It's like Mike reading my notes
when he picked out our songs this morning. Open our Bibles, if you would,
to Romans chapter 10. We looked at some of these verses
last week, but I want to go back and look at a statement that
Paul makes here in a little more detail. The title of the message
this morning is, What do I have to know to be saved? Pretty good
question, I think. What do I have to know to be
saved? Let's read the first four verses of Romans chapter 10.
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that
they might be saved. For I bear them record that they
have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being
ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish
their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves under
the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believe it. Clearly, the
Jews that Paul was writing about here were not saved. Really,
much hadn't changed to our day. Most religious people are not
saved. And since they're not saved,
they are ignorant of some things. They're ignorant of some very
important spiritual truths. It's not because they're not
smart enough. I mean, they're not smart enough. The natural
man is not smart enough. They don't know these things
because God has not revealed them to their heart. And the
specific, important thing that Paul's talking about here is
that they are ignorant of God's righteousness. Anyone who is
unsaved is ignorant of God's righteousness. They're ignorant
of how God makes his people righteous. It's through the obedience of
Christ to the law for them. It's not their own works of the
law. It's not their own religious activity. It's not their own
moral life. It's the obedience of Christ.
So if we think that we can do something to make God more happy
with us than He is with somebody else. We just show we're ignorant
of God's righteousness. We can't be made righteous by
something that we do better than what somebody else would do it.
No, the only way a sinner can be made righteous is through
faith in Christ. It's what He has done for us,
not what we do. And I can tell you that truth
until I'm blue in the face. You will not believe it. You
will not know it. God has to be the one to teach us these
things. If He teaches us these things, we'll know them. We're
going to look at some things this morning that a believer
knows. I don't care who they are or where you find them. A
believer knows these things. If you know these things, you
give thanks because the only way you know them is God's taught
them to your heart. Now, what do I have to know to
be saved? Janet has warned me in the past
Preachers can make salvation sound so complicated. Isn't that
a shame? How can we make the simplicity
of Christ complicated? I'm afraid she's right. Preachers
can do that. She says that they make it sound so complicated.
I'm afraid I'm not smart enough to be saved. Well, God forbid
that we'd ever do that. I don't ever want to preach that
way. You want to have something new,
something that'll tickle your intellect and, you know, make
you puzzle and, well, I'm not your guy. I want to always preach
so simply that our children understand everything that I say. I want
to preach Christ very, very simply. So this morning I want to answer
this question plainly, simply. We cannot misunderstand what's
being said. What do I have to know to be
saved? Listen, not one thing. Not one thing. You must believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. If you believe healing, you shall
be saved. That's it. Isn't that what the
Philippian jailer asked? What must I do to be saved? What
was Paul's answer to him? Believe. Don't do anything. You must believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ. If you do, you'll be saved. in
your house. Everyone who believes him shall
be saved. In verse 9 in our text, Paul
says the same thing. That thou shalt confess with
thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God raised him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved. That
Philippian jailer didn't have to memorize a bunch of doctrine,
did he? Paul didn't pull out a tract
and say, well, you've got to learn all this stuff, memorize this stuff,
and we'll catechize you, and you come back and pass this quiz,
and you know enough to be saved. No, he didn't do that, did he?
He didn't have to be able to understand a bunch of deep, hidden
truths of the Old Testament Scriptures. A sinner doesn't have to know
anything to be saved. We must believe. We must believe
on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's so simple, just
believe. But, if we're going to believe on Christ, we've got
to know who He is, don't we? That's why we preach. Look at
verse 14 of Romans chapter 10. How then shall they call on Him
in whom they've not believed? And how shall they believe in
Him of whom they've not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? If I'm going to come to Christ,
I've got to know who He is, don't I? I've got to know, God's got
to teach me that I need Him. If God has saved me, I know this. I know I'm a sinner. And I know
Christ is the Savior and I've got to get to Him. I know that.
I know. If God has saved me, I know this.
I cannot depend upon myself because all I am is sin. So I depend
on Christ. If I believe Christ, I know Him.
