Chapter of the Book of Romans. Tonight, I'm going to be speaking
upon this subject, God's strange guest list. It'll be out of Luke
chapter 14, God's strange guest list. The verse of scripture that I
just read in Romans chapter 10, for Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Now wouldn't
it be a blessing of grace if me and you are some of the people
described in this verse people who believe. Wouldn't it be something if you
leave this place a real believer? Someone who really believes the
gospel of Christ. Now, I want that to be me, and
I want that to be you. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to who? That's what I've entitled this
message. If Christ is the end of the law
for you, what does that mean? Now you listen real carefully. It means the law keeping of Christ
is your personal righteousness before God. Does that sound attractive
to you? It certainly does to me. You
have a righteousness right now that cannot be improved and that
cannot be diminished. That is what is true of you if
Christ is the end of the law of righteousness for you. It's not only counted to you,
It's yours. You did it. And that's what justification
means. Justification, the central truth of the scripture, is not
just as if I never sinned. It means I never sinned. If Christ is the end of the law
to you, you know what that means? You never sin. You stand before God without
guilt as a law keeper, having the very righteousness of Christ
as your personal righteousness before God. Hold your finger
in Romans 10 and turn to 1 John chapter 4 for just a moment. Somebody might be thinking that
just sounds too good to be true. I understand you thinking that. Verse 17. Herein is our love
made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. Now what in the world will give
somebody boldness in the day of judgment, standing before
the great judge, the God of glory, the God of holiness, and having
boldness? It's quite a statement, isn't
it? And here's where that boldness comes from. Because as He is,
so are we in this world. Is Jesus Christ perfect before
God's holy law, having never sinned? Yes. I'm a believer. Me too. As he is, so are we in this world. Now the law, the law given to
Moses, Christ is the end of the law. That means he's the purpose of
the law. The law was not given for us
to try to keep and earn God's favor. Never was intended for
that. The law was given to show us
our need of Jesus Christ as our righteousness before God. That's
what the law's for. I love God's holy law. The law
was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Now that's the
purpose of the law. The purpose of the law is to
show you and I that we have not kept it. Paul said, moreover,
the law entered that the offense might abound and all God's law
does is expose sin. Now, if I believe I've kept one
commandment of the 10, If I believe I've kept one commandment, one
time, in and of myself, all I demonstrate is a complete ignorance of God's
holy law and I demonstrate how unholy and evil I am and my low
view of the law of God. Now, if you believe you've kept
one commandment, one time, you have no idea what God's holy
law really means. Moreover the law, enter that
the offense might abound, overflow. Galatians 3.24 says, wherefore
the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we
might be justified by faith. That's the goal of the law. That's
the purpose of the law. Christ is not only the purpose
of the law, Christ is the fulfillment of the law. He said, think not
that I've come to destroy the law of the prophets. I came not
to destroy, but to fulfill. Christ obeyed God's holy law. He fulfilled everything we read
of in the Old Testament. All the feasts, all the sacrifices,
all everything. He's the fulfillment of it. And
bless God, I love this. Christ is the termination of
the law. You are not under law, but under
grace. If you be led of the Spirit,
you're not under law, but under grace. That's what the Bible
says. Now, who is Christ the end of
the law for? Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness. For who? Can everyone take this promise
to themselves? Is he the end of the law for
righteousness to every son of Adam? Well, I would be telling
the truth if I said this is a reference to God's elect. Those God chose
before time began to be saved. That's who he's the end of the
law for. I'd be correct if I said that, wouldn't I? I would be
correct if I said he's the end of the law for those for whom
Christ died. You know, I always want to make
an issue when I preach. Christ Jesus died for the elect. He didn't make salvation available
for men depending upon what they do. And the reason we make that
clear and plain in our preaching is to remind men that Christ
is successful. If He died for you, you must
be saved. You don't run the risk of the
hazard of the possibility of being anything but saved if He
died for you. He can't die for you and you
end up in hell. Well, I'll perish the thought of such a thing.
I would be correct if I said Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to those for whom Christ died. And I would
be correct if I said Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to all who have been born again. for all who have been regenerated,
for all who have been given a new heart. All those things would
be true if I said Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
for that person, that person who's been elected, who Christ
has died for and who God the Holy Spirit has done a work of
grace in their heart. I say that, but here's my question. How can I know that Christ is
the end of the law for me? I want to know. How can I know
that Jesus Christ is the end of the law for me? That my personal
righteousness is His obedience before God. That's mine. Oh,
if I just knew that His obedience was my obedience, I could rest.
