Psalm 115. There are really only
two religions in this world. Did you know that? Are you aware
of that? Only two. The one religion may
go by many different names, and it does, but it's really the
same. It says that salvation, regardless
of what name, denominational name, that it may have, it says
that salvation in whole or in part is by the work of man, the
worth of man, or the will of man. Is that unfair? Am I misrepresenting that? No. No. And this religion can always
be identified. It has always these three marks
that it can be identified by. It always bears these three marks. This religion that says man's
salvation is determined by his worth or his will or his work,
it always has, first of all, a very high view of man. It exalts man. And then secondly,
very next to that, Naturally, because they exalt man, at the
same time, they must, if they exalt man, they dethrone God. As much as they left man up,
they bring God down. Is that not so? A low view of
God, making him much less than he is, make man more than he
is, and make God less than he is. and it always makes salvation
dependent, the determining factor is always dependent upon something
man does. Man, after all, makes the determining
factor whether he's saved or not, whether he's in glory or
not, whether God's purpose to save or not is successful is
determined by the will of man. And I'm so thankful. I'm so thankful
that that's not true. I'm so thankful that that's not
true. The Word of God declares that
salvation is of the Lord in its entirety. By grace alone, it's
not determined by the work of man or the will of man or the
worth of man. Salvation in its entirety, from
beginning to end, is determined by the will the work, the worth
of Jesus Christ. An entirely different picture,
isn't it? An entirely different foundation. And the only hope for needy sinners
is that salvation is determined by our Lord's will and His work,
what He does and is doing, and His merit. Augustus Toplady,
who wrote the most famous of his hymns, I suppose, Rock of
Ages. In his day, he was also a very
able preacher. And he wrote this. He said, every
religion except one puts you up on doing something in order
to recommend yourself to God. It is the business of all false
religion to patch up a righteousness in which the sinner is to stand
before God. But it is the business of the
glorious gospel to bring near to us by the hand of the Holy
Spirit a righteousness ready wrought." Like that. A righteousness ready wrought. A robe of perfection ready made. Every fabric. not one stitch
in it as a result of man's work, a robe of perfection ready-made,
wherein God's people, to all purposes of justification and
happiness, stand perfect and without fault before the throne
of God." Now, Mr. Toplady, think you went too far. No, he didn't. No, he didn't. That's exactly what the book
says. They are without fault before the throne of God. Like in Ezekiel's vision of the
infant, thrown out to die, God comes to him, clothes him, loves
him, and robes him in his perfect righteousness, and he says, it
was perfect. The beauty The beauty of that
redeemed sinner is perfect through my comeliness that I put upon
you. Perfect in the sight of God. And when you think about it,
That's exactly what God requires, perfection. Where else could
it be had? Where else could it be realized?
Who alone offered perfection in all that he did, in all that
he thought, in all that he accomplished other than Jesus Christ himself? Now, that brings us to our text
in Psalm 115 verse 1. Let's look at it again. The title. of the message is, know two ways
about it. Know two ways about it. You see
that in the text. This is what my father used to
tell me. Terry, if I would disagree with him, if he would tell me
to do something and I'd want to take issue with him, I was
dumb. I was dumb to do that. But I would sometimes do it. And my father would look down
at me and say, son, there's no two ways about it. You'll do
it this way. You'll do what I've told you
to do. Or you're going to wish you had have done what I've told
you to do. There's no two ways about it.
And this is what God says. There's no two ways about it.
Salvation is either the work of man or the work of God, the
Holy Spirit, the triune God. And this is what David says.
