What does God require of me? What does God require of me? That's my subject. That's the
question I want to answer in this message. What does God require
of me? If we would know the answer to
this question, we must consult only the word of God. only the
Word of God. Not the creeds and confessions
that men have written about the Word of God, but the Word of
God. Not the opinions of men concerning
the Word of God, but the Word of God. What does God require
of me? This is a question that every
man, woman, and child in the world, sooner or later, is forced
to ask. What does God require of me? When a sinner is first made aware
of his guilt, of his sin, when he first begins to think about
eternity and judgment, the world to come, when he first has some
fear of hell, long before he's taught by God, the Holy Ghost,
before he's convinced by the Spirit of God of sin, righteousness
and judgment. The guilty sinner first always
seeks salvation by something he does. I've never known an
exception, and I don't believe there is one. The guilty sinner
first seeks mercy by merit. He wants to know, what must I
do to make amends to God? What does God require that I
have his favor? What does God demand of me to
give me acceptance with Him? What must I do to atone for my
sin? What must I do to make peace
with God? I'm certain that's exactly what
the Philippian jailer meant when he asked the Apostle Paul, Sirs,
what must I do to be saved? He was asking precisely that.
I know there's something I've got to do. What is it? Tell me.
And Paul said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt
be saved. Do? Do? What folly! The fact is, however, we are
all legalists by nature. You and me. We all naturally
presume that there must be something that we can and must do by which
we can win God's favor and turn away his wrath, appease his justice,
and make ourselves acceptable with the Holy God. Sinful man
has been trying to save himself by his good works ever since
the fall of our father Adam. Adam and Eve, as soon as they
realized they were naked in the garden, began to make fig leaves
by which they would attempt to hide themselves from God and
make themselves appear clean before God. While they walked
in innocence, they thought nothing of their nakedness. As soon as
they were guilty of sin, they sought fig leaves of their own
making by which to hide from God Almighty. A sinful man wants
to do something. He asks, what does God require
of me? Tell me what God requires and
I'll do it. Tell me what God requires and
I'll do it. Convince a man, convince a man
that God requires something of him and by meeting this one stipulation,
He can attain God's favor and merit heaven and enter into life
eternal. Convince him and he'll do anything. Right down to slaughtering his
own children. Anything. Anything. What does
God require? Tell me and I'll do it. That's
the vain, arrogant presumption of proud, self-righteous man. Romanism. what's called the Roman
Catholic Church. Romanism, papacy, the idolatry
of Mary worship. And don't misunderstand what
I'm saying. Romanism, papacy. It is the idolatry
of Mary worship and papal worship and man worship. The reason Romanism
is so popular around the world and so popular in our day with
folks who, you know, you Can you imagine just stop and just
stop and think for a moment Can you imagine fellas as well educated
as these politician lawyers are as well educated are without
being duped by works religion Think it'd be oh, what a wonderful
thing. You'd be fit. Oh man in drag
would let me kiss his ring That's as somehow oh and wouldn't
that be a wonderful spiritual experience Can you imagine men
with good sense thinking such, except being duped with idolatrous
works religion? The reason Romanism is so popular
is because men like to be convinced they can do something to win
God's favor. They can merit God's mercy by
something. All works religion is based on
just that presumption. and all religion outside the
gospel of Christ. Call it Romanism, Baptist, Protestantism,
Hinduism, Mormonism, call it whatever you want to. All religion
outside Christ Jesus and the gospel of his grace is works-based
religion. And it exists and it thrives
on the sense that men have of guilt and the sense they have
that they can buy their works. If they do good enough, if they
sacrifice enough, if they worship enough, if they're devoted enough,
if they sacrifice and can consecrate themselves enough, then they
can certainly take away the burden of guilt. And God will accept
them. In Reformed religious circles,
I can't tell you the number of people I hear from all over the
world who attend what folks call Reformed churches. That's churches
that claim to believe what we call the five points of Calvinism.
We believe in salvation by grace. And they tell me, they tell me,
but Brother Don, all I hear is works. All I hear is works. Go to church Sunday after Sunday.
