In the 10th chapter of Romans,
from verse 13, Paul writes the following. Whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they
call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they
believe in him? And how shall they believe in
him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed
the gospel. for Isaiah saith, Lord, who have believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. How then shall they call on him
in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in
him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? Whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved. Now last week we considered from
Acts and chapter 15 the dissension that came about in the churches
because of the influence of some, particularly those Jewish believers,
who taught others in the church, particularly the Gentile believers,
that it was not sufficient to simply believe in Jesus Christ
for salvation, but that they also ought to be circumcised
and that they should keep the law of Moses. And these former
Jews found it difficult to turn from what they had come to see
in their tradition as paramount that they were brought up to
keep the law of Moses. and unfortunately their understanding
of the law of Moses wasn't that for which it was given, wasn't
in type and figure that the law firstly proved them to be under
sin and in need of righteousness, found them wanting in that respect
and therefore demanded that a penalty be paid that the sinner be judged
and slain because of his failure to keep the law and the righteousness
of the law, and that in the sinner's place that penalty should be
brought down upon a sacrifice. The law was given to the Jews
to picture the gospel and to point the way to Christ, the
coming Messiah. to show them that because of
their failure to live before God as they should, they were
condemned under sin. They were guilty before a holy
God. But that that God therefore would
bring down judgment upon the sinner. And in the law, that
judgment was seen to fall upon a sacrifice in the sinner's place. All of this pointed in type and
figure to Christ in the gospel, yet there were many Jews who
found it hard to turn away from the idea of the law being that
which guided their lives. and that by which they lived. In the law they saw direction
and teaching for how they should live righteously before God.
They as it were thought that salvation lay in their obedience
to the law, rather than seeing that they were completely unable
to keep that law and salvation lay in the sacrifice. that the
law demanded. Not the repeated sacrifices that
were offered year by year by the Levitical priesthood, but
one sacrifice to come of which those sacrifices were a figure.
These people failed to see the difference between law and grace. between the gospel and the old
covenant. And failing to see the difference,
they went about influencing others, subverting their souls, troubling
them with words, saying that you must also be circumcised
and keep the law of Moses. And the apostles discussed this
and turned around and said unto them, we believe that through
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved. We gave no
such commandment to preach that believers should be circumcised
and keep the law. They are under grace, they are
led by the Spirit of God and they are delivered from the law
by the blood of Jesus Christ. That was the apostles clear and
unequivocal message as recorded in the council that was held
in Jerusalem in Acts chapter 15. In Romans 10 we see something
similar brought to light in what Paul has to say about the Israelites. He says of them in 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. They're zealous. They had the
scriptures. They had the priesthood. They
had the sacrifices. They want to serve God. They're zealous. But not according
to knowledge. not according to knowledge because
their knowledge is in the outward commands of the law and they
haven't seen through the types and the figures to the gospel.
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 unto the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believeth. For Moses described of the righteousness
which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things
shall live by them, but the righteousness which is of faith. Speaketh on
this wise, say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heaven,
that is to bring Christ down from above, or who shall descend
into the deep, that is to bring up Christ again from the dead.
But what sayeth it? the word is nigh thee, even in
thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we
preach that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from
the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation. For the Scriptures sayeth, whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference
between the Jew and the Greek. For the same Lord over all is
rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. So in these words Paul
declares plainly and clearly that salvation is in the gospel. It's in the Gospel just as the
Apostles declared in Acts and chapter 15 as we read. We believe
that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be
saved, even as they, Jews and Gentiles alike. Salvation is
in the Gospel, it's through the word of faith which we preach. It comes through the confession
of our mouths of the Lord Jesus. It's through the belief in our
hearts that God have raised Jesus from the dead. With the heart
man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession
is made unto salvation. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. for Moses described
if the righteousness which is of the law but the righteousness
which is of faith speaketh on this wise you see the Jews of
old as Paul says here were ignorant of God's righteousness they didn't
see through the law and its commands and its rituals and the ceremonies
and the priesthood and the sacrifices they said they didn't see through
these things to the gospel and the manifestation of God's righteousness
by the faith of Jesus Christ upon the cross as he was sacrificed
they didn't see through these things to the gospel and God's
righteousness in the gospel and how believing in God's sacrifice
would make them righteous They simply looked to the law of Moses
and what was commanded and trusted that if they kept that law and
wrought that righteousness it demanded by their own strength
that they would be saved by that means. Moses described of the
righteousness which is of the law that the man which doeth
those things shall live by them. They never saw the difference.
