Will you turn to Revelation chapter
6, we'll begin there, or here rather, and then come back to
Romans, Romans chapter 5. I'd like to read a few verses
in Revelation 6, perhaps against this backdrop
of hopelessness and darkness of men being made aware of God,
the Lamb of God, and also made aware that they don't have a
mediator. Against that backdrop of darkness
and hopelessness may we be made more aware of the preciousness
of our Redeemer as we remember Him this day. Here in Revelation
chapter 6 verse 15, and the kings of the earth They don't look
so high and mighty now, do they? And the great men and the rich
men and the chief captains and the mighty men and every bondman
and every freeman hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks
of the mountains and said to the mountains and the rocks,
fall on us. What a strange prayer meeting.
Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sets upon the
throne and from the wrath of the land. For the great day of
his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?" The message
will consist in answering that question. In the light of God
as he is, who shall be able to stand? I wonder, I wonder that
if these men that cry for the rocks in the mountains to fall
on them and hide them from the face of him that sits upon the
throne, I wonder, did they think standing before the Holy Lord
God would be an easy thing before this? You suppose they may have
thought, as multitudes do in our day, that salvation is really
as easy as A-B-C? Did this view of the Lamb on
His throne, of God over all, of God Almighty, forced them
to realize that salvation was not the simple thing that they
always thought it was. Now they realize, they realize
too late, that not everyone will stand accepted by God and be
welcomed into heaven. And they had no place to hide.
No place to hide. No hiding place to escape God's
judgment. Oh, we look at that and ask ourselves
what they ask. Who shall be able to stand? Is
there hope for anyone? Is there no way for any sinner
to enter glory? Look down, if you will, in chapter
7 here in Revelation. Chapter 7. Verse 1. And after these things I saw
four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding
the four winds of the earth. that the wind should not blow
on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another
angel descending from the east, having the seal of the living
God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to
whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, hurt
not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till, till, oh,
something's got to be done first, till we have sealed the servants
of our God in their foreheads. between the close of the events
of the sixth seal, and before the seventh seal is opened, the
Lord graciously is pleased to manifest his watchful care, as
he always has, over his church, his people. Before judgment falls,
seal my elect. Christ set a mark upon them,
as he did upon the houses of the Israelites that night in
Egypt. When God told Moses, this night,
this night I will pass through Egypt and I will slay the firstborn. There'll be no exceptions. I
will slay the firstborn of he that sits upon the throne to
the peasant in the dungeon. I will slay the firstborn except,
except those on which I see the blood applied. The Lord knoweth
his sheep, doesn't he? This was included, all this good
news was included in that message of doom that God spoke to Moses. Exodus 7, Exodus 11 rather, verse
7. But against any of the children
of Israel should not a dog move his tongue. How about that? How about that? Against any of the children of
Israel shall not a dog move his tongue. against man or beast,
that ye may know, that ye may know, O child of God, that ye
may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the
Egyptians and Israel. God makes them to differ. This is what Robert Hawker said.
Reader, again remark the striking tokens of distinguishing grace. Oh, did you, my brother, but
always keep this in view, of things alive in the soul, of
the present distinctions which the Lord makes, and the everlasting
distinctions which will one day be made between the precious
and the vile, you would taste a thousand mercies which are
lost in the unobserving." You remember what Paul asked those
puffed-up Corinthians? They had drifted into factions. One group said, I won't listen
to Peter Cephas. He's uncouth. I want to listen
to Apollos. Oh, what an orator. What an orator. Others said, well, I won't listen
to either one of them. I want to listen to Paul. And
Paul said, listen. You've got no reason to be puffed
up. You've got the big head. And
if you would just remember this, if you would just consider this,
it would be like sticking a needle into a balloon. It would deflate
you and bring you down where you ought to be. Who made you
to differ from anybody else? Who made you to differ? And what
do you have that you didn't receive? Now, if you received it, why
do you glory as if you did not receive it? Who made you to differ? That's another good question,
isn't it? Indeed, who? Who chooses sinners to salvation? There's no question that there's
a choice involved in salvation, but the question is, who made
the choice? Who did the choosing? It wasn't
the sinner. It wasn't the sinner. Oh, no,
it was God. God in the beginning chose you
to salvation. Who bore our sins away? Who bore
our sins away? Who calls sinners out of darkness
and translates them into the kingdom of His own Son? Who does
that? Who has the power to do that?
