Let's go back to the text in
Acts chapter 15. Acts chapter 15. I want you to look back at verse
26 of chapter 14 with me. Just up a couple of verses there. and then sailed to Antioch from
which they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work
which they fulfilled. Now that's talking about Paul
and Barnabas. And it's telling us that they
returned to Antioch. Paul used Antioch as a kind of
base of operations for his missionary travels. They assisted him in
those travels, sent him forth, and he came back there with Barnabas. Together, they'd been to Antioch
at least twice before this time. Back in Acts 11, we're told that
Paul and Barnabas spent a full year there. Spent a full year
in Antioch preaching and teaching the Word. And then in Acts chapter
13, we're told that they return to Antioch again. And in that
chapter, we have recorded Paul's message that he preached in the
Jews' synagogue there. Turn back the page, if you would,
to chapter 13. We won't read that whole message,
but the point, the main point, the summation of it, I believe
is contained here in verse 38 and 39, chapter 13. Paul had rehearsed the history
of Israel in light of the gospel. The coming of the Son, the promised
Messiah through David is being delivered, crucified. His resurrection
from the dead. And in verse 38 he says this,
he says, Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren,
that through this man, this man Christ Jesus, is preached unto
you the forgiveness of sin. And by him, by the Lord Jesus
Christ, all that believe, all that believe are justified, declared
to be not guilty and righteous. From all things. All things. Our actual sins. Our sins of
omission, commission, sins of thought, sins of deed, thoughts
of foolishness. From all sins. All things. From which you could not be justified
in any other way. Not even. Not even. By the law of Moses. And that's
what they preached. That's what they preached. And
that's the message of the Gospel. He preached the Lord Jesus Christ.
He preached salvation by grace through faith in Him. And many
Jews, many Gentiles believed when they heard Him preach that
Gospel. But there were a lot of religious Jews who didn't
believe, who stirred up trouble. Seems like that's always the
case. They don't believe the gospel
themselves, but they want to cause trouble for those who do.
So they stir up trouble. Paul and Barnabas had to leave
Antioch again. Look again at chapter 13 verse
50. But the Jews stirred up the devout
and honorable women and the chief men of the city. And they raised
persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out
of their coast. And they shook off the dust of
their feet against them and came to Iconium. And the disciples were filled
with joy and with the Holy Ghost. Persecution didn't stop the work
of God, and it didn't stop the joy of the saints. Well, they had to leave. Now they're back. Now they're
back. We just read that in verse 26
of chapter 14. But as always, where the gospel
of the free grace of God in Christ is preached, the adversary is
never, never, ever going to be quiet for very long. And this
time, this time he sends trouble from a different direction. This
time trouble comes from within. from preachers and teachers who
profess to believe. And this danger, beloved, is even
greater than that opposition and persecution that they suffered
from without. And we're going to see something
about this as we go through this text, the Lord permitting. Now,
verse one, let's get into the text. Certain men which came
down from Judea taught the brethren and said, Except you be circumcised
after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. Now here's men who profess to
believe the gospel of Christ, the gospel of God's grace in
him, but in reality they were legalistic Jews. They were legalistic
work modelers. And here they hear about what's
going on down at Antioch, and here they come. Here they come,
and they come down there from Judea. They came pretending to
come in the authority of the church in Judea. You know in
Judea, Jerusalem, was where most of the apostles and the elders
of the church resided at that time. They hadn't all yet been
completely scattered. And it was the center of authority,
if you will, for the church. And so when these men came down
from the church in Judea and started telling these things,
they set forth before the people that they were speaking on the
authority of the church. Well, that just was not so. It
was not so. Look over in verse 24 of this
chapter we read a few minutes ago. This is part of that letter
that they wrote after this unfolding. They wrote to the church, they
said, for as much as we have heard that certain which went
out from us have troubled you with words subverting your soul,
saying you must be circumcised and keep the law, to whom we
gave no such commandment. They didn't come down there on
our authority, regardless of what they say. They may have
pretended to be speaking for the church, but we gave them
no such commandment. No such commandment. These men
who came down there saying you must be circumcised and keep
the law of Moses or you can't be saved, their problem was that
they opposed salvation by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ without work. They hated the gospel, just pure
and simple. They professed to believe it,
but they really hated it and tried to subvert it and to overthrow
the gospel by introducing works into it. Oh, they'd come down
and they'd say, well, yeah, it's okay. It's okay to believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ. It's okay. But I'm telling you
now, except a person will circumcise, except you be circumcised and
you keep the law of Moses. Why you, how do you expect to
be saved that way? Just can't do it. Can't do it. And beloved, this is an effort
to overthrow the gospel. It's an effort to overthrow the
gospel if this error be allowed to continue. The gospel's done. It's done. It's an effort to
overthrow the gospel, first of all, by adding Moses to Christ.
