Would you turn back to Romans
chapter 9? Isn't it great to have David with us? He looks
like a Marine, doesn't he? Real proud of you, David. I've entitled the message for
this morning, Paul's Amazing Wish. He says in verse three, for I
could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, separated from Christ,
anathematized from Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen, according
to the flesh. Paul's amazing wish. We use the adjective free when
we describe grace, don't we? We speak of free grace. Obviously, if it's grace, it's
free. So why do we use this adjective before grace so often, free grace? Quite simply because most people
believe in earned grace. Grace God gives you in response
to something you do. That ain't grace. We believe in free grace. The enemies of free grace Fear that a belief in election
and predestination will kill missions and evangelism and create
apathy and indifference toward the souls of men. You've probably
heard that before. Why, if I believe what you believed,
I wouldn't bother to witness. I wouldn't bother to tell others
of Christ. Why bother if God has predestinated
everything? And if only the elect will be
saved, why bother to witness? Evidently, it did not have that
effect on Paul. Look what Paul says. He says,
I could wish that myself were a curse from Christ. Paul is saying, I would be willing
to be damned if my brethren would be saved. Now, how much of that
do you and I understand? Look what he says in chapter
10, verse 1. My heart's desire and prayer
to God for Israel is that they might be saved. He said, I made all things to
all men that I might by all means save some. He said, I endure
all things for the elect's sake. Did you hear that? I endure all
things for the elect's sake. I don't care what happens to
me. I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also
obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal
glory. What Paul was saying was very
similar to what Moses said. Let me read it to you from Exodus chapter 32. Verse 30, and it came to pass
on the morrow that Moses said unto the people, you sinned a
great sin, and now I'll go up unto the Lord. Peradventure,
I shall make an atonement for your sin. And Moses returned
unto the Lord and said, oh, this people have sinned a great sin
and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive
their sin, and if not, blot I pray thee out of thy book. Blot me,
I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. Now
what does Moses say? If you're not gonna forgive him,
just go ahead and blot me out of your book. Paul was saying, I would be willing
to be damned if they would be saved. And remember who the they
is he's speaking of. These are people who certainly
hated him. One time, 40 of them bound themselves
with an oath that they would not eat or drink until they had
killed Paul. These people he's praying for,
his kinsmen according to the flesh, the Jews. He said five
times of the Jews did I receive 40 stripes, save one." When he
was summarizing the ministry to the Ephesian elders, he spake
of the many tears and temptations which befell him by the lying
in wait of the Jews. Everywhere he went, the Jews
were hounding him, desiring to kill him. And yet he says regarding
to these people, I would be willing to be accursed from Christ. if they would just be saved. I have great heaviness, great
heaviness, continual sorrow in my heart desiring their salvation. As I said, obviously, this belief
in free grace did not have the effect that the enemies of free
grace proclaim that it has. He greatly cared for the souls
of men. I wonder, well, I don't wonder,
I know, I'd love to have this kind of love, wouldn't you? I'd
love to have it. I can't say that I would rather
be damned if the Lord would just say so and so or I just don't
know how much I can enter into that. But did you notice Paul
said I could wish? While Paul did have this desire
and I want me and you to be that way, to have a love for men that
we, that Paul expressed like this. It's so noble. And I want
to have that kind of love. And I pray the Lord will give
me and you that kind of love to the souls of men. But Paul
did say, I could wish that myself would be a curse from Christ
for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh. While
Paul could wish that, he knew it would never happen because
there was one who did what he wished to do. There's one who
came under God's curse that I might not ever experience
God's curse. There's one who did what Paul
said he could wish that he would do. Now, would you turn with
me for a moment to Galatians chapter 3? Verse 13. hath redeemed us from the curse
of the law being made a curse for us. For it's written, cursed is everyone
that hangeth on a tree. Now, did you hear that language?
