We'll depart from our usual study
just for probably just for this week tonight and look at Philippians
chapter 1. I just want to start here and
speak on something that's been on my heart for some time and
it's a little bit of an unusual message for me to preach and
for you to hear from me. I think you'll see what I mean
when we when we get into it. And I have some concern that
I'll be maybe kicking something long
after it's dead. And if it becomes that way, I'll
get to the last part. The last part's the good part.
But I want to say some things. Look at Philippians chapter one,
verse 17. He says in verse 12, I would,
you should understand brethren that the things which happened
unto me have fallen out rather unto furtherance of the gospel. They always are. We have concerns
and fears and worries and regrets and all of that. The Lord's going
to The gospel is not bound. The gospel is not limited by
our feeble failures and weaknesses. The furtherance of the gospel
doesn't depend on us. That's the Lord's work, and He's
going to further it with us or without us. And that's what Paul
is saying here. He said, my bonds in Christ are
manifest in all the palace and in all other places. He had been
put in prison under house arrest at this time, I believe. but
was limited in what he could do. But as he said himself, the
word of God is not bound. And many of the brethren in the
Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, verse 14, are much more
bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ
even of envy and strife, and some also of goodwill. The one
preached Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add
affliction to my bonds. And we don't know the story behind
all of that, don't need to. But he said, but the other of
love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. I'm set, Paul said, for the defense
of the gospel. That's what I want to talk about
tonight. It's very common for the meaning of this to be misunderstood.
As we've said many times, it's often very profitable to find
out what something is not and then talk about what it is. And
that's what we'll do for a little while and hopefully not too much. I want to see what it is to defend
the gospel and talk to you about that. But many, many who know
doctrinal truth take this verse and a couple of others as a license
to dissect and expose every false religion in existence. And that's
very busy work for the religious devices of the Christless heart.
There is no end. You know that there's every every
manner of error and forms of error. There's really just two
religions though. All error is based on man, man's
works, man's will, man's way, as opposed to God and his will
and purpose and grace and electing love for his people, his gospel,
his finished and redemptive work, Calvary. It's God or man. gracer works. There are a lot
of different forms of error, as you know, and people love
to get into that. Oh, let's expose the error of
Pelagianism. Do you even know what that is?
It doesn't matter. You don't need to know what it
is. Well, let's expose that in Semi-Pelagianism. We can't leave
that one out. And we've got to determine who
is an infralapsarian and who's a superlapsarian. And who's an
amillennialist, and who's a premillennialist, and who's a postmillennialist?
What are you? You've got to take a stand. No, I don't. My stand is that
I have no stand on that. And that's what I want to talk
about for a little while. That's not what Paul is talking
about here. Defending the gospel is not exposing every error known
to man. It's just proclaiming the truth.
Error is exposed by truth. Darkness is banished by light. That's how you dispel darkness,
by turning the light on. But the problem is that this
is absolutely of no use to the believer who came to hear Christ
preached, not to hear every false religion unpreached. And it's
equally useless, but even more criminally so to an unbeliever
to hear error exposed and nitpicked and dissected. The unbeliever
needed to hear Christ preached, needed to hear how God saves
a sinner, how a vile wretch like him can be just in the sight
of God. They needed to hear about the
blood of the Redeemer that washes sins away, but instead heard
about what not to believe. May God deliver me and us from
that. The believer knows within two
minutes whether somebody is preaching error or truth. Isn't that right? And moves on. If they're preaching
error, moving on rather than hovering around to be well versed
in it. Why do you need to be well versed
in error? I deliberately avoid being well versed in every error
that's preached. Nor does the believer want to
hear someone who is well-versed in error spend an hour telling
him what he didn't want to hear to begin with, and why he shouldn't
want to hear it, and how good it is that he doesn't go and
hear it. That's not what we come for. The unbeliever will either
be offended by the doctrine used to expose the error, or will
be so self-righteous as to delight in the whole I know more than
you attitude of the thing. of that kind of preaching. Either
way, everybody loses, being removed from the simplicity that is in
Christ. May God save us from the brand of defense that would
have us defending the truth of Christ without ever preaching
Christ the truth. In the English language here,
the word that Paul uses is the word apology. That's what
it is. It's the Greek work apologia,
which we use in English too in the form of apology. But its
use has changed. Its primary sense now refers
to a plea for forgiveness for a wrong act. I apologize. I've
done something wrong. That's clearly not Paul's meaning
in the text. We don't apologize for the gospel.