It's an effort to overthrow the gospel by introducing law and
grace and works and faith. And that's what it's aimed at. And really, really, this is nothing
new, what's taking place in Acts 15. This same thing started a
long time ago. It started all the way back in
the garden when Adam and Eve stretched forth their hand and
disobeyed God and brought sin into the world. That's been the
issue ever since. How's a person saved? By works
or by grace? Is it salvation by grace? Salvation by the grace of God
through a crucified Redeemer? Or is it salvation by man's will
and man's works? That's what it's all about. When
Adam and Eve sinned, they sought to cover their nakedness and
their shame with fig leaves. And God rejected that method. He rejected that method altogether.
And he first preached the gospel to Adam and Eve, and he promised
salvation through the seed of the woman. And he pictured the
gospel, he pictured the blood and the righteousness of the
Lord Jesus Christ. He took animals, he shed their
blood, and he took their skins and clothed them in a suitable
covering. A suitable covering through the
death of an innocent victim. Picturing substitution, salvation,
redemption, righteousness, justification, all through the promised Messiah.
Well, you would have thought that would have settled the matter,
wouldn't you? The very next thing we read about is the two sons
of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, came before God. They appeared
before God. Each one brought their sacrifices.
And Cain sought acceptance by works, bringing the fruit of
the ground. And his sacrifice, he and his sacrifice, was rejected. Abel. Abel brought the bloody
sacrifice. And he and his sacrifice was
accepted. Through faith, Abel offered a
more excellent sacrifice to God than Cain. That's what Scripture
says. That's what it says. Hebrews
left. And what was Cain's reaction?
Whoa. Whoa. Wait a minute. I better repent and come to God
in the right manner. No. No, that wasn't what he said.
He got mad at Abel and killed his brother. Killed his brother. First human
blood shed over the same issue. Salvation by works. Salvation
by grace through a suitable substitute. And beloved, the Word of God
is clear. Now I'm telling you, the Word of God is clear. Law
and gospel, grace and works, will not mix. It won't mix. Not under any circumstances
or any conditions. It will not mix. Don't seek salvation
by a combination of the two. Just don't do it. I want you
to look at some scriptures. Romans 11. Romans 11. Let's just settle
the issue once and for all time. Let's hear what God has to say
on this matter. Romans 11, verse 6. Well, verse
5 says, Paul writes, Even so then at this present time also
there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And
if by grace it is no more of works, otherwise grace is no
more grace. Let enter in the smallest degree
of works into this thing, and it ceases to be grace." But if
it be of works, he goes on, then it's no more of grace, otherwise
works no more work. They just will not mix. They
will not mix. Works and grace won't mix. Turn
over to Galatians, and you may want to mark Galatians because
I may have you turn there a few times, but Galatians chapter
2. Galatians chapter 2 verse 16. Listen. Knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.
Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified
by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law. For
by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." Pretty
clear. That's not hard to understand,
is it? Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5 verse 1,
Paul writes, Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ
hath made us free, and don't be entangled again with that
yoke of bondage. Behold I, Paul, say unto you
that if you be circumcised, if you be circumcised, Christ shall
profit you nothing. For I testify again to every
man that's circumcised, that he's a debtor to do the whole
law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are
justified by the law, you've departed from grace. For we through
the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision
availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which works by love. Drop on down there and look at
verse 11. And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, if
I preach works, if I preach salvation by works, Paul says, why do I
yet suffer persecution? Why is the religious world so
mad at me? Why do they try to kill me everywhere
I go? Why do they run me out of town? Why do they do all this? If I yet preach works, if I preach
circumcision, then is the offense of the cross ceased? And right there's the reason
most men preach works. The offense of the cross. The
offense of the cross. And my dear friends, I'm telling
you, the issue has not changed. Not from the time of Adam and
Eve, not from the time of Moses, not from the time that our Lord
walked this earth, not the time of the apostles. It's the same
today. And the method has not changed.
