I don't know how many of you
regularly read books, novels or things like that, but the
mark of a good book is the extent to which it affects you, doesn't
it? A good book, you don't just read it and put it down. You
come away from it thinking, wow, that really powerfully spoke
to me. It affects your thinking. It
affects your behavior in some cases. It certainly affects your
attitude to others. All of these things. Now, we've
been studying the book of Revelation six months or more. and it's
told us things that must happen and he even said must shortly
happen things that are imminent, things that are going to happen
in the plan of God with whom a day is as a thousand years
and a thousand years as one day they're going to shortly happen
These things are going to shortly happen in the space-time creation
of God in which we exist before God's kingdom finally comes to
perfect fulfilment. You know, we pray, the Lord's
Prayer, falsely called, but it's called the Lord's Prayer. Thy
kingdom come. This is it. Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Thy kingdom
come. We've seen throughout the book of Revelation that in this
time, from when Christ returned to glory, having accomplished
the salvation of his people, having redeemed his people from
the curse of the law by being made a curse for them, we've
seen that throughout this period, where is Christ? Well, the first
vision. of the book. He's amongst his
churches. I walk among the churches, he
says. He's walking amongst the churches.
He's here with us now. fables and fantasy, how can you
believe so? He's here with us now. Don't
we have his promise? Where two or three are gathered
in his name, there he is in the midst. Oh, I can't see him and
feeling him touch him. No, because it's spirit. By the
spirit of God, we see the things of Christ. By the preaching of
his word, we see the things of Christ. These are they that speak
of him. So Paul was determined not to
know anything except Jesus Christ and him crucified. What's your
message, Paul? Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Aren't you supposed to preach the whole counsel of God, Paul?
This is how he preached the whole counsel of God. Jesus Christ
and him crucified. He's in the midst of his churches.
But he's not doing nothing. God isn't on the sidelines hoping
that everybody will start to follow him. Oh, if only they
would. I've done, you know, Arminian preachers, they say, God has
now done everything he can do, it's now over to you to do what
you can do to get yourself saved. No, it's not. God's in control.
If God is God, he's sovereign. What's the point of a God who
isn't sovereign? No point whatsoever. The gods
of the religion of this world, wherever you meet it, in churches,
so-called, on the radio, in writings, the gods of this generation are
just vain idols. They're as useless at doing anything
as the wooden idols of the heathen nations. Absolutely useless.
He's in control. He's opening seals. Who is? The
Lamb. The Lamb of God. No, the Lion
of the tribe of Judah. He's the one who was worthy,
wasn't he? To open the seals. Look at him. Look at the Lion
of the tribe of Judah. What do you see, John? I see
a Lamb, as it had been slain. A Lamb. A Lamb. Only in the role
of a Lamb can he open the seals of God. What are the seals on
the scroll? This is the plan of God. To bring
about his kingdom. to save his people from their
sins, to utterly defeat Satan and all opposition. And who has
the power to implement the plan? You think about it, you have
a plan to do something and you hope you have the power to implement
the plan. God has the power, God alone has the power to implement
the plan and to unloose the seals. And do you remember what happened
when he opened the seals? Do you remember there were four
horses? Don't worry, I'm not going to do the entire book of
Revelation from scratch. But there was a white horse, and
a red horse, and a black horse, and a pale horse. And do you
remember the white horse was the horse of the gospel throughout
this age since Christ went back. God has had his gospel preached
in this world. God, and you can see the influence
of it everywhere. It's corrupted virtually everywhere. It's become
Babylon and the Whore and Antichrist virtually everywhere, but it's
had its influence. And the Red Horse, war. There
will always be wars and rumours of wars, said Christ. the black
horse of death and swathes have been taken away and the pale
horse, the pale horse of hardship and poverty, all of those things
are in the hands of God. Why? To frustrate the purposes
of Satan who wants to establish a kingdom that has no place for
the justice of God. that gives no regard to the justice,
the eternal justice of God. And so he then sends forth seven
trumpets of judgment. And then he sends forth seven
vials of the wrath in final judgment before the end. We've seen the
rise of Antichrist, the beast from the sea, that great desire
of this world to have a kind of a utopian political unity.
