Turn, if you will, to Psalm 119.
Psalm 119. We want to begin the message
by just reading one verse here in Psalm 119, verse 116. Psalm 119, verse 116. David, in his prayer, asked God
this, "'Uphold thee according unto thy word, that I may live. And let me not be ashamed of
my hope. Not ashamed of my hope. That's the subject. Just about
everybody that you and I know express a hope of knowing God,
of being saved. Just ask them. And they'll respond by saying,
I hope to go to heaven because I, and then they'll follow with
various reasons. The Word of God speaks very plainly
about a hope. a hope of salvation, a hope of
glory, a hope of acceptance before God, but it also speaks of a
false hope. David says, Lord, don't let me
be ashamed of my hope. Don't let the hope I had before
you prove to be a false hope, prove to be groundless without
foundation. Our Lord spoke of people in Matthew
chapter 7 that had such a hope, groundless. Turn, if you will,
to Matthew chapter 7 for a moment. This is taken from what we refer
to as our Lord's Sermon on the Mount. Here in Matthew 7 verse 21 we
read of many, our Lord speaks of many who had such a hope and
the outcome of it. This is not what David expressed. This was not David's hope. In
verse 21 of Matthew 7 we read, Not everyone, not everyone that
saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven,
but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven.
Many will say to me, Many, many will say to me in that day, in
that day when we're all ushered into the presence of God Almighty,
when we stand before Him, and before the Lord Jesus Christ,
He says, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have
we not prophesied in Thy name? And in Thy name have cast out
devils? And in Thy name done many wonderful
works? Then will I profess unto them,
I never knew you. I never knew you. Depart from
me, ye that work iniquity." All these people had a hope. They
all had a hope, but it was groundless. It really didn't have a foundation.
Our Lord tells us that in the following verses here in Matthew
7. Look at verse 24. He tells us why this was so,
why these many would hear him speak, depart from me. Therefore,
whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not,
I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon
a rock. And the rain descended, and the
floods came. God's people are not exempt from
the floods and the rain, from heartache and trial. And the
floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and
it fell not. Why? Why did it not fall? For it was founded upon a rock,
because of the foundation. And everyone that heareth these
sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a
foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. And the
rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and
beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall
of it. The difference was in the foundation.
When can it be said? that a sinful man, and that includes
the one speaking to you right now, and that includes everyone
to whom I'm speaking, when can it be said that a sinful man
has a good hope, a hope of eternal salvation, a hope of heaven,
a hope of being accepted by God Almighty? And remember, God doesn't
accept just anything. Man says he does. God will accept
our best effort. God will accept our sincerity. How many times have you heard
that? It really doesn't matter too much what you believe as
long as you're sincere in the belief. Is that scriptural? Will God accept such a thing
as that? And of course the answer is no. We don't have such a hope
by nature. We're not born with it. The very
opposite. When we enter this world, Paul
says in Ephesians 2 that we were without God, without Christ,
having no hope. Having no hope in the world. Oh, is it any wonder that the
psalmist said, Lord, let me not be ashamed of my hope. And the
only way that that can be true The only way that any fallen
son of Adam will never be ashamed of the hope they had before God
is if this is true. Turn, if you will, to 1 Timothy
chapter 1. In just a moment, I want to look
at four places in Scripture that express the reason, the foundation
of a good hope before God Almighty. In 1 Timothy 1, just as an introduction,
we read what it is right here. Did I say what? That's not right.
We read who it is. Here in verse 1 of 1 Timothy
1, Paul and an apostle of Jesus Christ. Is that your hope, Paul? An apostle? Called out one? One that saw
the risen Lord? One that suffered as you did,
is that the reason? Oh, no. By the commandment of
God our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, now ignore those two
words in italics and let's just read the verse without them.
And Lord Jesus Christ, our hope. Our hope. He alone is the foundation of
all a sinner's hope before God. Nothing else is. Psalm 39, Lord,
now what wait I for? My hope is in The, period. The same thing that Paul expresses
here. Turn over a few pages to 2nd
Timothy. 2nd Timothy chapter 1. Look what
Paul says here in his 2nd epistle to young Timothy. 2nd Timothy
chapter 1, verse 11. Whereunto I am appointed a preacher,
and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles, for of which
cause I also suffered these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed."
Remember what the psalmist said, Lord, let me not be ashamed.
