Back to 1 Timothy 4, that was
a blessing to me. 1 Timothy chapter 4. Verse 8 of 1 Timothy chapter
4, for bodily exercise profits little or for a little while,
but godliness is profitable unto all things. having a promise
of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Now the life that now is, is
brief. It's fleeting. James said, what
is your life? It appears for a little while,
a vapor, and it vanishes away. That's my life. That's your life. That's the life that now is. Now, godliness has a promise
for the life that now is, but also that life, which is to come. Now that is life. You know, when
the Lord spoke of that life, he said, when you enter into
life, that's how he described that. You enter into life. This is not life compared to
that. Now, Peter says, this is a faithful
saying and worthy of all acceptation for therefore we both labor and
suffer reproach. We give all our effort in this
and we're defamed. We're hated. We're persecuted
because we trust in the living God. Oh, I love that name of
our God. We trust in the living God who
is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe. I have entitled this message,
The Savior of All Men. Now that's what he's called,
the living God. which is the Savior of all men. The living God, as Paul said
to the Thessalonians, the only true and living God. Truly, it's a fearful thing to
fall into the hands, the writer to the Hebrews said, of the living
God. What is meant by the living God? The God of the Bible, is the
living God, as opposed to the many false man-made small g gods. Christ, the Christ, is the son
of the living God. God the Son called him the only
true God. The God of every religion, but
the religion of Christ is a false God. A non-existent God, a man-made
God, dead. No life, the figment of man's
imagination. Nothing more than an image of
man's making. Any concept of God that is not
according to scripture is a false God, a dead God, a God that cannot
save. The God of the freewheeler is
a non-existent God, the product of man's depraved imagination. Any concept of God that doesn't
see him as absolutely sovereign, the first cause behind all things,
the one who rules and the one who reigns. That's who God is.
He's God. He's in control. He rules and
he reigns. Any God that's not like that
is a false God. It's not just a mistaken notion
of God. It's a false God, an image, an idol. Any concept of God that is not
all powerful, He has the power to make His will come to pass. He is omniscient. He's never
learned anything. He's independent. He has no needs
like you and I. He's omnipresent. You can't go
anywhere where He's not. He's eternal. He never had a
beginning. He'll never have an ending. He's
immutable. He never changes. If that's not my concept of God,
the God of the Bible, my God is a false God, a weak God, a
God that cannot save, a God whose will, now listen to me, a God
whose will is subject to the will of man and his will can't
be done unless man lets him, is a false God. No God at all. Now, if our God is not the God
of the Bible, Our God is a man-made God and nothing more. Paul said preaching that is why
we suffer reproach. Men certainly do not like to
be told that their God is a man-made God and an idol. Now the living
God is the self-existent, independent God. Him who lives. I love that name of Him, the
living God. the living God, the one who lives,
the one who has no needs. He's not like us, dependent. Oh, how dependent you and I are.
You know, the Lord could take our next breath and we'd be dead
just like that. You and I are utterly dependent in all ways,
and He is utterly independent. He has no needs. He's not worshipped with men's
hands as though He needed anything. He says, if I were hungry, I
wouldn't tell you. The cattle upon a thousand hills
is mine. The earth is the Lord's and the
fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. For
as the father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the son to
have life in himself. As the father raises the dead
and quickens them or gives them life, Even so, the Son quickens
whom He will. The living God is the independent
God, the one who is self-existent. He has no needs. He has life
in Himself. Isn't that wonderful to think
about that? I tell you what, He doesn't need
me, but I sure enough need Him. I need Him so desperately, the
living God. As the living God, He is eternal. He never began to be, and He'll
never end. He's the eternal, I am that I
am. Not I was, not I will be, not
I wanna be, not I could be, not I should be, but I am. I am that
I am the living God. Immutable, I am the Lord, I change
not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob, will
not be consumed, past, present, and future are all alike to him. He is the living God, the ultimate
reality. The living God is the ever acting
God, the first cause behind all things, the one in whom we live
and move and have our being, the one who is mighty to save. The one whose hand is not shortened
that he can't save, and his ear is not heavy that he can't hear.
