I did choose thee. Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Neidert. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 1030 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
945 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Now here's our pastor, Todd Nyberg. I've entitled this morning's
message, What Avails with God? What does God respond to? What does God pay attention to? I'd like to say by way of introduction
that there's a lot going on in the name of God that He doesn't
pay any attention to. A lot of religion, a lot of excitement,
God doesn't even hear. What does God pay attention to? What avails with the living God? In Galatians chapter 5 verse
6 we read, For in Jesus Christ, and that's the place I want to
be, in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's a place, that's a person,
in the Lord Jesus Christ. The only hope I have of being
saved is if I'm in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what we confess
in baptism. In baptism, we confess the only
way we can be saved is if we're in Him. When He lived, I lived. When He died, I died. When He
was raised from the dead, I was. When He kept the law, I did.
When He was punished for sins, I was in Jesus Christ. Oh, it's
so important to be found in Him. Paul said, Oh, that I may win
Christ and be found in Him. When God comes looking for me,
The only place I want to be found is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
When the Lord passed through the land of Egypt to destroy
the firstborn there is only one place of safety in the house
with the blood over the door. When God judged the world with
rain there was only one place of safety in the ark, in the
Lord Jesus Christ. All God has for the sinner is
in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is my beloved Son in whom
I'm well pleased. That's where all of God's pleasure,
that's where all of God's salvation, that's where all of God's love
is, in the Lord Jesus Christ. Outside of Christ there's nothing
but wrath and judgment toward the sinner. Now the only place
of safety is in Christ. Look what he says. For in Jesus
Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision,
but faith which worketh by love. What avails with God? Our Lord was passing through
Jericho on the way to Jerusalem. And the scripture says he'd set
his face like a flint. He was going to be crucified. That's why He came. He came to
die. He came to put away sins. He's
called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and
He came to die, and nothing was going to stop Him from His purpose
in fulfilling God's purpose and saving His people. He set His
face like a flint, and He was moving toward Jerusalem. And
many people were calling His name, and He didn't respond.
He didn't pay any attention to it. But all of a sudden, he heard
one cry that stopped him dead in his tracks. The Scripture
actually says, Jesus stood still. Now, what is it that availed
with him? It was the cry of the blind man. Jesus, thou Son of David, have
mercy on me. And the Lord went on to say to
him, thy faith hath saved thee. Faith avails with God. Our Lord Jesus Christ was on
his way to heal the daughter of Jairus. And while he was moving,
the scripture says many people were thronging him, touching
him, and he didn't respond. But all of a sudden, he stopped
and said, who touched me? There was one touch that he responded
to. And Peter said, Master, the crowd's
thronged thee, and sayest thou who touch me? He said, Somebody
touch me, for I perceive that virtue hath gone out of me. You
see, there was a woman who knew if she could just touch the hem
of his garment, she'd be healed. This woman, by the grace of God,
had faith. And he said, Daughter, go thy way. Thy faith hath saved
thee. Faith avails with God. What avails with God? Faith avails
with God. Now let's go on reading in Galatians
chapter 5 verse 6. He says, For in Jesus Christ
neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith,
which worketh by love. Now before he tells us precisely
what it is that prevails with God or avails with God, he tells
us what does not avail with God. In Christ Jesus, neither circumcision
avails anything nor uncircumcision. Doesn't avail anything. Now what's
he talking about when he's talking about circumcision? Well, look
up in verse 1 of Galatians chapter 5. Paul says, stand fast therefore
in the liberty, the freedom, wherewith Christ hath made us
free. And be not entangled again with
the yoke of bondage. Liberty. What is liberty? When
you're liberated, when you're set free, two things come to
my mind. Number one, that means you don't
owe anything anymore. How have you felt when you paid off a
debt? Oh, you feel so free. It's not over you anymore. And
you're free when you get to do what you want to do. You're not
doing what you don't want to do. You're doing what you want
to do. That's freedom. Now, Paul says, stand fast therefore
in the liberty, the freedom wherewith Christ hath made us free. He
paid all my debts. And now I serve him because that's
what I want to do. That's what I want to do. You
stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us
free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold,
I, Paul, say unto you that if you be circumcised, Christ shall
profit you nothing. For I testify again to every
man that is circumcised that he's a debtor to do the whole
law. Christ is become of no effect
unto you, whosoever you are justified by law, you're fallen from grace. Circumcision represents the law. Salvation in some way dependent
upon what you do. If I put the law, if I put works
anywhere in salvation, in the beginning, in the middle, or
the end, I become a debtor to do the whole law, and I can forget
Christ. I can forget being saved by grace.
I'm standing on my own, and that's a road I cannot take. Circumcision. In Christ Jesus, circumcision
avails nothing nor uncircumcision. Let me give some illustration.
