Well, I want to turn your attention
to Micah this morning, the prophet Micah, minor prophet Micah, and
chapter six of that prophecy. So while you're turning to it,
I just want you to think on some things by way of introduction.
You know, we all have an awareness of mortality. Do you know what
that means? That means we all have awareness of the fact that
though we're alive, We're destined to die one day. We don't live
forever in this flesh, we die. And even confessing atheists,
those who say they have no faith in any God and they don't need
faith in any God, even they. In large numbers, as they approach
death, they say, but, you know, I really do wonder, if there
is a God, I wonder if, am I fit for God? Will I, but you don't
believe in God, and there's something within them that they just can't
get away from. Yes, I know I'm going to die, I'm a spiritual
being, and there might be, you never know, there might be, there
might be a God, and if there is a God, am I accountable to
that God, and will I be good enough for that God? Will I have
been good enough for that God? You see, it's throughout culture,
it's throughout everything that we do. Recently, I watched again
one of my favorite films of all time, which is Saving Private
Ryan. And at the end of it, the old man, John Ryan, who was the
private who was saved, he's at the cemetery in Normandy, the
US cemetery there. And he's sobbing at the graves
of his friends who were lost saving him. And they'd said to
him, you make sure you're a good man. And he cries out to his,
have I been good enough? Have I been good enough? Yes,
you've been a good man, John. Yes, you've been a good man.
Will I be good enough? You see, the thing is, it's not
whether our friends and relatives think that we're good. Does God
think that we're good enough? Will I be good enough for God?
The Philippian jailer, in Acts 16, wasn't it? Acts 16, the Philippian
jailer and he's a man who's lived all his life with no thought
for God. He's just gone about his business, he's got a very
rough edge to him, he's the jailer of the town and if the leaders
of the town wanted somebody to be treated roughly, give them
to the Philippian jailer. He's a nasty man, he'll give
them a bad time and then he knows he's going to die. Then he knows
that he's going to be held to account for letting those prisoners
go free. because there was an earthquake
in the night, and he knows he's going to die. And what does he
cry out? What must I do? He's heard Paul and Silas singing
hymns to the true and living God. Something's touched him,
and he now knows he's going to die, and he knows there's a God
and I'm not right with. What must I do to be saved? Notice, what must I do? If I am to be saved, I must do
something. Think of the rich young ruler
speaking to Jesus, the rich young ruler of the Jews, very upright
young man. And he comes to Jesus, who is
the teacher, and he thinks, I'm going to go and get my card stamped
here that I'm OK. And he says, good master, good
teacher. What must I do to inherit eternal
life? Why do you call me good, said
Jesus? You're only seeing a man. Why do you call me good? There's
only one who is truly good, and that's God alone. So don't think
you are, or me as you see. Only God is good. What must I
do to inherit eternal life? Notice the question, what must
I do to inherit? It's all about what must I do,
as if the answer in pleasing God is in what I do. Do this and you will please God.
Don't do this and you will displease God. What must I do to please
God? And he says to him, well, what
does the law say? How do you read it? He says,
do this and live. Well, do the commandments and
you shall live. You're asking, what must I do? The law tells
you what you must do. You must do this perfectly and
then you will live. He says, well, I've done it all
from my youth. What more do I need? And Jesus
says, go and sell all that you have and give to the poor. And
he hit smack bang in his heart that he was a covetous man. He
was a covetous man who had no compassion on others. He was
a covetous man. And in that moment, he showed
him the poverty of his own works when it comes to earning favour
with God. And he went away sorrowful. The
Jews, the Pharisees, speaking to Jesus in John chapter 6, verse
28, they said, what shall we do that we might work the works
of God? What is it that God requires
of us? What might we do? What shall
we do that we might work the works of God? You see, all religion,
except the one, there's only one true religion, there's only
one, there are not many flavours, there's only one true religion. All religion, apart from the
one true religion, provides its own recipe for what you need
to do. Whether it be called Christian,
Arminian, Reformed, Catholic, Islamic, Buddhist, Hindu, whatever
it might be, all of them provide their own recipe for what you
need to do to please their concept of what God is like. But all
of it is based on flesh. All of it is based on what we
do in these bodies. It's all about their rules and
regulations for taming the will. I really want to do this, but
my religion tells me I mustn't do it. I really want to go there,
but my religion tells me I mustn't go there. I really want to do
this thing or that thing or whatever it might, but my religion tells
me constrains me, it constrains my actions. And how does it constrain
them? Two ways. It threatens a penalty if you
don't do as you're told, and it promises a reward if you do
do as you're told. And even reformed Christianity,
even those who have orthodox doctrine, they peddle works holiness. They peddle works sanctification,
progressive sanctification. Get better and better in this
life. They peddle rewards for your improved sanctification.