He's ever acting. Every breath you take, we talk
about involuntary things, every breath you take, he willed it
to happen, and he'll will it when you have the last one. He's the
living God who is actively involved in everything. There's nothing
that escapes his notice because he's the first cause behind everything. Now that's the living God. That
is the God of the Bible. The living God is the source
of life. You know, I've heard people say,
well, Jesus is alive and doing well. No, he's not alive. He's
alive. He's life. To say He's alive is blasphemy.
He's life itself, and life comes from Him. He's the source of
life. He's the giver of life, and He
is the sustainer of life. He's the living God. The writer
of the Hebrew said, purge your conscience from dead works, anything
that comes from the flesh, to serve the living God. David said, my soul thirst for
God, for the living God. And this is what made David say
to Saul when he's speaking about killing the giant Goliath. He
said, thy servant slew both the lion and the bear. And this uncircumcised
Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing that he had defied
the armies of the living God. Don't you love this name for
our God? The living God. Him who lives. Now I'm alive. I'm alive right
now. The Lord can take that away.
But He is He who lives forever. Now this is the One. This One
who is the Living God is also called in our text the Savior
of all men. Now I love that title for our
God. The Living God. The God who lives,
the God who is, the ultimate reality, the high and lofty one
who inhabits eternity is also called the Savior. The Savior
of all men. Especially, Paul says, of those
who believe. Now, one of the most precious
titles of the Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior. Don't you love
his name? the Savior. We love it if you
need saved. As God, He's able to save. As man, He's suitable to save. He's exactly what we need. The God, man, Christ, Jesus. And He is the Savior of all men.
Now what in the world does that mean? He's the Savior of all
men. That's what God's Word says.
It says He's the Savior of all men. Does that mean all men without
exception? Now, think about it. Does that
mean all men without exception? Well, there are many who are
not saved. There is a place, according to
the scripture, called Hell. And nobody talked about it any
more than the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one who spoke of it
the most. A place of God's justice punishing the wicked. And He
was not and is not Savior to those who are not saved. As long
as there is a hell and eternal punishment, we know He's not
the Savior of those who are not saved, but He's still the Savior
of all men. Not all men without exception,
but all men without distinction. If you're saved, it's because
He saved you. If you're saved, it's because
He's your Savior. He's the Savior of all men without
distinction. I don't care who you are or what
your condition is. If you're saved, He's your Savior. He's the Savior of all men. Look back in 1 Timothy 2, verse
1. I exhort, therefore, that first
of all, that supplications and prayers and intercession and
giving of thanks be made for all men. Now, when he says, pray
for all men, does he mean all men with our exception? Well,
what about those people John says we're not to pray for? There's
some people we're not to pray for. He does not mean all men
with that exception. He doesn't mean we're supposed
to pray for those people who are in hell. I remember one time,
someone after there was a death, they said, would you pray for
him? I said, what for? I mean, I didn't want to be callous
about it, but I said, what for? Why would I pray for them after
they're dead? They're either in heaven or in hell. They're
in the place. There's a great goal fixed now.
There's nothing you can do to get them from one place to the
other. There is a great gulf in that sense, and not everybody's
saved, but if anybody is saved, he's the savior. If you're gonna
be saved, he'll be your savior. I think of Peter walking on the
water, going toward the Lord, and all of a sudden, he quit
looking at the Lord and started looking at the wind boisterous.