And it's a happy note, isn't it? Not unto us, O Lord. Not unto us. But unto thy name
give glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. This is
the uniform. message of scripture throughout. This is the message of God's
book. This psalm was sung at the observance of the Passover
in remembrance of that great deliverance by the arm of God
of the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. And you
know that that all represented That was all a picture and a
type of that greater deliverance by the same omnipotent arm of
grace that brings a sinner out of the bondage of sin. This is
what we read in Scripture. Paul in 1 Corinthians 5 said,
for even Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us. Christ is our Passover. Look
back, if you will, in Exodus chapter 12. Let's look at a few
verses. there were God brought the children
of Israel out of Egypt. And it's evident that it was
entirely His work, all His doing. In Exodus chapter 12, look at
verse 21. Exodus 12 and 21. Then Moses
called for all the elders of Israel. and sat under them. Draw out and take you a lamb
according to your families and kill the Passover. And you shall
take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the
basin and strike the lentil and the two-side post with the blood
that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out
at the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will
pass through to smite the Egyptians. And when he seeth the blood upon
the lentil, and on the two side post, the Lord will pass over
the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto
you, your houses to smite you." Christ our Passover. There is no condemnation to those
who are in Christ Jesus. Peter said, you've been redeemed.
You've been redeemed. not with silver and gold, but
with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were redeemed by blood.
But it didn't stop there, did it? They must be redeemed by
power. These same people, whose houses
were marked with the blood of that sacrifice, The blood of
that which pictured a substitute. Death didn't enter that house,
it already had. And the sacrifice of that lamb,
as Paul says, is a picture of our Lord Jesus Christ. But they
must still be brought out of Egypt. Oh, there's redemption
by blood, and then there's redemption by power. And that too is God's
work. Look, if you will, in Exodus
chapter 14. Those he purchased, he brings
out. They'll not be a hoof, Moses
told Pharaoh. Pharaoh said, let's compromise.
Let's see if we can't reach some mutual understanding about this.
You go on out, but leave your cattle. Moses said, oh no, there
won't be a hoof left behind. And the Lord Jesus Christ will
have everyone, everyone he redeemed. All that the Father gave Him
to redeem will be with Him in glory. They'll be brought out
of sin, the bondage of it. They'll hear His voice and they'll
follow Him. This is what's pictured in Exodus
chapter 14. We'll just read the last two
verses. The last two verses, verses 30 and 31, sum up what
happened. You know the story well. They
come to the Red Sea. There's no escape that they're
aware of. And God miraculously parts the
Red Sea and they walk across. Pharaoh, his mighty armies, his
captains, his chariots, their horses, they follow after and
they're drowned. And now here stands Moses on
the other side. Stands on the other side looking
at that great Egyptian army floating in the Red Sea, perhaps being
washed up on the shore at their feet. And look what he says. Look what we read, rather. Thus
the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians.
And Israel saw the Egyptians dead up on the seashore. And
Israel saw that great work which they helped God do. No. Israel saw that great work which
the Lord did upon the Egyptians. He did it all. Remember what
they did? Moses, we knew this. We knew
better than this. We shouldn't have listened to
you. We could have died in Egypt. You brought us down here to die.
Remember what Moses said? Be quiet. God says, be quiet,
stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show
to you today. And this is what is summed up
in these verses. And Israel saw that great work
which the Lord did upon the Egyptians. And the people feared the Lord,
and believed the Lord and his servant Moses. And they sang
this song. They sing this song as they stand
on the other side of the Red Sea. Look at chapter 15. Then
sang Moses, rather, and the children of Israel this song unto the
Lord. And Spake saying, I will sing
unto the Lord. For he hath triumphed gloriously.
He did it. He saved us. He delivered us. It was all His work. He had triumphed
gloriously. The horse and His rider hath
He thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song,
for He has become my salvation. He is my God. I will prepare
Him in habitation, my Father's God, and I will exalt Him. Verse 6. Thy right hand, O Lord,
is become glorious in power. Thy right hand, O Lord, hath
dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of thine
excellency, thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee.
Thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. Look down at verse 9. The enemy
said, I will pursue. I will overtake. I will divide
to spoil. My lust shall be satisfied upon
them. I will draw my sword. My hand
shall destroy them. Thou didst blow with thy wind. Thou didst blow with thy wind,
the sea covered them. They sank as lead in the mighty
waters. And look who they praise. Oh, the wonder of this deliverance. And it's a picture, as I've said,
of the wonder of God's grace. the wonder of grace, or the majesty
of His mercy. Who is like unto Thee, O Lord?
Who is like Thee? My soul, what marvelous mercy! What amazing grace that called
this sinner, this sinner, called him out of darkness. I sat in
darkness, engulfed in darkness, lived in darkness, and I loved
it. Loved it. Didn't want to be brought
out. And the captain of my salvation
didn't come to me and say, will you pretty please open the door
and let me come in? No. What help would that have
done for a sinner? A helpless sinner. He came. He came and said, let there be
light! He came and said, live! Live! Who is like unto thee, O Lord,
among the gods? Who is like thee? Glorious in
holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders. Is that your God? Thou and thy mercy has led forth
the people which thou has redeemed. Who? Who? The same ones that
you redeemed. The same ones who were in the
houses that night with the blood of that innocent sacrifice upon
the door that you passed by. The very same people you brought
through the Red Sea. That's what salvation is. He
redeems us by blood and by power. Thou and thy mercy has led forth
the people which thou has redeemed. Thou has guided them in thy strength
unto thy holy habitation. The people shall hear and be
afraid. Sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina. Look at verse 16. Fear and dread
shall fall upon them. By the greatness of thine arm,
they shall be as still as a stone till thy people pass over, O
Lord, till the people pass over which thou hast purchased. Father, Father, our master said,
Father, the great shepherd of his sheep said, I will that all
that those you have given me be with me where I am. And there won't be one missing. Not one that he shed his precious
blood for. Not one who has been called out
of darkness. Every one of them will be kept
by the power of God, and they'll be ushered around the throne
of God, standing with the captain of their salvation, who shall
say, Father, I and the children that you gave me, we have lost
none. And we'll throw our crowns at
his feet, and seem worthy. Worthy is the Lamb. We've been
brought here not by our will, our work, our merit, but His. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. In Revelation chapter 15, we're
told that they sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb. Not a word in this entire song. This song of mercy. This song
concerning salvation. Not a word about man's will or
man's work. The song of the redeemed is and
forever shall be. Not unto us, O Lord. Not unto
us, but unto thy name give glory. And notice secondly what David
says. Not unto us. David speaks not just about himself,
but he says us. No exceptions. All God's people
as a whole are saved by the same grace, redeemed by the same blood,
called by the same power. kept by the same mercy and brought
before the throne of God where they see the Lamb in His glory. It includes every believer in
every age. You notice there's only two parties
in this text. Only two parties mentioned, the
Lord and us. The Lord and us. Now considering that, God, the
omnipotent God, the glorious God, the great God and Savior,
the triune God, will that not bow your soul down in wonder?
My Lord and my God, will that not bring you to sing as Moses
led the children of Israel to sing? Oh, who is a God like unto
our God? And then compare that to the
other part he mentioned in the text, us. Us. Hm? Us. Now what are you going
to say about us? I mean, us. Worms in the dust. And God Almighty, who said it's
king forever. Look at the two. Now who's going
to get the glory? Who deserves the praise? Not
us. And notice what else David says.