The creed says we believe in salvation by grace. But the preacher
says work, work, work. The creed says done. The preacher
says do. Because religion is all works
where as far as men are concerned. I recall years ago when Faith
was in college, she had to do I forgot what it called, a practicum
or whatever it was down in Western Kentucky. And I suggested where
she was, she was about 80 miles from Battersville, that she go
over to this Reformed Baptist Church. I said, don't tell them
who you are. As long as they don't know your name, they might
not rant too much. So she went on Sunday morning
and she called me and she said, she said, Dad, it was sort of
like sitting in a sex education class. And that's it. That's a Sunday morning sermon.
I said, well, sugar, the Lord will take care of her. Drive
the 80 miles to Madisonville. And she did. Works religion permeates
society. Permeates society. People talk
about, well, we're saved by grace, but Now, you know you've got
to do something in sanctification. You've got to do something to
make yourself holy. We understand that God does this
thing. It's God's work and God's work
alone. But God, having saved you, now requires you do something
to give yourself greater acceptance with him. Even after we've been
saved, you and I who are believers, Even after being given faith
in Christ, you and I, I'm talking about Don Fortner and folks in
Grace Baptist Church in Danville, Kentucky. I'm talking to Don
Rennery and Larry Brown. We flat love works. It's our
nature. It's our nature. We cling to
it like cobwebs. This is the time of year I'm
taller than my wife. Everywhere I walk, I run into
cobwebs. And you can't get it off. You
can't get it off. That's the way it is with works
religion. I keep shaking it off and rubbing it off and it won't
quit. It just won't quit. We love the thoughts that somehow
we can make God our debtor. Nothing is more assuredly promoting
of self-righteousness than works religion and nothing more assuredly
promotes licentiousness than works religion. Nothing makes
men more proud and more mean-spirited than works religion Nothing is
so utterly deadly as works religion and yet all men and women by
nature Love works religion. I Want you to turn tonight if
you will to Micah chapter 6 This is a message. I've been working
on for a long time. I hope you'll give me your attention Micah chapter 6 This passage
begins with God's prophet Micah declaring God's controversy with
his people Israel. Micah 6 what? Hear ye now what
the Lord saith. Arise, contend thou before the
mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains,
the Lord's controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth.
For the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will
plead with Israel. My people what have I done unto
thee? Wherein have I wearied thee?
testify against me for I thought I brought thee up out of the
land of Egypt and Redeemed thee out of the house of servants
and sent before thee Moses and Aaron and Miriam then in verse
5 The Lord calls for us to remember what Balak, the king of Moab,
asked of Balaam when he sought God's blessings upon him and
sought God's curse upon Israel. Look at verse five. Oh, my people,
remember now what Balak, king of Moab, consulted and what Balaam,
the son of Beor, answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal, that
ye may know the righteousness of the Lord. Go back to Balak and Balaam and
remember what Balaam said to Balak and learn from Balaam that
deceitful, cunning, crafty, hireling, false prophet. Learn from him
the words that God put in his mouth and know the righteousness
of the Lord. Then in verses 6, 7 and 8, Using
Balak and Balaam as examples the Lord's raises a question
Question I want to answer by his prophet Micah What does God
require of me? now if you go back and read numbers
20 22 through 25 and Read every word that Balaam spoke. You're
not going to find exactly what these words are Not gonna find
it Micah was inspired of God the Holy Spirit to give us the
sense of Balaam's doctrine as God overruled Balaam's attempt
to curse Israel and tell us gospel truth. Look at verse 6. Wherewith
shall I come before the Lord? That's exactly what Balak asked
Balaam. And bow myself before the high God. Shall I come before
him with burnt offerings? With calves of a year old? Tell
me what God requires. Doesn't matter how much it costs.
