If there was ever an appropriate
time to reflect on the past and meditate on the future, It's New Year's Eve. The passing
of the old year and the bringing in of the new year, being creatures
of time, we are engulfed in the past, the present, and the future. Some of us can think of the good
things that have happened in the past year or the very difficult
things brought into our lives that been very difficult during
the year of our Lord, 2015, and I believe we all hope for a better
2016. Although we have no idea as to
what the future holds, there may be surprises around the corner
that we're just not anticipating, things that are a blessing. There may be very heavy trials
ahead in this year. I don't know, but here's what
I want us to do tonight. I don't want you to think a bit
about 2014 or 15, I'm sorry. And I don't want you to think
a bit about 2016. I've entitled this message right
now. Right now. In this moment, at this time. Now, right now, where I'm at
right now, will reveal my true past and my certain future. Right now. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 6,
verses 1 and 2, we then as workers together with him beseech you
that you receive not the grace of God in vain, For he saith,
I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have
I succored thee. Behold, now, right now is the
accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. Now I'm going to come back to
this thought toward the end of the message that where I'm at
right now, is going to tell me all about my past and all about
my future. But I want to read several scriptures
dealing with right now. What do I know of this? Blessed
are you that hunger now. Now, you shall be filled. Now what is it to hunger? You're
hungering after something that you don't perceive that you have.
Your stomach's empty and you need something to be placed in
you from without side of you. It's a hungering for righteousness.
What do you know about hungering right now? Blessed are they that
thirst now. Blessed are they that mourn now.
That's what the Lord said in Luke chapter six. Blessed are
they that mourn now. for they shall be comforted. In John chapter 4 verse 23, we
read where our Lord said, but the hour is coming and now is
when the true worshipers shall worship the father in spirit
and in truth. For the father seeketh such to
worship him. Do you know that right now, There
is true worship going on. People worshiping the Father
in spirit, by the Holy Spirit, and in truth, according to the
truth of the Gospel. And there's no worship of God
without the Spirit of God and without the truth of the Gospel.
But the Scripture says, the Father seeketh such to worship Him. Right now. I wonder if there's
anybody that wants to, volunteers. The Father seeketh such to worship
him. Simeon said, now let us thou
thy servant depart in peace. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation. Can you say I'm ready to go right
now? Right now, let me depart. Let me depart. I have seen. mine
eyes have seen thy salvation. Do you find that attractive?
You know, this is so much better than Felix. Turn over to Acts
chapter 24 for a second. Acts chapter 24, verse 25. Acts 24, 25, and as he reasoned
of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come. And that's
a good description of the gospel, isn't it? Paul was speaking to
this man of righteousness. You know there's only one righteousness?
That's the righteousness of Jesus Christ. There is no other righteousness.
just is. He reasoned of righteousness.
The only way I'm going to come into God's presence to be accepted
is if I have His righteousness. And he talked about temperance.
That's the work of God the Holy Spirit in you. That's the fruit
of the Spirit. Temperance, control from within by His Spirit. And
judgment to come. That judgment that's going to
come. What happened? Felix trembled. Verse 25. He was affected by this and he
said, Go thy way for this time. I want to put this off. I want
to put this on the back burner. Go thy way for this time. When I have convenient season,
I'll call for thee. Now, I hear what you're saying,
but I want to, I'll deal with it tomorrow when I have time,
when I have a convenient season. You reckon he ever dealt with
it? I feel quite sure it just disappeared
with this man. Oh, when the Lord crosses a man's
path, John 15, 22 says, if I had not come and spoken to them,
they had not had sin, but now there's no cloak for their sin. Now, when it's a dangerous thing
to hear the truth, how do I respond? Now, once again, in second Corinthians
chapter six, verse two, Paul said, now is the accepted time
today. is the day of salvation, right
now. Now, like I said, I want, by
the grace of God, all of us to completely forget everything
about 2015, everything about 2016, and think about right this
second, in this moment. Now, the two great false refuges
that men hide in are the past and the future. Those are the
biggest false refuges there are. Somebody looking to something
that they've done in the past, something they've experienced
in the past, a way they felt in the past. I remember when
this took place and when I did this and when I did that. That
works. That's all it is. That's a refuge
men hide in. That's thinking you're safe because
of something you've experienced or something you've done. That's
just a false refuge is all it is. The false refuge of the past.
Forget about the past. Forget about what you've experienced.
