We should turn back to Romans
chapter 13. While you're turning there, if some men could help
set a few tables back up for a shower tomorrow night, that
would be helpful. And Cora Clark is getting her
tonsils removed in the morning, so let everybody remember them. Romans chapter 13. I want to
read verse 11 again. And as I said, I've entitled
this message, A Free Grace Reason to Wake Up. A Free Grace Reason
to Wake Up. He says in verse 11, and that
knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of
sleep. For now is our salvation nearer
than when we believed or when we first believed. Now that's the reason he gives
us for waking up out of a spiritual sleep. He's not talking about
the sleep of death. He's talking about a believer
falling asleep. Does that happen? Do I need to
ask that question? Of course it does. But what is
his argument for waking up? Now is our salvation nearer than
when we believed. Now there are many exhortations
in both the Old Testament and the New Testament about waking
up out of a spiritual sleep. And the first thing that I think
of are the ten virgins. The five wise, the five foolish. What did they do? They all slumbered
and slept. They were all in a state of spiritual
sleepiness. You think of the exhortations
of scripture. to watch. Every time the Lord says watch,
all that word means is do not fall asleep. Watch and be sober. First Corinthians 1534, awake
to righteousness and sin not, for some have not the knowledge
of God. I speak this to your shame. We
read in First Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 6, let us not sleep as
do others, but let us watch and be sober. Ephesians chapter 5
verse 14, Awake thou that sleepest, and rise from the dead, and Christ
shall give thee life. I remember one time, Henry Mahan,
I remember this, and I asked him about it. There was somebody
falling asleep, and he had a loud voice. Awake thou that sleepest. He woke up. He woke up. I understand
people falling asleep in church. I mean, they fell asleep when
the Lord was preaching, so why should I expect him not to fall
asleep when I preach? But the point is, it's not talking
about just falling asleep in a worship service. It's talking
about falling asleep spiritually. Now, when you're asleep, what
do you look like? You look like you're dead. You look like a
man dead in trespasses and sins. A state of spiritual sleep is
a state of spiritual sleep and drowsiness. It happens to individuals. It happens to pastors. It happens
to churches. And it's something that I fear.
I fear it for myself. I fear it for you. I fear it
for this church. I fear it for any gospel church.
Now what does spiritual sleep look like? It looks like death.
Have you ever looked at someone who's asleep and wondered if
they were dead? Sure you have. That's what it looks like. Now,
when you're asleep, there is a lack of awareness of what's
going on around you. There's things that's going on
around you while you're asleep that you don't have any idea
of what they are, do you? You're asleep. Worship becomes
artificial, and you don't know it. You're not aware of it. You become more interested in
knowing about God than communion with God. And you don't know
it. You're not aware of the proud,
critical spirit you've developed. You've developed it, but you
don't know it. You're not aware of it. You're asleep. Worldliness sets in, and you
don't know it. There is a lack of awareness
in this thing of spiritual sleepiness. There is a lack of feelings,
things that you once felt strong about, the way you responded
to the gospel. It's not that way anymore. Why? Because you're asleep. You may
say, well, what's wrong with the preacher? He used to preach
powerfully and now it's so dry and boring. I'm not getting anything
out of it. What's wrong with the preacher?
You don't realize at a time like this, it's not the preacher.
Now, that doesn't mean a preacher can't get that way. I realize
that. But when someone's asleep, the gospel doesn't ring their
bell like it once did. They have, in some measure, left
their first love, and they no longer feel the warmth of the
gospel. They're unfeeling. When you're
asleep, you're just unaware. You don't feel what you would
if you were awake. When you're asleep, there's a
lack of security. You know, when you're asleep,
you're vulnerable, aren't you? You can't protect yourself. Something
might come up and you're asleep and you don't know what it is.
And I thought the biggest example I could think of was Samson.
