You'll turn back with me now
to Romans chapter 4. The title to my message this
morning is, A Line in the Sand. People often say about articles
that I've written, you're drawing a line in the sand. You better
believe it. A line in the sand. I'm often
accused of saying what men say are undeserved things about certain
denominations. Saying things like, and calling
them things like, Antichrist religion, false prophets, or
maybe even reprobates. I'm told that saying such things
is a breach of spiritual etiquette. I want you to look with me for
just a minute at some scriptural examples before we get to our
text. Over in Matthew chapter 3. Here
is the last of the Old Testament prophets. This man is the very
forerunner of Christ. Not only is this man foretold
in the Old Testament, but his message and his spirit and his
attitude is foretold in the Old Testament. This is the very forerunner
of Christ, and by our Lord's own testimony, the greatest preacher
born of woman. He was somebody. And one day,
while he was preaching, he looked up and the Pharisees and Sadducees
came to see him. Now, who were they? These were
men backed by generations of established religion. They were
seminary graduates. Every one. They carried, read, studied,
and taught the Scriptures. They were moral men who taught
and enforced morality. They met and prayed and promoted
what they were convinced was the truth. They were sincere,
they were zealous, and they were determined. Now listen to what
John said about these men. Matthew 3, verse 7. When he saw many of the Pharisees
and Sadducees come out to his baptism, he said unto them, O
generation of vipers. Ain't that what he said? You're talking about violating
spiritual etiquette. O generation of vipers, who hath
warned you to flee the wrath to come? Matthew 12, verse 34. Our Lord said this to the same
people. O generation of vipers, how can
you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the
heart, the mouth speaketh." And then in Matthew 23, verse 33,
he said, You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape
the damnation of hell? Now my friend, this world walks
in the vanity of their minds. Their understanding, according
to the Scripture, is darkened, being alienated from the life
of God through the ignorance that's in them. And they are
surrounded by these venomous reptiles, these false prophets,
these religious men who don't know God. They're surrounded
by them. Would you have me to be careful
not to offend these vipers at the risk of somebody here getting
bit? If I knew, if I was going to
send you down a path, I knew you were going to go this way.
And I knew that there was vipers all down that path on either
side, cold and ready to bite. Would I offend you if I told
you there was vipers down there? To be careful? That's what I'm
talking about when I talk about false religion. They're vipers.
They're venomous snakes. Their bite can do harm. They're
life-threatening. I'm trying to warn you about
Satan's ministers, and men and women are trying to persuade
me to let them have their way. These men are an offense to me
and an offense to God, but I never see anybody upset with them. They're always upset with me.
Isn't that something? I'm not biting anybody. They're
the ones biting. I don't have any venom. They're
full of venom. Maybe it's because they have
more in common with the vipers than they do with God. Maybe
that's why they make those responses. Our Lord said, this is the condemnation,
the very heart and nature of man's depravity. Light has come
into the world, and men love darkness rather than light. And as it was then, so it is
now. The more light that is shined,
the more men turn to the darkness they love. Man has always busied
himself about making distinctions in religion. I've lost count
of how many Baptist church distinctions there are in our generation,
I'd be afraid to say. But in spite of all man's efforts,
there are still only two religions in this world. Just two. You
can put whatever name you want on it. You can put Methodist,
Baptist, Catholic. You can put any kind of name
on it that you want to put. There are just two religions
in this world, works and grace. Works and grace. And Paul tells
us here, that which is not of grace is not of God. I don't know if I can get that
across. I was ministering to a group
one time, and I'd never heard such comments as I would get
from time to time. And I was talking to Brother
Don about it. And he told me, he said, I don't
think their pastor ever made a clear distinction in his preaching
between works and grace. There's only two kinds of religion,
works and grace. And that which is not of grace
is not of God. Now here in Romans chapter 4,
Let me tell you this, and then I'll get to my text. Grace in
the writings of Holy Scripture stands in direct opposition to
man's works and man's worthiness. Romans chapter 4, verse 4. Now to him that worketh is the
reward not reckoned of grace. Ain't that what that says? If somehow my doctrine tries
to mix works with grace, I don't really understand grace. I don't
really know what grace is. That which is not of grace is
not of God. Period. It's not reckoned of grace. It's
reckoned to be of debt. The man who's trying to work
out his salvation, that man who's trying to do this, pray enough,
repent enough, believe enough, come to church enough, give enough,
that man who's working for his salvation, it's reckoned of debt. What you're doing is you're trying
You're trying to do something and then say, alright now God,
you owe me. You owe me for this. I did all
these things. Now, you pay up. It's not of
grace, it's of debt. You're trying somehow to make
God a debtor to you. But to him that worketh not,
verse 5, But believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth
the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness
without works. The word grace. Now, just pay
attention to me for a minute. The word grace always presupposes
an unworthiness of its object. Always. Always. Grace and worthiness cannot be
connected in the same act or the same end. A man told me one
time, he said, well, we're saved by grace and then we're under
the law. You don't know what grace is.
