I want you to open your Bibles
with me tonight to 1 Peter chapter 3. 1 Peter chapter 3. As I told you this morning, our
granddaughter Audre Grace was filling out an application. She's
considering maybe transferring to Lexington Christian Academy
and finishing out her high school there. And she was asked this
question. Do you consider yourself a Christian? That's a question worth great
consideration. Do you consider yourself a Christian? I dare say if I would ask for
a show of hands, most everybody here would raise your hands.
Do you consider yourself a Christian? In Acts chapter 11, the disciples,
we're told, were called Christians first at Antioch. Perhaps the
word was used derisively, but I doubt it. I suspect those who
were friendly toward God's people in Antioch looked at those people
who referred to themselves as God's chosen, as God's elect,
as God's saints, who professed to be followers of Christ and
said, these are Christians. The word means anointed ones,
anointed ones. Later, the disciples came to
use the term themselves, to refer to themselves. Peter tells us
that if any suffer as a Christian, that is if you suffer because
of your faith in Christ, if you suffer patiently, if you suffer
as a Christian, there's nothing to be ashamed of, but rather
reason to glorify God. And yet the word quickly became
corrupted, so corrupted in the minds of men early on, even as
it is today. So that to most people, the word
Christian was simply a term used to refer to one of many religious
sects, nothing more. It was a term used to refer to
those people who believe that Jesus of Nazareth is and was
the Messiah, the King of Israel. The man Agrippa, you remember,
told Paul, he said, almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. That poor ignorant man thought,
like most people do, that he could decide or he could choose
to be a Jew or a Muslim, or a Hindu, or a Christian. He could choose
to be whatever religious group he wanted to join himself with,
he could choose to be one. Most people think that a Christian
is anyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah, that he truly
was that one who was prophesied in the Old Testament. Judging
just by that statement, a Christian, someone who believes Christ is
the Messiah, that means that Papists and Mormons and Russellites,
Jehovah Witnesses, as they call themselves, as well as Baptists
and Methodists and Presbyterians are all to be considered Christian. Many think that all Americans
are Christians unless they choose to be something else. Many who
grew up as you young people have in this place, grow up in church,
presume that since you come to this church because you attend
here, because mom and dad are Christians, then you're Christian.
And there are wars that are fought because men want to defend and
protect their religious sect in the various parts of the world. Christians and Muslims fight
wars, so they say. In various parts of the world,
this group or that group fights to defend their religious territory,
as if somehow Christianity is just another religious sect,
much like we have conservative political folks and liberal political
folks, and we'll choose up and take sides, and if we have to,
we'll go to war. Well, nothing could be further
from the truth. Perhaps it would be better to
use the word believer to identify ourselves. Most of the people
you and I commonly associate with who profess faith in Christ
use that term believer to distinguish God's elect from others. And
yet that word is also corrupted. I hear folks on the news and
the news media that talk about, well, he's a believer. He's a
believer. And they may be referring to
a radical Muslim terrorist or a radical fundamentalist Baptist.
They may be referring to any kind of a believer. The word
believer doesn't really tell us too much. In fact, even in
the New Testament, in John chapter 2, after our Lord performed that
notable miracle, the Feast of Cana of Galilee, many believed
on him. But the scripture says the Lord
Jesus didn't believe on them. He didn't commit himself to them.
And the words are the same. We're told in John chapter 12
that there were many among the Sanhedrin who believed him. They believed his claims. They
believed what he said was true. They believed his doctrine. And
yet the scripture says they did not confess their faith in him
because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of
God. So their faith in him was only
a theoretical thing. It was only so much knowledge. If I'm asked, are you a Christian? Do you consider yourself a Christian? Are you a believer? Are you born
again? I think I would answer like this.
I hope that I am. And I'm confident that my hope
is good because I do believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the
Christ of God. That is, I trust him as my Savior
and my Lord. His blood is that which alone
has atoned for my sins. His righteousness alone is my
righteousness before God. His righteousness makes me righteous,
yes. I hope I am born of God, a believer,
a Christian, a child of God because I trust Jesus Christ. Christianity is not just a religious
sect. It is not something over which
we ought to be willing to fight and go to war. You do that to
protect the nation and protect liberty. Christianity is not
a religious sect. It's not a theological turf.
Christianity is life. It's not a creed. It's life. It's not a church. It's life. It is Christ in you. Christ in you, the hope of glory. I recall distinctly, 34, 35 years ago, I was sitting in the
hospital, Duke University Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina, and
waiting to take my cobalt treatments for that day, and I was reading
a book, a book someone had put together of J.C. Ryle's writings.
