Let's turn back to Romans 9.
Now this evening, we're going to
look at that verse of scripture where the Lord looked at Jerusalem
and said, the very ones who would murder Him, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen
gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not. I would, and you would not. In Romans chapter 9, Paul says in verse 30, what shall we say then? And that
is what I've entitled this message. What should we say then? How
shall we respond? How do you respond? How do I
respond? What conclusions can we draw? What should we say? To what?
To Romans chapter nine. Now Romans chapter 9 may be the
most controversial chapter in the Bible. There are commentaries
on the entire Bible that actually skip Romans chapter 9. Isn't
that amazing? Don't even deal with it. How could Romans 9 be summarized? Romans 9 can be summarized like
this. It's about God being God, and
it's about men being men. Look in verse 11. For the children, being not yet
born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose
of God, according to election, might stand Not of works, but
of him that calleth. That's God being God. Look in
verse 15. For he saith to Moses, God says
to Moses, I'll have mercy on whom I will have mercy. And I'll
have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it's
not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth. but of God
that showeth mercy. That's God being God. You know I love saying that. Verse 17, for the scripture saith
unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised thee up,
that I might show my power in thee and that my name might be
declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom
he will have mercy, and whom he will, he hardens. Henry Mahan tells the story of
reading that chapter and making no comment on it. And somebody
stood up and said, it doesn't mean that. Oh. Verse 19, thou wilt say unto
me, why does he yet find fault for who has resisted his will?
Nay, but O man, who are you to reply against God? Shall the
thing form, say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus?
Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to
make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? That's
God being God. That's God being in control. That's God being who he is, absolutely
sovereign, controlling everything and everybody. I love that. I love it that God is God. Verse
22, what if God willing to show his wrath and to make his power
known endured with much long suffering, the vessels of wrath
fitted to destruction that he might make known the riches of
his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had for prepared under
glory, even as whom he had called not of the Jews only, but also
of the Gentiles, that is God being God. And what does this chapter say
regarding man? Well, look once again in verse
11. For the children being not yet born, neither having done
any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand not of works, but of him that calleth. It says
that man cannot be saved by his works. Period. Look in verse 16. So then, It's not of him that willeth.
People say, does man have a free will? No, no, he doesn't. His
will is controlled by his nature. Salvation does not come because
of a man willing his salvation. I will to let Christ save me. No, it doesn't work like that.
It's not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth. It's
not by man's efforts, but of God that showeth mercy. Look in verse 19. Thou wilt say unto me, why does
he yet find fault? For who is resisted his will?
If God hardened some and doesn't harden others, how can he judge
me if he's hardened my heart? How could I be held for responsible
for what I've done if he's the one who's hardened my heart?
And Paul's answer is, who do you think you are? Who are you
to reply against God? Do you think that you're competent
to set judgment on God? No man is competent to make a
judgment concerning God, saying I agree with this or I don't
agree with that. Who are you to reply against God? Look in
verse 29. And as Isaiah said before, except
the Lord of Sabbath had left us a seed, we'd been in Sodom
and been made like unto Gomorrah. city of moral perversity, that
city that would make Las Vegas look like Mayberry RFD, that
city of moral perversity, me and you, apart from the grace
of God, aren't any different. than the inhabitants of that
city that we just read about, that God rained down fire and
brimstone to destroy them. Now, that's what this book, that's
what this chapter says about man. Now, what shall we say then? What conclusions can we draw
from this? Well, here's the first, verse
30. What shall we say then that the Gentiles which followed not
after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness
which is of faith." Now here's the first conclusion. People
who were not seeking God, people who were not seeking righteousness,
didn't even care about God. The Lord said, I was found of
them that sought me not. And I was made manifest to them
that asked not after me, who had no interest in me. But those very people that did
not seek God, that didn't have any care about righteousness,
have attained to righteousness." That's the first conclusion we
can draw. Gentiles, people without Christ,
being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel and strangers from
the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God
in the world. Those are the people that God
saves. That's the first conclusion we
can draw. People who didn't have righteousness, didn't know what
righteousness was and didn't care about righteousness. God
saved those people. Is that good news? That's not
bad news, is it? That is good news. These people
have attained a righteousness. They possess perfect righteousness
before God, even the righteousness, Paul says, which is of faith.