So there are really sanctified Christians who will have super-duper
crowns full of jewels because they've been such good sanctified
believers in their flesh. They really do believe this.
I'm not making this up. They really do. They talk about
the law. What's the law? The law is that
law of God that defines what would be perfection in the flesh
as far as God counts it. And what else matters? The only
thing that matters is what does God count as righteousness. They peddle this idea that if
you keep the law, then you'll be fine. And they have the law
as the believer's rule of life. Oh, they say you're justified
by faith. It's by grace that you're saved. But you live as
though you are under the law. You live as though the law is
your rule of life. So you've got a situation where
you feel like killing somebody. And you go, oh no, I can't do
that because the law tells me thou shalt not kill. Oh, there's
a situation where you feel like committing adultery. Oh, I can't
do that because the law constrains me not. And the law is the believer's
rule of life. No, it's not. Is that what God's
word says? Is it? I was reading when we
were away the book of Micah, and I was particularly struck
by chapter six and verse eight. Just look at it with me. Chapter
six and verse eight. He has showed thee, O man, what
is good. And what doth the Lord require
of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with thy God? That sounds like God is specifying
what we need to do, doesn't it? Sounds exactly like God is specifying
what we need to do. Let's just read those verses,
the first eight verses of Micah chapter six. Just follow along
with me at this moment. Hear ye now what the Lord saith.
Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills
hear thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's
controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth. For the Lord hath
a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.
O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I
wearied thee? Testify against me. For I brought
thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the
house of servants, and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and
Miriam. O my people, remember now what
Balak, king of Moab, consulted, and what Balaam, the son of Beor,
answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know the
righteousness of the Lord. Wherewith shall I come before
the Lord? and bow myself before the High God. Shall I come before
him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the
Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands
of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for
my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He hath showed thee, O man, what is good. And what doth the Lord
require of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk
humbly with thy God? If you would be pleasing to God,
here is what God says you must do. Is this an Old Testament recipe
for works holiness? You know, we know the gospel
came along in the New Testament, didn't it? And this is the Old
Testament. So is this an Old Testament recipe
for works holiness? How can it be? How can it be? God's word is consistent throughout
with gospel grace. The Old Testament is consistent
throughout with gospel grace. The Lord Jesus Christ, speaking
to the Pharisees in John chapter 8, said of these scriptures,
he said, these are they which speak of me and him Him is about
grace. He is about the grace of God. He is about salvation accomplished
by grace, not by works, lest any man should boast. So what
I want us to see is first of all the Lord's controversy, or
controversy if you prefer to pronounce it that way, and then
the Lord's requirement. The Lord's controversy with Israel.
Verse 2. He, O mountains, the Lord's controversy,
and ye strong foundations of the earth, for the Lord hath
a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel.
O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I
wearied thee? Testify against me. Tell me where I've got it
wrong, he says to his people. For I brought you up out of the
land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of servants,
and sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. O my people, think
about Balaam and Balak. Think what I said to you there.
What have I done wrong to you? You see, There was unrighteousness
throughout the society of those who were the nominal people of
God in spite of gracious revelation of gospel truth. All of the Old
Testament is about the revelation of gospel truth, right the way
down from Adam and Eve and Seth and Well, Cain and Abel and Seth
and Noah and all the way down through the patriarchs. Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, all the way down. David, all the way down. It's
all about gospel grace. All about gospel grace. Even
Moses and the law given by Moses in actual fact is all about gospel
grace because all of the precepts given for temple worship are
about the redemption from sin. They're about the law and about
the recovery from the curse of the law. That's what it's all
about. That's what the sacrifices were for, to picture that. But
this society which had such clear revelation, the only society
on earth that had this revelation from God, they flew in the face
of that revelation. They knew it was true. They knew
it was the only way to eternal life and peace with God. They
were arrogant in their knowledge that they were the only ones
on earth that knew this. But in their hearts, the majority
disbelieved. The majority did not believe
God. They kept up a mere outward form,
but inside was full of hypocrisy. You read these prophecies. Why
is it so full of condemnation and the curse against sin? Because
their society, despite the truth they knew, was riddled with sin
throughout, riddled with corruption. They wearied their God with their
religious activities. We read about it several weeks
ago in Isaiah chapter 1, but let me remind you. Isaiah chapter
1, verses 10 to 15. Hear the word of the Lord, ye
rulers of Sodom. He's talking to his own people.