And the beast from the earth, which is the false prophet, which
comes with everything that we see in this world, everything
which is anti-God, and anti-Christ, and anti-gospel, and against
the things of God, it's all happening exactly as God had said. We see
Satan being bound for a thousand years, so that although he's
powerful, he's limited, he's restricted in what he can do,
and the white horse has gone and been successful, but now
he's loosed, and I believe we're in that little season before
the end, when he's loosed. We've seen in this book Babylon,
the false, the adulterous, worshippers of God, those who claim to be
worshipping God but actually are worshipping a lie. Babylon,
we've seen it and its destruction, we've seen final judgement, we've
seen the new heavens and the new earth, the new Jerusalem.
Now, that's the book that we've looked at over the last six months
or more. Have you been spoken to? Has
it had an effect? Or has it left you unmoved? Well,
today we come to the final message. Here is the conclusion of the
whole matter. From verse 6 down to verse 21
of chapter 22, we have 16 verses of epilogue. There's no new vision,
there's no new revelation, but we do see the affirmation of
key things. And I've got one, two, three,
four, I've got five points. We see the affirmation of the
truth of God, We see the reaffirmation of the coming of God. We see
the confirmation of the eternal judgment of God. We see a pronouncement
of the call of God. And we see the blessing of the
true people of God. That's in these 16 verses of
Epilogue. Verse 6, turn with me to it.
And he said unto me, this is the angel, again speaking to
John, these sayings are faithful and true. These sayings are faithful
and true. Which sayings? Which sayings? Well, undoubtedly, the things
he's just been telling you. And undoubtedly, the whole of
the book of Revelation. and undoubtedly the whole of
the Word of God, this that we have in the covers of this book,
the whole of the Word of God. These sayings, the Word of God
is faithful and true. All scripture is given of God,
inspired of God, breathed of God, as one of the catechisms
says. Holy men wrote as they were taught
by the Holy Spirit, they were breathed on by the Holy Spirit,
they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. This is the Word of God,
and because it's the Word of God, it's faithful. And it's
true. Faithful. Guaranteed to come
to pass. True. There's not a word of a
lie in it. Even though Satan constantly
says in the flesh of the old man as he said in the first place. Do you remember the very first
thing that Satan said to Eve in the Garden of Eden in a state
of perfection? He said, has God really said? Has God really said? Is this
book really true? Surely you don't believe this
book is true. That's Satan speaking to you.
That's Satan speaking to you. Surely you don't believe God
has really said. The angel said these sayings are faithful and
true because they're the word of God. Look, verse 6, and the
Lord God of the holy prophets. You see, he's not just talking
about Revelation, he's talking about all of the Bible. The Lord
God of the holy prophets, God, as Hebrews says, God who at sundry
times and in divers manners spake unto the fathers by the prophets
has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has
made heir of all things, by whom He made the worlds, etc. etc.
God has spoken by His Holy... This is talking of the whole
Word of God. Now look at verses 18 and 19.
I testify to every man that hears the words of the prophecy of
this book. Yes, revelation specifically,
but it applies to the whole of the Word of God. If any man shall
add to these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that
are written in this book. Don't you dare say anything God hasn't
said in the name of God. Do you know why the charismatic
movement, if you ever come across it, if you ever come across people
who call themselves Christians, who are madly into speaking in
tongues and prophecies, modern day prophecies, this is why you
should be wary of them. If any man add anything unto
what God has said, they're constantly trying to add revelations from
God. It's wrong. God pronounces the
plagues that are written in this book upon them. And if any man
shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy,
God shall take away his part out of the book of life. Oh,
I don't like this bit. I'm going to cut it out of my
Bible. I don't like that bit. I'm going to cut it out. You
know, there's bits of the Bible are all right, but I'm going
to cut the rest out. Do you know, there are millions who say that.
It's all right as far as it goes, but you have to take it in context.
