Some of you may know, some of
you may not know, but Brother Taylor grew up just as I did. I tell folks I cut my teeth on
religion, false religion, man's religion, and Brother Taylor
grew up just like I did in a very religious situation. And that
song that he just sang, if you listen to the words of it, is
his testimony. That's what the Lord's done for
you. Dead. Why'd he call me? Grace. Grace. Grace alone. And that's
very well done, and I think it's a testimony to God's grace in
you. And I'm most thankful. Most thankful
God brought you our way and revealed the gospel to you. And I count
you as my dear friend and brother, as I do all of you. Now back
to Acts chapter 22, and some of you were not here last week,
and we make recordings of all the messages on CD or cassette
tape if you would like to catch up on what you've missed in the
past. But in Acts chapter 22, we find in the middle of this
chapter, Paul had just concluded his message It says in verse
22 of Acts 22, they gave him audience. He stood there and
made a defense before this angry mob that went about to kill him.
And he made a defense for the gospel and he said unto them,
verse 21, The Lord said, Depart, I'll send thee far hence unto
the Gentiles. And they gave him audience unto
his words, and then lifted up their voice and said, Away with
such a fellow from the earth. It's not fit, it's not fit that
such a man would live, or should live. Paul went to Jerusalem,
this last time he came to this city. to meet with these believers
and declare unto them what God had done through His ministry.
If you'll turn back to chapter 21, verse 19, it says, He declared
particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles
by His ministry. And God did use that man in a
very special way to preach the gospel, and God saved a multitude
of sinners. And when he came to Jerusalem,
he went to the temple, and as he went to the temple, he was
spotted by a bunch of Jews from Asia, it says in chapter 21,
verse 27, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the
people and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help!
This is the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the
people, and the law, and this place, and further brought Greeks
also into this temple, and polluted this holy place. For they had
seen before with him in the city Pophamous, and Ephesians, whom
they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple. And all the
city was moved, and all the people ran together, and they took Paul
and drew him out of the temple. For with the doors were shut,
and as they went about to kill him, tidings came to the chief
captain of the band, And all Jerusalem was in a turmoil, in
an uproar. And we see here how God intervened. God sent this Roman captain,
this Roman soldier, rescued Paul and arrested him, and then Paul
requested that he give a license or liberty to preach the gospel
and he stood on the stairs of that castle and declared the
gospel unto them as it says in verse 21, hear my defense which
I now make, chapter 21 verse 1, men and brethren, fathers,
hear my defense which I now make unto you. And they listened. They listened to Paul, God brought
a hush on the crowd, until he declared unto them that God was
going to set aside that nation and that God was going to call
out His elect from among the Gentiles, that God would have
mercy on Gentile dogs, and they were terribly upset, so upset
that they were, as it says there, look what it says in verse 23,
they said, away with such a fellow, it's not fit that he should live,
and they cried out, away with him, They cast off their jacket,
they took off their coat, they threw dust in the air, they started
hunting for rocks, and they were going to execute this man, God's
servant, on the spot. They were going to stone him
to death. This is not the first time Paul faced such harsh treatment
at the hands of religious men. Back in chapter 14, don't turn
there, but verse 19 and verse 20, when Paul was preaching the
gospel at Lystra, he was stoned to death and they drug him by
the heels out of the city and God raised him up and he went
right back to preaching the gospel of God's grace. Now in our story,
Acts 22, the chief captain came in verse 24 and He told the soldiers, we're going
to take Paul and we're going to really examine him. We're
going to get to the bottom of this matter. We're going to examine
him by whipping and beating the truth out of him. And they bound
him. Paul being a Roman soldier and
knowing Roman laws, he said to these soldiers, Paul said to them, is it lawful
for you to scourge a man that is a Roman? And they were terrified. And when the centurion, verse
26, went and told the chief captain, saying, take heed what you do
to this man, he's a Roman, he's a citizen. And the chief captain,
verse 27, said unto them, unto him, tell me, are you what these
are saying? Are you a Roman? He said, yes
I am. And then Lysia, this chief captain, answered with a great
sum of money, with a great sum. I obtained, obtained I, I bought
my freedom, I bought my citizenship. This man was a Greek by birth. And Paul said, but I was free
born. I was free born. Now until he
finds out Paul is a Roman citizen, he was going to beat him. But
when he found out he was a Roman citizen, he was afraid to touch
him. And then Paul said, I was free
born. This man says, I bought my way in. Paul said, I didn't
buy my way in. I was born in. Born into this
kingdom. It's like you saying, and I think
everyone here can fall into this category, how did you become
a citizen of the United States? All of you were born here, right? By birth, you became a citizen
of the United States. You didn't sneak in. You were
born here. You're a citizen of the USA and
as such you're afforded certain liberties that they say is guaranteed
by certain documents. Now, I want to use this phrase
here, what Paul says, I was free born and make application to
the gospel of God's grace in Christ Jesus. Every believer,
every believer in the gospel, every believer resting in the
Lord Jesus Christ can say with Paul that he is a citizen of
a heavenly country, a heavenly Jerusalem by birth, by birth. We're born, how does one get
in Christ Jesus? We're born in Him. We've had
a birth from above. We're born in this heavenly kingdom.