But those who attack error, and that's all they do, and they
use this verse as a justification for it, are also using the word
wrongly. The word defense in the text
is a compound word of the two words apo, which means separate
or away, and the word logos, which means
word. Separate the word away. with the word. In other words,
when this is done, when what Paul is talking about doing is
done with regard to the gospel, the word preached will be seen
to be separate and apart and away and different from what
all others are saying on the same subject. Or, it has this
connotation also, what is being charged, heresy, will be put
away by the truth. Paul was charged with heresy.
He was accused of being a heretic. And the word that he preached
dispels that. It says away with that idea,
with that accusation. And so that's part of it too. But here's the fact of the matter.
Just by preaching the truth, error will be exposed for what
it is. One meaning of this compound
word as it's used together, apologia, I'm not sure I'm saying that
right in the Greek. It may be apolokia or whatever. It doesn't really matter. But
one meaning of it is a verbal defense. It was used with regard
to in court when a defense was brought forth. When someone was
accused of a crime and they brought forth a defense. And you can
see why Paul would use that word because he was accused of heresy. But another meaning of the word,
too, another definition of it, is a reasoned, intelligent statement. A reasoned statement. Our reason
for saying what we say, for preaching the gospel, as Paul was talking
about here, is that it's what God said. It's the Word of God. We reason from His Word, not
from our own opinions or our own deductions. In Acts 17, 2,
that's what it says about Paul. It says, as his manner was, he
went in unto them, into the synagogues, and three Sabbath days, reasoned
with them out of the Scriptures. He reasoned with them. He made
a reasoned statement. He had something to say. And
there was some reasoning behind it. Not man's reasoning. He said,
we don't come with enticing words of man's wisdom, but with the
Word of God. We reason from the Scriptures.
opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and
risen again from the dead, and that this Jesus whom I preach
unto you is Christ. Like Brother D talked about this
morning, the Bereans, they heard Paul say some things. And they
went home and they looked in the Word of God and said, you
know, he said this and this. I wonder if that's true. was what he said, was it a reasoned,
intelligent statement? Did it make sense based on what
God said? The same word, apologia or apologia,
however you say it in the Greek, is rendered answer, an answer
in 1 Peter 3.15, where it says, but sanctify the Lord God in
your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man
that asketh. You're not defending yourself
there like Paul did at times when he was actually put on trial
in a court of law for preaching heresy and for insurrection and
all. But there, somebody asks you
a question, be ready to give them an answer. Same word. Apo logos. A reason, an answer. Be ready to give an answer to
every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you. And
do it with meekness and do it with fear. Paul said, that's
what I'm set to do. I'm determined to do. I'm planted
where I am for that purpose. And as Paul used the word here,
as I've said already, there's likely a connotation of defending
because he had to defend himself against accusations of heresy.
That was necessary. Then the gospel, those who preach
the gospel were literally accused of criminal activity as well
as blasphemy, which was punished like a civil crime by those who
opposed it. And so Paul and others defended
themselves by showing in the scriptures that what they said
was true. In the preaching of Christ and
his gospel, let me wrap this part of it up, because as I said,
I don't want to labor this too long. In the preaching of Christ
and his gospel, there will be some exposing of specific error. And even the denouncing of individuals
by name at times who preach error. We see that in the word of God.
And also in the useless, incessant exposure of error, there will
be some truth declared. But these two things are very
different. They're very different. Also, the pursuit of error and
controversy, the pursuit of it, the constant pursuit of it, which
I see in so many, is not a defense, and it's not the purpose of those
who simply declare the gospel. Why would any man, now think
about this with me, why would any man listen to read, call
up on the phone or debate in any way, have any voluntary contact
with someone who preaches heresy. Why would they do that? Somebody
that they disagree with at all. Why not find somebody that preaches
the truth? Somebody with whom you agree,
who's telling the truth and hear, read and fellowship with them.
Why not do that and let everybody else do what they're going to
do? Of course, if we're confronted with error, we have to deal with
it. But where in God's word are we instructed to chase it? Christ,
on the contrary, said, leave them alone. We're instructed
specifically not to pursue those who are the enemies of the gospel.
I can answer the question of why would somebody do that? Why
would somebody pursue that? I always be wanting to call up
and argue with somebody or let's have a blog so we can disagree
with one another and figure out who's right. You know why people
do that? Because they're self-righteous.
And it indulges their pride to be able to say, I know more than
you. Mark it down. That's the reason.
