Take a trip. Open your Bibles
back to Acts chapter 15. Title for the message this evening
comes from verse 11. It's the last few words of verse
11. We shall be saved even as they." I want to consider this question
this evening. How? How shall we be saved? Verse 1, we see how easily, oh,
how easily works religion can raise its ugly head even among
God's people. It says certain men, certain
men which came down from Judea. Now it doesn't say certain brethren,
it just says certain men. Can't help but wonder were these
wolves in sheep's clothing? They were men that had brought
a false gospel. And they didn't just say you
need to be circumcised like Moses. They said this, except you be
circumcised as Moses, you cannot be saved. You can't be healed. You can't be preserved. You can't
be made whole. Let's stop right there for a
minute. Let me ask you this question. What do the Scriptures say? What
do the Scriptures say? In Romans 3 verse 20, turn over
there just a few pages to Romans chapter 3. beginning with verse 19 of Romans
3. Here we read, now, we know that
what thing soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under
the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world
become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, by circumcision, by keeping of days, by so-called righteous
living, by religious works, by the deeds of the law, by what
we do, there shall be no flesh. be justified in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge
of sin. These certain men, they said
again, except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you
cannot be saved. But the scriptures declare quite
the opposite, don't they? By the deeds of the law, there
shall no flesh, no flesh be justified in his sight. We read in God's
word, if they speak not according to his word, it's because there's
no light in it. How often does man say one thing
and the scriptures declare something quite the opposite? No wonder
those Bereans were known as noble Bereans because they went home
and they searched the Scriptures to see if those things were so. The law cannot say. The law cannot justify. The law cannot give us righteousness. No. Listen, the law can do a
few things. One, it can shut our mouths and
declare us guilty before Almighty God. The law can most certainly
do that. The law can make it very clear
to us our sin and our depravity. The law can shut us up to faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ. The law is a... Scriptures say
the law is a schoolmaster to bring us, to bring us to Christ. Back here in our text, back in
Acts 15, verse 2, Paul and Barnabas, it said they had no small dissension
and disputation. Paul and Barnabas didn't just
let this go. They didn't just, they didn't
say, well, you know, those fellows, they mean well. You know, they've
got good intentions. Have we heard that before? Twice in Galatians 1 we read,
if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that that you have
received, let him be cursed. These certain men were perverting
the gospel of Christ. And we read that Paul and Barnabas
would go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about
this question. Verse three, they passed through
Phoenicia and Samaria declaring the conversion of the Gentiles.
And it says they caused great joy, great joy unto all the brethren. Maybe they told them of the conversion
of Cornelius back there in Acts chapter 10. Look back there a
few pages, Acts chapter 10. Look at verse 22. Cornelius was a centurion, a
just man, one that feared God, one that had a good report among
the Jews. And he was warned of God to send
for Peter to hear the word, to hear the word from him. Look
at verse 33. It says, immediately, therefore,
I sent to thee, and thou hast well done that thou art come.
Now, therefore, we're all present before God to hear all things
that are commanded thee of God. Peter preached the gospel. Peter
preached the gospel to Cornelius. And look back, not just Cornelius,
look back in verse 24. It says, tomorrow after they
entered into Caesarea and Cornelius waited for them, and he called
together his kinsmen and his dear friends. I'm sure Cornelius was thrilled
to hear the gospel, but boy, he desired it. Don't we desire
the best for our loved ones? He called for them. He called
his kinsmen, he called his family, he called his friends. He wanted
them to hear what Peter had to say. And look at Acts 10, beginning
in verse 34. What did he have to say? Beginning
with verse 34, Peter opened his mouth and he said of a truth,
I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. In every nation,
he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with
him. The word which God sent unto
the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, he is
Lord of all. That word, I say, you know, which
was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee
after the baptism which John preached, how God anointed Jesus
of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, who went about
doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil,
for God was with him. And we're witnesses of all things
which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem,
whom they slew and hanged on a tree, him. God raised up the
third day and showed him openly, not to all the people, but unto
witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink
with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to
preach unto the people and to testify that it was he which
was ordained of God to be judge of the quickened dead. To him
give all the prophets witness that through his name whosoever
believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. And while
Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on them which
heard the word. And they of the circumcision
which believed were astonished. And as many as came with Peter,
because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift
of the Holy Ghost, for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify
God. Then answered Peter, can any
man forbid water that these should not be baptized, which have received
the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized
in the name of the Lord. And then prayed they to him to
tarry there certain days. Peter, Peter preached the gospel. of God's grace to them. Look
in verse 36. The Lord Jesus Christ, Son of
God. The Lord Jesus Christ, by whom
we have peace with God. The Lord Jesus Christ, who is
Lord of all. Look at verse 39. The Lord Jesus
Christ, whom they slew and hanged on a tree. Christ crucified. There He bore our sins. Verse 40, the Lord Jesus Christ
who God raised up. He was satisfied with that sacrifice. And He showed him openly. God
spoke from heaven. He said, this is my beloved Son
in whom I am well pleased. Verse 41. He showed Him openly. He revealed Him. And it says,
not to all the people, not to everybody, but unto witnesses
chosen before of God. Verse 42, the Lord Jesus Christ,
ordained of God to be the judge of the quick and the dead. Verse
43, to Him, Him give all the prophets witness, prophesied
throughout the Old Testament, that whosoever, whosoever Jew,
Gentile, bond, free, man, woman, boy, girl, whosoever believeth
in Him shall receive the remission of sins. Paul writing to Timothy,
he said, I know whom I believe. And I'm persuaded that he's able. He's able. And listen, the Holy
Ghost fell on all that heard the word and they believed. What
what a what a miracle of God's grace that a man could believe
the gospel to believe the truth. And in verse 48, we read they
were commanded to be baptized in the name of the Lord. They
they confessed the Lord Jesus Christ in believer's baptism. Now back to our text here in
Acts 15. Verse 3, Paul and Barnabas declared the conversion of the
Gentiles. And listen, that caused great joy. Is there anything we enjoy to
hear more than one of our One of our loved ones confessing
Christ. Oh, to hear the gospel, it brings
great, great joy. Now, it doesn't bring great joy
to all men. Some men hear this gospel and they go away angry. But to His people, oh, it brings
great, great joy. Rejoice that the gospel was being
preached. Listen, the spread in the gospel,
that the gospel was going forth and being preached, rejoiced
in the salvation of sinners. The scriptures declare this,
that there's joy in heaven over one sinner that repented. Let's read on here, Acts 15,
look at verse 4. When they were come to Jerusalem,
they were received to the church, to the apostles and the elders,
and they declared all things that God had done with them.
And there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees, which
believed, saying that it was needful to circumcise them and
to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and
elders came together to consider this matter. Look at verse 7, when there had
been much disputing. There'd been a lot of questions,
a lot of discussion. There'd been no doubt some argument
on both sides. Peter rose up. I don't believe Peter was there
to debate anything. He was there to declare the truth. And I suspect when he stood up,
He had the audience. I just feel like he would have
had that presence. When that mob came, when that
mob came after our Lord in the garden, it was Peter that took
off one of them's ear. And it didn't seem like there
was any hesitation on his part. And here in Acts 15, Peter speaking
to this group of men, he says, men and brethren, You know that
a good while ago, God made choice among us that the Gentiles, by
my mouth, should hear the word of the gospel and believe. Who made the choice? God. God made the choice. God does
the choosing. In Ephesians 1, 4, we read accordingly
as he hath chosen us in him. for the foundation of the world
that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. God made choice. He does the choosing. The Gentiles,
they're gonna hear the gospel and they're gonna believe just
like Cornelius did. Verse eight, and our God which
knoweth the hearts, oh does God know Does God know
the heart? Oh, He knows the heart. He knows
all things. All things are manifest, naked
and manifest in His sight with whom we have to do. Boy, Peter
knew this by experience, didn't he? Peter knew that something
about the Lord knowing his heart Remember when Peter, just like
the rest of the disciples, he said, he said, I'll die. I'll die with you before I deny
you. And yet he denied him three times. And the third time he heard that
rooster crow and he remembered what the Lord had said to him. And later our Lord asked him,
he said, he said, Peter, do you love me? Ask him that, ask him
that three times and he's, Lord, you know, you know I love you.