Paul says, I'm not ashamed. Why, Paul? Why? For I know whom
this is salvation. This is salvation. It's knowing
the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what he himself defines
salvation as being. Father, This is life eternal,
that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom Thou didst send. For I know whom I have believed,
and I'm persuaded that He's able to keep that which I've committed
unto Him against that day." Is Christ able? Is Christ able? Is Christ trustworthy? The question is not, the question
is not, am I able? Do you ever wonder about that?
Do you ever consider if you're able to keep yourself? Are you
able in yourself to hold on your way? Are you able to maintain
your faith in God? Well, don't trouble yourself
about it anymore. The answer is no. The answer
is absolutely not. The question is not, what can
I do to remain saved? The question is, is he the great
God and Savior? Is he able? And Paul, sitting
in that dungeon cell, says, I have no regrets. I'm not in doubt. I'm not confused. I'm not perplexed. Why, Paul? Why? Because I know
whom. Can the Great Shepherd keep His
sheep? Can the Great Shepherd keep all
those God Almighty entrusted into His hands? He became assured
before. He said, Father, I'll do everything
necessary to bring them all back to glory. Can He be trusted to
do so? I've heard it said that a man
can truly be saved. Some teach this. Many men teach
this. A lot of professing Christians
believe this. That a man can truly be saved
by the grace of God and yet lost after all. Is that true? Is salvation
forever? I remember listening to Brother
Henry Mahan and he said someone asked him that question one time,
Brother Henry, is God's salvation forever? Is it an everlasting
salvation? And Henry said, well it depends
on who does the saving. If man does the saving, Mike,
absolutely not. It's not forever. Oh, but if
salvation is of the Lord, and it is, yes, it's forever. Can we trust the Great Shepherd? Turn, if you will, back to John
chapter 10, John's Gospel chapter 10. Listen to the words of the
Great Shepherd himself, and let me ask you, if you find any note
of doubt in his words, There are none. Oh no, not concerning
him in Jesus Christ, everything is yay, everything is amen, everything
is sure, everything is certain. He speaks with authority. They
said never a man spake like he spake. Here in John 10 concerning
the security of the sheep, the eternal salvation of the sheep,
in verse 27 he said, my sheep hear my voice and I know them
and they follow me. Don't claim to be a follower
of Christ or a believer in Christ if you don't follow him. Don't
claim to be a servant of Christ if you've never bowed to him.
Don't claim him as your savior if you've never bowed to him
as Lord. That's not possible. Our Lord
said, they hear my voice and they prove that they've heard
my voice by following me. And I give them eternal life.
And they shall never, do you like that? Oh, weak faltering wandering
sheep, aren't these encouraging words from your great shepherd?
And I give them eternal life and they shall never, they shall
never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. No
one's able to do that. My Father which gave them to
me is greater than all, and no man is able to pluck them out
of my hand. I and my Father are one. Let's look at another place.
Turn, if you will, to Jude. Jude verse 24. We read these words. Now unto
him that is able to keep you from falling, my soul... Now who could that be? Who's
able to keep you from falling? One hymn writer expressed it
like this, and it is true. It's accurate. It's true concerning
me. If ever it should come to pass,
the sheep of Christ should fall away. My fickle, feeble soul
at last would fall ten thousand times a day. The great apostle
himself cried out as a saved man after being an apostle for
many years, after being caught up to third heaven and seeing
things that wasn't lawful for him to utter. He said, O wretched
man that I am. Louis, he did not say, O wretched
man that I used to be. Oh, no, no, no. He said, Oh,
right now. Right now as I write these words
under the divine inspiration, being moved on to do so by God's
Holy Spirit, I'm a wretched man. Who is able to keep such a one
as that from falling? Who's able? And not only that,
who's able to present you faultless? Did I misread that? No, that's
what it says, doesn't it? Who's able to not only keep you
from falling, but to present you faultless, not only without
sin, but without fault. Before the presence of His glory
with exceeding joy. Indeed, who? Who's able to do
that? And here's the answer. We're
not left to wonder about it. Very plainly we read in verse
25, "...to the only wise God our Savior." He's able, He's
able be glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and forever. There is a hope that those who
truly possess it and are possessed by it shall never be ashamed
of, will never regret, will never be sorry that multitude, that
many that stood before Christ trusting their own works their
own merit, their own righteousness. They were ashamed when they heard
His words, Depart from Me. All but he that builds his hope
upon Christ shall never be ashamed. It'll never happen. In New Zealand,
they have a word, or rather a definition concerning this word, hope. They
call it the swimming thought. What they mean by that, when
all other thoughts are drowned, hope still swims. Hope still swims above the current,
above the waves. It's lifted up under the everlasting
arms of Jesus Christ our Lord. We often sing the old hymn, and
it's a very good one. It's scriptural. We try to sing
hymns that's scriptural here. My hope is built on nothing less. than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
strain, but wholly lean, just lean all of my weight, the weight
of my immortal soul, just lean it all upon my blessed Savior. But wholly lean on Jesus' name,
His oath, His covenant, His blood. Support me in the whelming flood,
when all around..." You've been there, child of God. You've been
there, pilgrim. When all around my soul gives
way, when the bottom just seems suddenly, without warning, without
opportunity to prepare myself, the bottom just suddenly falls
out, what's my hope now? What's my hope now? When all
around my soul gives way, he then, Then as always, he then
is all my hope and stay. I will not be ashamed of my hope
because, turn if you will to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. It
will be brief concerning these four places, these four points.
