Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
9.45 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com.
Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert. I've entitled the message for
this morning, The Faith of Christ. Not the faith in Christ, but
the faith of Christ. Now let me read my text in Ephesians
chapter 3, verse 12. It says, in whom, speaking of
the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we have boldness and access with
confidence by the faith of Him." Now, if you're not reading a
King James Version, you probably are reading that we have access
with confidence by faith in Him. Now, while the Bible was written
in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic, most of the New Testament, all
of the New Testament was written in Greek. Most of the Old Testament
was written in Hebrew and some Aramaic. All of the versions in English
we read are translations. I've heard of people who are
what they call King James only, and they think the King James
only is inspired. Now, the King James version is
a translation. It's not inspired, only the Greek
is inspired. This is a translation, but it's
the best translation. And it is the only translation
where these scriptures with regard to the faith of Christ is translated
properly. The other translators, I guess
it didn't make sense to them, they thought, well, they must
mean this. But no, this is the way it's actually stated in the original.
The faith of Christ. And if you speak of faith in
Christ and the faith of Christ, you're talking about two completely
different subjects. And if you say faith in Christ
with regard to this verse, you completely change the meaning. Now, the faith of Christ is speaking
of how He trusted the Father perfectly. His faithfulness is
His perfect obedience, His perfection before the law, His faithfulness
to obey God and obey the law in every jot and tittle. That's
what we're speaking of when we're talking about the faith of Christ.
Somebody had to trust God perfectly. He did. He's the one who could
say, though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Any time something
goes wrong for us, we're crying up in unbelief, wondering why
we're being punished, wondering why God's doing this. Not Him. Even in the utter darkness of
the cross, He trusted God completely. When He was dying, He said, Father,
into Thy hands I commend my spirit. utterly faithful to obey God
every second of his life. Now, let me read some scriptures
to you where the faith of Christ is mentioned. Not faith in Christ,
but the faith of Christ. First, in Romans chapter 3, we
read, beginning in verse 19, Now we know that what thing soever
the law saith, It saith to them who are under the law, that every
mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before
God. Now God's law, the Ten Commandments,
all they do is expose sin. If you believe that you've kept
one commandment one time in your heart before God, you have no
understanding of the law of God. All the law of God does is expose
sin and make us cry out, guilty as charged. If you look at God's
law in any other way, you have no understanding of it or yourself. All the law does is make us stand
guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the
law there shall no flesh be justified in his 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, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of. Not by faith in, but by faith
of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. Now,
the righteousness of God and the faithfulness, the faith of
the Lord Jesus Christ is the same thing. God manifest in the
flesh, keeping God's law, being utterly faithful. I am justified,
not by faith in Christ, but by the faith of Christ, His righteousness,
His law-keeping, justifying me, Him putting away my sin. I'm
not justified because I believe, I'm justified because Christ
kept the law for me and Christ died for me, and He was raised
from the dead. I believe that, but that's not
what justifies me. My faith doesn't justify me.
Christ justifies me. It's the work of Christ alone. It's not my faith in Christ. It's Christ dying for my sins
and putting them away and being raised for my justification.
Let me read a passage from Galatians 2, and this is very similar,
but the language is so important. Galatians 2, verse 16. Knowing, Paul says, knowing that
a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the
faith of Jesus Christ. Did you hear that? Now, a lot
of versions other than King James say this, knowing a man is not
justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.
But that's completely changing the meaning. I am justified 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 no
flesh shall be justified. Now what is meant by the works
of the law? Salvation by works Is any aspect of your salvation
being dependent upon something you do? If you don't do it, you
can't be saved. Now, that works. At salvation
in some way dependent upon what you do. If salvation is dependent
upon me doing anything, there's no hope for me. I will not be
saved. I'm sure of that. But here's
the hope of salvation. A man is justified by the faith
of the Lord Jesus Christ. justified me. I'm justified by
His faithfulness, by His work in my behalf. And to say that
I'm justified by faith in Christ would make my faith what the
cause of my justification. And that's not the cause of my
justification. The cause of my justification is Christ obeying
the law for me, paying for my sins, raising me from the dead.
