I have entitled the message for
this evening, the here and the now. Paul said, being now justified
by his blood. Now, this is true of every believer
right now, present tense. I am justified before God by
virtue of the blood of Christ. Now, since I am now justified,
listen real carefully, since I am now justified, there has
never been a time when I've not been justified before God. Now, let me repeat that. Since I am now justified, there
has never been a time when I was not justified before God. God has always seen me that way. He said himself, I will by no
means clear the guilty. If God ever sees me or you as
guilty, He will not clear us. He's a just and he's a holy God. And he said, I'll by no means
clear the guilty. Now, I've not always seen myself
like that. In my experience, I've seen myself
as guilty and condemned. and unjust and unclean before
God. That's been my experience. But
in Christ, he said, before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee. Now he doesn't know someone that
doesn't exist, does he? I don't understand this, but
it's what the scripture teaches. Before I formed thee in the belly,
I knew thee. The Lord Jesus Christ knew me,
loved me, and had a personal relationship with me before time
began. He knew my name. I was and am in Christ eternally. I've always been justified before
God and always will be. And that's true of every believer.
Now, somebody says that sounds like eternal justification. Well, is there any other kind?
This is glorious. I don't understand it all. I
mean, I can't grasp it. It's a concept that goes way
beyond my ability to lay hold of. But I also know this, the
only evidence That I am eternally justified, the only evidence
is what goes on in the here and now. What goes on in time right
now. And I have no right to even suspect
that I'm justified before God if I don't believe the gospel
right now. Faith is the evidence of things
not seen. Now, we're in this thing called
time right now, and it is impossible for us to grasp eternity. Whenever
I talk about something like this, I always kind of chuckle at myself
because I have to say to myself, you have no idea what you're
talking about. We can try talking about eternity. We talk about eternity
past. Well, there's no such thing as
eternity past. We talk about eternity future. There's no such
thing as eternity future. Eternity is all in the present. It's all in the eternal now. And you and I just have a hard
time grasping that. We live in time. We have a past
that we can't really escape. We have a present that we're
dealing with now. And we have a future that we're
wondering about. We live in time. Now men have
a tendency to make a false refuge of the past. We look back on
something that took place in the past. We look back upon some
time when we learned something in the past and we say, well,
that's when I was saved. Well, the church at Sardis, the
Lord said to them, you have a name that you live. You're living
on something that took place in the past and you're dead. Living off yesterday's experience
and yesterday's faith is no good. Faith, real faith, saving faith,
that which is the gift of God, that which is the result of the
work of the Holy Spirit in me is always in the present. It's always in the right now. I'm not looking to something
that took place yesterday. Right now I'm looking and resting
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now we also have a tendency to
hide in tomorrow what we intend to do tomorrow. But all that
is is works. That's all it is. If I'm talking
about what I'm going to do tomorrow, that has something to do with
what I'm going to do. And the wise man said, boast
not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may
bring forth. Rupert went to bed last night.
Looking forward to the services in the morning, he had no idea
what was going to take place. And you don't have any idea what's
going to take place tomorrow either. Boast not thyself of
tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. The
scripture says, remember now thy creator in the days of thy
youth. Don't wait till tomorrow. Now,
The here and the now. There is an urgency in the now. When should I believe? Now. When should I come to Christ?
Now. You don't wait for anything.
Don't wait till you're more ready. Don't wait till you get a little
bit better. Don't wait till you understand a little bit more.
Right now. Behold, now is the accepted time. Today is the day of salvation. When should I be baptized? Right
now. When should I repent? Right now. Now, God is in absolute control
of now. Don't you love that? Wherefore should the heathen
say, where is now their God? The implication being, we don't
see him acting in behalf of you. Where is now your God? I love
David's answer. Our God is in the heavens. He
hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. That's what's going
on right now. God's good pleasure. And in light of that, let Israel
now say, his mercy endureth forever. Now we're to live in the present. Save now, we beseech thee, O
Lord. And that's my prayer right now.