They called it True Christianity. And the fellow sitting next to
me, I observed that he was watching closely, just watching me, waiting
for me to give him an opportunity to speak. And he looked at me
as a man who had reason to be greatly concerned, and he said,
what does it take to be a Christian? And I paused deliberately. I
wanted to think and I wanted him to know I took his question
seriously. And I knew I might not have any
other opportunity to speak to the man. And I said, sir, it
takes nothing from you. But all of you. Christianity. is trusting Jesus
Christ as your Lord. It is the surrender of your life
to the Son of God, trusting him alone to give you life, salvation,
and acceptance with God. Christianity requires nothing
from you but all of you. It is the surrender of your life
to the Son of God, bowing to Him as your Lord, trusting Him
alone as your Savior. Now, I ask you tonight to give
serious consideration to this question. Do you consider yourself
a Christian? If so, I have another question. Why? Joe, you consider yourself a
Christian. What's the basis of it? What makes you think you are? Multitudes are in hell who consider
themselves Christians. What makes you any different?
On what foundation do you make such a claim? Look at 1 Peter
3, verse 15. If you have a good hope, you
ought to be able to answer that question. If you don't have a
good hope, you can't answer that question. Your answer will give
you nothing but confusion, and when you've given the answer,
you know it's nothing but confusion. 1 Peter 3, 15. The Spirit of
God says, sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. That is, hallow
Him. Honor Him. Set God apart in your
hearts. Give glory to God in your hearts. And be ready always. Be ready at any time. Be ready
in any occasion to give an answer to every man that asketh you
a reason of the hope that is in you. and answer with meekness
and fear. Do you hope to go to heaven when
you die? Do you hope to be accepted of
God in the last day? Do you hope to hear the son of
God say to you, come ye blessed in my father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world? Do you hope to
escape the wrath of God? Do you hope to escape everlasting
damnation? Everyone says, I have hope. I
hope it'll be all right in the last day. I hope to go to heaven.
I hope to be with the Lord in the end. Why? What's the foundation
of your hope? If you and I are believers, if
we are indeed Christians, we ought to be able to open this
book and give an answer to this question. Why do you hope you
have life before God? What is the basis of your confidence? If it's sound, if our hope is
true, we should be able to show the why and wherefore and what
reason we have for that hope. So I want to talk to you plainly
from the word of God and my own experience. And I want us to
heed this admonition. to sanctify the Lord God in our
hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that
asketh you a reason of the hope that's in you. Hope, hope. We don't like much like to use
that word anymore. It's a good word. We have a blessed
hope, a good hope, a lively hope, a good hope through grace, hope
that maketh not ashamed. Hope's a good word. It doesn't
imply any kind of lack of confidence. It's not, it's not, well, I hope
it'll quit raining so I can barbecue out when I get home tonight.
That's not it. I hope we'll have a good day tomorrow because I
want to do some work outside tomorrow. That's not the word. That's not
the word. That's not how the word's used in scripture. Hope,
as it's used in scripture, refers to a confident expectation. A confident expectation. Brother
Bill, I have a confident expectation of everlasting life. I have a
confident expectation of eternal glory. I have a confident expectation
of everlasting righteousness with Christ Jesus, my Lord. What's
the basis of that? What's the basis of that? When
the prophet Jeremiah looked around him, he was compelled to weep. He had seen the desolations brought
upon Jerusalem. He felt the bitterness and the
gall of God's hard providence. But when all else was gone, the
prophet looked up to heaven and he said this, The Lord is my
portion, saith my soul. Therefore, will I hope in him. Why do you consider yourself
a Christian? What's the basis of your hope?
Well, Brother Don, I can take you to the time and I can take
you to the place where the Lord saved me by his wonderful grace. That's no hope. That's no hope. You've had religious experiences.
You think you've had a religious experience? Saw the prophet Samuel
speak to him after Samuel had been dead for some time. You think you've had a religious
experience? Oh, but I have had such great
privileges. My daddy was a preacher. You
might have to ring out at me. Somebody asked me, what do you
do? They just almost got to ring it out at me to get me to tell
them I'm a preacher. Because just as sure as I say,
I'm a preacher, you know, my wife's grandfather's brother
was a preacher. I knew a preacher one time. And
somehow, folks want to identify with it. want to identify with
the idea of preacher. My mother went to her grave,
as did my father, very proud and happy that their boy was
a preacher and had no regard for what he preached, no interest
in the message preached, no interest and no regard for the gospel
he preached. Religious privileges are nothing. Lot's wife had Abraham
for her uncle. Lot's wife had righteous Lot
for her husband. Lot's wife saw angels come into
Lot and take her by the hand and lead her out of Sodom with
Lot. And Lot's wife perished under
the wrath of God. Oh, I have a I have a good hope
because my life's been changed, radically changed. I used to
be a drunk and a rounder, and I used to do this, that, and
other things, but now I've changed. I'm not perfect by any means,
but I've changed. I now tithe and go to church
and read my Bible and say my prayers like the Pharisees. That's no hope. Oh, but I have
this wonderful experience and feeling when the Lord's near
me. Agrippa had that. But, Brother
Don, I believe the right doctrine. I'm a thoroughgoing Calvinist.