How was Samson when they cut off his hair and he lost his
strength? He was asleep, wasn't he? While he was awake, there
wasn't any danger. But when he was asleep, what
a vulnerable state he was in. And sleep is certainly The state
of inactivity, seeking God's glory, is not even on the man's
or woman's mind that's in a state of spiritual sleep. The honor
of Christ is not on their mind. A sleeping man looks like a man
dead in trespasses and sins, doesn't he? And how many times
have you looked at someone who's asleep and you've thought, are
they dead? Are they dead? Now Paul's reason
as to why it's high time to wake out of sleep is quite remarkable
here. He doesn't speak of the sinfulness of falling asleep
spiritually. He doesn't speak of the danger
of that state. He doesn't speak of how shameful
it is for us to let ourselves get into that condition. And
we certainly can let ourselves get into that condition. You
know it and I know it. What reason does he give for us to wake up?
This is amazing. This would only be found in the
Bible. He didn't say you ought to wake up because shame on you
for letting yourself get into that condition. He didn't say
that at all. He says in verse 11, knowing
the time, the only time we have is now, knowing the time, that
it's high time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation. Mirror. than when we believed. Our salvation, being in the direct
presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, seeing His face, hearing His
voice, feeling His embrace in the place
where it's called the saints in light, the spirits of just
men made perfect, shining like the sun in the kingdom of our
Father. Now that's what our salvation
is. It's a state of sinlessness, not even remembering what sin
is. absolute conformity to the image
of Jesus Christ the Lord. Endless joy, endless bliss, no
sin, no pain, no tears, no strife, no conflict, absolute perfection. Don't you look forward to dying?
And I'm not just talking about because things are bad here.
They may be bad here, they may be good here. As far as our experience,
as far as circumstances, sometimes circumstances seem great, sometimes
they seem horrible. You know that as well as I do.
But I'm not talking about trying to get out of my circumstances.
I'm talking about seeing His face, being like Him, and not
being a sinner anymore. Now is our salvation nearer than
when we believed. It's not too far away. Now, somebody may think, are
we not already saved? Yes. But it seems to imply we're
not saved yet. It doesn't imply that, it says
it. Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed? Now, if you're a child of God,
this is all that's needed to motivate you. Not threats of what is going
to take place if you don't wake up, or the danger you're in,
but just this free grace argument. Now, is your salvation nearer
than when you believed? That's a big word. And it encompasses
a whole lot of different things when we talk about salvation.
You've got to begin with your election. That's part of your
salvation, isn't it? The fact that God chose you before
time began. That is... Let me tell you a couple of things
about election. God's choice of His people before time began.
It says, God is God, and I like it that way, don't you? God is
God, and salvation is by grace. That's what election says. You
don't believe in salvation by grace if you don't believe in
election. Our justification. If I'm saved,
not only am I elected of God, I'm justified. I stand before
God without guilt. without sin. I never sin. I'm not simply forgiven, although
that's a great blessing, but I'm justified. I stand before
God without guilt. I'm redeemed. That's part of
salvation. All my sins have been paid for,
all of them. I love to sing, Jesus paid it
all, all the debt I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain,
but Jesus washed it white as snow. Being called, called by his grace,
called out of darkness into his marvelous, marvelous light. That's
part of salvation. Being adopted into His great
family. Being a child of God. Being in
joint heir with the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a part of His
great salvation. Being predestinated to be conformed
to the image of His Son. That is sure for me. One of these
days, I'm going to be just like the Lord Jesus Christ. That is
a part of God's salvation. Now, salvation. Hearing the Gospel. hearing the gospel as gospel.
That's salvation, isn't it? Now, salvation. Generally, when people think
of salvation, they think of not having to go to hell. And that's
a big perk, isn't it? I want to say that I don't want to go to hell. And
what a blessing it is to not go to hell, to be delivered from
the wrath of God. But salvation is much more than
being delivered from hell. Matthew 121, listen to this scripture.
You're familiar with it. Matthew chapter 1 verse 21, thou
shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from
their sins. Now that's what I need saved
from. Yes, I need saved from hell, but even more than that,
I need saved from the reason for hell, my sins. That is salvation. Thou shalt call His name Jesus,
for He shall save His people from their sins. I'm saved from
the penalty of sin, no condemnation in Christ Jesus. I'm saved from
the power of sin. Now when I say I'm saved from
the power of sin, I don't say I have some kind of power now
to no longer commit sin. You know there was a time When
I believed, if I was placed in the right circumstances, I could
keep from sinning. If I just was in the right environment
and wasn't faced with certain temptations and so on. But you
know what? I don't believe that for a second anymore. I know
better than that. When I believed that way, I was
under the complete dominion and power of sin. When you're delivered
from the power of sin, that's when you see sin's dominion.