Save now, we beseech thee, O Lord. And there's a similarity to now
and news. The news is what's going on right
now. Nowness and newness go together. The gospel is always news. You know, I say something to
people all the time when I'm talking to them, probably ought
to get out of the habit of it. I say, what's new? What's new? Well,
if you ask me what's new, I don't know. You know, I don't know.
Nothing, I guess. Well, something's new. His mercies
are new every morning. And the gospel always comes as
news when it's heard in the power of the Spirit of God. Now, remember
the change of response of the children of Israel with regard
to manna. That manna they were to take
that very day. And they weren't to gather up
enough for tomorrow, just a day's worth. But you know, at some
point, I think it's so telling of us when they said regarding
that manna. Now that manna, it had not changed
in its composition. Same thing that it was, whatever
it was, this supernatural bread that came down from heaven. The
taste didn't change. It tasted the same way after
40 years that it did the very first time. But the children
of Israel said, our souls loathe this light bread. Now, the man hadn't changed,
but their perception of it did. They didn't see it the same way
they used to. In the present, it was different. Now, that is why the Lord said
in Luke chapter six, blessed are ye that hunger now. Not blessed are you that did
hunger, but blessed are ye that hunger now, for you shall be
filled. Blessed are you that weep now. It's not that we did at one time
mourn and hunger and weep. Are we in that state right now? While I'm preaching. Am I mourning
before God? Am I hungering after the Lord
Jesus Christ? Right now. You know, I remember
when I was 20 years ago. I remember when I was last week.
But what about right now? Now, if that's the state I'm
in now, the gospel will come as news to me. News, good news, fresh, powerful. If not, I'm lukewarm. I'm like those of Laodicea. And
when you're lukewarm, you don't even know you're lukewarm. You
say everything is great. Everything is fine. Now, when
the gospel is preached, it's preached like this. In Luke chapter
14, verse 17, the Lord said, come. For all things are now
ready." Now I want you to think about that. This is the Lord
speaking to me, speaking to you. He says, come. Not go and do, not wait, not
fix something. Come, for all things are now
ready. There's nothing you need to do. It's all been done. Nothing you need to bring of
your own. It's the great feast of fat things,
wine on the lease, well refined. All things are now ready. Right now. Right now. You're
to come right now and you will be received completely. There's
not two steps. There's not three steps. There's
no time of preparation. Come right now. Come and welcome. Now somebody says, how can you
say that? Well, here's how I could say that because of what the
Bible says. Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished. What did he say? It's finished. Do you hear those words? It's finished. There's nothing
for you to do. There's nothing for you to bring. Come now. Come and welcome. Don't let conscience
make you linger, nor fitness fondly dream. The only fitness
he requires is to have a need of him. Being now justified by
his blood, without guilt, I've never done anything wrong, and
I've only done that which is right. Who dares to make such
a claim as that? Every believer. Every one of them. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It's
Christ that died. Yea, rather, that's risen again,
who is even now on the right hand of God. who also maketh
intercession for us. No condemnation now, I dread.
I am my Lord's and he is mine, alive in him, my living head,
and clothed in righteousness divine. I'm gonna read you several
scriptures with the word now in it. I want you to listen real
carefully. Oh, this is such a wonderful
word, right now, right now. Colossians 1, 21, and 22 says,
and you that were before time alienated and enemies in your
mind by wicked works, yet now, now, right now, not after you improve, not after
you do something, not after you stop doing something, right Now
hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to
present you holy and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight. His sight. And remember, beloved,
the way he sees things is how they really are. All barriers are removed right
now. In John chapter 15, verse three,
the Lord said to his disciples, now are you clean through the
word which I have spoken unto you. Now, I suppose that When
he said that to at least one of the disciples, they thought,
I don't feel very clean. I know he says that. He says,
now you are clean through the word that I've spoken to you.
