The greater part of this chapter,
Romans 16, is taken up with greetings from the Apostle Paul to a goodly
number of believers friends of his, brethren, sisters, who labored
in the gospel, many of them in the Church at Rome. I'm going
to read this chapter, and it will be clear to you that many
of these faithful servants commended here by the Apostle Paul were
women, many of them And while these women did not preach, there
is not one example anywhere in the word of God where a woman
was used of God to preach the gospel, or to use her authority
in the church, or hold an office of authority. The women did teach
the children, their own children at home and other children in
the church. And the women taught other women. The older women are instructed
to teach the younger women. They were teachers, teachers
of children and women, but they did not teach the men. That's
just so, that's just true. But Paul referred to these women,
you'll notice as I read it, as helpers of many and of myself,
he says in verse 2. In verse 3 he said, by helpers
in Christ. In verse 6, he said, laborers
for God, for Christ. And in verse 12, they labored
much in the Lord. That's what he said about these
dear, precious women. Now, let's read this. And you
notice the names are very difficult, but we'll struggle with those
that we might... You know, here's what I'm trying
to get us to see. And Paul is doing that here.
While all praise and glory for everything that's done by anyone,
preacher, elder, deacon, teacher, church member, brother, sister,
in any way in serving the Lord, anything that's done through
us or by us, the praise should be given to our Lord who enables
us. We know that. That's just true.
Yet, yet, what I'm showing you here is it is honorable and commendable
to be grateful to God for one another, for one another, and
to one another. For every sacrifice, every work
of faith, every labor of love, every kind act, every spirit
of forgiveness, be grateful. I thank God for you, Paul says. I thank God for you, and that's
what he's doing here. He's praising God and thanking
God for these dear, dear brothers and sisters who labored with
him in the gospel, all through his ministry. He's winding it
up here. He's there in prison in Rome awaiting execution, and
he's grateful. Gratitude is a commendable virtue
and grace. Ingratitude is inexcusable. On any footing, it's just inexcusable. So let's look at this, Paul writing
about these dear people. He said, I commend to you, Phoebe,
our sister, which is a servant of the Church, which is in Shinshirah. That you receive her in the Lord
has become a saint, and you assist her. In whatsoever business she
has need of you. She has been a helper of many,
and of myself also. Greet Priscilla and Aquila. You
recognize those two names from Acts 18. They're my helpers in
Christ. That's a man and his wife, Priscilla
and Aquila, who have for my life laid down their own necks, unto
whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of
the Gentiles." Thankful for this man, this dear wife. Likewise,
greet the church that's in their house. Salute my beloved Eponidas,
who is the firstfruits of Archaea unto Christ. Greet Mary, who
bestowed much labor on us. Salute Andronachus and Junia,
my kinsmen. my fellow prisoners, who are
of note among the apostles, who also was in Christ before I was
saved. This man, this dear man, knew
Christ before I did. Greet Amphilus, my beloved in
the Lord. Sulla Urbane, our helper in Christ. Styrius, my beloved. Greet Amphiles, approved in Christ. Salute them which are in Aristobulus'
household. Salute them. Salute Herodian,
my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household
of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa. I figured they were twins, don't
you? Salute both of them. They labor in the Lord. Salute
the beloved Persis, which labored much in the Lord. Salute him
for me, greet him. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord,
his mother, and mine. She was like a mother to me,
that's what he said. Salute and sing Cretas. Phrygian, Hermas, Patromus, Hermes,
and the brethren which are with them. Salute Philologus, and
Julia, and Nileus, and his sister, and Olympus, and all the saints
which are with them. Salute one another, greet one
another with a holy kiss of affection. Churches of Christ salute you.
Now beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause division and
offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and just
avoid them. If they cause division, offenses,
and disturb the peace of the Church and the unity of the fellowship,
just avoid them. For they that are such serve
not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly, and by good
words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For
your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore
on your behalf, but yet I would have you wise unto that which
is good and harmless concerning evil. I want you to be wise in
the area of good, and I want you to be harmless concerning
this area of evil. And the God of peace shall bruise
Satan under your feet, shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
be with you. Amen. Timotheus, Timothy, my
work fellow, and Lucius, Jason, and so Scipiter, my kinsman,
salute you. And I, Tertius, Tertius, who
wrote this epistle? Now what that is saying here,
this man Tertius was with Paul. He's a scribe. That is a Roman
name. And this is a man who was a scribe
who penned the epistle for Paul, either from his notes or from
his lips. That's what all the commentaries
agree. Paul wrote this epistle. But
this man who's putting his greeting in here, he's the scribe, he's
the recorder, who evidently wrote this for Paul, the older man. I, who recorded this epistle,
salute you in the Lord. Gileas, my host, and of the whole
church, salute you. Erastus, the chamberlain of the
city, salutes you. Quartus, a brother. The grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Now here's my
text. I think a good way for me to
close this series of messages on Romans is to talk tonight
about the gospel. And using Paul's words here in
verse 25 through 27, that's my text. Talk to you about the gospel. Now here is his benediction.
