Evidently, the air conditioner
is not working this morning, so there's some empty seats. Mine is. So we're okay. But there are some empty seats
here. If anybody gets too hot, do it
now. Romans chapter 15. I've entitled the message, I
Have Written the More Boldly. I Have Written the More Boldly. Now I want to remind you that
the Bible claims to be the infallible word of God. Can I prove that to you? No. Do I feel a need to? No. I know it is. It claims that
for itself. And somebody may think, well,
how in the world could you believe that the Bible is the infallible
Word of God when you have men writing things down and for years
copying it. How can you believe something
like that? Well, do you believe God created the universe? Everybody
here believes that. Whether you admit it or not,
everybody knows that God created the universe. You know what that
means? That means He's all-powerful. You know what that means? He's
able to write a book through men and keep it preserved. Now
let me remind you of that before we look at this passage of scripture
where Paul says, I have written unto you more boldly. Now I'm doing this, Paul says,
verse 15. Nevertheless, brethren, I've
written unto you the more boldly unto you in some sort or in some
measure. as putting you in mind, as bringing
to your remembrance because of the grace that's given to me
of God. is the adverb form of the verb
dare. Look in verse 18 of this same
passage. For I will not dare to speak
of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me.
That's the verb. That this more boldly is the
adverb form of that word. It's used 16 times in the New
Testament, and it's translated, dare not, dare, be bold, or boldly. And Paul is saying, I've written
to you in a more daring, in a more bold way. And that's what he
says to the Romans. I've written into you in a more
daring way. You could say, how dare you say
something like that? Really? Could you really be making
a statement like that? Paul says, that's how I've written
to you. in a more daring and bold way. Now, I'm going to attempt to
preach everything I know this morning from that statement and from
this book. I'm not going to be preaching
longer, don't worry about it. But I'm going to try to preach everything
I know from this passage of scripture where Paul says, I've written
to you more boldly or in a more daring way. How dare you say
something like that? We've all probably used that
word before. Now the way I'd like to do this
is just take one daring statement out of each chapter of Romans,
real quick. I'm not going to spend much time
on any of them. And I want to see how we respond to this. Paul said in Romans 1.16, this
is not the daring statement I'm going to take out of this, but
he said in Romans 1.16, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
You know what? I'm not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ either. I'm proud of it. This is a gospel that is
worthy of God. I'm proud of the gospel I preach.
I'm not proud of myself. But I am proud of the gospel
I preach. And I want, by the grace of God
like Paul, to speak more boldly or more daringly. Now here's
the first daring statement found in Romans chapter 1 verse 20.
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world
are clearly seen. being understood by the things
that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they
are without excuse. Creation. Creation tells us that
God is. You look at creation and you
say, everybody in this room says, Somebody must have caused this. You know, in reality, there's
no such thing as an atheist. Somebody says, I know some people
who were atheists and they genuinely believe that way. They were always
that way. They may have, through their
own rejection of the truth, decided to become atheists and not believe
in God, but everybody, I don't care what country, what nation,
everybody knows by the light of creation that God is because
someone very powerful must have caused this and he himself has
no cause. Nobody caused him, he's eternal.
He's eternal. Nobody could have caused Him.
He's always been and He's the one who brought all of this into
existence. So everybody is without excuse
in their sin before God. Everybody ought to seek this
One who has created the universe. Everybody ought to, so that all
men are without excuse in their sin against God. Second bold, daring statement,
chapter 2, verse 1. Therefore thou art inexcusable,
O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. For wherein you judge
another, you condemn yourself, for you that judge do the same
things." Now that's a bold statement. You sit in judgment on anybody
for anything and criticize them for doing it. You are practicing
the most grotesque hypocrisy because for whatever it is you're
judging them for, you do the same things. Even worse. That's a strong statement, isn't
it? Anytime we take the place of
a judge over anybody concerning anything they do, we're practicing
hypocrisy. Because whatever it is we're
judging them for, we ourselves do the same things. Now, are you really saying that
I'm that bad? Yes. Yes, you are. I am that bad. There isn't any sin ever committed
that's not in my heart right now. And whatever I judge somebody
for, I'm guilty of doing the same thing. You know, when I
hear people mourning over the moral degradation of society,
things are so bad now. Yeah, they are. And that's because
you're here. And that's because I'm here. That's why they're
so bad. You know, really? Oh, we almost
stand like standing in judgment over. Yes, everybody in this room and
everybody outside of this room is so bad that if you judge anybody
for anything, you're a hypocrite because you do the same things. How does that resonate with you?