Oh, it may be a little more subtle. It may be a little more subtle. But it's still the same. Men
still take the things of Christ, the things of the gospel, and
they make them into works, and they call it grace. They'll take baptism and church
membership, and they'll substitute that for circumcision, try to
introduce it as works. They'll take faith, and they'll
make that a work, something that a person performs on their own,
instead of a gift of God through Christ. They'll take man's will
and exalt it above God's will. Saying God will if you will.
Well, I'm telling you if God will, I promise you, you will.
He doesn't need your consent. He'll make you willing in the
day of His power. They'll take the substitution
and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, and they'll make it of
non-effect. They'll make it to be a mere
legality. Legality. and not in actuality. Well, something or other happened
before He went on the cross. Something about sin and Christ
took place. Well, I'll tell you what the
Scripture says, that He was made sin for His people. God made Him to be sin. A real
substantial substitution. This is not play-like. When you were kids, did you ever
do that? I used to have that game when I was a kid. I never
did what I was good at, but play like. Let's play like we are
this or that. Let's not play like. Christ wasn't
playing a substitution. He was a real substitute. A real substitute. Don't take away from that. I'll tell you something else
that men in our day do. They'll take education. and try
to make it to replace revelation. They try to educate people into
the Kingdom of God. Well, teaching has its place.
There's no question about it. But all the teaching of all men
in all time will accomplish absolutely nothing spiritually apart from
the revelation of God's Spirit. That will come out. He may know
a lot of scripture and a lot of facts and a lot of doctrine,
but he'd be dumb, just as dumb as a rock concerning Christ and
life and God and righteousness and justification and redemption. And then people like to take
Reformation and make that replace regeneration. Give people a few rules, tell
them to follow it, clean up their lives, do this, that, and the
other. Act righteous and call that regeneration. Well, I'm telling you, that which
is born of the flesh is flesh. That's all it can be, that's
all it ever will be. But that which is born of the
Spirit of God, of the Spirit, that's Spirit. And irregardless
of where people like it or deny it or fight against it, whatever,
the scripture still says, you must be born again. That's just
fact. And all of that and then much
more is contained in what these people are talking. You've got
to be circumcised. Keep the law of Moses or you
can't be saved. In verse 2 back in our text,
when therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation
with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain
others of them should go up to Jerusalem and to the apostles
and elders about this question. Paul and Barnabas dissented,
disputed with them over this issue. I'm glad they did. Well, wouldn't it have been better
if they just kind of said, well, that's all right, you go your
way and we'll go, we're all going to the same place. No, sir. No, sir. No, sir. To compromise here is to compromise
the gospel. None of the people of God likes
to be involved in dissent and debate and strife over the issues
of the gospel. But all the people of God know
the necessity of it. There can be no compromise on
this issue. The very truth of the gospel
is at stake. Did you mark Galatians? Turn
back there right quick. Do you remember when Paul relates
this thing about when Peter and Barnabas came down? He said, when Peter was come
to Antioch, I withstood him to the face because he was to be
blamed. That's Galatians 2.11. Beforehand, Peter had sat down
and eaten with the Gentiles. Now when these people from Jerusalem
came down, these Jews came down, Peter got up and walked over
and changed seats. Verse 13, Other Jews dissembled
likewise with him, insomuch that even Barnabas also was carried
away with their dissimulation, their hypocrisy. But when I saw
that they walked not uprightly, now watch this, they walked not
uprightly according to the truth of the gospel I said unto Peter
before them all. If you, being a Jew, livest after
the manner of Gentiles and not as do the Jews, why are you compelling
that the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? Don't you know that
grief, Paul, to the heart to have to risk them? Peter, the