What about right now? What about right now? The other
false refuge being hidden is the future. What I'm going to
do in the future. I'm going to get things straightened
up in the future. I'm going to believe in the future. I'm going
to do all these different things we're going to do. That's works
is all it is. Right now, in this moment, where
am I at? Are you looking to Christ right
now? Are you actually resting in his
righteousness as your only righteousness before God right now? Is the only plea that you have
right now is his precious blood? Nothing else. Right now, is your
hope, your only hope, is that Christ put away your sin. You have no other hope. Now,
I think it's important for me to point this out. Most people
believe that Christ put away everybody's sin. He died for
everybody and made salvation available for everybody. And
whether or not his blood works for you is if you've accepted
him as your personal savior or if you've received him or whatever.
That's just not so. When he died, he put away the
sins of everybody he died for. Now, if you tell me he can die
for me and I can wind up in hell anyway, you've taken away the
only hope I have. Right now, who are you hoping
in? Are you looking back into the
past when you experienced something, when you first started, quote,
believing? When you felt this and are you
looking forward to the future? I'm gonna get things straightened
out one of these days. Those are false refuges. They
won't stand in judgment. Who are you looking to right
now? You see, faith and repentance
are always in the present. Always. We don't look to yesterday's
faith. It's gone. Faith is always in
the present. Repentance, true repentance before
God, a change of mind before God is not something I did way
back when. It's something that's in the
now. Think of these scriptures. I'm
going to give several. Romans chapter 8 verse 1 says,
there is therefore now no condemnation to them Not to everybody, but
to them that are in Christ Jesus. Right now. There is absolutely,
positively no condemnation. I'm never going to be held accountable
for my sins. You know why? Because they've
been put away. Right now. Right now when God sees me, He
does not condemn me. He sees someone without sin right
now. How is it that I cannot be condemned
for my sin? Because I'm aware of my sin.
I'm aware of the sins I've committed today and yesterday and my sin
is ever before me. How is it that the Bible can
say to me that it's there for now, right now? No condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus. How can that be? Beloved, because
there's no sin to condemn me for. Christ put it away. It's gone when he said it is
finished. All my sin was put away and there's
no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Romans 5
9 says being now justified by his blood. Now this is what the
blood of Christ accomplished, a continual and a present justification. That means I stand before God
perfectly just, without sin, right now. Looking to Christ
right now, I'm not condemned, I'm perfectly justified in the
Lord Jesus Christ. 1 John chapter 3 verse 2 says,
Beloved, now are we the sons of God? Right now. Now are we the sons of God. He
doth not yet appear what we shall be. I don't know what it's going
to be like to be just like Christ. I can't even fathom it. But we
know that when he shall appear, we'll be like him for we shall
see him as he is. Look at this verse with me in
Hebrews chapter 9. Verse 24, for Christ has not entered into the
holy place made with hands, which are the figures of the true,
but into heaven itself. Now you see that word now, right
now, there's a man in glory representing all who believe right now. He's
appearing in heaven right now for us. Even while I'm talking,
right now, my great high priest represents me. Right now. And what a glorious appearing.
I love the way it says this. For Christ has not entered into
the holy place made with hands, which are figures of the true,
but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God
for us. Nor yet that he should offer
himself often as the high priest enters into the holy place every
year with the blood of others. For then must he have often suffered
since the foundation of the world. But now, once in the end of the
world, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself, and as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after
this the judgment. So Christ was once offered to
bear the sins of many, and to them that look for him shall
he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Now this
one right now, is representing all of God's people. And you
know, we have a very specific message for right now. Would
you turn with me to Romans 3? Now we begin in verse 19. I want
to read six or seven verses here, but he begins with the word now. Right now, we know, every believer knows this. If
you do not know this, the Lord hasn't done anything for you
yet. Every believer knows this. 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, here is our natural state
before God. Guilty. Guilty. Can you prove it? You don't have
to. It's what God's word says. And I believe what God's Word
says. This is our standing before God guilty. Is there anything
we can do to change that standing? No. 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. There's nothing you and
I can do as far as our deeds go to change that standing of
guilty before God. But now, verse 21, But now, does
that mean there's no hope? No. But now, and that word is
again, the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,
being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Now, this is the
righteousness of God without my personal obedience to the
law is what he's talking about. Oh, the law is going to be honored,
but this is without my personal obedience to the law. And this
is what the Scriptures has always taught. It's witnessed by the
Law and the Prophets. This isn't just some preacher's
idea. This is what God's Word says.
