Turn, if you will, back, or you
probably have held your place there, here in 1 Corinthians
15. Paul gives us here, as he does in other places, a before
and after picture. He says in verse 9, I am the
least of the apostles, but I'm not meet to be called an apostle
because I persecuted the church of God. That's what Paul was
without grace. He was religious. He was a Pharisee. He was very mindful and zealous
of the religious traditions of his fathers. He thought he was
doing God's service just like our Lord said men would do after
he went back to glory. But in all that time, Paul was
very religious. There's no question about that.
And at the same time, this is also true, he was very lost. He was lost. He didn't know Christ. A man cannot be saved. He can
be, as I mentioned last Sunday, we can be ignorant of a lot of
things and still be saved, but we cannot be ignorant as to who
the Savior is and be a believer. Now Paul tells us in our text,
verse 10, what made the change in him. What made him to differ? Paul never forgot it, did he?
He never got over it, did he? Some of his last words to his
beloved Timothy was that the Lord had mercy on me, Timothy. Setting in present years since
the Damascus road, Paul was still not over the wonder and the miracle
of his own salvation, that God would have mercy upon him. But,
verse 10, but, bless God for that, but, Why are you not still
in your religious traditions, Paul? Why are you not still just
a Pharisee? Why are you still not blind?
Why are you still without God? But, by the grace of God, I am
what I am. Oh, there's that blessed but. We find it throughout God's Word,
don't we? But. Oh, I once was lost, oh,
but now I'm found. I was blind, oh, but why am I
no longer blind? But now I see. I thought of a
hymn, one of the many hymns that Brother Don wrote, and he has
one entitled, But God. My soul in darkness, death, and
sin was lost and all undone. I did not know my lost estate. I could not see God's Son. I could not see God's Son. Look
unto me, look unto me and be ye saved. Oh, but I can't look,
I can't see, I'm blind, until God gives me sight. But God,
but God, oh blessed word, but God, in grace and power divine,
stepped in to save my soul. His gracious purpose has prevailed
and he has made me whole. But God, what blessed words of
grace, He broke my stubborn will. Throughout the great eternal
age, I'll chant his praises still." If we could somehow, this very
moment, if we could draw back that curtain that separates the
seen from the unseen, the temporal from the eternal, from being
here to being in glory, if we could have a glimpse into glory,
and we would see a multitude, we would see a multitude, how
many There's more than John could number. More than John could
calculate. A multitude standing before the
throne of God. And every one of them are dressed
in white robes. Every one of them. Every one
of them are waving the palm leaf of victory. And you would hear
every one of them singing this very same song. Oh, as they'd
never sung before. You would not hear one note.
I like this, I'm looking forward to it. You would not hear one
note praising man about anything. Not one note about man's work,
about man's worth, or man's will. There's no such language in heaven.
Not one note ascribing anything to man whatsoever. Every one
of those before the throne of God and of the Lamb sing the
very same song. And you know what it is. Revelation
7 tells us, Salvation to our God which setteth upon the throne.
Salvations of the Lord. How did you come to be here?
Salvations of the Lord. Salvation to our God that setteth
upon the throne and unto the Lamb. If I'm a believer, if I'm
a believer, what made me a believer? I've got brothers that are not,
sisters that are not, most of my family are not. Many of them
are religious but still in darkness. They don't see. And I see, by
the grace of God, I see the Lord Jesus Christ. Who did that? Oh, only God. Faith, faith by
which we see the Lamb of God. Faith by which we see the Lord
Jesus Christ, the mighty God, our substitute, our savior, That's
a gift of God's grace. It doesn't come any other way. You can't have it any other way.
If we have faith, it's because God gave it to us. God granted
it to us. Otherwise, we would never believe.
We would never see Christ except for this miracle of his grace. And this is exactly what Paul
said in Ephesians 2. We know this by heart, don't
we? For by grace are you saved through faith. Where did he come
from? Well, it didn't come from yourself.
And that's not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. Oh, precious,
precious gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should
boast. That faith that enabled me to
behold the Lamb of God did not originate with me. It didn't
come from me. It couldn't have. I didn't have
it. It had to come from God. What
a blessing. What a blessing, Billy, as our
days swiftly pass by. as this vapor is just extinguishing
more and more. When that time comes and it's
soon approaching, when we'll leave this world and everything
in it, oh, what a blessed, blessed truth it is. to be able to say
like old Simeon, when he came into that temple, how did he
know that that babe, and that babe didn't look any different
than any other dark-skinned Jewish infant. It just didn't. He was
bone of our bones and flesh to our flesh. There was no halo
over his head to identify him, no angels flapping their wings.