You don't know what grace is. They cannot be connected in the
same act or when describing the same end. One must give way to
the other. In Romans chapter 11, Paul is
talking about this election of God's saints. He said, we've
been like Sodom and Gomorrah, but God reserved to Himself a
remnant. And he's talking about this election
of grace. The election of God's saints.
And he calls this an election of grace. And then he plainly
defines God's grace. Now listen to this. If by grace,
it's no more of works. Not any. Not any. Otherwise, grace is no more. But if it be of works, then it's
no more of grace. Otherwise, work, no more work. Grace and works are like water
and oil. They cannot mix. It's either
salvation is either altogether of grace or it's altogether by
works. No middle ground. No middle ground. And the Scriptures tell us plainly
that by grace you are saved. He says before that, by grace
are you saved? You were saved by covenant union
when God chose you and put you in Christ and appropriated for
you a head and representative. By grace are you saved? He tells
you that early in Ephesians chapter 2. And by that union, you were
buried with Him, raised with Him, and seated with Him in glory.
That, He said, in order that in the ages to come He might
show that kindness, kindness which He gives to you by His
grace, He is going to show that to you. For by grace are you
saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the
gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. So then, according to divine
reasoning, it's evident that whatsoever is of works is not
of grace. And if it's not of grace, it's
not of God. Not of God. No matter how you
view salvation, it's always said to be by grace. whenever we talk
about God's eternal purpose. Somebody told me one time when
I read that scripture to them in Ephesians, they said, wait
a minute, wait a minute. You saying God chose certain
people to be saved? I said, no, that ain't what I'm
saying. That's what God's saying. What I say don't amount to a
hill of beans if it's not backed by Holy Scripture. It's just
another opinion. Worthless. But if it's backed
by Holy Scripture, Then God said it. God said it. And no matter
how you view salvation, it is always said to be by grace. God's
eternal purpose. 2 Timothy 1. Paul said, God has
saved us. Already saved us. And then He called us with a
holy calling. Not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and grace. which was given to
us in Christ Jesus before the world began. So if you want to
view salvation in its birth, in its beginning, it's by grace. It's by grace. The workings of
God's providence. Before Christ came, John tells
us there in John chapter 1, he said, we have all received grace
for grace. Huh? What in the world is he
talking about? He's talking about provenient grace. He's talking
about grace that came before grace. Grace that came before
incarnate grace. Personified grace, which was
in the Lord Jesus Christ. There was grace that went forth
in the promises of God. Grace that went forth in the
providence of God. Grace that went forth in the
eternal counsels of God. We all have received grace for
grace. Faith. By grace are you saved
through faith. The gospel. Paul said this to
the Ephesian church, that he testified the gospel of the grace
of God. That's what he calls it. Spiritual
growth. I want to talk about salvation
in its activity. In our spiritual growth. What's
he call that? Growing in grace. Isn't that what he calls it?
