Now, turn again in your Bible
to the book of Acts chapter 25. Acts 25 verse 17. Acts 25 verse 17. Therefore, when they were come
here, without any delay on the morrow, Festus made this his
first business, priority of his governorship, to deal with the
matter this matter concerning Paul, I sat on the judgment seat
and commanded this man, Paul, to be brought forth." Against
whom? These Jews whom, when the accuser stood up, they brought
none accusations, none, none of such things as I supposed,
real actual crimes, none, no accusation. But they had, verse
19, just certain questions. questions against him of their
own religion. The word superstition is religion. You remember Paul when he stood
on Mars Hill, he said, I perceive in all things your most superstitious,
and it's the same word, religious. They had questions about their
own religion, and of one whom they despised. They thought they were done with
this man when they crucified him, one Jesus, whom they said
he was dead, but Paul, whom Paul affirmed, he affirmed, he declared
him to be alive, to be alive. Now here's our text today. Again, we find the Apostle Paul
before this council, before the governor, this time not Felix,
but this new governor, And again, he effaces many accusations of
these Jews and questions against him. Notice in verse 7 of this
chapter 25, they laid many and grievous complaints against Paul,
which they could not prove. And again over in chapter 24,
turn over there, chapter 24 verse 5, we have found this is the
same crowd, Ananias, the chief priest, and those elders. We
found this man to be a pest. He's a pest. He's a pestilent
fellow. A mover of sedition. He's above
among whom all the Jews throughout the world and the ringleaders,
the sect of the Nazarenes. He's a mover of sedition among
all the Jews. And the Scriptures clearly declare
that Paul was guilty of none of these things. The only thing
he was truly guilty of is going and preaching the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now when Agrippa comes to town,
Festus explains the case of Paul to him and is most interested
to get his advice whereby he may send him to Rome with proper
charges that he would not be embarrassed for sending an innocent
man down to the Supreme Court. Festus was a pagan, godless politician. Agrippa, King Agrippa, was the
same. These men had no interest in
any spiritual truth. They had no regard for the gospel,
no regard for the Jews, nor their religion. Even though they were
in charge of the government, they put up with the Jews, but
they had no use for them. You remember the publicans collected
taxes of those Jews and paid them to the Romans. There wasn't
a love affair there. The Jews hated the Romans and
the Romans, they didn't want to be there. They wanted to be
back in Rome or some other place. They didn't think anything of
the Jews. They had no regard for the Jews,
no regard for the religion, nor for Paul and his gospel. But O Festus, distinguish two
things between those Jews who accused him and Paul and his
gospel. And here's the two things. They
had, in verse 19, they had many questions against him and against
the Lord. Paul made a bold affirmation
of the gospel, a declaration of the gospel, not as a question
but as fact. And there's a heap of difference.
And Festus, he didn't know much, but he at least distinguished
those two things between their needless speculation and questions. And Paul, he seemed to really
believe and affirm and declare these things to be so, to be
real, to be true. Now this is always a way of godless
opposition against the gospel of God's sovereign grace in Christ
Jesus. Question everything, but affirm
nothing. Question everything and believe
nothing. I want you to look at this scripture
here, and this will help us. Find Titus chapter 3. I remember
hearing a story about George Whitefield, the famous preacher
that was in this country back when our forefathers, Benjamin
Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and those people, and Franklin He
was regarded not as a believer. And when Whitefield was over
here preaching the gospel of God's sovereign grace, Franklin
mentioned that he was going to go down to hear old Whitefield
preach. And some of his cronies asked him, well, why are you
going to go hear that guy preach? You don't believe any of the
things that he says. And Franklin said, I know, but
he does, and I want to hear him. You see, God's servants are not
speculators. We affirm these things to be
true. Now, Titus chapter 3. Titus chapter
3. The gospel is a declaration of
the truth, not an explanation. Luke, when he begins his writing,
he says, we declare those things which are most surely believed
among us. Not questions. Not speculation. declaration, affirmation of the
truth. Now look at this here, Titus
3 verse 5. Not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us by the
washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit which He shed
on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. That, being
justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the
hope of eternal life. Now look at this carefully. This
is a faithful saying. This is a faithful saying, and
these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they
which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works.