apostle Peter to the face, and Barnabas, his companion, in these
missionary journeys, but yet for the truth of the gospel,
for the truth of the gospel, it had to be done. Back in our text, this thing
went on down in Antioch, and finally the church, decided by
the church that they should go up to Jerusalem, settle the issue. Go up there where the apostles
and elders were, get this thing settled. Now, verse 3, they are being
brought on their way by the church. They pass through Phoenicia and
Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. Well, that was
good news, I'm telling you. It caused great joy in all the
brethren. I'm sure thankful. I'm glad. It causes great joy to know that
God sent the gospel, the gospel of Christ, the gospel of His
grace to Gentiles. You ought to be, too. Because as I look about this
room, it's all I see is Gentiles according to the flesh. It causes
great joy. Great joy. And when they were coming to
Jerusalem, they were received of the church and of the apostles
and elders, and they declared all things that God had done
with them. They told those apostles and
elders how God had blessed their ministry to the Gentiles. And then here in verse 5, But
there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees, which
believed, saying that it was needful to circumcise them, and
to command these Gentiles to keep the law of Moses. Now, right here is where the
heresies started to begin with. Pharisees. Pharisees who professed
to believe, but were really unbelieving legalists. I don't have any doubt at all
that those men who went down to Antioch spreading that error,
they got it right here from these men, these Pharisees. Verse 6 says, And the apostles
and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had
been much disputing, a lot of discussion, a lot of debate over
the issue, Then finally, Peter got up to speak. In these next few verses here,
he relates how God sent him to Cornelius
and his household. They were Gentiles, you know.
And he makes four vital points. Four vital points. Now, I'm trying
to give these to you quickly, but I do want you to note them. Verse seven, Peter rose up and
said unto them, men and brethren, men and brethren. See he knew those Pharisees weren't
believers, that's why he said men and brethren. If they'd been
believers they'd all been brethren, just brethren. You know how that a good while
ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth
should hear the word of the gospel and believe. Now, I'm sure you're
familiar with that, back in chapter 10, when Peter was sent to Cornelius
and his household. God chose Peter. God chose Peter
to be the first apostle to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. And why did God send Peter to
preach to the Gentiles? Now, it may be elementary, but
it's vitally important. Listen, why, why, why? That the
Gentiles by my mouth should, watch this now, hear the word
of the gospel and believe, and believe. You know, faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. and hearing by the word of God.
If you're ever going to believe on Christ, you're going to have
to hear the gospel of Christ. And if you're going to hear the
gospel of Christ, God is going to have to raise up a man and
send him to you to preach the gospel to you so that you can
believe. You see, righteousness, righteousness,
beloved, is not by works. It's not by works. Righteousness
is by faith in Christ. With the heart, man believes
unto righteousness. I know probably everyone here
said, well, I know that. I hope we all know. Even more,
I hope we all believe it. Man, with the heart, man believes
unto righteousness. You see justification, righteousness,
pardon. It's by faith in Christ. Without
works. Without works. Paul said in Romans
3, 28, he said, therefore we conclude that a man is justified
by faith without the deeds of the law. Period. That's the first point. Look
at verse 8. Here's the second one. God, which
knoweth the hearts, bear them witness, giving them the Holy
Ghost, even as he did unto us. Oh, God knows the heart. God
knows the heart. That's a comfort to every child
of God. But I'm telling you, that draft
strikes terror in the heart of the hypocrite. God knows the
heart. God looks on the heart. We may
fool men, but we can't fool God. The foundation of God standeth
sure having this, see if the Lord knoweth them that are His,
without doubt. And God, who knows the heart,
when He sent Peter up there to Cornelius and those Gentiles,
He bore witness that they were His by giving them His Spirit, just like He did the apostles.
