James, we'll take our text from verse
4, but just for a moment, look at chapter 1, briefly, chapter
1. Here in the very first verse, we're told who wrote the epistle
and those to whom he wrote. James, a servant of God and of
the Lord Jesus Christ. That very introduction rings
with God's grace. And what I mean by that, James
was the Lord's half-brother. The Lord's half-brother. And
let me read to you some verses from Matthew chapter 13. And when he was coming to his
own country, that is Jesus Christ, he taught them in their synagogues,
insomuch that they were astonished and said, whence hath this man
this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's
son? What's all the fuss about? He's
nobody special. Why is everyone looking to him? Is not his mother called Mary? Who's she? And his brethren,
James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are
they not with us? Whence then hath this man all
these things? And they were offended in him.
They were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet
is not without honor, except in his own country, and in his
own house. And then compare that to a verse
in John's gospel. We read, for neither did his
brethren, James included, neither did his brethren believe on him. And now, that same half-brother
writes, James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ, he believes
on him now. He bows to him now. I'm his servant. James writes he's everything
that he claimed to be. Oh, what an example of God's
reigning grace that reaches deeper than the stain is gone. Another
example of that is Acts chapter 15, James, pastor of a church
at Jerusalem, where they had the council concerning the believers'
relationship to the law. Peter speaks, Paul speaks, James
speaks, and they all stand united as one voice and say, we believe
that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we Jews shall
be saved in the same way as God shall save the Gentiles. One
voice. the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. I often choose one of our hymns
to sing, Come Thou Fount. That's a good prayer. Come Thy Fount of every blessing. James tells us, as every child
of God experiences, O to grace how great a debtor Anybody that's
learned of God knows this is true. Religion won't teach you
this. Oh, but the grace of God convinces
a believer every day, every day. Oh, to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be. And James also tells us to whom
he writes, to the twelve tribes, Jewish believers, which are scattered
abroad, scattered abroad, but they could never be, they could
never be, and neither can any believer, neither can you. No
matter how far they may be scattered, they can never be beyond the
reach of God's grace again, the old hymn. Let thy goodness like
a fetter bind my wandering heart to thee. Now let's look back
here in chapter 4 of James. Our text shall be taken from
verse 6. The first sentence, but, but,
he giveth, that is God, The God of all grace, but he giveth not less grace, no. Not he giveth if you deserve
it, oh my soul, no. But he giveth more grace. I preached from this text about
three years ago. The title of my message on that
occasion was Grace Continues. Grace continued. And I see the
proof of that setting before me this morning. You're still
here. You're still here, John. How
do you explain that? I remember vividly the first
morning you were here. I preached from John chapter
17. Father, that was giving me power over all flesh. And as
John and Kay left and we chatted a little bit, I thought to myself,
well, I hope they come back. I pray they come back. And they've
been with us every since. Why? Because God giveth more
grace. Grace continued. My youngest
brother Jerry called me all several weeks ago. He had seen on the
news that there were a tornado had touched down in Birmingham,
and he knew that wasn't far from me. So he sent me an email and
asked, Larry, are you OK? Are you OK? And I emailed him
back and said, I'm still here. I'm still here. And so by God's
grace, we're still here. There's been a few since I last
preached three years ago from this verse of scripture. There's
been a few of our number that aren't with us. They've gone
on. They've gone on. because the
God of all grace promises that he shall give grace and glory. Every sinner who experiences
God's grace shall experience glory. Father, I will that they
also, those whom you have given me, our Lord prayed, be with
me where I am that they may behold my glory. There's been a few
others who went out from us. Sad, sad. I sorrow for them. They went out from us. They didn't
remain. But I look at you, and you're
still here. Why? The same reason now as then. And it will always be the reason,
because he giveth More grace. That will always be the reason.