What is the righteousness which is of faith? Turn back to Romans
chapter 3 for a moment. People who didn't know God, didn't
love God, didn't care about God. These are the people that God
has saved. And if you're saved, you're one
of these people. Now look in Romans chapter three,
beginning in verse 19. Now we know that what thing soever the
law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, that every
mouth may be stopped, mine and yours, and all the world, me
and you, may become guilty before God. Now that's my state before
God. That's your state before God. Guilty. Guilty. No excuses. Every mouth stopped.
no extenuating circumstances, no self-justification or vindication
in my person, no, my mouth is stopped and I stand guilty before
God. Verse 20. 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. Is there anything I can
do to change my state of guilt before God? No. But, verse 21,
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 for there's no difference for all
have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is a
righteousness of God which is by the faith, the obedience,
the faithfulness of Jesus Christ given to those who believe. Look
over in chapter 4 verse 5, verse 4. Now, to him that worketh is
the reward, salvation, not reckoned of grace, but of debt. If you
work for your salvation, that means God owes it to you. But
to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Now, this
is good news to every sinner. What I'm talking about right
now, this is the only hope I have. Look in chapter 5, verse 6. For
when we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for
the ungodly. Are you without strength? Are you ungodly? Good news. Christ died for you. What shall we say then? Hallelujah.
Praise God. That's what we say to this. That
God saves people who in and of themselves didn't even care whether
they knew him or not, but he saved them anyway for Christ's
sake. What should we say then? Praise
God. Back to our text in Romans 9. What shall we then say? Verse
31, but Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness,
unlike the Gentiles, they pursued righteousness. They sought to
be righteous before God. They sought to do something that
would make God pleased with them, so he would save them. They sought
after righteousness. But notice it says, but Israel,
which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained
to the law of righteousness. Israel, who was given such privilege
over the Gentile world, they pursued righteousness, they followed
after the law of righteousness, and you know what they did? They
blunked. They got an F. When I was in school, I imagine
it's the same way, but when I was in school, if you got 60% or
under, under 60%, you got an F. And I remember thinking, man,
60% is not all that bad. But it didn't matter. But not only did you not get
60%, you got a zero. I got a zero. The only thing
we can bring in our resume is sin. That's it. Nothing else. Israel. which pursued after the
law of righteousness, they didn't attain it. They got an F minus,
zero percent. They didn't keep one commandment
one time. Wherefore, verse 32, how come? Now, if I go the law route, if
I go the works route, there is no hope. Now, why is it they
didn't attain to the law of righteousness? Verse 32, because they sought
it not by faith. but as it were by the works of
the law, for they stumbled at that stumbling stone. Would to God that he would enable
me to preach what faith in Christ really is. Wouldn't it be a blessing
for you and I to know what faith really is, and to experience
faith, to actually believe the gospel? Now, here's why these
men who pursued righteousness failed, Paul says. They sought
it not by faith, but by works. Now, if I believe that any part
of my salvation, any part, is dependent upon something I do, that's works. Fill in the blank, whatever it
is. If any part of my salvation is
ultimately dependent upon something I do, that is work. All I have to do is believe in
free will. And I believe in works. Faith is a complete reliance
upon Christ as everything in my salvation. He's the alpha,
the beginning, and the omega. He's the first and the last. He's the beginning and the end. Faith is, as the writer to the
Hebrew says, looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of
our faith. It's not looking to faith. It's
looking unto Jesus as the author and the perfecter, the finisher
of our faith. It's relying on Christ himself
as my wisdom, as my righteousness. as my sanctification, as my redemption,
to him that worketh not. You know you can't be saved by
your works, by anything you do, but believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly. Do you believe on him who justifies
the ungodly? Sayers, what must I do to be
saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
Now, turn with me to Genesis chapter 42. Genesis 42. Now, you remember that Benjamin was
Jacob's favorite son. He thought he'd lost Joseph.