These things are good and profitable unto men, but foolish questions,
but avoid foolish questions, genealogies and contentions and
strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable in vain. be about declaring boldly the
gospel of God's saving grace. Not bring up needless speculation
and questions, but let us boldly affirm and declare these things
to be so. These things to be so. I hope
I can preach the gospel in such a way that if you don't believe
the gospel, that you're convinced at least that old preacher does.
He's convinced of them. And you may say, or some may
say, as old Festus says of Paul in chapter 26, you know, much
learning made you a madman. Well, I want to be madly in love
with the Lord Jesus Christ, don't you? Now, nobody despises a generic
gospel, a generic gospel, a colorless gospel, a please-everybody gospel,
a faceless gospel. But clearly and boldly affirm,
proclaim the truth of salvation by Christ Jesus alone, accomplished
by Him, determined by Him, planned by Him, accomplished by Him,
applied by Him, Christ alone, faith alone, grace, the grace
of God alone. Boldly affirm these things to
be true, to be so. It's God who saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
God's purpose and grace. And this gospel is received and
Christ is received by faith alone, not works, not ceremony, not
tradition, faith alone. That's God given, God given. Boldly declare these things, and the enemies of the gospel
will not be happy. They will not be happy. They
will revile against you just as these Jews did in their day
when Paul boldly affirmed the gospel and declared it and exposed
them as being in a refuge of lies. No wonder they wanted to
kill this man. People haven't changed. Religious
people haven't changed either. The Jews were concerned about
their religious tradition and ceremony. Hold your place there.
Find Matthew 15. Matthew 15. I expect folks who
were hiding in a refuge of lies to get upset when the gospel
is declared. The saints of God rejoice. Oh,
they rejoice. You can't preach God too big
or man too small or Christ too effectual. I'd like to be guilty
of exalting the Lord too much, giving Him too much honor and
glory. I'd like to be guilty of that.
But our Lord said of these Pharisees and these religious Jews who
were so concerned about their ceremonies, He said in Matthew
15, He says in verse 8, you draw an eye into Me with your mouth,
you talk a good game, You draw an eye to me with your mouth
and you honor me with your lips, you talk so, but your heart,
your heart, oh, your heart is far from me." He calls them hypocrites. But in vain they do worship me,
teaching for doctrines and commandments of men, not God, not the gospel. You see, these Jews were taken
up with questions about the law. Vain, unprofitable questions.
Many questions. Paul was taken up with his living
Lord. His person. Jesus Christ in him
crucified. Paul, as every believer, is taken
up with the treasure of his person. Who he is. Unto you who believe,
he is everything. Unto you which believe, he is
precious. You see, the Gospel is a person.
the Lord Jesus. Find 2 Corinthians 4. I want
you to see this. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. We preach not ourselves, Paul
said. Those who have seen something
of His glory and grace love to preach the gospel that glorifies
Him. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 5, We preach
not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your
servants for his sake. For God, who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. What does that mean? In the person
of Christ. That's where we glory in God's
mercy, His love is manifested, revealed and experienced In Him,
Paul was taken up with a person. These old Jews were taken up
with ceremony, tradition, and law. You see the vast difference
of these two? And one of the apostles said,
Oh, that I might win Christ and be found in Him. Paul's message
of which he affirmed was not questions, but affirmation. His message and hope of salvation
was in his Lord. One who had died for Him. Who died for Him. Paul affirmed
that the death of Christ as a sinner's substitute was real and the only
hope of forgiveness of sin. His death. Paul affirmed that
the Lord Jesus Christ did die for Him. No question about it. Now I want you to find this scripture
here and look at this carefully. This is 1 Corinthians 15. Not
a speculation or a question, did he die? You know, there were
some, even in some religious circles that questioned whether
the Lord really died. Did He just lapse into a coma
and three days later was revived? My friend, He died a real horrible
death. He took the death and judgment
that I deserve. Now look at this carefully. 1
Corinthians 15, verse 1. We believe that Christ died,
but He died in a particular way. Now look what it says here. Moreover, verse 1, Brethren,
I declare unto you the gospel, the gospel, I declare unto you
the gospel. I affirm, I declare it to be
so, the gospel, which I have preached unto you, which also
you have received, and wherein you stand, by which also you
are saved. If you keep in memory, if you
hold fast what I preached unto you, unless you believed in vain,
unless you depart from the gospel, what does that reveal? Your faith
wasn't real. For I delivered unto you, first
of all, that which I also received, now watch this, how Christ died. Now the gospel is just not that
Christ died. It's that he died for our sins
according to the Scripture. Now there's a big difference. According to the Scripture. That
he was buried. That he rose again the third
day according to what God had said concerning him. According to the Scriptures.