You can't believe on somebody you don't know. You know Him
because God's revealed Him to your heart. If I know Christ,
I know He's worthy of my trust. He's able to save me to the uttermost.
He's worthy of my trust. If I believe Christ, I know Christ
is all I want. He's all I need, and he's all
I want. Eternal life is knowing Christ,
isn't it? That's why our Lord said, this
is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. That's why the apostle
Paul said, I know whom I have believed. If we know Christ,
we've been saved. That's life eternal. Look at
1 John chapter 5. The apostle John tells us this,
if I know Christ, I have eternal life. First John 5 verse 20. And we know this isn't something
that a believer wonders about or is in question about, John
says, and we know that the son of God has come and have given
us an understanding. that we might know him that is
true and that we're in him that is true, even in his son, Jesus
Christ. This is the true God and eternal
life. Eternal life is knowing Christ.
Now. I probably should stop and say
this every like set little egg timer here and every time the
sand runs out, say this repeatedly about this message. It's not
our knowledge that saves us. Please remember that it's not
our knowledge that saves us. Knowledge doesn't save. Christ
saves. Sinners are saved through faith
in Christ. But there are some things that
saving faith always knows. And you don't have to know these
things to be saved. But if God has saved you, you
know him. A believer just instinctively, intrinsically knows these things.
You know why? Because a new man's been born
in us. Now, you don't have to be able to recite these things
in order to be saved. You don't have to know these
things before. But if God has saved you, you will know them
as the truth when you hear them. You just hear it and you'll say,
that's right. That's right. You submit to the
word of God. God's sheep have a hearing ear. They hear his
voice and they follow him. When they hear him speak in the
word, they say that's him. And they follow Him. How do they
know that's Him? They probably can't tell you.
They just do. Because they've been born again. So here's the
first thing. If God has saved you, this is
what you know. You know you're totally depraved.
You know everything about you is sin. You amen Paul when he
says, I know that in me, that is in my flesh dwelleth no good
thing. You say amen. Amen. That's why I look to Christ
to be my Savior. There's nothing to look at in
me. There's nothing to trust in in me. So I look to Christ
to be all of my salvation. I'm empty. So I don't look to
myself. So I look to Him. Because in Him dwells all the
fullness of the Godhead body. All I am is sin. And Christ is holy. He is my
righteousness. So I look to Him. Look at Romans
chapter 3. We're going to turn to some different
scriptures this morning. I know normally I preach verse
by verse, but I want us to look at several different scriptures.
What God's word has to say about this. If I know I'm totally depraved,
that all I am is sin, I must trust Christ. I can't keep the
law, so I must trust Christ who did. Romans chapter 3 verse 19. Now we know this is what every
person God saves knows. We know that whatsoever that
what things whoever the law saith, it saith to them who are under
the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world
may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, there should no flesh be justified in his sight, for by
the law is the knowledge of sin. But now, the righteousness of
God without the law, without your obedience to the law, is
manifested, made obvious, being witnessed by the law and the
prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of
Jesus Christ. It's the faithfulness of Christ
to obey the law perfectly and produce a perfect righteousness
for his people. It's by the faith of Jesus Christ
unto all and upon all them that believe. For there's no difference
for all of sin to come short of the glory of God, being justified
freely by his grace through the redemption that's in Christ Jesus,
whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith
in his blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission
of sins that are past 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. If God has saved you,
you know you are totally depraved. You know you have no hope in
yourself whatsoever. So you must look to Christ to
be all of your righteousness. If God has saved you, you know
this. You know you didn't choose God. God chose you. If God has saved you, you believe
in divine election. If God has saved me, I just know
this by nature. I know by nature I never would
have chosen God. God had to choose me or I never
would have chosen Him. If there's a salvation for a
sinner, it had to begin with God's electing grace, God had
to choose a people to save or nobody be saved because no son
of Adam left his own nature would ever choose God. Now listen,
you don't have to believe in election in order to be saved.