Would to God that you and I can hear what God says. Christ. Not simply he was cursed. He
was made a curse. Now what all, there's no way
that you and I can actually enter into what all that means. Christ
was made a curse. I guess the closest thing we
can enter into having some understanding of what all that means is by
looking at 2nd Corinthians chapter 5, but hold your finger there
in Galatians 3, we're going to go back there, but look in 2nd
Corinthians chapter 5. Verse 21, a very familiar scripture. For he, God the Father, hath
made him, and you'll notice to be is in italics. It was put
there by the translators to make it more understandable, but I
think it makes it less understandable. Let's read this without the italics. For he hath made him, what? Sin. For us. who knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Now, what is
Paul saying? He doesn't say sin was imputed
to him, although it was. It doesn't say sin was charged
to his account, though it was. It says God made him sin. Do you want to know what sin
is? Look to him who hung on the tree,
crying out, My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? He had no favor from God. He
was cut off. He felt nothing but his father's
awful frown. He knew not the smile of his
father. He was cut off. There's sin.
You want to know what sin is and its hideous, awful reality?
See Christ the Lord cry out, my God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me? If you want to know what sin
is, don't look in your heart. You won't find out. Don't look
at the things that you do. They're bad. I'm not saying that.
But here is the hideous reality of sin. You look at the cross.
He was made sin. Why? that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him. That's the gospel, isn't it?
He was made sin that we might be made the very righteousness
of God in him. Now, he was made a curse. cursed of God, anathematized
of God, cut off by God. And in him being made a curse,
he hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a
curse for us. Now, notice the language back
in Galatians chapter three, if you turn back there. You know, when I'm trying to
deal with this, I'm dealing with stuff that I don't understand.
I just believe. I just believe. I don't understand
how Christ can be made sin. He didn't commit sin, but He
was made sin. I don't understand how Him doing
that actually makes me the very righteousness of God in Him.
As far as giving intellectual comprehension of that, I believe
what God says. There it is. Now, he didn't make,
it says he hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. He didn't
say he made redemption available. When he by himself purged our
sins, it didn't say he made the purging possible. He didn't make
it available. He didn't offer us redemption
that's up for our acceptance or our rejection. Oh, I love
this scripture. I quoted Hebrews 1, 3, when he
had by himself, with no help from us, when he had by himself
purged our sins, put them away, canceled them, made them to be
no more. When he had by himself purged
our sins, he sat down. at the right hand of the majesty
on high. Why did he sit down? Because
his work was accomplished. My sin was purged. Now, some call this limited atonement. And the atonement was limited
in its intentions. His intention was only to save
the elect. The ones who believe in universal
atonement limit the atonement. They think it's limited to who
accepts it or who rejects it. Everybody puts some kind of limit
on the atonement. But understand this, I like this
better. Successful atonement. You know, there will not be anybody
in hell that Christ died for. because his atonement is successful. He hath redeemed us from the
curse of the law being made a curse for us. Now, Paul said, I could
wish that I myself were a curse from Christ for my brethren,
my kinsmen, according to the flesh. And he said, I'm not lying
about that. My conscience bearing witness
in the Holy Ghost. I'm not, I'm not He really felt
that way and would to God that you and I would have that same
love for the souls of men. But Paul also understood that
he could not be cursed because Christ was made a curse for him
and redeemed him from the curse of the law. This is what the
Bible calls justification. When God says their sins, and
their iniquities I will remember no more." Now you think of the
giant, I don't even know how to say this, the giant intellect
of God. Can God forget anything? He says there's sins and iniquities
I remember no more. There's only one reason. There
is nothing there to remember. My sin was cancelled. It's put
away. It's gone. It's no more! Every believer
is made the very righteousness of God just as truly as he was
made sin. Every believer is made the very
righteousness of God in him. Now, the believer cannot be cursed. Would you turn with me for a
moment to Numbers chapter 22? This is when Balak wanted Balaam
to curse Israel. Numbers chapter 22. I want you
to read the words spoken of here that are so comforting. Beginning in verse 9. And God came unto Balaam, this
is after these men had come to him asking them to curse Israel. And God came unto Balaam and
said, What men are these with thee? And Balaam said unto God,
Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent unto me, saying,
Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth
the face of the earth. Come now, curse me them. Peradventure I
shall be able to overcome them and drive them out. And God said
unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them. Thou shalt not curse
the people, for they are blessed. And Balaam rose up in the morning
and said unto the princess of Balaam, get ye into your land,
for the Lord refuses to give me leave to go with you. Look in chapter 23, verse 8,
there's another attempt. Moab once again asked Balaam
to curse Israel. And Balaam says, how shall I
curse whom God hath not cursed? Or how shall I defy whom the
Lord hath not defied? From the tops of the rocks I
see him, and from the hills I behold him. Lo, the people shall dwell
alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. Who can count
the dust of Jacob and number the fourth part of Israel? Let
me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his.'