Not until then. You have to have a new nature,
really, to know what sin is in the first place and to see its
power. But you're delivered from the
power of sin when you believe the gospel. There was a time
when I couldn't believe. I believe now. There was a time
when I didn't even know what repentance meant. I'm repenting
now. I've been saved from the dominion
of sin. And bless God, I've been saved from the presence of sin.
Because if Christ is saved from the presence of sin, I am too.
And He is. As He is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4, 17 says, does He have
sin? No. Do I have sin? No. I don't even have the presence
of sin. As Christ is seated in the right hand of the Father,
I'm in there with Him. I'm in Him, and I'm saved. There's
no sin in heaven, is there? Christ is in heaven. I'm in heaven. I'm saved from the very presence
of sin. That's what salvation is. It's
salvation from sin. My problem is my sin. That's
my great enemy. That's your great problem. Whether
you know it or not, it's your sin and your sins. Saved from
sin. Saved from sins. Now, salvation
is of the Lord. You know what that means? That
means if you're saved, He saved you and He did it all and absolutely
not a drop of glory goes to you in any way and you like it that
way. That's salvation. Salvation is
of the Lord. Salvation is the Lord. He is
salvation. You remember when Simeon said,
Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace? For mine eyes
have seen thy salvation. Christ himself is salvation. Salvation is by grace. By grace
are you saved. That means the free favor of
God. That means salvation is not in any way God's response
to you. It's not His response to you
being sorry over your sin. It's not His response to you
asking for forgiveness. It's not His response to you
saying, I'm going to straighten up. Salvation by grace means
salvation doesn't have anything to do with God responding to
you, it's Him responding to Jesus Christ the Lord. He saves you
for Christ's sake, not because you did anything, not because
you intend to do anything, but for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake.
Salvation is by grace. And salvation is a relationship
with God. John chapter 17 verse 3 says,
this is a term of life, that they might know thee, not know
about you, not learn accurate theological concepts, but they
might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou
hast sent. Now that's salvation. It's knowing
God. When I use Him's name, I'm not
name dropping. He'd say, I know Him. He's one
of mine. He belongs to me. That is salvation. Now you'll
notice that salvation in our text is spoken of in the future
tense. Something that has not yet happened. Now is our salvation nearer than
when we first believed. We're not saved yet, but our
salvation is getting closer. Now did you know That salvation
is seen in all three tenses. Salvation in the past. Salvation
in the present. And salvation not yet. Salvation
in the future. Now if I'm saved right now, saved
from my sins, I was saved from the very beginning in eternity. Let me show you one verse of
scripture where all three tenses are used. 2 Corinthians chapter
1. Verse 10, who delivered us, past
tense, from so great a death, and doth deliver, present tense,
in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us, future tense. Salvation, past tense, salvation,
present tense, and salvation, future tense. Now listen real
carefully. If I'm saved right now, saved from my sins, I was
saved from the very beginning in eternity. I'm going to give you several
scriptures. You can write these down if you want. They're very
important. 2 Timothy 1, 9. He saved us and he called us. Question. Which came first? The saving or the calling? He saved us and He called us
with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began. Not only am I not going to argue
with that, I love it. You see, Christ is called in
Revelation chapter 13, 8, the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. Now, before time began, there's
one reason I was saved, because of the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. Second Thessalonians 2, 13, we
read that we're bound to thank God always for you, brethren,
beloved of the Lord. because God hath from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit
and belief of the truth. Listen to this scripture Romans
9 11 to the children talking about Jacob and Esau for the
children being not yet born now this took place before they were
born neither having done any good or evil that the purpose
of God according to election might stand, not of works. That's always been God's purpose,
that salvation is not of works. But of him that calleth it was
said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger, as it's written,
Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. In Acts chapter 13 verse
48, it says, as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. Now this ordination to eternal
life happened before the faith came, didn't it? Jeremiah chapter
1 verse 5, God says to Jeremiah, before I formed thee in the belly. I knew thee. Behold, I have loved you. Now this is true of every believer.