Paul affirmed constantly the substitutionary death of the
Lord Jesus Christ. He declared it for all to hear.
Wasn't that a shame to the Gospel of Christ? You see, as we preach
the gospel that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture,
it declares, the Scriptures declare who this one is who died. He's
God, manifest in the flesh. He is the Lamb of God. You see,
the Scriptures declare that He is God, our Savior. And it's
who He is that gives merit to what He did. The Scriptures declare
He died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and the Scriptures
declare what He accomplished. He put away sin by the sacrifice
of Himself. The Scriptures declare why He
died. Why did He die? Was it an accident? Was it just them old mean Jews?
Why did He die? in order that God might be just,
holy, righteous, justify the ungodly, and not compromise His
holiness. Show mercy, but not merciful
at the expense of His justice. Both had to be satisfied that
He might be just and the justifier of them which believe in Him.
The Scriptures declare that He died for our sin according to
the Scriptures, and the Scriptures declare where He is now. Where
is He now? When He by Himself purged our
sin, He sat down on the right hand of the throne of God. We
preach and affirm constantly the bodily resurrection of the
Lord Jesus Christ and His bodily ascension. This is how we started
in the book of Acts. You remember our study? Turn
back to Acts chapter 1. We affirm Christ died for our
sin according to Scripture. But Paul also affirmed that he's
alive. He's the living Lord. Acts chapter
1, to whom, verse 3, to whom also he showed himself alive
after his passion, after his suffering, by many infallible
proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of things
pertaining to the kingdom of God. He is a living, living Lord. He died for our sin. Paul affirmed
the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a
particular, particular definite atonement. The Lord Jesus died
as the sinner's substitute. Particular for His covenant people. The Lord Jesus died the appointed
death. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. His death was not an accident. His death was foreordained and
planned before Adam ever fell. The surety stood as a mediator. The Lord Jesus died the appointed
death at the appointed time for the appointed people. He was
wounded for our transgression. This is what the Scriptures declare.
He died as our substitute. Isaiah 53 tells us plainly, doesn't
it? He's wounded for our transgression. He was bruised for our iniquity.
And with His stripes, we are healed. There is no speculation,
not to the believer, of the substitutionary, satisfying death of the Lord
Jesus Christ that's particular and definite for His people. Our Lord dying for the sins of
His people, we affirm constantly and proclaim to all that will
hear that the Lord Jesus died in our room and in our stead.
A real death being made sin for us. Turn to 1 Peter chapter 3.