No difference. No difference. Now listen, true faith in Christ
by the gospel is witnessed, it's evidenced by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God. It's the Spirit
of God who calls us. It's the Spirit of God who quickens
us, who gives us life, who gives us a new nature, a new nature
that believes and that loves Christ and a people of Christ. If any man be in Christ, he is
a new creation. All things are passed away. All
things have become new. All those new things are the
result of the creation of the Spirit of God in a person. And they're not by works, they're
by grace. I heard someone say, I looked
inside me and I could find absolutely nothing new. Well, I feel so
sorry for you. I'm telling you, there's some
new things in me. And there are in you too. There was a time
when I hated God. And I don't hate God now. That's new. There was a time
when I didn't believe Christ. And I believe Christ now. That's
new. There was a time when I didn't
love Christ. Lord you know my heart. You know
I love you Peter C. I can say I love Christ. That's
new. That's new. That's brand new.
There was a time when I didn't trust Christ for all my salvation.
I do now. That's new. There was a time
when I didn't have hope of eternal glory. I do now through Him.
I'll tell you there's a lot of things new. A lot of things new
in me and in you who believe that weren't there before. I
can say I love the brethren. I didn't before. I didn't even
like to be around them. Made me uncomfortable and made
them uncomfortable. And I went out of my way to avoid
it. Now, I go out of my way to try to be with Him. Don't you?
That's a new thing. That's a new thing. And that's
the result of the work of the Spirit of God in a person. That's
the result of that new nature, that divine nature that's imparted,
implanted, created in a believer when God the Holy Spirit regenerates
them. He gave the witness. of the Holy
Ghost, Peter said, to them just like He did us. He does that
to all His people. And Paul is very clear, very
clear in Romans 8. If any man, if any person has
not the Spirit of Christ, he's none of it. Whatever he may claim to be,
he's not. He's not. Verse 9, here's the
third point. And God put no difference between
us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. You imagine, think about Peter
now, he's standing up here in Jerusalem, in the church of Judea,
Jerusalem, made up almost exclusively of Jews, devout Jews, or used
to be Jews. Used to be natural Jews, now
they're true Jews. And he tells these people, who
all their life had been taught that Gentiles were nothing, they
were worse than dogs. They were considered worse than
dogs, better to kick a Gentile than a dog. And he stands up before these
people and he says, God put no difference between us and them. No difference. No difference. Oh, I want to tell the whole
world there's no difference. No difference. Whatever your
situation is, whatever background you came out of, it doesn't matter. There's no difference. We've
before proved that both you and Gentile, we're all under sin.
There's no difference. None whatsoever. Go back over to Romans chapter
3. Romans chapter 3. Romans chapter 3 verse 20. Look
at it. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law there shall no flesh be justified in God's sight, for by the law
is the knowledge of sin. But now, the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets. It's even the righteousness of
God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ. And it's unto all and
upon all them that believe, for there is No difference. Preacher, you don't know what
a rebel and a sinner I've been. Yes, I do. I may not know every
detail, but I know you just as did as soon as I was. And I know if you're going to
be saved, you're going to be saved the same way I was. God's going
to put no difference between us. He's not going to look upon
anything that you've done or anything that I didn't do. He's
going to look at Christ if He saves us. No difference. You've got Romans there. Turn
over to chapter 10. Oh, we like this chapter 10.
We like it all. With the heart, man believeth
unto righteousness. Now what he said, with the mouth,
confession is made unto salvation. Verse 12. There's no difference. There's no difference. You see,
verse 11 says, for the scripture saith, whosoever believeth on
him shall not be ashamed, for there's no difference. No difference
between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is
rich unto all that call upon him. No difference. And that's
what Peter told us, folks. That's what Peter told us. He
put no difference between us and them. He made no distinction
between us Jews and those Gentiles. Watch this. Purifying their hearts
by faith. Purifying their hearts by faith. God purified their hearts. He purified their hearts. If
you're a child of God, He purified your heart. If you believe on
Him, He purified your heart. How did he do it? By faith. Not
by works, by faith. By faith. You see circumcision,
now listen to me. Circumcision, several things
included in circumcision. That outward sign. Circumcision,
first of all, it was a token of the covenant with Abraham.