Who has the will to do that? Who has the grace and the mercy
to do that? Who gives them life and faith
in Christ? There was a time in your life
you didn't believe, you didn't believe, and then suddenly you
found yourself believing. Who did that? Was that you? Did you reach in all fallen Adam
and pull out faith? It wasn't there. No, God dropped
it into your heart. God gives faith. God gives life. Who will keep sinners in this
life from falling and present them in life everlasting before
the throne of God without a fault, without a blemish, without any
such thing, without a trace, without any evidence that they
were ever sinners. Who can do such a thing? Indeed,
who makes us to differ but the God of all grace? Who else could
do that? 2 Timothy 2 and 19, he spoke
about certain false teachers that had overthrown the faith
of some. And he said, nevertheless. I
like that, nevertheless. Oh, child of God, you may be
weeping now, oh, but nevertheless. You may be hurting now, but nevertheless. As we said last Sunday, your
little shit might be tossed to and fro right now, even at this
very moment. But nevertheless, the foundation
of God is unmoved, is unaffected, is never changing. The foundation
of God does what? Stands right where it always
has. The foundation of God stands sure having this seal. The Lord
knows. The Lord knows them that are
His. The Lord knoweth them that are
His. Ephesians 1 verse 13. in whom ye also trusted after
that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation,
O thank God for the glorious gospel, in whom also after that
ye believed ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise which
is the earnest, the guarantee, the down payment of our inheritance
until the redemption of the possession under the praise of his glory.
It was grace that first inscribed my name in God's eternal book. Grace did that. The Lamb's Book
of Life. For His name heads the list,
but beneath His name are the names of all His sheep, because
He knows His sheep. Again, it was grace that first
inscribed my name in God's eternal book. And it was grace that gave
me to the Lamb. who all my sorrows took. Isn't that something? Isn't that
something? Grace taught my soul to pray
and made my eyes overflow. It was grace that's kept me to
this day and will not let me go. Hallelujah. Will not let
me go. God's grace will not ever lose
its grip on anyone once it reaches out and takes them. As David
said, go down, go down to where Mephibosheth is and fetch him. Don't go down and say, pretty
please will you come to the house of David? Oh no, you go fetch
him. Take a chariot and horses, put
him in it and bring him back here. Put him at my table. And he did eat at the table of
David all the days of his life. Oh yes, it's grace that makes
us to differ. Are you still in Revelation 7?
Look at verse 9. After this, after that God's
elect are sealed, after this I'll be held in low a great multitude,
which no man could number. Man could number, but God knows
every one of them. Christ knows every one of them.
Of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues, they stood
before the throne. Before the throne. and before
the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands."
What a different picture this is. These stand in the presence
of God so unlike those we read about in chapter 6. They aren't
afraid. They're not terrified. They stand
rejoicing in the very presence of God. You know why? They have
something that those others didn't have. They have a mediator, the
Lamb. The Lamb. They're with Him. They identify with Him and He
with them. That's why God smiles on them. Imagine that. Imagine that. That multitude in chapter 6,
they see God and the Lamb and they pray, hide us from His face.
We don't want to see Him. Cover us up. And here's a multitude
that none can number. They stand in the presence of
that same God and the Lamb and they just rejoice. Oh, they're
rejoicing. They're waving palm leaves of
victory. They're singing as none other but the redeemed can sing.
Worthy is the Lamb. Why? Because they have a mediator,
the Lamb. The Lamb. They're with Him. They're with the Lamb. And that's
why God smiles on them. That's why God accepts them.