They cut things out. he's going to take their names
out of the book of life he's going to take away his part out
of the book of life and out of the holy city and from the things
which are written in this book in Deuteronomy chapter 4 and
verse 2 the last book of the law of Moses there's a similar
warning you shall not add unto the word which I command you
neither shall ye diminish ought of it that ye may keep the commandments
of the Lord your God which I command you at the end of the Old Testament
there's a similar thing Malachi 4 verse 4 remember ye the law
of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel
with the statutes and judges what's God saying? this is it
this is it nothing else the prophet who stands up in his own name
and claims that he's a prophet and has something new to say
you test him out and in the old testament regime of things if
he proves to have told a lie you shall stone him with the
judgment of israel as it was then god has sworn He cannot
lie. His word is truth. Absolute truth. And its revelations, which we've
seen, must shortly be completed. We've seen that many are already
completed, or are in process of being completed. They will
shortly all be completed. No more and no less than this
book. All of it. It's God speaking. Look, it's God speaking. The
God of the universe. who made all things who made
you and me I am fearfully and wonderfully made God who made
all things verse 7 says behold I come quickly who's speaking
God is speaking I come quickly God is speaking verse 12 and
behold I come quickly God is telling us he's coming quickly
verse 13 I am Alpha and Omega God is the cause of all things
and the end of all things and without God there is nothing
at all. He's the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Verse 16,
I, Jesus, I, Jesus, I, the Alpha and the Omega, I, Jesus, it's
the same one speaking by the angel to John, I, Jesus have
sent mine angel. The one who is God is the man,
Christ Jesus. He's God. Jesus is God. He is our Lord God. No man has
seen God at any time. The only begotten Son who is
in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. If you would
know God, you would know Christ. You must know Christ. You must
know Him. Oh, that I might know Him, that
I might be found in Him. not having my own righteousness
but that which is through him if you would know God you must
know the Lord Jesus Christ there is no knowledge of God outside
of the Lord Jesus Christ as I tell you so many times I almost fear
that you'll get tired of hearing it but Philip Philip, John 14,
says to Jesus, show us the Father, show us the true essence of God
and we'll have our spiritual thirst and hunger satisfied.
Philip, have I been so long with you and you have not known me? He who has seen me has seen the
Father, I, Jesus, have sent mine angel unto you. Verse 18, for
I testify, God is speaking, God is speaking to his people. I
speaks, the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, Almighty
God, who is Jesus. Jesus means Deliverer, Saviour,
Joshua, that's his name. He is, he says, Verse 16, I am
the root and the offspring of David. He's the root of David.
You know the root is that from which the tree grows. He is the
cause, the origin of David and of everything he did through
David and everything David represented as a redeemed child of God. He
is the root of David. He is the cause of, but he's
not only the root of David, he's the offspring of David. He's
the one who comes from David. David was the king of Israel.
Christ is the king of his people. He's King of Kings and Lord of
Lords. He's the King of Israel. He is the Messiah who comes,
where is he born? In Bethlehem. What's Bethlehem?
The city of David. For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. He's
the suffering servant, spoken of again and again in the Old
Testament. And God speaks through him. He
speaks through his prophets. He speaks through his angels.
He says in verse 6, and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent
his angel messenger is what the word means messenger and sometimes
they're heavenly beings and here on earth in the churches they're
preachers, truly God ordained preachers, truly God equipped
and gifted preachers preachers of the gospel of grace you know
we read in Ephesians the ministry gifts that God has given pastors
and teachers and apostles and evangelists these are the ministry
gifts that he's given to the churches in this world why? because
he puts us in a wilderness world and he says I will feed you and
keep you there in this world of such shallow falsehood isn't
it all around? are you not more and more impressed
by the fact that in this world is such shallow falsehood In
this world, will you, here's the question, will you hear that
this is God's truth that certainly must happen shortly? I ask you
the question, from what we've seen, what else is left to happen? What else is left to happen?
