This morning for our Bible study,
let's turn to Romans, the book of Romans, chapter 4. The book
of Romans, chapter 4, and let's read just one verse this morning.
Romans 4, 16, Therefore it is of faith, that is, this righteousness
promised in the covenant of grace, this salvation promised in the
covenant of grace in Christ Jesus, therefore it is of faith that
it might be by grace to the end, the promise might be sure to
all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that
also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of
the faithful." Now, I have a very important question for you to
consider this morning, and hopefully we can answer this correctly
from the Word of God. Now, here's the question. How
is salvation received? Now, we know this. There certainly
is a need of salvation. All of us have sinned and come
short of the glory of God. All of us are guilty sinners
before God in need of justification, in need of a righteousness that
would justify us before God who is holy. So how is this salvation
received? By works, deeds of the flesh,
or by the obedience of faith? Now the opinion of men and among
religious organizations is widespread. You ask a hundred different people
and you probably get a hundred different answers. The legalist
would say, we'll observe the law. Well, the scriptures clearly
refute that. By the deeds of the law shall
no flesh be justified. The moralist would say, Well,
all these have I observed from my youth up. That is, I've kept
the law. The Pharisees would say, I thank
God. God, I thank you. I'm not as
other men are. The false prophet in our day
would say salvation is received by a decision, by joining the
church, or by being baptized, or by walking an aisle, or by
seeking an emotional experience. The deceived church member would
say, Come join us. Salvation's in our church. We
have the right name. We have the right tradition.
We're doing the right thing. See what I mean? Ask all these
different people and you'd receive many different answers. My friend,
there is just one source to find all the answers to any spiritual
question. The final answer and the absolute
authority on all spiritual matters is the Word of God. What does
the Lord say? What's the testimony of Scripture?
What does the Scripture teach? Well, the Scripture says that
we just read this morning that salvation and this justifying
righteousness in Christ Jesus is received by faith, by faith. We read in Romans 3, 24. Now
listen, therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith
without the deeds of the law. Salvation then is received not
by doing, but rather by believing. Believing God. Now let me give
you these scriptures. You remember in the book of Acts,
chapter 16, the Philippian jailer I asked the Apostle Paul, here's
God's servant, God's man, God's prophet, what must I do to be
saved? That's what the jailer said,
remember? What was the answer the Apostle gave? He corrected
him, didn't he? He said, it's not do. He said,
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be justified,
saved. So salvation, he declares that
salvation is received not by doing but rather by believing.
Now we read in scripture furthermore in John chapter 5 verse 24, listen
carefully, the Lord Jesus says this, He that heareth my word
and believeth on him that sent me has everlasting life and shall
not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. He that heareth my word, and
believeth." You see the order there? Hearing the Word and believing
the Word of God. It's all of God in all of grace. In John chapter 6, verse 47,
the Lord says, Verily, verily, which means truly, truly, I say
unto you, he that believeth on me has everlasting life." Now,
that's pretty clear testimony, isn't it? He said, I'm the bread
of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger. He that believeth
on me shall never thirst. I'm the good shepherd who gives
life to my sheep. So, salvation then clearly is
received by faith. Now, why is faith so essential
to salvation? Why is faith so essential to
salvation? Well, I'll give you a couple
of reasons. We read in the book of Hebrews,
faith is a substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen. Without faith it's impossible
to please God, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is. Why is faith so essential? That
is how salvation, who is Christ, is received. Faith is ordained
of God as the method and means to receive our Lord Jesus Christ
who is salvation. Now listen to this scripture
in 1 John chapter 5. This is the record that God has
given to us eternal life. Now here is the record. This
life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life.
He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have
I written unto you that believe. on the name of the Son of God,
that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may
believe on the name of His Son." It's believing Him. We know the
Son of God has come, and He's given us an understanding that
we may know Him that is true. We are in Him that is true, even
in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and this
is eternal life. Salvation that God has ordained
in Christ Jesus is received then by faith. Faith sovereignly is
given of God. Faith is a gift of God. It's
not something that blooms in our heart, in our wicked heart
naturally. It's the sovereign gift of God.
For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves.
It is a gift of God. Faith has for its foundation
what? What's the foundation of faith?
