Now turn in your Bible once again
to Acts chapter 24. Acts chapter 24. And let's read this one verse. Acts 24 verse 14. I'm going to repeat this one
phrase here often so it will ring in your ears. today and
for the days to come. But this I confess unto thee,
that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the
God of my fathers, believing all things that are written in
the law and in the prophets, and have hope." I have hope. It's a good hope. I have hope
toward God. I have hope toward God. Now remember
that Paul Paul had been escorted out of town by 470 Roman soldiers and brought to
Caesarea to stand before this governor, Felix. Five days later,
the Jews were brought before Felix to bring charges against
Paul. Notice in the last part of verse
1 of this chapter, they hired this Roman lawyer named Tertullus,
who butters up the governor and brags on how good he's been to
them, and he says that he's going to inform him, the governor,
against Paul. They bring this man who they
hired to accuse and to slander Paul, of which he says this in
verse 5, We have found this man, speaking of God's servant, God's
apostle, we have found this man to be a pest. He's a bug. He is a cockroach. He is a worm. He is someone that's just a nuisance. He is a pest. He's someone who
needs to be stamped out. That's what he's saying. He's
a pest. He's not only that, but he's a mover. He's a mover of
sedition. He is one who is causing great
anarchy against Rome and against the Caesars. He's a mover of
sedition among all the Jews throughout the world and he's a ringleader
of this certain sect, this certain religious movement. He's a ringleader of this sect
called the Nazarenes. And he said, we would have judged
him according to our law, but we were stopped. We would have
executed him according to our law, but your captain prevented
us from executing this man according to our law. Well, those Sanhedrin,
these Ananias the high priest and those who were with him,
the elders, when Tertullus had run his mouth, and run his course. Here's what they said. Verse 9, And the Jews said, Amen. Whatever Tutula says, we add
a hearty Amen. This man, they said, we despise
him. Now in verse 10, down to verse
21, we have Paul's defense against these charges. And he says this,
of all which they accuse me, they have no proof. You see verse
13, they cannot prove these things because none of them are true.
These things are all false. Neither can they prove these
things whereof now they accuse me. They're false. But he says
in verse 14 this, I confess unto thee that the way which they
call a lie, the way which they call false, and the way which
these Jews say that's in error, that is the way I worship God.
Believing all things written and given of God. There's one
thing I do confess that is true. That is true. The way they call
heresy is the way I worship God. Believing all things written
and given of God. I worship and believe the same
things as, notice what it says, so I worship the God of my fathers. I believe and worship The same
God whom Abraham worshipped and believed. Hold your place there
and find John chapter 8. I worshipped the same God in
the same way that my fathers worshipped God. In John chapter 8 verse 56, John
8 verse 56, speaking of Abraham, your father Abraham rejoiced
to see my day, and he saw it, He was glad. Abraham's hope was
the Lord Jesus Christ alone. And Paul is saying, I worship
the same way that Abraham approached God on the merit and righteousness
of Jesus Christ. Abraham believed God and it was
counted to him for righteousness. Now stay right here in the book
of John, find John chapter 5. Paul is saying, I worship and
approach God the same way Moses did in John chapter 5. John chapter 5 Look at verse 43. Verse 42, But
I know you, that you have not the love of God in you. I am
come in my Father's name, and you receive me not. If another
shall come in his own name, him will you receive. How can you
believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not
the honor that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will
accuse you to the Father. There is one that accuseth you,
even Moses, whom you trust. For had you believed Moses, our
Lord said, you would have believed me, He wrote about me. How did Moses and Abraham approach
God? Through the merit and righteousness
and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And that's what Paul is saying
here. The way they call heresy, that's the way I worship God.
Now I want you to find Acts chapter 2. He's saying that I believe
the same thing Abraham believed, worshiped the same way, same
way that Moses came, the same way that David came, the king
of Israel, in Acts chapter 2. That's what he says over here.
