour they stand before the Lord of
glory. And they'll even boast in it.
They're bragging to the Lord what they've done. But now you
look at this next verse. Christ says, and then I will
profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me, ye that
work iniquity. All their good works, all their
preaching, all their casting out devils, all the things that
men laud men for, praise them and all the things they strive
for and all that, God says they're iniquity, not equal to what I
require. You say, well, you need to emphasize
good works more. They have such a quick change
from being good to iniquity. Listen to this. This is how iniquity
is translated. Matthew 23, even so ye outwardly
appear righteous unto men, but within you're full of hypocrisy
and iniquity. He said that to the Pharisees. Matthew 13, The Son of Man shall
send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom
all things that offend, and them that do iniquity. Titus, who gave himself for us,
that he might redeem us from all iniquity. and purify unto himself a peculiar
people, zealous of good works. Hebrews 1, thou hast loved righteousness
and hated iniquity. That's what's said against iniquity,
righteousness. Therefore God, even thy God,
hath anointed thee with oil of gladness above thy fellows. 1
Corinthians 13. Rejoice not in iniquity, but
rejoice in truth. But it's translated the same
word 16 more times. has unrighteousness. Unrighteousness. Iniquity is unrighteousness. Second Thessalonians 2, that
they all might be damned, those that God sent strong delusion
to, those that did not believe the truth, that they all might
be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness,
iniquity. Romans 2, but unto them that
are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness,
same word, iniquity, to them indignation and wrath. My problem is I know more to
do than I can do. And I'm thinking that's the case
of every one of God's sheep. It ain't that they don't know
what to do. It ain't that they know not how
to live. We're to teach our children.
We have that responsibility to guide them teach them right from
wrong, all these things, but that's not the gospel. The sure foundation is the grace
of God that reigns in righteousness through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is the Lord our righteousness, And that gospel is the gospel
wherein the righteousness of God is revealed by which he makes
righteous in Christ Jesus all his people. And they rest. They rest when they find out
what he's done. This is the only foundation.
And yet it's the sure foundation. And it's Jesus Christ and of
him crucified. He's the Lord, our righteousness. And there's no if, ands, or buts
that follow that. Christ alone. And if you have
to say, yes, I know it's Christ alone, but you know nothing. You know nothing. Nevertheless, come what may, come what may, if I fall away, That would just mean I wasn't
one of God's sheep, because the foundation stands sure and has
its seal. The Lord knows them that are
his. Let everyone that names the name
of Christ depart from iniquity. Our Father, we thank you this
morning in Christ's precious name. as our mediator and great
high priest, for all the goodness and grace that flows down from
heaven through him, the Lord, our righteousness. We pray in
his name.