What identified that Lamb of God, that child in Mary's arms,
as to being the Savior? How did Simeon know that God
taught him? God told him, he came into that
temple and he saw that babe. And God said, send me, and that's
him. That's him. That's the Messiah. Remember
what he said, Lord, Lord, let your servant now depart in peace. Let me leave this world in peace. How can that be? Because I've
seen your salvation. Salvation was not only resolved
upon, contrived and secured in the covenant of grace, but it
was actually obtained and wrought out by the Lord Jesus Christ. Call his name Jesus. I love that
verse. That's why I quote it so often.
He shall save his people from their sins. And that salvation
is actually bestowed by God the Holy Spirit and this faith. This
faith is not the product of man's free will, no such thing. Or man's power is the free gift
of God. God justifies the believing man,
not for the worthiness of his faith, but for the worthiness
of the object of his faith, that one in whom he believes. That
one that he looks at is what brings salvation. And it was
grace, as we read there in Ephesians 2, it was grace that put me in
Christ. In Christ Jesus. You who once
were far off are now made nigh in the Lord Jesus Christ. In
Christ Jesus. How did I get in Christ? Who put me in? I couldn't put
myself in Christ. Again, in Ephesians chapter 1,
Paul tells us how it happened. Blessed be the God, verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ. As Brother Scott used
to say, God put all of his eggs in one basket. Verse four, according
as he has chosen us in him, everything of mercy, everything of grace,
every good and perfect promise of God is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Outside of Christ, we have nothing. According as he has chosen us
in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy and without blame before him in love. This is an eternal
election of particular persons to everlasting life and salvation. That is the blessing of grace,
the first blessing of grace, the foundation, if you will,
and all these other blessings that Paul goes on to mention
flow from that glorious truth, that foundation. It was not good
in God's sight that his son should be alone. You remember when our
Lord God was after the creation, it was Adam and he was creating
animals and bringing them before Adam and Adam was naming them
and it says there was still not found a help meet for Adam. God
said it's not good that the man should be alone. And the Lord
God said it's not good that the man should be alone. I will make
him a help meet for him. And in God's sovereign purpose
of grace, In the everlasting covenant of God's grace, he said
the very same thing concerning his son. It's not good in God's
purpose that the God-man, his son, should be alone. The Lord
therefore chose the church as his bride and gave it to Christ. You remember when he presented
Eve before Adam? She said, oh, she's flesh of
my flesh and bone of my bones. And Paul tells us in Ephesians
5, that's Jesus Christ and his church. That's a picture of Christ
the bridegroom, our Adam, and the church being his bride. This
is exactly what Paul wrote in Romans 8, 29. 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. Oh, our Lord shall have a glorious
crown. Oh, a multitude of redeemed sinners
that not maybe will be saved, they must be saved. He must. He shall see to develop his soul
and be satisfied. The Lord Jesus Christ didn't
die for a maybe. He didn't die for a hope so.
He didn't die for people that won't experience his great salvation. He didn't shed his blood for
anyone that won't be in glory and see him as he is and be like
him. No, no, no. Jesus Christ is no
failure. He's the firstborn, thou art
my first elect, God said concerning his son, and then chose us in
Christ our head. Josiah Condor wrote this hymn,
put it this way. It is not that I did choose thee,
Lord, that could not be. This heart would still refuse
thee if you had not chosen me. Thou from the sin that stained
me has cleansed and set me free. Of old thou hast ordained to
me that I should live to thee. Be with Christ where he is. Remember what Paul said against
that dark, dark backdrop of what seems like universal depravity
of man's embracing false religion? Believing a lie, turning deliberately
away from the truth, not wanting to hear it, Oh, is that all men? Oh, no. Thank God, by His grace, there's
a remnant. There's always a remnant, according
to the election of grace. Paul said in 2 Thessalonians
2, oh, here's another one of those blessed interjections,
but. But, turning from that dark background
of apostasy, unbelief, Paul said, but. That's not the case with
everybody. Oh, God has a remnant. God has
a remnant. But we are bound to give thanks
always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God had from the beginning chosen you. How about that? Chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth, whereunto
he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ. We're nothing but what God makes
us. Nothing but what his grace makes
us. All that is good in us comes
from the stream of this fountain, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. And having a good hope of eternal
glory is the same way, the same reason. Only grace gives us a
good hope. Again in 2 Thessalonians 2, now,
verse 16, now. the Lord Jesus Christ himself,
and God, even our Father, which has loved us. I have loved thee
with an everlasting love, therefore with bands of love have I drawn
thee, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation
and good hope, good hope through grace. Oh, that's the only good
hope a sinner can have is one that's founded upon grace. Not
by merit, but by grace. Not by desert, but by grace.