And when it's all done, all done, like old Zerubbabel
in Zechariah, who restored that temple, when it's all done, we
shall come with shoutings, and everybody's got the same thing
they're going to say, grace, grace unto it. So that the indelible motto inscribed
by the hand of Jehovah Himself on all the blessings of His unchangeable
covenant is stated in Ephesians chapter 1 where He says, it is
to the praise of the glory of His grace. Now grace, as I've shown you
from the scriptures, is more than a doctrine. It's more than
a scriptural fact. Grace is the experience and the
manifestation of God's love and favor upon undeserving, yea,
ill-deserving sinners. It's not just a doctrine. We
can look at a doctrine, and I can sit down in the Scriptures, and
if I can shut you up to this book, I can prove to you that
salvation is altogether by the grace of God. It is a doctrine. It is a teaching. And we're to
teach our people about the grace of God. But it's more than a
doctrine. It is the experience of salvation
in the soul. Grace. Grace. It's the manifestation of God's
love and favor upon undeserving, ill-deserving sinners. And as
grace begins its works in the minds and hearts of God's elect,
there's quite a few things that take place in that mind and heart,
and they never can be taken away. Here's the first thing. That
man to whom the grace of God comes, He sees that grace is
the only way that God can save sinners. There is no other way. Well, preacher, let me talk to
you about works. No, you can't talk to me about works. Sell
it to your grandma. I want to hear it. I've already
been down that road. And God revealed to me what His
grace is. And that it's the only way God
could save this poor sinner is by grace. By grace. And men and women who are born
of God and brought to Christ and given the gift of repentance
and faith, they've been taught of God concerning their condition. See, that's what's missing right
there. Conviction of sin. A man who's never been convicted
of sin has got no need of grace. What's he need grace for? He's
got potential. He's got potential. He can read
enough, pray enough, do something, make up his mind, make a decision. He can do something because he
still has potential. But when God strips a sinner,
when He shows him what he is, dead in trespasses and sin, paralyzed
by the depravity of his nature, unable to do anything, there's
none that seeketh after God. There's none that understandeth. There's none good. There's none
righteous. When God reveals to a man what
he is and convinces him of it in his soul, there ain't but
one thing to help him, and that's the grace of God. Nothing else. Don't talk to me about works.
Not when I was under sin. Don't talk to me about that.
No, I ain't got no use for that. What good is that going to do
me? Cursed is everyone who continueth not in all things written in
the book of the law to do them." I've already broke the law. I don't love Him as I'm commanded
to love Him. I don't seek Him as I'm commanded
to seek Him. Guilty before God. I wonder sometimes when I'm talking
to men ruined by the false. What does that mean? What does
that mean? That means that by the act of
our federal head and daddy of all mankind, that this whole
race was judged, condemned, and sentenced to die. This world
is cursed of God. Listen to what Solomon said in
Proverbs. He said, the curse of the Lord
is in the house of the wicked. Cursed is every one who continueth
not in all things written in the book of the law to do. By
one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and
so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. By
the offense of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation. In Adam all die." Men and women are in a bad way.
They're sinners by nature, by choice and practice. They're
deceived by the religious masses telling them that they have potential
to reform and the ability to produce a righteousness before
God. And by their commitments and
service, they can pay for their sins. They can make restitution. In the darkest days of this world,
when every imagination of the thoughts of men's heart was only
evil continually, it was not some potential in man that convinced
Noah to be moved to build that ark." You know what the Scripture
said? Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. That man has no godliness, no
just and righteous character. He's not obedient, submissive,
or humble. He's got no appetite for the
things of God. He loves darkness. Loves darkness. Put two or three books down there.
Put a book down there by John Knox, and one by Charles Spurgeon,
and one by John Gill, and maybe two or three other of these men,
and then put some hunting books down there. See which one he
grabs. Put them over there in the hospital waiting room. See
how many people pick up that book by John Gill. They'll pick
it up, open it up, and put it back. Put that book out there
on hunting or fishing in Arkansas. Boy, they'll fight over it. He's got no appetite for the
things of God. He loves darkness. And there's
no hope for man except the grace of God. Grace is the only way
for God to save sinners. When God saves a man, He teaches
him that, He knows that, and he'll never be convinced otherwise. Secondly, grace is a force. It's a force. It's more than
a doctrine. It's a force. Grace is described
in Scripture as reigning. in the lives of believers. Did
you know that? As sin hath reigned unto death,
even so might grace reign unto righteousness, unto eternal life
by Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5.21, I think that is. In Luke chapter 11, our Lord
was accused of casting out devils by the spirit of the devil. to
which our Lord had some things to say. I want you to listen
to him. Luke 11, verse 18. He said to these Pharisees, accused
him of casting out devils by the spirit of Beelzebub. He said,
if Satan be divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? If Satan is taking sides with
God against himself, how is his kingdom going to stand? Now listen
to this, Luke 11, verse 21. When a strong man's arm keepeth
his palace... Now he's talking about Satan.
He's not talking about natural men. When a strong man's arm
keepeth his palace, his goods are at peace. But when a stronger than he shall
come upon him and overcome him, He taketh from him all his armor
wherein he trusted, and divideth his foes." And then he looked
at those men who accused him, and he said, He that is not with
me is against me. He is against me. Satan reigns
in men's hearts through deceit. He uses lies and testimonies
of deceived men. Deceitful workers, he describes
them as. transforming themselves into
the apostles of Christ. How does a man transform himself
into an apostle of Christ? He joins with others who are
like-minded. He goes to school. He gets his
proper certifications. He gets their recommendations
and their confirmation, and then he's looked upon by the multitudes
and masses of this world as a minister of God, reverend so-and-so. And he said, that's no marvel.