Like Abraham said, hold your place here and find Hebrews chapter
11. You remember the story of Abraham,
how God called him out of his native country and said, you
go into a place I'm going to show you and I'm going to make
you an heir of God's promise of grace. And it says in Hebrews
11, For he looked, verse 10, for
he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and
maker is God." He's saying here, I'm a sojourner here, I'm a stranger
here, I'm looking for a heavenly city, a heavenly country. In chapter 13 of Hebrews, chapter
13 verse 14, we read again, for here we have no continuing city,
We're going to stay here always. But we seek that city to come. We seek Christ, our dwelling
place. Christ, our refuge. John wrote
about this city. Turn to Revelation 21. Revelation
21. We're born into this heavenly
kingdom, this spiritual kingdom, this new Jerusalem. Revelation
21, look at verse 1. I saw a new heaven and a new
earth. The first heaven and the first earth were passed away,
and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city,
new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as
a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out
of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men,
And he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people,
and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God
shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be
no more death. No more sorrow, no more crying,
neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are
passed away. He is going to make all things
new. We are looking forward to that
heavenly kingdom, that spiritual city. As Paul wrote back over
here in Philippians chapter 3, turn over there. He says, our
citizenship, Philippians 3 verse 20, for our conversation, Philippians
3.20, and that word there is rightly citizenship. Our citizenship
is in heaven. From whence also we look for
the Savior, the Lord Jesus, who shall change our vile body, that
it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according
to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things
unto Himself. We are looking for Him who is
coming, the Lord Jesus Christ. No wonder the Lord says, that
you must be born from above. Turn to John chapter 3. You must
be born from above. You see, I was born naturally,
but I was born naturally, I was born in sin and shaped in iniquity. That's why the Lord Jesus taught
this most religious man, Nicodemus, the Pharisee, that you must be
born again. You must be born from above.
John chapter 3, verse 3. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
except the man be born again, born from above, he cannot see
the kingdom of God. Cannot understand, perceive,
or know anything about the kingdom of God unless he's born from
above. And Nicodemus said to him, how can he be born when
he's old? Can he enter into the second time into his mother's
womb and be born? He was understanding just naturally.
The Lord said, Verily I say unto you, Except a man be born of
water, the word, the gospel, and of the Spirit, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is
flesh. That which is born of Spirit
is Spirit. Marvel not that I said unto you, that you must be born
again. You must. You must. Cannot see,
cannot enter. You must be born again. Look
at verse 8. And here's the sovereignty of God in salvation. The wind
bloweth where it will, and you hear the sound thereof, but you
cannot tell from whence it comes or where it goes. So is everyone
that's born of the Spirit of God. Sovereign grace. You'll
have mercy on whom He will. You must Be born from above. Now, I know this. I'm not real
smart, but I know this. The Lord has taught me this.