He doesn't mean literal Sodom. He means you people of God that
claim to be the people of God, but you're actually acting like
the people of Sodom. Hear the word of the Lord, ye
rulers of Sodom. Give ear unto the law of your
God, you people of Gomorrah. To what purpose is the multitude
of your sacrifices to me? Your religion. The things that
you do thinking you win favour with God. I'm full of the burnt
offerings of rams. I'm sick to death of it, is effectively
what the word of God here is saying to them. The fat of fed
beasts. I delight not in the blood of
bullocks or of lambs or of he-goats because they're not given pointing
and looking by faith to Christ. When you come to appear before
me, who's required this of you? Why do you keep doing it? I don't
want it, is what God is saying to them. Bring no more vain oblations,
incenses and a bonfire, all your religious works. I can't stand
them. Your new moons, your feasts,
the calling of assemblies. I cannot stand them. Get rid
of them. It's iniquity, even the solemn
meeting. Your new moons and your appointed
feasts, my soul hateth. They are a trouble to me. I am
weary to bear them. And you spread forth your hands,
I will, to pray. When you pray to me, I'll hide
my eyes from you. When you make many prayers, I
will not hear. Your hands are full of blood."
You see, it was all done in the power of flesh, without heart
motivation of a spirit-regenerated soul. In Micah 6, verse 6, they
say, Shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before? What
does God require of me is what they're saying. What is it that
I need to do to be saved? What shall I bring? What shall
I bring? Surely it's all about what I
must bring before God. You know, I told you many times
about that dear old lady who I feel was totally deluded. least the last time I saw she
was, when she said that she was doing lots of work for God because
she didn't want to go empty-handed into the presence of God. And
when she said it, what echoed through my mind was the hymn,
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. Don't want
to go empty-handed? Oh, I do. I've got nothing to
bring, nothing. You see, people do futile, stupid
things to try to make themselves acceptable, to have something
to offer. I tell you. People trying to
have something to offer, you and I have nothing to offer. There's only one man who has
something to offer. You'll read about him in Hebrews
8, our Lord Jesus Christ. He has something to offer. He
has a perfect sacrifice for sin to offer. That's what he has
to offer. And that, that, that alone is
currency, salvation currency with the living God. But the
things we do, they're of no value. The religious things we do are
of no value. Colossians 2.23, talking about
all of these religious things that religious folks try to impose
upon the people of God, and Paul says, which things, these religious
things, have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship. They
look so convincing. Oh, don't they do things properly
there? And humility, and neglecting of the body, but they're not
in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. They don't do a
solitary thing for you in making your flesh better in the eyes
of God, but folks still take comfort from them. Look at Romans
chapter 4. Let's just look at these things
just for a moment. Romans chapter 4. Verse two,
if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory,
but not before God. What does that mean? It means
this. If Abraham's works in any way justified him, were of any
value, of any currency in earning favor with God, then he'd be
proud of it. He'd be proud of his works. But
God wouldn't accept it because God doesn't accept it because
it's not good enough. If you turn over to Romans nine,
just a couple of pages over to Romans nine, And verse 11, for the children being not yet
born, he's talking about Esau and Jacob, neither having done
any good or evil, not the things they do, that the purpose of
God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him
that calleth. It was said unto her, to the
mother, was it Rebecca or was it Rachel? I always mix them
up. The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob
have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Romans chapter 11 and verse 6. And if by grace, it is no more
of works, otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of
works, then it is no more grace, otherwise work is no more work.
You see, you cannot mix them, either works or grace, but you
cannot mix them. You cannot have a religion that
is partially grace and then partially down to you to do your works.
No, not at all. It earns no favour with God.
Is the rest of the scripture consistent with it? Galatians
2 and verse 16. Knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the Lord. Did you hear that? What does
the scripture say? Knowing that a man is not justified
by the things you do in the flesh, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.
What he did is the only thing that justifies you. His death
on the cross is what justifies sinners from their sins. Even
we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by
the faith of Christ what he did, and not by the works of the law,
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his
sight. Verse 20, I am crucified with
Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by
the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for
me. I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness
come by the law, even sanctification righteousness come by the law,
then Christ is dead in vain. Surely you don't believe that.