I could relax. I could rejoice. How can I know
if his righteousness is this man's personal righteousness
before God? Who is this demographic of whom
it can be said Christ is the end of the law of righteousness
for who? Well, what's our text say? It
says for everyone that believeth. for everyone that believeth. This is the evidence that one
has Christ's righteousness as their own personal righteousness
before God, that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness.
This is the evidence. It's for everyone that believeth. You're in this specific group
If you can be described thusly, you believe. Now I can remember
so clearly one time in my experience thinking, I see that salvation
comes from faith. I see that salvation comes from
believing, but what in the world does it mean to believe? I'd
believe if I knew how. What does it mean to believe?
What do I know? of faith. I hope and I pray that
that question is answered this morning and you can know whether
or not you are a believer. Now, Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. No exceptions. Everyone that
believeth. Now the word believeth here is
what is called a participle. If you were in Grade school,
you remember, you probably forgot by now, I remember thinking that
was a big word in grade school, and I remember the teacher explaining
it, and I understood it at the time when we were going through
grammar, and I'd forgotten it since then, but every time I
think of the word, I remember I need to look it up. What's
a participle? What's a participle? Well, a participle is a word
that serves both as an adjective and a verb. That's what a participle
is. It describes what you do. It describes what you are. Now
here this word is a participle. A believer. Believing is what
you do. If you're a believer. What's
a Christian? He's someone who believes. That's what you do.
You believe! What is a Christian? It's what
he is. He's a believer. This word is
a participle that describes the Christian. He's someone who believes
he is a believer. Now, I think it's very important
to know that this is in the present tense. Do you believe now? I'm not asking
you about if you were really moved one time when you heard
a message and you think you probably believe then. I'm asking you,
do you believe now? You see, if you've got to look
back even five minutes for assurance, you're looking in the wrong place.
That's not believing. That's believing in yourself
if you have to look back to something. But we're not talking about looking
back to find assurance about anything. Well, I remember when
I experienced this and when I was moved this time and when I did
this and when I started doing that. Surely I was saved then.
Who are you looking to right now? That's the only issue. Just forget the past right now.
Who are you looking to right now? Christ is the end of the
law to everyone that believeth. Now believes what? Now the reason
I ask that question is we have many examples in the scripture
of a faith, a kind of faith, that really doesn't save. Remember
when James said, you believe there's one God, you do well.
The devils believe and tremble. Devils have a type of faith.
But it's not saving faith. Turn to John chapter 2. Verse 23. Now, when he was in Jerusalem
at the Passover and the feast day, many believed in his name. When they saw the miracles which
he did, But Jesus did not commit himself unto them. They believed
him, but he didn't believe in them, because he knew all men,
and needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew not
what was in man. Now it said they believed, but
it wasn't saving faith. The Lord didn't have anything
to do with them. Look in John chapter 12. Verse 42. Nevertheless, among
the chief rulers also, many believed on him, but because of the Pharisees,
they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the
synagogue. For they love the praise of men more than the praise
of God. Now, these men had a type of
faith. It says they believed, but it
was not saving faith. That's why I ask, believe what? Believe what? The faith that saves the soul
has wholly to do with Christ Himself. Oh, may God give me
the grace to say this the way it ought to be said, and may
He give you ears to hear so that you can hear what's being said.
The faith that saves the soul has to do with Christ Himself. It's believing Him. While you're in John, turn to
John 11. Verse 24, Martha said unto him,
I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last
day. Jesus saith unto her, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth
in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever
liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? I know you believe in the resurrection.
I know you believe in all these events. Do you believe that I
myself am the resurrection? Do you believe that I myself
am the life? Do you believe this? Believing is not believing you're
saved. Believing is not believing you're
one of the elect. Believing is not believing that
Jesus Christ died for you. Believing is not believing that
you're born of the Spirit. You can believe all of those
things and still be lost. But you can't believe Him and
still be lost. Believing is believing Him. You can believe Christ died for
you. You can believe you're one of
the elect. You can believe you've been regenerated by God the Holy
Spirit. You can believe you're saved
and miss salvation altogether. But you cannot believe Him and
miss salvation. In Acts chapter 8, when that
man said, what hinders me from being baptized? I want to know. Go ahead and turn here. You're
turning there anyway, so let's look at it. Acts chapter 8. I was
going to quote it. Here, the page is rustling, so
maybe you all want to read it. Acts chapter 8. Verse 36, as they went on their
way, there came under a certain water and the eunuch said, see,
here's water. What does hinder me to be baptized?
