you can with confidence from
your heart declare Jesus is mine. That you can with confidence
look God in the face with peace and with joy in the knowledge
of sin forgiven through the blood of Christ. Now my text this evening
is Isaiah chapter 45 and verse 22. Isaiah 45 and verse 22 I touched on this text last Lord's
Day evening and I want tonight to Give it one more effort to
declare that which is set forth here The Lord God says look unto
me and be you saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and
there is none else. I want by the Spirit of God to
set forth in clear terms what it is to savingly look to Christ. I want to show you in unmistakable
terms what it means to savingly look to Christ. The title of
my message is The Life Book. Now you know and I know that
natural men have been for many, many centuries looking almost
anywhere and everywhere for salvation but to Christ. I'm not being
bigoted, I'm not being prejudiced, I'm not being radical when I
make that statement. You know it's true. Men look
everywhere but to Christ. Millions around the world look
to their idols of wood and stone and brass and silver and gold,
and they look to their idols with confidence. They look to
their idols with commitment. They look to their idols with
some measure of satisfaction and peace for everlasting salvation. You might imagine that no man
would ever do such a thing. We tend to ignore things that
we don't observe with our own eyes. But I've seen with my own
eyes, I've seen many women, thousands of them, I've seen thousands
of them, bow down to their idols and pray to their idols and walk
away from their idols with confidence that their idols have heard them
and they will have everlasting life with God in heaven. Millions look to idols that are
taken even from the holy scriptures. They're slaves to ceremonies
and rituals, holy days and Sabbath days. They make gods of the apostles,
good luck charms of crosses, angels and gestures, and they
make the sacraments, they make the ordinances of God to be sacraments
by which grace is conveyed to men. They worship and serve the
creature more than the creator. Millions looked to the law, to
morality, to their good works for everlasting life. The rich
young ruler spoke to God himself and said concerning his law,
all these things have I kept from my youth up. Nothing for
me to worry about. I've kept the law. I've done
what's right. I don't blaspheme God's name. I don't worship sticks and stones.
I don't commit adultery. I don't steal. I've kept all
these things in my youth up. But he didn't understand that
God requires not only outward obedience to please men, but
inward obedience in perfection. The Pharisees said, God, I thank
thee. He did kind of tip his hat to
God and say, God, I thank you. Somehow you enabled me to do
this, but I thank you. I'm not like other men. I pray
three times a day. I fast twice every week. I give
tithes of everything I possess. And I'm sure that's not like
this publican over here. The Apostle Paul wrote concerning
the Jews in his day. And he said, brethren, my prayer
and my heart's desire to God for Israel is that they might
be saved. I bear them record. They have
a zeal, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant
of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own
righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness
of God. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness. to everyone that believe it.
In other words, Paul said, though my countrymen are zealous, and
though they seek to worship God according to the dictates of
Holy Scripture, and though they follow after the commandments
of God and the ceremonies given by God in the law, yet they seek
by their obedience to God's word to establish righteousness for
themselves and will not submit to the righteousness of God which
is found only in Jesus Christ. Millions look to their own religious
experiences, their decisions, their feelings. They trace salvation
to a time and a place. They are sincere. They have commitment
of a sort. They build churches. They send
out missionaries. They go themselves as missionaries.
We're supporting Brother Ken Wymer. We help to support Brother
Doug Weaver. Both of these men who served
in Africa as missionaries, but they didn't know God. They traced
salvation to a decision, to a feeling, to an experience, and they walked
about with commitment of a sort to their religion, but they didn't
know God. They've got a refuge, but it's
a refuge of lies. Turn over to Isaiah 28. Here's
a remarkable, remarkable, astounding statement. Isaiah 28 and verse
15. Hear ye the word of the Lord,
ye scornful men. God says in verse 15, because
you have said, you have said, not somebody else said, you have
said, we have made a covenant with death. I'm not afraid to
die. I've got everything patched up
for me and God. I'm not afraid to meet God. Everything's all
right. I've come to peace with Jesus. We've made a covenant
with death. And with hell are we in agreement.