And they had every reason to see the difference, they had
no excuse. From the beginning of time God
had made it plain unto the Jews, unto his people, unto the world
through the scriptures, he'd made it plain the difference
between works and faith, between law and grace, between the old
covenant and the new covenant, between salvation by grace. and the attempt of man to save
himself by his works. Right at the beginning of time,
when Adam and Eve sinned and tried to clothe themselves with
fig leaves, they tried to cover themselves in righteousness of
their own making, God found them and said, where art thou? And
they were trying to hide from his righteous gaze. They were
trying to hide from his judgment, knowing that they were sinners.
They were trying to cover themselves in their own righteousness. And
it couldn't save them. God sacrificed animals. and clothed them with animal
skins as a picture of the necessity of Christ to come in their place
and lay down his life and shed his blood and clothe them in
the righteousness of God. Right at the beginning of time
when man fell into sin God came empowering the gospel and preached
the gospel unto Adam and Eve. How? then shall they call on
him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in
him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? How did Adam call upon God under
salvation? How did Adam believe the gospel? because God came unto Adam with
his gospel and Adam heard and God showed Adam and Eve the necessity
of a sacrifice. The necessity to be clothed in
the blood of Jesus Christ. The difference between the righteousness
of man and the righteousness of God. At the beginning, God
came with his gospel and preached unto fallen mankind in the first
man, in Adam, such that that message would then go through
from him in time to all descendants in the world. Well, without excuse. Immediately in Genesis, after
the record of Adam and Eve and the fall, We hear of their two
sons, Cain and Abel. And Cain offered a sacrifice
under God of his own works. He grew things and prepared them
from the works of his hands. And he offered them up under
God. But Abel took of the firstlings of the flock and offered that
lamb. shed its blood and God was pleased
with Abel's sacrifice and not with Cain's such that Cain in
jealousy rose up against his brother and slew him and God
came seeking vengeance upon Cain. What was the difference? The
difference was that Abel had been shown and heard the gospel
and he knew that salvation, his salvation, his hope came through
the righteousness of another, through the righteousness of
God as typified by the blood of the lamb which he offered.
Whereas Cain approached unto God bringing his own works. Again, right at the beginning,
God had shown and to Abel, the gospel. Abel had heard, Abel
believed, and Abel called upon his God and suffered the hatred
of his brother as a consequence. Likewise, these Jews, they knew
of Adam and Eve, they knew of the writings of Moses it's the
same Man who recorded Genesis as recorded Exodus. Moses wrote
these books as led by God. He wrote these things down. This
is in their law, in their oracles, in their scriptures, in their
Bible as it were. They had the account from the
beginning of time through to the captivity in Egypt, through
the deliverance from Egypt, through the giving of the law. They knew
all these things and all they could see. was the law and their
attempts to keep it. Even though in that law God preached
a message of salvation to them. It was a type and a figure of
Jesus Christ, the necessity for the righteousness of God. But
all they could see was the righteousness demanded by that law. Moses described
of the righteousness which is of the law that the man which
doeth those things shall live by them. They were ignorant. God's righteousness, going about
to establish their own righteousness just like Cain and not submitting
themselves unto the righteousness of God. This is a chapter that
having set that scene, having displayed unto us the mistake
that these Jews made, their ignorance, that they'd been sent the gospel
but never heard it, never understood it, and gone astray. Paul in this
chapter goes on to tell us what that gospel is. That if thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou
shalt be saved. He shows us the contrast between
the righteousness of faith and the righteousness of the law,
between the simplicity of salvation in the Gospel, which comes through
faith in Jesus Christ alone, and the foolishness of attempting
to save yourself by your own works. But as he goes through
the chapter, he comes back to Israel, you see, at the close
of the chapter. He says, in regard to these Jews,
that they have not all obeyed the Gospel. They've heard it,
it's been sent to them. But some heard it inwardly by
faith and believed and called upon their God and were saved.