I'm a five-pointer. There's no trace of Arminian
free willism in me. Deocrates had that. But I make
great sacrifices. I've given my life in devotion
to Christ. Ananias and Sapphira had that.
But I perform miracles. I have the gift of tongues. I
can cast out devils. I can heal the sick. Simon Magus
could do that. None of those things are any
basis for hope. Let's open the book and see if
we can find a reason for the hope that's in us. Turn to Matthew
chapter 16. Matthew chapter 60. Do you consider yourself a Christian?
Yes, sir, I do. I have hope of eternal salvation. And this is the first reason.
I do believe that Jesus is the Christ. The Lord asked his disciples,
who men say I am? And they said, some say this
and that. He said, who do you say I am? Verse 16. And Simon
Peter answered and said, thou art the Christ, the anointed
one, the Messiah spoken of in all the prophets. What's that
mean? The son of the living God. I believe that that man who was
born at Bethlehem, known to all people in history as Jesus of
Nazareth, that man who was crucified upon a Roman cross 33 years later,
I believe that man is himself God in human flesh, the Christ,
the Son of the living God. What does that mean? That means
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. The one the prophet
spoke of came here in human flesh. He took on himself our nature,
living upon this earth as our representative, the son of God,
our God-man mediator, perfectly obeyed God's law in the room
instead of his people, bringing in everlasting righteousness,
just as the prophet said he would. And then, when he bare our sin
in his own body on the tree, when he was made sin for us,
suffering all the fury of God's holy wrath to the full satisfaction
of divine justice, he put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. He made an E-N-D of transgressions. Made an end of the transgression.
My transgressions made an end of it. What's that mean? That
means he's a good boy? That means God forgets them and God only
forgets what he is not. He remembers our iniquities against
us no more forever because Jesus Christ by his blood put away
our sins. He voluntarily gave himself into
the hands of divine justice, satisfied the justice of God
and ascended up into glory, having obtained eternal redemption for
us by his own precious blood. Why? He did it for the glory
of God, to fulfill his covenant engagements because of his infinite
love for his people. I believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the son of the living God, that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh. John said, whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ, Whosoever believeth that Jesus Christ is
come in the flesh is born of God. Well, brother Don, everybody
says Christ came in the flesh. Well, this is what the scriptures
mean by this. This one who came in the flesh.
This man of Nazareth fulfilled every prophecy of all the Old
Testament scriptures concerning him. I defy you. I defy anyone who hears this
message anywhere at any time to find me one word in the prophets
concerning what the Messiah would do Christ has not done. I defy
you to find any other man who ever lived in history who meets
all the criteria of that one described in the Old Testament.
Say, well, all those things are just, they're just coincidences. You're a bigger fool than I thought.
No. Coincidence that he should be
born at Bethlehem of Judah at the specific hour he was born
with specific men ruling the world as God ordained before
the world began and as God spoke by his prophets. Oh, no. Old
Testament scripture is too precise for there to be any error in
this regard. But it's not just believing the
facts. I believe him who is the Christ of God has put away my
sin. Here's the second thing. Turn
to Hebrews chapter seven, Hebrews seven verse 25. Yes, I consider myself a Christian
because I believe that this God, man, Jesus Christ, the Lord is
able to save the very chief of sinners. Because he lives now in glory
and reigns as Prince and Savior, I know he can save the vilest
of men by virtue of his blood. He can save such things as the
one standing here talking to you and such things as you are. He's able. Look at this. He is
able also to save them to the uttermost. What a word. Able
to save them to the uttermost absolute and full salvation. Who's that? All that come to
God by him. You come to God by him, he's
able to save you. He can make you as white as snow. He can forgive you all your He
can give you good standing before God. He can make you a new creature
by his mighty power. Seeing that he ever liveth, he
ever liveth, this ever-living God-man, our high priest who
died at Calvary, he lives to make intercession for them. Father,
I will. that they also whom thou hast
given me be with me where I am. He makes intercession for all
for whom he died, for all the father gave him, for all who
come to God by him. You mean, Brother Don, if right
now I come to God by his dear son, Christ died for me. God chose me. Christ intercedes
for me. You got it. That's just what
he says. All who come to God by him. I can but perish if I go. I am resolved to try. For if
I stay away, I know I must forever die. Christ came here. He came into this world in human
flesh to save the chiefest of sinners. And God's given him
the authority to do it. And he makes this promise. I
will in no wise cast them out. I will in no wise cast them out.
