Our scripture reading this morning is taken from Psalms 119. It's a rather lengthy song. Just raise your hand if you need a break. We should be done around eight or nine p.m. tonight. We're just gonna read the first eight verses. John said I could add a few scriptures and a few comments to this, so this is more than just scripture without comment this morning.

Psalm 119 is traditionally attributed to King David. Some scholars suggest it may have been written during the Babylonian exile. However, the exact author remains uncertain, as the psalm does not explicitly name one. Psalm 119 is the Bible's longest chapter, 176 verses, structured in an alphabetic acrostic with 22 stanzas, each corresponding to a Hebrew letter and containing eight verses.

So I had to look up what acrostic means. The crostic is a piece of writing where the particular set of letters, typically the first letter in each line, word or paragraph, spells out a word or phrase. So, in this case, the crostic design is referring to how each of the 22 stanzas or sections consisting of the eight verses, each one is labeled with the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, such as Aleph, Beth, Gimel, and so on and so forth in the 22 sections.

Also, in the original Hebrew text, each of the eight verses in each of the 22 sections also started with the letter. So that this structure is kind of, in a sense, lost in our English tradition. But they did this to help memorize the scriptures when people in the past were just trying to remember it. It aids in memorization, recitation, and emphasizes the completeness of God's law covering all aspects of life. First section of Psalm 119, verses one through eight, is Aleph. It emphasizes the blessings of following God's commandments. Psalm 119, verse one, Aleph. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the law of the Lord.

There is so much meat in these scriptures, like Lance Heller used to say in the past, the scriptures are full, deep, rich, and complete. You can literally preach a whole message on this first verse, and there are so many scriptures that can go along with this.

I just tried to pick out a few here and there, We know because God word tells us that since Adam rebelled against God in the garden, we died spiritually and Ephesians two one says it and you have the quicken who were dead in trespasses and sin and a dead man can't walk. The only way a person can walk in the law of the Lord is if God has mercy on their soul, giving them the life saving grace to have faith in the finished work of Christ and him crucified to save you. Amen. Ezekiel 36 27 says and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep my judgments and do them. So we see the only way you can walk in the law of the Lord is if God causes you to have life saving faith in Christ and his finished work on the cross. Psalm 119 verse 2 says blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart. Verse 3 says They also do no iniquity. They walk in his ways. Verse 4.

Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. The gospel is a command. Listen to what our Lord commands us in Mark chapter 1 verse 14. Now after that John was put in prison. Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God saying The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent ye and believe the gospel. This is a command from a king. This isn't some won't you pretty please believe that. Believe in God so he can save you. No this is a command from a king of kings that goes out to all mankind to repent and believe. Notice the word of God doesn't just say believe and be saved. No it says repent and believe. The devil believes and fears God. Your sin is your sin. My sin is my sin. God says you put that sin in your life so you take it out and by his grace he will give you the ability to do that. Psalm 119 verse 5.

Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes. I love this. Our ways are directed. Nothing happens by chance. Our God is a God of purpose and power over all things including including our ways. What a mighty God we have. Ephesians one eleven says he work at all things after the counsel of his own will. Proverbs sixteen nine says a man's heart devises his way but the Lord directs his step. You want to make God laugh just make plans. Proverbs sixteen thirty three a lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. These scriptures flat out say that God controls everything There is no odds of winning or losing with God. It's not a gamble. God controls the odds of everything.

Psalm 119 verse 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandments. Verse 7. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. Verse 8 says I will keep thy statutes. Oh forsake me not utterly.

I don't know about you, but these last couple of verses hit me hard. How can I praise God with an upright heart? How can I keep his statutes, his law, when my best works are filthy rags, when I'm literally sin from head to toe? Sin is not what I do, but sin is what I am. God's words tell me this. How can I obey Psalm 119? How can I respect his commandments? How can I praise with an upright heart? Philippians 4 verse 13. I can do all things through Christ who strengthened me. Amen. Hebrews 12 verse 2. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, I can tell you by the authority of God's word, this is the only way. Amen. Amen.