When the overwhelming, overflowing scourge shall pass through, it'll
not come near us. It'll not come near us. That
psalm you read in Mark just a little bit ago, they use the very words
right here. That's what happened to us. We're
all right. We're all right. For we have made lies our refuge,
and under falsehood have we hid ourselves." Millions look to philosophy,
their own thoughts and opinions. Their doctrine, their creed is,
in my opinion, I get so sick and tired of hearing fellas say,
well, this is what this means to me. It doesn't matter what
this means to me. It doesn't matter what this text
of scripture means to you. It doesn't matter what my opinion
or your opinion is concerning it. But for most people, their
doctrine, their creed, their teaching is, this is what it
means to me. My opinion is. For most people,
they simply will not regard what God says. For God says, my thoughts
are not your thoughts. Neither are my ways your ways.
So, man's opinions and man's philosophy and man's thoughts
about things are of no consequence whatsoever. For several years now, there
have been, among Baptist people, use the word very loosely, tradition
of what's called dialogue preaching. First time I heard that, I had,
what on earth are they talking about? And a fellow explained
it to me. So what that means is a fellow will have two men
on the platform, and one of them will give his opinion about a
text, and another will give his opinion about a text. And then
they will discuss the text, and what they do is they offer various
plausible interpretations of the word of God and allow people
to deduce from their presentation what the scriptures might mean.
Well, that suits men very well, but God's servants don't get
involved in dialogue preaching. I'm not here to give you my opinion,
nor to offer the opinions of another, but rather to declare
what God says. Now the word of God clearly declares,
salvation is of the Lord. It is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. The wages of sin, that's death,
but the gift of God, that's eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord. The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord. God speaks plainly. Do you ever notice how plainly
God speaks? When God comes to deal with an
issue, when God confronts men, He doesn't hymn at all. He doesn't
mince words. He speaks plainly and declares,
Thus saith the Lord. And God's servants must also
speak plainly and declare, Thus saith the Lord. They must not
mince words. They have no knowledge, God says,
back here in verse 20. They have no knowledge that set
up gods of their own imaginations that pray to a God that cannot
save. God says, there is no God beside
me, a just God and a Savior. There is none beside me. Therefore,
he says, look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the
earth, for I am God and there is none else. You see, salvation
is God's work alone. It is not the work of the preacher,
the soul winner. It is not the work of the Sunday
school teacher. It is not your work. It is not the work of the
church. It is not the work of the Pope.
Salvation is the work of God. And this salvation is in God's
Son, Jesus Christ only. God is determined to save some
of Adam's fallen race. But the only way he will save
them is through the person and work of his beloved son. We rejoice
to hear God declare, God so loved the world that he gave his only
begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but
have everlasting life. We rejoice to hear the word of
God declared that in the fullness of time, God sent forth his son
made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were
under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
We rejoice to hear the apostle declare, this is a faithful saint,
worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners, of whom I am chief. We rejoice to know that
God that yonder two thousand years ago was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, but
rather imputing them to his Son. For he hath made him to be sin
for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him." I know that men sitting out here, you folks,
that doesn't bother you at all to hear someone declare that
salvation is God's work and that salvation, that is God's work,
is found only in Christ Jesus. But this is the message that
must be declared and declared emphatically both here and around
the world. Several years ago I was asked
to give a lecture over at UK on the theology of Martin Luther.
Todd Nyberg was taking a class over there on comparative religions,
and the professor got to talking with Todd, and Todd talking about
myself and some of the studies I've done. And so they arranged
this class, and we went over and I gave a lecture. I tried
to get out of it. I told Todd they're not going
to like it. He was younger then. He said, well, they're open-minded. They're very open-minded. They
discuss everything. I said, now, Todd, they're open-minded
to everything but this. Anything, you can come and talk
about being saved by a crocodile, they're open-minded to that.