It's all fulfilled, he just has to come again. I'm sure we're
in that end period when Satan is loosed for a season, look
at the delusion that there is everywhere look how the true
church of God is looking for all intents and purposes like
a pair of dead witnesses lying in the street, that gospel message
is gone hasn't it in this country at least and in great swathes
of the world, it's as good as dead it's finished there's just
nothing other than Babylonian anti-christian falsehood in the
name of religion, everywhere else. What else is left to happen?
God has spoken everything so truthfully. This is God's truth. He says, behold, I come quickly. Is he coming? He's saying, behold,
I come quickly. He's coming again. When? Now?
Do you think he'll come today? Remember that one as well. Do
you think he'll come today? Oh no, I don't think he'll come
today. and this is the old lecturer
to his bible class students, do you think, no no none of them
thought it, he said that's interesting because in the scriptures Jesus
said the son of man cometh when he think not when man thinks
not is when he comes again, yes he's coming imminently So this
is affirmed. All of the book and the things
that we've been looking at are affirmed as the truth of God.
But let's just remind ourselves briefly of the reaffirmation
of the coming of God. You see, the culmination of all
history is the return of Christ. That's what everything is moving
towards. Everything, through all the Old
Testament empires. You know, they're not just Old
Testament empires, they're world empires. the known world, the world of
people as they spread across the planet and they were the
Gog and Magog heathen nations which had no interest in the
things of God but wherever there was an influence of the things
of God those nations arose and tried to suppress the people
of God and throughout history everything has been as God has
said and the culmination of history because you know what history
is his story. It's God's story. He unfolds
it. All things work together for
good to those that love God, who are called according to his
purpose. All things. Why? Because he's in control
of all things. How does he know the end from
the beginning? God knows, is it because he's
got a really good crystal ball? You know, like Gypsy Lee at the
fairgrounds has got a good crystal ball and she'll tell you what's
going to happen to you in five years? No, no, no, that's superstitious
rubbish. Sorcerers will have no place
in the kingdom of God. No, God can tell you what's going
to happen because God ordains what's going to happen. God controls
what's going to happen. God causes all things to work
together for the eternal good of those who love him. Revelation
has described the history of the world with amazing accuracy. I, who was reasonably familiar
with it, have been again astounded as we've uncovered bit by bit,
the amazing accuracy with which this book, written best part
of 2,000 years ago, 1,900 and a bit anyway, how it said what's
going to happen before it happened. Amazing. Throughout, Christ's
return has been repeated again and again. Here in verse 7, behold
I come quickly. Verse 12, behold I come quickly. verse 20 surely I come quickly
what's he telling us he's coming quickly he's coming soon oh you
say it's not quick two thousand years have gone by that's not
quick oh no no no you know when you think in terms of there's
a lot that must happen He's not delaying. He's coming as quickly
as it takes to accomplish and complete all those things that
he said must happen. He's coming, quickly. He's coming
as soon as it's all done. Well, if everything that we've
seen is true, why shouldn't it be true about his coming again,
too? The end of all things is approaching.
Do we long for it? Do we look for it? Do we long
for it to happen? Have we got a hope of it happening? Yes, I know you've got things
to do here and now. I've got things to do here and
now that I love. I've got people that I love in
the flesh here and now that I don't want to be parted from. It's
like Paul said, he had a dilemma. He didn't want to leave the people
he loved. He said, for me to remain is good for you. But he
said, I want to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
Oh, to depart and be with Christ. Yes, always. Live this life. The most fulfilled way to live
this life is with everything you love and possess on an open
hand, because God can take it away at any time, because he
is sovereign over all things, but what he's promised is that
he won't lose his people. Not one of them. He'll take them
to be with him in glory. Do we long for it? Like John
did? John, I know you say he's got
an advantage. He's there, having this divine vision. In verse
20, when Jesus says again, when God says again, surely I come
quickly. Amen. He says, even so, come
Lord Jesus. Please come. Oh, come Lord Jesus. John, even with all of his sinful
fleshly corruption still upon him, do you know how we know
that? that he's having this heavenly vision, but look what he says
in verses 8 and 9 in verses 8 and 9 he's hearing these things and
he hears and he sees and I fell down to worship, oh John why
did you do that? I fell down to worship before
the feet of the angel which showed me these. John, don't you realize,
you great apostle, surely you realize that's idolatry, you
mustn't fall down, he's told you before, don't worship the
angel, worship God, he's only one of the fellow servants and
of your brethren. What's it showing to us? That even the apostle
John, in this elevated state of glory, is subject to sinful,
fleshly, frailty and idolatry and he worships the angel which
he shouldn't do. Have we got the same idea as
John? Even so come Lord Jesus, looking for it. Or are we like
those, do you remember in the parable of the marriage supper
that Jesus told there were those, go out and furnish the wedding
with guests and he went out and this one made an excuse, oh I've
just bought a field and I need to go and check it out and You
know, this is just starting to prosper, I need to take care
of it. I know my dad's not well, I must go and take care of him.
