Back here in Romans chapter 5,
our text shall be the very last verse. Let's read it again. Romans 5 and 21. That as sin
hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through
righteousness. unto eternal life by Jesus Christ
our Lord. Everything depends upon Christ. The grace, the righteousness,
the hope of eternal life. All those are only vain wishes
apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's because of Christ that
grace reigns. That's the title, grace reigns. If it doesn't, if it doesn't,
Billy, none will be saved. You won't be, I won't be, no
one will be. None will ever enter heaven. In Revelation 7, John saw a multitude
that none could number. There would be none there. It
would be very easy to number apart from God's grace because
it would be zero. A sinner has no hope of being
accepted by a holy God on any other foundation. Grace and grace
alone gives a sinner a good hope. I like what old Martin Luther
said. I think I've mentioned this to
you before. He said, if you see yourself
as a little sinner, and most people do, most people do. That's why they don't see their
need of grace. They're not lost. They're not
undone. They have a hope, but it's not
in Christ. Luther said, if you see yourself
as a little sinner, inevitably see Jesus as a little savior. And he's not. Great sinners need
a great savior. Only a great savior can help
me. Only a great savior can give
me life. Only a great savior can keep
me from falling. Only a great savior can present
me without fault before the throne of God. That requires a mighty
God and Savior, doesn't it? Abraham Booth, several hundred
years ago, wrote a book from this chapter, Romans 5, called
The Reign of Grace. I looked it up again last night
and read in his introduction these words, just a few sentences.
He said, The gospel of reigning grace, being a doctrine truly
divine, has ever been the object of the world's contempt. They
hate it. It was of old a stumbling block
to the self-righteous Jew and foolishness to the philosophic
Greek. Paul, who was a resolute asserter
of the honors of grace and in preaching Christ, found it to
be so repeatedly throughout his experience. Paul was hated as
Christ was for that gospel. Mr. Hortner wrote on the same
subject, nothing so riles man's hatred of God as the declaration
that His grace is eternal, that it's free, that it's sovereign,
and it's distinguishing. Most religious people, whether
they be neighbor or daughter or family or son or parent, will
grit their teeth when you tell them that God has mercy on whom
he will have mercy. The first thing they're going
to say, that is not fair. My God wouldn't do that, they
say. Mr. Fortner went on to say, this
message of grace is abasing to human pride. It gives no merit
to human righteousness. and makes man utterly dependent
upon the goodness of God for salvation. Proud men hate it. They hated it in Christ's day.
They hate it today. But saved men, they love it. They love it. Those who have
tasted that God's grace is in His Son, that God's grace is
good, saving, real, they love it. Because great sinners, if
you can find one, only God can make a sinner. Great sinners
need a great Savior, didn't you? A Savior that's rich in grace,
a Savior whose grace abounds, as we read a moment ago in this
chapter. And where sin reigned unto death,
grace reigns even more, over and above sin. even unto eternal
life. We listen to David conclude that
song with these lines. Grace that will pardon and cleanse
within. That's the grace I need. Grace
that is greater than all my sin. When did grace reign? A better question would be, when
didn't it? When didn't it? Before the foundation
of the world, now I know our little, what little grave matter
we possess can't get much of a grip on that, but before the
foundation of the world, before sun or moon appeared, before
God created the heaven and the earth, before he commanded, let
there be light, God's purpose of grace stood before them. Hear the voice of that God who
purposed all that he does and does everything that he purposed. Everything. Isaiah chapter 40. These verses are from Isaiah
40 verse 25. This is God speaking to you and
I. And he says, to whom then will you liken me? And shall
I be equal, saith the Holy One? Lift up your eyes on high, and
behold, who hath created these things, that bringeth out their
hosts by number? He calleth them all by names
by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power,
not one faileth." Not one. Verse 26 of Isaiah 40. No, no, Isaiah 42, I'm sorry. Verse 8, Isaiah 42. He says,
I am the Lord. That is my name, Lord God Almighty. And my glory will not I give
to another, neither my praise the graven images. Behold, the
former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare.