The title of my message from this same text is this. That explains it. That explains
it. This is the only reason that
there could be. Remember our Lord asked his disciples
on one occasion when a multitude who just days before had experienced
the miracle of the feeding with the few fish and loaves. and
they wanted to make him a king. This must be the Christ. This
must be the Messiah. Let's make him king. He's going
to bring us out from under the power of Rome. And those same
people, just a matter of hours later, a day or so, when they
hear the master speak about God's sovereignty, when he looked at
those multitudes that had come to him with their feet. Most
churches today equate coming to Christ with doing something
with your feet, doing something physically, moving from one place
to another. And Christ looked at multitudes
that had done that very thing and said, you have not really
come to me. You have not come to me. You cannot come to me
unless the Father who has sent me draw you. You've come physically,
but you've not really come. You've eaten the bread, literal
bread, but you've not eaten, you've not tasted the manna that
God sent down from heaven. I'm the bread of life. Unless
you eat of me, you have no life in you. And he spoke of God's
sovereignty. And that multitude, who days
before wanted to make him king, turned their back and said, we
won't hear this. We don't have to listen to this.
And off they marched back to their rituals, back to the animal
sacrifices, back to their religion. And Christ looked at the twelve
and one of them was a devil and said, you want to join the crowd?
You want to follow the crowd? You want to go away too? Will
you also go away? And because He giveth more grace. A redeemed sinner answers, I've
got nowhere else to go. Got nowhere else to go. I'm convinced. I'm convinced. By the precious
gift of faith, I know that you're the Christ. Let the crowds go. Let them say what they will.
I know you're the Christ, the Son of the living God. You have
the words of eternal life. That explains it. He giveth more
grace. And remember, remember, I don't
think anyone, any believer will mind being reminded of what God's
grace is. Last night I fell asleep, well,
really early this morning, with these words just rolling around
in my head, like a sweet lullaby to my soul. He giveth more grace. Oh, this sinner just went to
sleep with that sweet word in his heart and woke up with it. But he giveth more grace. And what is grace? God's unmerited
favor. Isn't that good news? Isn't that
good news to you, Louis? God's unmerited favor. You've
never done anything to earn God's favor, Louis. You never have.
You never will. We've never deserved it. If God
saves any sinner because of something he saw good in that sinner, If
that's the basis of God's grace, then when he ceases to see anything
good in that sinner, he'll withdraw his mercy and grace. That's no
foundation. That's not good news. Oh, but
God bestows his mercy and grace freely, freely, without a cause
in us, without a cost from us. God freely forgives. You made reference to this this
morning, John, in your lesson. from Luke 7. When they had nothing
to pay, he frankly, the word is freely, forgave them both. Now that's the kind of grace
that will do this sinner good. God's free grace. You were dead
in trespasses and sins. That's where you were by nature,
Paul writes in Ephesians 2. You were dead. Look at that. Look at that corpse. Will you
get up and take the first step? Larry, have you lost your mind?
He's dead. And Paul said, so are we by nature. We're dead in trespasses and
sins. And unless God Almighty comes
to you, Just as our Lord Jesus Christ came to where Lazarus
was, unless He speaks life to you, you're going to stay dead. You will not come to Christ.
You have neither the will nor the power unless He, who is the
resurrection and the life, speaks life into your soul. And that's exactly what Paul
says God in his amazing grace does. You had he quickened who
were dead in trespasses and sins. He's raised up together with
Christ according to what? You deserve it? You earned it? You merited it? Oh no, according
to the riches of his grace. Now you can lay your head on
that pillow and rest easy. Thank God it's not of works but
of grace. And where is this grace? Anybody
want to know? Anybody want to know? Anybody
really wanting to know Wanting to experience God's salvation,
I can know the definition of grace. I can know the scriptural
definition of grace. I can even memorize the verses
concerning God's grace. By grace are you saved through
faith, and that's not in yourselves. I can know all that without experiencing
God's grace. Paul said, The grace of God that
bringeth salvation hath appeared, teaching us. Grace is experienced
in the heart. It's just not a word. It's just
not a doctrine. God in his mighty saving operations
gives grace to sinners, whereby they behold the Lamb of God.