In Acts chapter 2, this Jesus, Acts 2.32, this Jesus, "...had
God raised up, whereof we are all witnesses, the resurrected
Christ. Therefore, being by the right
hand of God exalted, having received of the Father the promise of
the Holy Spirit, He has shed forth this which you now see
and hear. For David is not ascended unto the heavens." Does that
mean that David didn't go to glory after he died? No. You read what's being said in
the content here. He's talking about the body of
David. The body of the resurrected Lord
went to glory. The body of David is still on
the ground. For David's body didn't ascend
into heaven, but he said this himself, The Lord said unto my
Lord, Sit thou in my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy
footstool. David's hope was the Lord Jesus
Christ, exalted, enthroned. Therefore let all the house of
Israel know assuredly that God had made that same Jesus whom
you crucified, both Lord and Christ. He had a pretty strong
argument, didn't he? The way of our fathers, Abraham. Boy, they revered Abraham. Abraham
believed Christ, and his salvation was totally in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Moses, they revered the writings of Moses, but he said,
Moses, hope was Christ, crucified alone. David, oh, they revered
David, the king of Israel, and he said, David rejoiced in the
Lordship of Christ, and he said, He is my exalted Lord before
God Almighty. Pretty good company. Pretty good
company. These self-righteous, self-serving,
ungodly Jews considered Paul and all who believed his message,
the way of Christ alone, the way of the Word of God alone,
the way of grace alone, faith alone, to the glory of God alone,
they considered Paul and all who believed that gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ to be heretics. Heretics. And it's no strange
thing. that this same religious crowd
call believers today heretics. Often some have referred to believers
in our day as those Calvinists. I wear that title proudly. I
do believe in what they call the five points of Calvinism
as they are revealed in the scripture. That is, God's electing grace,
irresistible call, definite atonement, perseverance of the faith, those
five things. But it's no strange thing that
this same religious crowd refers to believers who stand for the
same gospel that Paul stood for, that Abraham stood for, that
Moses stood for as heretics, or they say, well, those Calvinists,
or they call those, you know, those sovereign gracers. Believers, my friend, are not
ashamed to own the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as the
only way of salvation. And I don't care what they call
me. We used to have a saying when I was a little boy, sticks
and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.
You call me what you want. I'm going to stand for the gospel
of God's grace. Believers are not ashamed to
own the Lord Jesus as the only way of salvation. The apostle
wrote to the Romans, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
It is the very power of God and the salvation to everyone that
believe it. Therein is that gospel is the
righteousness of God. And that's Christ revealed in
that gospel, in that gospel. Now, I want you to listen to
me carefully. I'm saying this to you because
I'm your friend. And I'm saying of God, I believe I'm saying
of God to tell you the truth. Come flame or flood, hell or
high water, those who believe the gospel
are not ashamed of the gospel. And they have no toleration,
no toleration for that which does not honor Christ. None! There is no room for compromise. whatsoever. No room for compromise. We have no toleration for that
which does not honor Christ. About to lose our power. I can
still bring this message. Now listen to me. If you do not
hate, if you do not hate the false gospel, if you do not despise
that gospel that's contrary to grace and the way of Christ,
you have no love for the truth. Is that being too hard? Well,
let's see what the Scripture says. Turn to Psalm 119. If you do not hate the false
gospel, you do not love the truth. Two Scriptures here in Psalm
119. Psalm 119, verse 104. Psalm 119, verse 104. How sweet,
verse 103. How sweet are thy words, Psalm
119, unto my taste. Yea, sweeter than honey to my
mouth. Through thy precepts I get understanding, therefore I...
You know, I just... It's okay. No, I hate... I hate every false way. Now,
it doesn't say we hate them. We're supposed to love our enemies. But he said we hate that false
way. It's contrary to the Scripture.
Now, turn over one page to verse 128. Therefore I esteem all thy
precepts concerning all things to be right, therefore I..."
What does that say? I hate every false way. I hate
it. I despise it. I despise that
which is contrary to Christ. Now you say, well, that's unlovely.
Well, call it what you want. Turn to Galatians chapter 1. In 1 Corinthians 16 it says,
"...if any man loved not the Lord Jesus Christ, Let him be
anathema maranatha. And that means let him be damned.
If any man love not Christ. Look at Galatians chapter 1 verse 6. Galatians 1 verse 6.
For our marvel that you are so soon removed, so soon removed
from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another
gospel. Another gospel. Which is not
another. There is just one gospel. But
there's some, there'd be some that trouble you and would pervert
the gospel of Christ, change the gospel. Though we or an angel
from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which
we preach, let him be, and the word there literally is damned. As I said before, so say I now
again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have received, Paul said this about, turn to Galatians
5, turn over here, I was looking at this earlier today, Galatians
chapter 5 verse 12. He said in verse 11, if I yet
preach circumcision, why do I yet, if I preach circumcision, why
do I suffer persecution? Then is the offense of the cross
ceased. I would, they were even cut off. Cut off, which trouble
you. And this church was troubled
by those legalizers, those Judaizers that said, except you're circumcised,
you cannot be saved. And it's the same message that
people say today, that except you be baptized a certain way
into a certain organization, that you cannot be saved. Paul
said, I wish those people were cut off. He said in chapter 2,
I'm not going to give them to whom we gave place by subjection,
no, not for an hour, for a moment, that the truth of God may continue
with you. Now, the way they call heresy,
the way this very religious people in our day, the religious crowd
in our day, man-centered, works religion, free will, flesh glorifying,
the way this very religious world calls heresy is the very way
I worship and approach God and hold most dear, hold most dear
as all my salvation for things. Salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ
alone. Secondly, salvation by the grace
of God alone. Salvation received by the faith,
God-given faith alone. Fourthly, salvation to the glory
of God alone. Now this religious world will
call that heresy. That is the very way I worship
and believe God. How about you? Is that the gospel
you believe? Let's look at those four things.
Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is in the Lord Jesus
Christ. We've studied this repeatedly.
I've read it over and over. In Acts chapter 4 verse 12, neither
is there salvation in any other than in the Lord Jesus Christ
alone. And I'm talking about the Christ
of the Bible. I'm not talking about a counterfeit.
I'm talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is of the Lord
alone and salvation is found in Him and salvation is accomplished
by Him, by Himself, alone. Now, two things. Christ Jesus
alone is our Savior. He said, I'm the way, I'm truth,
I'm life. No man comes unto the Father
but by and through me. Christ is the Savior alone and
salvation is found in Him. My pastor used to put it this
way. Salvation is in a person. Salvation is you being vitally
united to a living person, living Lord. Not to an organization,
not to a church. I've never said salvation is
in Zebulun Baptist Church. Have you ever said that? I've
always told you and pointed you to salvation in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Is that right, Brother Charles?
Salvation is in Him. I've never said salvation is
in this church. Salvation is always in Christ,
the Savior. Salvation is found in Him, His
person. Now let me give you these scriptures. Simeon, when they
brought the Lord Jesus to him to be circumcised. He took him
up in His arms and said, I thank God, let me die now. My eyes
have seen Thy salvation. Salvation is in a person. He
was looking into Christ, His face, who is our Savior, who
is salvation. No wonder the Apostle Paul said,
oh, back before he counted all that religious stuff, a Pharisee,
A Hebrew of Hebrews, touching the law, blameless, and he said
after he met the Lord, he counted all those things that lost, that
he might win Christ and be found in Him. Found in Christ. In Christ alone. John put it
this way, he that hath the Son, he that believeth on the Son,
hath life. He that believeth not the Son,
does not have life. Peter put it this way, to you
who believe, He is precious. He's everything. He's everything. So I'm saying that salvation
is in this Lord Jesus Christ, in His person. In His person. And this salvation, secondly,
this salvation, not only in the Lord Jesus Christ, but this salvation
is accomplished totally by Him. Now there is a work to be done
in accomplishing our salvation. The law of God has to be honored.
Sin has to be put away. How is that done? By something
I do? Is salvation conditioned upon
me? Has He done all that He can do and then the rest is up to
me? Did He make salvation just a
possibility? Or did He accomplish all of our
salvation? Well, the Word of God says this
when He prayed in John 17, Father, I thank You. You've made me Lord
of heaven and earth, and I'm going to give eternal life to
as many as You have given me, and this is eternal life that
they might know Thee, the only true God, Jesus Christ. I've
finished the work You gave me to do. And now, O Father, glorify
Thou me with Thine own self for the glory which I had with Thee
before the world was, John 17, 2-4. He finished the work. He didn't make salvation a possibility. If I meet certain conditions, that's not so. The Lord Jesus
Christ is salvation in Him and accomplished by Him, performed
by Him. Every precept of the law, He
honored it. The law has to be honored. Every
precept of that law. He said, I didn't come to destroy
the law, I honored the law. Did he get the job done? God
said, this is my beloved son, in whom I'm well pleased. Hear
him. Hear him. Every penalty of that
law had to be satisfied. The law of God says the guilty
must die. The Lord Jesus Christ redeemed
us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. He
honored every precept of the law, every penalty of the law.
The Lord Jesus Christ made full satisfaction, full, and the word
is propitiation. And we've looked at this word
repeatedly. 1 John 4, 10, here in His love, not that we love
God, but that He loved us and that He gave His Son to be my
sacrifice, my full payment. He is my reconciliation before
God. He is blood atonement alone.