Before they spring forth, I tell you of them. Remember the former
things, Isaiah 46 now, verse 9. Remember the former things
of old, for I am God, and there is none else. I am God, and there
is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from
ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, this
is God. My counsel shall stand, and I
will do all my pleasure. Sinners that are saved by God's
grace love that. Oh, they lay down their head
on a pillow of God's sovereign grace and sleep well because
they know, as God says here, everything he purposed, everything
he wills, God says, if I purposed it, God says, I will do it. What
God has spoken is the same as what he has purposed. He'll do
it. He'll never change his mind.
He'll bring it to pass. For it's not in the power of
any creature, be it man or devil, to stop God from fulfilling his
purpose. With what majesty, what power,
what certainty he speaks, with what authority. He said, I have
spoken it. I will also bring it to pass. No sooner said than done. That's God. And among those things
which God is pleased to do is this. This is the one that sounds
so good to me. God says, before he said, let
there be light, before he placed the stars in their course, before
he created the heavenly earth, God says, this is my purpose.
This is what I'm determined to do. This is my will. I will be
gracious. Wow! How about that? I will be gracious. Grace has reigned as long as
God has reigned. God's purpose of grace has been
from everlasting. If there has ever been a time
that God did not reign, then you can say grace did not reign. Listen to what Paul wrote to
Timothy. 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 9. God, who has saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works. Have you ever heard
someone say, I've heard this, folks hope of entering heaven
depends upon this. They say when they get before
the throne of God, God's going to take out a set of scales and
he's going to place in one side their good works and the other
their bad works. And if the good works outweigh
the bad works, they're going to enter heaven. That's not a good hope. That's
foolish thinking. But folks who think they're accepted
by God on account of their works, that's exactly what they believe.
But it's no hope at all. No, our hope lies here. God's
grace, God who has saved us and called us with the holy calling,
not according to our works. My soul, I couldn't sleep at
night. If I thought my acceptance before
God Almighty was dependent upon any way in my works, good works
or bad works, thank God it's not according to that. It's according
to his own good pleasure, according to his own purpose and grace
which was given us in Christ before the world began. I like that. but is now made
manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who
has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to life
through the gospel. He wrote the Titus. Paul said,
In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie promised
before the world began. The God with whom we have to
do The God that's from everlasting, from everlasting. The God that
had no beginning and shall have no end. That God that created
all things says, this is my purpose. This is my will. I will be gracious. Somebody, somebody is going to
experience God's grace. Somebody is going to experience
the saving grace of God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why the Lord came. The
hymn writer said, it was grace that wrote my name in life's
eternal book. It was grace that gave me to
the Lamb who all my sorrows took. We read a moment ago in Isaiah,
God said, His counsel shall stand. And we rejoice in that blessed
truth, especially as it concerns the work of Jesus Christ. Paul,
in consideration of that in Romans 11, thinking of God's mercy,
God's great mercy. Oh, the depth of the riches,
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are
his judgments. and his ways past finding out. For who hath known the mind of
the Lord, who hath been his counselor? For who hath first given to him,
and it shall be recompensed unto him again? Oh no, Paul said,
no, no, no. For of him, and through him,
and back to him are all things to whom be glory forever and
ever. Amen. of the epistles of the Hebrews
concluded his letter like this. Now the God of peace, the God
of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that
great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting
covenant. The covenant, testament is the
word. That is, the Testament, the covenant
of God's purpose to save us, is an everlasting covenant. And
that blood, the blood of Christ, the blood of the Lamb, was the
seal of the everlasting covenant, entered into between the Father
and the Son. In virtue of the blood of Christ,
God raised His Son, and then He raised His people in Him. He'll raise them to life in time.
The hour is coming, Christ said. And now is that the dead, the
dead shall hear. How? They'll hear the voice of
the Son of God and they that are dead shall what? They shall
live. They shall live to God. They
shall live in this life by the grace of God and they'll live
eternally in glory in virtue of the blood of the everlasting
covenant. Zechariah, the prophet said this,
as for these also, By the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth
thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water." Remember
that last night before our Lord went to the garden? We read,
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them,
his disciples, and said, Drink ye all of it, for this is my
blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many. The same many
that God entrusted into his hands. The same many that were chosen
in him before the world began. The same ones for whom he stood
as surety. This is my blood which he shed
for many for the remission of sins. Oh, it's rightly that we
should sing. What can wash away my sin? There's only one answer. Not
my works, not my repentance, not my faith, not my giving,
not my preaching. What can wash away my sin? What can remove that dark stain? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? How can God declare this broken
sinner whole again? God said, it must be perfect
to be accepted. What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Nothing can for sin atone. Nothing
but the blood of Jesus. Not of good that I have done.