And like Simeon, they embrace him in the arms of faith. And
then they go through their life singing, Oh, I am his and he
is mine, always and forever. And this grace was given us,
Paul said in writing to his beloved Timothy, This grace is not according
to our works, but according to His purpose. And His grace, which
was given us, where? Where is it at? In Christ Jesus,
before the world began. God's saving grace is in Christ
Jesus. Nowhere else. Nowhere else. God's saving grace, I'm deliberately
repeating myself, God's saving grace is in Christ Jesus, nowhere
else. God says, this is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye Him. There is one God
and one mediator, just one mediator between God and man, that's the
man Christ Jesus. You want mercy? You want grace? You want God's salvation? You've
got to come to Jesus Christ. It's nowhere else. Nowhere else. God has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. The Lord said,
I'm the way. I'm the way. No man. No man. It's never happened. It's never
happened, Terry, not one time. Adam didn't do it. Noah didn't
do it. Abraham didn't do it. Peter,
James, John didn't do it. No man has ever come to God except
by this one way, the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm the way, no man cometh
unto the Father but by me. We all know the story about the
traveling salesman who gets lost and he's out on a country road
and he sees the house and he pulls up there and two old fellas
are sitting on the front porch, chewing tobacco, rocking. And
he asked the salesman, the lost man, says, how do I get to so
and so? And they said, you can't get there from here. You can't
get there from here. Let me tell you, you can't get
to God. You can't experience salvation
unless you come to Jesus Christ, the reservoir of salvation. Brother
Scott said, God's put all of his eggs in one basket. John
said, mm-mm. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten
of the Father. What impressed you, John? Oh,
He's full of grace. He's full of grace and truth.
Christ is the only reservoir of God's grace, but He's an ever-flowing
an ever full reservoir. The law was given by Moses, but
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Multitudes of sinners,
multitudes of sinners, that man can't number, have been
coming to this fountain of living waters. And they've drank. They've drank and drank. They've received and received.
And God has given and given and given more grace through His
dear Son. And that reservoir of God's grace
is still just as full as it ever was. Isn't that something? He's
always full of grace and truth. This free grace of God that saves
sinners comes by Jesus Christ. The other day, yesterday I think
it was, I was watching the news and they were broadcasting the
funeral of that Supreme Court Justice, that judge who went
to stand before the judge of all the earth. There's no appeals
there. Anthony Scalia, am I pronouncing
that right? But they had his funeral at the
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Man, that's a mouthful. That's a mouthful. Boy, that's
so much more impressive than Fairmont Grace Church. But, my soul, man, there was
processions of priests, all fathers in dresses, Crosses. Some fellas swinging something
around with smoke coming out of it. I'm not exactly sure what
that's about. I never saw so many crosses.
Crosses on the robes, crosses on the ceiling, crosses on the
walls. The casket comes by and people
are crossing themselves. Man, that's impressive. And I
thought about what John saw in Revelation. It reminded me of
this. And the woman was arrayed in
purple and scarlet and decked with gold and precious stones
and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations
and filthiness of her fornication. And upon her forehead was written
the name Mystery Babylon, the great, the mother of harlots
and the abominations of the earth. That's worldly religion. And
I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints and with
the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, isn't this
amazing? John says, I wandered with great
admiration. I was just spellbound by it. And the angel said to John, wherefore
do you marvel? She's just a whore. Yes, she's
all decked up, she's all pretty, but John, she's a whore. That's what worldly religion
is. And that's what it reminded me
of. I'm pretty sure that my youngest
sister's son had his graduation at that same place. I've received
a card in the mail. My sister works at the Pentagon.
They live near there. But anyway, I was asking my mother
a few days later, I said, Mom, what was the name of that church
where A.J. had his graduation ceremony?
Mom said, I think it was the church... I think it was the Church of
the Holy Michael, Mom said. I said, yeah, I believe that
was it. God's grace doesn't come through
man-made religious ceremonies, whether they're Baptist or Catholic.