You know it so? Well, it is whether you know
it or not. Romans chapter 3, verse 24. Being justified freely by His
grace. Now, we have some people who
have no excuse for this sin. It's all their fault. And these
people are so bad that there's nothing they're not guilty of.
Nothing. And yet, Paul tells us regarding
these people, there's some who are justified. Justified. The people you just described?
Yes, those people. They're justified freely by His
grace. Your justification means, if
the judge justifies you, what does that mean? It doesn't mean
simply he's forgiven you. It means you didn't do it. It
means you stand without guilt, perfectly righteous. having never
sinned. You've never done anything wrong,
and you've always done that which is right. The very people that
I've been describing as being so bad that they can't judge
anybody for anything, this passage of Scripture says they're people
who have been justified. Justified by God. The great judge
of the earth has declared them to be just. How did he do this? Well, three words are mentioned
in that word. Number one, freely. If you're justified, you didn't
do anything to get that way. Freely, without a cause. The second word is by his grace. by his complete unmerited favor
toward you. And the third word is through
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. These very people who
are so bad as I've described are people that God justifies
freely by his grace. Do you find that attractive?
You want God to justify you freely by his grace? Well, how can I
know if I'm one of those people? Turn to Romans chapter 4. Let's
read the 5th verse. But to him that worketh not,
but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith counted
for righteousness." Now, who are these people that God has
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus? Now, first of all, He hasn't
done everybody this way. There is a place called hell,
and there will be men and women who spend eternity in hell. And
they're going to be men and women in heaven who are justified before
God. Well, who are these people who
are justified before God freely by His grace? Well, they're described
here. To him that worketh not. Now, here's the first description
of that person. He has been convinced that he
is so bad, so bad, that salvation by works, in any way, in any
form, in any fashion, to any degree, is completely impossible
for him. He works not. But what does he do? To him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly. His faith is counted for righteousness. Now here's the man that God has
justified. He knows he can't be saved by
his works, but he believes. He relies on him. And this is what the Bible is
all about. the one who actually justifies
the ungodly. God has found a way to be just
and honor his own just, holy, righteous character and yet justify
ungodly sinners. Who is it that he's unjustified?
Or who is it that he's justified? That one who works not but believes
on him who has justified the ungodly. Chapter 5 Verse 12. Here's the next daring statement.
These are daring statements. Do you really believe what you're
saying? Yes, I do. Yes, I do. Now listen to this. Romans chapter 5, verse 12. Wherefore,
as by one man, sin entered into the world. How'd sin get here? By that one man, Adam. Adam. By one man, sin entered the world. and death by sin, so that death
passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Now, do you
hear what that passage of Scripture says? It says, by that one man,
Adam, our first father, sin entered the world, and that's where death
comes from. Somebody says, why do people
die because of sin? Why did my mom and dad die? Because
they're sinners. Why am I going to die? Because
of sin. That's why. Death passed upon all men, and
catch this statement, in that all sinned. You know what that
means? That means when Adam sinned,
I sinned. I am not charged with the sin
I did not commit. When Adam committed that sin,
everybody in him committed that sin. You and I are guilty of
what Adam did. We're not charged with a sin
we didn't commit. We committed that sin. Somebody
says, well, I did not. Yeah, you did. That's what the
Bible says. You committed that sin. Well, how can that be fair? Quit thinking about fairness
for just a moment. Let's say you weren't charged with Adam's
sin. How have you done on your own? It wouldn't do you any good
if you weren't charged with Adam's sin with all your own personal
sin. I mean, you've done just as bad. But listen to this. If
I can actually commit the sin that Adam committed, and it actually
is mine, here's the gospel. By that one man's obedience,
by Christ obeying, by Christ's perfect righteousness, everybody
in him obeys perfectly. That's the gospel. That's the
gospel. That's what's depicted in baptism.
When somebody's baptized, what they're saying, when Christ lived,
I lived. When He obeyed the law, I obeyed
the law. When He had worked out a perfect
righteousness, I worked out that perfect righteousness, because
I was in Him. Whatever He did, I did. That's my hope, being
in Him. When He died, I died. When He was punished, I was punished. When he was raised from the dead,
I was raised from the dead. That's my confession of salvation,
my confession of salvation. All my hope is right here, that
what he did, I did. When he died, I died. Just as when Adam sinned, I sinned,
Everybody Adam represented sinned. Everybody Adam represented died. Everybody Christ represents lives. What a glorious gospel. Chapter
6, verse 11. Likewise, in light of what Christ
did on Calvary's tree, likewise reckon ye. Also yourselves to
be dead indeed to sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Now, even while I'm saying that, I'm aware of committing
sins. Aren't you? How many sins have
you committed in the last 24 hours? You couldn't even count
them. And you don't even know what
they are anyway. You and I are too spiritually stupid to know.