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, but the blood of Jesus Christ,
God's son, cleanseth us from all sin. Oh, that blood reaches
deeper than the stain has gone. That's what Paul said here. We
read it a moment ago, didn't we? Where sin abounded, grace
doth much more abound. Where sin reigned to death, grace
reigns unto righteousness even unto eternal life. Therefore,
oh, precious is the flow. Precious is the flow that does
this. that makes me white as snow,
no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus. What
a joy, what a peace, what a comfort it is to know, Billy, that God
accepts me in his son. God says, Larry, when I see all
the omniscient God sees all, but he says, I don't see your
sins. Why? Because when I see the blood,
When I see the blood, I will pass over you. The blood of Jesus
Christ, God's son, cleanses from all sin. It's effectual. It got
the job done. It wasn't shed for nothing. It
wasn't shed in vain. He said, this is my blood of
the New Testament, which is shed for many. Why? For the remission
of sins. Grace reigns from eternity. And
thank God, His grace reigns in time. When the fullness of the
time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made
under the law. To redeem them that were under
the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because
you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your
hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore, thou art no more a
servant but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Jesus
Christ. Old Robert Hawker said, Little
reader, who shall calculate the infinite greatness of the work?
Who shall form a conception of the wisdom displayed in the arrangement
of what is called the fullness of time? What a wonder! What a marvel! The everlasting
God is made like unto his brethren. Because the brethren were flesh
and blood, he likewise took part of the same. In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by him,
and without him was not anything made that was made. And John
goes on down in the chapter and says, behold this, and that word
that was God, that word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Tabernacle is the word. And we
beheld his glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth. Full of grace. He sits on the
throne of grace, dispensing grace to needy sinners. Grace, as we
just quoted, as we heard Dave sing, grace that can pardon and
cleanse within. Grace that is greater than all
my sin. Everyone given to him by the
Father in time. are called out of darkness. They
come and bow before him who sits upon the throne of grace pleading
mercy. And he says, I will be gracious. And with the scepter of grace,
he touches that filthy sinner and says, be thou clean. All your sins are forgiven thee. Go in peace. Go in peace. Oh, what a peace a forgiven sinner
has. What a marvel. Grace reigns because
it comes from him who sits upon the throne of grace and he is
the personification of grace, Christ himself. Grace reigns,
grace saves, grace keeps, grace that will present the church
before God like himself without blemish. Grace that will bring
every redeemed sinner to glory and not one shall be missed.
It was not to set up an earthly kingdom that Christ came. His
work was far greater than that. It was to redeem his people.
It was to redeem his people. He came to make an atonement
for their sins. He came to give his life a ransom
for many. Hebrews chapter 10, the writer
says in verse 4, It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats
should take away sins. Wherefore, when he cometh, oh,
there's hope now. There's hope now. God sent forth
his Son. When he cometh into the world,
he said, Sacrifice, this is the Son speaking to God the Father.
Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared
me. In burnt offering, and sacrifices
for sin that had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come, I come
to do thy will, O God. But this man, this man, after
he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at
the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be
made his footstool. For by one offering he had perfected,
perfected, perfected forever them that are sanctified, wherefore
the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us. For after that he had
said before, this is the covenant that I will make with them after
those days, saith the Lord. I will put my laws into their
hearts, and in their minds will I write them, and their sins
and iniquities will I remember no more." No more. Here's the third thing. Grace reigns in every sinner
saved. God doesn't try to save. Christ doesn't try to seek. Christ doesn't make an effort
to save sinners. Christ saves them to the uttermost. I mentioned in my article, I
read this statement and I shared it with you. by one commentator,
he said, the grace and the obedience of the one man, Jesus Christ,
has secured for all men the offer of the free gift. The offer. What good's the offer? What good is an offer to say,
what good did an offer, what good would an offer have been
to Lazarus? Bartimaeus or that poor demoniac
or the death man. What good would an offer of grace?