And the Lord Jesus Christ completed salvation, accomplished salvation
Himself, every precept, every penalty, full perpetuation, full
obedience, full obedience. His obedience alone. Turn to
Romans 5. Look at this. Romans 5. Not my obedience, His. His obedience. Completed and
accomplished salvation. Romans 5 verse 19. For as much,
for as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by
the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." There's Adam's
ruin and Christ's restoration. Through his obedience we are
made righteous. You see the doctrine of representation.
In Adam all died, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound, but
where sin abounded, grace did much more abound, that as sin
hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign." There's
sovereign grace. Grace reigned through righteousness
unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. So I'm saying that
this religious world calls that heresy. I'm saying that's the
very way I worship God and by His grace are determined to preach
this very message until I preach no more. Salvation is in the
Lord. In the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Not this one who wants to and
can't. Not this one who tried to and failed. That's a counterfeit.
That's an imposter. I'm talking about the Lord of
Lords and King of Kings with whom we have to do. Secondly, salvation is totally
by the sovereign grace of God alone. Turn to Acts chapter 15
verse 11. Salvation is totally by the sovereign
grace of God alone. Acts 15 verse 11, but we believe
through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Through what? Through
grace of the Lord Jesus we shall be saved even as they. God is
going to save the Jew the same way He saves the Gentile, the
same way any man will ever be saved by the sovereign grace
of God alone. Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy. It's God who saved
us and called us. 2 Timothy 1.9. It's God who saved
us and called us, not according to our works. Not according to
our works. Have we ever heard that? But
according to His own purpose and grace, given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began. Salvation, as is revealed in
Holy Scripture, is all of God's sovereign, electing, saving,
calling, fetching, quickening grace. Sovereign grace. And to the total exclusion of
any works or contribution on the part of the sinner. There's
no conditions put upon me. None. Blessed is that man for whom
God would give righteousness without works. Turn to Romans
11. Look at this here. Romans 11.
There is a remnant. Romans 11. There is a remnant
according to the election of grace. Romans 11, verse 5. Even so then, at this present
time, also there is a remnant according to the election of
grace. And if by grace, then it's no more works, otherwise
grace is not really grace. But if it be of works, then it's
no more grace, otherwise work is no more work. Grace would
be meaningless, would it not? Grace would be meaningless if
it's conditioned upon works. And yet the subtlety of wicked
men, they have made Grace to be conditioned upon your merit. They have made grace to be earned
by something you do. And that's not grace. That's
mercy. Mercy is not merited. Mercy is
freely given. If grace and mercy is conditioned
upon the sinner, then there's no longer grace. I'm saying that
this book teaches from cover to cover. Noah found what? Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. And all the way to the end of
the revelation they sing about, of Him who loved us and washed
us from our sin in His own blood, to Him be the glory both now
and forever. Amen. What is that? That's grace.
Salvation by grace. Here's the third thing. This
religious world that we live in, and don't tell me it's not
religious, You rub elbows with them every day at work. And we
bump up against them every day in our life. This religious world
is opposed to salvation in Christ and grace alone. They call that
heresy. I call that, that's the way I
worship God. You with me? Okay. Here's the third thing. Salvation
is received by faith alone. Salvation is received by faith
alone. Faith. Now what do we know about
faith? Okay. Turn to Acts chapter 13.
What do we know about faith? Well, faith is not something
that blooms in our heart naturally. What is native to a fallen, darkened,
depraved heart? Unbelief. Faith is something
that Arthur Pink called exotic. It's something that's planted
by the hand of God Almighty and that bloomed in the heart of
a sinner made alive by the power of God. That's right. Look what
it says, your faith is something special. Faith is something that's
God-given, God-born, God-produced. Acts 13, verse 38, Be it known
unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached
unto you the forgiveness of sin. There again, he's pointing salvation
right back to Christ, through this man, through his atonement.
See, it's who he is that gives power to what he did. Is preached
unto you the forgiveness of sin and by him all that... What does
that say there? Believe are justified from all
things which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. being justified by faith. We
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe,
and those who do believe, they do so because they are born of
God. Faith is the fruit of life. 1
John 5 verse 1, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born
of God. We don't believe to be born We
believe as the fruit of and the effects of life in Christ Jesus. Faith, my friend, is a gift of
God. That's what the Scriptures teach. It's God-given. It's a
gift of God. Not of works that any man should
boast. Faith does embrace truth. It does. Faith embraces not lying,
not saving faith. Turn to Titus chapter 1. Faith
embraces truth. Faith believes truth, same as
repentance. They acknowledge and believe
and receive the truth, Titus 1.1. Faith is a gift of God. Faith does embrace truth. Titus
1.1. Paul, a servant of God, an apostle
of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God, delect. The
faith of who? The faith of God, delect. And
the acknowledging of the truth, which is after godliness, it
glorifies God. in all things. The faith of God's
elect acknowledges that salvation is of the Lord, of the Lord alone. Faith is a gift of God. Faith
embraces the truth. Well, how important is faith?