We're not in that business. There is a despicable pride that
renders fellowship, unity, rejoicing with fellow believers, and peaceful
worship unsatisfactory. It's not enough to do that, and
rather prefers contention, debate, and criticism. Instead of studying
to show themselves approved unto God, they study to show their
disapproval of men. When they read, write, speak,
or hear, it's not for the purpose of comforting God's sheep or
being comforted. It's for the purposes of evaluation
and contention and controversy. How do you know so much about
them, Chris? Because that's made by nature. And may God, by his grace, restrain
us from this hateful tendency to abandon truth for the pursuit
of error. to leave off rejoicing so that
we might contend. May we be ready to contend with
those as those mentioned in Jude 3 who creep in where we worship.
But as long as their creepings do not bring them my way, let
me be thankful for that rather than disappointed and yearning
for the controversy and seeking it out. I'm thankful for the
peace that we have. I don't expect any opposition
when I come here. I don't expect any debate. I
don't anticipate any disagreement. I'm so thankful for that. Some
of my brothers have had different experiences, perhaps even now. Let's just simply preach and
hear of Christ and Him crucified with clarity and with boldness
and with power from God. That's unmistakable and without
controversy. The gospel is without controversy.
Man is full of controversy. And when and if somebody does
creep in who opposes the gospel that we love, the Christ that
we worship, let's be so unwelcoming of it as to deal with them swiftly,
effectively, so that we might forget they were ever here. How
about that? Let's do that. The simple truth of the gospel
Begins with who? Look at what Paul said in in
second Timothy in first Timothy I'm sorry verse one. Let's turn
to the first Timothy one. I want to look at this scripture
And spend the rest of our time here first Timothy 115 this was
Paul's and you'll see why I use this verse in for the second
part of the message because what Paul said before had to do with
the defense and what we've talked about before how people use that
as an excuse. Listen to what he said about
the gospel. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation,
all acceptation, no debate, no argument. It's worthy of all
acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. And Paul said, of whom I'm chief.
He came into this world to save sinners. The gospel begins with
who? What is the faithful saying that
we have from God that's worthy of all acceptation? There's no
excuse to debate or to oppose it. No excuse. Without controversy,
that Christ Jesus. It begins with who? God's anointed
savior of his people, Christ Jesus, the Son of God, God incarnate. Unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given. And his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace, The sovereign Christ, Psalm 2, I've set my
king. That's who we're talking about.
Christ Jesus came into the world. The king that God said, I've
set on my holy hill of Zion. He came into this world, Christ,
anointed, God's son. Christ Jesus. Thou shalt call
his name Jesus, for he shall save. His people. He shall save His people. The effectual, successful, sovereign
Savior, He shall save. Christ Jesus. If He came to save sinners, then
sinners will be saved. You see what Paul is saying?
This is worthy of all acceptation. Ain't no use arguing about Him
trying or come to accomplish, whether He's able to do it or
not. You know, that's a stupid question. Is He able to do what
He did? The only reason we ask that question
is so we can answer profoundly and as loud as we can. Yes, He's
able. He's able. If He came to save,
then somebody is going to be saved. Whoever He came to save
are going to be saved. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save, not the Jesus of religion. Let them argue about that among
themselves. But if Christ Jesus came into
the world to save, there's nothing to argue about whether all of
his people are going to be saved or not. All who he came to save
shall be saved, are being saved, have been saved, and will be
saved. And ever since, the truth of
man's depravity that we preach is defined in this word, sinner,
in the text. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners. Now that's a word that everybody
in the world uses, and most would acknowledge being one. But sinners
are such creatures, according to Paul in 1 Timothy 1.15 here,
that they need to be saved. We just kind of, the world religion,
they read these verses and just ignore what it simply says. And
we have a tendency to have heard it so many times that we don't
hear what it says. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners, not to help them out, not to give them an
opportunity, not to give them another chance, to save them.
Do we have any idea what that word means, save? He came to
save us. That means all other hope is
gone. He came to save us. That means
we need to be saved. We don't need another shot to
religion. Salvation is an opportunity given
by God that we take advantage of. God gave us another chance. I know Adam messed up in the
garden and I know he came into this world and everybody hated
him and nailed him to a cross and spit on him and mocked him
while he hung there. But God's going to give you another
shot. He's given you a decision to make tonight. You can decide
one way or the other. This is your last chance now.