1 Peter chapter 3. Christ died for the ungodly. His death was real. Horrible. Bearing the judgment of God as
He bears our sin and His own body on the tree. Particular
and definite for His people. Look what it says here, 1 Peter
3, verse 18, For Christ also once suffered for sins, the just
for the unjust. He had no sin of His own, but
our sin was laid on Him. He is the just one, the just
for, in the stead of, the room, the place, for the unjust, that
He might bring us to God. Who is he writing to? The elect
of God. That he might bring us to God. Being put to death in the flesh. Was that real? That's real. Sin
demands death. Judgment. Being put to death
in the flesh, quickened by the Spirit of God. We affirm and
preach and declare the definite, particular atonement of the Lord
Jesus. He shall save his people from
their sin. We preach it, believe it, harp
on it. Not only that, but we affirm
this. We affirm and preach and proclaim
as the apostles Paul and all of God's servants, his sacrifice
was most successful. Successful. This is what the
Scriptures declare. The Scriptures declare his death
was substitution. A substitutionary death. He's
dying for somebody. And the Scriptures declare that
his atonement and his sacrifice was what? An effort? No, it's atonement
for sin. Not an attemptment. Atonement
for sin. We affirm and preach and proclaim
his sacrifice most successful. God made Him to be sin for us
who knew no sin that we might be made to righteousness of God
in Him. Not an attempt to put away sin.
The Scriptures declare He appeared once in the end of the age to
put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. His death was not
a down payment with expectation of me paying off the rest of
the debt. Not a down payment. Full, complete
payment for all the sin of God's covenant people. It's a satisfying
satisfaction. Learn two words about Christ
crucified. Substitutionary and satisfaction. His death satisfied God's law
and justice for His covenant people. How complete then? How
successful? What does the Scriptures teach?
He died for our sins according to the Scriptures. How complete? How successful? Well, let me
show you. Find Psalm 103. Here's what the
Scriptures declare. And this is what I affirm. This
is what I believe. This is what I declare. What
God has already said. Psalm 103. He said, And their iniquity will I remember
no more. Christ put away the sin of His
covenant people. This is what the Scriptures declare.
This is how He died for our sins according to Scripture. Psalm
103, look at verse 10. He hath not dealt with us after
our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. Boy, the wages
of sin is death. For as the heaven is high above
the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As
far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgression
from us." Who removed them? He did. How far? As far as the
east is from the west. Now tell me where that is. I
don't know. They're gone. God says they are. Why do you keep bringing them
up? They're gone. They're gone! That's good news. This is what the Scriptures declare,
how He died for our sins according to Scripture. Now I want you
to turn to Isaiah 38. Now mark these in your Bible.
This will be a source of great comfort to you. Isaiah 38, Hezekiah
on his deathbed, king of Israel. And God had mercy on him, gave
him 15 years, and here's what he says. Isaiah 38, verse 17,
Behold for peace, I had great bitterness, but thou
hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption,
for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back." Now tell me
where the back of God is. I don't know. Our sins are gone. That is, they're not before Him.
They're gone. They're put away. They're behind
Him and they're behind us. No condemnation to those who
are in Christ Jesus. Isaiah 40 says, verse 1 and 2,
Comfort ye my people, sayeth your God, speak comfortably to
Jerusalem unto her, crying to her that her warfare is accomplished,
that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received at the
Lord's hand double, double payment. You don't pay your bills twice,
do you? You pay it one time. He paid
our bill twice. Fully put away. Doubly put away.
Now look at this. Turn over to Daniel. Just keep
on going over here. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations,
Ezekiel, Daniel. Daniel 9. Daniel 9. Now look at this. How complete and satisfying is
the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ that we affirm, that we
believe constantly and preach? Daniel 9 verse 24. Daniel 9, 24. Seventy weeks are
determined upon thy people. This is talking about the coming
of the Lord Jesus. In the fullness of time, God
sent forth His Son. And upon thy holy city. Now watch
this. To finish transgressions. To make an end of sin. This is
what He did. He said at Calvary, it's finished.
