Stand Fast In Christ's Liberty

Q: What does the Bible say about standing fast in liberty?

Galatians 5:1 teaches believers to stand firm in the freedom Christ provides and to avoid returning to the bondage of the law. In Galatians 5:1, the Apostle Paul instructs believers to 'stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.' This liberty is not merely an abstract concept; it is rooted in the person of Christ, who is our freedom. To embrace this freedom is to reject any entanglement with the 'yoke of bondage,' which refers to the legalistic practices that seek to mix grace with the works of the law. Paul warns that falling back into such bondage equates to diminishing the grace of Christ, emphasizing that true freedom is only found in a steadfast faith in Him.

Q: How do we know Christ's grace is sufficient for salvation?

Scripture clearly states that salvation is not through works but through faith in Jesus Christ, as expressed in Ephesians 2:8-9. The sufficiency of Christ's grace for salvation is affirmed in numerous passages throughout the New Testament. Notably, Ephesians 2:8-9 declares, 'For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.' This teaches that salvation is entirely a work of God’s grace that cannot be earned or supplemented by human effort. When one believes, it is by the faith of Jesus Christ, rather than personal works or merits, securing their justification and resulting in true spiritual freedom.

Q: Why is understanding grace important for Christians?

Understanding grace is crucial for Christians as it prevents legalism and fosters a true relationship with God through faith in Christ. Understanding grace is vital for believers because it fundamentally shapes our relationship with God. Grace teaches that we are not justified by our works but by faith in Jesus Christ alone. This truth liberates us from legalism, which seeks to add human conditions to God's grace. Furthermore, recognizing the depth of God's grace helps Christians live in the freedom that Christ intended, inspiring love and obedience borne from gratitude, rather than duty. The message of grace counters the temptation to rely on personal righteousness, affirming that Christ’s sacrifice is our sole basis for acceptance before God.

All right, I am in, of course, Galatians. I just want to read one verse this morning, Galatians chapter five, verse one. Let me read that verse and give you my title. I might say my subject as well. and I'll make a couple statements and I'll get into the message in earnest. Galatians chapter five, verse one, where of course Paul is continuing.

He's not even... He never really, you know, compared to like, say, 1st and 2nd Corinthians or Romans, he's not shifting gears here. There are places in those letters where he kind of goes on to a different, maybe another subject or something to that matter. He stays on this one subject all the way throughout this letter to the churches of Galatia. And he makes this statement, Galatians 5 verse 1. Stand fast, therefore. So there is reason why we should stand fast.

Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. But note he does not, this is the same sentence, he does not stop there. And be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. and my title for this morning is Stand Fast in Christ Liberty. Now, I know it is our liberty that we stand in, but we stand in it. He is it. You see the difference?

We stand in that liberty, but he didn't just make liberty for us, though I'm sure we could say that is true, but it's more than that. He himself is our liberty. Remember what Paul told the church at Rome, that we're dead to the law, that we might be married to another, okay? He is our liberty.

I know you've heard this phrase, there's a couple I'll give you here. One's more prevalent than the other, but I know you've heard the phrase, oil and water do not mix. You've heard that, and of course it is a fact. For oil and water to actually mix, now you can shake it, but it won't be long that it will begin to separate again. Oil and water has to have an emulsifier. and I'm not gonna try to explain what an emulsifier is. Oil and water do not mix, or a less common phrase is, and this one is more prevalent because I'm not saying there is not an emulsifier for this, but I'm not aware, I didn't study enough about it just to see whether there is an emulsifier for this.

Water and mercury do not mix. The old, I don't know if they even make them much anymore, but the old thermometers that had the mercury in it, they didn't mix no water with that. It would make a mess, it's just pure mercury. And just as a side note, when I was in the seventh grade, Jack, they put it in our hands, the mercury, and let us sit there and play with it. But it's true, oil and water do not mix. Mercury and water do not mix.

Now, the grace of Christ, and I put it that way because Paul actually, doesn't he put it that way? I marvel, verse six of chapter one, I marvel that you're so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ. Do you see it? Unto another gospel.

You see, the grace of Christ has its polar opposites, its incompatibilities. In other words, things that are diametrically opposed to Christ himself and his grace, okay? The law is not opposed to Christ, okay? The law is not even opposed to Christ and his grace. The law demands Christ and his grace. But the law does not contain Christ's grace. The law's not grace. There are things that are polar opposites to Christ and his grace. There are things that are incompatible. There are things that are diametrically opposed. Our text states one of these. And let's see the serious nature of it. Now we'll read a few more verses with that verse so we can get the immediate context. Although I will admit, I'm not going to deal with the immediate context. I'm going to deal with the overall truth that is set forth here.