Really? Is the God of religion so naive
as to think man's going to do the right thing finally in the
end? We crucified the Son of God. You think you're going to
decide your way out of that? Or even if that was the way of
salvation, that you would? You'd kill him again if he came
back down here. He's not coming back down here
and submitting Himself into our hands again. But if He did, we'd
nail Him to the cross again. That's exactly what we'd do.
We need to be saved. A sinner, according to God's
Word, is dead to God. Dead men don't make decisions.
Dead men have one hope, and that is if somebody has the power
and the will and loves him enough to give him life. That dead baby that Ezekiel wrote
about, he got one hope, and that's if God passes by and it's the
time of love. And he says, under that little
baby live. That's what God has to say to
us, not decide, Live. He said unto him, live. That's
saving. That's salvation. That man that was bleeding and
dying in that ditch, he didn't need the good Samaritan to tell
him where the inn was and ask him if he wanted to go to the
inn. He needed somebody to carry him there and pay his way. He
needed to be saved. How about you? We're dead to
God. We're incapable of doing anything
good, Jeremiah 13, 23. Dead to God, Ephesians 2, 1.
He quickens you that we're dead. Is that your testimony? Incapable
of doing anything good. It's our very nature. The leopard
can't change his spots. And we can't do good. Corrupt from head to toe, Isaiah
1, 6. And disgusting to God. An abomination. And unwilling and unable to come
to Christ that we might have life. Unwilling, John 540, he
said you will not come to me that you might have life. He
didn't say you shall not, he said you will not. And that word
there in the original language means you have no desire. You
don't have any taste for Christ. And unable, John 644, no man
can come unto me. Coming to Christ is rest. It's life. It's Him that cometh
to me shall not be condemned, but shall have everlasting life.
Coming to Christ is everything. And he said, you can't do it.
With men, it's impossible. He came down here to save. I wish I wasn't so messed up.
that I could understand that and have an inkling of what He
did for me. He saved me. Why did Christ come into the
world? To save sinners. He came. There ain't no disputing
who He is. Not if you read this book. Not
if you understand what God said. If you don't understand what
God said, you got no business debating the Word of God. And
if you do, you got no desire to debate it. Why in the world
did he come down here to save sinners? Why would God do that? Well, we gave one answer already
because there was no other way for us to be saved. He got to
come down here and do it. But why did he care? Why did
he care? Why would he do it? Why would God become a man at
all? I know why he had to if he's
going to save us. Do you? You know that, don't
you? Hebrews 2.16, Verily he took not on him the nature of
angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. He became a
man. Why? Wherefore in all things
it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, to become
one of us, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God. He can't represent us unless
he's one of us. And why did he represent us?
To make reconciliation for the sins of the people. To pay your
sin debt and mine. Christ Jesus came to save sinners. And that answers the question
in one sense, doesn't it? He had to be one of us if he
is to represent us and offer sacrifice as our representative
high priest. But why did he care? Why would
he do it? Why would he shed his precious
blood for me, for a sinner, for a worm? Without the shedding
of blood, there's no remission of sins. No question about that.
And only the blood of God's son can redeem a sinner. But why
would he shed it for me? Why would he redeem me with it?
There's just one answer, and it's in the Word of God. We don't
have to speculate about it. God so loved that He gave. He loved so that He gave. The kind of love that God has
for us caused Him to send His Son to
be the propitiation for our sins. to die for us, to suffer and
die for us. It doesn't say that God so loved
everybody enough to give them all a chance to do the right
thing and decide for God. No. God loved Jacob enough to
give him a new heart one day that would say, I cannot let
you go except you bless me. He loved his people enough to
from the beginning choose them to salvation, and cause them
to approach unto him in time. Psalm 65, for blessed is the
man whom thou choosest, and cause us to approach unto thee, that
he may dwell in thy courts. Are you dwelling in his courts?
Are you in Christ? Is he your refuge? Is he your
sanctuary? Is he your home? Are you dwelling
in the courts of God? You know how you got there? David
said he caused you to come so that you might dwell in his courts. Second Thessalonians 2.13, we're
bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved
of the Lord. Because God hath from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit
and belief of the truth. God, before you ever existed,
except in his purpose, chose you to salvation. And the Lord Jesus Christ came
down here. and was born in time, born of
a woman, made under the law that he might redeem them that are
under the law to save you. God chose you to salvation. Christ
came down here and just saved you. He saved you. Through sanctification of the
spirit and belief of the truth. Paul said in Romans 9 that God
did something so that the eternal purpose of God according to election
might stand. Do you remember what it is? He
said that the eternal purpose of God according to election
might stand. God said, I love Jacob. I can't get over that. I've spent
most of the life that I've lived knowing some truth. Thinking
that election was just God choosing one over another. The purpose
of God, according to election, stands on this. God said, I love
you. That's what election is. It's
God loving us. We are the choice of his love.