Why a believer will never be ashamed of his hope in Christ. First of all, it's a good hope. Here in 2 Thessalonians 2, and
remember, we'll not read it, but beginning at verse 13, Paul
writes these words against the backdrop of the apostasy he's
already mentioned previously. When it seems like the whole
world is just engulfed in darkness, and John said that so, the whole
world lieth in the wicked one. Can you just about imagine, after
reading that, and then coming to this verse, the shouts of
hallelujah that must have went up. The shouts of, well then,
glory to his name. We're not all lost. We're not
all cast off. We're not all bowing down to
the altar of man's free will. We're not all believing that
lie. We're not all deceived. No, no,
no. Why aren't we? But we are bound
to give thanks, verse 13, because to always to God for you, brethren,
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen
you. There it is again. People say,
oh, I don't like that. Oh, I do. I do. I would never
be saved if God hadn't chosen me to salvation. I would never
be saved if God didn't purpose to save me. The God we serve
doesn't have a new thought. He doesn't do something today
that He didn't intend to do before the foundation of the world.
He's immutable. He changes not. Everything he
does is purpose to do. He hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth. whereunto he called you by our
gospel. Oh yes, God ordained the means
to that end, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast
and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether
by our word or our epistle, now our Lord Jesus Christ himself."
Here's the foundation. Here it is. The Lord Jesus Christ
himself and God, even our Father, which have loved us and have
given us everlasting consolation and good hope. Here's the hope
not to be ashamed of. Good hope through grace. Grace. Grace. That takes it out
of my hands altogether. And that's what gives me hope.
Grace unmerited. That means that the merit, the
virtue by which God justifies a guilty sinner must come from
some other direction. It must come from someone else. It can't come from me. Oh, this
grace of God that's in Christ Jesus is free. Oh, it's more
free than we realize. Was it not when we had nothing
to pay that He spoke peace to our hearts as long as we had
one thing to cling to? One thick leaf of our own filthy
self-righteousness? No peace. But oh, when He brought
us down by sovereign grace and we confessed, I have nothing,
I am nothing, I can do nothing, then He said, go in peace. Go
in peace, thy sins are all forgiven thee." Oh, the merit that God
gives to a sinner comes from another, Jesus Christ himself. How much, listen, would you have
assurance? Would you have this sweet assurance
of acceptance before a holy God? Don't look for it in anything
you do. Don't look for it in anything
you've experienced. Look for it in the merits of
Jesus Christ. Don't ask, how much am I worth
to God? How valuable am I? Oh, no, no.
Ask this question. How much is Jesus Christ worth
to God, John? How valuable is the Lord Jesus
Christ to God the Father? He said, I do always those things
that please the Father. I come. Only he could say this,
I come to do thy will, O my God. God's will included not only
satisfaction to the penalty of God's broken law, not only that
somebody bared the penalty of the law that we broke, must be
satisfied. There must be also a keeping
of God's law. There must be also a rendering
satisfaction to God's precept. Not only the penalty, but the
precept. And the Lord Jesus Christ has
such infinite value, such merit. such worth that he rendered satisfaction
to both. Turn, if you will, to John chapter
17. This is what he said that night
that he prayed to his heavenly Father concerning the keeping
of the law, the doing of it, the precept of it. He says here
in John 17 concerning that, verse 4, I have glorified thee on the
earth. I have finished the work which
thou gavest me to do. I have fulfilled the law. Not destroyed it, but fulfilled
it. Every precept, every precept
of it. Then turn, if you will, a few
pages over in John's Gospel to chapter 19. Here he speaks of
the penalty of God's law. The soul that sinneth, it must
die. Verse 30, concerning the penalty,
rendering satisfaction to divine justice, when Jesus therefore
had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished. Oh my soul, What words, what
glorious words, what blessed truth that the Son of God, for
all those that trust Him, for all those that believe on Him,
for all those that have Him alone as their hope and nothing else,
He says, it's finished. It's finished. He finished it. Nothing left for us, oh, but
to trust Him. What does He merit from God?