Doesn't matter how many cattle he requires. Tell me, I'll do
it. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams? Or with
ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for
my transgression? The fruit of my body for the
sin of my soul? He hath showed thee, O man, what
is good. And what doth the Lord require
of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with thy God? Now, this is the thing I want
you to see as we look at these three verses of Scripture. Salvation
is altogether the work Gift of God's free grace the working
gift of God's free grace in Christ That means that your good works
contribute nothing Let me see if I could say that
so that you'll understand it your good works contribute nothing
not before God saves you, not after God saves you, not while
you walk on this earth, not when you stand before him in judgment,
not in eternal glory. Salvation is the gift and the
work of God's free grace alone in Christ Jesus to which your
good works contribute nothing, nothing. Preacher you can't say
that I wish I could get the ear of every man woman and child
in this universe and proclaim it from the housetops salvation
by grace Good works contribute nothing Salvation is in Christ
good works contribute nothing. I just have two points this message
first man's presumption and second God's Revelation in Micah 6 6
and 7 we see man's presumption and Every man's proud, vain presumption
that he can and must do something to save himself. Wherewith shall
I come before the Lord and bow myself before the high God? What shall we do that we might
do the works of God? That's what the Pharisees ask
in John 6. That's the question all men ask, presuming that they
can meet God's demand, whatever it might be. This is the guise
of graceless man. Man would pacify God and work
himself into God's grace and favor. Fallen man could not steal
heaven by rebellion, so he tries to buy it by righteousness. He's
willing to bow himself in ceremonies and rituals that he doesn't have
any understanding of. He's willing to walk down aisles
and hold crosses and cross himself and put ashes on his head and
go get baptized and give himself as a missionary to the church
and he's willing to do anything! Any kind of ceremonies. Anything. By which he hopes to ingratiate
God Almighty. Tell him to say Hail Marys. Get
some beads. I wish I had some beads up here.
How silly. Count some beads. You've been
there. You know what I'm talking about.
How silly. Rub some beads. Maybe we'll rub a rabbit's foot.
But this will ingratiate God if you say the right words. Shall
I come before God with burnt offerings? With calves of a year
old? Can I propitiate the Almighty
with burnt offerings? Can I meet God coming against
me like Esau came against Jacob? Can I meet God with thousands
of burnt offerings? Turn to Isaiah chapter 1, let's
see. Isaiah chapter 1. Men with their religion. Men
with their practices of religion. Men with their ceremonies and
sacrifices. Men with their devotions. Weary
God. Weary God. Weary God. What a strange word. That's what
God says. Look here in Isaiah 1, verse
10. Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom. What? He's talking to religious
folks. He's talking to folks who call
themselves God's people. He's talking to the Jews. He's
talking to those who called themselves true worshipers of God. Hear
the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom. Give ear unto the law
of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. In other words, he's talking
to these folks and he says, your practice of religion is nothing
but the practice of sodomy. And you thought I was tough. To what purpose is the multitude
of your sacrifices unto me, saith the Lord? I am full of the burnt
offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts, and delight not
in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of the he-goats.
When you come to appear before me, who hath required this at
your hand to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblation,
incenses and abomination unto me. The new moons and Sabbaths,
the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with. It is iniquity. Even
the solemn meeting, your new moons and your appointed feast,
my soul hateth. They are a trouble unto me. I'm
weary to bear them. And when you spread forth your
hand, when you stretch out and pray. If you notice the symbols of
spirituality in our day, everybody lift your hands, they just. Doesn't it look sweet? Stretch forth your hands, I will
hide mine eyes from you. Yeah, when you make many prayers,
I will not hear your hands are full of blood. Will the Lord
be pleased, Micah, ask with thousands of rams or with 10,000 rivers
of oil. It's universally understood by
proud fallen man that none dare come to God empty handed. And it is universally understood
by every regenerate soul that the only way you can come to
God is empty-handed. I said exactly what I intended
to. It is universally understood by every proud rebel that you
dare not come to God empty-handed. And it is universally understood
by every regenerate soul the only way you can come to God
is empty-handed. Nothing in my hands I bring.
Simply to thy cross I cling. Naked come to thee for dress.