Now to him that is a power to establish you according to my
gospel, according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ
according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret
since the world began, but now is made manifest And by the scriptures
of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting
God, this glorious gospel of his grace in Christ Jesus is
made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. To God
only wise be glory, through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. I have five questions that will
serve as my outline tonight. Paul said, now to him that's
of the power to establish you according to my gospel. Here's
the first question. Why did Paul call this gospel
his gospel? We know it's God's gospel, but
Paul says it's my gospel. Secondly, how did he define his
gospel? Thirdly, what was Paul's reaction
to people who didn't preach this gospel? Fourthly, what is our gospel?
We have a gospel, what's our gospel? And fifthly, how do we
know that our gospel is Paul's gospel, and that our gospel and
Paul's gospel is God's gospel? Is there an answer? All right,
let's start with the first question. Why did the Apostle Paul call
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the gospel of the glory
of God? his gospel. Well, first of all,
because it was this gospel by which the Lord saved him. This
was his gospel because it was the gospel that God Almighty
applied to his heart and saved his soul. Turn to Galatians 1,
and he gives us this commandment, or this testimony in Galatians
1, verses 11 through 16. He says in verse 11 of Galatians
1. I certify to you, I certify you,
brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after
man. I neither received it of man,
neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. It's my gospel, because God revealed
it to me. He saved me by it. Listen, you
heard of my conversation in time past in the Jewish religion.
how that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God and wasted
it. I profited in the Jews' religion above many of my equals in my
own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of
my fathers. But when it pleased God, who
separated me from my mother's womb and called me by His grace
to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the
heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood, neither
went I up to Jerusalem, to them which were apostles before me.
But I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus." It's my
gospel. God revealed it to me. Secondly,
he considered it his gospel because the Lord committed this gospel
to his trust. The Lord committed this gospel
to Paul's keeping and trust. Let me show you. He mentions
this several times. Let's use our Bibles and turn
to 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 4. It says here in 1 Thessalonians
2, verse 4, but as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with
the gospel. That's like someone giving you
their prized possession and saying, I'm entrusting you with this.
Handle it with care. Handle it with care. Be diligent.
And that's what Paul's saying. I was allowed of God to be put
in trust with the gospel. And even so we speak, not as
pleasing men, but God who tries my eyes. My gospel, he put it
in my hands. First he put it in my heart,
then he put it in my hands. Third reason. Well, let's look
at 1 Timothy. Here's a couple of other places
where he talks about this trust. Trust. In 1 Timothy 1.11, according
to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed
to my trust. And I thank Jesus Christ. Our
Lord who enabled me, he counted me faithful, he knew, he knew
I'd be faithful. And he put me in the ministry.
One other scripture, 1 Timothy 6. Look at 1 Timothy 6, verse
20. He tells this young man to whom
he's writing, Timothy, O Timothy, O Timothy, you keep that which
is committed to your trust. What a responsibility. Dare we
compromise in any way, for any reason, to please anyone. It's my gospel. He revealed it
to the Mahiachin and put it in my hands. I said, go preach it. Thirdly, and then Paul said this,
though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of. I'm not
bragging. For necessities laid upon me,
woe is unto me if I don't preach the gospel. But here's the third
reason now. It was his gospel because after it was revealed
to him and it was taught him, it became his very life and existence. Turn to Galatians 2. Galatians
chapter 2. This gospel became his very life. He's possessed with it. In Galatians
chapter 2, verse 19, Galatians 2, 19. He says, For I through
the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. And I
am literally crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, Paul lives. And
yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now
live in the flesh, right now, this existence, this human existence,
I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave
himself for me. And I dare not and do not and
will not compromise, frustrate the grace of God if righteousness,
holiness, eternal life comes by law, by work, and Christ died
in vain. It's my gospel. All right, second
question. How did Paul define this gospel? How did he define this gospel?