The choice of his heart. I love Jacob. I always have.
And I hate Esau. Always have. And I know why he hated Esau.
Don't you? Can you tell me why he loved
Jacob? I just know that he did. And many others. So many that
no man can number them. But God knows each and every
one of them intimately. And loves them enough. to give
His Son for them. He loved a people from eternity,
predestinated them to be conformed to the image of His Son, and
called them by His grace, and justified them by the blood and
righteousness of His Son, and glorified them in His Son, Jesus
Christ. And that glorification is the
fulfillment of that predestination. We're predestinated to be conformed
to the image of his son. That's what glory is. He's the
very glory of God. The brightness of his glory and
the express image of his person. And we're predestinated to be
just like him. That's what glorification is. Because He loved us, He bestowed
His grace upon us, revealed His Son in us, and in every sense
of the word, saved us. He came into the world to do
it. He came into the world to save us. And we know what happened
when He came. He did what He came to do. How
did He save us? Well, we've seen that we need
it. We've seen why He did it, because He loved us. How did
He do it? Being justified freely by His grace. How, Paul? How can God, the just, holy,
righteous God, freely justify a sinner? Do you see the problem
with that? Do you understand that there's a problem there?
God's holy and you're a wretch. How is he going to justify you? Does he cease to be God if he
declares you holy when you're not? If that's what he did, he
would be. He himself said in Proverbs 17,
15, he that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just,
even they both are an abomination to the Lord. And yet we're wicked
and he justified us. How can he do that? How can God
justify the wicked and still be God? Being justified freely
by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Because
of His redeeming blood, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation,
a sin offering, But how does he become my sin offering, Paul?
He's a propitiation, but he sent him forth to be my propitiation.
How? Through faith in his blood. I
believe by his grace. I believe he's my sin offering
through faith. Through faith in his precious
blood, through faith in Christ crucified. And God did this to
declare his righteousness. for the remission of sins that
are passed through the forbearance of God to declare, I say at this
time, his righteousness, that God might be just. He declared
his righteousness this way, not by putting us all in hell, but
by sending his son to be our sin offering, that he might be
just and justifier, that he might be holy and save you. that he might be righteous and
have mercy of him which believeth in Jesus that's how he's my justifier
and not just a justifier by faith in Christ we lay hold of him
by faith become one with him by faith Christ shed his precious
blood and when he did he washed our sins away in it that's what
John said He didn't make anything available or possible or give
an opportunity. He washed our sins away in that
blood. God the Father laid on Him, the
Lord Jesus Christ, the iniquity of all of His people. And so
He righteously suffered the consequences of the iniquity of all of His
people. And I don't know how to describe
that. I'd just make a fool out of myself if I tried, but you
think about that. He suffered the wrath of God
for the iniquity of all of his people, all of it. And so now,
the justice that demanded my destruction because of my sin
now demands my salvation. Justice demands that I be glorified. Because the just and holy God
cannot punish my Savior and me for the same sin. And my Savior
has borne my punishment, all of it. His justice is satisfied, and
I, because of Christ, because of being in Him as my representative,
and because of what He did for me as my Redeemer, I am the very
righteousness of God in Christ. His words, not mine. Aren't you
glad? I never would say that if it
wasn't in the word of God. I'm the righteousness of God.
But you know, there's yet another problem. It's not one that can
help but be solved. If the Lord died for me, he'll
have me. But there's another problem.
I'm a sinner. He came into this world to save sinners. And God
has loved me for eternity and chose me in Christ. Christ came
and saved me. He chose me to salvation, the
Father did, and Christ came and saved me. But I still hate God
by nature. He already saved me when I hated
Him. He'd already saved me. He'd already redeemed me with
that precious blood. He'd already chosen me from eternity. But I still hate God. Christ
redeemed me by dying for me before I was born, but I was born hating
him, hating his law, hating his grace, hating the one that loved
me. But bless God, he not only did
a work for me on Calvary, but, and it was a soul-redeeming work. It was an effectual, perfect
work. We talked about how that word,
essentially, when he said, it's finished, he was essentially
saying, it's perfect. Nothing need be added. Nothing
ever should be added. Nothing can be added nor taken
away. It's perfect. It's a soul redeeming
work, a sin atoning work that accomplished that very thing.