Helpless look to thee for grace. Foul I to thy fountain fly. Wash me, Savior, or I die. Now, some may imagine Brother
Don overstates things. Let me read you what I've read.
The famous, infamous, blaspheming, papalist theologian Robert Bellarmine
wrote this. Good works are the price and
purchase of heaven. Good works are the price and
purchase of heaven. What would men not give? What
will they not suffer that they might be saved? Thomas Brooks,
I don't have any idea who said this. I read this in Brooks works
a long time ago. He quoted someone he spoke to
who said, I would swim through a sea of brimstone that I might
come to heaven at last. And folks would. They would.
Convince a man he can get to heaven by crawling on his knees
across broken glass 10 feet. He'll start crawling right now.
He'll start crawling right now. Those who would buy heaven. And
offer, as these folks here in Micah 6, 7, a bribe to God by
which to bribe God for a pardon shall perish with their sacrifices. Martin Luther rightly said, they
are the devil's martyrs. They suffer much and take great
pains to go to hell. They buy their damnation with
their gifts. Now hear me, you cling to your
works, you buy your damnation with your works. You cling to
your self-righteousness, you buy hell with your goodness.
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of
my body for the sin of my soul? Oh, nobody would do that. Nobody
would do that. Well, we do read about those
Indians thousands of years ago down in Mexico used to do that.
We do read about tribesmen in New Guinea and in Africa who
did that, but nobody else. Read the Bible one more time.
In 2 Kings chapter 17, chapter 21, chapter 23, the Jews were
so corrupted with idolatry that they offered their own sons and
daughters to Saturn, to Bullock. burned their children on the
fires of altars to pagan gods. And they called it worshiping
Jehovah. Read the book of God. It's as
plain as nose on your face. Nothing is more absurd than works
religion. Nothing is more debasing to man
and yet nothing more precious to man than his foolish idolatry.
I know very few. I know very few. Matter of fact,
I don't think I know anyone who would openly assert, I believe
I can save myself by my works. I'm sure there are people around
who say, I just don't know. Most of the people I know who
would say they believe salvation is by grace. Few would dare to
assert that salvation is by grace and by works. As they say, we're
saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Almost
everyone I know would say that, just like you would. But they
really display what they believe when they go to talking about
their religion. They talk about. Perseverance. The Lord saves
us, but we've got to keep on keeping on, you know, oh, we've
got to hold on and hang out and persevere to the end. and make
you understand this is what we do, not what God does for us.
They talk about sanctification and say, the Lord, the Lord's
given us a new nature, but but we have to improve it. And you
do that by Bible reading and prayer and devotion and churchgoing
and giving. They talk about assurance. But
assurance is always based on works. Oh, listen, if I talk
about assurance, you can't have any assurance if you Didn't read
at least a chapter this morning You can't have any assurance
if you don't spend spend so much time in pray. You can't have
any assurance of you If you don't really love your
brother Don't really don't really show Compassion and grace and
kindness and forgiveness and forbearance all those things
you can't you can't can't have any assurance Where in the Word
of God do you find any such teaching? David is not there. Our assurance
is not in our love for one another, but in our Redeemer's love for
us. It's not in what we do, but what He has done and is doing
and shall do. Our assurance is Christ the Lord.
Do you understand that? People talk about heavenly glory. We're going to enter into heaven
a gift of God. And then they start talking about
rewards and the loss of rewards. They talk about You know, you're
going to get to heaven, but just by the skin of your teeth, because
you haven't been a good Christian. Where in the book of God do you
find such nonsense? The scriptures teach salvation
by grace. And if heaven ain't part of it,
I don't have any idea what salvation is. Salvation by the gift of
God. The word of God everywhere, everywhere,
not once in a while, everywhere, everywhere denies that works
have anything to do with it. Not of works, not of works, not
of works, not of works, not of works. Paul gets to the Galatians
in Galatians chapter one and two. It deals with this matter
of those who taught justification by works. And then folks said,
well, we wouldn't teach that. We know we're justified by grace
through the blood of Christ. We know better than that. We're
good. We're good, sovereign, grace people. But now we do believe
that you've got to sanctify yourself. Paul says in chapter three, he
begins to talk about sanctification. The Galatians taught that too.