Is there any concern In anyone's heart, if I have to be gone for a Sunday, Mike couldn't stand here and bring a message that would be honoring to our God. Thank you, brother. That blessed me more than I can put in words. Just talking about our sister Judy was hard. I can't imagine what I'm going to have to go through when Jean's time comes. Excuse me. Lord, give me ears, give me a heart, illuminate me to hear Your Word. Would you turn to Romans chapter 6 with me this morning?

As we've heard from this pulpit time and time again over the last 27 years now, for me, since 1999, you must interpret Scripture with Scripture. We must look at the context with what surrounds a verse that we're the verse that we're focused on, and not add or take anything away from that context. Most people say, well, if you change the wording one way or another, you're adding or taking away. But it's not just that. It's taking away from the meaning, the context. We are to preach from the whole counsel of God. Without a doubt, we can see the results of not doing this very thing. Look at all the different so-called Christian religions there are in the world. We brought this before you before.

Kathy and I drove through parts of Tennessee and Kentucky. Bill was on the phone talking with me and he was sitting at his computer on live Google and was able to visualize, you know, you can actually go right down to street level and go and turn yourself in a circle and see what I'm seeing, what Kathy and I were seeing. And there was at one point, he's like, wait a minute, John.

Was that four different churches on one street corner, one street intersection I just saw? Yeah, it was. They were pretty big churches. I know at least two were Baptist. One was a Lutheran. I don't remember what the fourth one was. That's all Christian religions according to their own thoughts. You ask them, they'll say, oh yeah, we're Christians. If you ask what scripture? those who love to declare that God loves everybody. He's just waiting for you to accept His love. You ask them, well, what do you base that on? Where in scriptures, where in God's Word do you take that interpretation?

And they'll tell you, John 3.16. Even those who declare the witnesses of Jehovah, who by the way do consider themselves Christians as well. I asked them. There's some that hang out down here at the park, the lake that I walk around. And I just walked by and I had to ask them. I said, do you guys consider yourselves Christians? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Why?

John 3.16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that who So ever, believe it, shall have everlasting life.

If you try to bring up John 17, let me turn over there and read this for you. If you try to bring up John 17, oh, that's not what that's talking about. That's talking about this or that or whatever else they can come up with. The Lord says here in verse 9 in His priestly prayer, His intercession for His people to God the Father, He says, I pray for them. I pray not for the world, For them which thou hast given me, for they are thine. You see what happens when you take God's Word into context with the whole Bible? What about these words from Malachi 1, verse 2?

I have loved you, saith the Lord, yet ye say, wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother, saith the Lord? Yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage a waste for the dragons of the wilderness. If you take God's Word in context, the whole counsel of God, it kind of puts into question about that thing that God loves everybody, doesn't it? Am I wrong in that?

Referring to as it is written in Romans 9 verse 13, speaking of Malachi 1 verse 2, as it is written back in the Old Testament, Have I hated? You know this already because I've shared it with you once before, but those, if you look up in the dictionary, the King James Dictionary of that word hate, and you go to that section of Scripture where it says, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated, you'll see in there where it says, what's the word?

Inserted. The word inserted is in there in parentheses. And then you see loved less. You look up the reasons why they have a phrase that's inserted. It's because they didn't like the fact that God hates some and loves others. So the people writing their dictionary decided, well, we're going to change something about that. We'll insert loved less.

Folks, Jesus Christ, God Almighty, has never done anything less. Everything he did, including going to the cross and paying the price for our sins, for the sins of his people, those that were chosen in Christ, the very ones that Christ says, I pray for them, those that thou hast given me. What about all the lives?

Remember, have you ever done any reading in the Old Testament? We haven't done a lot of reading in the Old Testament in the years that I've been your pastor, but I remember days when Steve Doyle, some of you may remember him. He was an Old Testament preacher. He loved going to the Old Testament and studying.

I remember all those old stories about how Israel was told go into this country and wipe everybody out. What about those guys? What about those folks? It didn't just instruct them to go in and wipe out the army. Go in and wipe out all the old men and women and children, too, and their cows, and their sheep, and their goats. Kill them all. Kill it all. Wipe them all off the map.