My feelings? No. The foundation of faith is
the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by the Word of God. Faith has for its object the
Lord Jesus Christ alone. He said, look unto me. I am a
just God and Savior. Beside me there is no other.
He is the author and finisher of our faith. Therefore, saving
faith looks to Christ alone for salvation. Faith in Christ alone
justifies being justified by faith, Romans 5.1. Therefore,
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into
this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory
of God. Faith is the fruit of life. Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. We believe because
we have been born by the Spirit and by the gospel of God, the
seed of life. Faith gives God all the glory
in salvation. In the same chapter, Romans 4,
you have it there in front of you? Notice Romans chapter 4. Verse 20, speaking of Abraham,
Abraham, we know, believed God. He received salvation by faith.
And it said of him, he staggered not at the promise of God through
unbelief, that was strong in faith, giving glory to God, You
see, what saving faith does, it honors and glorifies God,
being fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able
to perform. Therefore, it was imputed, given
to Him for a justifying righteousness. Therefore, it is of faith. How was salvation received? It
was clearly said throughout the Scripture that it is received
by believing God, by faith. Now, secondly, why has God ordained
salvation to be received by faith? Why has God ordained this salvation
so necessary for guilty sinners to be received by faith? Well, it says in the text here,
Romans 4, 16, Therefore it is of faith that it might be by
the grace of God. Now, there's the first reason.
That's why He's ordained salvation to be all of faith, that it might
be by the grace of God. You see, grace and works are
opposite and would pull apart. Grace and faith are of God, given
of God, and they pull together. Faith traces its very existence,
cause, and purpose to be all of God's grace. The only reason
for grace is grace. In Christ was all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily, and God hath given us grace because of
grace, and that is in Christ Jesus. The only reason for grace
is the grace of God, and the only reason for faith is the
sovereign gift of God. He grants and gives faith according
to His own will. Not of him that willeth, nor
of him that runneth, but it's God that will show mercy. It is evident in the case of
every believer, Abraham believed God, David believed God. It was imputed to them for righteousness. And it's evident also in the
case of every believer. We believe God by the grace of
God. I am what I am by the grace of
God. The grace of God in Christ Jesus elected me to salvation. There's a remnant according to
the election of grace, Romans 11.5. The grace of God justified
me, justified freely by His grace. The grace of God called me when
it pleased God who separated me and called me by His grace,
Galatians 1.15. The grace of God saved me, not
of works, but according to God's own purpose and grace, we were
saved, 2 Timothy 1.9. And grace gave me faith as many
was ordained to eternal life believed God. Therefore, it is
of faith that it might be by, that is, salvation is all of
grace, the grace of God, sovereign grace, eternal grace, fetching
grace, electing grace, regenerating grace, all of grace. Now here's
the second. reason that salvation is of faith. First of all, that it might be
by grace. Secondly, that the promise, the promise of salvation
might be sure to every one chosen of God and he ordained to eternal
life. The promise might be sure to
all the seed. That's his elect. If salvation
were of works and conditioned upon the sinner, it could never
be sure to anyone. But thank God, We're not under
the system of works. We're under the scheme and method
of grace. And because it's all of grace,
salvation is certain and sure to all those given to the Lord
Jesus. He said, All that the Father
hath given me shall come to me, and those that come to me I will
in no wise cast out. It's by the grace of God. This
makes salvation certain and sure to all God's church, all of God's
elect. Since the certainty of our salvation
is conditioned on Christ, not on the sinner, but the promise
of salvation is conditioned on the certainty of Christ fulfilling
all things for us, performing all things for us. It's based
upon and conditioned upon His righteous obedience unto God,
satisfying the law. It's based upon the atonement
that He made to put away our sin, satisfying God's holy justice. And therefore, not one of His
elect shall perish. We read about this covenant of
grace in 2 Samuel. It's ordered in all things and
it's sure. This is all my salvation. and
all my hope." You see the pattern of God? It is of faith that it
might be by grace that the promise of salvation would be certain
and sure to all God's elect based upon the certainty of Christ
performing all things, providing all things for salvation in Himself
through His obedience. And this honors God. This honors
God in all things and gives God all the honor and glory in salvation
and excludes all boasting in the center. And the center honors
Him as our substitute. We follow Him as our shepherd. We hear Him as our prophet. We
obey Him as our king and own Him as our salvation.