And they all made excuses. And so he said, go out and compel
them to come in. Are you amongst those that he's
compelled to come in? Or are you making excuses not
to be there? Do we stand with the unbelieving
world and dismiss the idea of Christ's return? Because God,
who cannot lie, in this passage tells us three times, behold,
I come quickly, surely I come quickly. Then we see a confirmation
of the eternal judgment of God, a confirmation of eternal judgment. Christ's return in final judgment
is certain and it's imminent don't we need to heed the warning
that you can't sit on the fence you can't sit on the fence to
see how it turns out you can't say well you know I'll back both
sides, I hear what they say you know they've got a point but
oh look at all this lot over this side that I have so much
to do with and they say it's an absolute load of rubbish and
you know I'm not sure which way to go I'm not sure who to believe
so I'll tell you what I'll do I'll sit on the fence and when
it gets a bit nearer the time then I'll make my mind up. No,
no, no, no, no. No. It's imminent. It's imminent. You'll be caught out. Don't be
like those foolish virgins who didn't have oil for their lamps
when the bridegroom came in that parable. Because you see, this
is the final judgment of God. Look in verse 11. I know we've
seen the actual final judgment at the end of 19, but here in
verse 11 he says, He that is unjust, let him be unjust still. and he which is filthy let him
be filthy still and he that is righteous let him be righteous
still and he that is holy let him be holy still see what this
is saying is this whatever state you are in when the end comes
that's how you will remain for eternity if you're unjustified
if you're not justified by the blood of Christ if you're polluted
with your sin bearing it yourself because Christ hasn't taken it
out of the way you will be like that for all eternity that's
the way you will go into eternity and that's a solemn thing that's
a solemn thing to think of think of it seriously but if you're
made the righteousness of God in Christ with the imputed righteousness,
the credited to your account righteousness of God in Christ
that's how you'll be for eternity, righteous before him you will
be holy because in you has been planted a holy nature which though
the old nature of the flesh is constantly there, there's a new
nature which loves the things of God that's how you will be,
that's your eternal state, either you are in Christ with the right
to the tree of life. Look at verse 14. Blessed are
they that do His commandments. What are His commandments? To
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. that they may have the right
to the tree of life the tree of life was in the middle of
the garden of eden and adam daily needed to eat of the tree of
life that was his source it was his spiritual sustaining life
and we saw in the first five verses of chapter twenty two
true that the tree of life and that all manner of fruits and
constantly and the people of god have constant uninterrupted
access when adam was driven out of the garden of eden an angel
was put there to guard the way to the tree of life that he might
not go there and have this unlimited source of life but here in heaven
we have the right to the tree of life we have the passport
to enter in through the gates if you're in Christ that's your
eternal destiny you have the passport to enter the new Jerusalem
or you're eternally outside of it what's outside? verse 15,
outside are dogs doesn't mean canines, it means what the scripture
calls dogs, which is religious prostitutes. Paul says to the
Philippians in Philippians 3 verse 2, beware of dogs. He's not,
you know, like people put a sign on their gate when they want
to deter burglars, beware of the dog. He's not saying that.