To make reconciliation for iniquity. Here's my transgression, my sins,
my iniquity, gone. And to bring in everlasting righteousness. He not only takes away my sin,
but He gives me His righteousness. The righteousness of God in Christ. And to seal up division and prophecy. And to anoint the Most Holy. He is anointed above all His
fellows. The Lord Jesus. Now, here's an
assignment. Turn over here to the book of
Micah. Micah. I think six books. Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah,
Micah, chapter 7. Now mark this in your Bible. We're talking about and affirming
constantly and declaring how Christ put away our sin, not
according to Tom, but according to thus saith the Lord, of which
we declare and preach. Micah, chapter 7, verse 18. Who is a God like unto thee,
that pardoneth iniquity, that passeth by the transgression
of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for
ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he
will have compassion upon us, he will subdue our iniquities,
and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform truth to Jacob,
and mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from
the days of old. You see, this is how Christ died
for our sin according to the Scripture. Definite, particular,
and substitutionary, and successful. Oh, I love that, don't you? The
Lord Jesus is the victor over sin, death, hell, and the grave. We preach and affirm, as the
Apostle did, back to our text, not only that Jesus died for
our sin according to Scripture, but that Paul affirmed Him to
be alive. Alive! Delivered for our offenses. Raised
again for our justification. We preach the living Christ.
He is able to save through the uttermost all that come to God
by Him, saying, He ever liveth, liveth to make intercession for
us. When the women went to the tomb
that morning, the messenger said, Why do you seek the living among
the dead? Oh, He's not here. He's risen. He's risen. We preach and affirm the living
Christ, the living, reigning, sovereign Christ. Turn to Revelation
1. This is what we preach and affirm.
We don't question His resurrection. We declare it. Nor do we explain
it. We declare it to be so. Revelation
1. Look at verse 17. Revelation
1, 17. You see, He was raised again
from the dead according to the Scriptures. Glorious, manifested,
risen, ascended, enthroned. Revelation 1, 17. And when I
saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And he laid his right hand
upon me, saying unto me, Fear not, I am the first, I am the
last. Now watch this, I am he that
liveth and was dead. Behold, I am alive forevermore.
Amen. And I have the keys of hell and
death. He's the owner. He's the sovereign
of all things, of life and of salvation. He is the living Christ. He is the reigning Christ. He
is the interceding Christ. He is their one God and one mediator
between God and man. That is the God-man, the Lord
Jesus. He ever lived to intercede for
us. When we sin, we have an advocate
with the Father. Jesus Christ the righteous. And
He doesn't plead, my goodness, He pleads His blood atonement
that puts away all our sin. We affirm. We preach. His resurrection,
His ascension, that He is alive. But now listen to me. Let's go
a little bit more. Let's go a little bit more. It's
just not that He is alive. And that's true. We affirm that.
But there's more. He is life. He is salvation. He said, I am the way. I am the
life. You see, it's just not that he's
alive. He's life. He is salvation. That's what's
being said here. Christ Himself is life. He is
salvation. Turn with me to 1 John 5. 1 John chapter 5. Oh, that I may win Christ and
be found in Him. Salvation is to be joined to
this One in whom is life in salvation. He said, I give my sheep eternal
life. Salvation's in a person. In a person. Do you understand
and realize that? Salvation's in a person. Not
in a pool. Not in a place. Not in a profession. Not in a position. In a person. The Lord Jesus Christ is salvation. Look what the record says. Here's
the record of God. 1 John 5. 10. He that believeth
on the Son of God at the witness in himself. 1 John 5, 10, He
that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth
not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record,
now here it is, true, that God hath given to us eternal life.
This life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life.
He that hath not the Son does not have life. These things have
I written unto you, that you may believe. might believe, that
you believe on the name of the Son of God, and that you may
know you have eternal life, that you may believe on the name of
the Son of God." Now look at verse 20, and we know, we affirm,
we preach, we declare, we know that the Son of God has come,
and has given us an understanding that we may know Him that is
true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus
Christ. This is the true God. Even in His Son Jesus Christ,
this is the true God and eternal life. Salvation is in Him, my
friend. I say with Simeon, Lord, let
now Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy Word, for my
eyes have seen Thy salvation. Neither is there salvation in
any other. For there is no other name under heaven given among
men whereby we must, we must be saved. Salvation is in Christ. in a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. And I point you to Him. I affirm
these sayings. I believe these sayings. And
by God's grace, I die for these sayings. And I go down fighting
for them too. We are to contend for the faith
that was once delivered unto the saints. To contend. I didn't
say to be contentious. But I'm going to contend. And
I'm going to stand. to the gospel.