You've got to believe Christ, look to Christ, believe Christ.
But if God has saved you, you'll believe election when you hear
it. Your spirit will bear witness with the Holy Spirit that this
is the truth. You just intrinsically will know
this. God's electing love is the only
way I ever could have been put in Christ. I never could have
earned it. I never would have chose it. God had to do that for me. Romans 9 verse 15. For he sayeth to Moses, I'll
have mercy in whom I will have mercy. And I'll have compassion
on them on whom I will have compassion. So then, it's not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. And the believer says, Amen. I'm so thankful for that. God
showing undeserved, unearned, unsought for mercy is my only
hope of salvation. It's the only way I could ever
be saved. Thirdly, if God has saved you,
here's something you know. You know Christ did not die for
everyone. Christ died for everyone. Christ
is a failure. Is that right? There are people
in hell right now. We know that from scripture.
Well, if Christ died for somebody in hell, he's a failure. He wasn't
able to save them. Why would I want to trust in
a failure? I don't want to add. Saving faith knows this. Saving
faith knows Christ can never fail. He cannot fail. Whatever
it is he came to do, that's exactly what he did. Now, I may not know
everything that Christ came to do, but I know this, whatever
it is he came to do, he did. He didn't fail. That's the only
way faith can rest in Christ. If I know he can't fail, if I
know he's a sure foundation, if I know that he finished the
work and there's nothing left for me to do, that's the only
way I can trust in him. If God has saved me, and this
thing about knowing Christ didn't die for everyone, let's see if
I can help you on that. Saving faith is something that's
pretty personal, isn't it? It's about this sinner. If God
has saved me, this is what I know. I know this. I know that I'm
so vile, I'm so wretched. The only way I can be saved is
by the Son of God in human flesh dying for me. I am such a vile
sinner. It takes the blood of God himself
to put my sin away. That's how vile I am. God has
saved me. You know what I know? I know
I need Christ to die for me. I have no other hope. First Peter
chapter one. then the only comfort, if I know
I need Christ to die for me, I have no other hope than that
Christ died for me, then this is what I need. Whoever Christ
died for is saved. Whoever he shed his blood for
is redeemed. 1 Peter 1, verse 18. For as much as you know, you
know this, you're not redeemed with corruptible things as silver
and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers. You know you're not redeemed
with what you've given to the church or what you've done in
the service of God or how you, well, you've tried to keep the
law. You know that, but how are we redeemed? Verse 19, but with
the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot who barely was foreordained before the foundation
of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.
who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead
and gave him glory, that your faith and your hope might be
in God. The blood of Christ is what I
must have to cleanse my sin, because I'm so vile. For the
blood of Christ is precious blood. It is so precious it cannot be
shed in vain. If it's precious, it can't get
it. Whoever that precious blood was shed for, is saved, they're
cleansed from their sin because of the preciousness of the blood.
The blood of Christ is so precious that it paid the sin debt of
everyone for whom it was shed. Everyone, I know that. You know,
we talk about limited atonement. One of the five points of Calvinism
is L, limited atonement. When we talk about limited atonement,
we're never limiting the power of the blood of Christ to save.
Never are we limiting that. The blood of Christ Powerful. There's power in the blood. The
blood of Christ cleanses the most vile sinner from all of
his sins. It's powerful blood. The blood
of Christ, the power of it is not limited. The sacrifice of
Christ is only limited in its scope. It's for whom Christ died. And whoever he died for, whoever
that is, is saved because of who died. Because of whose blood
was shed. See, saving faith knows this.
The sacrifice of Christ is effectual. It got the job done. It saved
those for whom he died. There's no question about that
whatsoever. There's no question. It's because of who died. And
because of who died, God's justice is satisfied. So there can be
no question about their redemption. The justice of God is satisfied
in the death of Christ. At Calvary, God did not put an
innocent man to death and let the guilty go free. I know it's
been presented that way, but that's not what happened. Justice
wouldn't be satisfied in putting an innocent man to death. Justice
can't be satisfied in letting the guilty go free. At Calvary,
the father made his son, the holy spotless son of God, sin
for his people. Sin of God's elect became Christ's
sin. Now, do I have to know how God
did that? No, I do not. I just believe He did. I don't
have any idea. I can't explain that, but I know
it's so because God's Word says so. I just bow to God's Word.