Lord, you know, you know all things. He bare them, God which knoweth
the heart. He bare them witness, giving
them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us. God knows the
heart. God told, that's what he told
Samuel. He said, he said, He said, the Lord doesn't look on,
he said, the Lord doesn't see like man see it. We look on the
outward countenance, but God, almighty God looks on the, he
looks on the heart of man. Verse nine, and he put no difference
between us and them purifying their hearts by faith. There
is, there is no difference between us and them. Scriptures say this,
all, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. No
difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over
all is rich unto all that call upon him. All have sinned. Listen, we're
all guilty of the same sin. We share the same, but here's
the good news, we share the same redemption. Christ having redeemed
us by the blood of his cross. Listen, a people out of every
people, nation, kindred, tribe, there is no difference. The same
blessings of pardon, of justification, of adoption, We're all called by the same
gospel, his gospel. Scripture say no more strangers,
but fellow citizens of the saints and of the household of God. There's no difference. Same foundation,
same privileges, same hope of eternal glory, all in the Lord
Jesus Christ. No difference. between us and
them, purifying their hearts by faith. The heart, there's
where the issue is, isn't it? This heart, this desperate, wicked
heart. Jeremiah wrote, the heart is
deceitful above all things, desperately wicked. Who could know it? And only God can cleanse it. Only God can give us a new heart. As Ezekiel said, a new heart
also will I give you, a new spirit I'll put within you. I'll take
away that stony heart and I'll give you a heart of flesh. Only
God can do that. Acts 15 verse 10. So he says,
now, why tempt ye God? to put a yoke upon the neck of
the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we are able to
bear. A yoke, a burden that we're unable
to bear. Not just circumcision, but the
whole law. No man is able to keep the law. Adam proved that right away. Just one. Just one law that could
be kept. And listen, to offend, the Scriptures
tell us this, to offend in one point, just one little point. We try to argue things, was it
really that bad? Yes, it's worse than that. One
point is to be guilty of the whole law. And the problem is
not with the law. The law is perfect. It's this
flesh. It's this flesh. The law reveals our sin, we read
that earlier, reveals our sin, and the law can do one thing,
and that's condemn us, and rightfully so. We read this earlier, by
the deeds of the law, there shall be no flesh justified in his
sight. Paul said, I don't frustrate,
I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness
cometh by the law, then Christ, is dead in vain. Now back to
the question. How? How is a man saved? Jew, Gentile, bond-free, young,
old, rich, poor? How? How is a man saved? Well, here in Acts 15.11, look
at the conclusion. Here's the answer. Peter says,
we believe through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we
shall be saved, even as they." Quickly, let me give you just
four points from this passage, four things to consider. And
the first is this, man's condition. Man's condition, my condition,
our condition, your condition. Here it is, we're lost and we
must be saved. Dead in trespasses and sin. The fact that we must be saved
declares just that, that we're lost and we have to be saved. When Peter was walking on the
sea and he saw those waves and he was afraid, And it began to
sink. That's when he cried. It wasn't
until he began to sink that he cried. But as he was sinking,
he cried, Lord, save me. If you leave me to myself, I'll
perish. I have no hope. I have no help. And a man can know nothing of
salvation until he sees his lost condition. That must be revealed
to us. Man doesn't need saved unless
he's lost. You see that? In our lost and
ruined condition, we must be saved. Just like Lazarus, we
lay there in the grave. It said his body began to stink. And that's where he continued
to be until the Lord passes by He says, Lazarus, come forth.
Dead in trespasses and sin. Second, salvation by grace alone. The sovereign grace of God. Isn't that what we read there?
We believe through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we
shall be saved. Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Again, what do the Scriptures declare? We read this, for by
grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it's
the gift of God. Electing grace, redeeming grace,
justifying grace, saving grace, keeping grace, sovereign, sovereign
grace, God's sovereign grace. The hymn writer wrote this, saved
by grace alone. That's my only claim. Jesus died
for sinful men. Jesus died for me. Man's sin. We must be saved. Salvation by
God's free and sovereign grace. And we see this. Perseverance. It doesn't say we might be saved. It doesn't say we hope to be
saved. It doesn't say we should be saved.
It says we shall be saved. All doubts removed therein. We
shall be saved. And listen, if God saved you,
rest assured, you're saved. We rest in Him. That's what the
Scriptures declare. He said this, the Lord Jesus
Christ said this of His sheep, He said, I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them
out of My hand. We read that this, He that hath
begun a good work in you. You know, I start things, I start
things all the time. Occasionally, I almost finish
them. What does the Scripture say?