Not because he deserves it, but by grace. Oh, thank God for that. It's all of grace. God's original
choice of sinners to salvation, it was a choice, an election
of grace. Our regeneration, being born again, oh, that's a work
of God's grace. Our calling out of darkness,
into his marvelous light. That's a work of God's grace.
The Bible defines salvation as a resurrection. A resurrection
from spiritual death. A transformation, a translation
out of darkness into his marvelous light. An opening of blinded
eyes. All these things are pictures
of his miraculous grace and they're beyond the reach or ability of
man. This is God's doing. This is
God's doing. Thank God that salvation is of
the Lord. I couldn't give myself a new
heart. I couldn't create faith in my darkened soul. This is
the work of God. Redemption. Redemption. Deliver his soul. This is the
voice of grace. Deliver his soul from going down
to the pit. I found a ransom. Justification. Sanctification. Adoption. And
ultimately, finally, being glorified, the whole church trace all their
mercies to grace, from eternity past to eternity to come, and
every step along the way, everything in between those, everything
from election to glorification, every step in between, believers
are conducted home to glory, has this inscription marked along
every step, to the praise of the glory of His grace. Oh, grace,
I love that old hymn that puts it this way. "'Twas grace that
wrote my name in life's eternal book. "'Twas grace that gave
me to the Lamb who all my sorrows took. "'Grace taught my heart
to pray and made my eyes overflow. "'Grace got me lost. "'Grace
woke me up. "'Grace made me cry for mercy. I sat in darkness, not even knowing
it until he turned the light on. Grace made my heart to pray. Grace made my eyes overflow.
It's grace that's kept me to this day. I like this, and will
not let me go. God refuses to let me go. Christ is my sheep, shall never
perish. They're in my hand, they cannot
be plucked out by anyone or anything. Grace all the works your crown,
through everlasting days. It lays in heaven the topmost
stone, and well deserves the praise. Y'all have heard this,
I've mentioned it many times, and you've read it yourself,
what old John Newton said in his old age. He said, I'm not
what I ought to be, and I'm not what I want to be. I'm not what
I hope to be in the other world, but still I'm not what I once
was. I'm not what I used to be. No,
no, no. No, God's grace is not in vain,
as Paul said here. Grace makes us the different. Grace is effectual. Newton said, I'm still not what
I used to be, and by the grace of God, I am what I am. God's grace is always effectual. It works. Religions can give
you rules and regulations, but only grace can give you a new
heart. Grace goes to the very root of
the problem. It's here. It's not out here.
It's not in things. It's what's in here. This wicked
heart. This is what Paul says in Romans
chapter 5. Romans 5 verse 19. For as by
one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience
of one shall many be made righteous. And whereover the law entered,
that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, grace
did much more abound. That as sin hath reigned unto
death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal
life, by Jesus Christ the Lord, dark the stain, dark the stain
that soiled man's nature, long the distance that he fell, far
removed from hope and heaven, into deep despair and hell. That's where we are by nature.
That's where we would be. Fallen, away from God, without
Christ, having no hope, but, but grace. But there was a fountain
open, and the blood of God's own Son purifies the soul and
reaches deeper than the stain has gone. Wow, that's what I
mean. Conscious of the deep pollution,
sinners wander in the night. Though they hear the shepherd
calling, they still fear to face the light. This the blessed consolation
that can melt the heart of stone that sweet palm of Gilead reaches
deeper than the stain has gone when with holy choirs we're standing." With that multitude we read about
a moment ago in Revelation 7, that white-robed throne. When
with holy choirs we're standing in the presence of the King and
our souls are lost in wonder while the white-robed choir sings. Then we'll praise the name of
Jesus with the millions, millions round the throne, praising for
the power that reaches deeper than the stain is gone. Praise
the Lord. Praise the Lord for full salvation. God still reigns upon his throne,
and I know that the blood still reaches deeper than the stain
has gone. where sin abounded, his grace
much more abound. Only grace can make me willing
in the day of God's power. Christ said, ye will not come
to me. That's true of every man, ye
will not come to me. Then he said, ye cannot come
to me. What's the answer to that then?
My people shall be willing. Nobody is ever saved against
their will. People hear you preach about
sovereign mercy and grace, God's reigning, abounding grace, and
they say, oh, you think God saves people against their will? Oh,
no, no, no, no. He makes them willing. He makes
them very willing. They willingly come to Christ.
They willingly cry for mercy. They willingly say, Lord, if
you will, you can make me clean, because grace makes them willing.
Only grace can keep us from falling. Well, listen to this. Only grace,
what else can do it? Can present me without fault
before the throne of God. Wow. My soul without fault. Not only without sin, but without
fault. Without a blemish. Without a
blemish. Now unto him, who can do that?
