Sovereign Grace Chapel, located at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. I want to first start my message out by reading this quote from William Huntington. He was born in 1745 and lived till 1813. And I may have read this to you all before, but I'm going to read it again. I really like this quote.

The law obeyed and disarmed of its curse is in the heart of the mediator, who is judge of quick and dead, and therefore keeps the keys of hell and of death. The believer is under the law of faith to Christ, and they that are his have crucified the flesh with the affections and lust. Such are delivered from the law, and against such there is no law, and sin is not imputed where there is no law. I do insist upon it that if a believer be brought to the law of Moses to be under it in any other sense, sin stares him in the face, wrath works in his heart, his enmity is stirred up, bondage seizes him, and despondency or despair will sink him unless the law of the spirit of life makes him free. from the law of sin and death.

That's really good. I just happen to like William Huntington stuff. So now, if you would, turn with me to Romans 3. Romans 3. Romans 3 and I want to read verses 24 through 27 for right now Romans 3 verse 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God, To declare I say at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then?

It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. We read in verse 25, it says that God has set him forth, and that is Jesus Christ, to be a propitiation for us. You know what that word means? It means an atoning victim or mercy seat. We kind of went through some of that last week. Think about this though, the mercy seat. And that's basically the top of the ark. That's what the mercy seat is, the ark of the covenant. What was one thing that was under the mercy seat?

The tables of stone, the law. The quote moral law. I want to ask this, and it's been said here before, but what part of God's law is immoral? All of it is a moral law. The law is one. It is one law with many commandments. We are told by James, for whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. So it all goes together. Even those sacrifices, because those sacrifices pointed to Jesus Christ. But back to what I was saying.

To get to the unbroken law, you must go through the mercy seat. but still using the Old Testament in that picture, no one was supposed to see inside of that ark. We get to the inside of the ark, so to speak, through the mercy seat. We read in 1 Samuel that God killed men who looked inside of the ark. I wanna go through some things that are said here and just get an idea of what God says about them.

We can see them all right here, but we will go to other places as well. First of all, the righteousness of God, then faith, and then I wanna talk about our labor. I know some may say, what? Is he talking about works? Well, let's see, let's see. So first, the righteousness of God.

What do we read here in Romans three about the righteousness of God? to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. There is one righteousness that can remit sins. That is the righteousness of God. We know man, and especially religious man, but it's not limited to religious folks, because even the irreligious think they can do good. But man likes to seek out his righteousness. We've read it before in Romans 10. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

I know Paul is specifically talking to the Jews here, or about the Jews that are after the flesh here. But this is the state of a man as he is born in Adam. This flesh loves its own righteousness and it will not submit itself to the righteousness of God.

This flesh likes to do. For those outside of Christ, it's all they know. But even for believers, this is a struggle because all of us still have this flesh with us. Some only have the flesh. But this flesh wants to, and it thinks it can do something worthy of praise before God. But our righteousness is not the righteousness of God. God tells us in his word that even our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in God's sight. But yet this flesh says, no God, I can do.

But let's look at it a little further here in our text in verse 26. to declare, I say at this time, his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Paul declares here, and we are also to declare this, his righteousness. For what reason is it that we declare his righteousness? Because first, he is the just one. Do you want to see righteousness? Look at the just one. Jesus Christ and all that he did was just. But this is talking more about God having to be just.

He could not just let his son die on that tree as he is. God cannot kill a just one. That is an abomination to God. He had to make Him to be sin for us. That sin was ours. Him taking our sin in His own body allowed God to be just. Sin must be punished, and when God the Father saw sin in the Son, because the Son bore our sins in His own body, He had to condemn that sin, and it was condemned by Him forsaking Jesus Christ our Lord. in him dying the death that we should have died. But we also see here the second part of that statement. By doing this, he was also the justifier. And we know the ones he justified by that act, that great transaction, because they are the ones that believe.

Listen to me. Is there anything in what I have said that speaks to fallen sinful man or saved sinful man? Is it anything there that's speaking about him doing anything? If we place boasting anywhere on man, then we are looking at the wrong thing. Read it, verse 27. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. Paul was asking his readers of this epistle, where is boasting with man? There is none.