That's no marvel. Paul said, Satan himself transformed
into an angel of light. Therefore, it's no great thing
if his ministers be transformed as the ministers of righteousness.
Men and women who are fallen, cursed, and depraved in Adam
walk according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the pie of the air. That's what the Scripture says.
To be saved, the strong man must be overcome by one stronger than
him. And my friend, if the grace of
God ever comes to you, it will abide in only one place, on the
throne. If grace don't sit upon the throne
of your heart, you don't know anything at all about God's grace. God's grace is a force. It rules and reigns in all that
you say, in all that you do, in all that you are. That's what
it means to be saved by grace. Grace reigns. If it don't reign,
it's not grace. Grace of God is sovereign grace. That's why we put that on our
sign, Sovereign Grace Baptist Church. Sovereign grace. There's
no other kind, is there? And if it does not rule, it's
not the grace of God. Grace overcomes the strong man
and takes away his deceit and lies and reveals the truth and
establishes the kingdom of God within. These Pharisees, these
religious, self-righteous, legalistic Jews demanded of our Lord. I can't imagine. Well, of course,
they didn't know who he was. But here is the Lord of Glory
standing before them, and they demanded of him certain things. Always demanded of him. And they
demanded. He was demanded of the Pharisees
when the Kingdom of God should come. You know what he told them? He said, when it comes, you won't
see it. It comes not with observation.
He said, the kingdom of God is within you. And I challenge you,
you go look that word up almost every time it's used in the New
Testament. The word kingdom is rendered rule. Rule. The rule of God is established
within you. It's not meat and drink. That's
not the kingdom of God. It's righteousness and peace
and joy in the Holy Ghost. Grace don't reign in your hearts,
you don't have the grace of God. He said, my grace is sufficient.
It's sufficient. How does grace reign? It gives
to the sinner what he could never earn, never accomplish, never
be worthy of. God gives it to him. He gives to the sinner the very
opposite of what he deserves. What does He give him? What does
grace give a sinner when it comes? It gives him light. Paul said, If our gospel be hid,
it is hid to them who are lost, in whom the God of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light
of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ should shine unto them. For God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. Grace brings light out of darkness. Secondly, grace gives life to
dead sinners. You hath He quickened who were
dead. That's where you were, dead. And He quickened you. He quickened
you. John tells us that Christ came
into this world exactly as the Word of God said He would. He
was in the world. The world was made by Him, and
the world knew Him not. And He came unto His own. He
came unto those whose name was the children of God, who laid
claim to the covenants of God, who said they believed God and
worshipped God. He came unto His own. His own
received Him not. But as many as received Him,
some did. Some Jews, some Gentiles. Some did receive Him. So why
did some receive Him while the majority did not? Here it is. To them gave He power to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name, who
were born They were born not of blood, that is, not by physical
relationship, nor by the will of the flesh, that is, not because
they decided to be born, nor of the will of man, not because
somebody else wanted them to be born, but of God. Believers are born of God, and
what brings this life into them is the free and sovereign grace
of God. Grace brings all things to the
center. Life, light, pardon and peace,
justification, sanctification, preservation, and final resurrection. This grace and peace is by divine
power, and it is given to us all things that pertain unto
life and godliness through the knowledge of Him that has called
us to glory and virtue. And grace is not the beginning
work, but the whole of salvation. And then let me leave you with
this. Grace is what we need in our daily service. Hebrews 12, 28. Listen to this. Let us have grace whereby we
may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. What do we need? Grace. Grace. In that last and wonderful day,
our testimonies will all be the same. Amazing grace. Amazing, wonderful, sovereign
grace. Oh, may God the Holy Ghost be
pleased to arrest some sinner here this morning. Open their
minds and hearts to see the glory of God's grace. Grace. Now Paul said if it's not of
grace, then it's of debt. It's of debt. And it can't be
by grace. If it's of works, he says, then
it's no more grace. Otherwise, grace is no more grace. And I hope you won't find me
violating spiritual etiquette when I say that those who preach
works are preaching something other than the gospel of God's
sovereign grace. And they're not doing good, they're
doing evil. And it's a dangerous thing.