That is, stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and along with that must be this. You can't take the first statement and reject the second one. And be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. As I said, I'm not going to deal with these phrases this immediate context in particular, though I will, God willing, later. But look how serious of a matter this is. Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, and we'll deal with that later. That's amazing. Why does he say it that way? Behold, I, Paul, say unto you that if you be circumcised, now he's not talking about if you've actually been circumcised and you're cut off by God, that's not what he's talking about. But if you do this circumcision for a specific reason, okay? And we'll deal with that more later. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, here's how serious this liberty and not being entangled again with the yoke of bondage is. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you, what's that next word?

Nothing. Now that's as strong as you can get. I mean, you could use a lot of other words, but they mean the exact same thing. Christ shall profit you nothing. But that's not it, that's not all. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised. That's for a specific reason, okay? That he is a debtor to the whole law.

Christ, here's how serious it is. Christ is become of no effect unto you, Whosoever of you are justified by the law that is this is in your thing if this is really the way you think If this is really the way you believe Here's what here's where you are. You are fallen from grace.

I Don't know of anything more serious You know now we are to Stand fast and we're to stand fast at a specific thing stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, but with that comes this, and I'll use the word, and Paul said it this way, if you want a law, here's you a law. Here's you a law, but it's not mosaic law. It's not a law that deals with flesh. It's law through which the Spirit of God guides and leads and rules his people.

Stand fast therefore in the liberty where Christ has made us free. Has he made me free? There's a question. Okay then, has he? If he has, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Why do I stress that? That's what I'm getting at. Why does Paul stress that? Why does he in this letter just keep stressing it from various vantage points? Looking at this thing of Christ and his grace and law, looking at it from different vantage points, why does he keep stressing this thing over and over and over?

False Christianity, I'm gonna try to explain it now. False Christianity. And I say false Christianity. Paul spoke of some people, some people he'd met up with, and some people that these churches of Galatia had met up with, and he calls them false brethren, right? He did not have the spirit of ecumenicism. He did not have the spirit of, well, at least they believe in the sovereign Christ.

This is what scares me when I hear people just say, well, I believe in the sovereign Christ. Okay, that's good. That's not enough. It's not enough just to stand fast in the liberty where it's Christ that made you free if you're not truly standing fast in that liberty, if you're adding something else to that. False Christianity. Legalism.

Tries to act as this emulsifier that I mentioned. They try to act as an emulsifier of Christ and the law. They think it's their duty to somehow make Christ and the law mix. Christ and his grace somehow come together. They think this is scriptural. At least some of them do. At least some of them do. I won't speak for all of them, but at least some of them do.

Emulsification may work for water and fat. You know what happens when you take water and fat, especially cow's fat, and you mix it together? You add this emulsifier. You know what you get when you add water and fat from the cow? Not the fat in their muscles, the fat from what they produce. You know what you get? Milk. That's what you get.

But the milk that we drink has to be emulsified for it to remain as what we think of as milk, okay? It may work fine for that, but it is an offense to Christ to try and mix our efforts with his. No matter how important the law we use to stress that is. For instance, thou shalt love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. That is vital, right? That is vital.

And it's one of two commands that Christ said summarizes all of God's holy law. But the truth of scripture is I cannot do that. I cannot, now it doesn't just say love God, does it? It doesn't just say love God. It says to love God with all your heart, call your soul, I might not get the exact quote right, but your mind and your strength. I cannot do that.

False Christianity says, here's what it says, and I know there are some who don't say this, but these legalists, these legalists that the Galatians had to deal with, and many legalists that we, either have to do with, or we will come into contact with, or in some way, shape, or form, we will have to deal with them. These legalists will say, yes, we need Christ's work.

Remember, these people weren't denying the necessity of Jesus Christ. They weren't denying his sovereignty. They weren't even denying his efficacious redemption. They were just saying that these other things were part of the means God uses to join you to it.