Chapter 3, O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you that you
should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath
been evidently set forth crucified among you? This only would I
learn of you. Received ye the Spirit by the
works of the law or by the hearing of the faith? Are ye so foolish?
Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now being made perfect by
the flesh? Is the law the believer's rule of life, for the one who
has believed in the Spirit? If you've begun in the Spirit,
are you now made perfect by living as though the law is your rule
of life? Clearly, that's not what it's saying. I'll just go
on one little step further, just to show that this really is true.
2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 9, God has saved us and called us
with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing
of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and
hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Finally, Titus chapter three and verse five. not by works
of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy
he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of
the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus
Christ our Saviour, that being justified by his grace we should
be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Is it not
perfectly clear Favour with God is only based on grace and what
Christ has accomplished for his people, not on works that we
do. Only the faithful doing, dying
and rising again of Christ makes satisfaction to the offended
law of God. Yet despite clear revelation,
religious folk continue to pursue works-based favour with God.
Is that you? Me, ask myself, are there times
when I slip back into that way of thinking? So what shall I
bring? What shall I bring? Let's come
back to Micah. What shall I bring? Verse six
of Micah chapter six. Wherewith shall I come before
the Lord? What shall I bring before him? He, God, has showed
you. Verse eight. He has showed you,
O man, what is good, what you should bring. And what does the
Lord require of thee but to do justly? and to love mercy and
to walk humbly with your God. Now, let's look then at the Lord's
requirement defined. Almost all commentators misinterpret
this as Old Testament works religion. You say, who are you? Yeah, you've
not been to Bible college. Who are you to question the commentator?
Oh, surely you bow before them. No. No, to the law and to the
testimony. If they speak not according to
this word, there is no light in them. I know more than all
my teachers, if I've got the guidance of the Spirit of God,
teaching me the truth of God, in the gospel of God, in the
scriptures of God. You see, this cannot be Old Testament
works religion. It cannot be that if you're kind
to everybody, and if you love to be merciful to everybody,
and if you're a humble person, then God will be happy with that.
It cannot mean that. What has gospel grace taught
us? Does the rest of the scripture teach us that? No, it all teaches
us that salvation and favour with God is entirely, 100% on
the basis of the grace of God to us in Christ. Ephesians 4.20
says this, Paul says to them when he's talking about something
else, but the same principle applies, ye have not so learned
Christ. When you start thinking like
this, has Christ taught you that? What has Christ taught us about
the favor of God? He's taught us that it's by grace,
it's by substitution, it's by union with him. If so be that
you've heard him, have you heard that message and have been taught
by him? Have you been taught that message of grace? Have you
been taught the truth in Jesus? Well, we interpret everything
else in the light of that. Everything must be seen through
the filter of gospel grace. In this life as believers, everything
that we see in the scriptures must be seen through the filter
of gospel grace. It really must. Do you do that?
When you read this word, how must I interpret it? You know,
when it talks in the Old Testament about the umim and the thumim,
and they wanted a priest with the umim and the thumim, or somebody
that could come with the umim and the thumim, This was the
lights and perfections, I think is what it literally means, but
it's that gospel interpretation of things. You see, you can go
around this area and you can go to places where there's lots
of people preaching at the moment, but you won't hear a solitary
word of gospel grace. You'll hear them preaching from
the scriptures, but you won't hear a solitary word of gospel grace
because They've not been taught by Christ the truth as it is
in Christ. They've not so learned Christ.
Everything must be seen through the filter of gospel grace. This
is how the apostles interpreted the Old Testament scripture,
didn't they? They took the end of Amos about Jerusalem being
rebuilt. And in Acts 15, how did they
interpret it? In the light of gospel grace,
as God coming and building the church, the New Testament church.