God gave it to Abraham as a token of that covenant that he made
with him. And then secondly, circumcision served as a seal
of sanctification. That is, it identified these
people as being set apart. As being set apart as the seed
of Abraham, as the people of God. And it was a seal, a seal,
now listen to me, of the righteousness of faith. Of faith. That's what it was. Now, go over
to Romans chapter 4. Romans 4. Look at verse 11. He's talking
about Abraham now. Romans 4.11. And he, Abraham,
received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of
the faith which he had, being uncircumcised, that he might
be the father of all them that believe. Though they be not circumcised,
that righteousness might be imputed unto them also. You see, it was
a seal of the righteousness of faith. Now hold Romans there
if you've got it. That was outward circumcision
in the flesh. It was a seal of the righteousness
of faith. But now listen. Listen. True
circumcision. True circumcision. It's not outward
in the flesh, it's of the heart. It's of the heart. It's not something
that's done by man, it's something that's done by God. You still have Romans, look at
chapter 2, verse 28. Romans 2, 28. He is not a Jew,
which is one outwardly. Neither is that circumcision
which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew which is one
inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart. It's in the
spirit. It's not in the letter. His praise
is not of men, but of God." There's a real difference. There's a
real difference in the typical circumcision and the true circumcision. You see, our justification and
our sanctification is by our Lord Jesus Christ. He is both
justification and sanctification. And it's through faith in Him. And it's by the power of the
Spirit of God in regeneration in the new birth. He of God is
made unto us. Wisdom and righteousness and
sanctification and redemption. He of all and in all. Listen, we read this a few minutes
ago. Let me read it. You don't have to turn to it.
Galatians. Galatians 3. Galatians 3 verse 2. Maybe we
didn't read this one. Paul writing these Galatians,
he calls them old foolish Galatians, and in verse 2 he says, This
only would I learn of you, received you the Spirit by the works of
the law or by the hearing of faith. Now how did the Holy Spirit
come to you? How did He take up residence?
Was that by works of the law or was that by the preaching
of the gospel and believing on Christ, the hearing of faith? The answer is so obvious he doesn't
even bother, he said, are you so foolish having begun in the
spirit are you now made perfect by the flesh? No sir! No sir! God purifies our hearts
by faith. By faith. That's easy enough
to understand it. Back in our text now. Here's
the fourth thing Peter says. Verse 10, Now therefore, why
tempt you God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which
neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? Listen, beloved, listen. The
law is an unbearable yoke. It's unbearable. Dog, dog, oh
dog, please don't let anybody ever, ever convince you to go
back under that law. I've had professing believers
try to convince me of that. I'm sure many of you have too.
No, no, a thousand times no. It's an unbearable yoke. The
apostles couldn't bear it and the forefathers couldn't bear
it. No man could bear it except one, and that's the God-man who
did bear it, who was tempted in all points like as we are
yet without sin. He's the only one who ever bore
the yoke of the law. And to put disciples under the
law is to, oh listen, listen, is to tempt God. Paul again writing
to the Galatians, he said, I do not frustrate the grace of God,
for if righteousness come by law, Christ is dead in vain. If you seek approval with God,
either in justification or sanctification, You're saying Christ died in
vain. He didn't do enough. He didn't
get the job done. That's an awful thing. You're
going to tempt God concerning the work of His beloved Son?
No sir, don't do it. And I tell you something else,
to go under the law is to become a debtor. A debtor. And it's
to make Christ of no effect. Paul said, I testify that whosoever
of you circumcise, he's a debtor to the whole law. Christ is become
of no effect unto him. Of no effect. Alright, those four points Peter
makes there. Then he draws this conclusion in verse 11. But we
believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we
shall be saved even as they. I just love the way he phrases
that, don't you? Oh, I do. Here's four things. Four things he mentions here.