Because after all, God does use means, doesn't he? Right? I mean, it pleased God by a means, by the foolishness of preaching to save them to believe. So if that's a means, then this other thing is a means as well. But we best make sure we're looking at the right means, that we're stressing the right means. They say, yes, we need Christ's work. but we must have something of our works mixed in. Maybe not even make it effectual. Some may teach that, okay?

I'm not saying some don't teach that, but if you teach that just as an evidence that God's done something for you. You see, if God's really saved you, you'll be circumcised. Do you see what I'm saying? They don't have to say you gotta be circumcised before you're ever converted. But they will say, if God has converted you, then you will be circumcised. Now, that may seem like worlds apart to this religious world, but it's the exact same thing Paul was fighting against right here. Yes, we need Christ's work, but we must have something of our works mixed in.

Now, listen, and I'm gonna quote from We'll quote from this letter. And I'm gonna quote from a statement, and it won't be verbatim, I'll go back and look at it in a moment, but I wanna quote from scripture how important this thing is. Now listen to it.

To believe in Jesus Christ. Remember these Judaizers, these legalists, they were not denying that you must believe in Jesus Christ, right? That's an essentiality of scripture. That's God's ordained means to call the elect out of darkness. When he calls them into light, they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. But listen, to believe in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by Christ's own faith, that believing includes our rejecting other things. by the very nature of the beast, if I can use that phrase.

Now, read the scripture again with me. Galatians chapter two, verse 16. This is what Paul said to Peter. Knowing, verse 16, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law. I'll tell you, when God Almighty converts someone, when he sends the gospel to someone, they will begin to realize that they cannot be justified by the works of the law. That's one of the things the Spirit of God convinces those God converts of, is of sin, okay? Of sin. But we find out that sin rests mainly not in, well, we just don't keep the law. We know we haven't done that. You see, to think that here's a person who thinks I've kept the law, and then God saves them, they just believe in Jesus, and they still think they're keeping the law. They ain't never been such a creature. Do you understand what I'm saying? What I'm trying to point out here?

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Okay, but by what he has done, by his believing God, and his believing God was truly that faith that James talks of that had action with it. Okay? Action with it. 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. Do you see it? That we might be justified by the faith of Christ. Do you see it?

We don't believe and then think that one act of believing causes God to justify us. We might not understand that fully when it took place, but that's what it was. We were believing in Christ because we knew Christ did the justifying. If you, listen to me, if me, if you, if we believed in Jesus, thinking that because of our act of believing, God would just justify us, then why did Christ have to die at all? He had to die and justify us, and we believe that he did. And that is believing in Jesus.

Do you see the difference? I hope we do. I think most everyone here does, but you know what? There's a lot of people that don't. Because they think, after all, okay, here's a man or a woman, they believe in Jesus Christ, they submit to him, they say, okay, Christ is my hope, he died for me, he was buried, Jack, he rose again, and he went back to glory, and he's seated there, exalted in the heavens.

But now what's wrong if I just wanna be circumcised? Just to make sure, right? Maybe not even as an act of justification, but just to make sure I'm really converted. I mean, what's wrong with this group of people singing praises to the Lord? Are we not commanded to in the Scripture? Huh? We're commanded to in the Scripture.

But if I do that thinking that somehow that's evidence for me to hang my hat on, as we say, for a hope, just a little bit of help, just a little bit of comfort, then I'm adding my own circumcision, but that it quotes, into the mix. You see what I'm saying?

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 here's that opposite side, you see. That other thing that does not mix, that God brings all of his people to reject, if they truly believe in Jesus Christ. and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law, there shall no flesh be justified. So again, I say to believe in Jesus Christ, that we may be justified by Christ's own faith. That believing includes rejecting other things for justification. You don't reject singing. but you definitely know you're not singing to aid him, to help him, or as a manifestation of the fact that you're justified before God. You see, even, now think about this. I've got six things I wanna kinda give you, but I may not have time to deal with them in a lot of detail, but that'll be okay.

You see, even when we believe Believing in Christ is not our work. It's not our effort. Now, it's something we are involved in. It's something we do. But it's still not our work. It's not our effort. When a man or a woman truly believes God, in this sense, where they lean upon Christ only, And thus they began to see, they began to see. They might not see it all at one time, but they began to see all these other things I've got to let go of, okay? I'll give you a subscription for that. Even when we believe it's not our work, it's not our effort, it is an act of God upon us.

OK, turn to John six. I may not get much further than this. I don't know because this is what I'm trying to point out first and foremost this morning. And I mean, these these six things are very, very vital. But maybe we'll just start with those six things next time. I don't know how far I get this morning.