That's why God approves of them. Because they're with the Lamb.
God does all those things for Christ's sake. He always has. You want peace? You want comfort? You want to lay down at night
and sleep the sweet sleep of God's children? Remember, everything
God does, everything God gives, every promise that God has made,
grace now and glory hereafter, is for Christ's sake. It's not
up to you. Man, sinners hear that all the
time. God's done all he can. It's up
to you. If you're saved, it's up to you,
because God has done all he can. Oh, no, no, no. No, God saves
sinners, keeps sinners, brings sinners to himself for Christ's
sake. Oh, there is a solid foundation. I can rest on that. If I lie
down tonight, and begin to calculate, begin to think, now have I done
enough good works today to please God? Have I done anything today
that would warrant me being accepted by God Almighty? Man, I'll toss
and turn and worry and pray all night long, but if I can lie
down tonight, and by the grace of God, look to Jesus Christ,
the Lamb of God, and think to myself, I am his and he is mine. I have a mediator between me
and God. It's the man Christ Jesus. I'm
with the Lamb. I'm his now and I'll be his tomorrow. I'll be his all the days of my
life and I'll be his in eternity when he presents me before the
throne of God. Oh, the Lamb. I can sleep on
that. I can rest there, can't you?
Oh, that's the reason for this great difference. Look at verse
13 here in Revelation 7. And one of the elders answered,
John, what are these? Who are these which are arrayed
in white robes? My soul, who are these blessed
ones? Who are they? Where did they
come from? And John said, sir, thou knowest.
And he said to me, these are they which came out of great
tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white
in the blood. There it is again, the Lamb. The Lamb. Therefore, therefore,
here's the reason, that's the reason, they are before the throne
of God, they're with the Lamb. The Lamb brought them there.
The Lamb redeemed them with his own precious blood. The Lamb
presents them back to the Father. They're accepted before God because
of what the Lamb has done for them. Therefore, that's the reason,
they're with the Lamb. Therefore, are they before the
throne of God. And they serve him day and night
in his temple. And he that sitteth on the throne
shall dwell among them. It's not the blood of martyrs,
but the blood of the Lamb that can wash away sin and make the
soul pure and clean in the sight of a just and holy God. How about
that? I told you when I was a young
man at home, my daddy was so old-fashioned because he would
tell us to do something and expected us to do it. How about that? We had chores to do and we'd
better do them. And if I balked at it or pretended
I wasn't going to do it or had enough Ignorance to sass him
about it? Oh, he'd say, son, I will not
tell you again. Oh, the son of God. God the Father
says concerning his son, in him I am well pleased. Listen to
him. God Almighty is hard to please. Oh, but his son, he said, his
son, my son, He said, Abraham is a friend of God, Enoch walked
with God, but he never spoke these words concerning anybody
else but his son. I'm well pleased in him. I'm
well pleased in him. And God's not easily pleased,
is he? Billy, God's not easily pleased.
People in this religious generation have been duped. They've been
sold a bill of goods. They've been told all their life
God will accept anything. God requires hardly nothing.
It's up to you. Give him your leftovers. It'll
be okay. Make a decision. That's all a
holy God demands. Sign on the dollar line, that's
all you need to do. Walk to a so-called altar and
say the sinner's prayer and then go on your way. Oh no, God says
it's got to be perfect or I'll not accept it. Now how does your works appear
before that? God says it's got to be perfect
or it'll be cast out. Oh, what a joy to hear, this
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. In whom? In whom
we've been accepted. In whom we've been redeemed.
In whom we are kept. In whom we'll be brought to glory.
And in whom we'll be presented before the Father. God's well
pleased in His Son, and He's well pleased with everyone who's
in His Son. Well pleased. The Hebrew writer,
writer, rather, in the Hebrew epistle, Chapter 10 verse 4 said
it's not possible. It's just not possible that the
blood of bulls and goats should take away sin. It's not possible. What can wash away my sins? What can wash away my sins? There's
only one answer to that question, isn't there? Nothing but the
blood of Jesus. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, that's what the wine represents.
The blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of the Lamb. The precious
blood of Christ. Oh, precious is the flow. It's
made me white as snow. White as snow. Before God Almighty. We read in verse 15 here in chapter
7, Therefore, therefore, no other reason We've been redeemed not
with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ,
the Lamb of God. Turn back now to Romans 5. The
precious blood of Christ, Romans chapter 5. Paul said in verse
9, much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall
be saved from wrath through him. The blood of Jesus Christ was
not shed in vain. Isaiah chapter 61 will come back
to Romans 5 in just a moment. The prophet said, I will greatly
rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my
God. For he hath clothed me with the
garments of salvation. He hath covered me with the robe
of righteousness. As a bridegroom decketh himself
with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
Jesus, thy precious blood and righteousness. verses one and
two here in Romans 5. Therefore, therefore, because
we've been justified by the Lord Jesus Christ, declared righteous
by God Almighty, therefore being justified by faith, we have peace
with God. Peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this
grace wherein we stand. and rejoice in the hope of the
glory of God. Jesus, thy blood and righteousness,
my beauty are my glorious dress. Misflaming worlds in these arrayed,
with joy shall I lift up my head. Bold shall I stand in that great
day, for who ought to my charge shall lay. Fully absolved from
these I am, from sin and fear, and from guilt and shame, having
stated In chapter 4, in proving the doctrine of justification
by grace, by the righteousness of Christ made to be ours, the
apostle Paul goes on in this chapter, chapter 5, to show us
the blessings that belong to us in Jesus Christ. Paul tells
us, and that's the title of the message, you're surrounded by
grace. You're just surrounded by grace.
One of the many blessings, great blessings, resulting from the
free and full justification Known and felt in the heart of every
believing sinner is a firm standing in a state of grace. A state
of grace into which we've been found and have access to God. God brings poor sinners into
a state of grace and he keeps them there. He keeps them there. Once we're his, we're his forever. nothing from his love can sever. Our standing, as Paul speaks
of here in verse 2 of Romans 5, our standing in grace doesn't
depend upon our faithfulness to God. Aren't you glad? You got that
right, Billy. That's good. That's good. Our standing before God Almighty
doesn't depend upon our faithfulness to God, but upon God's faithfulness
to us. Both the present peace and the
permanent standing of God's elect are secure, as secure as God
Almighty. As secure as God Almighty. Faithful
is he that calleth you, who also will do it. Old Spurgeon made
this statement. He said, what a mercy it is that
it is not your hold on Christ that saves you, but his hold
on you. What a sweet fact that it is
not your grasp on him, in his hand, but his wrath of yours
that saves you. The psalmist made this statement
after being envious at the wicked. David said this, he confessed
this, because of that envy, he said, I was a fool. I was a fool. David, the sweet singer of Israel
said that? Yes. So foolish was I and ignorant,
Psalm 73. I was as a beast before thee. Therefore, God has cast me off. Therefore, God says, that's enough.
Therefore, God says, after all I've done for you, depart from
me. Oh, no, that's not how it reads,
is it? I was so foolish. I was ignorant. I was as a beast.
Nevertheless, nevertheless, I am continually with thee. Thou hast
holded me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy
counsel. and afterward receive me to glory, nevertheless." Oh, my sin is ever before me, but
nevertheless. God says, I am continually with
thee. Grace is incorruptible, isn't
it? Grace is incorruptible. It lives
and abides forever. And the soul that gains access
into this state of grace, as our text says, by God's mighty
work of grace by his effectual calling, that individual passes
from death to life and shall never ever come into condemnation. That's exactly what Jesus Christ
said, did he not? In John chapter 5 he says, Verily,
verse 24, Verily, verily, verily, listen up, listen up, that's
what he's saying, verily, verily, truthfully, truthfully, You can
count on this, you can rest on this, you can bank your immortal
soul on this. Verily I'm saying to you, he
that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting
life, and shall not, shall not, do you hear that? Shall not come
into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Where our
glorious head exists, the head of the church is the Lord Jesus
Christ. It's not a priest, it's not a preacher, it's not a church,
it's not a denomination. The head of the church is Jesus
Christ, and where he is, the members must be also. That's
what he told his disciples that night before he went to the garden.