And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I told
thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them
all together. And he answered and said, Must I not take heed
to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth? And Balak
said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, for
whence thou mayest see them, that thou shalt be the utmost
part of them, and thou shalt not see them at all. And curse me
then from thence. Well, of course, he couldn't
do it. Look with me in chapter 23, beginning in verse 18. He took up his parable and said,
Rise up, Balak, and hear, hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor.
God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that
he should repent. Hath he said, and shall he not
do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Behold,
I have received commandment to bless, and he hath blessed. And I cannot reverse it. He hath not beheld iniquity in
Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel. The Lord his God is
with him, and the shout of the king is among them. And what
was that shout? It is finished. God hath brought them out of
Egypt. He hath, as it were, the strength
of a unicorn. Surely there's no enchantment
against Jacob. Neither is there any divination
against Israel. According to this time, it shall
be said of Jacob and of Israel. What hath God wrought? Now that will be said of every
single believer. What hath God wrought. Paul could wish that he was cursed,
but he couldn't be, because Christ was made a curse for him. Now, does that mean no one will
be cursed? Look back in Galatians chapter
3, verse 10, For as many as are of the works
of the law are under the curse. For it is written, cursed is
everyone, no exceptions to this rule, that continueth not in
all things which are written in the book of the law to, what's
the next word? Do. Do. What does it mean to be of the
works of the law? Well, the first thing that comes
to my mind is the Ten Commandments. You can't break any of them.
And if you do, you're of the works of the law. The first commandment,
thou shalt have no other God before me. The second commandment with regard
to idolatry, which is born of a hatred of the living God, and
you make up false gods that you feel more comfortable with. The
third commandment concerning taking his name in vain. He's
so holy that to mention his name without the proper reverence
is to be exposing yourself to his curse. Remember the Sabbath
day to keep it holy. Honor thy father and mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt
not bear false witness. You're never to lie. You're not
to covet. Breaking one of those, one of
those, do you believe that? One of those means I'm under
the curse if I'm of the law. But in this same book, Galatians,
Paul gives us an example of what it means to be under the law
in a way that I would have never come up with. I would have never
dreamed of this. I would have never thought this. Look in Galatians
chapter four, verse 21. Tell me ye that desire to be
under the law. Anybody here desire to be under
law? He says, do you not hear the law? For it is written that
Abraham had two sons, the one by bondmaid, the other by a free
woman. Now you remember the story. God
had promised Abraham a son through Sarah. Years pass, still no son. 13 or 14 years, still no son. Sarah said, Abraham, we still
don't have a boy. Now, God's promise is not going
to come to pass unless we do our part. If we don't do our
part, it's not going to happen. So obviously, I'm not going to
have a child. She'd already gone through menopause.