I've chosen two scriptures I believe that clearly defines Paul's gospel. The first one is 1 Corinthians
chapter 15. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 1 through
4. He says in 1 Corinthians 15,
verse 1, Moreover, brethren, I declared unto you the gospel,
which I preached to you, which also you have received, wherein
you stand, by which you are saved, if you keep in memory, if you
continue in the gospel. If you keep in memory what I
preach to you, unless you believe in vain. For I deliver to you,
I deliver unto you, first of all, that which I receive. How that Christ died for our
sins according to the scriptures. This gospel is the gospel according
to the Old Testament scriptures. Christ the priest, after the
order of Melchizedek. Christ the cedar woman. Christ
the Passover lamb. Christ the blazing serpent lifted
up, Christ the city of refuge, Christ our Passover, Christ the
manna from heaven, Christ the rock smitten, Christ all these
things in the Old Testament. He died for our sins according
to the pattern, according to the type, according to the prophecy.
Verse 4, And he was buried, and he rose again the third day,
all of it dependent upon the according as it is recorded in
the scriptures. Let me show you an example of
that from the life of our Lord while
he was here on the earth and in the experience of the apostles.
Luke 24. Christ had died on the cross,
he was buried rose again. The disciples were filled with
all manner of doubts and questions and about him and his resurrection,
and he was walking along with two of them on the road to Emmaus.
And he spoke to them here in Luke 24, verse 25. And he said unto them, O fools
and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken,
the Old Testament scriptures. And beginning at Moses, the Lord
Jesus Christ, now talking to these two disciples, beginning
at Moses and all the prophets, beginning at Genesis 1, 1, and
all the way through the prophets, he expanded unto them in all
the scriptures the things concerning himself. That's what Paul's saying. My gospel is defined in this
way. Christ died for our sins according
to the scriptures. He was buried and rose again
according to the scriptures. Now then, the Lord is talking
to all of the apostles here now in verse 44. He appeared to them,
I want to read where he appeared to them here in verse 36, Luke
24, now stay with me. He appeared to them, and as they
thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said
to them, Peace be unto you. They were terrified, they were
afraid. supposing he had seen a spirit. Now he said to them,
Why are you troubled? And why do thoughts arise in
your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, it is I myself,
handle me, see, a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as you see
me have. And when he had thus spoken,
he showed them his hands and feet, and while they yet believed
not for joy, and wondered, he said to them, Have you here any
meat? They gave him a piece of boiled fish and a honeycomb.
He took it and did eat before them. He showed them it's I myself
in glorified flesh. And then he taught them. Now
listen. And he said to them, these are the words which I have
spoken to you while I was yet with you, that all things must
be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses, in the writings
of Moses, in the prophets, in the kings, in the chronicles,
in Samuel, in the Psalms, in Isaiah, Malachi, Haggai and Habakkuk
and Zechariah, all these, then he opened their minds and their
hearts and their understanding that they might understand the
scriptures. You can't understand the gospel if you don't understand
the scriptures. And if you understand the scriptures,
you understand the gospel. And he said to them, thus it
is written, thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise
from the dead to the third day according to the scriptures.
and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in
his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, and you are witnesses
of these things." Paul defined his gospel as Moses' gospel,
Abraham's gospel, David's gospel, Solomon's gospel, and Isaiah's
gospel. It's the gospel of the Old Testament. That's right. Any other gospel is not the gospel.
Here's the second scripture in which he defines his gospel.
Romans 1. And this years ago, 1950, years ago, when I heard a message
from these first five verses of chapter 1 of the Epistle to
the Romans, it just seemed like a curtain opened up. Listen to
this. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle,
separated to the gospel of God, The gospel of God, the only gospel. It's God's gospel. He purposed
it. He purchased it. He applied it. He preserves it. It's the gospel
which he promised, afforded by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures.
It's the ancient gospel. It's the everlasting gospel.
It's the gospel of all the prophets. It's the gospel preached to Israel,
but they didn't believe it. And it's, watch verse 3, it's
concerning his son. The gospel's a person. It's concerning
his son, Jesus, son of Mary. Joshua, call his name Jesus,
he'll save his people from sin. Christ, gospel of his son, Jesus,
son of man. Christ, that is the mediator,
the redeemer, the emancipator, the one promised. We know the
Christ, the Messiah is coming. Our God, Jesus the man, Christ
the mediator, our Lord, God Almighty. And he was made of the seed of
David according to the flesh. He was made what he wasn't, a
human being in flesh and blood. Second Adam, the Lord from heaven.