I hope this makes us, why Lord? Why would you do this for me?
Behold, I have loved you with an everlasting love. A love that never had a beginning.
There was never a time when God began to love you. You've always
been loved by the Father if you're loved at all. According as he hath chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1.4. That we should be holy and without
blame before him. in love having predestinated
us unto himself to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself. This is all, you see I was saved and I love it this
way because if I was saved before time began there's nothing I
can do in time to mess it up. That's why I love this so much.
I love what one woman said to Spurgeon. She said, I know God
had to love me before time began because if he would have waited
to afterwards, he could have never loved me. And I know that
too. Salvation outside of my personal subjective experience. Now if I was saved in eternity
past, I'll be saved in time. And I'll be saved in eternity.
You see, everything God does is eternal. He didn't dwell in
time. Everything he does is eternal.
Eternal. Hebrews 4.3 says the works were
finished from the foundation of the world. Now, what are your
thoughts about that? I'm not asking you to say anything
out loud. Please don't. But does this thrill
you? It thrills me. But there's also another past
tense in salvation. I was saved when Christ died. When were you saved? When Christ
said it is finished and bowed his head and gave up the ghost. I was saved. Hebrews chapter
10. Verse 10, by the witch will we
are sanctified. What's sanctified mean? We're
holy. Holy. We have been made holy. By which will? By God's will. By God's will, we are made holy
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once. Now that's in the perfect tense
in the original. Perfectly completed, never to
be repeated. Perfectly completed, holy Perfectly
completed, never to be repeated. I can't get any more holy than
I am. I can't get any more accepted than I am in Christ. Verse 11,
And every priest standeth daily, ministering, and offering oftentimes
the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. I think
it's very interesting that the one piece of furniture you're
not going to find in the tabernacle is a chair. You know why? Because
the priest's work was never done. It was never done. All the stuff
they did, it was simply pictures. It didn't put away one sin, but
their work was never done. But, verse 12, this man, after
he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on
the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be
made his footstool, for by one offering he hath perfected forever. them that are sanctified. Now,
when were you saved? When Jesus Christ bowed his mighty
head and said, it is finished. You know, just like I love being
saved before time began, I love being saved at the cross, where
Christ actually accomplished my salvation. Now, not only were
we saved in eternity past, Not only were we saved when Christ
died, but we were saved when we heard the gospel and trusted
the Lord Jesus Christ as the end of the law for righteousness
and not before then. As a matter of fact, a man has
no right to believe he's one of God's elect. He has no right
to believe that Christ died for him and put away his sins until
he believes the gospel. Until he hears and believes the
gospel. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter
1. Let me show you this from the scripture. Verse 12, that we should be to the praise
of His glory who first trusted in Christ. Now that's not talking
about the first people who trusted Christ. Who's the first one to
trust Christ? The Father. The Father. He's the first one to trust Christ.
When He gave Christ of people. He entrusted their salvation
to him. Now he's the one who first trusted
Christ. Verse 13, in whom you also trusted
after that You heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation, in whom also, after that you believed, you were sealed,
having believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise."
Now, when did you live? When did you, when were you saved? When you believe the gospel of
your salvation. By grace are you saved, through
faith and by God of yourselves. It's the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. Now, in what I've just said,
saved in eternity, saved on the cross, and saved when we believed. When we believed, when we really
believed that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness,
all of those things are in the past. But what about the present? Now just as surely as our salvation
is in the past, and that answers to our experience,
it's equally true that we are being saved right now. The preaching of the cross is
to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are being saved. That's the language. Being saved. You see, as long as I still sin,
I'm not saved yet. The Lord said, he that endureth
to the end The same shall be saved. What is the evidence that
God has really saved somebody? They endure all the way to the
end. They don't quit. It's not that
person who begins, but that person who finishes, who continues all
the way to the end. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
3. Verse 6, but Christ is a son over his
own house, whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence
and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Look down in verse 14, for we
are made partakers of Christ If we hold the beginning of our
confidence steadfast unto the end. Turn back to Philippians
chapter 2 verse 12. Wherefore, my beloved, as you've
always obeyed, Philippians 2.12, as you've always obeyed, not
as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Now, when you
work out something, you're giving attention to problems, aren't
you? Work out your own salvation. We use that language all the
time. I'll work it out. I'll work it out. Give attention to
the problems. For it is God which worketh in
you both to will and to do his good pleasure. One other scripture. Turn to Colossians chapter 1. Verse 21. And you that were sometimes
alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now
hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to
present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight."