We cannot, into this spiritual kingdom, into this spiritual
birth, we cannot buy our way in. We cannot buy our way in. Now, I want you to look at these
scriptures with me. 1 Peter chapter 1. We cannot buy our way in. 1 Peter chapter 1. We cannot buy our way into this
kingdom. And here's the reason why. 1
Peter 1 verse 18, For as much as you know, you were not redeemed
with corruptible things, silver, gold, your vain conversation,
your vain conduct, or your tradition from your fathers, But we are
redeemed, we are bought with the precious blood of Christ.
As of the Lamb without blemish and without spot, who was truly
foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest
in these last times for you. We cannot buy our way in. We
are bought with the price of His blood. He bought us. Therefore we can't buy our way
in with our money. Secondly, we cannot work our
way in. Can we work our way into the
kingdom? No. Turn to Titus. Back to the book
of Titus. We cannot work our way in. It's
by grace through faith. That's not of yourself. Not of
works lest any man should boast. God who saved us and called us
with a holy calling, not according to our works. We cannot work
our way in, Titus. Titus chapter 3 verse 4, And
after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man
appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done. We've not
earned His favor. We've not earned His grace. Grace doesn't come by merit.
But as Jim sang about a while ago, it's grace because of grace.
The only reason for grace is grace alone. Not by works of
righteousness, which we have done, but according to His mercy
He saved us. By the washing of regeneration,
that's the new birth, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, 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 in Christ Jesus. So we cannot buy our way
in. He paid the price with His blood. We cannot work our way in. Salvation
is all of God's mercy and God's mercy alone. We cannot produce
a righteousness to merit our way in. By the deeds of the law
shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God. You see, I
cannot produce a righteousness satisfying unto God. All of my
righteousness, the best I can produce, the best I have, the
best I can give, God takes away with it. It is filthy, filthy
rags. Man, his best state is altogether
vanity, a zero. All your works, you pile them
up individually or collectively, got to the way with them, it's
filthy rags. I cannot buy my way in. I cannot
work my way in. I cannot produce a righteousness
satisfying unto God that will justify the guilty sinner. We're
justified freely by His grace and grace alone. Nor can we fabricate
a way in. We cannot fabricate a way in.
Some of you men who work in construction know all about fabricating. You
fabricate. A way to do certain things, to
get the job done. Well in salvation we cannot fabricate
a way to get it done. Because salvation is already
done. He said, come to me and rest. We cannot fabricate our
own way in. Our Lord said, I am the way.
I am the truth. I am the life. No man comes unto
me but by and through. No man comes to God but by and
through me, the way. You see, there is a way that
seems right unto men. That fabricated way, our Lord
said, but that's a way of death. My friend, don't fabricate your
own way. Forget it. Look to Christ. He is the way. So I can't buy
my way in. I can't work my way in. I can't
produce a righteousness to merit my way in. I can't fabricate
a way in. That's why the Lord said, you
must be born from above. And the reason being, I was born
wrong the first time. That's why I must be born again
from above. Notice this too. I'm not going
to sneak in. We have a lot of this debate
going on in our country and political circles about immigration. I'm for immigration, legal immigration. My mother immigrated to this
country in 1948, but she didn't sneak in. She came through Ellis
Island and she went through all the legal procedures to become
a citizen of the United States. And my friend, in this thing
of the Kingdom of God and salvation in Christ Jesus, we're not going
to sneak by God, holy justice, and sneak into the Kingdom. Look
what it says over here in John 10. John chapter 10. Look at John 10. Verse 1, "'Verily,
verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into
the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a
thief and a robber.'" Not going to sneak in. Look what he says
down here in verse 7 of John 10, "'Verily, verily, I say unto
you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me
are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn't hear them. I
am the door. By me, if any man enter in, Here's
the right way to come, by me. Enter in. He shall be saved and
shall go in, into Christ, out of unbelief. And find plenty. Find plenty. So we're not going to sneak in.