Yet others heard it and took the Saviour Jesus Christ and
crucified Him. They have not all obeyed the
Gospel. Isaiah, when he was sent as a
prophet to the Jews of old, before Christ came, preached the Gospel. Preached the Gospel unto them. Read the prophecy of Isaiah,
how much of the Gospel is there, so clearly seen. He preached
that message. And yet he cries out, Lord, who
have believed our report? Who have believed our report? So many, it's like it comes upon
deaf ears. They can have Christ presented
to them, plainly. as plainly as Isaiah preached
him. And Christ himself could come
unto the Jews and stand before them, the very Son of God. As a man stood and preached the
gospel, and what did they do with him? They shut their ears,
they rejected his message, and they had him crucified. Lord,
who have believed our report. Now, what a tremendous Indictment
this is. How terrible this is, that the
Gospel should be sent so plainly to these Jews and they should
be so blind, ignorant of God's righteousness. They couldn't
see it when it was there in front of them. The very Word of God
stood before them in spake and they could not see Him for who
He was. Paul goes on, so then faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And the word of
God, Christ himself, came unto the Jews and stood before them. And they rejected him. They rejected
him. Paul says, but I say, have they
not heard? Yes, verily their sound went
into all the earth and their words unto the end of the world. But I say, did not Israel know? 1st Moses saith, I will provoke
you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish
nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold and saith,
I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto
them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, all day
long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and
gainsaying people. So the gospel was sent to this
people. And God warned them of old that
if you do not hear, I will send my gospel to the Gentiles. and
they will call and believe and be saved whilst you reject and
turn away. Isaiah says, very bold and say,
if I was found of them that sought me not. As he speaks of the sending forth
of the gospel into all the world and to every nation. And yet Paul says at the beginning
of this chapter and as he goes on in chapter 11 he says his
heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might
be saved. That God would continue to preach
the gospel unto them and that through that gospel their hearts
might be opened. Now what of you? What of you? Has God sent his
gospel unto you? Has he spoken that gospel unto
you? Can he say of you, have you not
heard? Did you not know? Has he spoken this gospel unto you? Has he shown you Christ in the
gospel? And are you blind to it? Are
you deaf to it? Do you bury your head in the
sand? Are you ignorant of God's righteousness? Are you going about like the
Jews here, trying to establish your own righteousness? Do you
have your religion? Are you a churchgoer at every
meeting, zealous for the things of God but you don't know Christ? You're at every meeting, you're
reading your Bible, you're saying this, that and the other, you
can speak many things of Jesus even. yet really underneath it
you're coming before God hoping to be blessed, hoping to be rewarded
because of your own obedience, your own zeal, the righteousness
which is of the law. Your life could be described
as the man which doeth those things shall live by them there
you are you're doing the right things you're living by the right
things and you think that salvation and everlasting life will come
through it if I'm zealous for God if I'm there in the meetings
if I listen to the messages if I read my Bible and pray often
I'm there God will bless me when in reality you shut your ears
to the true gospel. When the true gospel of sovereign
grace, when the true gospel of the righteousness which is of
faith is declared unto you, you shut your ears, your mind wanders
away. When God sends a preacher with
this gospel, you'd rather go and hear somebody else. You question
what he's telling you. You cast him out as antinomian. You say he's against the law.