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 Jesus Christ
unto all and upon all them that believe. Now this righteousness,
without my personal obedience to the law, is the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. And it's given to everyone who
believes. Right now. If you believe right
now, the very righteousness of Jesus Christ is your personal
righteousness before God. Right now. Is this something
you find attractive right now? to have His righteousness as
your very personal righteousness, even the righteousness of God,
which is by the faith of Jesus Christ. Not by your faith in
Christ, but by His faithfulness, His obedience, the obedience
that He worked out on Calvary's tree. And it's unto all and upon
all them that believe. For there's no difference between
me and you. You know, you take the most religious
man alive, the most moral man alive, and you take the biggest
scumbag alive, and you know how much difference there is between
the two of them? None. None. There's no difference.
No difference. I don't care who it is, there's
no difference. For all, look at this, all have sinned and
come short of the glory of God. And what a definition for sin,
to come short of the glory of God. All have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. That's where we're at. But look
at verse 24, being justified. Now that, the whole Bible is
about how this is so. Justified. Being justified. If I'm justified, that means
I've never sinned. That means I'm not guilty. That means I have no sin before
God. Being justified freely. That means there's nothing you
did to get it. There's nothing you did to achieve
this or to earn this. Being justified freely by His
grace through the redemption. through the redeeming death of
Christ on the cross where He put away our sins, whom God has
set forth or foreordained to be a propitiation, a removal
of the reason for anger, through faith in His blood to declare
His righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through
the forbearance of God. To declare, I say at this time,
Here's the message for this time. To declare, I say at this time,
His righteousness. That He might be just and yet
justify somebody as sinful as me. Now that is the message for
now. To declare this message at this
time. Now, what would you think of
a doctor who had only one medicine that could cure every ill? You'd want that medicine, wouldn't
you? It's good for everything. Well, that's the gospel. The
gospel that I've just declared is the one medicine that cures
every ill. It's just exactly, precisely
what you and I need at this present time. Let me show you some present
realities. I'm going to get to the conclusion in just a minute,
but I want to read a few more scriptures to you. Turn to Romans
chapter 11. Here we have the Elijah syndrome. He says in verse 3, Lord, they
killed by prophets and dig down mine altars and I'm left alone
and they seek my life. But what sayeth the answer of
God unto him? I have reserved to myself 7000 men who have not
bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so, at this present
time. Also, there is a remnant. according
to the election of grace. Right now, God's got to elect
people. Right now. You can't say I'm
the only one. You don't know who they are.
But even right now, God has a remnant. And if you belong to him, he's
going to have you. Right now, he's got a remnant.
Turn with me to 1 John chapter 2. Verse 18, little children, it's
the last time. And as you've heard that Antichrist
shall come, even now, there are many Antichrists. Wherein we
know it's the last time, now right now. Right now, yes, God's
got to elect people. And right now, there are many
antichrists, many false messages. Don't be a Pollyanna. Don't put
your head in the sand because it's true. Right now, there are
many, many antichrists. Now, how can I know if what I'm
hearing is true? We'll turn across the page to
1 John chapter 4. Beloved, verse 1. Believe not
every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they're of God, because
many false prophets are gone out into the world. Don't be
oblivious to this. Many false prophets are gone
out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of
God. Every spirit that confesses that
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit
that confesses not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
is not of God. And this is that spirit of antichrist
where you've heard that it should come. And even now already it's
in the world now. Very simple. Anybody who confesses
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, now what's that mean? Well, I confess, first of all,
he was before he came. He's the eternal Son of God,
the uncreated God the Son. And this one who is God came
in the flesh. bone of our bone and flesh of
our flesh and this one who is God who came in the flesh did
what he came to do now this is very important he did what he
came to do in the flesh what did he come to do thou shalt
call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins
And that's precisely what he did. He saved his people from
their sins. He saved me from the condemnation
of sin. He saved me from the power of
sin. Now what do you mean by that? I mean there was a time
when I couldn't believe any more than I could create a world.