He said, because I live, ye shall live also. Look to your left
here, if you will. I said we were surrounded by
grace. Verse one, look at that. Justified in peace with God.
Justification takes away our guilt and so makes way for peace. Oh, sweet peace. Is that not
what our woman told the woman in the house of that self-righteous
Pharisee? Thy sins are forgiven thee, go
in peace. You know what he literally said
then to her? Enter into peace. Enter into peace. Peace with
God. Can there be anything more full of comfort to a child of
God than this? We have peace with God. Not we'll
have peace with God. We have peace with God right
now. Right now. Christ made peace with God. There
is more in this peace than just an end of enmity between God
and ourselves. There is a friendship and a loving
kindness. For God is either the worst enemy,
someone said, or the very best friend. Abraham, being justified
by faith, was called the friend of God. and every believer are
children of Abraham. They're happy standing in this
state. Notice wherein we stand. Not only wherein we are, but
wherein we stand. That picture's a posture that
denotes a discharge from guilt. We don't stand in judgment and
are cast out as convicted criminals, but we're welcomed home as the
family of God. Our Heavenly Father says, for
Christ's sake, enter into the joy. Oh, enter into the joy. This is all for you. My Son prepared
this all for you. All this is yours. Your joint
heirs with Jesus Christ. For He is our peace. Ephesians
2 verse 14, Christ is our peace who had made both ones. And they've
broken down the middle wall of partition between us. You've
heard the story of a young man who lay dying as a result of
a wall that had fallen on him. And some ambulance chaser preacher
heard the news and came running to him, knelt down by his side
and said, young man, you'd better make your peace with God. Make
your peace with God. And the young man said, sir,
my peace was made with God 2,000 years ago. And I'm resting in
that one who did it, Jesus Christ himself. I'm just falling in
his arms. I'm resting in him. He is my
peace. Listen to what Paul wrote to
the church at Galatia. And have he made peace through
the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things to himself. By him, I say, whether they be
things in earth or things in heaven in you. You, child of
God, you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your
mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body
of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable
and unreprovable in his sight." John, today, we're going to remember
the success of our Redeemer. We're going to remember what
he accomplished. Not what he took a stab at. not
what he half did, but what he obtained for all of his people. Martin Luther said this, I like
this statement. He said, although I am a sinner,
yet I despair not, for Christ who is my Redeemer and my righteousness
liveth. In him I have no sin, no fear,
no sting of conscience, no fear of judgment, for in him there
is no condemnation. I am indeed a sinner as touching
this present life, But I have a righteousness of God which
is above this life, who is Christ my Lord, in him I rejoice. Now look to your right in verse
2, and we find believers standing in grace and rejoicing in the
hope of glory hereafter. Grace is glory begun, and glory
is grace complete. Those and those only who have
access by faith into this grace of God now may hope for the glory
of God hereafter. There's no good hope of glory
but what is founded in grace. Grace is glory begun. It's the
earnest and the assurance of glory. He will give grace, the
psalmist said. He will. God will give grace
and glory. Those who hope for the glory
of God hereafter, oh my soul, have reason to rejoice in that
blessed promise now, do we not? And then look behind you. Look
behind you, child of God. Are we not surrounded by grace?