I'm trying to emphasize the fact that it's not just believing in the truth that Jesus is sovereign, that Jesus is God, that Jesus lived a perfect life, that he could cast out demons at his own will. And they couldn't resist him, right? It's not that we believe he simply died for the elect and he was raised again for the elect. and that he went back to glory and intercedes now for the elect. It's not just that if you're still hanging on to all these other things.

Let me put it this way, God begins to wean us. He begins to, I'm not saying all of a sudden, I'll show you the scriptures. I'm not saying all of a sudden you understand how everything else is seen, but you will begin to see it. Okay, now look at the first one is John 6, 27. This is Christ speaking to the Jews. And remember, he's just fed thousands of them with just a little handful of food. Well, some fishes and some bread, right? Enough to feed just a small group of people and he's fed thousands.

But listen to what he says in verse 27. Labor not for the meat which perisheth. But for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall, what is it? What's that next word? Give, not which he offers. See, it's not about he offers this and then we take it. No, he's got to what? Give it, okay? Which the Son of Man shall give unto you, for him hath God the Father sealed. In other words, that's the way you're gonna get it, through him. It don't come through any other person.

It don't just come through the Holy Spirit, else Christ would not have had to die. It's not just, we need to believe in God. Well, why didn't God just cause us to believe in God? That'd be enough, because God's gotta deal with sin. God's gotta deal with rebellion, and he has to punish it. Where did he do that? In his son. in his son, for him hath God the Father sealed.

Now look, then said they unto him, what shall we do that we might work the works of God? Normal question, right, because he just told them to labor for that meat which perisheth not, right? Did he just say work for it, right? Labor, huh? And let me tell you, men and women ought to. Just because they can't just does not mean they should not be commanded to. We're commanded to keep the law, but do we? Huh? Now come on now. Let's not be so Calvinistic-minded that we deny the scripture and try to make it fit what we want it to say, okay? Let's see what God the Son said. Then said they unto him, what shall we do that we might work the works of God? Now they haven't really got it yet.

It's like I said, in other words, Tim James kind of put it this way. They had just seen Christ feed them and they knew it was just this one little kid that, what was it, 12? Somebody help me here. How many fishes and how many loaves? Just a few. Whatever it was, it was just a few. They'd seen this. And I like the way Tim James paraphrased their question.

Lord, help us do that trick. Huh? Yeah. If you'd help show us how to do this work of God, we'd never be hungry. Right? And you know, were they really worried about their soul, their sin? No, they thought the Jews will be back in charge one day. And bless God, if you'd show us how to do this trick, we always have food, that's one step we got above the enemy. You see what?

That's the way they were thinking. They said, what might we, what, I'm sorry. Then said they unto him, what shall we do that we might work the works of God? But notice they add in not just a singular all-important work, they have to add in what multiple works. Do you see it? First of all, the work, but then they said works.

But look, Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work of who? This is the work of God. He said it right out. This is God's work. Right, I mean it's right there. We got it right there in black and white as we say, right? This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. Isn't that marvelous? Isn't that amazing? So if I do believe, whose work was it? God's work. Isn't that what that says? That's what the master, now believe we must. Believe some shall. But even when they do, whose work must they claim it as? God's, because God's the one that really did it.

Do you see what I'm saying now? All right, here's another one. Ephesians chapter one. And I know you know these things, but like Paul said, when I leave this evening, I'm not gonna be able to tell you exactly what all Paul said this morning. And when I leave this evening, I'm not gonna be able to reiterate to you everything I said if I don't get my notes up here and look at some of them to guide me. You understand what I'm saying?

We forget these things so easily. Not that we forget them altogether, but we get busy with other things and we can't keep them in our mind. And rightfully so to this extent, we got responsibilities we gotta do, you know? But look at it, okay, here we are. Even when we believe, I said, it is not our work, it is not our effort, we cannot claim any merit by it. So we don't believe to get God in a good humor toward us, to give us grace. We can only believe if God's already been gracious to us and he's doing this work upon us.

Okay, now you're in Ephesians one. This is how Paul puts it. And see what I thought about, I wrote down these verses, I thought these people know this. Maybe I should just go on to the six things and not even worry about this. But I've got to be reminded about this, that even my believing, I can't take any merit, not even a part of the merit. This is the work of God, that you believe on him whom he has sent. Let's see a little more about this, Ephesians chapter one, verse 19. Now Paul is praying for these Ephesians that they might know some things, right? Understand some things, comprehend some things. And here's a part of it, verse 19, Ephesians one.