You can talk about being saved by eating rats, they're open-minded
to that. You can talk about being saved by bowing down to Buddha
or worshiping a totem pole, they're open-minded to that. But when
you talk about being saved by free grace through Christ alone,
nobody's open-minded to it. Time I got done, the professor
got up and walked out in a huff, and students sat around and wanted
to ask some questions, so I tried to answer some of them. And one
of the Oriental young men sitting in the class, and I could tell
that he was somewhat interested, maybe upset, but somewhat interested
in what I'd been saying. And he said to me, Mr. Fortner, what about people in
other parts of the world who've never heard tell of Jesus Christ?
Are you saying that they are lost? And I said, no, sir. God says they're lost. There
is no way of life apart from Christ who is life. That's the
reason we carry the gospel around the world. There is no way for
men and women to be saved apart from Jesus Christ, God's Son,
as he is revealed in this book. The Son of God alone is the Savior
of men. Anyone who would know God, anyone
who would be saved must look to Christ. I really don't know
what to say to our generation. I really don't. I'm contemplating
writing some newspaper articles, if God will open the door for
us here. And I don't know what to say to this generation. I
don't know what to say to the men and women of Danville, Kentucky,
any more than what our Lord and his apostles said. Our Savior
said, I'm come in my Father's name. He did, didn't he? I'm
come according to the scriptures, I'm come with the word of God,
I'm come with a mission from God, I'm come in my father's
name, and you receive me not. If another comes in his own name,
you'll fall down before him, you'll receive him, and you will
not come to me that you might have life. Yet for the glory
of God, and for the good of those who have ears to hear and eyes
to I want one more time to try to deal with this very simple
plain text of scripture and pray that God the Holy Spirit will
give me your hearts. Look unto me and be you saved
all the ends of the earth for I'm God and there is none else. Salvation is obtained by looking
to Christ. Can you get a hold of that? Salvation
is obtained by looking to Christ. There's life for a look at the
crucified Lord. Now, having made that statement,
salvation is obtained by looking to Christ, there's some questions
I've got to ask and must be answered to satisfy my own mind. First,
what does it mean to look to Christ? What does that mean?
Our Lord himself answers the question for us over in John
chapter 3, turn there if you John chapter 3. What does it
mean to look to Christ? Now everybody quotes John 3.16
as though John 3.16 were the gospel. John 3.16 is not the
gospel. It is not. The gospel is found
in John chapter 3 verses 14 and 15. John 3.16 declares the reason
and the cause of the gospel, but the gospel is found here.
The Lord Jesus is speaking and he says, as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted
up. That is, as Moses held up that
serpent of brass for everybody to look at who was bitten of
the fiery serpents, so Jesus Christ must be lifted up upon
the cursed tree for this purpose, that whosoever believeth in him,
that is, whosoever looks to him. That's what it means to look.
To look is to believe. And the reason that God accepts
you as you believe is because Christ has been lifted up, crucified
as the sinner's substitute. That whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have eternal life. Now, let me say four things
concerning this matter of looking to Christ. What does it mean?
First, turn to Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 11. When you start to talk about
faith and try to explain what faith is, I'm always very fearful,
lest I confuse men with that language by which I try to clarify
things. Let me speak simply in terms
of Scripture. To look to Christ is to admit
His reality. Got that? To admit His reality. Look in Hebrews chapter 11, verse
6. Without faith, it's impossible
to please God. For he that cometh to God must
believe that he is. Got to admit, it's reality. Must
believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that
diligently seek him. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
is not a myth. He is not just a religious symbol,
a religious figure in history. He is not just an idea or a presenter
of ideas. Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the
Lord from heaven. He is that one who was before
all things, that one who is the Word of God, that one who is
full of grace and full of truth, by whom we have received grace
on top of grace. He is God manifest in the flesh. What is it to look to Christ?