Can we not thankfully sing with David, surely, surely, goodness
and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Surely it
has. Oh, when the soul is brought
to an awareness in the everlasting covenant of God's grace, he can
look up to God as his father, Jesus as his never failing shepherd,
and the Holy Spirit as his comforter. The triune God is gone before,
like that pillar of the cloud that guided the children of Israel
through the wilderness, that surrounded them, followed them,
compassed them about as a shield. And therefore, in the experience
of everything that's passed, the believer finds confidence
for everything that is to come. Because Jesus is not only the
alpha of our salvation, he's the omega. He's the first. He's the last. For of him, and
through him, and to him are all things to whom be glory forever
and ever. Amen. And look ahead, and you
see that glory is waiting at the finish line, and I will dwell
in the house of the Lord forever, at the appointed time. At the
appointed time. Soon, Jesus Christ will bring
the whole fold around himself in glory, where he will lead
them to fountains of living waters, and all tears shall be wiped
away from their eyes. forever, forever. Isn't that something? You'll
never see a tear shed in heaven. There'll be no reason to weep.
The sheep are led by many away, sometimes through the sweet meadows,
sometimes limping along the sharp blended highway, sometimes up
over a high, rough, rocky mountain pass, sometimes down through
the deep gorges, no sunshine, but they are ever being led to
one place. And when that hot day is over,
and they are gathered into that one fold, and the sinking sun
sees them safe within the fold, where no wolf can come, nor any
robber can climb anymore, then shall they rest forever under
the shepherd's loving eye." God leads his dear children along.
Sometimes on the mountain, oh, can you not testify to this,
Sometimes on the mountain where the sun shines so bright, God
leads his dear children along. Oh, what sweet, sweet times.
But sometimes in the valley in the darkness of night, God leads
his dear children along. Some through the waters and some
through the flood, and some through the fire, but all through the
blood. Some through great sorrow, but
God gives a song in the night season and all the day long. Away from the mire and away from
the clay, God leads his dear children along. Away up in glory,
eternity's day, God leads his dear children along. The phrase,
wherein we stand, denotes final perseverance, does it not? We
stand firmly, being kept upheld by the power of God. Being confident
of this very thing, Paul wrote, that he which had begun a good
work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. God that began the good work
of grace in every sinner, in every believing sinner, will
complete it. Will complete it. He's the master
builder and he never entered upon anything, especially such
a great thing as salvation, and not finished it. This is what
he told Samuel. In that day, I will perform against
Eli all the things which I have spoken concerning his house.
When I begin, I will also make an end. I know, the wise man
said, that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever. Nothing
can be put to it, nor anything taken from it. And God doeth
it that men shall fear beforehand. We may be confident and well
persuaded that God will not only not forsake, but that he will
finish and crown the work of his own hands as only he can. No wonder John said, 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. We shall see him. Oh, my hurting brother and sister,
listen, we shall see him as he is. That's the true standing
of every child of God. Peter wrote the suffering believers,
I've written unto you exhorting and testifying that this is the
true grace of God wherein we stand. The psalmist said, I will
lift up my help, lift up my eyes rather, unto the hills from whence
cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord,
which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to
be moved. He that keepeth thee will not
slumber. Will not slumber. Oh, we need
help. Do we not We need powerful, efficient,
constant help. We need a very present help in
trouble, and that's who God is. What a mercy it is to have such
a God. Our hope is in Him. Our God always
rises to the occasion. He that keepeth thee will not
slumber. No fatigue, no exhaustion can
cause God to sleep. His watchful eye never is closed. never is closed. He's always
watching over his own. Let me close this by saying affirm
persuasion, being convinced that we are in the true way to heaven
is the best motive to stand fast and persevere in it, is it not? The grace wherein we stand must
be true and our standing in it must be true as well. We begin
this race with grace. We finish it with grace and every
step between those two is sprinkled with grace. Grace all the works
shall crown. Through everlasting days it lays
in heaven the topmost stone, and well deserves the praise.
And he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings,
crying grace, grace unto it. Grace is a charming sound, harmonious
to the ear. Heaven with the echo shall resound,
and all the earth shall hear. Amen. Amen. God bless you.