Do you realize that when God brought the flood on this earth, there were only eight souls that were saved in the ark, a picture of Christ? We have to take scripture in context, not just the verses before and the verses after. We want to do that as well. But the whole book of God, the whole counsel of God, In Romans chapter 9, our Lord is very clear that He raised up Pharaoh to destroy him and his army, to give a clear picture to the world of God's power. Same thing goes for all of those who believe that their God has done all that He can, and that you must make a decision, you must choose, you must exercise your free will.

Ask them the same question and they'll take John 3.16 out of context. Completely ignoring the whosoever that believes.

They ignore Romans 9.15 where it says, For he hath said to Moses, I have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. They completely ignore this, so then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.

That's verse 16. And then in verse 17, for the Scripture says, unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose, have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore, have he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he harden.

Or what about these words from Ephesians chapter 1 verse 3 through 5, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. According, because of, as He hath purposed it, as He hath chosen us in Him, God the Father chose you and I, in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to His good pleasure and His will. We could go on and on, showing Scripture after Scripture that is ignored to fit their version of God. But rather than that, let's look at the God of Scripture and take His Word in context with the whole Council of God. Are you with me? Verse 14, if you would.

For sin shall not have dominion over you. Folks, we come into this world dead in trespasses and sin. You know that. Remember the first time you heard that? I can't remember real clearly, but pretty much. Once again, sitting over here in this pew right next to my brother and his wife. and trespasses and sin. I knew not God. I couldn't know God. And I can remember clearly going, that's right. I remember. You know, it's funny how it wasn't until I was sitting here in these pews hearing a man preach that all of a sudden I started hearing about a God who deserved to be called God. In the days of growing up, I was under the preaching of some kind of a Christian religion. I don't remember what it was because I couldn't hear anything. But I do remember it wasn't worth listening to. I do remember it had no effect on me at all. The only effect that it had was that I would like to sit in the back pew and go to sleep.

Ask Lee. He'll tell you. Because usually he fell asleep after I did. You know, these young people, they fall asleep real quick. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under what? Grace. Isn't that good? Isn't that good news? Unmerited favor? I can't purchase it? I can't do anything to earn it? I'm no longer under the dominion of what I came into this world with. Why? Because the very one who's loved me with an everlasting love has put it away. Taken it out. put away our insufficiencies, put away our iniquities. We're under His grace.

Do you realize, and I've thought about this several times, if you could, we're not supposed to draw a picture of Christ, and all of those long-haired hippie-type pictures are not the Christ of Scriptures. For one thing, Christ was not a man pleasing to look upon. He had no pleasing features. He was not comely. He was one that you would look on and just say, oh, just another guy. Probably one of those bums, you know, living on the streets. Just another guy. Another servant. Another lowlife.

But if you could, Truly picture Christ, knowing who He is now, knowing what He is in your heart. If you could truly picture Him, it would be the picture of grace. Could there be any better word to describe the Son of the Living God than grace? Isn't that what he's all about? Isn't that what it talks about when it, what it's talking about in Hebrews 9, where it talks about preparing a body for the Lord Jesus, when he says, a body thou hast prepared for me? Isn't that what grace is? Isn't that what it's talking about in Philippians chapter 2, where the Lord's, well let me just, so I don't misquote it. We might be looking at that again in a moment. You'd think I could remember it, wouldn't you? Yeah, we are going to look at it. We'll look at that in a moment.

Here it says in verse 14, once again, For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What does it mean to be under grace? Well, the context of surrounding scripture is a good place to start. That was my whole introduction to this morning's message, is the context and taking it in context. Now first we see what is not under grace, and that's in that very verse. Notice that it says, we are not under the law. If you're under the law, then you're not under grace. What is the law? The law says, do this and ye shall live. Nobody can do it but one. Nobody can do it but one, and that is the one who is the way. I am the way and the life. No man cometh under the Father but by me.

So what is it to be under the law? Do this and live. Therefore, no man shall live. To understand what under grace means, we must also understand under the law. When we see this word under here, it means to be ruled over. It means to have something ruling over you. For example, a king would rule over a land. You would be under the rule of that king. It means to be ruled over or ruled by, for example. If you were in his land, you'd be under his rule.