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power? Toward us to or yeah, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us word? Do you see why I said to? us word So who's doing the acting here? Who's doing the work? Who's doing the effort? God is and it's just exceeding powerful thing this is and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us word who believe and according to the working of his mighty power.

That's how we believed. It takes an act of God's mighty power to act toward me, to me, for me to believe. So, Tommy, how can I take credit for that? How can I say, well, God, I believe, so you got to do this for me. Now, if it was this free will scheme, we could say that.

But it would say that in this book too. But it don't. You see it? It tells us how it is. And this is what I want you to know. Verse 18, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his calling. So you're not gonna be tricked by these hucksters. You know, with the little shell game tricking you. Look at.

And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us who believe according to the working of his mighty power? What kind of power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead? In other words, it takes resurrection power. The same kind of resurrection power to take to bring a dead body back to life again. You understand, do I understand?

Christ's body was dead when they put it in that tomb? He was not, as some tried to teach, he was covetous. And he was just kind of totally out of it, and they couldn't tell a heartbeat, and they buried him. And after the third day, he kind of revived. I've heard it said he revived in the coolness of the tomb. He was dead. The only difference between his death and ours is his body didn't start to decay. He was just as dead as you and I one day will be dead.

But what had got raised him? from the dead, you see it? Which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead, but not just that, and set, S-E-T, that is, God the Father took him, said, in this sense, I'm illustrating now, I'm not saying it happened just like, I'm illustrating, here's Christ, he said, all right, right here's where you, here's your place, you see it? Right here. And set him at his own right hand in heavenly places.

Sounds like it takes an act of God for somebody to believe, don't it? Of course, you know this one. Ephesians 2, verse 8 and 9, for by grace are you saved through faith. All right, well, see, there's something that we gotta do, have faith. Look, yeah, it is, that's true. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.

Isn't that what God says? So when a man and a woman comes along, we say, well, yeah, but if we've got to believe, then maybe we got to be circumcised. If we got to believe, maybe we got to not commit adultery. If we got to believe, maybe we got to not do this and not do that.

But we already have. See, this is the problem, we already have. Before God saved us, we'd already broken his law. He doesn't save us so we can start making up for it. He saved us because we broke it. We're already guilty. We're already under just condemnation by the law.

So again, I stress this. Now somebody says, but, okay, what, this thing of, you say when a man or a woman believes, they immediately throw down everything else. No, I don't know that we immediately throw down everything else, but we begin to. We begin to, now let me show you the passage and turn to 1 Thessalonians. Let me make sure I'm right before I give you the, yes, 1 Thessalonians. I'll end with this. We'll have to, God willing, pick this up and look at these six things next time, whenever that is. 1 Thessalonians chapter one. And you pardon me just a minute here. I've hit something on this. Now think about this.

Most people believe this. This is the way they think, even if they're not taught that way. You know, to believe in Jesus is vital, and everything else really don't matter. If I add in singing, praying, repenting, keeping the law, as long as I believe in Jesus, right?

It matters, because God will have no competition with his son. His Son will get all the glory. He will. No flesh will glory in God's presence. Now it may glory in itself, it may glory in and with others. It may glory over others, but it will not glory before God. Now listen to what Paul puts it, how Paul writes it.

He starts out, his first letter to the church at Thessalonica, and I remember, it'll be in the end of this passage, but I remember Earl mentioning this. This has been years ago, and I don't remember if it was while we were at Mabscot or after we'd moved to here. And Earl mentioned, he mentioned this. I'm gonna mention it the same way. It may not be the exact same words he used. And all of a sudden, it just hit me like a bolt of lightning, as we say. It's like all of a sudden, God turned the light on, okay? We'll get to it in just a moment.

Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians, which is in God the Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers. Does that mean Paul prayed for every single individual in the church?

I don't think he had time to, because he prayed for all kinds of churches. And I'm not saying it's wrong to pray for individuals. Now, don't you get me wrong. Don't you say, Walter said, it doesn't matter. It does matter. But you can't pray for every individual. But you can say, Lord, bless those people in that place. You know, bless them, be with them. We don't even really know what one another needs here. Not what we really need, now do we?