He's saying beware of those who will prostitute, who will corrupt,
who will adulterize the gospel of free grace and they will make
it into some man-made thing. He says beware of them because
they're outside. Sorcerers, superstitious believers
in dumb idols, they're outside. all others who refuse to submit
to the truth and righteousness of God they are even, look, they
love and they make a lie where do they get it from? their father
who is their father? satan he is the father of lies
that's where they get it from in the midst of this there's
again we've seen it many times a pronouncement of the call of
God you know when you catch a train from Kings Cross to Nedworth
and you know you say it's the six minutes past ten train let's
say six minutes past ten and you hear the announcement next train to depart from platform
9 will be the 1006 calling up blah blah blah blah Nebworth
and so and so and so and then it announces it again at about
3 minutes past 9, 3 minutes to go and it says if you are intending
to travel on this train join the train now for it is ready
to depart, you hear that? And many times I have found that
I've got there and there's been about 30 seconds left to get
on that train. I remember one night sprinting
through the barriers and across the platform and a crowded train.
I'm thinking, how on earth am I going to get on this? And I
just dived into it as if I was in a rugby match. And the moment
I got on there and apologised to the people for my violent
entry, the doors closed right behind me. I just and so made
it. There have been several occasions when I've arrived and I've been
about 10 seconds too late and I've seen it disappear down the
platform. But you know, there's a picture in that about this
gospel call. The gospel call to repentance
and faith remains open to the very end. Look at verse 10. And
he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this
book, for the time is at hand. Don't close it up yet. We're
still in this gospel age. Today is the day of salvation. Will you hear his voice? The
call of the gospel is clear. Seal not the sayings of the prophecy
of this book. Keep it open to public scrutiny. Preach it. Declare it. the white
horse of gospel preaching must continue to go forth in this
fallen world to the very end yes there are not now it seems
so many of the great big churches clearly proclaiming the gospel
of Christ but through the internet isn't it amazing the provision
that God has made for us in these days when we're virtually dead
in the streets as far as the religious and secular world is
concerned, the true church of Christ, and yet his people are
in touch, are in contact, are fed, are kept in this wilderness
of separation from the world while this time goes on. The
white horse must continue to go forth because why are we still
here? There are still those children
of wrath even as others dead in trespasses and sins who have
not yet come to christ in faith and he's saying come come what
does it say what does the gospel say come to christ in faith this
is what it says come to come unto me all you who labor and
i will give you rest Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. What
is it? What makes the difference? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and you shall be saved. If you believe on the Son, you
have eternal life. Those who believe not, have not
eternal life, but the wrath of God abides on them. Verse 17,
the Spirit and the Bride say come. What's the Spirit and the
Bride? I think it means the Bride is the Church. The Spirit and
the Bride, the Spirit-filled Church of God in this world now
says, come, come, come, come. Who's it speaking to? Well, I
think you can take it two ways. It's saying to Christ, thy kingdom
come, come Lord Jesus, even so come Lord Jesus as John does
in verse 20. But it's also saying to anyone
who will hear, come, come to the Saviour. Come now. The door
is open. The train hasn't left yet. The
doors haven't finally closed. Come to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Come to Him. Any that hear, let him that heareth
say, come. Any who hears and says, I've
heard a message, you know like Pilgrim in Pilgrim's Progress,
he heard the message of the gospel, and what did he do? He'd heard
the message and he wanted to tell others, I've heard the message
of the gospel, come, come, come to Christ, come. Any that's a
thirst, any that is a thirst, a thirst for what? Peace with
God? Eternal life? the knowledge of
sins forgiven thirsty for that oh how I'd long how I thirst
to know that I'm right with God if you thirst to know that you're
right with God let any that is a thirst come any that wills
why would you will in the flesh why would you ever will why would
you ever want to come to Christ when there's such a lovely great
big world out there to go and pursue why would you ever want
to come to Christ I'll tell you why because he Psalm 110 verse
3 makes his people willing in the day of his power he makes
them willing and he says whosoever will let him take the water of
life freely. Having heard the truth of God,
having heard the revelations of God, having seen them fulfilled
so many, having heard the judgments of God, having heard the blessings
of salvation, having been made willing to come into the fold
of God, what's stopping you? Come, come, look how wide the
door is open, but don't wait. Remember that message, that announcement
at King's Cross, the train is ready to depart, will you be
on it? Oh I haven't got the fare, I haven't got the fare, doesn't
matter, why? Let him take the water of life
freely, freely, freely, it's free the only fitness he requires
is you feel your need of him is what that hymn says the only
fitness let him take of the water of life freely verse 14 blessed
are they that do his commandments that they may have the right
to the tree of life blessed there's a blessing in it in Isaiah 65
he talks about there being a corruption in the harvest but he says don't
destroy the cluster of grapes that looks rotten because there's
a blessing in the middle of it there's some of it that's alright
and this is what he's saying there is a blessing in fallen
humanity there is a blessing of salvation because God has
his people who trust him who he brings to trust him doing
his commandments, what are his commandments? Faith in Christ. What must we do that we do the
work of God? Jesus said this is the work of
God that you believe on him whom he has sent. This is it. Verse
28 of Romans 3. Therefore we conclude that a
man is justified, not by works, by faith without the deeds of
the law. Not by the things we do right
and wrong, but by faith in Christ. Therefore we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the
God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles?