First is to deal with the reality of His person. To admit that
He is. I believe He is. I believe He
is. He's revealed in this book. He's
revealed in my heart. He's God Almighty. He's God Almighty. Can you go into that part? To
admit the reality of His person. To look to Christ is to acknowledge
that salvation can come from and through him alone. Now, Bobby, that's where about
everybody trips up. That's where most everybody stumbles and falls. To most, that's a rockable fence.
They simply cannot accept it. But the scripture declares that
there is none other name under heaven revealed among men whereby
we must be saved save the name of Jesus Christ. Turn over to
1 John chapter 5. 1 John chapter 5 and verse 11. The Apostle John speaks plainly.
This is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and
this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life,
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." It pleased
God that all fullness dwelled in Jesus Christ. By one man's
disobedience came sin and death. Even so, by the obedience of
one, Jesus Christ, came righteousness and life. By Adam, we were made
sinners. By Christ, we are made righteous. Without the shedding of blood,
the shedding of His blood, who is God in human flesh? Without
the shedding of blood, there's no remission for our sins. How
can you say that salvation is only in Christ? How can we be
so dogmatic and declare that no man can come to God who does
not recognize that salvation comes through and from Jesus
Christ alone? For these reasons, there is a
God, a God in heaven who must be reconciled with man. A God
to whom we must be reconciled. And nobody can make that reconciliation
but God, and that God is Christ. Nobody could reconcile God to
man and man to God except the God-man, Jesus Christ the Lord. There is a law, the law of God,
that must be honored. Not only is it true that men
must obey the law outwardly, as I said earlier, but the law
of God must be honored perfectly from the beginning of life to
the end of life without faith, without mistake. God demands
perfection. And nobody could honor the law
but Jesus Christ. Nobody could honor the law for
us, but that man who is God, whose obedience is of infinite
worth to a holy God, there's justice that must be satisfied. And nobody can satisfy divine
justice except Jesus Christ. There is an atonement, an atonement
that must be made for sin. Someone, somehow, must atone
for man's sin if man is to be accepted of God, somehow. I like
to work crossword puzzles, and I get a little aggravated every
time I read a clue that says to make amends, and the word
is atone. Well, you can't make amends.
You can't make amends. How are we going to amend the
errors of our ways? How are we going to make up with
God for having attacked His very throne? For having stand against
the infinitely Holy One? There's no way we can. Oh, but
Jesus Christ the God-man, when He bore the wrath of God, He
bore all the foulness of God's holy wrath, and with one tremendous
drift of love, He drank damnation dry, so that now He is the atonement
and we've received the atonement by receiving him, by believing
him. To look to Christ thirdly is
to address myself to him, to call upon him as a center in
need of mercy. Turn to that real familiar text
in Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10. He that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life. To look to Christ now is to admit
the reality of His person. To look to Christ is to recognize
that salvation can come only through Him and only by Him. To look to Christ is to address
myself to Him, to call upon Him. And this is what Paul says, Romans
10 verses 9, 10, and 13. If thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart. Now that's
where faith takes place. It's in the heart. It's in the
heart. The confession is public. The
confession comes out of the mouth. The confession is in believer's
baptism. The confession is the cry of
the mouth to God in prayer. is a heart work. It's a heart
work. It's a heart work. And believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead. That
is, believe in your heart that God Almighty has accepted his
payment for sin and demonstrated his acceptance of Christ's atonement
by raising him from the dead. Thou shalt be saved. For with
the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation. Verse 13. For whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Read through the scriptures.
And as you read, note the experiences of those who found mercy. Just
read and note how men experienced God's mercy and grace. Every
time you will find that they came to Christ, they called upon
Christ, and they were blessed of Christ. Bartimaeus, as Jesus
passed by, called for him. And the Lord Jesus stopped, and
he called Bartimaeus to come to him. And as he was brought
to the Lord Jesus, he was blessed of Christ. the publican, came
into the temple, the house of God, and he wouldn't even lift
up his eyes to heaven, but he smote upon his breast and he
cried, God, be merciful. The word is God be propitious.