But we can pray for all of them, can't we? We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father.

Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. Now that's a tall statement, isn't it? to know that God chose me? Paul says, I know he chose somebody else. How's that? When did the election take place? Before the world was, right? How do we know it? When God manifests the means he uses, right?

Look, knowing brethren, beloved of the Lord, your election of God for our gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghost. I'm gonna sum it up this way, because God Almighty had laid hold of you by his spirit through the preaching of the word, you couldn't get away from it.

You may have tried, you may have resisted as we say, but he still had you. He still had you. For our gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. This is not the assurance we think of after God saves you, I kinda want some assurance. This is you became assured of what this word says about Jesus Christ. That's what it's about.

As you know what manner of men we were among you for your sake, and you became followers of us and of the Lord, and note the order. Now I'm not even got to the part Earl, It dawned on me. You notice that? You see, don't, let us never think, well, I follow the Lord, doesn't matter whether I'm with some of his people or not. No, you will be with his people. If you can be, I know there are exceptions to that rule, I understand that, but you're followers of what? Us and of the Lord. I'm saying, well, look at the way some of them are. Yeah, look at, look at, look at the way some of them are. that you became followers of us and of the Lord and have received the word in much affliction.

What's that mean? They were all sick and infirmed and one of them had a broke arm and one of them had stumped a toe real bad. That ain't the affliction, no. It's when God Almighty has brought you down as far as you can go and made you to see what you really are.

That's affliction. Now you would have thought about affliction even after he saves you. And he brings you down low, he chastens you. That's tough. But still, look, here it is, with joy of the Holy Ghost. You see, when God brings you all the way down, that's because God's pleased to show you that's the kind he saves. The kind that can't save themselves. the kind that can't lift themselves up by their own bootstraps, as men say. But we're still getting there.

So that you were in samples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia, not the whole world. A lot of the world will look at you and say, oh, there's a nut. What in the world are they talking about, being one of the elect because they believed preaching? You know, look, so that you were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia, for from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to Godward is spread abroad, so that we need not speak anything.

People said, something happened to these folk. Now, unbelievers had no idea what it really was, but they knew something had happened. You remember in the book of the Acts, they called them Christians first at Antioch? It wasn't because they were warriors, really holy people. These people were just so moral and righteous. Was that what it was all about? No, because they were caught up with a man named Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And they were mocking them. They weren't putting it as a moniker of, look how great these people are. These people are caught up with this Jew named Jesus of Nazareth. Still ain't got to that passage yet.

For the word of the Lord is sound, so that we need not speak anything. Now here we get, we're getting there. For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you. And here it is, how ye turned to God from idols. Now stop, there's the statement. Aren't you glad it doesn't say you turned from idols to God? Because Earl said something along this way, you'd never get turned away from all your idols first. You see it? You turn to God and then what happens?

Then the idols begin to start dropping off. Then God begins to teach. Then you begin to see, okay? You know what I'm still having to drop idols today, hmm? Look how you turned to God from idols. You cannot reverse that order or you're damned. And you better not deny it either. Well, I turned to God, but what does it matter as long as I turn to God if I still have a little of this over here? And a little of that over there?

See, when you believe Christ only, there are certain things you begin to reject. Okay, and there's not just one thing. It's everything else. You see, it's everything else. We got relationships of husbands and wives, and there is a responsibility there, but that's not the relationship. Christ said if you don't love, If you love mother, father, brother, sister, whatever, husband, wife, child, if you love them more than me, you are not worthy of me. Said to, that you turn to God from idols, and here it is, to serve the living and true God and to wait for his son from heaven, he said.

That's where it's all at. God willing, I will use this statement, I'm about to wire this up. I got a statement I'm gonna give you that I have written down here and I'll probably use it again when we look at these six things next time, God willing. I'm gonna give you that, but then I'm gonna give you another quote by another individual. Now, listen to me now. Coming to Christ, trusting Christ, Believing Christ is to come to Him only. To Him only.

Even while you got all your other baggage with you. Okay? Even as you got all your legalism still with you. I'm not telling you to get rid of your legalism first, then come to Jesus. I'm telling you flee to him and him only, and then you'll be able to start. Then you'll see how the, no, let me, stop.