I mean, probably the good things we do, we think, well, I know
I ever sinned too. It was sin to Him. I'm very conscious
of sin. But you know what God's Word
tells me to do? To reckon myself to be dead indeed
to sin. Sin has absolutely nothing to
say to me. How do you say that? Because
Christ put it away. I died with Him and I have no
sin before God. Really? Really? Really? That's what Christ did on Calvary's
tree. He made it to where I am dead
indeed to sin, but alive to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. What a bold, Paul. What a bold statement. Is that
presumption? No, it's not. It's faith. Believing
that what Christ did is all that's needed to make me accepted before
God. Romans chapter 7, verse 14. Here's a bold statement. Very
few would make this statement. This is Paul writing under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and he says, that the law is
spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. Now that is a reference
to being a complete slave to sin. Now Paul's talking about
himself. He says, we know. Somebody says,
he must have been an unbeliever when he felt that way. No, he's
speaking as a believer. An unbeliever would never feel
this way. An unbeliever doesn't have any spiritual understanding.
They don't even know what sin is. You've got to have a new nature,
a holy nature, to have any understanding of sin in the first place. Now,
Paul says, we know. And he's speaking as the representative
of all of God's elect. I love his we knows. We know. I know it too, Paul. We know
that the law, God's holy law, is spiritual. It's perfect. It's glorious. It reflects the
holy character of God. Going on to say in this passage
of scripture, I delight in the law of God after the inward man.
Every believer does. But he's speaking of his own
experience. He says, we know that the law is spiritual, but
I am carnal, fleshly. a slave, sold as a slave to sin,
and I can't get myself out from under it. I can no more stop
sinning than I can create a universe. I know that the law is spiritual,
but I am carnal, fleshly, sold under sin. How do you respond
to that? Do you say, well, how do you expect to listen to us,
Paul, if you're that bad? Well, you just haven't heard
what's said. You're that bad. I'm that bad. We know. Now, you won't find your average
preacher saying this, will you? We know that the law is spiritual,
but I am carnal, sold under sin. Now, I get so sick of the way
preachers try to present the gospel in such a way as to take
the offense out. When you do that, you've got
a neutered gospel, a gospel that will not bring life. I love the
way Paul made these bold, daring statements. Turn to Romans chapter
8, verse 34. Now this is the same person who
talked about himself as being sold under sin, a slave to sin. He said in verse 34, Who is he
that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather
that's risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who
also maketh intercession for us. Now that one that Christ
died for, here's his bold statement, you listen real carefully. That
one that Christ died for cannot be condemned for anything. But what if he committed, fill
in the blank. He still can't be condemned. What if he committed the same
sin repeatedly? every single day of his life,
he still can't be condemned. Who is he that condemneth? Here's
the only answer I need. It's Christ that died. I need no other argument. I need
no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died
and that he died for me. You can't be condemned if Christ
shed his precious blood for you. I say this a lot, but let me
say it again. I despise universal redemption. That teaching that
says that Jesus Christ shed his blood for everybody and made
salvation possible for everybody. If he did that, he wouldn't save
anybody. See, salvation is dependent upon what he did for you. It's
Christ that died. Romans chapter 9. Somebody says, that kind of teaching
will lead people to live a sinful life. It's all you got to think
is Christ died for you. Well, if it does that to you,
that's your problem. It won't do that with a believer. I'm not
going to apologize for what I'm saying. Well, that stuff will
lead to sin. It might lead you to sin. It rejoices a believer's heart
to know that Christ Jesus, His death is all that's needed to
make me not condemned. Now here's the ninth bold statement,
verse 20, Romans 9, verse 20. Nay, but O man, who are you to
reply against God? Now this was Paul's answer. to this objection, verse 18,
therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom
he will he hardens. Now do you hear what that says?
That says God has mercy on whoever he wants to have mercy on, and
whom he will he hardens. Remember Pharaoh? God hardened
his heart. That's what the Bible says. All
God's got to do to harden my heart or your heart is to leave
us alone. All He's got to do is withdraw
His presence and we'll be hard as we can be. Now, here's somebody
says in verse 19, Thou wilt say unto me, Why does he yet find
fault? If he hardens me, how can he
hold me responsible for what I do if he's the one who did
it? For who has resisted his will? I can't resist his will. How can he find fault? How can
he judge me? I love Paul's answer. Who are
you to reply against God? Since when are you in a case
of moral ability to stand in judgment on God? Whatever God
does is right. And beloved, He doesn't do it
because it's right. It's right because He does it. He has no law over his head.