And to thy name give glory. For thy mercy. For thy mercy. God said to Moses, I will have
mercy on whom I will have mercy. Paul repeats that in Romans 9. Talking about the salvation of
a sinner. I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy, and thy
truth's sake." That is God's faithfulness to His Word, His
own character. Look what He says in Psalm 138 concerning His Word, His Word
of promise, His Word of grace to His people, His Word of purpose. We often hear say concerning
someone, that man's as good as his word. If that man promises
you something, you can count on it. And the God of glory,
the God of glory, how much more can that be said
of him? Look at verse 2. of Psalm 138,
I will worship toward thy holy temple and praise thy name for
thy loving kindness and for thy truth. For thou has magnified
thy word above all thy name. God is very jealous of all his
attributes, but especially his truth, his holy character. You can count on it. All we have
as believers, we trace to God's mercy. All that we expect to
have, we look at it from His faithfulness, His promise. So then it's only right that
all our praise should be directed to Him, not unto us, O God, not
unto us. Paul said, who made you to differ
from another? And what do you have that you
did not receive? And if you received it, why do
you boast as if you had not received it? To try you and God? He's
our Savior. Men are not their own Savior. Salvation is God's work, all
of it. From God's purpose to save, we
cry not unto us. Because God had from the beginning
chosen you to salvation. You mean God saves people on
purpose? He purposes to do things? Oh
yes, the God of all grace does. And the purchase is the same.
Concerning our redemption, Christ loved us and gave Himself for
us. He had redeemed us with His own
blood. Therefore, not unto us, not unto
us. That's what He's done for us.
And also for what He's done in us, this all must be the same. Paul says concerning what He's
done in us, for you have He quickened who were dead in trespasses and
sins. If I have life, if I have life,
if I have spiritual life, if I've been made alive, He who
is the resurrection and the life is the only one who could do
it. He said, because I live, ye shall
live also. Your life is derived from Me,
Christ who is the resurrection and the life. From the quickening
to the glory. Not unto us, O Lord. Not unto
us. Look, if you will, back at Psalm
84. This is what we read here in Psalm 84. And this is good
to hear, to be reminded of, as weary pilgrims. And we do grow
weary. We grow faint. Oh, but look what
we read here in verse 7 of Psalm 84. Speaking of God's redeemed,
they go from strength to strength. Every one of them in Zion appeareth
before God. Not one will be lost. Look what
it says down in verse 11. For the Lord God is a sun and
a shield. The Lord will give grace and
glory. Grace and glory. If you've experienced
his grace, you will experience his glory. No good thing will
he withhold from them that walk uprightly. This song, our text,
will be that which we continue to sing in heaven. Thou art worthy. Thou art worthy, not me, but
you." John said he saw God setting up on the throne. And the angel asked, who is worthy? Who is worthy to take the scroll,
that which represents God's purposes? Who's able to bring it to pass? And John said, I wept, I cried,
because nobody in heaven, nobody in earth was found worthy. And
then the angel said, we've not, John, behold, look, look. Oh, may God give us grace to
look, to wipe the tears from their eyes, and behold, look
who comes forward, look who comes forward with healing in his wings. Behold, the Lion of the tribe
of Judah hath prevailed. Hath prevailed to open the book
and loose all the purposes of God. The song and glory is that
which we attempt to sing now, but, but purer and higher and
greater will be our wonder, our transport when Jesus we see. Joe, in the chorus of heaven,
with that multitude John saw that no man could number, all
singing the same song. I'm going to sing perfectly.
Perfectly. Nobody's going to complain about
my singing. I'm going to sing perfectly because I'm going to
sing for the first time. I'm going to sing to my Redeemer
with an unsinning heart. There's going to be no competition
within my heart as to who gets the glory, whose will is going
to be done, who deserves all the praise. I had that conflict
now. I had that battle now. I want
to take some of the praise and some of the glory. Oh, but not
then. Then I'm going to sing perfectly. because I won't have
a nature to compete with His majesty and His grace. An unsinning heart. What will
that sound like? What will that sound like? What
will that feel like? What will it feel like to see
Him as He is? to perceive, to appreciate, to
know what I can't know now. What a debt of love I owe. Oh, what a hallelujah chorus
that will be. And then it will be now. It will be then what I wish it
could be now. Not unto us, O Lord. Not unto
us, not unto this undeserving sinner, but unto your name be
all the glory for your mercy and for your truth's sake. You
remember that the Psalms were really just songs to be sung
in the worship of God. The very word Psalm means praise. And notice how this one begins.