Man, grace is not an offer. The grace of God that comes through
his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, doesn't offer to save sinners,
but it saves sinners to the very uttermost. Christ doesn't offer
to raise Lazarus from the dead. He spoke, Lazarus, come forth. And the very next thing we read,
he that was dead came forth. Because with that command, From
the lips of Christ went the power, the power to raise Lazarus from
the dead. And when he speaks to sinners,
dead in trespasses and sins, you know what happens? They live. They live. He raises them up
to newness of life. Even you that were dead in trespasses
and sins had he quickened. Grace is God's operation. It's not God's offer, it's God's
doing. It's not God's trying, it's God's
performing. And he gets the job done. Grace
is never the result of something you and I do. It's always the
cause. Grace is never in response to
you and I. It's always the instigator. It starts this work of grace
and it shall complete the work of grace. When Paul tells us
that grace reigns, he means for us to understand that grace always
has the upper hand. Paul said to those poor weeping
Ephesian elders to whom he said, you won't see me again in this
life. I'm leaving you now and we'll never meet again, not in
this life. But he said, I commend you to
God and to the word of his grace. I'm leaving you in good hands. You're in the hands of the great
shepherd of the sheep. Grace is like God himself. From whom it proceeds, it's sovereign. Sovereign. That's what that heathen
king learned, didn't he? Listen to this. At the end of
the days, Nebuchadnezzar lifted up his eyes unto heaven, and
my understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High.
before he bragged on himself, but now he says, I bless the
most high. God changed his tune, didn't he? That's what grace
does. It changes our tune, puts a new
song in our mouth. Nebuchadnezzar said, and I praised
and honored him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting
dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.
Has anybody ever told you Well now, I just don't believe God
will interfere with a man's free will. God's a gentleman. I had a fella
tell me that one time. He said, well now, this thing
about sovereign grace and distinguishing grace and God having mercy on
whom he will, he said, God will not interfere with man's will. Really? Really? Thank God that
he does. Listen again to Nebuchadnezzar.
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing,
and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and
among the inhabitants of the earth, so that none can stay
his hand. And say unto him, What doest
thou? Thank God that he didn't leave
me to my will. Thank God that he didn't leave
me to my will. If my salvation depended upon
me making the first move, taking the first step, I would have
never been saved. I would have never come to Christ.
I wasn't able or willing until Christ made me willing in the
day of his power. Ye are my witnesses, saith the
Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, that ye may know and
believe me and understand that I am he. Before me there was
no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I'm reading
from Isaiah 43. I, even I, am the Lord. And besides me, there is no savior. I have declared and have saved
and have showed when there was no strange God among you. Therefore,
you are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God. Yea, before
the day was, I am he, and there is none that can deliver out
of my hand. I will work, and who shall let
it? I will work, and who shall stop
it? Who shall hinder me? Oh, grace
taught my heart to pray and made my eyes overflow. And it's grace
that's kept me to this day. Oh, and I like this, will not
let me go. Paul again, writing to Titus,
said, for the grace of God, Titus 2 and 11, for the grace of God
that offers salvation, No, no, thank God, no. The grace of God
that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching
us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly and righteously and godly in this present world, looking
for, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing
of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, the grace of God
that brings salvation. Grace doesn't try to save. Grace
doesn't wait for man's permission to save. But grace comes from
that one who is mighty to save. Isn't that why the gospel is
good news? Isn't that why the gospel is
glad tidings? Call his name Jesus, for he shall
save his people from their sins. The Hebrew word for Jesus is
this, Jehovah the Savior. And thank God he lived up to
his name. Jesus saves. Jesus saves. He says, my sheep hear my voice,
and I know them, and they follow me. And I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My Father which gave them to
me is greater than all. Neither can anyone pluck them
out of my Father's hand. There's double security. There's
the hand of the shepherd, and there's the hand of the father,
and the sheep are there in their palm. Now who shall pluck them
out? Thank God it's not possible. These are the words of the good
shepherd. He knows his sheep. He gives eternal life to his
sheep. The sheep are in his hand. I think I'm safe. I think I'm
safe. Oh, but, Larry, no, I think I'm
safe. Oh, but sin dwells in you. Oh,
I know that, but I'm safe. I'm in the hand of the great
shepherd. Nothing can get to me. Nothing
can pluck me out. With the Lord as my shepherd,
I shall not lack anything I need, because I'm complete in him. But of him, are you in Christ
Jesus? Who of God is made in us wisdom? and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glorieth,
let him glory in the Lord. The sheep may wonder. There's
no maybe about it, is there? The sheep will wonder. The sheep may lose their joy
and comfort. They may fall on dark and stormy
times, but their shepherd is responsible for them, and he'll
seek them out. They may wonder, they may drift,
oh, but the great shepherd says, I'll go after them. I won't leave
them alone. I won't leave them to their will.
