When you hear that, it makes
that other one sound offensive, doesn't it? I surrender all,
I surrender all, all worldly lusts I've given up and all that.
If you read the words of that, it's hymn number 394. I looked
at that and I thought it's incredible somebody would write something
like that, but they did. Romans chapter 8, verse 28. And
we know. That's our subject for this morning.
And we know. Not really going to deal with
the rest of the verse. I want to ask a question. Who's
the we? And we know. Is Paul talking
about himself and Timothy and Silas? We know. Is he talking
about some special group who are given a special knowledge
that no one else has? And they can say, we know something
that you don't know. We have some special power over
you. Who is the we? Paul is speaking of every Christian
without exception. We know. We believe. We know. You can't know if you
don't believe, and you can't believe what you don't know.
We know. What I'm going to be saying will
resonate with every Christian, we know. A Christian is someone who knows
something that all of the rest of the world's population does
not know. Did you know that? If God has saved you, if Christ
has been made known to you, you know something that all of the
rest of the world's population does not know. The Lord Jesus used the same
words to Nicodemus when he said, Are thou a master in Israel and
knowest not these things? We speak. The Lord didn't say
I speak. He said we speak. He's speaking of every believer.
We speak that which we know. And we testify of that which
we have seen. And you receive not our witness.
Now how is it that the Christian knows what the world does not
know? Are they more intelligent? Do
they have keener insight? Do they have a moral superiority
that enables them to grasp things and make wiser decisions in the
rest of the world? No. One reason, one reason only. The we know comes from revelation. It's not something we figured
out. It's not something who through diligent study we've come to
this position. The one reason is revelation. Ephesians 1 9 says, having made
known unto us the mystery of his will. Matthew chapter 13
verse 11 says, it's given to you to know the mysteries of
the kingdom, but to them it is not given. The Lord said in Matthew
11 verse 25, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because
you have hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed
them unto babes, even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy
sight. In Matthew chapter 16, when The
Lord said, whom do men say that I am? And the disciples replied,
well, they put you in some high cotton. Some say you're John
the Baptist, some Elijah, and others one of the prophets. And
he said, but whom say ye that I am? Peter answered, thou art
the Christ, the son of the living God. And the Lord replied, Blessed
art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed
this to thee, but my Father which is in heaven." Oh, if you have
this precious knowledge, somebody gave this to you. You didn't
figure it out. He made himself known. Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter
2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 7. But we speak the wisdom
of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained
before the world unto our glory, which none of the princes of
this world knew. For had they known, they wouldn't
have crucified the Lord of glory if they really knew who he was.
But as it's written, eye hath not seen nor ear heard, neither
hath entered into the heart of man the things which God hath
prepared for them that love him, but God hath revealed them unto
us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth
the things of man save the Spirit of man which is in him? Even
so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God.
Now, we've received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit
which is of God that we might know the things that are freely
given to us of God. Which things also we speak? not
in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth,
comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for their foolishness
unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned. But he that is spiritual, every
believer, judges, discerns all things, yet he himself is judged
of no man, for who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he
may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."
Now, there is no salvation, no actually knowing God, apart from
knowledge. What do I mean by that? I mean
whatever Paul meant when he said in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse
6, but God who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness
hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Now this is
the knowledge that every believer possesses. Paul said in Romans
chapter 10 concerning Israel, he said, I want them to be saved. I bear them record. They have
a zeal of God, but not according to what? Knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness,
Would that be me? Would that be you? They've not
submitted themselves to the righteousness of God. In Philippians chapter
3 verse 8, Paul said, I count all things but loss for the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Now this knowledge we
have is derived from the revelation of and the consequent knowledge
of a person. Now, listen real carefully. I
quote this almost every time I preach. I hope we'll hear it
maybe like it's the first time we've ever heard it. 2 Timothy
1, 12, Paul said, I know whom I have believed. Now, everything
we believe comes from that. I know whom, not what. I know what I believe, I know
whom I have believed. And everything what we believe
is determined by who we believe. You see, if I believe him, I
believe he's sovereign. It's impossible to not, because
that's who he is. If I believe him, I believe his
death must be successful. It must be successful because
of who he is. He can't attempt to do something and end up miscarrying
or failing. It's impossible because of who
he is. If I believe who he is, I believe he's got the power
to do anything he wills to do. You see, what we believe is determined
by who we believe. In John chapter 10, verse 14,
the Lord said, I know my sheep. and am known of mine. In John chapter 17 verse 3, the
Lord said, this is eternal life, that they might know thee, the
only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou has sent. All shall
know me from the least to the greatest. That's what God says