But what about the uncleanness that I experience even now? How can that be? Well, it's because
the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin, all the time,
and as long as the blood cleanses, I'm clean. In Ephesians chapter
two, verse 13, Paul said, you who were aforetime, afar off,
are now. Now, now, now, now, made nigh. made close by the blood of Christ,
near, so near to God, nearer I cannot be. For in the person
of his dear son, I'm as near to God as he right now. Dear, so dear to God, dearer
I cannot be. In the person of his dear son,
I'm as dear to God as he right now. 1 John 3, verse 2 says, Beloved,
now are we the sons of God. Nothing you need to do to make
yourself that way. Now are we the sons of God. And here's the reason for the
nowness of these things. 1 Corinthians 15, 20 says, But
now is Christ risen from the dead. That's why the apostle spoke
of the new and the living way. That word new is freshly slaughtered. You know, there's a nowness and
a newness always with regard to the blood of Christ. It's
not just something historical, although it is historical, it
actually happened. But oh, the power of the blood
of Christ right now. We draw near through this new
and this living way. Hebrews 9.24 says, Christ is
not entered into the holy place made with hands, which are figures
of the true, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence
of God for us. And because of this nowness,
Now this newness is pretty much the same thing, isn't it? I'm coming to the Lord Jesus
Christ right now the same way I came the very first time. As an empty-handed sinner with
not one thing to recommend me, absolutely dependent upon what
he does for me. I can't come any other way. The time is coming, said our
Lord, and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the
Father in spirit and in truth. You know, right now, there's
true worship going on. True worship. Somebody's worshiping
the Father. in spirit and in truth by the
Holy Spirit according to the truth of the gospel and here
is why once again the time is coming and now is when the dead
shall hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall
live and in hearing his voice they hear but now there that
word is again that's in the Bible a lot of times isn't it but now
right now I hope somebody hears this for the 50,000th time and
they hear it as if it's the first time they've ever heard it. But
now, the righteousness of God without the law. without you
doing anything but 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 the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and
upon all them that believe. Since I've been born of God, please listen to this very carefully.
Since now, I've heard his voice. Since now, I've been born of
God. Since now, I have this new nature. Partakers of the divine nature. When I do that which I would
not now, It's no more I that do it, but the sin that dwelleth
in me. I didn't do it. The new man did
not do it. Now that's exactly what Paul
says. Now it's no more I that do it, but the sin that dwelleth
in me. Well, does that leave me with
an excuse for my sin? Can I just look at my sin and
say, well, I didn't do it, so I'm not going to worry about
it. No, Paul said in Romans 6, 19, even so now, even so now,
yield ye your members as servants to righteousness unto holiness. That statement I made regarding
it wasn't me that did it. It was my sinful nature. I wouldn't
dare use that as an excuse to justify me in my sin. I hope
I wouldn't. May the Lord give me grace not
to. Even now, I'm to yield my members
unto righteousness, unto holiness. In 2 Corinthians 8, verse 11,
Paul had been speaking of a willingness to give. And he was commending
them for their willingness to give to the cause of Christ.
And then he said in verse 11, now perform the doing of it. Now is the time. Right now is the time for any
act of love. or generosity, or obedience. Don't wait until tomorrow, because
if you wait until tomorrow, it won't take place. You'll wait
until the impression is killed, and you'll forget about it. How
many things have you been impressed to do that you forgot about?