Redemption, eternal redemption for me and for all for whom he
died. But bless God, he also has done
a work in me. He did a work for me. One day,
by irresistible, powerful, almighty, free grace, He did a work in
me. Like the wind that blows where
it will, the Spirit of God came where I was one day and gave
me life. The gospel was preached to me,
and I found what Paul has said to be true. That gospel was the
power of God unto salvation to me. Paul said to Timothy, you've
known the scriptures from a child, which are able to make you wise
unto salvation. Christ came into this world to
save. He did it through this book that makes sinners wise
unto salvation. The power of God unto salvation. When it pleased God, by the preaching
of Christ, faith comes by hearing. and hearing by his word. And
when it pleased him by that preaching, he revealed his son in me. Not just to me. He revealed his
son in me. There's a difference. He revealed
him to me. Flesh and blood hadn't revealed this. My father revealed
him to you. But he revealed Christ in me.
Christ in me is my hope. God revealed to me Christ in me. And I know from
God's word that when he did, I became a new creation in Christ
Jesus. A new creation. Not just somebody
that had decided something. You see, there's a world of difference. It's night and day. To religion,
salvation is just you go from a sinner that hadn't made a decision
for Jesus to a sinner that has made a decision for Jesus, and
God has rewarded your decision for Jesus by saving you. No. Paul said, I'm a new creation.
That's why Christ said to Nicodemus, not you need to decide, you must
be born from above. That's what needs to happen to
you. You must be born all over again. Your first birth made
you a sinner, rendered you a sinner, deposited you into this world
a sinner. You got to be born again. You
got to be born from above. You got to be born of the spirit.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and all flesh is grass. Flesh is sinful. Flesh has got
to die. But that which is born of the
spirit is spirit. I became a new creation. I was
blind from my birth, another way to picture it, another way
to see this. Like that man in John chapter
9, I was born unable to see. Unable to see the way, unable
to see the truth, unable to see God. But like that man there
in John chapter 9, the Lord Jesus Christ opened my eyes. And you
know what the first thing I saw was when he did? The same thing
that man saw. The first thing he ever saw in
this world was the face of Jesus Christ. That's a pretty good
start. The Lord Jesus spat on the ground
and made clay, made some mud and put it upon his eyes and
told him to go wash and he came seeing. And when he asked him,
do you believe on the Son of God? He said, who is he, Lord?
And the Lord said, you've seen him. And he's standing here talking
with you right now. And he said, I believe. That's
not greatly unlike my experience. How about you? He didn't open
my eyes because I loved him. He opened my eyes because he
loved me. And when he opened my eyes, I
loved him. I fell in love with him. I was
dead in trespasses and sins. That's what a sinner is. And
the Lord Jesus Christ took my hand like he did that little
girl in Mark chapter 5 verse 41. He took her by the hand and said unto her, Talitha Kumai,
which is being interpreted, damsel, I say unto thee. Who is it? Christ Jesus came into this world.
to save sinners. I say unto thee, arise. He said that to me too. And when
he did, I awoke from the dead and found my hand in his. And I've never been the same
since. He's why we do what we do. He's our hope. He's our joy. He's our bread. And he didn't save me and leave
me to continue on my own. The same power that saved me
keeps me every day. He's still holding my hand. In
1 Peter 1.3 it says, 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 who are kept. You who are kept by the power
of God, not by your faith or your service or your Christian
walk or whatever you want to call it. I was saved by the power
of God And I'm kept by the power of God through faith, by means
of faith unto salvation. You see the profundity of that
statement that Paul made. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners. were kept by the power of God
through faith unto salvation. You see why I said a while ago
he saved us? He's saving us and he's going
to save us. Ready to be revealed in the last
time. This is a faithful, a faithful
saying. It's a true saying. It's a saying from God
himself. And it's worthy of all acceptation. It's weighty. That's what that
means. It's weighty. It's worthy. There's
no excuse to reject this saying or to question it or to argue
about it or to debate it. Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners. And by God's revelation and grace,
we know who came. We know what we are. Sinners. We know why he came. He came to save. And we know
why he came to save. Because he loved us. We know
what save means. We know what it is to save. We
know what he did when he came. How he saved us. And I know this,
I know the same thing Paul did when he saved me, he saved the
worst of the worst.