of all of his people. I love that verse of scripture
where the Lord says, you shall know the truth. And that's not
talking about knowing an arsenal of facts. He's the truth. It's not your knowledge of the
truth that will make you free. It's Him only who makes you free. You shall know the truth, and
the truth shall make you free. Now we certainly feel that our
knowledge of Him is small, and there's a reason for that. Because
He is infinite. and we are finite. He's big, we're small. He's good, we're bad. And that certainly limits our
knowledge of him. Paul said we know in part, and
we prophesy in part, and he said, if any man thinks he knows anything,
he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. And this I'm sure of. The more true spiritual knowledge
we have, the more we'll see that we just don't know. Isn't that
so? But our knowing Him makes us
to know all things, because He is all. 1 John chapter 2, John said, you
have an unction from the Holy One and know all things. That
said of every believer, you know all things. If Christ is all,
And he is, that's what the Bible says, Christ is all, all to God,
all in salvation, all in the scriptures, he's all to me. If
Christ is all and I know him, I'm a know-it-all. I'm a real know-it-all, in a
good sense, because he is all. Now, while
we take no credit for our knowledge, And God forbid that we should
do so. It's because of His revelation for Christ's sake. It's His free
grace. If we have knowledge, God forbid
that we ever take any credit for our knowing something. That
being said, not knowing Him is caused by sin. If I don't know Him, it's all
my fault. The Lord said in John chapter
7, if any man will do his will, he'll know the doctrine, whether
it be of God or whether I speak of myself. If I don't know, it
comes from a lack of willingness to do his will. Sin is behind my ignorance of
him. It's all my fault. If I know him, it's all his fault. And if I don't know him, it's
all my fault. Job spoke of those who say, depart
from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. Turn with me to
Proverbs chapter one for a moment. Proverbs chapter one, beginning
in verse 22. How long, ye simple ones, will
you love simplicity, and the scorners delight in their scorning? And fools hate knowledge. Tone
ye my reproof. Behold, I'll pour out my spirit
into you. I'll make known my words to you, because I've called
and you refused. I have stretched out my hand,
and no man regard it. But you said it not, all my counsel,
and would none of my reproof. I also will laugh at your calamity.
I will mock when your fear cometh, when your fear cometh as desolation,
and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, when distress and
anguish comes upon you. Then shall they call upon me,
but I will not answer. They shall seek me only, but
they shall not find me, for they hated knowledge, and did not
choose the fear of the Lord. Now let me remind you, if you know anything, it's because
he made himself known to you. And if you don't know, it's because
you chose not to know. Now that's just so. I don't know
how to explain that, but I know it's so. If I do know Him, it's
only because He made Himself known to me in grace. And if I don't know Him, if I
believe error, it's because I chose to believe error. You believe
the truth because it's the truth. You believe error because that's
what you choose to believe. It's always that way. Verse 30,
they would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be
filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple
shall slay them and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely and shall
be quiet from all evil. Now, this knowledge that we have
is a continual thirst. Paul said, and I suppose Paul
knew Christ probably better than anybody else. Would you say that
as far as his understanding of Christ and his knowledge of Christ
and his love for Christ? I'd say Paul knew Christ better
than any of us. And yet he said, oh, that I might
know him. Don't you already know him, Paul? Oh, that I might know him. Not simply know about him, but
know him in this sense. He knows me. That my knowledge of him is not
a bare historical knowledge about a historical figure, but he knows
my name. that he would remember me, that
he would recognize me as one who bowed the knee to him. I don't ever want to hear those
words, depart from me, I never knew you. Now all of our knowledge,
Paul said, and we know, and he's speaking as a spokesman for every
Christian to ever live, And we know, all of our knowledge comes
from this verse. Peter said, knowing this first,
that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man,
but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. All we know is subject to the
Scriptures. And if we can't give the Scripture
for what we know, our knowledge is false knowledge. It's not
real. It's phony. All we know, if we
know anything, comes from the written revelation of God. All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God. And if it's not in the scriptures,
our knowledge is a false knowledge that will only aid in our condemnation. And we know when you got a scripture
for it, you got a scripture for it. You talk about what you know,
show it to me in the Bible. Now, what I would like to do
as the Lord enables me with the remainder of our times, I want
to speak of some things we know from the scriptures. And these things will resonate
with every Christian. I don't have any doubt about
it. First, and really foremost, we
know His voice. This is true of all the sheep. We know His voice. Turn with
me to John chapter 10. I want you to see this. Verse 4. Let's go ahead and start
with verse 1. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth
up some other way, the same as a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the
door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth, and
the sheep hear his voice. And he calleth his own sheep
by name, and leads them out. And when he putteth forth his
own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for
they know his voice. And a stranger will they not
follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of
strangers. We know his voice because we're
sheep. Sheep hear what goats do not
hear. And they know when it's not the
voice of the shepherd. You ever hear a message and you
can't really put your finger on what's wrong with it, but
you know something's wrong? You know why you feel that way?