Circumcision represents salvation by law. Someone says, what do
you mean by salvation by law? That means some part of salvation
is dependent upon you. You must do something for something
else to take place. For instance, in this day in
which we live, the majority of preaching says, God loves you. Jesus Christ died for your sins
and made salvation available for you. God the Holy Spirit
is calling you, but you can't be saved unless you decide to
accept what he did for you. Your eternal destiny is in your
hands. It's up to an act of your will as to whether or not you'll
be saved. That's the doctrine of salvation
by human will. Now, there's no gospel in that.
That's just not the truth. For one thing, it's not true
that God loves everybody and Christ died for everybody and
God the Holy Spirit's calling everybody. I know he didn't love
Esau. Christ said, I laid down my life for the sheep. He didn't
lay down his life for goats. God the Holy Spirit does not
call all men without exception. I know that's not so. So if I
say that, well, God loves everybody, Christ died for everybody, wants
to save everybody, it's up to you if you're free will, that's
salvation by works, that's all it is. It's a message of works
and somebody that believes that doesn't believe the gospel. Somebody
that preaches that does not preach the gospel. You're putting works
in the beginning. Somebody else puts works in the
middle. Well, it's true salvation is by grace, but your works will
make you holier. You can become more and more
holy and less sinful by the things you do. An example of this kind
of teaching would be Peter in Galatians Chapter 2 when he was
fellowshipping with the Gentiles and certain from James of the
circumcision came down some men who had been circumcised and
Peter didn't say a word. You can read about this in Galatians
Chapter 2. He just got up, left that table
and went over and sat down with the Jewish believers who were
of the circumcision. By that silent act He said, you're
more pleasing to God if you're circumcised. Now, these other
fellows are saved, but you're more saved if you're circumcised,
and Paul publicly reprimanded him for doing that, that the
truth of the gospel might remain. You see, if Paul didn't do that,
the truth of the gospel would not remain, that Christ was all
in salvation, and that He is our holiness, that He is our
righteousness, that He is our sanctification. Peter was blurring
that issue at that time. You put works in the middle,
you make it all of works. Or you put works at the end.
There are people who say, well, salvation is by grace, but your
position in heaven is going to be in accordance with your works
here on earth. You're not going to tell me that
the thief on the cross is going to get the same place in heaven
as the Apostle Paul, or Peter, or John, or somebody like that.
They did so much more. They'll have a higher reward
in heaven. Do you think that any of your
works are good enough to be added to Christ to make it better for
you in heaven? You've got a very high opinion
of your filthy rags because nothing that you or I have done would
ever be good enough to put it on with Christ and give us a
higher place. For another thing, what kind
of attitude is that? You want a higher place than
your brother? You think you deserve a better place? Why, that's contrary
to love. That's salvation by works. Now,
understand this. Circumcision. You put works anywhere
in salvation, beginning, middle, or end, you make it all of works. Paul said, Christ has become
of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by law.
You are fallen from grace. Now, I've heard people say, after
someone has perhaps had some kind of moral failure, and God
forbid that it happened, may the Lord keep us. But somebody
has some kind of moral failure, and they say, well, they've fallen
from grace. No, they haven't. You have. Grace is their only
hope. You're the one that's fallen
from grace. Paul goes on to say in verse 5, for we through the
Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. We have a hope of salvation. We have a hope of standing before
God in perfect righteousness, and that is by faith. Faith is the evidence of things
not seen. I believe that I'm righteous
before God. I can't look at it by looking at myself, but I believe
I am through what He's told me in His Word. We wait for the
hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ, neither
circumcision avails anything, No works doesn't avail a thing.
God doesn't respond in judgment, but it doesn't carry weight with
Him. Circumcision doesn't avail anything.
There's nothing you can do to recommend yourself to God, not
a thing. Somebody says, well, I know that.
Well, uncircumcision doesn't either. Somebody says, I understand
what you're saying. I know salvation is by grace. I know that there's
no work I can do to be saved, and I know that. I know the Bible
teaches that salvation is by grace, from election to glorification,
everything in between, it is all by grace. I know that is
what the Bible teaches. Well, what would that avail with God?
Not a thing, not a thing. In Christ Jesus circumcision
avails nothing, and uncircumcision avails nothing. What does avail
with God? For in Christ Jesus Neither circumcision
avails anything nor uncircumcision but faith. Faith. Faith which worketh by love. Faith like the cry of Bartimaeus
availed with Christ when he said, Jesus, thou son of David, have
mercy on me. Faith has strength with God. You see, faith puts the burden
of salvation entirely on the Lord. Faith understands it can't
come up with anything, and it must look to Christ only. The leper demonstrated that when
he came into the Lord's presence. The leper came, the scripture
says, and he worshipped Him. He worshipped Him. Now the Lord
hadn't done anything for him yet, and he didn't know whether
or not the Lord would do anything for him, but he worshipped Him.