And you remember that Benjamin, Joseph, they didn't know who
he was, his brothers, but he said, unless you bring Benjamin
back with you, you're not going to get any food. Now, they'd
ran out of food. And it was time to go back to Egypt and get food. And we read In verse 35 of Genesis
42, And it came to pass, as they emptied their sacks, that, behold,
every man's bundle of money was in his sack. And when both they
and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. And
Jacob their father said unto them, Me have you bereaved of
my children? Joseph is not, and Simeon is
not, and you'll take Benjamin away. All these things are against
me. And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons,
if I bring him not to thee. Deliver him into my hand, and
I'll bring him to thee again. You trust me with Benjamin. I'll
take care of him. That's Reuben's promise. You
trust me with Benjamin. I'll bring him back. If I don't,
you can kill my two sons, which Jacob really wanted to do that.
He wanted to kill his two boys. But the point is, you trust me. I'll make sure Benjamin gets
back. And look at Jacob's response. And he said, my son shall not
go down with you. He didn't trust Reuben for a second. Remember
what he said about Reuben. Unstable as water, thou shalt
not excel. He would not trust his son to
Reuben. His brother is dead, he's left
alone. If mischief befall him by the way in which you go, then
shall you bring my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. My
son's not gonna go with you. That is lack of trust, isn't
it? It's exactly what it is. But
now, let's read about it. Judah, verse one of chapter 43. And the famine was sore in the
land and it came to pass when they'd eaten up the corn which
they'd brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them,
go again, buy us a little food. And Judah spake unto him, saying,
the man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, you shall not
see my face, except your brother be with you. Benjamin, if thou
wilt send our brother with us, we'll go down and buy thee food.
But if thou wilt not send him, we'll not go down. For the man
said unto us, you shall not see my face, except your brother
be with you. And Israel said, wherefore dealt ye so ill with
me as to tell the man whether you had yet a brother? And they
said, the man asked us straightly of our state, of our kindred,
saying, is your father yet alive? Have you another brother? And
we told him according to the tenor of these words, could we
certainly have known what he would say, bring your brother
down? And Judah said unto Israel, his father, send the lad with
me. We will arise and go that we
may live and not die, both we and thou and also all our little
ones. I will be surety for him. Of my hand shalt thou require
him. If I bring him not unto thee
and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever. Now, you know that those are
the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. who came through Judah, and he
said, you entrust Benjamin with me. I'll be surety for him. If I
bring him not to thee and set him before thee, let me bear
the blame forever. Now we see that Jacob did not
trust Reuben. but he trusted Judah with his
son. Now turn with me to Ephesians
chapter one. And this is, this is faith. What
we're talking about. If you want to know what faith
is, if you don't know what it is to believe, here it is. Ephesians
chapter one, verse 12. that we, every one of God's elect,
every believer, that we should be to the praise of His glory
who first trusted in Christ. Who first trusted in Christ? God the Father trusted His Son
to be my surety. The Father knew that all of my
salvation was dependent upon my surety. And the Father entrusted
every believer with the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one who
first trusted Christ. He trusted Christ for my salvation. Now look what it says in verse
13. In whom you also trusted, After that, you heard the word
of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Now, I trust the same
way, and I say this reverently, but faith is the gift of God,
it comes from Him. I trust Christ the same way the Father trusts
Him. The Father entrusted all of my
salvation to Christ. All of it. Everything that God
requires of me, He looks to His Son for. And do you know, I trust
Christ for the same thing. Everything God requires of me,
I'm trusting that He looks to Christ for it. Same faith. Same
faith. That's what it is to believe
the gospel. It's to trust the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the
righteousness which is of faith. You trust Christ as your personal
righteousness before God. You know that all that God requires
of you, he looks to his son, Jesus Christ, for. This is the
work of God that you believe on him whom he has sent. Now don't miss those words. Him
whom He has sent. Who sent Him? God sent Him. What
did He send Him for? Thou shalt call His name Jesus,
for He shall save His people from their sins. God sent Him
to save His people from their sins. And He did it! He did it! And I trust Him only. That is the righteousness of
faith. And if I can't come to Him with faith, I come to Him
for faith. If I can't come to him with repentance,
I come to him for repentance. If I can't come to him with love,
I come to him for love. Lord, give me these things. I'm
completely, utterly dependent upon you for everything. You
see, somebody says, give Jesus your
heart. What would he want with it? What would he want with your
or my evil heart? We come to him for a new heart. Works is salvation dependent
upon what I have done. Faith is dependence upon what
Christ has done. Do. Complete the task. or done. It is finished. Go back to Romans 9. Israel, verse 31, which followed
after the law of righteousness, had not attained to the law of
righteousness. Why? Because they sought it not by
faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled
at that stumbling stone. This is very important. They
stumbled at that stumbling stone. There is a particular stumbling
stone, verse 33, as it is written. Now, is it written? Has God revealed it in his word?