Because you know his voice. That's why. You know his voice. And another voice you will not
follow if you're a Christian. You see, you're a sheep. He said,
my sheep hear my voice. All we know comes from knowing
his voice. And in order to know his voice,
you have to be a sheep. Now turn with me to Galatians
chapter two. Galatians chapter 2. I've still been thinking about
it. I referred to this scripture not that long ago. And you know
how in ball games they always have John 3, 16? Or maybe Tim
Tebow has it written on his cheeks, you know, when you see him and
John 3. I love John 3, 16. I'm not in any way speaking in
depreciation of John 3, 16. We love it. But I'd like for
people to put up Galatians 2, 16. That came from Mitch, it didn't
come from me. I wish it came from me, but I thought this is
a good thing. But look what Galatians 2.16
says. Knowing that a man is not justified by
the works of the law, But by the faith of Jesus Christ, even
we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might justify by the
faith of Christ. And not by the works of the law,
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Now, here's something that every
Christian knows. Knowing that we're not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ.
Now, we're not justified by the works of the law. We know that.
Now, works of the law are anything I do. If I was in it, it's what
I did. That's all it takes to believe
in works. All you've got to do is believe
in free will and you'll believe you're justified by works. That's all
it takes. If you believe that your will
is the cause of your salvation, God willed your salvation but
it wouldn't have took place unless you allowed Him to have it as
an act of your will, that's salvation by works just as much as the
Ten Commandments. knowing that a man is not justified by the
works of the law. You see, we know that whatsoever
things the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law,
that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty
before God. We know that. All I stand in
and of myself is guilty. Before God, I can't justify anything
about myself. No excuses. Guilt before God. Paul said, I know that in me
that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. We know that the
law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. Do you know this? You know that you can't be saved
by anything you do, think, or intend. You know salvation must
be completely what God does for you. I don't have to convince
you of that. You know it's so. Justification means not guilty. It means you never sinned. It means you've always done that
which is right and you've never done that which is wrong. Now
you know you can't be justified by you pulling that off. You
know you're justified. Now listen real carefully to
the language. He doesn't say you're justified by faith in
Christ. That's not what he says here.
He says you know that you're justified by the faith of Jesus
Christ. When my faith has no feelings
to verify it, no evidence to confirm it, and
no fleshly energy to sustain it. And yet I have it. That's the faith of Christ. That's faith in Christ. Anything
else is faith in yourself. I am justified by the faith of
Jesus Christ. His faithfulness, His obedience,
His righteousness being charged to me. Don't you have to believe? Yes. You have to believe this. You
have to believe you're justified by the faith of Christ. Knowing
this. Don't you know that your faith
as far as what you have is a flimsy thing? Somebody had to believe God perfectly. And he did. And I'm justified
by his faith and by his faithfulness, by his righteousness given to
me. Knowing. Do you know this? If you're a Christian, you do.
This is one of those and we knows. knowing that a man is justified
by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law. Turn to 1 Peter chapter 1, verse
18. For as much as you know, you know that you were not redeemed
with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation
received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious
blood of Christ. as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot who verily was foreordained before the foundation
of the world but was manifest in these last times for you who
by him do believe in God. You know how you were not redeemed
And you know how you were redeemed. If you're redeemed, you know
how you were not redeemed. And you know how you were redeemed.
First of all, you know your need to be redeemed. You're a sinner
and you can't redeem yourself. You're a sinner and you need
a savior. You know that. God is holy. A price has to be
paid. A debt has to be settled. And
you can't pay it nor settle it. You know you were not redeemed
by corruptible things. You were not redeemed by anything
you did. Your redemption had nothing to
do with your vain conversation. The idea that came with tradition
from your fathers. You know you were redeemed by
the precious blood of Christ. in whom we have redemption through
his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Now you know this about
redemption. You know you're redeemed by the
precious blood of Christ. And let me tell you what you
know about the blood of Christ. Number one, it's precious. How can I describe the preciousness
of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, I know one way
I can describe it. Feed the church of God which He purchased with
His own blood. You see, His blood is like nobody
else's blood. His blood, and I say this reverently,
is the blood of God. And it must do whatever He intended
for it to do because it's precious blood. You know you were redeemed
with the precious blood of Christ. And you know His blood is innocent
blood. It's blood that had no sin. As of a lamb without blemish
or without spot, you know that He did no sin. That's why his blood redeems.
If he had his own personal sin, his blood couldn't do anything
at all for you. You know his blood is innocent blood. And you know his blood is foreordained
blood. who verily was foreordained before
the foundation of the world. You see, Christ is the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. And you know enough about sin
and about God to know that God could never view you independently
of the blood of Jesus Christ. And if you were ever looked independent
of the blood of Christ, God could have nothing to do with you but
send you to hell. You really believe that. You know His blood
had to come before you. He's the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world. Before there was ever a sinner,
there was a Savior. The Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. And you know that His blood redeemed. You were not redeemed by corruptible
things, but you were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. His blood redeems. It doesn't make redemption possible. The point behind effectual redemption,
Christ's death for his elect, is this, he redeemed. Everybody he died for, he redeemed. If he died for me, I am redeemed. All my sin is paid for. I have no sin. That is redemption. And you know, you know what?