He started looking at the other things, and the scripture says
he began to sing. And what did he do? Lord, save me. How many times have I prayed
that prayer? I prayed it today. Lord, save me. Aren't you already
saved? Well, I hope I am, but Lord,
save me. You know, I believe I might pray
that prayer more than anything else. Lord, save me. I need to be saved. He is the
Savior. of all men. Turn to Matthew chapter
one, verse 21. Now, it's just not reasonable,
sir. See, that teaches he saves all men because he doesn't save
all men. He doesn't save all men without exception, but He
saves all men without distinction. I don't care who you are. If
you come to Him for salvation by His grace, you'll be saved. If you're somebody He died for,
you'll be saved. I don't care what your condition
is. He is the Savior of all men. Do you need to be saved? You
know, I hate to hear people say, well, I got saved. No, no, don't
talk like that. You didn't get saved. The Lord
saved you. saved. I do, Lord, save me. He's the Savior of all men. Now, I'm somebody that needs
saved. Now, look here in Matthew chapter 1. You're familiar with
this verse of scripture. Verse 21. Well, let's begin in verse 18. Now,
the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise. When as his mother
Mary was a spouse to Joseph, before they came together, she
was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband
being a just man, not willing to make her a public example,
was minded to put her away privily. Now, when she said to Joseph,
I have child of the Holy Ghost, do you reckon Joseph believed
her? No. Would you? No. What if your wife or your daughter
came up and said, I'm a child of the Holy Ghost? You would
not believe them. And Joseph didn't either. But he was a just
man. And he wanted to put her away
in a way that would not make her a public example. He loved
her. He felt sorry for her. He didn't want to put her in
a bad light. He was minded, though, to put her away privileged. But
while he thought on these things, what in the world am I going
to do about this? I thought I was going to live with this woman the rest
of my life, and here she's been unfaithful to me. And what am
I going to do about it? While he thought on these things,
behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream,
saying, Joseph, Thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary
thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. Just like she told you. She's
not lying. And she shall bring forth a son
and thou shalt call his name Jesus. Savior. That's the Greek for
the Hebrew Joshua Savior. I love Joshua's name. You know,
Moses couldn't bring the people of Israel into the promised land,
could he? The law can't do it. But Joshua, the Savior, He brings
His people into the promised land. Now look with me at this
passage of Scripture in verse 21. Thou shalt bring forth a
Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save
His people from their sins. He, the Lord Jesus Christ, shall,
not might, not will make a stab at it, not will make it available,
He shall. This is something that's certain, already done. He shall
save, not make savable, but He shall save His people. Who are
His people? His elect, those the Father gave
Him before the world began. He shall save his people from
their sins. And this is precisely what I
need, saved from, I need to be saved from my sins. And there's
a lot of things I ask the Lord to save me from. Save me from
these situations that I've got myself into, where I've messed
up. Lord, save me. Don't let me bring reproach on
the gospel for what I've done. Turn this around. How many times
have I done that? But here's what I really need
saved from. I need saved from my sins. Now here's the promise. He shall,
he shall save his people from their sins. I've been saved from
the penalty of my sin. I'm never going to have to give
an account for my sins. I'm never going to have to be
condemned for my sins. I've been saved from the penalty
of my sin. Now I've got plenty of sins.
But I'm not going to have to give account for any of it because
the Lord Jesus Christ justified. My sin was put away. He gave
me his righteousness. I stand before God perfectly
just. I've been saved from the penalty
of my sins. And beloved, I've been saved from the power of
my sin. Sin shall not have dominion over
you, for you're not under the law. But you're under grace. Now, what does it mean to be
saved from the power of sin? Because I know somebody's thinking
sin seems awful powerful in me. What does it mean to be saved
from the power of sin? There was a time when I was under
the complete dominion of sin. Didn't know it, but I was under
the complete dominion of sin. I couldn't believe. I couldn't
repent. I couldn't love God. I couldn't
really love my brother. I was under the complete dominion
of sin. Didn't even know it. That's how
much I was under its dominion. I didn't even know I was under
its dominion. Completely controlled by sin. God said, live! And I was given a new heart.
And I now believe when I didn't even know what it meant to believe.
I now am in a state of repentance when I didn't even know what
repentance was. I now love God and I didn't love him before.
I've been saved from the dominion and the power of sin. Every believer
has. And one of these days, actually
it's already taken place because Scripture said, whom he called,
whom he also justified, whom he justified, whom he also glorified.
Past tense, I'm already glorified. I can only get hold of that by
faith. Scripture says we're seated together in the heavenlies with
Christ. If I'm in Christ, I'm already there. I'm not as sure
for heaven as if I'm already there. I'm already there. In
the person of my representative, I'm there. I'm there. That's
how saved I am. but I won't really experience
it until I don't sin anymore. Don't you look forward to that?
Being completely delivered from sin to where I sin no longer. Thou shalt call his name Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. He, the Lord Jesus Christ, is
the Savior of all men, for God sent not His Son to condemn the
world. Listen, the world was already condemned. He didn't
need to send His Son here to condemn us. We already were condemned.