Here's what I know. The sacrifice of Christ completely
paid for all the sin charged to Him. I know that. The blood
of Christ washed away that mountain of sin forever. It's because
of whose blood was shed. And now, I go free because I'm
not guilty. Not because God just ignored
my guilt. No, I go free because I'm not
guilty. I'm not guilty because Christ
made me not guilty by His obedience to the Lord. I obeyed God in Christ. This thing of salvation and sin
and righteousness all has to do with federal headship. I go
free. I am not guilty. I'm righteous
in Christ. Because just as surely as I disobeyed
God in Adam, I obeyed God in Christ, the second Adam. God just didn't look at Adam
and say, well, Adam's sin, I'm going to charge Frank with that
sin, even though he didn't do it. No, no, no, no, no. No, Adam is my federal head.
I did what he did. I did sin in Adam. I am guilty
in Adam in the exact same way. Christ the second Adam is my
federal head. I did what He did. When He obeyed the law, I did
too. So I'm righteous in Him. And God lets me go. Go free!
Because I'm not guilty. I'm righteous in Christ. And
the blood of Christ is cleansed away all that deep, vile stain
of my sin. And He has made me righteous.
So God's justice, His holy justice, demands my salvation. See, this
is why I know it's secure. God's justice demands it because
I'm righteous in Christ. And that's true for everyone
that Christ died for. Every saved person amens that
truth in our heart. We just know it's true when we
hear it. I need no other argument. I need no other clue. It's enough
that Jesus died. He died for me. Whoever he died
for saved. All right, here's the fourth
thing. If God has saved you, you know you came to Christ.
Not because you're so smart, but because the Holy Spirit drew
you to Christ. Sometimes it just amazes me. Since I understood language,
I heard the gospel. I knew what it said. I knew I
could look at scripture and tell you what it means. But I wouldn't come to Christ.
Isn't that sad? But that's our nature. The nature
of Adam will never come to Christ. I never would have come to Christ. Unless an unspeakable mercy after
all those years of healing. God, the Holy Spirit came to
me and called me to Christ. I'd spent years trying to come
to Christ. And one day I realized I don't
even know when I did, but I already have. I don't even know when
it happened, but I did. How did I finally do that? God, the Holy Spirit came and
gave me life. And I had to go to Christ. I could not believe
Him. The Spirit called me to Christ and I came. That call
is irresistible. Irresistible. Let me tell you
what that means. It means you can't resist it.
When the Spirit called me to Christ, I came. I couldn't help
it. All this time I'd spent trying
to come to Christ and couldn't. All this time I'd spent trying
to believe Christ and I couldn't. I had to go to him. I couldn't
not go to him. Suddenly I could not believe
him because that's all the new man can do. Just like this flesh must breathe. It's involuntary. You can't help
it. Try to hold your breath. You'll eventually breathe. You
can't help it. Breathing is irresistible to
the flesh. That's the nature of physical
life. It must breathe. Well, the new
man comes to Christ because he can't help it. It's his new nature. It's irresistible. Make no mistake
about this. Anyone who comes to Christ comes
willingly. We're willing in the day of his power. It's not like
the call of the spirit is an irresistible force pulling me
and I'm trying to not not to go. And he makes me go anyway.
He breaks my fingers and makes me go anyway. No, no one ever
comes to Christ against their will. God makes us willing in
the day of his power and we come willing. Here's something else
you can't explain, but every believer knows God saved me against
my will with my full consent. Every believer understands that
completely. You just try. I never have altar calls. I never try to talk people into
making a decision. I just preach Christ and leave
you alone with God. And I tell you this, here's why
I do that. You just try to keep a sinner
away from coming to Christ if they've heard Him. You can't
do it. You can't keep them from coming
to Christ. If they have just got a glimpse of the Savior,
It's impossible to keep them away. They have to come to Christ.