Everything I said, every believer will be in full agreement with.
His blood redeems. Second Corinthians chapter eight. Verse nine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know that though he was rich, his riches However rich God the
Father is, that's how rich He is. Whoever God the Father is, that's
who He is. Who can describe the riches of
Jesus Christ the Lord? You know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, Yet, for your sakes, he became poor. Now, when he walked upon this
earth, there's no doubt that he walked as a poor man. He said
he didn't have a place to lay his head. He didn't own any property.
He didn't have a home to go to like you and I do. He slept out. Every man went to his own home,
and the Lord went to the garden of wherever it was. He slept
outside while everybody else was at home. But that's not the
poverty. That's included, but that's not
the poverty that this is speaking of. He was rich in righteousness. And he lost it all. He was rich in communion with
his father. Oh, the communion between the
father and the son. And he lost it all. He was completely forsaken by
God. You know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, Yet, for my sake, he became poor, that you, through
his poverty, might be rich. Rich in acceptance, rich in righteousness,
rich in love, rich in whatever God's rich in, you're rich in.
you know the grace. In 2 Corinthians 5.1, you're
there in 2 Corinthians, for we know that if our earthly house of
this tabernacle dissolved, he's talking about his body dying,
we have building of God, and house not made with hands, eternal
in the heaven. For in this tabernacle, this
body we groan, earnestly desiring to be closed upon with our house
which is from heaven." Now, we know that there's a better day
coming. How do you know? Well, we just
do. I don't know how else to say
it. We just do. We know intuitively. We know because God has revealed
this to us. We know when this tabernacle dissolves. And we look forward to it dissolving. I was looking at my skin yesterday,
and it freaked me out. I didn't used to look like this.
I mean, it rolls up like crepe paper. And well, this body is
going to die. And we have another. Waiting. I love that song, Waiting for
my body that will never sin. Oh, my soul, I can't wait for
that. Turn to 1 John chapter 3, if
you would, please. Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not. Beloved now are we the sons of
God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. Now I just
talked about waiting for a body that can never sin. We can't
even fantasize about what that means. I can't even begin to
understand what it would be to be free of sin. John is speaking
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And he says, it
does not yet appear what we shall be. John felt as clueless as
I do. But what he says next, but we
know. that when he shall appear, we
shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And we know that there is such
glory and majesty and awesome excellence in His person that
just a sight of Him will conform us to His image. Do you think
Jesus Christ is that great that if all you do is see Him, He's
so glorious that all you do is see Him as He is, it'll conform
you to His image? We know it. 1 John 5, verse 18. We know, 1 John 5, 18, we know,
this is one of 36 times that John uses the phrase, we know,
in this book. And he was dealing with the Ere
of Gnosticism, the knowing ones, thinking that salvation was in
their knowledge. And he was saying, really, you
guys don't know anything. We know. We know. He uses this word 36
times. But notice what he says. We know
that whosoever is born of God sinneth not. What's that mean? Exactly what it says. The new
birth, the new nature does not sin. Can God produce something
that would sin? If it came from his nature, being
born of God, can that which is born of God sin? Of course not.
Of course not. The old man is nothing but sin. The new man is nothing but holiness.
And we know that. We know that. We see it. We experience it. But he that's
forgotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth
him not. And we know that we are of God. And the whole world
lieth in wickedness." Boy, I bet that made some people mad. Who
do you think you are, John? John said, well, we know. And
we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding
that we might know Him that's true and we're in Him that's
true, even in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God
and eternal life. We know that that which is born
of God doesn't sin. We know we're of God, and the
whole world lies in wickedness. Anything contrary to Him, that's
what it is. And here's our hope that we're
in Him that's true. We know Him that's true, and
we're in Him that's true. And the last remark I would make
is what I guess, I guess we'll get into it next week, is Romans
8, 28. And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are called
according to His purpose. All things. All things. good, bad, meaningless, meaningful,
mundane, big, trouble, blessing, all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are thee called according
to His purpose. Well, how do you know? Because the Bible says
it. That's the first way. Because the Bible says it. And
secondly, we know because it's consistent with God. How could
it be any other way? He's all-powerful. He's absolutely
sovereign. It's not difficult for Him to
run the affairs of the universe according to His will. He's so
immense. Anything else doesn't even make
sense, does it? All things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are be called according to His purpose. Now, we know, and we know. What a blessed thing it is to
be able to say, and we know. Let's pray.