Then it's so. If it's not written, I don't
believe it. This is the authoritative statement,
for it is written. That answers all questions. The
Bible is the word of God. If I don't have the Bible as
the word of God, what am I left with? My opinion, your opinion,
what use is that? Aren't you thankful that God
has given us a book with his truth? It is written, and he
quotes Isaiah chapter eight, verse 14. Would you turn with
me there? Isaiah chapter 8. Isaiah chapter 8 verse 14. This is speaking of Christ. And he shall be for a sanctuary. a place of safety, a place of
holiness. Some find Christ to be a sanctuary
and there's others, look at what it says next, but for a stone
of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of
Israel, to both houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to
the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Now, To some, he's a sanctuary,
a place of safety, a place of holiness. To others, he's a stumbling
stone, a rock of offense, a djinn, and a snare. The very thing that
saves one, another stumbles over and is offended by. Now go back
to Romans chapter 9. He quotes Isaiah 8, 14. Romans
chapter 9, as it's written, There's our authority as it's written. You know, let me remind you,
I never asked you to believe something because I said it.
Is it written? That's all that counts. Is it
written? As it's written, God says, behold,
I lay in Zion a stumbling stone. Something people trip over. And a rock of offense. That word
means scandal. People are scandalized by this. They can't believe this is so.
This is wrong. They trip over it. I just can't
believe this. I can't receive this. This doesn't
seem right. Why this is scandalous. The implications of this. It's
scandalous. It would produce sin. This walk
of offense causes people to be prejudiced against it. It arouses
strong feelings and emotions. I'm offended by this. I don't
believe this. This is wrong. Now, the gospel
is something I either bow to and find all my salvation in,
or I'm offended by it. I find it scandalous. It's wrong. Now, this is not just some kind
of isolated thought I'm talking about. Remember the Beatitudes
when the believers described. What is the last Beatitude? Blessed
are they. First one is blessed are the
poor in spirit. Every believer is poor in spirit. Blessed are
they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. Now this is a part of the
character of the believer. He is persecuted not because
he did something good. He gave some money to feed the
poor or opened up a soup line. You'll get your picture in the
paper and everybody will congratulate you for that. That's not what
that's... When you make the issue of the righteousness of Christ
the issue, you'll be persecuted for it. And if I'm not being
persecuted for what I believe, I'm not saying anything. What
about this scripture? 1 Corinthians 1, verses 23 and
24. Paul says, for we preach Christ
crucified. That's our message. Christ crucified. Unto the Jews, a stumbling block,
an offense. Why this is offensive. To the
Greeks, foolishness. But unto us which are saved,
Christ, the wisdom of God. Christ, the power of God. But
the religious find this message offensive. Turn with me to Galatians
chapter 5. Verse 11. Paul says, And I, brethren, if
I yet preach circumcision, if I yet preach salvation by works
in any way, why do I yet suffer persecution? If I preach works,
then is the offense of the cross ceased. And when the offense
is removed, we are left with a neutered gospel. A gospel that
cannot produce life. Now, I fear for myself. I fear for you. Under the guise
of making the gospel more appealing and more easy to receive, making
the narrow gate wider and the narrow road broader, I fear removing
the offense from the cross. You see, our responsibility,
and most of this religious world, you have these churches that
are, you know, secret churches and user-friendly and all that
kind of stuff, trying to make the gospel easier to receive,
more appealing. Taking away all the things that
make it harder to receive. Now listen to me. My job and
your job is not to make the gospel easier to receive. It's to preach
the word as God declares it and look to God the Holy Spirit to
bless it. Nothing else. Preach the word. I'm not about trying to make
the gospel more appealing. Now the gospel is appealing to
me, but I'm not trying to make it appealing to the natural man.