God giveth more grace. He resists the proud. Pride,
that's the very opposite of but giveth grace to the humble. Grace
makes them humble. Grace strips them and then clothes
them. Grace brings them down and grace
lifts them up. Is that not what Simeon said
to Mary and Joseph when he held the babe in his arms? This child
is set for the rising or rather the falling and the rising again
of many in Israel. Grace gets us lost. You ever
been lost? Have you ever been lost? Have
you ever been lost? If you've never been lost, you've
never been saved. If you've never been brought
down, you've never been lifted up. If you've never been stripped,
you've never been clothed. When my daughter, who visited
me just briefly for a day and a half or so this past week,
left the house Friday morning, I gave her a note in one of our
bulletins and I wrote, Misty, soon you and I are going to stand
before God. My daughter's not a believer.
Soon you're going to stand before God. And the only thing that
can prepare you to stand before God is to know Christ. This is life eternal that they
might know thee the only true God in Jesus Christ whom thou
didst send. That's where the true grace of
God is. It's in Christ. That's where
that grace is that reaches deeper than the stain has gone. That's
the only grace that'll help a needy sinner. The true grace of God. Let me read you just a few verses
of what David said. He brought me up also out of
a horrible pit. I could have never got out otherwise. and out of the Murray clay, and
he set my feet upon a rock. Upon this rock I'll build my
church. And he established my goings, and he put a new song
in my mouth. What is it? What's the song God
put in your mouth, David? Oh, I thank thee I'm not like
other men. Oh, no, no. What song did he
put in your mouth, David? Even praise unto our God. To
God be the glory. Great things he hath done. Salvation is all of the Lord,
isn't it? This is the grace of God. Does
the omnipotent God need our help? Now think about that for a minute.
If God needs our help, he's not omnipotent. And if he's omnipotent,
he doesn't need any help. And God's grace, like himself,
is omnipotent. Isaiah chapter 45, you're familiar
with it. And there is no God beside me,
a just God, God and a Savior. God and the Savior. There is
none beside me. Look unto me and be ye saved
all the ends of the earth for I am God. God. Salvation is God's work. God's
operation. Based on God's will and the merits
and righteousness of God's Son. It's all His doing. David said
to God be the glory great things He hath done. Again Isaiah asked,
who is this that cometh up from Eden with dyed garments like
he's traveled in the winepress? Who is this traveling in his
own righteousness? Who is this that's mighty to
save? And here's his answer. I've trodden
the winepress alone, alone. Oh, my soul, I've thought about
that much. And every time I do, I just melt
before the throne of God and confess, I don't understand that. What sort of loneliness that
must have been that made the son of God cry out, why has thou
forsaken me? How alone he was. And he said,
I've trodden the winepress alone and of the people there was none
with me. None. None can help. And I looked,
and there was none to help, and I wondered if there was none
to uphold. Therefore, mine own arm brought salvation unto me."
That's the grace of God that is in Christ Jesus. He giveth
more grace, most people today. In churches, religious folks,
if you would ask them as they leave their places of worship,
to describe the God that they just worshipped. They would tell you about a God
that only wants to save, is trying to save, offers to save. What a strange character that
is. Their God is a conglomeration
of everything, which after all really amounts to nothing. I
remember years ago, as a kid, you remember the Twilight Zone?
Some of us old people still remember the Twilight Zone. I was watching
an episode one time and there was this alien came to Earth. And whatever people wanted him
to be, that's what he became in their eyes. That's what he
became. Someone had lost their son, they
saw their son when they looked at him. Or father, or husband,
or brother. Whatever they wanted him to be.