I'd hear the preacher say believe and I wouldn't even know what
it meant. I'd hear the preacher say repent and I wouldn't even
know what it meant. I'd say I would if I knew how. But one time I
found myself believing because I was saved from the power of
sin. Saved from the very presence of sin when I'm going to be made
just like Christ. Now, somebody didn't confess
that. Antichrist. Antichrist. That's a strong language. Antichrist. Galatians chapter 4, verse 29. But as then he that was born
after the flesh, representing salvation by works, Galatians
4.29, but as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted
him that was born after the Spirit, works will always persecute grace. That's the way it is. Paul said,
but as he that was born after the flesh, Ishmael persecuted
him that was born after the Spirit, Isaac, even so it is now. Right now. Turn to James 4. Verse 13. Go to now You that say, today or tomorrow
we will go into such a city and continue there a year and buy
and sell and get gain, whereas you know not what shall be on
the morrow. For what is your life? It's even a vapor that
appears for a little while and then vanishes away. For you ought
to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that.
But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore
to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him is sin.
Go to now. Right now, right now, may God
give us the grace to be enveloped in knowing that only God's will
is done. We might not know what it is,
but we're not going to say, I'm going to do this. I'm going to
do that. We're going to say, if the Lord wills, we're going
to do this. We're going to do that. We know
that we're powerless over our circumstances. We're powerless
over what's going to happen. We know everything is in God's
hands right now. Romans chapter 13, Romans chapter 13, verse 11, and that knowing the
time, the present, right now, that now it's high time to awake
out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Now, there is a sense, a very
real sense and a very true sense. I was saved before I was ever
born. Second Timothy 1.9 says 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. He saved us, and He called
us. Now, which came first, the saving
or the calling? The saving. He saved us, and then He called
us with this holy calling, and it didn't have anything to do
with our works. but it was according to his own purpose and grace
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
So there is a very real and true present sense in which I was
saved before I was ever born. I was saved before the foundation
of the world in the person of Christ. But I'm not saved yet. I'm not saved yet. I'm not going
to be plumb saved till I'm perfectly conformed to the image of Jesus
Christ. It hadn't happened yet, but you
know what? I don't know when I, I was saved sometime, I don't
know when it was, but it was years ago. And I'm a lot closer
to that time now than it was when I first believed. And it
may be this year will be my time to come into his presence. But
now is our salvation. Our salvation is when we're in
His presence, singing His praises, bowing before His throne. That
time is near than when we first believed. Now, there is a way
to live in the present. Paul said, I live, yet not I,
but Christ liveth in me, and the life that I now live in the
flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and
gave himself for me." Now, you will remember at the first of
this message I said that our present, the right now, where
I'm at right now, will show my past and my certain future. Where I'm at right now, in this
moment. Now, notice I did not say our
present will determine our past and our future, but it will certainly
reveal our past or future, where I'm at right now. Now, how so?
How so? See if I can make good on this. If I am not right now, presently,
looking to Christ only as everything in my salvation. If I'm hiding
in the past, well, I must be saved because I did this and
I experienced that and I can remember when I first did this
and when I first heard that and how I felt and what I did. Past. That's a false refuge. or if
I'm hiding in the future, I'm gonna get this thing straightened
out. I'm gonna believe, I'm gonna repent, I'm gonna get my life
straightened out, I'm gonna do this. If I'm in that gear, I'm
not presently looking to Christ right now only as everything
in my salvation, but I'm hiding in some kind of refuge of the
past or the future, my past will be exposed when the books are
open. Now turn with me to Revelation
chapter 20. Verse 11. Revelation 20 verse 11, and I
saw a great white throne And him that sat on it, from whose
face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found
no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God. And the books were opened. And another book was opened,
which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out
of those things which were written in the books, plural. according
to their works. And the sea gave up the dead
which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which
were in them. And they were judged every man according to their
works, and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This
is the second death, and whosoever was not found written in the
book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Now, Where I am right now will reveal
my true past as is exposed in those books. Every sin I've ever
committed, every sin I've ever thought, every bad motive I've
ever had is written in the books. And if I'm not looking to Christ
right now, my true past will be exposed. That's the truth. That's the truth. And my future,
where I'm at right now, will tell me my sure and certain future. Verse 13, and the sea gave up
the dead which were in it. And death and hell delivered
up the dead which were in them, and they were judged every one
according to its works. And death and hell were cast
into the lake of fire. This is the second death. This
is the future of all those who do not look only to Jesus Christ
as everything in salvation. So you see where I'm at right
now. It'll determine what my past really is. I mean, we'll
all dress up our past. We won't give the accurate description
of what really took place, but those books will. Those books
will. There's books with everything. And where I'm at right now will
show my true past and show my certain future. But if right
now, I am looking to Christ only. I'm not looking to something
that I did in the past or that happened in the past, that I
experienced in the past. I don't even, I don't know what
happened in the past. I'm looking right now to Jesus
Christ only as my very righteousness before God, as my only sin payment. I don't look anywhere else but
Him. I'm not looking to the future. I'm not thinking I'm going to
believe one of these days, I'm going to repent, I'm going to get things
straightened out. I'm not trying to hide in tomorrow. Right now. I'm looking to Christ only as
everything in my salvation. Let me put it this way. Everything
God requires of me, He looks to Jesus Christ for. Do you find
that attractive right now? Everything that God requires
of me, He looks to Jesus Christ for. Right now, I am trusting
the same one the Father trusted my salvation with. Turn
to Ephesians. Hold your finger there in Revelation.