We were condemned in our father Adam. We were condemned by what
we've done. He sent His Son into the world
to save the world. He's the Savior of all men. We have seen and do testify that
the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Now listen to me. I have no doubt
that there are people in here right now who've never called
upon the name of the Lord. You've not done it. You've not
really called upon the name of the Lord. If you call upon the
name of the Lord, He'll save you. That's His promise. Now, what does that mean? It
doesn't simply mean I audibly call out his name. Lord, save
me. His name is his attributes. His name is who he is. I call
on his name. I say, Lord, save me as an act
of your sovereign will. Save me by your sovereignty.
Will my salvation. Will it. If you will, you can
make me clean. Lord, save me as an act of your
justice. Put away my sin. Give me your
right. Save me by your grace. Save me
by your power as an act of your mighty power. Save me. We're
calling on his name. We're saying, Lord, save me.
Calling on his name. Whosoever. Thank God for that
word. Whosoever. shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved. You don't need to worry whether
or not you're one of the elect. You don't need to worry whether
or not Christ died for you. You call upon the name of the
Lord, you'll be saved. That's God's promise. Whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved. Now let's go back to our text
in first Timothy chapter four. You know, I feel it necessary
always to make this clear. You young people, listen to this. You old people listen to it too.
Everybody in here listen. Jesus Christ only died for the
elect. He didn't die for everybody.
God didn't elect everybody. He only died for the elect. That
will not prevent anyone's salvation. If you call, you'll be saved.
If you call. Now, I realize that the only
reason you call is because he chose you to. I realize that,
but you don't need to worry about any of that. What you and I are called
upon to do is, Lord, save me. Lord, save me. He's the savior
of all men, but look what it says in our text in 1 Timothy
chapter 4. For therefore, we both labor
and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God who is
the Savior of all men, specially, specially, particularly of those
that believe. By grace are you saved through
faith. And that not of yourselves, it's
the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. He
says he's the savior, especially of those who believe. Now turn
with me to Romans chapter three. We'll come back to first Timothy
in a minute. Turn to Romans chapter three. And this is what Paul concludes.
up to this point in verse 8, 28 of Romans chapter 3. Therefore, we conclude that a
man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the
God of the Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles?
Yes, of the Gentiles also, seeing it's one God, which shall justify
the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through faith.
Do we make void the law through faith? God forbid. Yea, we establish
the law. Now what shall we say then that
Abraham, our father, is pertaining to the flesh, is found? Now this
is interesting. I was reading in the newspapers, in the Herald-Leader
just last week, and it was, I don't remember what the article was,
but it said that Abraham was the originator and the founder
of three of the world's great religions. Christianity, Judaism,
and Muslim. And all of them claim Abraham
as their founding member. Abraham's not the founder of
any religion. The Lord Jesus Christ is the founder, not some
man. But what about Abraham? What
about Abraham? Verse one, what should we say
then that Abraham, our father is pretending to the flesh hath
found for if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to
glory. What are works? Anything that
you do. If your justification was caused
by anything that you do, that's works. I don't care if it's even
an act of your will. I don't care if it's your faith
that made it work. Anything that you do is works. You believe
that? For if Abraham were justified
by works, he'd have whereof to glory. If that is the case, Abraham
could take some of the credit. As a matter of fact, God would
be his debtor. God would owe. this to him. Here, I got to give
that. He would be obligated to, but
not before God. Verse three, for what sayeth
the scripture? Understand this. All I want to
know is what the scripture says. This is what God says. When we say, what sayeth the
scripture, it says, what says God? The Bible is the word of God.
What sayeth the scripture? Abraham believed God. Abraham, see the stars, can you
count them? The sands of the sea, can you
count them? So shall your seed be. Abraham believed what God
said without any evidence at all, but the naked word of God.
He didn't have any descendants. He didn't have any children.