That's what people think they can do with God today. They think
he's whatever they want him to be. Whatever they need him to
be. And God said, you've made a horrible
mistake. A horrible mistake. I'm the Lord,
I change not. You thought that I was altogether
such a one as yourself, whatever you want me to be. God says,
no, not so. I'm God. And it's that sort of
thing. That's the reason there's no
fear of God in most people's eyes. The God they've heard about,
the God They think their concept of God leaves no place for fear. God's done all he can. It's up
to you. There's not a worse... If you
wanted to send someone to hell, you couldn't think of a better
way to do it than that. Convince them of that. Because
that's exactly the effect that it'll have. God's in your hand. God wants you to do something
for him. No reverence, no standing in
holy awe of him, no bowing down in true worship. And worship
means prostrate. It means to prostrate yourself
before the throne of the majestic and sovereign God. Most people's
concept of God does the very opposite. They think that God
should bow down that he's at their beck and call. I like this
statement I read by Lloyd-Jones recently. He said, what is the
cheap end of preaching? I like to think it is this, to
give men and women a sense of God and his presence. That's pretty good, isn't it?
That's pretty good. Our dear friend, Brother Henry
Mahan, wrote an article, I don't know how many years ago, entitled, The Recovery of the
Gospel. He said, The most challenging
thing we face this day, the great concern of our hearts, ought
to be a recovery of the gospel of God's glory. I'm convinced
that what men today call the gospel is not the gospel at all,
but is the preaching of another gospel, another Jesus, and another
spirit. And he mentioned these things.
I'll just give you the highlights. Today's gospel emphasizes what
men should do for God rather than what God must do for them.
Today's gospel emphasizes gaining heaven and missing hell rather
than being saved from sin and joined to Christ. Today's gospel
is a sermon to the head rather than a message of grace to the
heart. Today's gospel calls men to stand up for God. The gospel
commands men to bow the knee and confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord. Preachers today have made a beggar
of the Lord of Lords. Sinner, we're the beggar. Not God Almighty. Not God Almighty. And if God is ever pleased, I
say if He's ever pleased because He doesn't have to. He doesn't
have to. He doesn't... I owe it to you. He's not obligated to do it.
Oh, but if in his mercy and grace he ever shows you who he is,
you'll find out who the beggar is and you'll come down like
the leper and cry, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. It's all up to you. Oh, that we would hear in our
services again the cry, What must I do to be saved? Oh, depth
of mercy, can there be mercy still reserved for me? Can my
God His wrath forbear and me, the chief of sinners, spare? I need His mercy and grace. Oh, that He might be pleased
to bestow it. That God would be pleased to
do, as Paul said, to make the light shine out of
the darkness, and to reveal to our hearts the glory of God in
the face of Jesus Christ, if he doesn't hear me. God help you to hear me. If he
doesn't do it, if God's not pleased to do that, you'll go to hell. You'll go to hell. Sinners will die, clinging, they'll
die clinging to their robes of self-righteousness, their decision,
their baptism, their free willism, or their Calvinism. They'll cling
to it until in hell they lift up their eyes unless God Almighty
comes to wear their hat and works a work of grace in their heart. But he giveth more grace. Oh, that explains it, doesn't
it? in the context of this chapter, in the context of the epistle,
in the context of the entire Word of God, He giveth more grace. This is why Adam didn't perish
the moment he sinned, because God giveth more grace. God comes calling to Adam, Adam's
hiding. Oh my, how far he has fallen.
How ignorant he's become. He thinks he can hide from God. Sinners today think they're hiding
from God. Rolf Bonner said more people
try to hide from God in churches than anywhere else. Oh, but the
God of all grace, he comes to Adam. Adam won't come to him.
Adam's hiding from God. He's in the bushes sowing fig
leaves together. And God says, Adam, where art
thou? That's the call of grace. That's the great shepherd of
the sheep, seeking and saving the lost. He giveth more grace. That explains it. That's why
sinners are saved to the uttermost. That's why sinners are saved
to the uttermost. That's why those who are dead
are quickened. quickened, made alive, because
he giveth more grace. A word about your lost loved
ones, brothers and sisters in Christ. I know you have them.
I do too. Sons and daughters, companions,
loved ones. But remember this. Does their
will trump God's will? Does it? Is their sin greater
than God's grace? Shame on us. Shame on me for
acting as though it is. Do we have any right? Do we have
any right to despair of any sin or still living if salvation
is God's work? Do we? God said to Jeremiah,
is anything too hard for me? Has God's grace ceased to be
reigning grace? Has the blood of Jesus Christ
lost its efficacy, its power? We sing, dear dying lamb, thy
precious blood shall never lose its power. Do we really believe
that? Do we really believe that? My
soul, would you look at that? Would you look at that? I just can't believe what I see.