God be propitious, be, be justice, be satisfied through the blood
toward me. Be merciful to me, the sinner.
And that man went down to his house just And I'm here to tell you that
if you look to Christ and address yourself to him, call upon him,
acknowledging that he alone is the propitiation for sin, admitting
the reality of his person, I'm telling you, you'll go out of
this house, down to your house tonight, justified. Justified. To look to Christ, fourthly,
is to abide in him. Now turn with me to 1 John chapter
2. 1 John chapter 2. To abide in
him. John says in verse 28, now little
children, abide in him. Abide in him, that when he shall
appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before at
His coming. What does it mean to abide in
Christ? Abiding in Him is not an indifferent state.
Abiding in Him is not just a state of being. Abiding in Him It's
not just staying in one place. It's not what it means. To abide
in Christ is continue looking to Him all the days of my life. That's what it is. It is to continue
seeking Him all the days of my life. Brother Rex came in tonight
and he said that message was just as good this morning as
it was when first I heard it. That's what I'm talking about.
They said we never cease coming to Christ. That's exactly what
John's talking about here. To look to Christ is to abide
in Him. Now I know we're living in this
day when men and women argue and debate about once saved,
always saved. Everybody gets hold of that.
Everybody gets hold of that. Once saved, always saved. Over
the years I've had folks come to me, I'm astounded at the words
that come out of the mouths of people who ought to know better.
I've had folks come to me and talk about somebody who's never
shown any interest in the cause of Christ, never show any interest
in the kingdom of God, never attend the worship of God, never
give themselves to the glory of Christ in any way, whatever.
But they made a profession of faith a long, long time ago.
And now they get in trouble. And sister or brother or mom
or dad comes in and says, you know, oh Bobby, he's really in
trouble. You know, he's even beginning
to doubt his salvation. He's even beginning to doubt
that. And my response is, well, it's about time. It's just about
time. Men who look to Christ, Bob,
abide in Christ. They never stop looking to Him.
They never stopped seeking Him. They never stopped trusting Him.
They never stopped thirsting for Him. They never stopped hungering
after Him. Let's look at some scripture.
Look in Hebrews chapter 3. Hebrews chapter 3. Our Lord said, I'm the vine,
you're the branches. He said, do you abide in me or
my father will cut you off. You bite and leave, you bring
forth no fruit, dead branches got to be trimmed off and burned,
they're useless. Here in Hebrews chapter 3 and verse 6, the Apostle
Paul says, Christ as a son over his own house, whose house are
they? That's a remarkable statement.
We're the house of God. Wait a minute now. If we hold
fast the confidence and the rejoicing of hope, Now that kind of limits
you. Whose house we are if we abide
in Him. Look at verse 14. For we are
made partakers of Christ. What an astounding word. Partakers
of Jesus Christ. Hold on. If we hold the beginning
of our confidence. Hold on. We hold the beginning
of our confidence steadfast to the end, abiding in him. Look in Colossians chapter 2,
or chapter 1 rather, Colossians chapter 1, verse 22. Paul says that Christ
will in the body of his flesh through death present you holy
and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. Get hold of that.
You'll be sure you get hold of this next line. If you continue
in the faith. If you continue in the faith.
That doesn't mean continue professing faith. That doesn't mean continuing
to profess to believe in Jesus. That means continuing in the
faith. Continuing in the worship of
God. Continuing in seeking after Christ. Continually walking in
Him. abiding in him, if ye continue
in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the
hope of the gospel which you have heard." To look to Christ
is to acknowledge and admit the reality of his person. It is
to acknowledge that he alone is Savior. It is to address myself
to him as a sinner in need of mercy. it is to abide in him. Mr. Spurgeon said on one
occasion he began to have one of his bouts with melancholy
and depression, began to question the state of
his soul like most believers tender-hearted do. We began to
look at ourselves, wonder whether or not it's any possibility such
a person could be saved and he said I was away from home and
I went to hear a man preach and he said the preacher wasn't much
of a preacher he said he just he couldn't preach very well
but he had a good subject he preached the gospel of Jesus
Christ and it was to my heart like bomb from heaven for I realized
that indeed Indeed, God had done a work of grace for me because
I continue to rejoice in the hope of the gospel. I look to
Christ. You understand what he's saying?