You say he's overturning the scriptures. You say he's lawlessness. He's encouraging lawlessness
in the people. And you're caught up with the
same ignorance regarding God's law and the gospel that the Jews
had. The Gospel is very clear. We
believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we
shall be saved, even as they. The Jews who were saved were
those Jews who knew that they had no righteousness, who knew
that they'd failed to keep the law of God, who knew that there
was a sacrifice they needed in order to be right before God,
and who, on hearing of Christ, and His blood, and His death,
and His resurrection, turned from themselves, turned from
their own wisdom, turned from their own ways, turned from their
will and their works, and turned unto the one true and living
God. They fell down on their knees
and worshipped. They believed in Him of whom
they heard they called on him on whom they believed for they
came to know that the word was nigh them it was in their mouth
and it was in their heart they came to know the word of faith
which the apostles preached unto them and they received it and
believed it for with the heart Man believeth unto righteousness,
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scriptures say, if whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference
between the Jew and the Greek. The same Lord over all is rich
unto all that call upon Him. For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved. Whosoever, Jew or Greek. Those who knew the law and those
who didn't know the law. Those who were in Jerusalem and
those who were. Those who went to the temple
and those who lived in another land who had no temple. The same
gospel. The same message of grace in
Jesus Christ is what they heard and what saved them. What have
you heard? And in what do you trust? Whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Have you called upon the name
of the Lord and has he heard you? Is that your hope? that the Lord has heard your
call. Well, Paul, having stated that,
presents us with a number of questions, seven questions which
follow, the answers of which are essential
if you're ever going to call. Because who does call upon the
name of the Lord? Have you called upon the name
of the Lord? Are you calling upon the name
of the Lord? How can you if you don't believe
in him? Verse 14. How then shall they
call on him in whom they have not believed? You will never
call upon the name of the Lord unless you're brought to believe
on him. There are many that call upon
this one and that one. There are many that say they
have called Jesus into their heart. But if their Jesus is not this
Jesus, and if their Lord is not this Lord, they have not called
upon the name of the Lord. How then shall they call on him
in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in
him of whom they have not heard? How can you believe if you've
never heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? How shall they hear without a
preacher? And how shall they preach, except
they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed
the gospel. But as I have saith, Lord, who
have believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing
and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard? As verily their sound went into
all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But
I say, did not Israel know? First Moses sayeth, I'll provoke
you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish
nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold and sayeth,
I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto
them that asked not after me. Seven pertinent questions regarding
the Gospel, the preaching of the Gospel, the sending of the
preaching of the Gospel, the hearing of that Gospel, the belief
of that Gospel, and the call of faith upon the God and the
Saviour that that Gospel makes known. That gospel, as we've seen, had
been sent unto the Jews. It had been sent historically
at many, many times. Moses declared that gospel. The great prophet that these
Jews revered, whose law they sought to keep, preached the
gospel unto them. He wrote of Adam and Eve. He wrote of Cain and Abel. He set before them the need of
righteousness and the sacrifices as figures of Christ to come.
Moses preached the Gospel unto them. The prophets came with
the Gospel. King David preached the Gospel
in the Psalms. Isaiah preached the gospel. And
what did they do with the prophets? What did they do with Elijah?
What did they do with Isaiah? What did they do with Jeremiah?
What did they do with these prophets? They shut their ears. They hated
them. They tried to silence them. They
turned away from them. At the coming of Christ. God
sent John the Baptist into the wilderness, and John outside
Jerusalem, baptized in the river, in the wilderness. And God sent
those many out to seek Him. They came
to hear what this prophet would have to say. But the Jews in
Jerusalem, opposed his message. Have they not heard? Did not
Israel know? Did they welcome him in and bring
him up to Jerusalem? Did they encourage John the Baptist,
this nobody in the wilderness, to come and declare his message
in the temple? so that all the people could
hear, no. They hoped he'd go away. In the end, Herod, through
his wife and daughter, had his head severed. He was put to death. When Christ came in their midst,
and came preaching the gospel, the one of whom John the Baptist
spake, saying, Behold the sandal of his shoes, I am not worthy
to unloose. There is one coming after me
who is more worthy than I am. Behold the Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the world. He preached unto the people who
this Saviour was. And when Jesus came unto them,
they took up stones to stone him. They reviled him and in
the end they betrayed him and handed him over to the ruler
of the Romans and demanded that he be crucified. They sought
to destroy him, they sought to silence the message with which
he came. Did not Israel know? Yes they
did. And because of their rejection,
God sent the gospel unto the Gentiles. People like you and
I. Because the Jews would not hear,
God sent the gospel into the four corners of the earth. He
blessed the world. Now what is your response to
the gospel? Are you glad that this message
has come your way? through the foolishness of the
Jews? Or have you become as apathetic and cold and hateful as they
were in their day? Do you not know? Have you not
heard? Would the preachers today say
with Isaiah, Lord, who have believed our report? You will not call upon this God if you've not heard of him and if you've not believed on
him and if a preacher hasn't come unto you with his message.