You see, the Lord is to be worshipped because of who He is. You'll
only worship an absolute sovereign if you can control him, if you
can manipulate him, if you can get him to respond to you by
your works. That's not worship. It might be religious, but it's
not worship. But this leper came and he worshiped him saying,
Lord. He knew he was the Lord. Lord,
the Lord of creation, the Lord of providence, the Lord of salvation,
the one who has absolute control. The leper knew who he was. He's
the Lord. Lord, if you will, You can make me whole. I can't
make myself whole. I can't will you to make me whole.
I'm totally dependent upon you. He put the entire burden of salvation
on the Lord. Lord, if you don't make me whole,
I won't be made whole. I'll be damned if you don't do
something for me. I'll die if you don't do something
for me. Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. You know what
the Lord said? I will be thou clean. You see, that's what faith does.
This man believed. What about that Syrophoenician
woman who comes to the Lord and says, Jesus, thou son of David,
have mercy on me. My daughter is grievously vexed
with the devil. She came with respect. She came
with a great need. And she came for the right thing,
mercy. And the Scripture says He answered her, not a word.
He didn't pay attention to her. He didn't respond to her. Did
she stop? No, she kept crying. The disciples
said, send her away. She cries after us. And then
the Lord said, I'm not sent but to the lost sheep of the house
of Israel. Now, He said, I didn't come to save everybody. That's
what He said to this woman. I've only come for the lost sheep
of the house of Israel. Did that stop her? No, the Scripture
said, then she came and worshiped Him. saying, Lord, help me. If you don't help me, I won't
be helped. Help me. And he said, it's not right to
take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs. He says to
this woman, you're nothing more than a dog. And you know what
she said? She said, that's the truth, Lord. True, Lord, yet
the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the master's table.
I may be a dog, but I'm your dog. And I'm not looking for
a place setting, but I'd be awful grateful for any crumbs of mercy
that come my way." And you know how the Lord responded to her?
Oh, woman, great is thy faith. Faith, real faith. It doesn't
give up. This woman kept crying. faith
avails with God. Now for the big question, really,
what is faith? What is faith? I believe that
perhaps the best definition of faith is found in 2 Timothy chapter
1, verse 12, where Paul the apostle said, For I know whom I have
believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that
which I've committed to him against that day. Now there is faith. And faith is made of three things.
Knowledge. I know whom I have believed. Second, it's made of persuasion
or belief. I'm persuaded he's able to keep. And thirdly, there is committal. He's able to keep that which
I've committed to Him against that day. First of all, faith
is made of knowledge. I know. You can't believe what
you don't know. You can't believe what you've
never heard. I've heard people talk about, they say, well, their
head's wrong, but their heart's right. That's impossible. You
can't believe what you do not know. Our Lord said, you shall
know the truth and the truth shall make you free. I know,
but notice what he says. He didn't say, I know what I
believed. He said, I know whom I have believed. You see, what
you believe is determined by who you believe. Faith is in
a person, the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you really
believe he's God, you don't believe he can fail. If you really believe
he's God, you believe he's absolutely sovereign and everybody's in
his hands. You don't believe that men have any control. You
believe He has all control if you believe He's God. I know
whom I have believed. You can't believe that He's God
Almighty and that He could die for somebody's sins and that
person end up in hell because they didn't do something. He
must be successful. His will must be done. There's no salvation apart from
knowledge. I know whom I have believed. But not only is there knowledge,
there is Persuasion. You've got to believe what you
know. He said, I know whom I have believed
and I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've
committed to him against that day. Persuasion. Now, here's an example
of what I'm talking about when I'm talking about really believing
what you know. I know that the Bible teaches that men are dead
in trespasses and sins. I know that's the teaching of
Scripture. Ephesians 2 says, "...and you hath he quickened
who were dead in trespasses and sins." What can a dead man do? He can't perform the functions
of life. The scripture teaches that men are totally depraved.
That means their will is chained to sin, their affections are
chained to sin, their understanding is chained to sin, they can't
do anything to be saved. I know the Bible teaches that.