Now unto him that is able. Well, that's not me. That's not
talking about me. Now unto him that is able to
keep you from falling and to present you faultless before
the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise
God our Savior be glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and
forever. Amen. Amen. My soul without fault. Is that true? Is that possible? Only if salvation is all of grace
No other way. Man's will can't do this. No
preacher can do it. No priest can do it. No church
can produce this. No doctrine or water or altar
or decision concerning the salvation of a sinner. There's only one
who deserves the credit. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto
us, but unto thy name give glory. Free will says unto us, unto
us. Oh, but free grace says, oh, not so, not so. Not unto
us, not unto us, O Lord, but unto thy name give glory for
thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. Revelation chapter 14,
verse 5. Those before the throne singing
that new song and in their mouth was found no gout, for they are
without fault before the throne of God." Without fault, because
they stand before God. God's all-seeing eye, the omniscient
God that knows all. He looks upon his redeemed, those
that are brought before his throne, led by the Son, the great shepherd
brings his sheep, and God says, I find no fault in them at all.
They're without fault. Wow. I like that. without fault
before the throne of God because they stand clothed in the spotless
robe of a perfect righteousness. They're clothed in the righteousness
of Jesus Christ himself. I'm a sinner by birth, by nature,
by habit, by practice. Yet the God of all grace, the
God of all grace declares that I'm one of his, a saint, righteous,
sanctified. In fact, if you read the New
Testament, you'll find that neither the Lord himself nor the Lord
Jesus Christ, our mediator, nor any of the inspired writers of
Holy Scripture ever speak of a believing man or woman in any
way except as saints. They're saying, we know we're
sinners, we know we're sinners, but the Word of God says we're
saints. I know it, I confess it, I'm
a sinner, but God reckons me perfectly righteous, a saint. and tells me to reckon that way
myself. Listen to what he says in Romans
6 and 11. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves. Oh God keep us mindful of this,
what we are in the Lord Jesus Christ. Reckon ye also yourselves
to be dead and indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Our
Lord Jesus Christ. If God reckons me righteous,
I reckon I'm righteous. If God reckons me so, I am so. I'm a perfectly righteous man
in Christ, accepted and blessed in Him as such. I know what I
am by nature. What I was and where I was when
the Lord stopped me in my mad rush to hell. And I constantly
am made to confess By the grace of God, I am what I am in my
daily struggles. Oh, wretched man that I am. Ah,
so how many times a day do I express that? If not in those exact words,
words very much like them. When I feel the power of lust
within and temptations without, I'm compelled to confess, by
the grace of God, I am what I am. When preserved in the midst of
some great temptation, by which I've seen many others fall and
overcome, I have to say to myself, by the grace of God, I am what
I am. When I've been privileged to
experience some reviving in my soul after a time of coldness
and lukewarmness, I'm constrained to confess, by the grace of God,
I am what I am. When I'm made to rejoice in the
fullness of God's blessings in Christ, again, I must confess,
by the grace of God, I am what I am. When at last I stand, when at last I stand with Christ
in glory, I'll confess with joy unspeakable,
by the grace of God, I am what I am. Thank God for his free
grace that called us to his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Listen
to these words from 1 Corinthians 6. 1 Corinthians 6 and 9. Know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor infeminate, nor
abusers of themselves with mankind. nor thieves, nor covenants, nor
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the
kingdom of God." Look what it says in verse 11. And such were
some of you. And such were some of you. Looky
here. There's that blessed interjection
of grace again. But... Such were some of you,
but you're washed, but you're sanctified, but you're justified,
in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God,
we realize that the only distinction between us and all other men
is the distinguishing grace of God. That's all. That's the only
thing that makes us the different. As you read the black catalog
of human sin, don't forget this, and such were some of you, but
now, but now, right now, By the grace of God, you're washed
and justified and sanctified. Realizing what we were and knowing
something about what God has done for us in Christ, we rejoice
to say, we rejoice to confess, oh, we're happy that it's so.
By the grace of God, we are what we are. Again, that old hymn,
when with holy throngs we're standing, not if, but when, when,
soon, very soon, very soon. when with holy thrones we're
standing in the presence of the King, King Jesus, and our souls
are lost in wonder. Oh, can you imagine that, Billy? What a sight. Yes, our souls
are lost in wonder while the white-robed choir sings. Then
we'll praise the name of Jesus. Oh, how we'll praise him with
an unsinning heart. with the millions around the
throne will praise him for the power that reaches deeper than
the stain has gone. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord
for full salvation. God still reigns. I know we live
in dark times, perilous times, but God still reigns upon his
throne. And I know, I know, thank God
I know, his blood still reaches deeper then the stain has gone. Amen. Amen. God bless you.