I'm not going to have a child. So here's what she did. She said, there's Hagar. You
go into Hagar. Hagar was a young woman. She
could bear children. There would be nothing supernatural
about that. Obviously, I can't have a baby. I'm at that time
of life. You go in to my servant, Hagar,
have a baby with her, and God's promise will be fulfilled. We've
got to do our part. And Abraham said, OK, I'll do it. And he
did it. He did his part. She did her
part. And they had Ishmael. But you know, Ishmael was never
acknowledged a son. Remember when God said to Abraham,
take now thy son, thy only son. Thy only son, whom thou lovest.
Ishmael was never acknowledged as a son. And 12 or 13 years
later, according to God's time, Sarah, supernaturally, after
going through menopause, And it was humanly impossible she
had a son. Now, look what God says about
this. Verse 23, but he who was of the bondwoman was born after
the flesh. There was nothing miraculous
about his birth, but he of the free woman was by promise. The reason she had a child is
because God promised she would. It's because of God's purpose.
Which things are an allegory, for these are the two covenants,
the covenant of works and the covenant of grace. These are
the two covenants. Now, would you have ever thought
that when you read that story that this represented grace and works?
I wouldn't have ever dreamed it because God says it is. It's
very clear. These are the two covenants. For the one from Mount Sinai,
the law which gendereth unto bondage, is Hagar. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai
in Arabia. Hagar represents the law. Hagar
represents you doing your part. God's purpose cannot be fulfilled
unless you do your part. God's promise cannot be fulfilled
unless you do your part. God loves you. Christ died for
you. God wants to save you. But He can't unless you do your
part. It's up to your response, your
acceptance or your rejection of what God says. Now all that
is, my friends, is salvation by works. That's the law. That's
the law. That's salvation by law. That is Mount Sinai. The other is grace. Now understand this. Grace and
works cannot be mixed in any way to any degree. Salvation is either all of grace
or it is all of works. There is no mixture. We either believe in free grace
or we believe in earned grace. Which grace do you believe? Now,
if you put works in any aspect of salvation, you make it all
of works. If I put works in any aspect of salvation, I make it
all of works. If you put works in the beginning,
you're doing your part, your will, your acceptance, your rejection. If you put your works in the
beginning, if you put your works in the middle, I become more
holy, more pleasing to God by the things that I do, or I become
less pleasing to God in my person by the things that I do, or if
you put them in the end, I earn a higher reward in heaven by
my personal obedience on earth, by the things that I've done.
That is works. And anybody that's of the works
of the law is under the curse. If you're of the works of the
law, you are under the curse. Now, the law road. Turn to Galatians chapter five. Stand fast therefore in the liberty,
the freedom wherewith Christ hath made us free. Free grace. Don't you love free grace? I
love free grace. That's the only hope I have is
that grace is free. If it's up to me to do something
to make it work for me, I've got no hope. I love free grace. Stand fast, therefore, in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled
again with that yoke of bondage. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you,
that if you be circumcised, if any of your salvation, now, you
know, that's the easiest commandment to keep, circumcision. You can
be circumcised before you can keep from telling a lie. That's
the, as painful as it may be, that's the easiest commandment
to keep. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, that if you be circumcised,
Christ shall profit you Nothing. For I testify again to every
man that circumcised that he's a debtor to do the whole law. Christ has become of no effect
unto you. Whosoever of you are justified
by law, you're fallen from grace. Now that term has bounced around
a lot in religion. Somebody falls into some kind
of sin and they said they're falling from grace. No, they
haven't. You have. You're the one falling
from grace. Grace is their only hope. It's
the only hope they have. The long road is a long road
that you don't want to be on. It's either all of grace or all
of works. There's no blending of the two. But don't you have to receive
grace? If he gave it to you, you'll
receive it. And if you don't receive it, it's because he never