Him that cometh unto the Father by me, he said, I will in no
wise, for no reason, at no time, on no conditions, I will never
cast them out. Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. The Savior bids
sinners come, and he promises that all who come, he will never
cast them out. All right, turn to this passage
in 2 Timothy that Brother Eldredge read to us just a little bit
ago, 2 Timothy chapter 2, or chapter 1. I have hope that I'm a Christian.
a believer, one who has eternal life, because I know that Jesus
Christ is able to keep that which I've committed to him. Look at
this, beginning of verse 9. God hath saved us and called
us with an holy calling, not according to our works, our works
didn't have anything to do with it, but according to his own
purpose and grace. which was given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began. This grace, this salvation was
given to God's elect and the representative man, Jesus Christ,
our surety before the world began, but is now made manifest, that
is now we see it by the appearing of our savior, Jesus Christ,
who hath abolished death and brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel. God gives life to whom he will.
And when God gives life, regenerating his people by the power of his
spirit, he brings that life to light by the gospel. You don't get life by believing
on Christ. You believe on Christ because
God's given you life. doesn't cause the sinner to live,
faith is the evidence of life. And that faith is that which
brings to light the life that's in you by the gospel. Read on. Whereunto I am appointed a preacher,
and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles, for the which
cause, that is, for this gospel's sake, and for the sake of you
to whom I preach, I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm
not ashamed. I'm not embarrassed. I'm not
confused. I'm not confounded. I'm not in
any hurry. For I know. I know whom. What a word. What a word. He didn't say what. He didn't say what. Believing
what won't do you any good? I know whom I had believed and
then persuaded. Very strong word. I stand convinced. I'm dead sure convinced of this. Now, quite honestly, though I
may speak with authority about many things as if I were convinced,
you can be sure There are few things about which I stand convinced. Few things. But here's one. I stand convinced that he, the
Lord Jesus, is able to keep that which I've committed unto him
against that day. My heart's faith is fixed upon
the living Lord revealed himself in me. It's not what I believe
that gives me hope, but whom. And I've committed my entire
being into the care of his hands. My entire being. Everything. Lock, stock, and barrel. Everything. And I keep doing it. I keep I
keep breaking my hands loose from myself. Lord, take me. I want no control of anything,
nothing. I want you to have it all. How
can you do that? God Almighty, the triune Jehovah,
committed all his glory to this God-man, our Mediator. The triune
Jehovah committed all his will to this Mediator. The triune
Jehovah committed all the people of his love to the hands of his
Son, our Mediator. The triune Jehovah committed
all the universe into his hands. The Father trusted in Christ. And if he is able to keep all
this, surely I ought to be easily convinced that he's able to keep
that which I've committed unto him against that day. When I'm tempted, he's able to keep me from falling. And if he doesn't, when I fall,
he's able to raise me up. When I'm weak, he's able to make
me strong. And when I am in desperate need,
he's able to supply me with grace. When I am in darkness, he's able
to guide me. When I'm empty, He's able still
to feel and satisfy me. He's able to keep me. To keep me from Satan's roars. To keep me from the assaults
of hell. To keep me from myself. To keep
me in the day of judgment. And keep me under everlasting
glory. And at last to present me thoughtless. Before the presence of His glory. And Lindsay, that's just a little
piece of the story. He will do it with exceeding
joy. He's able to keep me. What makes
you think you're a Christian? Look in John chapter 8, verse 47. He that is of God heareth God's
word. I've heard and obeyed the gospel
of God's free grace. I've heard that God is strictly
just and totally sovereign. I've heard that God is full of
mercy. and delights in mercy, willing
to forgive iniquity, transgression, and sin. I've heard that God
Almighty has made provision for the salvation of sinners and
saved sinners by the blood of Jesus Christ, his son. I've heard
that God commands sinners to believe on his son. What gives you the right to think
you can believe What makes you think it's all right for you
to trust Christ? God commands me to. This is his
commandment that we believe on his son. 1 John 3, 23. And I
reckon if God commands it, it's all right to do it. Believe. Believe on the Son of God. Look
back in chapter 6. John chapter 6, verse 29. These Jews asked him, he said,
tell us what to do that we may do the works of God. Tell me
what to do, I'll do it. Tell me what I ought to do. The
Philippian jailer said, sirs, what must I do to be saved? And
no doubt he's asking, what shall I do? And you know what Paul
did? Do you know what he did? Why he stood up and he said,
why you foolish works monger salvation is not by you doing.