He's declared to be the Son of God. He's the Son of God. He's declared to be the Son of
God with power and proof of it. according to the spirit of holiness
by the resurrection from the dead. And that's what God said
when he raised him from the dead. I accept him, his ministry, his
work, his righteousness, his blood, his sacrifice for the
church. And he gave witness to all men.
The person and work of Christ, that's the gospel. His eternality,
his incarnation, his obedient life, his substitutionary sacrifice,
his resurrection, his exaltation, his intercession, his return,
his church, chosen, redeemed, called, glorified, and conformed
to his image. It's Christ. What was Paul's reaction to people
who didn't preach this gospel? All right, turn to Galatians
1. Now here's where we're causing
friction in our day. People really are more and more
and more getting obsessed with this idea we're all headed for
the same place, we're just traveling different roads. There's the
God of Islam, there's the God of Protestants, and the God of
Jews, and the God of somebody else. Everybody's all right. I'm okay and you're okay. Does
Paul hold that? Did he hold to those feelings? Well, let's see in Galatians
1 verse 6. He's writing to this church,
most of whom believe the gospel. Most of whom clung to the promise
of God in Christ. But a church in which some false
teachers had crept in and brought with them a perverted gospel,
saying that yes, you must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, but
you must be circumcised. Yes, you must believe on Christ,
but you must keep the law of Moses. Yes, you become a Christian,
but you must become a Jew. These things are necessary to
be saved, not just his blood, but your works. How did Paul
respond to that? Verse 6, Galatians 1. I marvel,
I'm amazed. that you so soon removed from
him that called you into the grace of Christ to another gospel.
Now, this is 2002. This is about over 1900 years
since he wrote this. And I can sort of understand
the drift away from the gospel because of all the confusion.
But this was 20 years after Christ died on the cross. It was 30
or 40 years after Peter preached on Pentecost. This is less time that I've been
pastor of this church that they're drifting away from the gospel. He said, I'm amazed you're so
soon in such a short time removed from him that called you into
the grace of Christ to another gospel. It's not another gospel. There's not another gospel. But
there be some that trouble you would pervert the gospel. This
other way is perversion. It's a perversion of the gospel
of Christ. It's not the gospel. Anything
added to Christ is a perversion. And I'm telling you this, Paul
said, though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel
unto you than that which we preached, which we read in 1 Corinthians
15, which we read in Romans 1, that gospel. The scriptures only,
grace only, Christ only, faith only. Let him be accursed. Let him be anathema. If anybody
preaches any other gospel, whether he's a Jew or a Gentile
or an Islamic or a Protestant or a Baptist or a Methodist or
a Catholic, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I again,
if any man, if anybody, whatever his credentials, wherever he
comes from, if he preaches any other gospel, then that gospel
you will see by which you are saved. Let him be accursed. Let him be accursed. confirm that. He said, I'm the
way, I'm the truth, I'm the life. No man comes to the Father by
me. The Apostle Peter confirmed that
in Acts 4. He said, Neither is there salvation
in any other. There is none other name unto
heaven given among men. whereby we must
be saved. And John the Apostle wrote, this
is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, this
life's in his Son. He that hath the Son of God hath
life, he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. And these
things are written that you might believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God, and believing you might have life through his
name. And then John said this in closing
that, his epistle, second epistle, whosoever abides not in the doctrine
of Christ hath not God. Whosoever abides not in the doctrine
of Christ, he may have started talking about it, as some so-called
evangelists have. But he didn't abide in it. Whosoever
abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, abideth not, he hath
not God. And he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he
hath both Father and Son. Narrow, it's a narrow way. Straight, it's a straight gate.
Blessed are they that enter therein. But ask this, and tell me, answer
this, why look to another way when this is the way? Why buy
something when it's free? Why expend your energy and time
and effort for that which satisfies not? When God says, come without
money, without price, buy wine and milk, that which gladdens
the heart and gives help to the soul, it's free! Well, I look for something else.
I don't... I know why preachers change their
message to accommodate the people, to pad their pockets, to make
life less complicated. But I tell you, it doesn't get
any less complicated. I don't care how old you get,
it gets more complicated. Life does. But Christ, He's getting
sweeter as the years go by. All right, fourth question, what's
our gospel? What's our gospel? I've given Paul's scriptural
clear definition of the gospel, and it's sufficient. It's sufficient. I don't need to add my gospel
and my definition. I don't need to add that. The
scriptures are sufficient for those who have burst in the scriptures. The Scriptures are sufficient
for those who know the character of God. The Scriptures are sufficient
for those who study the Word. But we're living in a day when
people don't study the Word. They're not even taught in the
Scriptures. Even their churches do not teach
the Scriptures. So my definition I'm giving because this is a
day of much religion and less understanding of the scriptures.