I'll give them to you quickly. Here's faith defined. Faith defined. We believe. What is faith preacher? I believe. I believe God. Abraham believed God. He didn't believe there was a
God. Though he did believe that, that wasn't the extent of his
faith. He believed God, he believed
what God said, he believed what God promised, like you talked
about Dale, that promise. Being fully persuaded that what
God had promised, he's able to perform. We believe. We believe,
and here's the second thing, grace. We believe that through
the grace, through the grace, you know what that means to believe
in grace? It means that you exclude all
works. as a means of acceptance with
God. By grace are you saved through faith, and even that faith is
not of yourself, it's the gift of God, it's not of works, lest
any man should boast. We believe that through the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ, Christ is the object and the channel
of grace. Looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith. It's through the grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And he talks about salvation
here. We believe that through the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved. Not made savable, not
offered salvation if you agree to have it, but saved. Saved
with an everlasting salvation. Delivered just like Israel just
like Israel when they came out of Egypt not a hoof not a hair
was left behind they were delivered delivered Therefore it is our
faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might
be sure all the seed and Beloved that's the only way you can be
sure because it works in her into it if works if for one thing
One thing that I have to perform to complete this thing of salvation. I'm telling you right now, me,
you, anybody, we're goners. We're goners. As Spurgeon used
to say, he said, if Christ brought me all the way to the threshold
of heaven and left it up to me to take the last step, I might
as well go to hell right now because I can't do that. It's
all in Christ. It's all in Christ. It's all
in Christ. In the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ it excludes all personal merit and works. Saving grace
was purposed of God and given to His people in Christ before
the world began. It's God who saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus
before He ever floated this world in space. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
means that our election is of grace. That the purpose of God
according to election might stand not of works, but of Him that
calleth. Our redemption is of grace, being justified freely
by His grace through the redemption that's in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our calling is of grace. Would it please God who separated
me from my mother's womb and call me by His grace? Oh, and
our preservation and our glorification from beginning to end and everything
in between. It's all of God, all in Christ,
all of grace. For whom he didn't predestinate
them, he also called whom he called and justified whom he
justified and glorified. Now what are you going to say
to that? Praise God. Praise God. Is that what you
say? That's what I say. Don't let
anybody, I don't care how subtle they are, don't let them sneak
this thing of works in on you. Just don't let them do it. Go
back and deny man's Total depravity. It's total inability. They'll try to sneak it in anyway.
Let man just do some little something. That's what man likes to hear
that you know. They're telling people what they
want to hear. How good they are and what they can do. Well, I'm
telling you, you're no good in the flesh. And you can't do anything. And if you're ever going to be
saved, God's got to do it in Christ. And he'll send the gospel
to you. And somebody might be sitting
here this morning, well how in the world can I know that I'm
one of God's elect, that he chose me to salvation? I tell you,
you've got a good indication right here. God sent the gospel
to this place and he brought you here this morning to tell
you just what Peter told these folks. God made choice that by
me, these people are going to hear the word of the gospel and
they're going to believe. And then he goes on to finish
the work. He gives the Holy Spirit to all
His people, and He puts no difference between them. You understand what I'm saying?
You do, don't you? I know you do. I know you do. And it's getting hot in here,
and I've got more, but I'm going to quit with this. With this. Paul, when he wrote over in Acts
chapter 20, Acts chapter 20, his parting
words to the church at Ephesus. He said in verse 22, And now
brethren, I commend you to God. Boy, that's what I want to do
this, I commend you to God, not to Moses now. I commend you to
God and to the word of His grace. which is able to build you up
and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified. All of them. That's what I'll
do this morning. I'll point you to Christ. I'm
telling you about the grace of God in Him. I'm telling you,
believe, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. God purifies the
hearts through faith. You don't have to do anything.
Look to Christ and live. And leave the diesel all to Him.
Is that clear enough? Anybody here who doesn't understand
what I'm saying? Good. Our Father, we thank you for
the clarity and the grace of thy word. And we thank thee for
the power of thy spirit, which according to your purpose comes
upon your elect people and reveals salvation to them in the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank You, our Father, that
it's all of grace, that it's all according to Your divine
will and purpose, how we thank You, how we love You, how we
praise You. And, O Lord God, we do pray that
You continue to be merciful to sinners, that by Your grace You
raise dead sinners to life and reveal Christ in them. For His
glory's sake, we ask You. Amen.