We're going to come back. Turn to Ephesians chapter 1 for a
moment. Verse 11, in whom also you have
obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the
purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his
own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory who first
trusted in Christ. Who first trusted in Christ?
God the Father. When God the Father gave Christ
to people, He entrusted the salvation of those people with the Lord
Jesus Christ. He's the one who first trusted
Christ. He trusted Christ to save me.
He didn't look for a thing out of me. He trusted His blessed
Son to save me. All my salvation, He entrusted
to Christ. You know what? I trust Christ
No doubt not with the same degree or strength of faith, but I trust
him the same way the Father does. I look to him only for everything
God requires of me right now. Now, that being the case, turn
back to Revelation chapter 21. That being the case, right now,
I'm looking to Christ only. Here's my past. It's all good. There's no sin. And this is my
real past. There's no sin. You say, how
can that be? Well, look in Revelation 21,
beginning in verse 1. And I saw a new heaven and a
new earth for the first heaven and the first earth were passed
away and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city,
New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as
a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out
of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,
and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people,
and God himself shall be with them, and be their God, and God
shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be
no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, Neither shall any
more pain, for the former things are passed away. They are gone. And He that sat upon the throne
said, Behold, I make all things new. Now here is how I've got
this perfect history. He has given me a new history. He said, Behold, I make... He can do this. He can give you
a history that is nothing but perfect. Behold, I make all things new. Now, if I'm right now in my awareness
of my own sinfulness, looking to Him only as the only righteousness
I have, my only hope, my only plea is Him. Here's my history. It's all perfect. No sin. perfect righteousness. And here
is my certain future. Look with me to Revelation 21,
beginning in verse 21, and the twelve gates were twelve pearls.
Every several gate was of one pearl, and the street of the
city was gold as it was transparent glass. And I saw no temple therein,
for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to
shine in it. For the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb
is the light thereof, and the nations of them which are saved
shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth do
bring their glory and honor unto it, and the gates of it shall
not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there,
and they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into
it, and there shall in no wise enter in anything that defileth,
neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but they which
were written in the Lamb's book of life." Now this is the certain
future of all of those who presently look to Christ only. Now where are you at? Where are
you at right now, at this present time? In Acts chapter 22, verse 16, Anna and I said to Paul, why
tarryst thou? What are you waiting on? Arise
and be baptized, washing away thy sins. Now here's the point
I want to make. What are you waiting on? To get better? It
ain't going to happen. What are you waiting on? Today is the day of salvation. Now, my past is in the lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. That's the true reality of my
past. My future is spending eternity
crying worthy as the lamb that was slain, and my present is My only hope, my only plea, is
that Jesus lived and died for me. Right now. May God give each one of us present
saving faith. Now remember, faith is always
in the now. Don't look to yesterday, don't
look to tomorrow. Right now, believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Now we're getting ready
to observe the Lord's table and I hope the Lord will enable us
in a very powerful way to be in the now. You think of his
broken body what it does right now. You think of his shed blood
what it does right now. Let's pray together. Lord, how we thank you for the
Lord Jesus Christ and we ask that you would take these words
spoken by a feeble man and bless them by your spirit and cause
there to be life and light through your gospel. Lord, as we observe
the table you told us to, Eat the bread and drink of the wine.
Lord, we ask that you would enable us truly to do this in remembrance
of thy dear son. Lord, truly we confess he is
all we have and we don't want anything else. Lord, we're so
content to simply be saved by him. Lord, grant each person
here saving faith for Christ's sake. In his name we pray.