Let's consider it another way. What will God not do for Christ's
sake? What will God the Father not
do for Christ's sake? Will he refuse any that come
to him by Jesus Christ? He said, I came down from heaven,
the Lord said, not to do my own will, in John 6, but the will
of him that sent me. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that of all that seeth the Son and believeth on him
should not perish but have everlasting life. Previously he said, all
that the Father giveth me shall come to me. And they do. They just keep coming. They're just continually being
drawn to the Great Shepherd. Those wandering sheep Those that
you would think would be the very last one. Someone said to
me just the other day, I don't recall who it was, but they were
talking to my mother and my mother told them Larry was the last
one of my five sons I would ever suspected of being a preacher. They said, your mom said that
about you. And I said, mom told you the truth? Mom told you the
truth. That doesn't offend me. That's
the exact truth. And so did I. I thought I would
be the last one. I will never bow to Jesus Christ.
Christianity, that's for old people. That's got nothing better
to do. I've got a whole life to live. I'm young. No, no. It's not for
me. And I said, I will not come and
I will not bow. And Christ said, oh, yes, you
will. Oh yes, you will. I will make you willing, not
in the day of your fickle will, but in the day of my will. And bless His name, I'm so thankful
that He did. I'm so glad that He interfered
with my will and made me willing. I don't have a problem with that.
Made me willing in the day of His power. The Great Shepherd
said, all that the Father giveth me shall come to me. and him
that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out and they're
continually coming. His sheep are continually being
drawn like by a magnet into the fold of the great shepherd who
said, other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also. I like how he talks. I must bring. I must bring. And there will
be one fold and one shepherd. An old believer laid to dying. And he was visited by a friend
who asked him how things were with his soul. And he said, well,
I'll tell you this. I'm resting my head upon three
pillows. God's infinite power, infinite
love, and infinite wisdom, yes. It is well with my soul. It is
well with my soul. The hymn writer said grace taught
my heart to pray and made my eyes overflow. This grace has
kept me to this day and will not let me go. Paul in Romans 5 said this is
the grace of God wherein we stand. In Revelation chapter 6, will
you turn there just for a moment? Revelation chapter 6. The question
is asked by the kings of the earth and the great men and the
rich men and the chief captains and the mighty men, the somebodies. But when they see the King of
kings and Lord of lords descending from heaven in glory and power,
They run into the mountains and cry to the rocks, fall on us,
verse 16, and hide us from the face of him that setteth on the
throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. The wrath of the Lamb. Verse 17, for the great day of
his wrath has come and who shall be able to stand? Who shall be able to stand? Chapter 7 we have the answer
to that question, verse 9 of chapter 7, and after this I beheld
and lo a great multitude which no man can number of all nations
and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne. Who
shall stand? They stand before the throne. While others are praying at the
sight of the Lamb to be hid from Him, they stand before His throne
in the full gaze of the Lamb of God with perfect delight. They couldn't be happier. This
is the heaven of heaven. This is the glory of glory. They
shall see His face. They shall see him who loved
them and gave himself for them. They stood before the Lamb, before
the throne, clothed with white robes and palms in their hands. How can that be? How can any
sinner have such a hope as that? Verse 14. Sir, thou knowest,
John said to the angel, And he said to me, these are they which
came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, are they
before the throne of God. Not ashamed, because this is
the true grace of God wherein ye stand. True grace. It's not a fiction. It's not
a pretense. True grace for true sinners. Oh, I wonder, is there one here
this morning? Do you need grace? No buts. No babies. No arguing about it. I need the grace of God. Larry, I would love to go home
tonight and lay down and lay my head upon the pillar of knowing
whom I had believed, and to know no matter what happens, it's
well with my soul, and not be ashamed." I would give anything
for that. Would you give nothing? Would
you attempt nothing? Would you simply, by the grace
of God, behold the Lamb of God, and if you do, If you do, this
very day, this very hour, this very moment, you'll go home justified
in the sight of a holy God. What blessed, blessed grace. Let's turn to Titus chapter 2.