And you won't need to talk them into doing anything. They'll
just do it because that's their nature. All right, here's the
fifth thing. If God has saved you, you know
this. You know you'll believe to the end. You're not going
to quit. Every saved person knows this. God, how did he save me? God saved me by his power and
by his grace. How will I be kept? by the exact
same power and the exact same grace. My confidence is not in
me. My confidence is not, I know
I'm going to be kept because I've got such a powerful, strong
faith. I don't think I'm just going to keep persevering to
the end because I know too much to quit. Absolutely not. I know
I'm going to be kept by the power of God. That'll keep me humble. That'll keep me begging God,
Lord, keep me by your grace. Lord, just like David said, Lord,
don't forsake Lord, I believe you. Don't let me be confounded.
Don't let me go. Knowing that, knowing that I'll
be kept by the power of God never makes anybody overconfident.
It makes them humble so that they keep begging God for mercy.
Now let's be serious. I know I can't keep myself. Do you know that? You know we're
too weak, we're too fickle. I can't do the most simple things,
much less keep believing Christ. So I need God to keep me by his
power. And this is my confidence. He
promised to do it. So I know he will, because he
promised to. You know, saved person is ever
going to argue about once saved, always say that's oh boy, you
want to just start a discussion at lunchtime at work to start
that up, you know, once saved, always say that around for a
while. We have never batted that around here. Because believers
don't do it. I'm eternally saved if Christ
saved me. If I'm saved by His blood, by
His grace, by His power, I'm eternally saved because of who
saved me. There's no argument there. Because who did to save
Him? But if I'm saved because of something I did, or something
I have to keep doing, there's no argument there either. I'm
going to lose it. Because anything that depends
upon me is going to sink. There's no argument in this thing
about who, about the perseverance of the saints, because of who
did the saving and who did the keeping. All right, now here's
the last thing. If God has saved you, you know
that you've been born again. Look at 1 John chapter three. Now, I can't explain everything
that happens in the new birth. But this much I know, I bet you're
the same way. None of us can explain the new
birth. But this much I know, that whereas
I was blind, now I see. That whereas I was dead, now
I have life. I know at one time I was spiritually
dead. I know that. I remember it very,
very well. I couldn't believe Christ. I
couldn't love Christ. I could not love or understand
God's word. And I was drugged to the worship
service every week, but I couldn't love it. I mean, you know, my
parents could make me go, but they couldn't make me love it.
I was dead. I know that. But I know this
too. Now I'm alive. Now I believe
on Christ and I can't not believe it. Now I love the Lord Jesus
Christ. I can tell, I love him. Not like
I wish I did. Not like he deserves to be loved,
but I love him. I love God's word. It is never
lost upon me that I start you all tomorrow morning, got to
get up and go to work. And it's just not all that great. I got to get up and go to work
tomorrow morning too, but I'm going to get up and go to work,
open up God's word and read it. What? I mean, I count that a
blessing every single day. I love God's word. I love the
worship service. I look forward to Wednesdays
and Sundays just all the time. I love being in the worship service.
Because now I don't just sit there. Now I worship. Now I'm being fed. I love that. What happened? I was born again. There's been a new nature born
in me that loves those things. 1 John 3 verse 14. And we know that we pass from
death unto life because we love the brethren. He that loveth
not his brother abideth in death. I know that I've been born again.
I know I pass from death to life because now I love everything
I used to hate. Now I love Christ. I love his
word. I love the people of God. I love this congregation. I can say that without any bit
of hesitation. But you know what else? I love
all men. And you look at the things that,
I said this, told Janet this yesterday, this is a stupid time
to be alive. People do more stupid things
than I think they, maybe they've always done such stupid things,
it's just now everybody can know about it in a moment, you know,
with social media and the internet and stuff. It's just true, you can't deny
it. But try as I might, I still love all men. My heart's desire
and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.