Now it's one thing to believe And know that the Bible teaches
total depravity. It's another thing to believe
that you yourself are totally depraved. And when you believe
that about yourself, then you hear the gospel as the gospel. Then you hear the gospel as a
sinner who needs mercy. That's the only way you can hear
the gospel. You've got to really believe. what you say you believe. But not only is there knowledge,
not only is there belief, but there is committal. I know whom
I have believed, and I'm persuaded that He's able to keep that which
I've committed to Him against that day. Now this thing of commitment,
what is it? Well, let's say I'm up on the
fifth floor of a burning house or burning building. Well, I
know it's burning. There's that knowledge. I know
it's burning. And I believe I'll be burned
up if I don't get out of there. I know that. And then I hear
some firemen down on the ground, and they have the big net, and
they're saying, jump. Well, I can know that they're
down there, and I can believe that they're able to catch me.
But I'll burn up if I don't jump out and commit to salvation.
of me to them. I jump out and I know I'm totally
dependent upon them to catch me. That's when I commit. You
know when you go on a plane, you know that plane will get
you to the Proper destination, you believe it will, but you
don't get to the destination unless you get in the plane.
You commit yourself to that plane. As to whether or not you get
there, it's up to the plane, not up to you. It's up to the
plane. But you get and commit yourself to that plane. I have
committed the salvation of my soul to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, that's what faith is. It's believing God. It's knowing
You hear. It begins with hearing. Faith
cometh by hearing. You hear the gospel. You hear
what's said. You know what's said. You believe
what's said. You believe God. You believe
what He said in His Word. And you commit yourself Now you
have the same faith that the thief had. If you want to know
what real faith is, look at the thief on the cross. As a matter
of fact, let's read that passage of Scripture. It's found in Luke
chapter 23. I think this is the greatest instance of what faith
is in all the Word of God. That thief nailed to a cross,
dying. He says, beginning in verse 39,
in one of the malfactors, which were hanged, railed on
him, and said, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the
other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost thou not fear God? He knew that Jesus Christ was
God. Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
Somebody says, How does he know? Well, if you know, the same way
you know. God revealed that to him. He heard the seven sayings
of the Savior from the cross. He heard the things that were
said of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he knew by divine revelation
that Jesus Christ was God. And we indeed justly, verse 41,
he knew he deserved to be damned. And we indeed justly, for we
received the due reward of our deeds. He knew he was nothing
but a sinner. But this man hath done nothing
amiss. He believed in the perfection
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that he never sinned. And he said
unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
Now when he looked at that one hanging on a cross, he knew he
was the Lord. the absolute Lord. He knew he
wouldn't stay there. He said, You're coming back as
a ruling reigning king because you're the Lord. You can't be
a failure. You can't be unsuccessful. You're
coming back as a ruling reigning king. Lord, remember me. If you simply remember my worthless
name, all is well. Remember me when you come into
your kingdom. Can you pray that prayer? You have no other hope.
Lord, if you remember me, If you remember my name, if you
own my name before the Father, nothing else needs to be said.
And the Lord said unto him today, thou shalt be with me in paradise. Faith avails with God. Now, why does faith avail with
God? Let me give you three reasons. One, it's a faith that it might
be by grace. You see, the faith way is the
only way that salvation is all by grace. From the beginning
to the end, salvation is by the grace of God. 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. Here's the
second reason for faith. Faith excludes boasting. I can't
take credit for anything. He did it all. Where is boasting
then? It's excluded. By what law? Works?
Nay, but by the law of faith. And faith is so suitable to the
sinner. To him that worketh not, but
believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly. I do believe on
him who justifies the ungodly through the work of the Lord
Jesus Christ on the cross. What avails with God? Faith.
Faith. Not circumcision or uncircumcision,
but faith which worketh by love. You see, faith works. On the one hand, it doesn't work,
but on the other hand, it works mightily. When God told Abraham
to kill Isaac, Abraham knew that God had promised the Messiah
through that boy. And he knew, if I kill him, God's promise
is still going to take place. God will raise him from the dead.
Now, if he would have said, I can't do that, or God's promise won't
take place, all he would prove by that is he never believed
God. But Abraham believed God. He knew that if I do kill him,
God will raise him from the dead. As a matter of fact, he said
to those men, I and the lad will go yonder and worship and return
again to you. He knew that God would raise
him from the dead. He believed God, and his works
proved that he believed God. Faith works, and faith works
by love. You see, you cannot believe on
Christ and not love him. Faith does not work by law. Faith
worketh by love. It's not spurred on by fear or
guilt or hope for reward or fear of punishment. It works by love,
love to Christ. We love him because he first
loved us. Paul said the love of Christ
constrains us. We do what we do because of His
great love to us. And beloved, every believer loves
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now I wish I loved Him more,
and I should love Him more. And one day I'll love Him perfectly
when I'm done away with this sinfulness. But I love Him. I love who He is. I love His
way of saving. I love all of His attributes.
He's altogether lovely in my sight. Now that's what avails
with God. In Christ Jesus, circumcision avails nothing or uncircumcision,
but faith which worketh by love. We have this message on CD and
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