He doesn't answer to me or you. He's holy. And whatever he does
is right. And who are you? Who do you think
you are to sit in judgment on God and say, I don't agree with
that? Well, it doesn't matter whether you do or not. God's
God. Who are you to reply against
God? Chapter 10, verse 20. You know, you could make a case
for every one of these statements as bold statements. I mean, it'd
take too long to preach that, wouldn't it? I'd have to preach
the whole book of Romans. I'd like to do it. I'd like to give
it a shot if y'all would stay long enough. I won't. Don't worry about it.
Verse 20, Romans chapter 10. But Isaiah is very bold. And he saith, I was found of
them that sought me not, And I was made manifest unto them
that ask not after me." Now, that's how God found you. Not
seeking Him. Not even asking for Him. You
were content to never know God. To never hear the gospel. That's
how God found you. Not seeking. Not even asking. Oh, how much of salvation is
by grace. Which leads to chapter 11, verse
6. If by grace, then it's no more
works. Otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, it's no
more grace. Otherwise work is no more work. Now here's the question that
we have from Romans 11, 6. How much of salvation is by grace? Can you answer that? How much
of salvation is by grace? Well, let's take election. God's
choice of his people before time began. He didn't choose you because
he saw something good in you. He saw that there wasn't anything
good in you and me. He did it by grace. What about justification? He didn't justify you because
you and your own person obeyed the law. Justification is the
gift of His grace through Christ. What about redemption? He redeemed
you by grace. Not because you did anything
to get it. What about calling? Paul said in Galatians 1.15,
When it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and
called me by His grace. What about being born again?
What did your works have to do with that? Being regenerated,
same thing your works had to do with your first birth, nothing.
Salvation is by grace. It's all of grace. You put one work, one aspect
of salvation, dependent upon you doing anything, you've made
the whole thing of works. Salvation is by grace. Aren't
you glad it's that way? Oh, thank God for this bold statement. And I love this bold statement
in chapter 12. Verse 1, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, what we've been talking about. Salvation by the
mercy of God. I beseech you by the mercies
of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. What
I've been preaching, the mercies of God, is something that demands
me to present my body. Lord, here am I. That's what it means to present
your body. It doesn't mean you're promising to do something. You
know yourself better than that. You're not going to try to make
a promise to God that you are doing this. Here I am. Send me. Here I am, cause your will to
be done in me. Here I am, let not any iniquity
have dominion over me. I'm presenting myself to thee. You see, love so amazing, so
divine, these daring statements of grace demands my soul, my
life, my all. This is what the gospel calls
upon everybody who believes to do. To present your bodies. That's everything you are. Lord,
here am I. To present your bodies, a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable, well-pleasing to God, which is
only your reasonable service. Anything short of this is completely
unreasonable, isn't it? God has done this for you. Oh,
give yourself. Take my life and let it be consecrated,
Lord, to thee. That's the only response, the
only true response to grace. If you hear this and say, well,
the preachers think people can sin all they want. Now listen,
I sin a whole lot more than I want. I want to be like Christ. I want
to be delivered from myself. And that's every believer's response
to the grace of God. Chapter 13. Let every soul be
subject, verse 1, unto the higher powers, for there is no power
but of God. The powers that be are ordained
of God. Now listen to this. We're living
in God's world. The powers that be, the governments,
the men in charge, all of the authority that God has put in
place, the powers that be are ordained of God. You know something
I love about the upcoming election? Whoever God wants to be there
is going to be there. We can rejoice in that, can't we? We
rejoice in it. The powers that be are ordained
of God. Now, the powers that be. Well, our government lets
so many bad things take place. I mean, they allow abortions
and all the terrible things going on in society. Well, I don't
agree with any of that. Now if the government says you
need to abort your baby, you need to do it, you ought to disobey
the government in that sense. If the government will tell us
to do something that God says not to do, we're to obey God
rather than man. But as long as the government
isn't telling you and commanding you to do something that's forbidden
in the scripture, you're to submit. This is God's world. The powers
that be are ordained of God. He's in control of everything. Isn't it great to live in God's
world? This is God's world. He's in control of everything.