That's the cause of my justification, not something that I have done.
In Galatians 2, verse 20, listen to Paul's words. He says, I'm
crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in
the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me. I'm depending upon his faith. I'm depending on his faithfulness. I live by the faith of the Son
of God. That's how I live. My faith is-well,
what faith I have is real. It's the gift of God. By grace
He was saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves. It's
the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. But
what gives me comfort is His faithfulness, His obedience. I live by the faith of the Son
of God. Look what Paul said in Philippians
3. This language is so strong. He said in Philippians 3, beginning
in verse 9, Or verse 8, Yea, doubtless, I
count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of
all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ
and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is
of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ. Not faith in Christ. the faith
of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Now
Paul is saying, when God comes looking for me, I want to be
found in Christ so that all he sees is Jesus Christ. He doesn't see anything else.
If I'm in Him, that's all He sees. And that is being saved
by the faith of Christ. When God sees me, all He sees
is the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. And
then in our text, in Ephesians 3, verse 12, it says, in whom-speaking about being
in the Lord Jesus Christ-in whom we have boldness and access with
confidence by the faith of Him." Now, don't overlook this phrase,
in whom, in whom. This is where this boldness comes
from. This is where this access comes
from. This is where this confidence
comes from. It's the faith of the Son of
God in whom. Now here's my hope of, this is
all I want to be found in Christ. In whom? You see, all of God's
blessing, all of God's mercy, all of God's grace is in the
Lord Jesus Christ. There's nothing but wrath outside
of him, because God's a holy God, he's a just God. He must
punish sin. And the only place of security
and safety is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, there are several
illustrations of this throughout the scripture. If you were in
the ark when the flood came, you were safe. If you were outside
the ark, there was no salvation. There was nothing but death.
If you were in the house with the blood over the door, were
safe. If you were outside the house
with the blood over the door during the Passover, you were
not safe. I think a very powerful illustration
is found in Hebrews 7, verse 9, when it's said that Levi,
the great-grandson of Abraham, paid tithes to Melchizedek when
Abraham paid them. It doesn't say it's just as if
he paid tithes. It says he paid those tithes
when Abraham paid them because he was in the loins of his father
Abraham. So what Abraham did, he did because
he was in Abraham. Another example is the fall of
Adam. Wherefore, as by one man sin
entered the world, and death by sin, so that death passed
upon all men, in that all sinned." Everybody in Adam sinned. It's more than just having his
sin charged in my account. I personally sinned when he sinned
because I was in him. When Christ kept the law, I was
in him. I kept the law. When Christ died,
I was in Him. I suffered for sin. When Christ
was raised from the dead, I was too. Now, this is the blessing
of being in the Lord Jesus Christ. Not everybody's in Christ. Scripture says, of Him are you
in Christ Jesus. The only way you can get in Christ
is if God puts you there, and not everybody's there. Somebody
says, well, how's that fair? If there's some, God puts some
in there and some not. Now, don't forget this. Fair
as hell. Being in Christ is God's grace
and God's mercy. It's mysterious. It's glorious.
Don't look at this thing as being, well, that's not fair for God
to not put everybody in Christ. Well, He didn't, and whatever
God does is right. But all of God's salvation is
in the Lord Jesus Christ. You read Ephesians 1. All spiritual
blessings, every believer has in Christ Jesus. election according
as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world.
Our acceptance, our adoption, the forgiveness of sins, our
inheritance, everything is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the
Paul in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 12 gives us three things that
every believer possesses because of being in Christ and being
saved by the faith of Christ. These three things he names are
boldness, access, and confidence. Boldness, absence of fear. Now, that's not absence of the
fear of God. Every believer always has the fear of God, that reverence
and respect for God. And the only way that true respect
and reverence for God is demonstrated is by looking only to Christ.
If you look anywhere other than Christ alone, you only prove
by that you don't have any true, real fear and reverence for God.