We got to move along. Titus chapter 2. We have the
second reason. We'll not be ashamed of this
blessed hope. In Titus chapter 2, verse 11,
we read these words. For the grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously
and godly in this present world. Grace does that. Grace does that. Grace changes a man. If any man's
in Christ, he's a new creature. Verse 13, looking for that blessed
hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior,
Jesus Christ. Oh, looking for that blessed
hope. Oh, what will that be? And this
blessed hope that Paul speaks of doesn't concern where or when
Or how, or what, but it's who. Jesus Christ himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout. This same Jesus you see go into
heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go.
This same Jesus. Verse 14, who gave himself for
us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works, who gave himself
for us. And Christ will have all that
he purchased. Remember, the price of our redemption
was his own precious blood. And as Moses said to Pharaoh,
there won't be a hoof left behind. Christ shall have all that he
paid for. This blessed hope is the hope
of blessedness, that we shall see him. We look for this blessed
hope in the Lord's Supper, remember? When we observe the Lord's Supper,
we read, as often as ye eat this bread and drink this wine, ye
do show the Lord's death till he come. The third one, Hebrews
chapter 6. Turn for a moment to Hebrews
chapter 6. Here this blessed hope is referred
to as an anchor of the soul. An anchor of the soul. Hebrews
6 and verse about two immutable things, and those two immutable
things are God's oath and God's promise, in which it was impossible
for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have
fled for refuge, lay hold upon the hope set before us, which
hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast,
in which entereth into that within the veil, whither the forerunner
is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after
the order of Melchizedek. Oh, this blessed, blessed hope,
an anchor for the soul, an anchor when it's cast into the ocean
is unseen, but it's real. Where Christ appears is our forerunner,
we're told, representing us who are to follow. As if he says
to the Father, Him being the firstfruits of all his brethren,
my sheep are coming. I'm the forerunner. My bride
is on her way. In Hebrews 9, verse 24, we read
this. For Christ has not entered into
the holy place made with hands, but into heaven itself. Now to
appear in the presence of God for For us, on our behalf, our anchor
is Christ, the eternal rock of ages. We have an anchor that
keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
fastened to the rock which cannot move, grounded firm and deep
in the Savior's love. This hope will not let us drift
away. We will be tossed, but never
shipwrecked. Christ is our anchor. and the
captain of our salvation will bring the vessel of grace into
the harbor of everlasting glory and none shall be lost. Listen to this in Psalm 84. Just let me read it to you. Psalm
84, speaking of all of his chosen, they go from strength to strength,
every one of them except one. No, no. Every one of them in
Zion appeareth before God. For the Lord God is a sun and
a shield. The Lord will give grace and
glory. No good thing will he withhold
from them that walk uprightly. Now last of all, turn with me
to 1 Peter chapter 1 and we'll wrap this up. 1 Peter chapter
1. He refers to this hope of the
believer as a living hope. A living hope. 1 Peter 1 verse
3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a
lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth
not away, reserved in heaven for you. and we're reserved for
it, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation,
ready to be revealed in the last day. This hope rests on a living
Savior. John, he said, I'm he that liveth,
and I was dead, but behold, I'm alive forevermore. And again,
because I live, ye shall live also. Turn back, if you will,
to Hebrews chapter 7. Hebrews chapter 7. Concerning
our ever-living high priest, we read this. Hebrews 7 verse
24. But this man, this man, the God-man,
Because he continuous ever hath an unchangeable priesthood, wherefore
he is able also to save them to the uttermost. that cometh unto God by him,
seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." Now is
Christ risen from the dead, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15, and
his resurrection assures us that God accepted the ransom. His
being raised from the dead assures us that God accepted the ransom
that His Son paid and He's satisfied with it. When you observe the
Lord's Supper, remember these words spoken by God Himself. Deliver His soul from going down
to the pit. I found a ransom. Being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Is He
your hope? Is He your hope? If so, you will
never be ashamed. Never be ashamed. Till then,
nor is my boasting vain, till then I boast the Savior's slain.
And oh, may this my glory be, that Christ is not ashamed of
me. That's out of the hymn on page
400 of our hymn book. Did the hymn writer go too far
when he wrote that Christ is not ashamed of me? No. No. We read in scripture that he
is not ashamed to call them brethren. Brother Lowell, we're all gathered around the
throne of God. We'll not be ashamed of him,
O my soul. Why would we be? But he won't be ashamed of us
either. Isn't that glorious? Isn't that
glorious? The Son of God will not be ashamed
of us. God bless you. Thank you for
your attention.