If I'm not preaching the offense of the cross, I'm not preaching
the cross, period. Then is the offense of the cross
ceased. Now why is the gospel so offensive
to the natural man? Because we see that this is This
is just the message of the Bible. The message of the gospel is
offensive to the natural man. Now, why is this so? Well, it's
because it cuts against the way we naturally think. You know,
the Lord said to the Pharisees, you are they which justify yourself
before men, but God knows your heart. For that which is highly
esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. There is a way that seemeth right. Makes sense to a man. The end thereof are the ways
of death. The Lord said, my thoughts are
not your thoughts. Neither are my ways your ways,
saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways. and my
thoughts than your thoughts. Turn with me for a moment to
2 Kings chapter 5. Familiar story, 2 Kings chapter
5. Now Naaman, captain of the host
of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, an honorable
because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria. You know,
I think this is interesting. Syria was over Israel at this
time. How come the Lord made it that
way? Aren't you glad that the Lord's
sovereign in all things, that he controls everybody and everything
in every event? The reason that Syria was over
Israel at this time is because the Lord had used Naaman in this
respect. He was also a mighty man of valor. He was a courageous man, but
he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out
by companies and brought away captive out of the land of Israel,
a little maid. And she waited on Naaman's wife.
And she said unto her mistress, would God my Lord war with the
prophet that's in Samaria? For he would recover him of his
leprosy, speaking of Elisha. And one went in and told his
lord, saying, Thus and thus saith the maid that is of the land
of Israel. And the king of Syria said, Go to, go to, go, and I'll
send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and
took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces
of gold, and ten changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to
the king of Israel, saying, Now, when this letter is come unto thee,
behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that
thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. And it came to pass
when the king of Israel had read the letter that he reached his
clothes and said, Am I God to kill and make alive that this
man does send me to recover a man of leprosy? Wherefore, consider,
I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. And so
when Elisha, the man of God, had heard that the king of Israel
had rent his clothes, then he sent to the king, saying, wherefore
hast thou rent thy clothes? Let him come now to me, and he
shall know that there's a prophet in Israel. So Naaman came with
his horses and with his chariot and stood at the door of the
house of Elisha. And I'm sure he felt pretty impressive. He had his chariots and all of
his gold and silver, and he stood at the door, verse 10, And Elisha
sent a messenger unto him. You reckon he expected Elisha
to come? You know he did. But Elisha sent a messenger,
a nobody, one who was nothing more than a servant. That's the
preaching of the gospel. That's exactly what that is. And he came with this message.
Go and wash in Jordan seven times. Not six, seven, the number of
perfection. And thy flesh shall come again
to thee and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth and he went
away and said, behold, I thought. Now there's my problem. There's
your problem. Behold, I Thought. Naaman, you thought wrong. You
thought wrong. Behold, I thought he will surely
come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord,
his God, and strike his hand over the place and recover the
leper or not abandon far for rivers of Damascus better than
all the waters of Israel. May I not wash in them and be
clean? So he turned away and went away in a rage. He was offended.