The very first note, not unto us, O Lord. And David repeats
it, doesn't he? Wonder why he repeats it, because
it needs repeating. Not unto us. We need reminding. Day after day, generation after
generation, men are always coming forward, wanting a hearing. But they come singing a different
tune. They sing the very opposite of
this song. Instead of saying, not unto us,
they constantly sing and preach and teach. Unto us must be some
credit given. We must have a share. There must
be a part of salvation that we take a part of. Must be something
that man has done for himself. Unto us, because we took the
first step to God. Unto us, because we were willing.
We let God save us. We made ourselves to differ.
We opened our heart and let God come in. This song, the gospel,
gives no glory to man, any man. Every note, every line, every
word says, not unto us, O Lord. That's why most religious folks
today, they just can't sing this song. Just can't do it. There's not a word about man's
will or man's work, not a syllable to praise anyone but God. Again, in Romans 9, Paul quoting
Moses, it says, God's words rather to Moses, I will have mercy upon
whom I will have mercy. And Paul goes on to say, so then,
so then, In the very next verse, verse 16 of Romans 9, if salvation,
and that's what he's talking about, if salvation is all a
matter of mercy, it's not up to your will. So that's what
I've been told all my life. You've been lied to. It's not
of him that willeth, Paul said. So then, if it's a matter of
God's mercy, and God says, I will have mercy on whom I will have
mercy. I don't have to have mercy. There's
nothing they've done to earn my mercy. Mercy is undeserved,
unmerited. will have it on whom I will."
And Paul says, so then, it's not of him that willeth or of
him that runneth. The reason why one sinner is
saved and the other is not is because God shows mercy. Dear soul, if you're here and
you don't know God, I hope He awakens you to that fact. You're
in His hand. It is not up to you. He's not
waiting for you to take the first step. He's not waiting for you
to open your heart. You're in His hand. He can save
you or He can damn you. It's all up to Him. Or if that's the case, look to
Him. Look to Him. Fall down before
His throne because He says, I delight to show mercy. Not of works,
not unto us, O Lord, not unto us. That sounds like what Paul
sang from the day that he arose on that Damascus road. That was
his song until he laid his head down on the chopping block and
it was severed from his body. His song was the same as this,
we read in this psalm. God forbid that I should glory,
save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. In our preaching,
in our singing, in our worship, in our prayers, let our desire
and determination be the same as John the Baptist who said,
he must increase and I must There's enough bragging on the flesh
going on all around us. Let's give glory to whom glory
is due, the God of our salvation. And remember this. Remember this. This is the sweetest music that
ever fell on the needy sinner's ear. Is it not contrary to that
other gospel that says, this takes away all hope from a man
if salvation is entirely in God's hands. Oh no, no, no, no, no.
The very opposite is true. It's the only thing that gives
a needy sinner hope, that salvation is of the Lord. This is the sweetest
music, I repeat, that ever fell on the needy sinner's ear. Wasn't
it yours? Wasn't it yours? Had you ever
heard anything since then to compare to that? Had you ever heard anything? Was anything more musical, more
sweet, more harmonious to your lost soul than words like this
from His precious lips? Thy sins are all forgiven thee. Precious did that grace appear,
the hour I first believed. This is the only thing that gives
a needy sinner hope. Because without mercy, he can't
believe. Without God's mercy, he can't
repent. Without God giving him mercy,
he'll never come to Christ. So when he hears that message
that says, not unto us, You know what that needy sinner says?