Abide in him. Keep looking to Christ. Keep
looking to Christ. All right. For what part of salvation
are we to look to Christ? I know you anticipate what I'm
going to say. We look to Christ for everything
from beginning to end. But let me say it in another
way. John Flavel, the Puritan, made these five observations
and they're worth remembering. He said everything that God has
for sinners, everything, is in Christ. Everything God has for
you and me is in Christ. Secondly, these blessings of
grace are ours by a vital union with Christ. What do you mean
by vital union? I mean a union so that if you,
this finger is joined to this body in a vital union. You cut
the finger off from the body, the finger is going to die. It's
not going to hurt the body, but the finger is going to die. And
a vital union with Christ is a union of life. Such a union
of life that we are one with Christ, bone of his bone, flesh
of his flesh, members of Jesus Christ, so that whatever he has,
what's this? And that water went in the head,
but it's the possession of the whole body. Understand that? Whatever Jesus Christ, our head,
has as our representative, Our substitute, our mediator, is
ours by a vital union with him. By a vital union with him. And
this vital union, he said thirdly, this vital union with Christ
is a union of faith. So, explain that. I can't explain
that. I can't begin to explain that.
I don't know how it is that you take a graft from a tree And
you take that graft to be brought into another tree. The two are
bound together. You pack them with the mud, you
make the cuts, and you pack them with the mud, and you wrap them.
And the two grow into one. I don't understand how it works,
but I know it works. And I don't understand how it
is that faith causes men and women to be united with Christ
really. But I'm telling you that faith
makes many women to be really one with Jesus Christ. Really
one. It's a union of faith. I'm one
with Him. Believing Him. I draw life from
Him. I draw life from Him. And this
vital union of faith, Flavel said, comes by hearing the Word
of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing
by the Word of God. And then He said, fifthly, the
Word of God is made effectual to our hearts by the Spirit of
God. And when this Word of God is
made effectual to our hearts so that you look to Christ, do
you look to Him now? When the Word of God has been
made effectual to your heart so you look to Christ, you look
to Him for everything. Everything. I need forgiving. I look to Christ for forgiveness.
I need righteousness. I look to him who is the Lord
my righteousness. I need cleansing. I look to Christ
in the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son. Cleanse me from all
sin. I need strength. Oh my God, I
need strength. The way is too long, the load
is too heavy. I'm too weak. But I look to Christ
who says my grace is sufficient for thee. I need sanctification. Without holiness no man is going
to see the Lord. But I'm altogether unholy. There
is nothing in me, in my flesh, that's good. I know that. I look
to Christ by whose blood I've been sanctified. He is my sanctification. I need keeping. I need keeping. I hear folks, I've heard preachers
say, we ought not sing that hymn, Come Thou Fount, because those
words, prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it prone to leave the
God I love. Those aren't the expressions
of a believing heart. Now, I'm going to tell you something. Whether they are or not, I can't
say, but they are the expressions of my own experience. I need
keeping. I need keeping. So I cry continually,
here's my heart. Oh, take and seal it. Seal it
for thy courts above. And I look to him to keep me. Brother Hubert, sitting over
here, I don't mean to embarrass you. You've been walking in the
way of faith longer than most of us have been around. But you need keeping, just as
much as I do, as the youngest believer who tonight looks to
Christ. He alone keeps us. He alone preserves us. He alone
holds us in life. For what encouragement do we
have to look to Christ? Maybe you think to yourself,
Don, everything you say is all well and good, But I'm a guilty
sinner, a man of flesh deserving of God's wrath. His soul cries
death of mercy. Can there be mercy still reserved
for me? Can my God his wrath forbear? Me, the chief of sinners, spare?