He was offended. He wasn't treated as he thought
he should have been treated. You know, Naaman believed himself
to be a great man who happened to be a leper. And he didn't
understand he was a leper who happened to be a great man. And he was offended. And you
know the story how his servant said, if he would have told you
to do some great thing, you would have done it. But how much more?
Just go wash in Jordan and be clean. And he went and did it,
which represents the gospel. Now, why are men offended by
the gospel? Let me close with these thoughts.
Why are men offended by the gospel? Because they are. They are. And
if the gospel I preach, if people aren't offended by it, I'm not
preaching God's gospel. Why is the gospel offensive? The gospel
offends men's intelligence and wisdom because it declares a
salvation by revelation. You can't figure this out. You're
totally dependent upon God to reveal this to you. It doesn't
come by intelligence. It comes by revelation. The gospel
offends our sense of personal righteousness because it calls
our personal righteousness filthy rags. The gospel offends our sense
of rights and being treated fairly by saying we have no rights. Criminals don't have rights.
Are we afraid of Criminals having their rights violated? No, they're
criminals. The gospel offends our sense
of self-control by saying we have no control. We're in the
hands of a sovereign God who can do with us whatever he is
pleased to do. The gospel offends our pride
by telling us that we have nothing to be proud about. Salvation
is by grace. The gospel offends our love of
self by calling upon us to deny ourselves, to take up our cross
and to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. He that exalts himself
shall be abased and he that humbles himself shall be exalted. Now, back to our text in Romans
9. Why did they not attain to righteousness? Verse 32, because they sought
it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law, they
stumbled at that stumbling stone as it is written, behold, I lay
in Zion, a stumbling stone and a rock of offense. And. Whosoever. Oh, I love that word. Whosoever. I'm one of them. Whosoever. believeth on him shall not be
ashamed. Whosoever. Now, I don't believe
because I know I'm elect. I don't believe because I know
I'm regenerate. I don't believe because I know Christ died for
me. Whosoever believeth. relies upon the Lord Jesus Christ. You really are dependent upon
him for all your salvation. That person shall not be ashamed. That means two things. First
of all, I'm not going to be put to shame. You see, I don't have anything
to hide. You know why? I'm justified. I don't have anything to be ashamed
of. I don't have any sin to feel guilty about, if I'm justified. Whosoever believeth on him, and
that's what we're doing, we're believing on him. We're not believing
in ourselves, we're believing on him. I won't be put to shame. But not only will I not be put
to shame, I'm not ashamed of the gospel I believe. Paul said,
I'm not ashamed of the gospel. It's the power of God unto salvation
to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the
Greek. For therein in the gospel is the righteousness of God revealed.
I'm not ashamed of the gospel. I'm proud of it. I'm proud of
the gospel of my Redeemer. I'm proud of my Lord. I'm proud
of my Savior. I really am. I'm proud of him. He can't fail. Not ashamed. Paul said to Timothy,
be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,
nor of me his prisoner, but you be a partaker of the afflictions
of the gospel according to the power of God who has saved us
and called us with a holy calling. Not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace which were given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began. I'm not going to be put
to shame, and I am not ashamed. May this describe everybody in
this room, a whosoever that believes on him. They won't be put to
shame and they won't be ashamed. They'll be proud of the gospel. Let's pray. Lord, deliver us from. Seeking righteousness. By works. And not by faith. Teach us what
it means to glory only in the cross. And Lord. We're by your grace, we're not
offended by your gospel. we find our salvation in thy
gospel. How we thank you for our Redeemer
who bore the shame and ignominy of the cross, bore the shame
and ignominy of our sin in his own body on the tree, that we might have righteousness
before thee. Lord, we confess that Christ
is all in our salvation. And we ask that you enable us
to trust him the way you trusted him with our salvation. Lord,
we know that you trusted him with all of our salvation. And
Lord, we ask that we might be enabled by that your spirit,
by your grace to trust him for all of our salvation. Bless this
word for your glory. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.
272 solid rock.