How shall I call on him in whom they have not believed? You'll
never believe except you hear. How shall I believe in him of
whom they have not heard? Have you heard? And how shall
I hear without a preacher? Has a preacher ever come unto
you with the gospel? Will you stand before Almighty
God and say, I never heard. I never knew of Jesus Christ. I never knew that he came into
this world as the Son of God and bore the sins of his people.
I never knew that he took the judgment upon himself that they
might be spared. I never knew that he washes his
people with his own blood and causes them to be the righteousness
of God. I never knew that salvation was
through the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ alone. I never
heard. Will that be your excuse? or will you have to say as you
will have to say because you have just heard this very message
will you have to say well yes I did hear God did send a preacher and he did declare the gospel
and he did show the difference he did show that it's by grace
He did tell me that it's not through the law and my own works.
He did say that I cannot be saved by my own will and my own works.
I did hear. And will God say unto you, then
why did you not call? Why did you not believe? Have
you not heard? Did you not know? It is a great blessing if we
are brought to hear the gospel. It is a tremendous blessing if
God sends a preacher unto us with this message. Israel, when
Christ was born and lived amongst them and suffered and died in
their midst, rejected Him and put Him to death. But having
died and risen again, He saved a great many people from that
place. On the day of Pentecost, 3,000
heard the apostles preach and believed. A great many, in the
end, were brought to here when the power of the gospel was declared
unto them and cut them to the quick. when the apostles stood
up before these people who had put Christ to death and could
put them to death because they hated the message they preached
just as they hated the message Christ preached when they stood
up boldly and declared unto that people that you put this prince
and saviour unto death you crucified him But God raised him again
and we stand here before you this day declaring that salvation's
in Christ alone. Be it known unto you all. And
to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ
of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead,
even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is
the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which has become
the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there is none other name under heaven, given
among men, whereby we must be saved. And when they saw the
boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned
and ignorant men, they marvelled, and they took knowledge of them,
that they had been with Jesus. Oh, what boldness these preachers
of the Gospel had to stand before this generation, who had crucified
Christ and to declare unto them plainly what they had done. You
put him to death and yet salvation is through his name. God blessed
that people by sending those men unto them. And by hearing them and hearing
their gospel, God the Spirit put faith in their hearts to
believe in him of whom they heard and to call upon him in whom
they believed. Now if God sends you a preacher
with the gospel, he sends you the greatest thing he could ever
send you. If he sends you the message of his grace, He's spoken
the most wonderful and precious words that you can ever hear. Even if that message comes as
that which will cut you to the quick. Because as Peter and John
told the Jews, God in his gospel comes plainly unto you and unto
I. says unto us, you crucified my
son. Your sins, your unbelief, your
disinterest, your apathy and your rejection of this gospel,
these preachers and this Savior put my son to death your sins
pierced him your unbelief crucified him your apathy saw him laid
in the grave you did this today at this hour with your unbelief
And yet your only hope of salvation lies in Him and His death, His
blood and His resurrection. That message may come as a sword
into our souls. It may lay the guilt firmly at
our door. It may state very plainly that
there is no righteousness in us because we are guilty sinners,
we're murderers. With our unbelief we've put the
Son of God to death. We've rejected His Gospel, we've
rejected those who come with that Gospel, we've turned away
from them, we would rather not hear them, we would rather like
John the Baptist, leave them out there in the wilderness,
never go to hear them, hope they never come and cross our path,
treat them as nothing and treat their message with scorn. We
trample the blood of Jesus Christ underfoot and with our hearts
we put him to death. And that gospel may find us in
that place and lay the guilt and the charges against us. but
it also points us plainly to that crucified saviour whom we
pierced, whom we slew, whom our sins put to death. It points
us plainly to that crucified saviour and his shed blood as
our hope of salvation. And if God sends his preachers
to you with that message and causes you to hear in a way that
some of these Jews of old never heard. They'd heard, but they
never heard. They knew, but they never knew. If He causes you