Without faith it's impossible to please God. Romans 11, 6.
A man who is without faith is a man without Christ. The man
without Christ is a man without salvation. So faith is very important,
isn't it? Not only that, faith has one
foundation. Faith, true saving faith, the
faith of God's elect is not based upon feeling or emotion. It's
based upon, thus saith the Lord. We believe because God had said
it to be so. Faith has one foundation. Faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Faith has
but one object. Faith is not subjective. That
is, saving faith doesn't look inwardly. Oh, I just feel saved. My friend, honestly, most of
the time I don't. Because faith doesn't look inwardly. Faith
is objective. Faith looks to Christ the Savior. That's my confidence. I have
no confidence in the flesh. I look to Him. Saving faith has
one object, the exalted. victorious king who did not fail
to accomplish all of God's purpose. One object. And saving, true
saving faith has this attribute as well. Does not quit. Does not quit. Turn to Hebrews
11. You have Titus there. Hebrews chapter 3 I want. Hebrews
chapter 3. Faith perseveres. Because faith,
we're kept by the power of God through faith. Faith perseveres,
does not quit. You can't run a believer off.
The only way you can run a believer off from a local ministry is
if the preacher would stop preaching grace. They'll leave. They'll
find somebody else. But when the preacher keeps harping
on grace and preaching grace, you can't run the sheep of Christ
off. I'm not concerned about it. Look
what it says here in Hebrews 3 verse 12. Take heed, brethren,
lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief departing
from the living God. You see, saving faith perseveres
because we're kept by the power of God through faith. Salvation
is received by believing, not doing. Those justified live by
faith. Four times it says in the Word
of God. I want you to find 2 Corinthians 13. Turn and read this with me. 2 Corinthians 13. It's written four times in the
Word of God. The just live by faith. Faith. You see the glorious qualities?
It's God-given. It's God-given. It's a gift of
God. Now, we're exhorted here in 2
Corinthians chapter 13, verse 5. Now, what does that say there? Examine yourself, whether you
are in the faith, the faith, the faith. Prove your own self,
know you're not your own self, how that Jesus Christ is in you,
except you be a reprobate. Now this religious world that
you live in, that I live in, they call these things that we
love, that I preach, they call these things heresy. The way
of salvation in Christ alone. The way of salvation by the grace
of God alone. The way of salvation by faith
alone. They call that heresy! You say, well no they don't.
Yes they do. Ask them. And they'll condemn you. As they
have condemned my ministry, they've condemned my message, and they
condemned everyone sitting here and listening to me. Just recently,
one of their preachers told me those very things. My friend,
we're preaching the gospel, and I'm going to stand and keep harping
on this message until somebody hears it. God help me. And if you're looking for something
else, if you're looking for somebody, some kind of social club, Or
somebody make you feel better. I want to be your friend. But
I'm going to be your friend and I'm going to tell you the truth.
That's what friends do. They tell the truth. And I'm
going to stand for the truth. Lastly, salvation is to the glory
of God alone. To the glory of God alone. That's
the bottom line and that's the discerning spirit of that which
is true and that which is false. Who gets the glory? Now, if God has done all He can
do, and you must do this, you must do that, well, you must
come here. You must join with us. We have it to give. We give these things. Who gets
the glory in that? Come on now. Boy, look what I've done. You
see, my friend, God has so designed salvation that He rightly gets
all the honor and glory for all of salvation. The grand design
of all that God does is His glory in creation, in providence, and
in salvation. It's to His glory. Now find Galatians
6. To His glory. The enemies of
the gospel They call this heresy. You mean to God's glory alone?
That's why the Apostle Paul wrote here in Galatians 6.14, but God
forbid! God help us! God forbid! Galatians 6.14, that I should
glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the
world is crucified unto me and I unto the world. They call this
religious world, call that heresy. My friend, I confess this is
the way I worship God. Christ alone, grace alone, faith
alone, to the glory of God alone. This is the way I worship God.
This is the way believers call the gospel. This is the way believers
call truth, believe truth, life, and salvation in Christ. This
is the way I worship, believe, and have hope toward God. That's
what he says here, right? Have hope toward God through
Christ Jesus.