I want to know. Do I need to understand more?
Do I need to know more? Do I need to do more? Do I need
to do less? Tell me what it is I need to
do. What hinders me from being baptized? And Philip said, if
thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered
and said, and I love his answer. He didn't say, I believe I'm
saved. He didn't say, I believe that Jesus Christ died for me.
He didn't say, I believe I've been born again. He didn't say,
I believe I'm one of the elect. He said, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the son of God. I believe that Jesus Christ is
the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the uncreated Sovereign
of the Universe, the Creator. I believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God. In 2 Timothy 1.12, Paul said, I know whom I have
believed. He didn't say, I know what I
believe. Somebody says, I know what I believe. Congratulations. I know whom
I have believed. And beloved, everything we believe
is determined by who we believe. You know the reason why I believe?
If Christ died for me, I must be saved because it's Christ
that died. It's who he is. He can't fail. He can't mess
things up. He doesn't ever try to do anything.
Pentecostal, he's trying to do nothing. He don't try. He does. He does. I know whom I have believed
and I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've
committed to him. against that day. I've committed
the salvation of my soul to Him. If He doesn't do it all, I will
not be saved. But thank God I am relying completely
on Him. Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. Turn with me to John chapter
6. I'm going to ask you to turn to quite a few scriptures for
I hope the Lord puts this in our heart. John chapter 6. Verse 64. But there are some
of you that believe not. John 6, 64. But there are some
of you that believe not, for Jesus knew from the beginning
who they were that believed not and who should betray Him. And
He said, Therefore said I unto you that no man can come to Me,
except it were given him of My Father. From that time, many
of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Well, that's a scary thought,
isn't it? They went back. They walked no more with him.
Then said Jesus unto the 12, will you also go away? I think
of the Lord watching this crowd of 5,000 leave him. And he looks
at the 12 and he says, you fellas want to leave too? There's the
door. Will you also go away? And look
at Simon Peter's answer. Then Simon Peter answered, Lord,
where would we go? I didn't read that, did I? To whom? To whom? To whom? Shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. These words that these people
found to be hard sayings and didn't like them and left. We
find them to be words of eternal life. Now look what he says in
verse 69. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ,
the son of the living God. In 1 John chapter 5, I'd like
you to turn here. 1 John chapter 5, verse 1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ,
is born of God. That's what the Bible says. Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ. Now what's that mean? The Christ means God's anointed. It means
God's anointed prophet. It means God's anointed priest.
It means God's anointed king. I believe He's the Word of God. He's God's prophet. He's the
Word. You know, it doesn't do me any good at all to talk about
loving Jesus if I don't pay attention to what He says. I believe every
word He says. I rejoice in every word He says.
All of it's truth. You know, what you think about
Jesus Christ is seen by what you think of every word in this
book. This is the Word of God. This is the Word of Jesus Christ. He's God's prophet. He's the
Word of God. I believe that. I'm relying on
that. I'm relying on what He said.
I'm relying that He is who He said He was. He's God's priest. By His own blood, as God's great
priest, by His own blood, He entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Can you believe
that? You believe when he went in as
God's priest, representing his people, he did so having obtained. That means it's already done.
It's already finished. It's already completed. And he
obtained it. And I'm relying on him as my
priest to bring me into God's presence. I believe he's God's
priest. Do you? Do you believe he's God's
word, God's prophet? Do you believe he's God's priest?
Do you believe he's God's king? Do you believe that Jesus Christ
is the King? That He's the King of kings and
that He's the Lord of lords? That He has absolute sovereign
authority and control over everything? He's the King. He's my King.
King of my life. I bow before Him. I need Him
as a King to cause me to do His will. I need His kingship. I
need Him to cause me by His invincible fiat, by His command. Give commandment
to save me. That's what I need Him to do
for me. I need Him as my King. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. Look in verse 5 of the same chapter,
1 John chapter 5. Who is he that overcometh the
world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? Not whosoever believeth overcomes
the world, but whosoever believeth that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God. You see, Faith has to do with
Christ Himself. Not your thoughts about yourself,
but your thoughts about Christ. Do you believe that He's the
Son of God, the uncreated Second Person of the Blessed Trinity,
the One who has all the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in His
body? Do you believe that? I love what He said to the two
blind men who came in. He said, do you believe that
I am able to do this? Do you believe in his ability
to save you with absolutely no help and no contribution from
you? Do you believe that he is able
to save you? Are you relying upon his ability
to save you? Now that's what faith is. Faith
is relying on his ability. Yea, Lord. Dost thou believe
on the Son of God? Who is he, Lord, that I might
believe? Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh
with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe.