He said, having begun in the spirit, are you now made perfect
by the flesh? He said, who bewitched you? Who
came along and threw that magic dust in your eyes and cast a
spell on you? What witch have you been listening
to? Salvation by grace. The scriptures are abundantly
clear. Our God saves his people by his grace without their contribution
of any kind at any point or any time. All right, let's look at
verse 8, back in Micah chapter 2. Here's God's revelation. This is what God requires. Now,
before I proceed any further, understand this. Are you ready? Bobby, whatever God requires
from you, God gives to you. Whatever God requires, God performs.
Whatever God demands, God bestows. Micah 6, verse 8. He hath showed
thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of
thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with thy God. Now, I had been for well over
a year, as a matter of fact, for several years, searching
everything I can find on this verse of Scripture, everything
I find, every commentary, every sermon. Thus far, thus far, everything
I have read on this passage of Scripture except what Mr. Hawker
wrote in his commentary, which was about that much, everything
else, everything else, is all works. And I only read good commentaries,
I don't read trash. Everything else, all works, all
works. Every commentary I've read, every sermon I've read,
excepting Mr. Hawkins' commentary, say this
is telling us that this is what God requires, this is real religion. Sally Ponce, now you've got to
believe on Jesus, but you've got to do your part. You've got
to deal with all men justly. And you've got to love mercy. You've got to be merciful, gracious,
kind, forgiving. And you've got to walk humbly
before men. You've got to be humble. Now,
no question about it, no question about it, we ought to strive
in all relationships to be just and honest and fair with people.
We ought to strive in all conflicts with men to show mercy. We ought
to endeavor to walk humbly on this earth before our God. But
that is not what this passage is teaching, and that is not
the sum and substance of the gospel. Well, what's he talking
about? What's he talking about? Notice
the key word. Look at verse 8. Micah says, do justly. Love mercy and walk humbly now
circle it Underscore it write it out in capital letters beside
the verse with Now with me and Now with me and with thy God
What does that mean? What is this requirement do justly
with God? It's not talking about treating
all being fairly Not talking about paying your bills and living
honestly and trust it, treating people right to do. Justly is
to confess. That in our sales, by reason
of what we are, our sin, our guilt, our corruption, we justly
deserve God's furious wrath and indignation in hell. We justly
deserve it. That means, Lindsey, we recognize
and we confess and God sends us to hell. It's right. It's
right. God only does justice. This is
how David spoke. I acknowledge my sin unto thee,
and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said I will confess my
transgressions unto the Lord. And as soon as he did, he said,
and thou forgave us the iniquity of my sin. David said against
thee, thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight,
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear
when thou judgest. If we confess our sins, he's
faithful and just to forgive us our sins. To do justly is
to do what only God can enable you to do. is to confess your
sin before God. You ever wonder what the scripture
speaks of when God beholds that man in whose spirit there is
no guile? No guile? I know what men think. Men say, boy, Nathaniel, oh,
he was a good man. There wasn't a dubious bone in
his body. I often use that phrase with regard to men I greatly
respect. But I don't really mean it. I don't really mean it. I know there's some dubious bones
in your body. I'm aware of it. What's he talking about? No guile.
God really means what he says. No guile. The believer is a person
who doesn't pretend before God. Merle Hart, you acknowledge to
God what you are. You do justice. You do business
with God honestly. to do justly is to exercise that
repentance toward God that only God himself gives. And then he
says, love mercy. Love mercy. Turn to Luke chapter
one. Luke chapter one. Love mercy. Who doesn't love
mercy, especially if you're the one getting it? But anyone who's
not been blinded by false religion to the word of
God will recognize that salvation is not to be had by loving mercy. Let us love to show mercy, yes.