gave it. Everybody he gives grace to receives
grace. You know, it takes grace to receive
grace. It takes the grace of God even to receive it. Salvation
is of the Lord. By grace are you saved. Now,
this is why Paul uses this kind of language. Turn with me to
Galatians chapter 1. He says in verse 8, Now remember, this is the man
who loved the souls of men so much. He said, I would be willing
to be damned if they would just be saved. So don't let anybody
look at him as being harsh or mean or narrow-spirited. But
listen to what he says in Galatians chapter 1, verse 8. But though
we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than
that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed, cut off, damned, separated
from Christ. Verse nine, as we've said before,
so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto
you than that which you've received, let him be damned. Now that's
spoken by him who loved the souls of men, I suppose, more than
anybody else other than the Lord Jesus Christ. But he says, if
any man preach any other gospel, let him be accursed. Back up
to verse 6. Paul says to the Galatians, I
marvel. I'm dumbfounded by this. I'm amazed that you're so soon
removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ. unto another gospel. I remember hearing Brother Mahan
make this statement on this verse. He said, there's not much I marvel
at. Anything that you do wrong or
that I do wrong, be disappointed, but I wouldn't marvel. I wouldn't
be amazed. I know human nature enough to
know what can take place. I wouldn't marvel about that,
he said, but this I would marvel at. If anybody in here left the
grace of Christ for another gospel, a different gospel, he says in
verse 7, which is not another, it's not really different, but
there be some that trouble you and would pervert, would change
the gospel of Christ. But though we or an angel from
heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we preached
unto you, let him be accursed. Paul loved the souls of men so
much that he pronounced a curse against anyone who would change
the only gospel that saves, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look what he says in verse 10. Do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For
if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
Now, when Paul's speaking of the gospel he preached, that
he pronounced a curse upon anybody who denied it, he said, am I
seeking to persuade men or God, or am I seeking to please men
or God? Now, Paul, I have no doubt that Paul wanted every
believer to be pleased with what he was saying. And you know,
if I'm preaching the gospel, you are pleased with what I'm
saying. You're pleased. And it's not like we're indifferent
about men being pleased with what we're saying. I want every
believer to be pleased with what I'm saying. But you know what? If somebody's not, that's okay,
as long as he is pleased. Because we're not seeking to
please men. I'm not saying we're indifferent
about men, what they think, how they feel. That's not so. I want
everybody to be pleased. I want you to be pleased with
the gospel. I want you to be pleased with my preaching of
the gospel. But if you're not, if what I'm
saying pleases the Lord, everything's fine. That's what he's saying. If I was seeking to please men,
if that's what I was about, Paul says, I would not be the servant
of Christ. May God deliver any of us from
being men-pleasers. May we seek to be Christ-pleasers. He's the one who I want to be
pleased with what I'm saying about Him. I want God the Father
to be pleased with what I'm saying about His Son and His Gospel. And I know God's people will
be. I'm sure of that. Now, one other Scripture. Turn
with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 16. Once again, this was spoken by
the man who, I suppose, loved men more than anybody else. Can you say with Paul, I mean,
can you enter into what he was saying when he was saying, I'd
be willing to be damned? I'd be willing to be separated
from Christ? Somebody? I want to be there. I want to
be there. I admire this. But don't anyone
say Paul was insensitive or uncaring about the souls of men. He greatly
desired the salvation of men. And you look what all he went
through for the salvation of men. He said, I made the offscoring
of all things. And look what he said in 1 Corinthians
16, verse 22. If any man love not the Lord
Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, cursed of God. Maranatha upon the Lord's return. Question. What could be more intrinsically
evil than to not love the Lord Jesus Christ? He's the Lord. He's the Lord. He's the Lord of creation. He
spake this world into existence. He's the Lord of providence.