We're not going to buy our way in. We're not going to work our
way in. We're not going to produce a righteousness that will merit
our way in. We're not going to fabricate
a way in. There's just one way. And that way is all of God's
grace. in Christ Jesus. We must by almighty sovereign
grace be born into the kingdom of God. I know this too, lastly
on this one point. We're not going to educate our
way in either. You can learn and learn and learn
and learn. And you can learn right doctrine. And you can learn
truth. But my friend, you must be born of God. It's the spiritual That which
is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit
is spirit. You must be born from above. Look what it says over
here in 1 Corinthians 12. Turn over there. 1 Corinthians
12. 1 Corinthians chapter 12. For by
the one Spirit, verse 13, Well, by the one Spirit are we all
baptized into the one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether
we be bound or free and have been made, all made to drink
into the one Spirit. By the one Spirit are we baptized
into the one body. We must be born again and the
reason is because my first birth, my natural birth was all wrong. I was born in sin. Do you realize
this? Now you think with me now. Adam
was the only man that became a sinner by sinning. You heard me right. You didn't
become a sinner by sinning. You didn't. You were born that
way and it's just because of what you are, the things that
you do, is the result of who you are. Sin. That's us through and through.
We're born in sin, guilty, and Adam all died. By birth, we're
born into a kingdom of darkness. Loving darkness rather than the
light. That's why Peter says that he
has called us out of the kingdom of darkness. Turn over to 1 Peter
2. 1 Peter 2. Look at verse 9. 1 Peter 2.9. We were born into
the We were spiritually dead, born
in the kingdom of darkness. Without God, without hope, without
Christ. But He called us out of that
darkness. Translated us into the kingdom
of God's dear Son. This is 1 Peter 2.9. But you
are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a
peculiar people that you should show forth the praises of Him
who called you out of darkness. in His marvelous light." How
does God do this? By command. Turn to 2 Corinthians
chapter 4. Command of God, 2 Corinthians
chapter 4. This is why the Lord said, I
am come to preach liberty, to set the captives free, recovering
of sight to those who were blind, to preach the acceptable year
of the Lord. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse
6. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 6, For
God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined
in our hearts. God who commanded the light to
shine. Where did it shine? In darkness. Has shined in our
hearts. To give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. This is why every believer does
give all the glory to God alone for all of His salvation. We
say with the Apostle, turn to Colossians chapter 1, we say
with the Apostle in Colossians chapter 1, and we say with David,
Lord not unto us, not unto us but unto thy name do we give
glory for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. But here in Colossians
chapter 1 we give thanks unto God for this birth into God's
kingdom, this spiritual kingdom. And we do give thanks. Colossians
chapter 1 verse 12, giving thanks unto the Father who hath made
us meet fit, is the word, to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light in Christ who delivered us from the power
of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear
Son in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness
of sins. Oh, we do give thanks. He's called us out of darkness
into His marvelous light, and we can say with Paul, we are
free-born. We are citizens of that heavenly
country by birth. Now, being born again, being
born from above, being born of the Spirit of God through the
blood atonement of Jesus Christ, Our Lord, having delivered us
from the curse and condemnation of the law, He redeemed us from
the curse of that law that was against me, that was contrary
to me, that condemned me in every way. The Lord Jesus Christ redeemed
us from the curse of that law, being made a curse for us. There
is in Christ Jesus no condemnation. Having delivered us from the
curse of that law, having fully paid our sin debt with His own
blood, our great high priest entered in once into the holy
place, not with the blood of bulls and goats, but with His
own blood, having accomplished all of our salvation, sat down
at the right hand of the throne of God. having delivered us from
the curse of the law, having paid all our sin debt, having
by His grace made us new creatures in Christ Jesus, the Lord Jesus
Christ has given us and we have freedom. Freedom and liberty. Freedom and liberty. Turn to Galatians chapter 5.
Freedom. We have liberty in Christ Jesus. He came to set us free. Galatians 5, look at verse 1.
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us
free. He made us free. Paid my debt. Gave me a perfect justifying
righteousness before the holiness of God's law. He made us free. Be not entangled again with a
yoke of bondage. Would you go back to that which
curses you and condemns you? Behold, I, Paul, say unto you
that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For
I testify again to every man that goes about to establish
a righteousness of his own, and that's what he means by circumcision.