He says it is excluded. Does this exclusion come from the keeping of the law? No, it is not excluded by this. That's what he says. It is excluded by law though. What law? By the law of faith. So think about it. Any boasting is excluded and it is excluded by law. But it is excluded by the law of faith. So let's talk about faith a little bit.

Faith that is spoken of here in this passage is a faith that is the righteousness of God. But this faith has nothing to do with fallen sinful man. This faith does not come from any fallen sinful son of Adam. This faith is the faith of Jesus Christ. So if I'm going to please God, It's going to have to come from without of myself in order to do so. What do we read in scripture specifically about this subject? It says, without faith, it is impossible to please God. I have to have faith. And it has to be the faith that is righteous before God. Faith is how we will be justified before God. Romans 3 28 says, therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

I just want to point this out. When does this stop? Does God just wind us up and then let us go? We must have the faith of Jesus Christ and the only way we can have it is if it is given to us by God. and it is he that must keep us that way. We know here well, we know it here well, the scripture says faith is the gift of God.

This gift is not a gift like we might see some folks do and call it a gift. You know, have you ever seen someone that'll put a chair out on the corner or a couch or whatever and they'll put a sign on it that says free, just take it. God does not do this. The faith of the Son of God is too precious to God to just sit it out there hoping someone will take it. The fact is, if God did that, then none would have faith. Because we hate God by nature and would never come to God though he sit it right before our face.

You see, we have a heart problem. Our heart is, in Jeremiah 17, I'm very familiar to you, the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Who can know it? To change this heart, we would have to circumcise it. I remember Walker pointing this out, and what do we read in Deuteronomy 10, 16? Circumcise, therefore, the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked.

How do I do that? That question is the first question that comes to man's mind, is this flesh thinks, how can I do that? The point is, you cannot do this. Tell me how you would do it. Even if this was only talking about that heart muscle, how would you do that? Now this is talking about the seed of affections, if you will, for lack of a better way to say it. Just how are we going to do that? We cannot.

God will give us a circumcised heart. If anyone ever pays attention that hear men like us here at chapel, they will notice one thing. For us to have anything, it must be God that gives it to us. He does not do this by sitting it out in the world for us to pick it up. This is a personal thing. He will come to us personally to breathe life into a dead soul. Life from the Spirit has fruit, and part of that fruit is faith.

Faith is intrinsic to God, and it is He who must give it, and He does, and He does this personally by coming to His people and breathing into them life. Now, this faith does one thing. It believes God. But if you never hear anything about God, you will never believe God, because this faith believes God. God, again, must send us someone. Who do these someones do, or what do these someones do? They preach the faith of Jesus Christ. If they don't, then they are not sent of God.

Where do we see the faith of Jesus Christ? in the gospel, what he did on that tree to be just and the justifier of them that believe. What do we read in Romans 1, 16 and 17? For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believe it, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith.

As it is written, the just shall live by faith. It's not just an accompaniment that we dangle before men so they can see us. Faith is how we live. It is our way of life, in other words. If I look at the law, all I will see is bondage. But by faith, I see life. And that life is seen in a person. That person being Jesus Christ the Lord. By faith, we see that this is so. I mean, Jesus Christ is the life of the believer. But in this flesh, we will not see that. We cannot see that. We will go about to establish our own righteousness in this flesh. Listen to me.

If you are in any way and at any time looking to the deeds of the law for righteousness before God, if you think you can do righteousness before God by doing the law, the moral law, the Ten Commandments, then you must live totally and completely by that law. Turn with me to Galatians 3. Galatians 3. Galatians 3. Galatians 3 verses 10 through 12. Galatians 3 verses 10 through 12.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse, for it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. but that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident, for the just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith, but the man that doeth them shall live in them. If you are of the works of the law, if it is your life to try to keep the Ten Commandments, you are under a curse, that's what it says. Because if that is where you are, you must keep them completely and continually.