You have a distorted view of Him. You don't see Him as He
is, because if you see Him as He is, you'd be afraid to look
anywhere but Christ. That is what demonstrates true
reverence for God. But there's not this slavish
fear. You see, you understand that
you're in Christ, and that you're justified by the faith of Him.
Therefore, you have this boldness. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3,
12, seeing we have such a hope, we use great plainness, and that's
the same word translated boldness. Now, let me tell you what hope
every believer has, not just Paul, but every believer. I have
a hope that on judgment day, I'm going to hear God say to
me, well done, thou good and faithful servant. And the reason
I expect to hear that is because what Christ has accomplished
is well done. And He is God's good and faithful
servant, even His Son. And I am in Him. And if Christ
did well, I did well. I am justified before God. This is the hope I have on Judgment
Day, that there will be no sin. I've never done anything wrong,
and I've always done that which is right. That's what justification
is. Now, what a hope! And I have a hope that everything
between now and then is working together for my good and His
glory. Romans 8, 28 says, And we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God,
to them who are called according to His purpose. Now, seeing I
have such hope, we use great plainness of speech. We use great
boldness of speech. Here's what that speech sounds
like. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifieth. Who
is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died, yea, rather
that's risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
all sinketh in intercession for us. Listen to this scripture.
Let us, therefore, come boldly. under the throne of grace, that
we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 10, 19 says, having therefore,
brethren, boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Now, if you know anything about
the Old Testament, there's only one person that could enter the
holiest, and that's the high priest. Nobody else could. They'd
be killed if they tried. But in the Lord Jesus Christ,
we have boldness to always come directly into God's presence.
I John 2.28 says, And now, little children, invite in him, that
when he shall appear, you may have boldness, confidence, and
not be ashamed before Him in His coming. Here's one of my
favorite scriptures in the Bible. 1 John 4, 17 says, Herein is
our love made perfect, that we may have boldness on the day
of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world. Is He perfectly righteous? So
am I right now. Is He holy? So am I right now. Is He accepted by God? Yes, He
is. So am I right now. Now, that
is the boldness that every believer possesses because of the Lord
Jesus Christ. It's always connected with being
in Him and being saved by the faith of Him. I don't have any
boldness in my works. I don't have any boldness in
my preaching or my Bible reading or my... But in the gospel, we
have this boldness to come into God's presence. And then the
next thing we read of is access. in whom we have access, a freedom
to enter. Now, in him, what this means
is, in the Lord Jesus Christ, I'm always welcome. I'm never an intruder. I never
come presumptuously. Every believer has continual
and constant access to the Father in him. There's never time What
would the father would say to any of his children? What are
you doing here? No, we're always welcome in Christ. Does he ever think of his son,
the Lord Jesus, what are you doing here? No, he delights in
the presence of his son and he delights in the presence of his
people I always have access. I am always welcome in Christ."
Now, in whom we have this boldness and in whom we have this access.
Now, how many times when you sin? Sin in a believer is a horrible
thing. It's a real thing. Sin's horrible
any way you look at it. Sin's against God. John said
these things right unto you that you sin not. Sin is never excusable. Sin is never okay under any circumstance. But how many times when you sin
do you feel like you need to work up some kind of sorrow? Work up some kind of good intention
or good feeling before you come into God's presence, because
you have this sin on your conscience, and you feel, I can't come into
God's presence until I get this taken care of. My dear friend,
that's called salvation by works. That's all that is, thinking
you can bring into God's presence something that you've done about
your sin, the sorrow that you feel, the promise that you'll
never do it again, and all that kind of foolishness. And whenever
you make a promise like that, it is foolishness. You ought
not do that, because as soon as you make a promise, you'll
break it. I come into God's presence only in Christ, and I don't wait
to work up some kind of good feeling or some kind of sorrow
or some kind of something that I think I can bring into God's
presence and make Him pity me or feel sorry for me. No, I come
in Christ, and I have this access, this continual access in Him. He only is my access, He always
is my access, He completely is my access, and my sufficiency
is Him. That's how I can come into God's