On what authority can a man look to Christ? He can look to him
on the authority of his word. He says, look. He says, look. That means you look. Look unto
me and be you saved. He says, come now. Let us reason
together, saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be as wool. Though they be red like crimson,
they shall be as white as snow. He says, if any man thirst, let
him come to me. Come unto me, all you that labor
and heavy laden, I'll give you rest." That's his word. Now,
that is warrant enough for you to look. We look to him on the
authority of his promise. He declares, all that the Father
giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. In other words, I take that to
mean that if I come to Christ, regardless of my condition, regardless
of my understanding, regardless of my emotions, regardless of
my feelings, regardless of my lost estate, if I come to Christ,
he will not cast me out. That's what he says. We come
to him on the authority of his mission as the Christ of God. His name is Jesus. He saves his
people from their sins. He says, I am come to seek and
to save that which is lost. I've come to save sinners. That's
my mission. That means sinners can come to
Him. And we look to Him on the authority of His character. Back
here in Isaiah 45, it says, I'm a just God and a Savior, so look
to me. He says, God is love. Oh, you don't have to be afraid
of that. Look to Him. He declares he will be gracious,
he delighteth in mercy. So look to him, look to him for
mercy. And we can look to him on the authority of his record. I like to go through the word and search out those examples
of grace. And as you read through this
book, You will never find one example
of one sinner who ever looked to Christ and was not saved. Never. There was a poor leper
who cried, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. You know
what he did? He made him clean. There was
a broken woman who said, I just touched the hem of his garment,
but it made holes. She touched him. She was made
whole. There was a Samaritan woman who had five husbands. That means she was an acceptable
prostitute. She had five husbands. And the
man she was living with then wasn't her husband. And the Lord
Jesus met her and said, if you knew who I was, you'd ask me
to give you water and drink. Before he got done, she said,
Lord, give me that water. And she found in her soul a well
of living water springing up and everlasting life. There was
a woman of ill repute, a harlot, named Mary, out of whom the Lord
cast seven devils, who looked to the Savior and
were made altogether pure. There was in the scripture a
proud, arrogant, miserly publican named Zacchaeus. The Lord Jesus
brought him to himself, and when Zacchaeus came down to the Savior's
feet, he found the Savior accepting him. There was even a persecuting
Pharisee named Saul of Tarsus, who when he was thrown on his
back, looked to Christ and said, what we had here to do and the
Lord Jesus revealed himself to him. I stand before you a man without merit, without righteousness,
without goodness of any kind, without knowledge, without understanding,
without the refinements of education, a man who had wasted his life,
A man who'd spent his days in riotousness, a man who'd spent
his days running from God in rebellion and ungodliness, a
man who looked to Christ 25 years ago and has never yet been rejected,
has never yet been cast off, a man who this day has no merit
and no personal worth and no personal goodness by which to
commend himself to God. But I look to Christ, and he
receives me, and he accepts me. But when should I look? Why,
now. Now's the time of need. And now's
the only time you have. Yesterday's gone, tomorrow's
uncertain. Your time here will soon be over.
It is appointed unto men once to die. I know you don't believe it.
I don't know whether I do or not. There is an hour appointed before eternity. Before ever you drew your first
breath, An hour appointed of God beyond which you shall not
pass. You're going to draw your last
breath. I mean, you're going to draw.
I don't care what physicians do. I don't care how much of
a health food nut you are. I don't care how much of a physical
enthusiast you are. I don't care what you do or what
the doctors do or what the world does. There's an hour appointed
when you're going to draw your last breath. And you're going
to meet God in Geneva. And it's a very short ways off. The time is short. Short. The invitation is extended now.
God speaks, and God says, look unto me, and be ye saved, all
the ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is none
else. He speaks now. If I were you, I'd look now.
Right now. Right now. He may never speak
again. Amen.