He controls everything that's happening. Everything that happens
is His will being done. He's the Lord of salvation. If you're saved, it's because
He saved you. And what a good Lord He is. So many scriptures that come
to my mind. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and
him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. If you come,
I don't care how far gone you are. I don't care how sinful
you see yourself to be. I don't care how far away you
feel. If you come to him, he will not for any reason cast
you away. If you come, you will be received. If any man thirst, he said, let
him come to me and drink. Come unto me. This is the Lord
speaking. Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you and learn of me, for I'm meek and lowly in heart. And
you'll find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy, because it's
all of grace. and my burden is light because
I'm the one that bears it all. Come unto me. What a gracious
Lord to not love him. I think of the leper coming to
him. Lord, if you will, you can make
me clean. And Jesus moved with compassion,
reached forth his hand and touched him and said, I will be thou
clean and to not love him. Think of the words from the cross. It is finished. There's nothing
for you to do. There's nothing for you to bring.
It is finished. Come unto me. And not love him. He said, let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid. You believe in God, believe also
in me. Whatever you believe about God,
that's me. Believe me. And not love him. He's Jesus. He's the Lord. He's Jesus. Matthew 121, thou
shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from
their sins. And not love him? He's the Christ. He's God's prophet. He's the
very Word of God. He's the priest of God's providing.
He's God's King. I need Him as my prophet. I need
Him as my priest to represent me before God. I need Him as
my King to cause me to do His will. What kings do is they reign.
Their will is done. Someone who does not love the
Lord Jesus Christ and dies that way ought to be and will be damned
throughout all eternity. Amen. Paul loved men. Oh, how he loved
men. And he loved men so much that
he pronounced a curse on anyone who preaches any other gospel
than the gospel of grace, free grace, the gospel of Christ. Now that is a love to men. Somebody
who waffles there, they don't love men, not really. And they
say they do. They'll even change the gospel
out of a supposed love for the souls of men. But there's no
love for men there. There's no love for Christ there.
You see, you don't really love men unless you love Christ. And
if you love Christ, you'll love men enough to preach the only
gospel and to pronounce a judgment upon anyone who preaches any
other gospel. And your love to Christ is such
that you really believe If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ,
let him be anathema. You know, there's one other curse
we read of in the New Testament. You remember in Matthew chapter
25, where the Lord said he separated the
sheep and the goats. I'm just going to give the story
of it. You can look there and read along if you want, but it's very
important. He separated the sheep and the goats. And he said to
the sheep, come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry.
and you gave me meat. I was thirsty and you gave me
drink. I was sick and in prison and you came and visited me.
All those things you did. We're not aware of it. We don't
know that we ever did anything like that. And he said, in as
much as you've done it to the least of these, my brethren,
you've done it to me. Now that's talking about union
with Christ, but just as much, it's talking about the preaching
of the gospel. You know, when we preach the gospel, we feed
the hungry, we give water to the thirsty, we clothe the naked,
we set the prisoner free. And then he comes to that next
bunch. And he said, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting
fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Four, I was hungry. And you didn't give me any meat.
I was thirsty. You didn't give me any drink. I was sick. You didn't
come visit me. I was in prison. He talked about all those things.
Lord, we established a prison ministry. Fed the sick. We provided free
medical assistance to people who were in trouble. And we fed
the hungry. We did all those things. You
never preached the gospel to them, though. You never really
did anything. Depart ye. Can you imagine the
Lord hearing those words from the Lord? Depart ye cursed into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Oh, that the Lord would enable
me and you to love people like Paul did
and to be faithful to the gospel like Paul was. and to believe the gospel. May
God give us that grace. Let's pray together. Lord, we ask in Christ's name
that we might be found in your son. Lord, we ask that we might
be found in him who was made a curse. who redeemed us from the curse
of the law. Lord, we ask that we might be
given grace to love men the way Paul loved them. And that's only
the gift of your grace. Lord, we ask that you give us
the grace to love men the way you love them. Lord, we ask that you would enable
us to be faithful to your gospel. in the preaching of it, in the
defense of it, in the love for it. Lord, we ask that we might be
found in Christ. Lord, bless this message according
to your will, for your glory and for our good. In Christ's
blessed name we pray. Amen. What do we got, Dwayne? Number 17. Come thou fount in
number 17, we'll stand and sing.