to save, my lips shall still
repeat. Don't you love the simplicity
of the gospel? It's brought out so clearly in
that blessed hymn. The title of tonight's message
is A Heart Established with Grace. And none of us ought to be discouraged
over that because the word established is in the passive tense. This
is what God does for us. He establishes our heart with
grace. I am so interested in that. I
want my heart, whatever this means, I want my heart, not just
my intellect, But my mind, my understanding, my affections,
I want my heart established, firmly settled in His grace. Hebrews chapter 13, verse 9,
the verse begins with a negative. Somebody says you ought not ever
be negative. Well, there's a place where negativity has its place,
right here, for one. Be not, that's a negative, isn't
it? Be not carried about with diverse
and strange doctrines. It's only when one has had his
heart established with grace, made stable, settled, sure and
firm, that he's not carried about with diverse and strange doctrines. Paul said in Ephesians 4.14 that
we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried
about. Same word there. Carried about
with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning
craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive. That we be not a tumbleweed. You know what a tumbleweed is.
It goes in whatever direction the wind is blowing it. No root, no stability, not established. Now, somebody may Ask the question,
can this happen with a true believer? Evidently it can, but whether
it can or it cannot, this warning is necessary. Listen to these
words of Peter. Peter said in first Peter or second Peter chapter
three, I think it's verse 18, maybe verse 17. Beware. Blessed you. Blessed you. being led away by
the error of the wicked. Fall from your own steadfastness,
but grow in grace. Same thing, isn't it? Grow in
grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That's a needful Now, what is
he talking about when he's warning us about being carried about
with diverse and strange doctrines? These are the two words he uses
to represent what he's warning us about, diverse and strange
doctrines. Now, every time the word doctrines
is used in the plural in the scriptures, It's always with
reference to false doctrine. Always. No exceptions. The word diverse
is where we get the word motley from. Incongruent. They don't fit with the rest
of the word. Now, here's an example. In, I don't think I would be
exaggerating to say that in 99% of the churches in Lexington,
Kentucky, it's taught that the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ
died for the sins of all men without exception. And if you
took some isolated verses out of their context, you may think
that. But I have to understand, I have
to be able to throw the whole Bible against any doctrine I
hear. And if it doesn't measure up
with the whole message of scripture, it's not true. Christ died for
our sins, according to the scriptures. That's what Paul said. Not Christ
died for our sins, but it's how that Christ died for our sins,
according to the scriptures. Now, When that high priest went
in with the blood of the lamb on the day of atonement, there
was no mention of the Philistines or the Hittites or the Amorites
or the Jebusites. Those names were not written
on his breast. Whose names were written on his breast? The 12
tribes of the children of Israel. Christ died for our sins according
to the scriptures, the Old Testament scriptures. Do you remember when
God said, when I see the blood, I will pass over you? That's
how he died for our sins, according to the scriptures. He said, when
I see the blood, that's all he was looking for. When I see the
blood, I will pass over you. That's the entire message of
the Bible. So whenever I hear something
that doesn't fit in with the whole Bible, I know it's a strange,
diverse, motley doctrine that doesn't fit with the rest of
the scripture. Now the Bible has many doctrines
that make up the one doctrine of Christ. The doctrine. Oh, I never want to use that
word in a derogatory manner, the doctrine of Christ. And if I leave out any of the
doctrines that make up the one doctrine of Christ, I no longer
have the doctrine of Christ. When we talk about the doctrine
of grace. I used to call it the doctrines
of grace. I say, it's wrong to say that. It's the doctrine of
grace. That's the doctrine of the Bible.
Men are dead in sins. God elected a people before time
began to be saved. Christ died for the elect. God,
the Holy Spirit, invincibly gives them life and they shall persevere.
All those standards fall together. You leave out one, you do not
have any of them. You take the attributes of God. If you're wrong on one, you're
wrong on all of them. That's how important this is. If I deny
God's sovereignty, you know what else I'm denying? I'm denying
his wisdom. I'm denying his omnipotence.
I'm denying his immutability. I'm denying his independence.
I'm denying every attribute of God. If I deny one of them, the
Bible is one. The doctrine of Christ is one.