I can read to you, Paul said, my gospel is Christ died for
our sins according to the scripture. Boy, you can fill in page and
page, because you know what that means. And he was very rosy according
to the scripture, and that's sufficient. But a fellow doesn't
know the scriptures. Got to add a little something.
So I'm going to add a little something here. I'm not going to tell you how
many. First of all, our gospel exalts
and magnifies a sovereign God. God is sovereign. Our Lord, our
God reigneth. He reigns in creation, he reigns
in providence, he reigns in salvation. He worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will, and none can stay his hand or say
unto him, what doest thou? He saves whom He pleases to save. He'll show mercy to whom He will.
He's a sovereign God. Secondly, our gospel declares
God's chief attribute. It's His holiness. God is love. God is love. And God is just. And God is merciful. God is good. And they can just keep on. God
is love. All these good things. But this
is the basis for all that he does. God is holy. Holy and reverent is his name.
About here on this platform, years and years and years ago,
we were ordaining a young preacher. Barney was here and Dr. Magruder
and a whole bunch of fellows were ordaining the preacher.
And Dr. Magruder said, I have a question
for this young man. What's the chief attribute of
God Almighty? And I was so thrilled, the young
man said, God is holy, God is holy. And that's the basis on
which everything God does, that's the basis on which he does it,
God is holy. This is his holy book, they're
his holy angels, that's his holy throne, that's his holy son,
holy father, Christ praying. And everything God does has to
be according to his holiness. That's what makes Christ coming
to the earth as a man, in the flesh, obeying the law in every
jot and tittle, tempted in all points as we are, yet without
sin. His holiness required this, satisfying, honoring the law.
Going to the cross and being made sin for us that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him. Being buried, rising
again. He did all that that God may
be holy and save us, just and justify us. It's absolutely essential. The holiness of God. You can't
compromise it. It will not be compromised. Our
gospel recognizes, thirdly, a total and complete fall. The fall of
man by Adam's transgression. A total, complete fall. We weren't
wounded, we were slain in the fire. We didn't get sick, we
died. By one man, sin entered us well,
and death, spiritual death, passed upon all men. But when he sinned,
we sinned. When he died, we died. And you,
hath he quickened, who were dead. Our gospel declares a covenant
of grace. everlasting covenant made with
Christ before the foundation of the world on behalf of a people
who were chosen in him. And when those people come to
the end of their life's journey in the sunset years and awaiting
to cross over Jordan, they say with David, although it be not
so with my house, God made with me on my behalf with his Son,
an everlasting covenant, at that time ordered in all things, and
sure, and this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although I
make it not to grow." Covenant. Covenant mercies. Covenant grace. Covenant love. Fifthly, our gospel
declares an incarnate God. Jesus Christ is not just a Son
of God, he is God almighty in human flesh. Call his name Emmanuel,
God with us. God was in Christ, reconciling
the world unto himself. He that hath seen me hath seen
God the Father, Christ said. Thy throne, O God, the Father
said, is forever. The government is on his shoulders.
His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor of the Mighty God,
the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Jesus Christ is not
a prophet only, a priest only. He is the Living God who came
to earth, King of kings, Lord of lords. As a man, he's the
prophet. As a man, he's the priest. As
a man, he's the sacrifice. But through it all, he's God. As a man, he accomplished all
that the Father required for our acceptance. As a man. The man, Christ Jesus. All right. And last of all, our gospel is
a gospel which saves. Fully saves. Completely saves. redeems forever, and as Christ
said, my sheep hear my voice, and they follow me, and I give
them life, and they'll never perish. I believe in once saved, always
saved. I believe once in grace, always in grace. All the clichés
that they want to add to it, provided one thing is understood,
who did the saving? That's all I care. Just tell me who them to save.