It can't be. John, is that Saul of Tarsus
standing up there to preach Jesus Christ? Are my eyes deceiving
me? Is that Saul of Tarsus who vowed
that he would spend his life and last breath stamping out
the name of Jesus that he said was a deceiver? Didn't when the
last time I see him he was leaving Jerusalem with the saddlebags
full of warrants to arrest God's people? Did he not curse Jesus
of Nazareth with every breath he took? Is that the same man
that now stands up and says, I'm determined to know nothing
among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified? Is that Saul of
Tarsus? How can it be? How can it be? How can that be? How do you explain
it? Paul explains it. He tells us how it can be. Paul was before a blasphemer,
an injurious and a persecutor, but by the grace of God, I am
what I am. When it pleased God, and I'll
tell you why. I'm quoting what Paul wrote,
but I'm not thinking of Paul. I'm thinking of another rebel. I'm thinking of Larry Crist, who until God Almighty called
me by his grace, spent all his days cursing God and mocking
God and mocking believers, anyone who professed to believe in God. But when it pleased God, John, I'm so ashamed that I seldom think about that. How in this world could I ever
get over that? God saved me. When it pleased
God who called me by His grace to reveal His Son in me that
I might preach Him, Preach Him. That's what the gospel is. It's
all about Him. That explains it. He giveth more
grace. Do you need more proof, child
of God? You don't need to look at Saul
of Tarsus. Look in the mirror. Look in the mirror. You need
not despair of God's power, grace, to save any child of God, rather
any sinner, be it your son or daughter or whoever. Look into
Mary. He saved you. Was there ever
a greater sinner than you? One dear lady said, Oh God, God
if you'll save me, you'll never hear the end of it. If you'll
save this worthless sinner, if you'll have mercy on me, you'll
never hear the end of it. I'll thank you. I'll thank you. until I go to my grave, and then
I'll thank you in person. You'll never hear the end of
it. Let me wrap this up. You remember what Paul wrote
to his beloved Timothy? He said concerning himself, Paul,
who was before a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious, well,
Paul, why aren't you now? Why did you not live and die,
as that self-righteous Pharisee in Paul says, but I obtained
mercy. But I obtained mercy. I would that God would just come to each of us now, each
believer, and just immerse us with a fresh
appreciation, giving us the place of bowing before Him
with absolute wonder. My soul, I obtained mercy. The other evening Well, a few
weeks ago, I was watching the news. They had a story on there
about a young college student who was found out in the snow,
nearly froze to death. The news anchor said it was a
miracle. Before he ended the segment,
he said the young man was lucky. But he was nearly frozen to death
and he took him to the hospital. He was in a coma for several
days. But they warmed him. His heart began to beat. And
he woke up days later, and he went back to school. He lost
some toes through frostbite, but he was alive. And they said,
oh, he's got a new appreciation for life. Child of God, listen
to this. God speaking of you and I. And he said, none I pitied you
to do any of these things to you, to have compassion on you.
But thou was cast out in the open field to the loathing of
thy person in the day that thou was born. That's where we were. And when I passed by, he giveth more grace. But when
I passed by and saw you polluted in your own blood, I said to
you, when you were in your own blood, live, live. Yea, I said unto thee when you
were in your own blood, live. Now when I passed by thee and
looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love. And
I spread my skirt over you, and covered your nakedness. Yea,
I swear unto you, and entered into a covenant with you, saith
the Lord God, and you became mine. What a wonder. And thy renown
went forth among the heathen for thy beauty, for it was perfect. For my comeliness, which I put
upon you, saith the Lord God. Oh, may God give us a new appreciation
of this everlasting life that he's given us. The life which
we now live by the faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave
himself for us. May God grant that. Amen. God
bless you.