It all stands or falls together. For instance, the belief in free
will. You can't get that from the scripture. It is impossible to get that
from the scripture. You've got to throw the whole
Bible at something to see if it's true. Diverse doctrines
are false doctrines, and then he mentions strange doctrines. I like that description, diverse,
trying to fit a square peg into a round hole can't be done, incongruent,
inconsistent with the message of the scripture, diverse and
strange, foreign doctrine, a foreign or an alien, something that is
of this world and not of the scriptures. Notice the writer
says in verse nine, be not carried about with diverse and strange
doctrines for it's a good thing that the heart be established
with grace and not with meats which have not profited them
that have been occupied therein. What's he talking about not with
meats? Talking about what you eat, what you don't eat. Well,
there were two issues in the New Testament with regard to
what you eat and what you do not eat. The first were the Jewish
dietary laws. And the second was eating meat
that had been used as a sacrifice to an idol. Perhaps some animal
had been slain and it was a sacrifice to some foreign idolatrous, heathen-ish
idol. And somebody says, well, I can't
eat that meat if it was used for that purpose. And those were
the two issues in the New Testament regarding meats. And Peter was
very big in both of these. Do you remember when the Lord
brought down those unclean animals and that sheep and said, rise,
Peter, kill and eat? He said, not so, Lord. I've never
let anything come into my mouth that was unclean. He felt very
good about himself that he felt like he had obeyed these Jewish
dietary laws. And in saying this, he was saying,
I'm a little bit better than the person that had it. And the
Lord replied to him, what God hath cleansed, call not thou
common. The other instance we have is
in Galatians chapter 2, where Peter was eating with the Gentiles,
fellowshipping with them, having a good time, eating pork chops,
I suppose, something that he would have never been allowed
to eat under the Jewish economy. And he thought, these taste good.
I'm enjoying myself. Then all of a sudden, certain
from James comes, the church at Jerusalem. And these men were
Jewish believers. And Peter got uptight. He said,
they're going to see me eating this pork, and they're going
to think less of me. They're going to lose their respect for
me. So what did he do? He didn't say a word. He simply
got up and moved tables and started eating with the Jews instead
of the Gentiles. And Paul publicly rebuked him
for that. Now remember, Peter didn't say
anything, but he publicly rebuked him that the truth of the gospel
might remain. What is the truth of the gospel?
That Christ is all. If you eat or you don't eat,
it's not going to add anything or take anything away from your
salvation. Christ is all. And what Peter was doing in a
subtle way, a very subtle way, and a subtle way is much more
dangerous than way out in front. In a subtle way, he's saying
you can be more pleasing to God if you eat this, and you'll be
less pleasing to God if you don't eat this, and all those dietary
laws meant where Christ is not all. If I've got to keep those,
if that's going to please God more. And so that was a big issue
in the New Testament. And the other issue was meat
sacrificed to idols. And I've got to admit, if something
was sacrificed to Dagon, I might think, well, maybe I'll not eat
that. Well, Paul said, neither if we eat it or we better, if
we don't eat it or we the worse. Now, being taken up with do's
and don'ts. What Paul called in Colossians
chapter 2, touch not, taste not, handle not. He said, why are
you subject to the doctrines, what he calls the doctrines of
men? Touch not, taste not, handle not. And then he said, which
all are to perish with the using. If that's your religion, you
know what? You'll perish. That's what he's saying. Meats
don't perish. profit anybody, what you eat,
don't be taken up with non-essentials. Don't be taken up with things
that are not important. It's a good thing for the heart
to be established with grace, not with do's and don'ts, not
with rules and regulations. That's so repugnant with comparison
to the gospel of the grace and glory of God. Those man-made
rules are repugnant. They're offensive. Don't be taken
up with those things. Let your heart be established
with grace. Now, the remedy to being not
carried about with diverse and strange doctrines and being taken
up with things that aren't even important is that the heart be
established with grace. And like I've already said, the
word establish is in the passive voice. He doesn't say establish
your heart, let your heart be established. Ask the Lord right
now by His grace to establish your heart with His grace. Now, here's a very important
question. What does the Bible mean by the
word grace? The word grace is used all the
time. He's a gracious person. Evelyn Wang, some years ago,
had a sermon translated into Chinese. And she asked her husband
to read it and see if it was an accurate translation. He said,
well, there's one problem. The word grace, the only thing
it means in Chinese is elegant. By elegance you're saved. So there the same word means
something different. What does the Bible mean by the
word grace? Now the word grace has often
been defined as unmerited favor. You've probably all heard that
term. Unmerited favor. I've heard this and I've even
said this and I really love this. Mercy is God not giving you what
you deserve. Don't you want that? Mercy and
grace is God giving you what you do not deserve. I want that grace. Unmerited
favor, really unmerited favor, doesn't say enough to me. If
I give a beggar or a bum on the corner money with his sign out
asking for money and I give him money, that's unmerited favor.