to hear inwardly and causes you to know inwardly and puts understanding
in your heart and gives you faith by the Spirit of God and gives
you life, then you will hear and you will believe and you
will call from your heart upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
and cry out Lord have mercy upon me a sinner yes I did this Lord
yes I didn't believe I despise your word. I wanted to be any
place I could be except in the meeting, except under the sound
of the gospel. I wanted to listen to any message
except this message. I'd rather go to any church or
sit under any preacher which preached a message different
from this one. I didn't mind those preachers
who told me what I should do and told me that if I asked Jesus
into my heart I'd be saved and told me it came down to me. I
didn't mind them because they put it in my hands and they boosted
my own pride. But this message has stripped
me down to nothing. It's taken it all out of my own
hands. It's brought me to see that even
if I decide I can't make God do what I want him to, he's God
and I am man. He does whatsoever he wills,
not what I charge him to. And no matter what I do, whatever
my zeal in religion, it's not good enough. The more I work,
the more I sink. I'm lost, Lord. I'm blind, Lord. I'm dead, Lord. Have mercy upon
me. This message will bring you to
the brink of hell. You'll know that you're stood
on the abyss, on the edge of the cliff, you're about to fall. Your life is but a moment, the
hours are ticking away and the day will come when you draw your
last breath and then you will come and slip down into eternity
and stand before Almighty God and if He's not washed you in
the blood of the Lamb, if He's not caused you to hear, if He's
not caused you to believe and to call, you're lost. and you know it. But if he does, if he has preached
his message unto you, you will cry out of that man that comes
with that message, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach
the gospel of peace. and bring glad tidings of good
things because what you hear from that man through that gospel
what you hear from the lips of Jesus Christ by his Spirit is
that where you thought there was just warfare where you thought
there was just guilt and condemnation where you felt you were at war
with God and he was at war with you and you were under his wrath
suddenly you discover in that gospel his grace his mercy and
his peace suddenly you discover that in Christ through his death
and his blood that if you're washed in that blood you're at
peace with God that he's come with a message of good things. God has set his love upon you. Yes, you slew Christ with your
sins, but he bore them and he bore them away and he took your
guilt and he took it away and he took the wrath of God against
everything that you are and everything you did and he took it away. And in its place, he made you,
in particular, to be the righteousness of God. And he set his love upon
you and he made known that he did it all for you, to lead you
unto the Father. to lead you as His bride unto
the Father perfect from head to toe and to bring you in before
God the Father and say look at my bride whom I have saved look
at her beauty look at her righteousness and you'll come to see that you're
that bride He died for you His blood was shed for you And this
gospel is not a message that condemns, it's not a message
that destroys, but a message that brings life and salvation. For we believe that by the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved. We believe that
the word is nias, It's in our heart and in our mouths the word
of faith which we preach. We believe that with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation. We believe that with the heart
man believes unto righteousness. And we believe. But if thou shalt
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine
heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. Have you heard? How shall you
believe in him of whom you have not heard? How shall you hear
without a preacher? But if that preacher comes, and
if he preaches Christ, and if you hear His message by the Spirit
of God and if you're brought to believe on Him of whom He
speaks if you're brought to believe on Jesus and call upon Him then
I can say unto you plainly without a shadow of doubt that whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved I will have
mercy upon whom I will have mercy. This is a message of peace, a
message of good things. Whosoever believeth on him shall
not be ashamed. Whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved. Have you heard. Hear the words of this hymn before
we close. John Berridge wrote this regarding
the blood of Sprinkly. Dear dying friend, we look on
thee and own our foul offences here. We built thy cross on Calvary
and nailed and pierced thy body there. yet let the blood our
hands have spilt be sprinkled on each guilty heart to purge
the conscience well from guilt and everlasting life impart. So will we sing thy lovely name
for grace so rich and freely given and tell thy love and tell
our shame that one we murdered gives us heaven. Oh, what a hymn. What a hymn to write. And what
a hymn to sing. That one we murdered gives us
heaven. Let's pray for hymn number 760.