Now look at verse 12, if you would, of chapter 5. Go back to chapter 5. Same book, Book of Romans, chapter 5. Look at verse 12. Wherefore, it says, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. Death came upon all men at that very point. Our nature, at that point, when Adam took of that fruit, now remember, what did God say to Adam? He said, in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. The devil told him, no, you shall not die. Well, he was kind of right. He didn't die physically at that moment. But spiritually, everything was dead at that moment on.

Sin was entered into the perfectness of God's creation. Did you know that Eve was the only one deceived by the devil? Adam, with his eyes wide open, decided he was not going to let his wife Eve die. Isn't that a picture of Christ? Christ was not going to let those who is his bride, those for whom he has loved with an everlasting love, those who he foreknew intimately, He was not going to let us die.

They may have died spiritually, but their physical life went on, and therefore God cursed the ground. Let's finish verse 12 here. Where was I? Wherefore, by one man sinned in the world, and death by sin, and now look at the hope that we see next. No, that wasn't the hope.

So sinneth reigneth in all men, and it's what we are. Sin is what we are because we have a sinful nature. We are born dead in trespasses and sin. We come into this world from our mother's womb speaking lies. That's what the Scripture says, does it not? That's the whole counsel of God, right? We enter into this mortal life under the rule of the law by which we are also condemned. Now look at the first half of verse 21 in chapter 5. Turn over to verse 21. Look at the first half. That as sin hath reigned unto death. We'll stop there for just a moment. Sin hath reigned unto death. In fact, death came upon all because of sin.

But also notice, here's the hope that I thought I was going to bring a moment ago. But here it is, right here in the last half of verse 21. Even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. What did our brother Mike just read for us? There's no righteousness in this flesh. Our righteousness is this filthy rat. Even so might grace reign through righteousness, through the righteousness of Christ.

Abraham believed the righteousness of Christ. He believed God. When God spoke of his son to Abraham, we know he did because Abraham saw his day. He saw the day of Christ. Well, how did he see it unless God gave it to him? That was thousands of years of difference between Abraham and the days when the Lord walked this earth. So Abraham saw Christ just like you and I do, only he saw ahead to what was going to happen. We saw what has happened.

But it's the same exact thing. It's righteousness in him. Even so might grace reign through righteousness into eternal life, and here's a very clear reason why, by Jesus Christ our Lord. Isn't that good stuff? Folks, we know that if our righteousness, the righteousness that God sees in us, is actually His Son's, then we know it's perfect, don't we? If it's actually something that comes from Him, we know it was perfectly done. Christ did all things right, including laying down His life that His people might live through Him through eternity. Sin had reigned unto death, but life, grace reigns through the righteousness of Christ.

You can't earn it. In fact, your merits will do nothing but gum it up. A little leaveneth ruineth the whole lump. We either completely rest in Christ, or we're doomed. Grace comes through the Lord Jesus, is what we read there. Whereas, before the Lord comes to his people revealing the love of God through the merits of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in bondage to sin, and we love it. That's what it says in John 3, verse 19 through 20, where we read this, and this is the condemnation, that light is coming to the world, and men love darkness rather than light.

Remember the first time you heard that? That's another one of those verses I remember when the Lord inspired Gene to bring it out. I said, yep, that's me. I love the darkness that I was in. You know, I remember when the Lord first pricked my heart. I could feel the prickness of it because I hated sin all of a sudden. All of a sudden I started seeing all these different kinds of sin in my life.

I'm not talking about things that we know we shouldn't be doing. I'm talking about things like, oh man, I don't know if that's true, when God would say something Not trusting Him. I'm talking about easy stuff. Most people would say, how can you call that sin?

It is! It is! Not to believe His Word is the biggest sin there is. It's the unforgivable sin. Did you know that? When the Lord talks about an unforgivable sin, He talks about going through that door of our death in unbelief. All of a sudden, all those things were sin, and I was sitting in the pews thinking to myself, how? How could this one save me, who is so wretched? By the sacrifice of His Son?

By imputing to me His righteousness, because I have none of my own? live in the darkness they love than the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest their deeds be reproved. I don't want to go to that light. I don't want to leave the sin that I love in this world. We could not believe God because in our natural state we believed we were better than what God says we are.

I remember when Gene first made these words pretending somebody was talking against his mother. How dare you speak about my mother that way? They're right. It's not the minister speaking about your mother that way. It's not the minister calling your grandmother a liar.