He's a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect
unto you if you're justified by the law, You have no need
of grace. If you're justified by what you
do, you don't need the grace of God. Turn to Galatians chapter
2. Look at this, verse 21. This
is a key verse in the book of Galatians. Galatians chapter
2, verse 21. For I do not frustrate the grace
of God. You see verse 21? I don't distort
or confuse, abuse the grace of God. For if righteousness comes
by the law, If righteousness can be established by what I
do as the ground of my salvation, then Christ died in vain. You see how vital the death of
the Lord Jesus Christ is? We've been set at liberty through
Christ Jesus. Turn to John chapter 8. Look
what the Lord says here. John chapter 8. You see, being
free born, we have liberty. Liberty, free from the curse
of the law, free from the condemnation of my sin. I've been set free,
justified in Christ. I have a justifying righteousness,
pleasing unto God. He says so. This is my beloved
Son in whom I'm well pleased. He's my righteousness. He is
the Lord, our righteousness. Being one with Him, we're set
free. John chapter 8. Look at verse
32. If you continue in My Word, then
you are My disciples, or you are My disciples. You shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free. But verse 36, For if the Son, therefore,
make you free, you shall be free indeed. Free! Free from the law! Oh, happy condition! Jesus has
died, and there is remission. Find 2 Corinthians 3. Set free! Free! I remember a song, a verse
of a song, about what the law demands. Run, run, the law demands,
but gives me neither feet nor hands. The gospel bids a sweeter
song. It bids me fly and gives me wings. Look what it says over here.
Liberty in Christ. 2 Corinthians 3 verse 17. Now, 2 Corinthians 3 verse 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit and
where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Liberty. Freedom. Freedom. Every
true believer can joyfully rest in the Lord Jesus. We are the
true Israel which worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ
Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Knowing He has
made us citizens of the heavenly kingdom, and we do enjoy this
glorious liberty of the children of God, and shall never be brought
into bondage again. Free. Free. Liberty. Freedom. Set us free. Having set us free, Turn to Hebrews
chapter 4. Having set us free. Hebrews chapter 4. Do you know
what we have in Christ? Having set us free. Hebrews 4.16. Seeing that we have a great high
priest that set us free, let us therefore come boldly unto
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace
to help in time of need. Having set us free, let us come
boldly. with liberty unto the throne
of grace, that we may obtain mercy." It doesn't say, earn
mercy. It says, obtain it. It's a free gift. Turn to Hebrews
10, and look at this here. Hebrews 10. In that new covenant,
by that one offering, He perfected forever them that are sanctified,
Hebrews 10, verse 14. Look at verse 17, Hebrews 10,
verse 17. And their sins and their iniquities,
well, I remember no more. Now, where remission of these
is, there is no more offering for sin. Don't bring another
offering. There is no more. Look at verse 19 carefully. Having
therefore, brethren, boldness. Now you see that little number?
Maybe some of you have a letter. Look at the reference, the center
reference if you have the Cambridge. Boldness. What is that center
reference on the number two? Liberty. Having therefore, brethren,
liberty to enter into the holiest. How? By the blood atonement of
Jesus Christ. By a new and living way which
he had consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his
flesh. Having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw
near with a true heart. In full assurance of faith, having
our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies
washed with pure water. That's the sanctifying work of
the Holy Spirit with the gospel. We have the liberty to enter
in. Now? Now? For how long? Till I hold out? How long? Now? All grace now? And glory? How long? Well, let's see if
we can find out. 1 John. 1 John chapter 4. Forever. Now? And forever. being born into
this spiritual kingdom, our citizenship will never be revoked, will never
be booted out. Now and forever. 1 John 4, 17. Herein is our love made perfect,
that we may have boldness, liberty, when? In the day of judgment.
Because as He is, So are we in this world. You'll hear him say
in that day, turn to Matthew 25, those who have liberty in
Christ Jesus and who have been set free with the gospel of God's
grace in Christ Jesus, you'll hear him say in that day, as
it says here in Matthew 25, Matthew 25 verse 34, Then shall the king
say unto them on his right hand, You, blessed of my Father, inherit."
Inherit. Being made heirs of God and joint
heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ, being a citizen of that new kingdom,
heavenly kingdom, being born into that kingdom, we have an
inheritance. Come, you blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of
the world. Enter in. Can't you say with Paul, I am
free born, set at liberty. Thank God for the gospel of God's
saving grace in Christ Jesus.