They always quoted and applied it, the Old Testament, in the
light of gospel grace. There is never a return to legal
bondage. With that in mind, let's read
these requirements of the Lord. Number one, do justly. Do justly. But don't stop there. What does it say? What's the
last clause? with thy God. Do justly with thy God. Love
mercy with thy God. Walk humbly with thy God. Do
justly with thy God. You see, of course, if we're
believing people, we ought to be people who live by gospel
precepts, and gospel precepts include the principle of being
just with other people. Of course, gospel precepts exhort
believers to be honest and fair with their fellow man, but this
is with thy God. In other words, what does it
mean? In other words, it means this, take sides with God in
matters of divine justice. Line up with God in matters of
divine justice. Not what you think. Line up with
God in matters of divine justice. Confess your guilt as a sinner
judged by God's holy law. side with God when it comes to
what you're like before the law of God. To do justly with your
God is to repent of your sin before God. To do justly with
your God is to vindicate God's judgment on us, to say it's right,
it's true. God is right. Let God be true
and every man a liar. Yes, it's right. Psalm 32 verse
five, I acknowledge my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I
not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions
unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Psalm
51 verse 4, against thee, thee only have I sinned and done this
evil in thy sight. Take sides with God, do justly
with thy God. If we confess our sins, 1 John
chapter 1 verse 9, if we confess our sins, he, God, is faithful
and just to forgive. Why is he just to forgive us
our sins if we sin? Because Christ has paid for those
sins. That's why he's faithful and just and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness, but Part and parcel of it is repentance,
that we line up with God and we say, yes, you're right, I'm
guilty, I'm a sinner, I deserve nothing. And repentance, repentance,
rethinking. Rethinking, that's what the word
means. It comes from pensée, to think, French, repentance,
rethink. Repentance, rethinking. Thinking
like God in terms of your righteousness and your sin. It's not a work
that we do, but it's a gift of God's grace. as the Jews who
were believers said about the Gentiles believing the gospel
of grace. He said, even so has God granted unto the Gentiles
repentance. It's a gift of God. Do justly
with thy God. Is that not a gospel principle? Is that not a gospel principle
of grace and mercy? Secondly, love mercy with thy
God. Love mercy with thy God. Of course,
the objects of God's mercy. If you're an object of the mercy
of God, if you know that you deserve nothing other than the
condemnation of God, and you've found favour with God, and you've
found forgiveness of sins, and you've found cleansing from sin,
you ought to be merciful to others. Jesus told the parable of the
man who was in debt, and he had his debt forgiven him, but then
he wouldn't forgive one who was in debt to him, and he condemned
that man. Of course, the objects of God's
mercy ought to be merciful to others, but this is mercy with
thy God. What does it mean? Mercy, mercy,
love mercy with thy God. Can I refer you to Luke chapter
one? Luke chapter one. And John the Baptist, the birth
of John the Baptist and his father Zacchaeus. So Luke chapter one
and verse, Zacharias, sorry. Luke chapter one and verse 67. and this is the father of John
the Baptist who'd been struck dumb because he wouldn't believe
God and his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost
and prophesied saying because when he'd said no his name's
not going to be Zacharias his name's going to be John as God
told me it would be John then He prophesied, saying, Blessed
be the God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his
people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the
house of his servant David. It's all about gospel grace.
As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been
since the world began, that we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of all that hate us. Our enemies? The devil.
and all the forces of evil that would drag us down to hell. Verse
72, look at this, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he swear to our
father Abraham that he would grant unto us that we being delivered
out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our
life. And then he goes on to say about
John the Baptist being the prophet of the highest and going before
the Messiah who would come and accomplish all of those things.
To perform the mercy promised. You see, to do right with God,
to do right with God is to love mercy with thy God. It's to love
mercy. How does God fulfill his holy
covenant? In that thing that we read of
Zacharias and his prophecy in Luke chapter 1, what was the
oath sworn to Abraham? What is it to be delivered from
enemies? It is all in the promised Messiah. It is all in the Christ. It is
all in God in flesh, redeeming his elect from their sins. If
you love mercy with your God, Each of you, if you love mercy
with your God, do you know what you do? You believe the gospel
of Christ. You believe the gospel. That's
it. You say, that's too easy. No,
it isn't. It's the gift of God. Truly, you only truly believe
the gospel if God gives you that faith to believe the gospel,
to truly believe it. If you love mercy with your God,
you believe it. You grasp it, you rest on it,
you put all of the weight of your eternal soul upon it. John
6, 28, what shall we do that we might do the works of God?
And Jesus replied, this is the work of God, that you believe
on him whom he has sent. Do you see that? What should
we do? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. What God requires is exactly
what God has provided. God requires you believe His
Son, and He has provided His Son on whom you can believe.