I desire that men and women, people, would hear the gospel
and come to Christ. I desire that. I love God's way
of salvation. I love how that in Christ, God
is both just and justifier. That God is just to justify me
in Christ. I love that. I love salvation
by grace, not by works. I love to rest in Christ. I love everything about salvation
in Christ and wouldn't change it if I could. And the only reason
I love those things is I've been born. The flesh can't love those
things. Now, the flesh can learn those
doctrines, but the flesh can't learn to love those things. The
flesh hates sovereign grace. The carnal mind is enmity against
God. It's not subject to the law of
God. Neither indeed can be. But the new man loves those things
that the old man hates because they are opposites in every way. There are two natures in every
believer. There's a nature that we were born with, a nature that's
nothing but sin. It's the flesh. And then there's
another nature, a nature that can never sin, the nature of
the spirit 1 John 5, verse 18. We know, we know that whosoever
is born of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth
himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. Whosoever is
born of God sinneth not. Cannot sin. Because the new man
can't sin. He's been born from perfect holy
seed. Now, you don't have to know that
in order to be saved, but if God saved you, you'll recognize
that truth when you hear it. You hear Romans chapter seven,
read Paul talking about the civil war that's going on inside of
him between those two natures, the flesh and the spirit. You'll
say that's, that explains everything that's going on inside of me.
When you hear it from God's word, it's crystal clear. See, believers
inherently know these things. But we have to confess in all
of our knowledge that we know these things. We know this is
not just not no doubt, no question, but we know these things. But
here's what else we know. I don't know much. I just don't
know much. Let's never be proud of our knowledge. Salvation is by grace. How can
we be proud? Come on. How can we be proud?
We do, by God's grace, know some things, but we don't know much
compared to everything that God is. But we know Christ. That's why we preach Christ here. Because He's all we need to know.
We won't understand how and why God does everything He does.
We don't have to understand. We'll find ourselves asking all
of the time, How can God possibly get good out of this horrible
situation? How can He possibly do that?
We won't know why our brethren... I'm not talking about people
out there in the world. I know why they do what they do. I'm talking
about our brethren. Our brethren are going to do
some things and we're going to think, that is so hurtful, that
is so embarrassing. I mean, they couldn't hurt me
worse than if they just stabbed me in the heart with a knife. What's going on? When that happens,
you remember this. Just don't be too quick to write
them off. Don't be too quick. Remember law. Remember Peter. Remember yourself. We won't understand what's going
on most of the time. Just because we know Christ doesn't
mean we're going to know what God's doing and why He's doing
it. We won't know. But every believer knows this. God's purpose in the redemption
of his people has not gone off the rails. It's right on schedule. Romans chapter 8. I don't know
what God's will is in everything, in every event and different
things that's going on, but I do know this. God's will is being
and shall be accomplished. I know that. Nothing can derail
God's purpose of the salvation of his people in Christ. Here's
a good thing to end on what we know, Romans 8, 28. And we know
that all things work together for good. To them that love God,
to them who are the called according to his purpose, for whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. And whom
he called, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he
also glorified. Now, what shall we then say to
these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? What are we going to say to these
things now that we know? This is what I say. I'm going
to rest in Christ. I'm going to look to Him. Aren't
you? I hope by God's grace that we
can do that. that we can say, I know whom
I have believed. Now I'm going to rest him. Let's
bow together in prayer. Our Father, how we thank you
for this, another opportunity that we've had to open your word,
preach your gospel, worship you. Father, I pray you bless your
word as it's been preached this morning. Get much glory to your
name. Give much glory to your son through
the preaching of your word, by enabling us here this morning
to see Christ. Father, of all the desires of
our heart, of all the things that we want and need in this
life, Father, how we beg of thee, first and foremost, preeminently,
that you would reveal your son to us. Everything else will be all right.
Whatever we don't have will be just fine. Whatever else we do
have won't really matter. Father, give us Christ. All how
I pray, by your mercy and grace, you reveal your son to our hearts
this morning. It's in his great name that we
pray and give thanks.