Then you'll start seeing how these other things may or may not matter, but you'll at least begin to start seeing them in their proper perspective, okay? Because there are certain things we're not to just drop. Okay, we don't all believe in Jesus only and then go live in some monastery and just read the Bible the rest of our life and pray prayers and sing songs. Okay? Coming to Christ, trusting Christ, believing Christ is to come to Him only. It is to trust Him only. It is to believe Him only, even with all the other baggage. And as the old songwriter said, just as I am.

He'll begin to help you to deal with all these other things. Illustrate that one man who said, he said, our Lord taught him that all things are possible to him that believes. He said, Lord, I believe. help thou by unbelief, huh? I notice that. I know what it says, but then I find myself trying to deal with my own unbelief. That's not what he asked the Lord to do, to give him power to deal with his own unbelief, now did he? But you know how hard it is just to give it all up? Impossible, apart from his grace.

And you do that a little here, and a little there, and you'll, I'm illustrating that you'll drop two or three things here, but you know what you'll do? You'll reach back over for this one somewhere, and he'll have to teach you to drop it all over again. Now, Henry, two quotes, I'm sorry. I will give you, Henry Manningham kind of put it this way, then I'll give you the quote I have here. Henry Manningham kind of put it this way. This is not exact, not verbatim.

He said everything you grip onto in this life other than Jesus Christ himself, you grip onto loosely. That way God won't have to break your fingers when he has to take it from you. Because if you're his and you're gripping onto it like that, he will break your fingers eventually. And it may be a long, slow, painful process, but he will. Again, coming to Christ, trusting Christ, believing Christ is to come to him only. Trust him only, believe him only. Thus, it is to begin to reject everything else for justification, for sanctification, for continuation, for personal, all of these things. You know, of course, God begins to teach you this.

Okay, now I wanna give you a quote by Thomas Brooks. And I am not trying to give a word for Thomas Brooks or against Thomas Brooks. I'm just telling you what Thomas Brooks wrote right here is good. Now, I think he was a gospel preacher. He was a nonconformist Puritan, which was different than most Puritans, but that's not the point.

Here's a quote from Thomas Brooks. God hath in himself all power to defend you. See that? All power to defend you. all wisdom to direct you, all mercy to pardon you, all grace to enrich you, all righteousness to clothe you, all goodness to supply you, and all happiness to crown you. Thomas Brooks, who lived in the 1600s.

My question for me is this, do I believe that? Do I believe that? Now think about it, I'm gonna turn back, I will give you a, I will let you in this message, God willing, will be weeks on down the line. Think about this statement, let me find it. All right, Galatians, if you wanna read it with me, Galatians five, verse five. And I ask this question.

Have you ever thought why, Why aren't things better for me? The way I conduct myself, the way I live in this world, why aren't things better for me than they are? You ever think that? Am I one of the really weak Christians? as compared to other strong, is that what it is? Is that what it is? Now like I said, we'll have a message on this, God willing, later, if he lets me be alive and able to speak. Look at verse five of Galatians five. Think about it in light of this.

Because the legalists will make you feel bad about yourself, okay? Because they think that's what they're supposed to continually do. Keep making you feel bad about yourself. No, we're to feel bad about our flesh. But we're not to feel bad about the new man that God's created in us in righteousness and true holiness. Look at the statement. For we, through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteousness. There's only one way we do it. By faith, so i'm giving you a heads up when we get to that message.

You already know that you're going to already know the answer Why don't I see things better? What's better than faith and love? What's better in a christian life than what faith and love Oh how complaining we are against God's great gift of faith and love. You know, because that enables us to deal with ourself, to deal with others, and more importantly, to even think about dealing with God. Because faith and love always point you to who first, Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, these things are so beyond us. We try to lay hold of them, Lord, and we do by your grace to an extent, but Lord, we can so easily let those things slip away from us while we grab on to everything else. Well, God, we thank you for your grace in Christ. We thank you, Lord, for your mercy and your compassion in Christ. Lord, we thank you for your rebukes and your chastening in Christ. And Lord, be with those who couldn't be here today for varying and different reasons, and others of our brothers and sisters still here in this world. Lord, be with us, guide us, direct us, and lead us. For Christ's sake, amen.

Stand Fast In Christ's Liberty

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about standing fast in liberty?

How do we know Christ's grace is sufficient for salvation?

Why is understanding grace important for Christians?

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Stand Fast In Christ's Liberty

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about standing fast in liberty?

How do we know Christ's grace is sufficient for salvation?

Why is understanding grace important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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