It's God Almighty. And He's speaking truth. Because we all come into this world speaking lies. We all come into this world deserving of His wrath and of death. Yet there is great hope. Great hope for our sister Judy. She's believed for a long time about the things of the Lord. Anybody who's ever been able to spend more than five minutes with her know that to be true. When you shine the light on what the nature of all mankind truly is, you'll get mostly anger and hatred from it. People don't like to be told the truth about themselves.

Here is grace. Like I said a moment ago, if you could picture Christ in any way whatsoever, to what He truly looks like, it would be grace. But God. That's grace. Maybe that's why one of my favorite statements in God's Word, But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love, wherewith he loved us. This is to be under grace, folks. To understand the greatness of his words when he says to you and I, but God. You know, we were talking about this on Friday night in our Friday night study.

Peter, you know, he denied the Lord three times. In the book of Luke's record of it, it shows where The Lord was very close to him, because Luke's recording of it tells us that the Lord looked over at Peter after the third denial, and He heard Peter doing it.

He heard Peter speaking to him, and He looked! He looked at Peter! And I thought to myself when I was bringing that up, that's exactly what He did when Peter was sinking in the water. He looked over and in compassion and in love, he reached down and he grabbed Peter by the arm. He looked at Peter with compassionate eyes and Peter saw his sin before God and went out and wept.

Oh man, but God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sin. and had made us alive together with Christ by grace you're saved and have raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That in the ages to come, He might show the exceeding richness, riches of His grace in His kindness, Accords us through Christ Jesus, for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, this man should boast. Hold your place here at Romans, and turn over to Philippians chapter 2.

By His grace, some, Those who are predestinated, as we have been looking at in our Bible study in the 10 o'clock hour, we've been following our brother Don's book on basic Bible doctrines, and we're in chapter 12 where it talks about predestination. Predestination is what God has determined His people, those that He has loved, everlasting love. Every time you see the word predestination or predestinated in scriptures, it's talking about God's people. Those that He has loved.

By His grace, some receive or are predestinated to receive the gift of faith. That's what we read in Ephesians chapter 2 a moment ago. The gift to believe God's Word. The gift to believe who Jesus is. To believe that God Himself manifested Himself in the flesh and came to this world to a body that was prepared for Him to go to the cross and die. We believe who Jesus is.

He's God in the flesh. He's the God-man. God in human form. Look at Philippians 2, verses 5 and 6 here. Let this mind be in you, which also is in Christ Jesus, who being the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Over in the book of John, we see where he says, I and my Father are one. We are given the gift to believe what Christ has done. His name shall be called Jesus for he shall save his people. Now look at verses 7 and 8.

But made himself of no reputation. This is coming down to this world. Leaving the majesty that belonged to him and took unto himself no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant. and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in the fashion of the man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Galatians 4 verse 4, we read this, But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law. that we might receive the adoption of sons. The spotless Lamb of God, our substitute, the gift to believe Christ in where He is right now. Look at Philippians 2, verses 9, 10, and 11. Where is He right now?

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him. Remember, He was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God has also highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. He's King of Kings, folks. He's Lord of all. He's the sovereign ruler over all that is.

Being under the rule of grace is to believe God's Word. By His grace we are saved. To believe His Word, by His grace we believe. To believe His Word, by His grace alone we are saved. Galatians 3, verses 24-27, Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Do you see grace? Do you see how that the Lord Jesus is grace? The whole thought, the whole idea from beginning to end of who He is in the flesh is all about being gracious to an undeserving people.

Go back to our text now. In Romans chapter 5 this time. Look again with me at verse 21. that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Now look at verse 14 of chapter 6.

With all of that in mind, grace, grace, with looking at our Savior's face and seeing pure, unadulterated grace, for sin shall not have dominion over you. For ye are not under the law, but under grace. We may not totally understand it. But if you're a child of God, you'll believe it. His Word is our rule, not just the parts we like or want, but all the counsel of God. I know He is sovereign in all things. I know that all things are for my good. I know He will never leave me nor forsake me. I know His Word is truth. Do you? Can you say that about yourselves as well?