And he worshiped him. Now this is something that everybody
does who believes. They worship him. They worship
him. Now, they worship him. Oh, we
really worshipped. You wouldn't believe all the
stuff that happened. I don't believe it. You're right. I don't believe
it. You worship him when you worship
him for who he is. That leper worshipped him. Bible says he did. There came
a leper and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if you will, you can make me
clean. And that's what folks do who
believe. They worship Him. He didn't dictate
to the Lord what He should do. He didn't say, I'll do this and
you do that. He knew everything was in the will of Christ. Lord,
if you will, it's up to you. I can't manipulate you. If you
will, you can make me clean. And the Lord said, I will. I love the power of that, don't
you? When I say I will, it don't mean
a whole lot. I say I will, but I don't know
what's going to happen in the next five minutes that might
prevent it from taking place. Oh, but when he says, I will,
it's done. John 3, 18 says he that believeth
on him is not condemned. It doesn't simply say he that
believeth is not condemned. It says he that believeth on
him is not condemned. Romans 8, 1 says, there is therefore
now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk
not after the flesh, but after the spirit. What's it mean to
walk after the flesh? It means to believe in works.
What's it mean to walk after the spirit? It means to believe
the gospel. That's all it means. It's not some kind of higher
plane you get on. It's believing the gospel. Turn with me to John chapter
6. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness, for who? Everyone that believeth. John chapter six, verse 28. Then said they unto him, what
shall we do that we might work the works of God? That's a good
question, isn't it? How did our Lord answer that?
Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work of God,
that you believe on him whom he hath sent. You believe God
sent him. You believe he did what God sent
him to do, and you're relying on that. You believe on him whom
he hath sent. Turn with me to John chapter
17 for just a moment. Verse eight, for I've given unto
them the words which thou gavest me, and they've received them. Now don't miss that. If you receive
Jesus Christ, you receive his words, you receive his doctrine,
you receive what he said. And they have known surely that
I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst
send me. Now I pray for them. I pray not
for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they
are thine. Was he just talking about his disciples? No, look
in verse 20. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also
which shall believe on me through their word. And that's what we're
doing right now. We're believing on him through
the word that they brought. Now look back in John chapter
six, verse 40. And this is the will of him that
sent me, that everyone which seeth the son and believeth on
him. may have everlasting life, and
I'll raise him up at the last day." Now here, this promise
is to everyone, without exception, that sees the Son. What's that mean? Because I've
never seen him physically. If you'd asked me what he looks
like, I couldn't tell you. as far as his physical appearance.
I've never seen the sun physically, but what this is talking about
is a spiritual sight of the sun. And what is a spiritual sight
of the sun? It's when you see that the only hope you have is
the sun. Have you seen that? that the
only hope you have is that everything God requires of you, He looks
to His Son for. All of it. And you're relying
completely on Him. I couldn't help but think of
the story of David. He said in 2 Samuel 9.1, Is there any left of the house
of Saul that I can show kindness to for Jonathan's sake? And Jonathan was David's best
friend. Jonathan was that man he'd made
a covenant with. He was the, he was with the,
he was the son of Saul. And he was said to Jonathan,
Jonathan and David made a covenant. He said, whatever is wrong with
you, I want you to look to me for. Whatever happens to you,
I want you to guarantee and promise that you'll have mercy on my
people. I'm getting all mixed up, I don't
know. That's what happens when distractions
come and you're trying to talk and somebody gets up, so always
be careful about that. If it's not necessary, don't
get up. But at any rate, let me start
this over. Saul and Jonathan. Saul is the
father of Jonathan. He's David's enemy. David and
Jonathan are best friends. Jonathan and David make a covenant. Years before, Jonathan knows
that David is going to be the king. He knows that he's going
to be in charge. He knows that he's going to have
the throne. And he says, I want you to make
an agreement with me that after I'm dead and gone, you'll be
merciful to my descendants. And they made that agreement.