We love it that way. Chapter 14, verse 17. For the kingdom of God is not
meat and drink. It's not do's and don'ts. It's
not rules and regulations. It's not what you need to do
and what you need to refrain from. That doesn't have anything
to do with the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is not meat
and drink. It's not touch not, taste not,
handle not. If I don't touch this and if
I don't taste that, I'm being a good Christian. No, you're
not. That doesn't have anything to do with the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is righteousness. Whose? Seek ye first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness. The kingdom of God is the righteousness
and merits of Jesus Christ. That's the only way I approach
God. I approach God through the Son. Lord, the only righteousness
I have is the righteousness and obedience of your Son. That's
the only righteousness I know anything of. David was the same
way in Psalm 71, 16. He said, I've made mention of
thy righteousness, even thine only. Me too, David. The kingdom of God is not man-made
rules and regulations and do's and don'ts and not touch, not
taste. I don't drink and I don't smoke.
I don't chew. I don't run with those that do. Congratulations. That's ridiculous. The kingdom
of God is righteousness. And what comes as a result of
being saved by His righteousness? Peace. There's only one thing
that gives this sinner peace. It's to know that everything
God requires of me, He looks to His Son for. All of it! Everything! Oh, the peace I have. of knowing that I am perfectly
righteous before God because the righteousness of Christ is
my personal righteousness before God. You know what else comes
out of that? Joy. Joy. I'm mighty glad it's that way.
I love the gospel of Christ. I love the way he saves. Righteous. Not meat and drink. but righteousness
and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Chapter 15, verse 13, Now the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing. Not in working,
not in doing, but in believing. Believing that Christ is all. All of God, all of the scriptures,
all in salvation. Believing that Christ is all. Now, what comes from this thing
of believing? The God of hope fill you with
all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope. Now there's three things that
come out of believing when you believe. Joy, peace, and hope. Now I believe that Jesus Christ
is all of my salvation. I really believe that. This is
the work of God that you believe on Him whom He hath sent. Now, you know what that does? First of all, I have peace. And I don't have any peace from
my works, I have peace from His work. I have joy. I'm so happy it's this way. I
rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory that everything
that God requires of me, He looks to His Son for. Now I have hope. Listen to me, I have a hope that
on Judgment Day, God's going to look at me. Todd Nybert. He's
going to look at me. I'm scared saying this, but I
believe it. He's going to look at me and He's going to say to
me, well done. Thou good and faithful servant. And the reason He's going to
say that to me is I'm in Christ. Is Christ good? I am too. Is Christ faithful? I am too. Did Christ, would the Father
say of Him, well done? He says that of me because I'm
in Him. Now that's the joy, the peace,
and the hope of believing. Chapter 16, verse 17. Now I beseech you, brethren.
Mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the
doctrine which you've learned and avoid them. Don't have anything
to do with them. You know what that means? Anybody
that says anything contrary to what I've just said, avoid them. mark them, mark them out, and
avoid them, and have nothing to do with them. For, look what
he says in verse 18, for they that are such serve not our Lord
Jesus Christ, but their own belly. They're in this thing for themselves
and not for his glory. And by good words and fair speeches,
they'll use words like grace and faith and blood and so on,
good words and fair speeches, they'll deceive the hearts of
the simple. Now anybody that says anything
contrary to any of these daring statements, and these are statements
Paul made, remember. These are statements Paul made.
All I've done is quote Paul who wrote under the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit. Anybody that says anything contrary to We
all stand guilty before God without excuse. Anybody that says anything
contrary to, if you judge anybody, you're nothing but a hypocrite
because you do the same things. If anybody says anything contrary
to justification, freely by his grace. To anybody who says anything
contrary to him, but worketh not, but believeth on him that
justifies the ungodly. Anything contrary to Romans 5.12,
condemned in Adam, but saved in Christ. When he obeyed, I
obeyed. If anybody says anything contrary
to reckon yourselves to be dead to sins. If anybody says anything
contrary to I'm carnal, soul under sin. If anybody says anything
contrary it's to who can condemn it's Christ that died. If anybody
says anything contrary to who are you to reply against God.
God's in absolute control and we bow to his absolute sovereignty
and salvation. If anybody says anything contrary
to I was found of them that sought me not and was made manifest
to them that asked not after me. To anybody who objects to
I beseech you by the mercies of God that you present your
bodies a living sacrifice. Anything contrary to the powers
that be or are ordained of God or the kingdom of God is not
meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy
Ghost. Anybody that says anything contrary
to the joy and peace of believing Mark them and avoid them. They're
not serving God. Under the pretense of their religion,
they're not serving God, but their own belly. And by good
words and fair speeches, they deceive the hearts of the simple. Well, I just told you everything
I know. And next time I preach, it'd
be the same thing. Same thing. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for the daring statements of your gospel. Lord, take this word and bless
it for your glory and for our good. In Christ's blessed name
we pray, amen. What do you got, Dwayne? $2.99. $2.99. We'll stand and
sing together.