He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it. He'll complete it. He'll finish
it until the day of Jesus Christ. The angel of the Lord appeared
to Joseph in a dream, and he said, Mary's going to bring forth
a son. Thou shalt call his name Jesus,
for he shall save his people. from their sin. Turn to 1 Peter. 1 Peter 1, beginning with verse
3. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again into a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and
that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept. These people are kept by the
power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed
in the last time wherein you greatly rejoice though now for
a season if need be you're in heaviness through manifold temptations
that the trial of your faith mean much more precious than
of gold that perishes though it be tried with fire might be
found to praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus
Christ whom having not seen you love and whom Though now you
see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable
and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the
salvation of your souls, of which salvation the prophets have inquired
and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that
should come unto you." Preserves his people were kept, kept by
the power of Almighty God. and then forth. Turn back to
Acts chapter 15. Here we read, we shall be saved
even as they. Imagine that a disciple, one
of his apostles saved just like an old Gentile, a Gentile dog. Spurgeon once preached a message
titled this, a sermon for the worst man on earth. That speaks to every one of us,
doesn't it? That's the message we need. That's
the message we must have. Turn to John chapter eight. John chapter eight. We shall be saved even, even
as they. Look beginning in verse one of
John chapter eight, just read four verses here. Jesus went
into the Mount of Olives and early in the morning, he came
again into the temple and all the people came unto him and
he sat down and he taught them. Imagine this. Just imagine this. Here the Lord Jesus Christ is
preaching to this group of people. Here He is in the temple. The
people came to Him and He sat down and He taught them. You
know, anytime we gather together for the purpose of worshiping
the Lord, it might do us good to consider this. We're here to hear God's Word.
We're here to hear the preaching of the gospel, to worship our
Lord and Savior. But look what happened here.
These scribes and Pharisees, they brought unto Him, rather
than sitting down and taking their seat and listening to what
the master had to say, they brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery. And when they had set her in
the mist, well, they had no interest in worshiping the Lord, did they?
They set her in the mist and they say unto him, Master, this
woman was taken in adultery in the very act of it. In the very act of it. And they said this, She, she was taken in the very
act of adultery. You know, there's, there's no
mention. There's, there's, there's no mention of who she was taken
in the act of adultery with. Maybe it was a friend of theirs.
Maybe it was one of them. The scriptures are silent. Or
maybe it was someone of influence that they didn't want to, to
offend. The law says that such should
be stoned. That's what they said. The law
says such should be stoned. Well, would you be under the law? Do you hear what the law says?
They were tempting him. They were looking for an opportunity
to accuse him. Let me ask you a question. What
does the law say? in this matter. They left some of it. They left
some of that. I won't have you turn there, but in Leviticus
20, verse 10, it says this, that the adulterer and the adulteress
shall surely be put to death. That's what the scriptures say.
And we read We read in here, it says this, that when the Lord
heard this, He stooped down. He stooped down. Did one ever
stoop down like our Lord did? He stooped down here in this
situation. But consider this, that being
in the form of God, He thought it not robbery to be equal with
God? but He made Himself of no reputation. He took upon Himself the form
of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He stooped
down, didn't He? 2 Corinthians 5.21 says He was made sin for
us. No man stooped down like our
Lord did. But He stooped down and He rode
on the ground. like He didn't hear. And they
continued asking, continued asking. And the Scriptures declare this,
that He lifted Himself up and He said to them, He that is without
sin, let Him cast the first stone. He that is without sin among
you, let Him cast the first stone. Then he stooped down and he continued
to write on the ground. And we read that when they heard
it, when they heard what he said, they were convicted in their
heart. I don't know if they were convicted in their heart, but
they were convicted in their conscience, weren't they? And they went out
one by one from the oldest to the youngest. And when everybody left, it was
just this woman and the master. This woman taken in the very
act of adultery and drug in front of the Lord and all these people
present. It's just her. Can you imagine
her shame? Her guilt? Again, just her and the Lord
Jesus Christ. And He said, Where are thine
accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. She called
Him Lord. Something had been revealed there.
No man, Lord. What joy must have filled her
soul But our Lord spoke these words, neither do I condemn thee. Listen, this is the Lord Jesus
Christ, the judge of the quick and the dead. He speaks to this
woman and he says, neither do I condemn thee. Romans 8.1 says this, there is
therefore now, right now, no condemnation to them which are
in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
spirit. And he said, go, go and sin no more. That lifestyle she'd been living,
that had to go. The tenor of her life, I suspect,
changed that day. Go and sin no more. Now let me ask you, is there
any doubt in your mind that this woman was a sinner? Easy question, isn't it? How was she saved? Grace of God. By the grace of
God. How are we saved? How are all
of His people saved? Just like her, by the grace of
God. Old Testament saints, New Testament
saints, dead in sin, saved by the grace of God in Christ Jesus. Neither, neither do I condemn
them. 2 Timothy 1.9, it says, who has
saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our
works, not circumcision, not any of our works, but according
to His own purpose in grace, given in Christ Jesus before
the world began, saved by grace. Let's read that text one more
time in closing. Acts 15 verse 11. Peter, how are we going to be
saved? We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
we shall be saved, even as they are. All right. Shawn, come lead us in closing.
Okay, if you would. Turn to song number
454 and stand as we sing. What a wonderful Savior.