Years later, after David is the most powerful man in the world,
the scripture says the fear of David came upon all nations.
This is how powerful he was. He was the most powerful man
in all the world, which pictures the Lord Jesus Christ, the one
who has all power. He said, is there any yet of
the house of Saul that I can show kindness to for Jonathan's
sake? And there was a man by the name
of Ziba. And he said, yeah, there's one, but He ain't worth anything. He's lame on both of his feet.
He can't work for you. He can't fight for you. He can't
do anything but be carried. He can't make any contributions
to your kingdom. And David said, go fetch him. And they bring him before David. And David looks at him. And you
know who he sees? He sees that boy's father. He
sees Jonathan. That too he sees. And he says,
fear not. I will surely show you the kindness
of God for Jonathan's sake. Now, all he saw was Jonathan. He didn't see Mephibosheth. He
saw Jonathan. Now, do you see that the only
reason God will accept you is for Christ's sake? You see that? Let me take it a little further.
Is this what you're lying on? Beloved, that's called faith.
What else do you want? What else do you want? That's
called faith in Christ. Turn to Romans chapter 3, verse
25. whom God set forth to be a propitiation. That word propitiation, it's
a big word, we don't use it much, but what it means is Christ removed
God's reason for anger. That's what he did on the cross.
He removed God's reason for anger. whom God set forth to be a propitiation
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, His righteousness,
that He might be just and the justifier of him which believeth
in Jesus." There it is again, that one who believeth in Jesus. Look in Romans chapter 4, verse
4, "'Now to him that worketh not, For to him that worketh
is the reward, not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him
that worketh not, but believeth, relieth on him that justifieth
the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Now you have
a faith if you got faith. You have a faith that makes you
sure of this. I can't be saved by my works. Are you sure of
that? Have you become convinced of
that by the Spirit of God that all you are in and of yourself
is sin? You know you can't be saved by your works, but you
believe on Him who justifies the ungodly. That's what the
Gospel is. Him that justifies the ungodly
by what He did on Calvary's tree. Acts 10.43 says, To Him give
all the prophets witness that through His name whosoever believeth
in Him. shall have the remission of sins."
I love this scripture. Hebrews 12, 2 says, looking unto
Jesus. Looking unto Jesus. Not looking
to your evidences. Not looking to your faith. Not
looking to your experience. Not looking to your intentions.
Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith.
You know, I look to Him as the author of my faith. I look to
Him as the one who gave me the faith in the first place. I'm
sure not looking to the faith. I'm looking to Him who gave me
the faith. Looking unto Jesus the author, and I'm looking to
Him as the finisher of my faith, the completer, the perfecter.
I'm looking to Him, looking not anywhere else. Not looking to
the past, not looking to when I fell fish or when I did that.
looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. Turn to 1 Peter chapter 2. Who's Christ the end of the law
for? Everyone that believeth. 1 Peter 2, verse 6, Wherefore
also, it's contained in the scriptures, Behold, I lay in Zion, a chief
cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him
shall not be confounded. You know, you won't be put to
shame. On judgment day, there's not going to be anything you're
going to be ashamed of if you're somebody that believed on him. It's all good. Look what it says in verse 7,
Unto you therefore which believe, He is precious. He's all you got. He's all you
want. And he's all you need. He is
precious. Now, I'm going to ask you to
look at two more scriptures real quick. Matthew 16. Verse 13, when Jesus came into
the coast of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying,
whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, well,
some say thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremiah,
or one of the prophets. They put you in some pretty high
cotton. He said unto them, but whom say ye that I am? And Simon
Peter answered and said, thou art the Christ. the son of the living God. Now, if Christ asked that question
to you, who do you say that I am? How would you answer? The final scripture is John 20.
Would you turn with me there? John chapter 20. Do you believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of the living God? Do you believe that? Then He Himself is the end of
the law for righteousness for you. Somebody says, well, I could
believe I was really saved. I could believe if what? If what? Well, if I was holier. If I didn't have so many doubts.
If, hold on, that doesn't have anything to do with believing
on Christ, that's believing on yourself. That's all that means. Whoso believeth that Jesus is
the Christ is born of God. Now look in John chapter 20,
verse 30. And many other signs truly did
Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written
in this book, but these are written. That you might believe that Jesus
is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might
have life through his name. Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Believe. on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved. That means God saved you. Let's
pray.