That is unmerited favor. If somebody murdered my child,
and I give them something, that's demerited favor. And I think that that might come
closer to describing the grace of God, the demerited favor of
God. Now, I love the first time the
word's used in the scripture. Would you turn with me to Genesis
chapter six? And I want to ask you a question. Genesis chapter
six, verse five. Read this with me. Genesis chapter 6, verse 5. There's
not a more important verse than this. Genesis chapter 6, verse
5. And God saw that the wickedness
of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of
the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Two questions. Number one, does
that describe your heart, your natural heart, the one you
were born with? When God looks at your heart,
Does he see one that every imagination, every thought that passes through
your heart is only evil, nonstop? How do you answer that question?
Would that describe you? Now, if you would say, no, I
just can't go there, okay. Still what God says. And what
God sees is what is. When God sees your heart, that's
what he sees. So the first question is, would
this describe your natural heart? Right now. Right now. Here's the second
question. Does this include everybody without
exception. Did this include Noah? Does it say God saw the wickedness
of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of
the thoughts of everybody's heart but Noah was evil continually? No. Noah is included in this
definition just like you and I are. Now, Here's grace, verse
eight, but Noah found grace, demerited favor in the eyes of
the Lord. Genesis 6, 5 describes this man,
Noah. But Noah found demerited favor
in the eyes of God. Now this is a, I want you to
turn now to Romans chapter four. This is a scripture I don't usually
use. I mean, I use this scripture
a lot, but I don't usually use it to define grace. Romans chapter
four. If you want to know what the
Bible means by grace, What shall we say then that Abraham,
our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? Abraham, the most significant
man in scripture as far as men go. Obviously, the Lord Jesus
Christ is the most significant man, and you know that, and I
know that, but as far as everybody else, Abraham, the father of
the faithful. Abraham, the friend of God. What
a special man. Now, Paul brings him out. What shall we say then that Abraham,
our father as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham
were justified by works, He hath whereof to glory. He can say, I'm justified because
I did this, or I refrained from doing that. God is paying me
what he owes me. I'm getting my just due. Verse three. Verse two, if Abraham were justified
by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. For what sayeth the scripture? Not what does this preacher say
or that preacher say, or this denomination say, or does that
church say? What sayeth the scripture? Abraham
believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now does that mean his act of
faith was counted for righteousness? Once again, you've got to look
at everything that's said through the whole Bible. So let's go
on reading. Verse four, now, to him that
worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace. but of debt. If you're saved in any way because
of something you do, or that God could not act for you unless
you first did this, that means when God saves you, he's paying
you what he owes you. It can't be considered grace
if that's the case. It's not grace, but of debt. But, verse 5, to him that worketh
not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly. His faith is counted for righteousness. God's grace is God justifying
the ungodly. There's not a better definition
of grace in all the word of God than that. God, now this is him
giving somebody what they truly do not deserve. To him that worketh
not, you are convinced that if salvation is dependent upon something
you do, you're toast. You have no hope at all if salvation
is dependent upon what you do. Are you one of these people who
work not? You realize that if salvation is according to your
works, you don't have any hope. To him that worketh not, but
believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly. If you're an ungodly
sinner, What can you do to bring yourself into a state of justification? Now remember, justification means
sinlessness. It means standing before the
law of God, having never sinned. Absolutely perfect, absolutely
without even a hint of sin. That's what justification means,
not guilty. How in the world can me or you, ungodly sinners,
be just before God, is there something you can do to bring
about that state? You know the answer to that question.
There is nothing you can do to bring about that state. It's
only the grace of God that can bring that about, and this grace
is righteous grace. It's not, listen, if God justified
you, In your sin, he would be unrighteous. Amen? He would be unjust. But God has
made a way in the gospel to be absolutely just and justify the
ungodly. Now that is the grace of God. Only God's grace can do this,
and it's righteous grace. Listen to this scripture from
Romans chapter five, verses 20 and 21. Moreover, the law entered,
that the offense might abound. All God's law does is expose
to us abounding offense and sin. But where sin abounded. You find me a place where sin
abounds. Somebody says, well, I can't
see that. Well, okay. You're cutting your
own throat and saying that. But you find me a place where
sin abounds. Grace did much more abound that as sin hath reigned
unto death. Even so. might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life which is by Jesus Christ our
Lord. Now what that means is that when
God justifies me it's his righteousness that does so. It's not him sweeping
my sin under the carpet pretending like it's not there. My sin was
put away by the Lord Jesus Christ. It's been expunged from the universe.