Yes, of the Gentiles also, seeing it is one God which shall justify
the circumcision, the Jews, by faith. And the uncircumcision,
through the same faith. That's it, that's how justification
comes, through faith. Do we then make the law void
through faith? Do we make the commandments of
God of no effect through faith? No, through faith we establish
the law. It's the only way the law and
the truth of God is established, is through the faith of God's
people. And through that faith, God gives his people the right,
the qualification, the fitness, to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light, that's Colossians 1 and verse 2. What
must I do to be saved? Wasn't that the question of the
Philippian jailer? What must I do to be saved? And what did Paul answer? Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and anyone
else in your household anyone else in your household who themselves
believes on the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved John 3 36 he that
believeth the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not
the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him
take heed listen to the warning heed the call and come to Christ
in faith and in so doing it's not that faith will save you
but it's what you believe in. Remember about Abraham, it wasn't
Abraham's believing that was counted to him for righteousness,
it's what Abraham believed in. What did he believe in? A suffering
Messiah, a Christ who would come and stand in his place and satisfy
the law of God in his place. That's what he believed in and
it's that that justified him and so it is. So then, finally,
a blessing on the true people of God. Verse 21. The last words,
not only of the book of Revelation, but of the whole Bible. The grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. The final words
of Revelation. what more can he say you know
that hymn how firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord and one
of the verses says what more can he say than to you he hath
said this is it what more can nothing he said everything he
needs to say to you to be saved for all eternity what more can
he say than to you he has said these final words are a blessing
of grace that throughout this time that we live on this earth
in this fallen earth in these bodies of flesh and of sin waiting
for the coming again of Christ we have pronounced on us the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, a blessing of grace on the believing
people of God as long as this present world lasts and we must
wait patiently looking for the certain coming of Christ God's
word through John promises a blessing a blessing of God's, what is
it, what is grace? God's riches at Christ's expense
is how someone once put it, and that's a good way of putting
it. That blessing of God on his people, that undeserved blessing,
because if it's of works it's not of grace. If you go to work and you earn
your wages, your employer is not gracious to you in paying
you. he's just just, he's giving you that which you're due, you've
been to work, you've fulfilled your contract he better had pay
you or you'll have him in court but this is of grace this is
of grace God's gracious favour on us his favour on us as long
as we stay in this world and you know we're going to have
communion the bread and wine in which we remember that the
basis of our standing before God is absolutely all and nothing
other than the doing and dying of Jesus Christ who when he came
as the substitute of his people stood in our place satisfied
the law perfectly was shown to be the perfect Passover Lamb
of God who shed his blood that the law might be satisfied in
the place of his people and took our sins away and it says every
time we do it we do it we do show the Lord's death how long? till he come, till he come. Every
communion is until he come. We have this promise of the blessing
of the grace of God. What a comfort, what a basis
for ongoing trust. Amen. So shall it be.