His well-beloved Son, who has obeyed God in everything, who
has made satisfaction in everything. And His people in union with
Him have done that. Together, you know, and we saw,
we spent some of the time that we were away on the first Sunday,
we went to our friends Ian and Rachel Potts down in Honiton,
and Ian preached on Psalm 116, and he brought something out
that I hadn't seen before, but I think it's so precious. He
said, I can't quote it exactly, but what a blessing in the eyes
of the Lord is the death of his saints. Now, no doubt when you
actually pass from this life and it's your funeral, if you're
a believer, it's pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. But do
you know the death he's really talking about? I am crucified
with Christ. That when Christ died, I died
in him. That's the blessing. That's the
blessing. That's the thing. that in union
with Christ, we've died. His people have died. We've paid
the penalty due for sin in Him when we died in Him. And to love
mercy is to believe and rest in the Sabbath that Christ has
accomplished. Not keeping Sunday as a New Testament
Sabbath day. It isn't that. The Sabbath is
about the rest in Christ that he has accomplished through his
finished works. That's it. You keep the Sabbath
not when you don't go to the shops on a Sunday. You keep the
Sabbath when you believe Christ. That's the fact, that's what
the scriptures teach. You keep the Sabbath when you
believe Christ and all that he has accomplished for his people.
And then finally, and very quickly, to walk humbly with thy God.
to walk humbly with thy God. This is to live life in the flesh
in the good of gospel grace. Galatians 2.20, the life which
I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God
who loved me and gave himself for me. I walk in the Spirit. Romans 8.1, no condemnation to
those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the
flesh, but according to the Spirit. Despite continuing sin in the
flesh, we know that God now accepts our works. Is that not what we
read in Ecclesiastes 9 verse 7 some time ago? God now accepts
your works in your flesh. God now accepts your works because
you're in Christ. This is why Balaam could say
of Israel that God sees no perversity, no iniquity in Judah or in Israel. For Christ's sake, he doesn't.
It's to be numbered with the true people of God. These are
the true people of God. We worship God in the spirit.
We rejoice in Christ Jesus. We have no confidence in the
flesh. That's what it is to truly be the people of God. It is believing
Christ. As ye have received Christ Jesus
the Lord, so walk ye in him, says Colossians 2 verse 6. It's
looking to him. looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith, resting in him, in all that Christ is
to his people, by virtue of gracious, eternal union with him. For he
of God is made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness,
and sanctification, and redemption. And this is why Micah reminds
the people about Balak and Balaam, because the requirements of God
are fully met in the grace of God. That's why he reminds them
of it. There they are trying to do their
religious things, but he says, think about Balak and Balaam.
The requirements of God are entirely met in the grace of God. This
is how God's people are to know the righteousness of the Lord. This is it. This is how we're
to know the righteousness of the Lord. There in verse five,
talking about Balaam and Balak, that ye may know the righteousness
of the Lord. If you turn back with me briefly
to Numbers 23 that we read earlier, verses 8 to 10. How shall I curse
whom God hath not cursed? And how shall I defy whom the
Lord hath not defied? But surely they've been a sinful
people. God has blessed them. God has blessed them. You Balak
cannot curse them. You Balaam cannot curse them.
God has blessed them. God has blessed his people from
all eternity. Lo, the people shall dwell alone
and shall not be reckoned among the nations. Who can count the
dust of Jacob? Let me die the death of the righteous.
You see? Verse 21, he has not beheld iniquity
in Jacob. But there are sinful people,
he has not beheld iniquity in Jacob. Why? Because of gracious
mercy in Christ, in the substitute, in the one promised from the
start of the scriptures, the seed who would come from the
woman who would crush the serpent's head, that one. In chapter 24,
verse 5, how goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles,
O Israel. Oh, what, you mean they've deserved
it? No, it's all of the grace of God, all of the grace of God. He shall pour the water out of
his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters. Finally, verse
17, I shall see him, but not now. I shall behold him, but
not nigh. There shall come, how is it all accomplished? There
shall come a star out of Jacob. and a scepter shall rise out
of Israel. And this is Christ. And the grace
of God there, the blessings of grace. Psalm 32 verses 1 and
2, blessed. This is the blessing of grace.
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no guile. What does the God require
of us? Look unto me, all ye ends of
the earth, and be ye saved, for I am God, and there is none other.
What does God require? Look unto me. Believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ. This is the work of God, that
you shall be saved. Don't let any religious legalist,
however plausible they may sound, teach you that it has anything
to do with the works that you might or might not do. It doesn't. Do the works that you do have
anything to do with what you believe? Of course they do. But
don't think for one moment that you earn any favour with God
by the works that you do. That's legalism and that's not
what the scriptures teach. Amen.