We are told that anyone who is just, and anyone who is, is made so by Jesus Christ. But anyone who is just lives by faith. Their way of life is faith, that is, believing God. No justification before God comes from the doing of the law. Paul tells us this is evident. This is something that Paul just keeps on hitting us with because he's already said this in Galatians 2 and verse 16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ. And not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

There we see it. It is not a faith that we work up, but it is the faith of Jesus Christ. And it is that faith which God must give to us personally for us to please Him. With man, it is impossible. But with God, all things are possible. Now some might ask the question, are you saying we do not do any works? No, I'm not saying that.

We know we read in scripture that it is God that both works in us to will and to do of his good pleasure. So we do do some things. If we do, it is by the working of him that is just and the justifier of them that believe. But this leads me to my next point, our labor.

There are some who say, and there are some who have said in Paul's time, so are you saying you can live as you please? Or they might say, so you think it's okay to break God's law? That's what they said to Paul, Romans 3, 8, it says, and not rather, as we be so slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say, let us do evil that good may come, whose damnation is just. I do not think it is okay to break God's law, yet I break it all the time. The law is that which God has given to us to show us that we cannot do for God. We cannot love God. In fact, Paul goes on to say these things there in Romans 3.

There is none good, no, not one. There is none that seek after God. We know this, that the law was very much alive. It has gone nowhere. But those who were in Christ, those for whom Christ died for, are dead to the law. If I'm dead to something, how much interaction do I have with it? None. But in Christ we are said to be dead to the law, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. If I look back to the law for anything other than what God intended for it to be, I am committing spiritual adultery. But yet we do work.

Turn with me to Hebrews 4. Hebrews 4. Hebrews 4 verses 4, I'm gonna read just 4 through 11. Hebrews chapter 4 verse 4, For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all his works. and in this place again, if they shall enter into my rest.

Seeing, therefore, it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached enter not in because of unbelief. Again he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time, as it is said, Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. Verse 11 it says, let us labor therefore to enter into that rest. To make an effort to enter into that rest. What is this meaning? Is Paul now saying now we must start doing the law of God so we can enter into that rest?

Paul was already said contrary to that. So certainly that is not what he is saying here. But we don't have to guess. The verse itself tells us what is meant. Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any men fall after the same example of unbelief. Let's be clear here.

The rest of God is Jesus Christ. It is him and his works that we rest in and not ours. If we are not laboring to enter into that rest, it is because we are in unbelief. So that tells me that my laboring is that labor to believe God and the record he gave of his son, our Lord Jesus Christ, our rest. It is a labor to look to Christ and Christ alone. But what does Christ tell us? in Matthew 11, 28 through 30.

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. There is a burden there, but it's a light burden.

It's not always peaches and cream for the children of God. This flesh loves and this flesh will take all it can. But by the grace of God and his gifts, he enables us to do that for which he tells us to do. But it's not as Earl used to say that we sit on our little stools of do nothing. But by his grace, we will labor to enter into that rest, the rest that is in Jesus Christ our Lord. I want to believe him. But I have to say, Lord, help thou mine unbelief.

But faith, that God-given faith does not just believe out of thin air, if you will. Faith believes the gospel, the record God gave of his son, when it is proclaimed to us. Because it is that, the preaching of the gospel that pleased God, to save them that believe. So if you're not interested in hearing the gospel, what do you have? So what do we conclude from all of this?

In Matthew 22, Jesus Christ, in replying to the Pharisees, who thought they were going to do better than the Sadducees, whom it says, our Lord put to silence, they thought they would get the better of God, these Pharisees. That is who Jesus Christ is. God. And these men, just like this world does, and just like this flesh does, I'm talking about my flesh, Paul Pendleton's flesh. My flesh thinks it cannot be silenced by God.

But Christ tells us that there are basically two commandments that sum up all of the law of God. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and the other which is likened to it, thou shalt love thy neighbor, as I said.

Does he then start to speak unto them of how they should go about doing this? In a way he does, but they do not understand, just as we do not understand before God opens our eyes of one who is blind. He began to speak to them of himself. He asked them, what think ye of Christ? whose son is he. They knew nothing but worldly things and thought in worldly ways. And when he told them in such a way that it was plain that they knew nothing, it silenced them. It says they did not ask him any more questions after that. We see this in this world today. You began to speak of Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone as salvation before God. the conversation and the questions will stop.