Oh, no, no. I'll seek. I'll seek them out
until I find them. And when I find them, I'm going
to pick them up in my omnipotent arms, and I'm going to rejoice
to do so, and I'm going to bring them all the way home, back to
the Father's house. Hallelujah. What a Savior. What a Savior. Christ doesn't
offer eternal life. He produces eternal life. Grace
is more than a divine attribute. It's God's action. It's God's
operation. It's God's intervention. Grace
is something God does for us and in us. And it's grace that
reigns. God's grace is more powerful,
more mighty than man's sin. We don't know that. until we've
been born again. We don't realize what a sinner
we are until God opens our eyes. Nicodemus, you must be born again. It's a necessity. There's no
doubt about that. That's what the Lord told him.
But he didn't say, Nicodemus, it's something you can do. No,
this is God's work. Men can reform themselves, but
they can't regenerate themselves. They can't give themselves a
new heart. That's the work of grace. But
blessed be God, grace that's greater than our sin. Grace stopped
us. Children of God, grace stopped
us. Just like Saul of Tarsus. Man,
look at that proud rebel. He was a Pharisee among Pharisees. Man, he was determined till his
dying breath to stamp out the very name Jesus of Nazareth from
the face of the earth. Oh, look at him as he leaves
on the Damascus road with authority to take all Christians he finds
back to Jerusalem, to give his voice against them that they
might be put to death. Who's going to stop him? Who's
going to stop Saul of Tarsus? He hates Christ. Every breath
he takes is a curse against Jesus didn't ask, what happened? He
met Jesus Christ. What happened? Saw the Tarzan,
went down. Went down. That's what every
sinner does, whom Christ calls by his grace. Paul said, when
it pleased God, who called me by his grace to reveal his son
in me. Paul said from that day forward,
I wanted to know nothing save Jesus Christ and him. crucified. That's grace. Bobby used to sing this. Judy
used to sing an endeavor. Judy asked this. Dark the stain that soiled man's
nature. Long the distance that he fell. Far removed from hope in heaven
into deep despair in hell. And there was no way for us to
get out of that pit. No way. except by this, in that
day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David
and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness. But,
but, thank God, but there was a fountain opened and the blood
of God's own Son purifies the soul and reaches deeper than
the stain has gone. Here's a description of a lost
sinner. Here's what we were by nature. None I pity thee, do any of these
things to thee, to have compassion upon you. But thou was cast out
in the open field to the loathing of thy person in the day that
thou was born. And when I passed by thee, and
saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee, when
you were in your own blood, live. live. I said unto thee when thou
wast in thine own blood, live. Now when I passed by thee and
looked upon thee, behold, thy time was a time of love. I've always loved you, Christ
said. I've loved you with everlasting
love. And in the day of his grace, when he calls us to himself,
he shows us. His love is sure brought in her
heart. And I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness.
Yea, I swear unto thee and entered into a covenant with thee, saith
the Lord, and thou becomest mine. And thy renown went forth among
the heathen for thy beauty. Listen to this, for it was perfect
through my comeliness which I put upon you, saith the Lord God. when, real soon, real soon, when
with holy choirs we're standing in the presence of the King and
our souls are lost in wonder while the white-robed choirs
sing, then we'll praise the name of Jesus with the millions round
the throne, praising for the power that reaches deeper than
the stain has gone. Behold what manner of love The
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the
sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know
that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is. Praise the Lord for full salvation. God still reigns upon his throne,
and I know the blood still reaches deeper, deeper than the stain
has gone. Amen. Amen. Thank God for His
reigning grace.