It is no more. I stand before God without sin. He was manifested to take away
our sin, and Him is no sin. While you're there in Romans
4, look up in chapter 3, verse 24. Well, let's start at verse 22. Let's start at 21. But now the
righteousness of God without the law, without my personal
obedience is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the
prophets, even the righteousness of God. which is by faith of
Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there's
no difference for all of sin, and come short of the glory of
God, being justified, having been justified freely by His
grace. Now that's grace that can make
me justified. before God so that God looks
upon me and says, I'm pleased with him. He's perfect. He has
no sin. All I require, he has. That's
what the Lord Jesus Christ did for me. Now that's what grace
is. It's God justifying the ungodly. Now grace is an attribute of
God. Exodus chapter 34, verse 5, when
he proclaimed the name of the Lord before Moses, he said, the
Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious. Abundant in mercy and truth. It's an attribute of God. Now, grace, this is the way men
present grace. God's offering you grace. Here's your chance. God's offering
you grace. If you accept it, you'll be saved. But if you reject it, you won't
be saved. God's offering to you freely.
Just take it. Here it is. God's offering you grace. There's no truth to that. And do you understand? There's
no truth to that. Grace saves. Grace doesn't make
salvation available. Grace doesn't make salvation
possible. By grace, you are saved. That's the grace of God. That's
the grace that I want my heart to be established in. I love
Romans 11, five, where we read of the election of grace. You know, when you love election
or the election of grace, when you can't save yourself, you
love the election of grace. God choosing to save as an act
of his own free and sovereign will before time began. As a matter of fact, you cannot
preach salvation by grace and not preach election, the election
of grace. It is impossible. Somebody that does not preach
the election of grace does not preach grace period. The justification of a sinner.
That's all of grace, isn't it? You didn't do anything to make
this happen. This is His work and His work alone. Christ dying
for you? Why did He do that? Because He's
gracious. It wasn't because there's anything in you that merited
Him doing this. You had nothing in you. You thought, well, I need that
one. I'm going to die for Him. No. Grace! The work of the Holy Spirit in
the new birth. Did that come to you because
of anything you did or because of His grace? A believer persevering all the
way to the end. Looking to Christ in their last
breath, their last conscious breath. That's what perseverance
is. It isn't remaining religious. It's persevering in looking to
Christ only all the time into your last breath. That is the
grace of God. Now unto him that's able to keep
you from falling. Why are you kept from falling?
Because he's able to keep you from falling. And to present
you faultless. Do you hear that word? Faultless.
Before his presence with exceeding joy. That's the grace of God. When we stand before his throne
glorified, what will our song be? Salvation to our God who
sits upon the throne. and to the Lamb. There's one thing that cannot
be taken too far. Grace. You can't take that too
far. Now, in closing, the writer says
it's a good thing. This is a good thing, isn't it?
It's a good thing. that the heart be established,
settled, fixed in the grace of God. The heart, the heart. With the heart man believeth
under righteousness. When Isaiah is told by the Lord
to preach to Jerusalem, he said, speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem. And I mean speak to her heart.
Speak to her heart. Now the heart is the understanding,
it's the affections, and it's the will. As much as I can understand it,
I understand this, the only way that I can be justified is for
God to justify the ungodly by his grace. Do you understand
that? We don't understand it fully,
I realize that, but I know this. The only way I can be saved is
for God to justify an ungodly sinner like me by his grace. I have some understanding of
that. Right now, when I'm talking to you, I know this. Not only do I understand it,
I love it. I don't want it to be any other
way. I love it. I love being justified. I love
to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly. His faith is counted for righteousness.
Now, let somebody be confused. Does that mean my faith is righteousness? Christ's righteousness is righteousness. Faith believes that. That's the
point. Faith believes that. My faith
is not my righteousness before God. Christ is my righteousness
before God. I believe that. I understand
it. I love it. And I want it to be
that way. The gospel I believe, I want
it to be so. And the reason I want it to be
so is I don't see a way I can be saved. I understand to him
that worketh not. I understand that. but believeth
on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
I love that. And I want it to be that way. Oh that our hearts, our understanding,
our affection, our will might be established with grace. That's the only way I won't be
carried about with diverse and strange doctrines and that's
the way I won't be taken up with meats which have not profited
them that have been occupied therein. is if my heart is by
God established with his grace. May the Lord do that for all
of us. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for salvation
by your grace. How we thank you that to him
that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness." Lord, we understand what you
say when you say to him that worketh is the reward, not reckoned
of grace, but of debt. And Lord, you're not indebted to us. We're
so indebted to you and your grace. Lord, cause this to be real in
our hearts. In the blessed name of your son,
we pray. Amen.