God said, you're going to have descendants as the sands of the
sea. And he believed what God said. Abraham believed God. And it was counted to him for
righteousness. Now verse four, now to him that
worketh is the reward. If, if your salvation comes by
anything you've done to him to work with is the reward, not
reckoned of grace. It's not a gift of God, but of
debt. God becomes your debtor. That can't be counted. God, your
debtor, God, my debtor, God owes me something. Well, he owes me
hell, but he sure doesn't owe me anything else. But, verse
five, to him that worketh not, but believeth on him, that justifieth
the ungodly. Do you believe that what Christ
did actually justified the ungodly? Do you believe that? Do you believe
that when he said, it is finished, the ungodly, the people he died
for, were justified? Do you believe that? And that
person who believes that, and I do, I do, I believe that. I
believe that he accomplished justification. Every ungodly
sinner he died for is justified. I believe that. Do you believe
that? I believe that. him that worketh not, but believeth
on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
Now David explains what that means. Even as David also describeth
the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness
without works. Saying, blessed are they whose
iniquities are forgiven. whose sins are covered, covered
in the blood. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. He didn't charge me with my sin.
He charged it to his son and he charged the righteousness
of his son to me. That's how he justifies the ungodly. The living God is the savior
of all men, especially of those who believe. Now one other thing,
turn back to 1 Timothy chapter 4. For therefore we both labor and
suffer reproach. The gospel we believe, we labor
to make it known and folks don't love us for it. We're defamed,
we're misrepresented, we're despised because of the gospel we preach.
For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust
in the living God. We trust. And that word trust
is the word that's generally translated hope. Hope. We find our hope. We hope in
the living God. Now what is hope? What is biblical
hope? Biblical hope isn't like hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. 90% chance it won't. That's not
biblical hope. Biblical hope is a confident
expectation. A confident expectation. Now, I have a confident expectation
with regard to the future. This is what hope has to do with.
It has to do with the future. I have a hope that when my name
is called God will say, well done, well
done, thou good and faithful servant. Now, where do you come
up with a hope like that? Because if Jesus Christ the Lord
did well, I did too. If he's God's faithful servant,
I am too, because as he is, so are we in this world. I have a hope that on judgment
day, I'm going to be brought in and accepted, accepted in
the beloved. That's my hope. The hope of what
he, Christ, our hope, Christ, our hope. And I have a hope regarding
everything between now and then. from this second right on through
and everything in the past, that all things are working together
for my good and for his glory. And that's, that's the hope of
the future. I have a hope that I'll be accepted
on judgment day, that I'll be saved, that I'll be brought in. And with regard to everything
that takes place, it's all going to be working together. my good
and his glory, because the scripture says, and we know that all things
work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
called according to his purpose. Now, Peter said in first Peter
3 15, always be ready to give every man that asks you a reason
for that hope. Now, with regard to that hope,
we have a hope in the living God, who's the savior of all
men, especially those who believe. And with regard to that hope,
let me give you the reason for that hope. The reason for that
hope, first of all, is the word of God. I'm not just making something
up. I'm not just giving my thought
or my opinion. My hope is founded in the word of God. If you can't
give a scriptural reason for your hope, you really don't have
a hope. It's not a good hope. A good hope is founded in scripture. The reason I have hope is because
Christ is my hope. That's what the Bible says. We're
saved by hope. That's my hope. The reason I
have a hope that I'll stand justified before God is because it says
he was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification.
I've got a scripture that the word of God, what sayeth the
scriptures? My hope is founded on God's word. Secondly, my hope is the work
of Christ. Now here's why I believe that
I'll be accepted on judgment day, because Jesus Christ said
it is finished. Anything else? Nope. Anything
else needed? No. I need no other argument.
I need no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died
and that he died for me. Now here's my hope. That when
he said it is finished, all that God requires of me was accomplished
right then before I was even born. What a hope. What a hope in the Lord Jesus
Christ. He is our hope. Paul said to
the Thessalonians in 2 Thessalonians 2, 16, he's given us a good hope
through grace. Well, grace is a good hope, isn't
it? You know why? Because grace is complete unmerited favor. Nothing I can do to earn it is
given to me freely for Christ's sake, and that's good hope. And
it's not a good hope if it's not all of grace. But if it's
all of grace, from election to glorification and everything
in between, it's all of grace. Now that is a good hope. How do you know you're a believer?
Because I believe. Faith is the substance of things
hoped for. and the evidence of things not
seen. We hope in the living God, not
some false man-made God, not the God of man's religion, not
the God of man's imagination, but the living God who is the
savior of all men. If you're to be saved, he's the
savior, especially of those that believe. Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Let's pray together.