Now that's a good say, isn't it? Holy. Nothing to blame me
for. Nothing to reprove me for. That's
what he did by his blood. But look what verse 23 says,
if you continue in the faith. grounded and settled and be not
moved away from the hope of the gospel. Now the fact that we're
being saved does not negate the fact that we've been saved. The fact that we've been saved
is the reason that we're being saved. It's God continuing to
work in us and causing us to grow in grace and in the knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It's us continuing in
that battle, Galatians 5.17, the flesh lusts against the spirit,
and the spirit lusts against the flesh, and these two are
contrary one to the other. So that you cannot do the things
that you would. That's our experience. And we're
not plumb saved until we don't have that battle anymore. Till
this flesh is put down, and I no longer commit sins. That is salvation in the future
tense. Now is our salvation nearer than
when we believe. Salvation from sin. I love that
hymn. When I see thee as thou art,
love thee with unsinning heart. Then, Lord, shall I fully know
Not till then, how much I owe. Salvation in the future tense. Now is our salvation nearer than
when we believed. And this is the argument he uses
to wake up out of sleep. Wake up out of sleep. If you
don't, it's hard telling how many bad things are going to
happen to you. It's hard tellin' how much disgrace and shame you're
gonna bring on the name of Christ. And it's hard tellin' how much
trouble you're gonna bring to yourself. It's hard tellin' how
many trials you're gonna have because of this state of spiritual
sleepiness. He doesn't say that. This is
an argument of pure, free grace. Wake up. For now is our salvation
nearer than when we believe. The time is closer to us, nearer
to us, than when we first believe. Now that is enough. That's enough to cause a believer
to wake up. And if you need something else,
You got problems. You got real problems. That means
you don't respond to grace. And that's a bad place to be.
Only the child of God responds to grace. Now is our salvation
nearer than when we first believed. Don't you look forward to not
sinning anymore. Now there's two things that I
find so attractive of the salvation that hadn't happened yet. Number
one, I'm going to see Christ face to face. Face to face with
Christ my Savior. Face to face, what will it be? when with rapture I behold him,
Jesus Christ, who died for me. And I'm not going to, when I
see him, I'm going to be like David. David said, ask for me.
I'll behold thy face in righteousness, not in shame. You know, I know if he looked
at me dead in the eye right now, you know what I'd have to do?
Look down. Look down. So ashamed? But not then. I'll behold thy
face in righteousness. I'll be satisfied when I awake
in thy likeness. There's the second thing. Perfect
likeness to the Lord Jesus Christ. Now that's what we got to look
forward to. Seeing his face and being just
like him. And that is all that's needed
to motivate a believer. An argument of free grace. Now we're getting ready to observe
the Lord's table. And the Lord said, this do as
often as you do it in remembrance of me. Now what is the requirement
to take the Lord's table? That's a good question. You know,
when I think of that passage of scripture, who so drinketh
or eateth unworthily, eateth and drinketh to himself damnation.
I used to dread taking the Lord's table because of that, because
I thought of all the unworthiness in me, and it used to scare me.
I used to, as a matter of fact, there were several times that
I knew the Lord's table was going to be passed out. I didn't come,
because I thought, man, you know, I'm just, you know, putting myself
into a dangerous position. And that was from a complete
misunderstanding on my part. What is it to eat unworthily? It's to know you're completely
unworthy and your only salvation is found in the precious blood
and the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. And we celebrate
the Lord's table in that sense. So what is the one requirement
to take the Lord's table? Let me give it to you. If you
look to Christ only as everything in your salvation, the table's
for you. Let's pass the bread and wine
out now.