Let us love to practice mercy, yes. Let us love to see mercy
exercised by others, yes. But salvation not had by us doing
merciful things. Look in Luke chapter one. 67
Zacharias is here giving a prophecy of John the Baptist, but the
prophecy is about the Lord Jesus Chapter 1 verse 67 John's father
Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied saying
blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited and redeemed
his people and and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David, as he spake by the mouth of his
holy prophets, which have been since the world began, that we
should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that
hate us. Verse 72, to perform the mercy,
to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember
his holy covenant, what a covenant, the oath which he swear To our
father Abraham, blessing I will bless thee. I'll give you the
woman's seed out of this boy who should be your seed. He says,
this is God's mercy. It is Christ Jesus, the Lord
and the salvation of God by him. It is the mercy performed by
him in his righteous obedience in his life by which he brought
in everlasting righteousness. Someone asked me just recently,
was the was the obedience of Christ to the law necessary? Of course it was. Of course it
was. But it wasn't sufficient. He
must also perform mercy by his obedience upon the cross under
death, by which he satisfied divine justice for our sins.
And he performs mercy by the might of his power in the saving
operations of his grace when he gives us life by his spirit. Now, here's the next thing. We're
told that we must walk humbly with our God. He has showed the
old man what is good and what does the Lord require of thee
but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with
thy God. To walk before God in the conscious
awareness of your sin, trusting Christ alone as your Savior. is to walk humbly with God. To
walk before God with a conscious awareness of your sin, trusting
Christ alone as your savior, as you're taught by God the Holy
Spirit to do, who comes with his comfort to reprove the world
of sin, of righteousness and of judgment, so that we who walk
with God, who've been born of his spirit, walk before God Rejoicing
to know that of him are ye in Christ Jesus, whom God has made
into us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
that according as it is written, he that gloryeth, let him glory
with the Lord. We rejoice to understand that
we are the circumcision who worship God in the spirit and have no
confidence in the flesh and rejoice in Christ Jesus. We walk humbly
with our God, acknowledging that we're nothing and Christ is all. And as you therefore have received
Christ Jesus, the Lord, so walk. Nothing either great or small,
nothing center, no. Jesus did it, did it all long,
long ago. When he from his lofty throne
stooped to do and die, everything was fully done, hearken to his
cry. It is finished, yes, indeed,
finished every jot. Sinner, this is all you need.
Tell me, is it not? Weary, working, plotting one,
why toil your soul? Cease your doing. All was done
long, long ago. Till to Jesus' work you cleave.
By a simple faith, doing is a deadly thing. Doing ends in death. So cast your deadly doing down,
down at Jesus' feet. Stand in Him, in Him alone. Gloriously complete. Now back
here at Micah. You remember what the Lord God
told us in verse 5 by His servant Micah. He told us to remember
what Balaam told Balak that you may know the righteousness of
the Lord. This is what God told Balak and
tells us his people by that deceiver Balaam. Hear his word and learn
the righteousness of God. It is exactly the same thing
the Apostle Paul told the Philippian jailer in Acts chapter 16. The
jailer said, what must I do to be saved? Paul said, Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. That's what
Bailick said here. Do justly, love mercy and walk
humbly with thy God. Now, would you like to be reminded
of the consequence of this sermon and of all that he says about
this matter of faith in Christ? Turn back to Numbers chapter
23, Numbers 23. Look at verse 20. Balaam says to Balak, behold,
verse 20, numbers 23. Behold, I have received commandment,
commandment from God to bless, and he hath blessed and I cannot
reverse it. He hath not beheld iniquity in
Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel. The Lord his God is
with him. And the shout of the king is
among them. Look at verse 23. Surely there is no enchantment
against Jacob. Neither is there any divination
against Israel. According to this time, it shall
be said of Jacob and of Israel. Oh, what hath God wrought? What hath God wrought? What hath
God wrought? Look at these people. Look at
your own life and your own biography in the Kingdom of God. Every
day, every day, cry out, Oh, what hath God wrought? What hath
God wrought? This is God's mercy and God's
grace in Christ Jesus the Lord. Amen.