And if God did it, if God did it, it's forever. That's what
Ecclesiastes said. All that God does is forever. Nothing can be added to it or
taken from it. When God called Abraham, 75 years
old, out of the land of idolatry and heathenism, Childless, promiseless,
clueless. He called Abraham and stood him
out there under the stars and spoke to him. And the scripture
says Abraham believed God. Right then, Abraham was as saved
as he's ever saved. He was as redeemed as he's ever
redeemed. He was as complete as he's ever
been. Like the thief on the cross. Like that. Salvation is instantaneous. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. What God does is forever. Nothing
can be added to it. Nothing needs to be added to
it. And nothing surely can be taken from it. I believe that. It's my gospel. How do I know
it's my gospel? How do I know my gospel is God's
gospel? This is not original. Bud Scott
Riches and I were riding along one day in the car. We were talking
about our gospel, what we preach, and I raised the question, do you ever, when you're all
by yourself, nobody's around, just you and considering the
things of God, do you ever ask yourself, Is my gospel God's
gospel? What I'm telling people now,
this is a responsibility that's awesome. What I'm telling people,
is this God's gospel? So we worked out this answer. We know our gospel is God's gospel
because our gospel gives God all the glory in salvation. All of it. Of God. are you in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption. Nobody here, you're saved, I love you, I know
you're God's people, a lot of reason. You believe I'm the child
of God, but I'll tell you this, he gets all the glory for everybody's
salvation. Faith's the gift of God, repentance
is the gift of God, growth's the gift of God, love's the gift
of God, everything's the gift of God. Our gospel is true and fulfills
the Old Testament scriptures. Does a man have a Passover? Christ
is our Passover. Does a man have a priest? Christ
is our priest. Does a man have a prophet? Christ
is our prophet. Does a man have a king? Christ
is our king. He's the Passover, he's the manna,
he's the rock smitten, he's the brazen serpent. He's Isaiah 53
personified. Everything he did fulfills a
promise, a prophecy and a picture. I was talking to the young people
one time and I gave them a little illustration. I said, Cinderella
went to the ball and she lost her slipper. And the king began
to look for, she disappeared, and the king began to look for
the person who fit that slipper, who would fit that slipper. He
went all over the king, nobody could wag. Finally, he found
her. Fit perfectly. When you start
looking for a redeemer, you look for the one who fits the slipper
over here. You look for the one who fulfills
the Old Testament scripture. I found him. There's nothing
written over there that my Lord doesn't fulfill. Nothing. Not
a jot or a tittle. He wears the crown. The crown
fits only his head. He wears it. That's the reason
I know my gospel to you. Thirdly, my gospel enables God
to be holy and save me. That's what I said, chief attribute.
This gospel I'm preaching to you enables God He doesn't have
to change in an iota to save yourself, because Christ represents
you. You don't represent yourself.
You keep your mouth shut. If you're in trouble and you've
got a lawyer, you keep your mouth shut. And we're in trouble, but
we've got an advocate, and my mouth's going to be shut. Let
him do the talking. That's right. Because he's the
judge's son. And he did all that the judge
required. And if you let him represent
you, the judge will accept you. Because he can accept you in
Christ and be holy. He can't accept you as a Baptist,
or a Methodist, or a Catholic, or a Protestant, or a Jew. He's
got to accept you in Christ. We're accepted. John preached
on this one in the Beloved. Not acceptable, you say. Accepted. Fourthly, This gospel is the
only gospel which can save, sanctify, redeem, and justify a sinner,
a real sinner, a true sinner, who has nothing to pay, because
it's the only gospel that has no strings attached. It's the
free... I guarantee you, any church you
go to, and they'll preach to you some kind of way of salvation,
they're going to add, now, God will if you will. There's a string
attached. You know, I'm always afraid of
these offers that I get in the mail, all this they're going
to give me, you know. You ever read the fine print? Strings attached somewhere. Let
me tell you something. This gospel has no strings attached. It's free for a thief on a cross. It's free for a murderer of saved
people like Saul of Tarsus. It's free for the cheap sinner.
That's right. No strings attached. And then
fifthly, this gospel is the only gospel that will keep us safe. The scripture says in Philippians
1, 6, He that hath begun a good work in you will complete that
work in the day of Jesus Christ. It's God's work not only in its
origination, and in its execution, and in its application, and in
its sustaining grace, but it's of God in its ultimate completion. I've got to be raised from the
grave. He's going to raise me. I've got to be made in the likeness
of Christ. He's going to make me. It's all
of grace. It's the only gospel that will
keep a man saved and glorified. And then last of all, This is
the only gospel which, if a man believes it, really believes
it, he can have some assurance and peace. I say it's the only
gospel in which you can have any assurance. If there's something
to be done, how much? If there's something to be done,
how long? If there's something to be done, when is it complete?
My gospel's complete. testified by three words from
across 2,000 years ago. It's finished.