No. You know what he did? He gave him something to do. He gave him something to do.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Well,
that's a work. Yeah, but it's God's work, not
yours. It's God's work. It's the gift of God. It's the
operation of God. Oh, you must believe. You must
believe. Believe on the son of God. Believe
him or you'll perish in your sins. But if you believe him,
this is the work of God. Look at this. Jesus answered
and said unto them, this is the work of God that you believe
on him whom he has sent. What's that mean? Means these
two things. Believing is the gift of the
operation of God. God gives you faith. You believe
on the son of God. It's God working in you and the
fruit of the spirit in you is faith in Jesus Christ. And this. Is how we serve God. How do you honor God? Oh, brother
Don, I sure I'd do something to honor God. Oh, wouldn't you
though? Oh my God, how I would. This
is how you honor God. Believe on the son of God. He said, keep my works. Throw yours out the door, keep
mine. Get rid of all your goodness,
kiss it goodbye, throw it away, strip it off, burn it up! Keep
my works. To work the works of God is to
believe on the Son of God. God said, come, and I come. God said, look, and I look. God
said, repent, and I repent. God said, believe, and I believe. Turn to Jeremiah chapter 3. I'm
sorry, Lamentations chapter 3. The Lamentations of Jeremiah, God's
prophet. Let me just pick up the highlights. I have hope of eternal salvation.
I consider myself a Christian. Because as Jeremiah says here
in verse 24, the Lord is my portion, saith my soul. That is, the Lord is all I've
got. Got nowhere else to go. Somebody asked Brother Scott
Richards this one time, he's preaching about Christ being
all This lady asked him, said, is Christ enough? He said, if
he's all you've got, he is. Have you got something else? Come on. Be honest with yourself. Be honest before God. Have you
got something else? If you do, I promise you, that's
your hope. The Lord is my portion, saith
my soul. Therefore will I hope in him I Am a poor sinner and nothing
at all but Jesus Christ is my all and all All other hope is
gone forever My hope is this verse 22 It is of the Lord's
mercies That we are not consumed I hope because of God's mercy,
and I hope in God's mercy. Because His compassions, they
fail not. Look at verse 23. What is it gives you hope in
Him? Great is thy faithfulness. I'll soon be 60 years old, and
I've been preaching the gospel of God's grace since I was 17
years old. By the time I was 18 years old,
I could prepare and preach a real good sermon on God's faithfulness.
It was precisely according to scripture and precisely orthodox,
and I didn't have a clue what I was talking about. I was an
18-year-old boy. I didn't have a clue what I was
talking about. Kind of like, you know, when
you fall in love. I fell in love when I was 17
years old and married this girl, loved her with all my heart.
At least I thought I did. I didn't have a clue what it
was to love somebody. I didn't have a clue what it
was. Now we've been married for nearly 41 years. And I think I know what it is
to love somebody and to be loved. And now for 46 years, I've been
walking with God Almighty. And I tell you what I know about
Him. He's faithful. Faithful to His word, faithful
to His covenant, faithful to his son, faithful to his promises,
faithful to himself, and faithful to his people. Great is thy faithfulness. Look at verse 25, Lamentations
3. The Lord is good. Good to them that wait for him,
to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should
both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. Let
me give you one more reason why I say to you, yes, I consider
myself a Christian. Colossians chapter 1, you don't
need to turn there, verse 23. Paul says, if you continue in
the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the
hope of the gospel. When any turn from Zion's way,
alas, what numbers do I fake? I hear the Savior say, wilt thou
forsake me too? And those disciples in John 6
turned and walked no more with the master. The Lord said to
Peter, And to the disciples, will you also go away? And Peter responded, Lord, there's
nowhere to go. To whom shall we go? Thou hast
the words of eternal life. Go back to the world. There's
nothing there. Go back to religious formality
and ceremony, there's nothing there. Go back to my old ways, oh no, no. I have hope of life eternal. I do consider myself a Christian
because I've not yet been moved away from the hope of the gospel. the hope of eternal life. And that hope is Jesus Christ
himself. Do you consider yourself a Christian?
Why? Amen.