Now perform the doing of it. And then Paul said in Galatians
chapter four, verse 29, He said, as he then that was born of the
flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit, that's
Ishmael mocking Isaac. That's what he was doing. He
was making fun of him. He was mocking him. And just as the
way it was then, even so it is now. Right now, Ishmael works,
mocks Isaac. grace. It's always been that
way. It always will be that way until
the Lord Jesus returns. And don't forget this. First
Corinthians chapter 13 verse 13 says, and now abide. Right now, this is what every
believer possesses. This is real. This is in the
here and the now. And now abide. Faith hope, and
charity. This is what every believer possesses
right now. Faith. I really am relying on Jesus
Christ, the Lord, to make me acceptable before God. That's
what faith is, isn't it? I've got the precise same faith
that the thief had. Remember me when you come into
your kingdom. He didn't talk about anything
he was going to do. He didn't talk about any plea he was going
to make. His only plea was, Lord, remember me when you come in
your kingdom. Is that your faith? Is that what
makes up what you really believe? Your only hope is that he would
remember you. Nothing else is needed. Now abideth
faith. Now abideth hope. Isn't hope
a glorious thing, a beautiful thing, to have a hope? That on
judgment day, the Lord Jesus Christ is going to say to me,
well done, thou good and faithful servant. Now every time I say
that, somebody's gonna say to me, I just can't enter into that.
Well, I understand you not being entering into that. I understand
that totally, but will the Father say that to Christ? Will he? Yeah, I mean, he looks
at everything the Lord's done and he says, well done, thou
good and faithful servant. And whatever the Lord did, I
did too. That's my hope with regard to
Judgment Day, that whatever Christ did, That's what I did. He did
it as my substitute. I have a hope. And what a hope
that is. What a blessed hope. It's not
a, I hope I'll end up being, find that on judgment day. No,
it's a confident expectation for right now. I have a hope.
And I have a hope with regard to everything between now, right
now in the present and then, and I don't know what all is
going to happen, but I have a hope that everything, is working together
for my good and his glory. Now what a blessed hope that
is. Everything, all the good stuff,
all the painful things, all the difficult things, it's all working
together for my good and for his glory. What a blessed hope
that is. It's a glorious thing to have
hope like this, isn't it? Now abideth, right now, abideth
hope. You know, even when I feel bad,
I have hope because God's on the throne. I mean, even when
I can't sin, I still have hope because God is on the throne.
This is my father's world. I have reason for hope. The battle
is not done. Jesus who died shall be satisfied
and earth and heaven be one. I've got hope. Now abideth hope.
You know what else abideth? Charity. Love. Right now. In the now. Now abideth charity. I love the Lord. Now, I Well, the Lord knows. The Lord
knows. I love what Peter said. Lord, you know all things. You
know that I love you. You know. I love him as he is. I love all of his attributes.
I love his way of saving. I love his way of saving by grace,
through faith. I love the way that salvation
exalts and glorifies him. And I love his people. You know,
anybody that loves Jesus Christ, I love that person. I really
do. I might not have anything in common with him on a fleshly
basis, but it doesn't make any difference. I could care less.
I love that person because they love him who's altogether lovely.
That makes me love them. Now abided forever. faith, hope,
and charity. These three but the greatest
of these is charity because my faith is going to be turned aside.
You see my faith is a person and one of these days I'm going
to see him. My hope, my expectation is going
to be turned to experience. I won't need hope anymore but
I'll still have love to my Lord Jesus Christ and to all of his
people. Now, it's great to be in the
here and now. The wise man said in Ecclesiastes
7, verse 10, and listen to these words carefully. Say not thou,
what is the cause that the former days were better than these? How many times have you thought
that? For thou dost not inquire wisely
concerning this. Well, it used to be better. No,
it didn't. No, it didn't. The best day to
be alive is today, isn't it? You're right where the Lord has
placed you. Today is the day of salvation. This is the best
day. Don't wish for latter days. Today is the way it used to be.
Don't wish for tomorrow. Live in the present, live in
the right now. Let me give you two closing scriptures
to think about this glorious subject of now. 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 18, Peter
says, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ to him be glory both now and forever. Jude verses 24 and 25 says, now,
now unto him that is able to keep you from falling right now and to present you faultless
before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy right now. To the only wise God, our Savior,
be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, both now and forever. Amen. Let's pray.