I don't have a problem with that. Oh, that's good news. That's
good news. Because he knows he can't do
anything. He's been stripped. But when
he hears that the Father has a perfect robe of righteousness,
that He puts on every returning prodigal son, he says, Oh, I
don't have a problem with that. That indeed is good news. because otherwise I would have
no hope. If it's left up to me, I have
no hope. But if my soul's salvation is
entirely a matter of God's pure mercy, that gives me reason to
hope. Do you reckon that leper who
was dying, who had been to the priest and the priest said, you're
unclean, God's law had pronounced him unclean. You're an outcast. You leave your family, you leave
society, you go out and live alone. If there's a stranger
in the land that's not familiar with the laws of the land, and
he begins to approach you, you've got to warn him. You've got to
cry out, don't come near me, I'm unclean. I'm unclean. I'm an outcast. Do you think
when he fell before Jesus Christ, knowing that he couldn't help
himself, and that his cleansing, his healing, his deliverance,
and all that's a picture of sin and salvation, was all entirely
up to the Lord? Do you think he had a problem
with Our Lord saying when he cried, the leper asked, Lord,
if you can, if you will, you can make me clean? Do you think
he objected when the Lord said, I will? And he touched him and
made him whole. I guarantee you, he didn't have
a problem with him. Or blithe Bartimaeus? You think
he objected to sovereign mercy when he sat in darkness and couldn't
open his own eyes and he was brought to Jesus? And the Lord
gave him sight. Do you reckon that thief next
to our Lord that day on Calvary's Mount guilty? condemned, dying, and in just
a little while was going to leave this world in that guilty, condemned,
dying state and stand before the holy God. Do you reckon he
had any problem when he rolled his head over and said, remember
me, remember this sinner, when you come into the kingdom? And the Lord of glory, the great
shepherd of the sheep, that one who's full of grace and mercy
said, today, today, today you'll be with me in paradise. And that thief, he went to glory
in the arms of Jesus as a trophy of His mercy and grace. He went into glory in the arms
of Jesus Christ. And he knew. And he's singing. He's been singing the praises
of his Redeemer ever since that day. He's still doing it. Just
like Hosea, whose wife Gomer was unfaithful to him time after
time after time. And after she'd been used up,
she's on an auction block. Nobody wants her but Gomer. That's a picture of me, John.
And Christ loved me. And He bought me. This world
had used me up and spit me out. And it was only the fear of hell
that kept me from taking my life. I was so miserable. And like
Gomer, Hosea walks up And he reaches and takes her by the
hand. And he puts her arm in his arm. And he's not ashamed. And they
go walking back home. And he looks at her and he says,
you're mine now. I've bought you. You'll not be
for another man. You belong to me. And that's
what the Lord Jesus Christ did for this needy sinner. If you're
ever brought down to see yourself as you really are, if in God's
grace you're ever made to see, Your heart's made to fear and
by that same grace, he relieves your fear. This will be your
song too. Not unto me, oh lord, not unto
me, but to thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truth's
sake. There won't be a word about your
merit, your work, or your will. Is salvation by God's free grace
or a man's free will? Just yesterday, I read a comment
by some fella on Free Grace Radio. He was commenting on a message
that Don Fortner preached. It was rather a lengthy comment.
And the head of it was this, God does not impose salvation. And all that man did in the entire
comment was exalt man. Exalt man. Brought down God and
His free grace in order to exalt man in His so-called imaginary
free will. I'm so glad that God imposed
this salvation. I'm so glad that He crossed this
sinner's path. I'm so glad that He brought me
down. And I'll thank Him forever that
He didn't leave me to my own will. And if you don't know Him,
you better pray that He doesn't leave you to your will either,
because if He does, you'll go to hell. Not unto us, but unto
thy name give glory. Know two ways about it. Man's
condition is exactly as it was when Adam fell. He's still dead
in trespasses and sins. Apart from mercy, he's still
without hope. If you could bring Adam here
this morning, to our enlightened age, 2013, to this very time
and place, he would be exactly the same as he was then the day
he fell. And every one of us came from
that same fallen man. The same degree, the same disease
rather, requires the same remedy. The same grace needed now as
was then, nothing less will do. And this will be the song in
glory of all the redeemed. I saw a multitude that none can
number. And they sang, worthy is the
lamb that was slain. He hath redeemed us with His
own blood. Not unto us, not unto us, but
unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy and for Thy truth's
sake. Amen.