presence, because of Him. Now, we have a beautiful illustration
of that in the book of Esther. Now, in this book, the Jews had
been Ahasuerus, the king, had called for the destruction of
all Jews. They were all going to be put
to death. And Esther is a Jew. The king doesn't know it at this
time. He had married her. He got rid of his first wife
and married Esther. They had a beauty pageant. Esther
won and she became his wife. And a man by the name of Mordecai
tells Esther, you're going to have to go intercede for us so
the king doesn't destroy us all. And here's her reply, verse 11
of chapter 4. All the king's servants and the
people of the king's provinces do know that whosoever, whether
man or woman, shall come unto the king and to the inner court
who is not called, there is one law of his, to put him to death. except such to whom the king
shall hold out the golden scepter." Now, he could have you put to
death, or he could extend his scepter to you, and you would
live. But she says, I've not been called
for 30 days. Well, Mordecai says you must
come in. Chapter 5, verse 1, standing in the court, that she
obtained favor in his sight. And the king held out to Esther
the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near
and touched the top of the scepter. Then said the king unto her,
What wilt thou, Queen Esther? And what is thy request? It shall
be given thee even to the half of the kingdom. And that's when
she was enabled to save the Jews. But here's the point. My access
into God's presence is because of Christ, because He goes into
the Father's presence, and the Father gives Him what He wants,
and He represents every one of His people. What a joy it is
to have Him as my access. Hebrews 7.25 says, Wherefore,
He is able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by
Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. Now,
not only do we have boldness in Him, not only do we have constant
access in Him, but we have confidence in Him. Now, confidence is trust. It's reliance. Philippians chapter 3 verse 3
says, For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit,
rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Oh, we have no confidence in the flesh, not in anything that
has our fingerprints on it, but, oh, the confidence that we have
in Him. We have confidence. Every believer
has confidence in his ability to save. I really believe he
is able to save me with no contribution from me, that he does it all,
and we have confidence in his ability. We have confidence in
His righteousness. You see, I'm going to be accepted
by God because I'm clothed in His righteousness. His righteousness
is my personal righteousness before God. Just as my sin became
His sin and He became guilty of it and God slew Him, His perfect
obedience, His righteousness becomes mine. And I have confidence
that His righteousness is all that's needed to make me perfect
before God. I have confidence in the power
of His blood. You know, Hebrews 1, 3 says He
by Himself purged our sins. I have confidence in His blood.
His blood has washed away all my sin, so I stand before God
without guilt, without sin. That's the confidence I have
in Him. And, oh, what confidence we have
in His intercession. Now, what is meant by intercession?
That means he's representing you. He's praying for you. He's representing you in heaven. I love that passage of scripture,
if these things ride into you, the sin not, but if any man sin,
we have an advocate with the Father. That's speaking of his
intercession. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous. Now, this lawyer we have is the
son of the judge. This lawyer we have has never
lost a case. And this lawyer we have is not
like an earthly lawyer. He makes us all plead guilty
and yet causes every one of us to be justified, speaking of
his children. This is not for all men, but
this is for all who believe, all the elect, all he died for. They are all justified in his
sight because he intercedes for them. And I have such confidence
If I have His righteousness, if He put away my sin by His
blood, if I have His intercession, I'm going to be saved. I have
such confidence in Him. I have such confidence in His
grace. He said, My grace is sufficient
for thee. Now, here's the Scripture in
whom, oh, how important that is, in whom we, all of God's
elect, have boldness, and access with confidence by the faith
of Him. That confidence I have is not
my faith. That confidence I have is in
the faith of Him. The access I'm granted into the
Father's presence is not because of my faith, but because of the
faith of Him. The boldness I have has nothing
to do with anything about my works, but the faith of Him,
justified by the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ and not by
the works of the law. Now, I can rest in that. We have this message on DVD and
CD. If you call the church, write
or email, we'll send you a copy. This is Todd Nyberg praying that
God will be pleased to make Himself known to you. That's our prayer.
Amen. To request a copy of the sermon you have just heard, send
your request to messages at todsroadgracechurch.com. Or you may write or call the
church at the information provided on the screen.