Back in the 15th century, dark ages, Europe and populated countries over there dwelt in paganism, darkness,
ignorance. And religion was just as dark
and pagan and ignorant as the natural world. And God raised
up some men called reformers. Martin Luther, John Calvin, Zwingli,
other men. And the watchword of that reformation
was threefold. Grace alone, not free will. God's sovereign, particular,
redeeming, prevenient, effectual grace. Salvation was by grace.
Grace alone. Secondly, Christ alone. Christ. In Him is life. He is our salvation,
our Redeemer. Everything John Flavel said that
God has for sinners is in Christ. Nowhere else. In Christ. In Him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him. And that,
those blessings become ours. by a union with Christ, accomplished by the Spirit of
God, who baptizes us into Christ. He's the heir. We're joint heirs.
Everything God has for sinners in Christ, and it becomes that
sinner's possession by a union with Christ. He's the head. We're
the body. He's the vine. We're the branches. He's the
husband. We're the wife, because I'm in Him. And that union is
accomplished by faith. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. Without faith it's impossible
to please God. And that faith comes by the Word. Of His own will begat he us with
the Word of truth. When a child is born, there's
an agent and there's a seed. And when a sinner is born in
the family of God, there's the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
Everything's in Christ. Everything. Apart from Him, there's
nothing. Without Him, I can do nothing.
He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. That union with Christ gives me those best blessings
and mercies. He hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings and the heaven is in Christ. And without faith, it's
impossible. Got to believe all. He that believeth
on the Son hath life. He that believeth not the Son
hath not life. And the Word, the Gospel. whether or not he
just read it. Whosoever shall call on the name
of the Lord shall be saved. But how shall they call on him
in whom they've not believed? And how shall they believe in
him of whom they've not heard? And how shall they hear without a
preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? And
faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. We know there's none other name
unto heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Christ. It's
grace alone, Christ alone, and the Word of God alone. Not by
feeling. Feelings come and feelings go
and feelings are deceiving. Our hope and confidence is in
the Word of God. Nothing else is worth believing
in God's Word. How do I know that I have life?
God says so. Believe His Word. Other foundations
can no man lay than that which is laid in Christ Jesus. This is the record. God's given
us eternal life. This life's in His Son. He that
hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of the
God shall not see life. have not life. And men who preach any other
gospel preach another gospel. That's what Paul said. Another
gospel. And Paul said, even if it's an
angel from heaven comes to you preaching another gospel, don't
hear it. I have here a tape, and I don't
play this with any pleasure or joy. The scripture says God takes
no pleasure in the death of the wicked. And it's a great heaviness and
burden in my heart to see my country, religious leaders, depart
from the gospel. Just totally, completely depart
from the gospel. And I have here on this table
two of the most well-known preachers in America. Billy Graham and Robert Shuler. One has the hour of decision,
has had it for 30 some odd years, heard by every human being in
this country. The other has the hour of power,
the most popular television program in America. And these men talk. I won't play the whole interview,
but just a brief enough for you to hear what they're saying.
And both of these men agree that what I've just told you from
the Word of God is not so. that Christ is not essential,
that the Word of God is not essential to be heard, to be believed,
to be received, that a man can be saved and go to heaven and
be in the body of Christ and not even know who Jesus Christ
is. Now that's hard to believe, isn't
it? And I talked to Joe and asked him if he'd set this up. I said,
I want, I've heard this, but I want you to hear it. I want
you to hear it yourself from their own mouths. And we'll have
Joe play it twice so you can hear it clearly. This is Shuler
and Graham. I want you to listen carefully
to what they're saying. Christianity and being a true
believer, you know, I think there's the body of Christ which comes
from all the Christian groups around the world, all outside
the Christian groups. I think everybody that loves
Christ or knows Christ, whether they're conscious of it or not,
they're members of the body of Christ. I don't think that we're
going to see a great sweeping revival that will turn the whole
world to Christ at any time. I think James answered that,
the apostle James, in the first Council in Jerusalem, when he
said that God's purpose for this age is to call out a people for
his name. And that's what God is doing
today. He's calling people out of the world for his name, whether
they come from the Muslim world or the Buddhist world, the Christian
world or the non-believing world, they are members of the body
of Christ because they've been called by God. They may not even
know the name of Jesus, but they know in their heart that they
need something that they don't have, and they turn to the only
light that they have, and I think that they are saved and that
they're going to be with us in heaven. What I hear you saying
that it's possible for Jesus Christ to come into a human heart
and soul and life even if they've been born in darkness and have
never have exposure to the Bible. Is that a correct interpretation
of what you're saying? Yes, it is. Because I believe
that. I've met people in various parts
of the world, in tribal situations, that they have never seen a Bible,
or heard about a Bible, and never heard of Jesus, but they believe
in their heart that there is a God. And they try to live a
life and that was quite apart from the surrounding community
in which they lived. I'm so thrilled to hear you say
that. There is a wideness in God's
mercy. There is. There definitely is. Well, that's sad, isn't it? That's
sad. That's the message that's being
preached today. Man can be saved. You've never
heard of Christ, never heard the word. And that's not what
we just read, is it? How can they call on Him in whom
they've not believed? How shall they believe in Him
of whom they've not heard? How shall they hear without a preacher?
Let's turn back to the book of Romans, chapter 10. The true minister, the true message, I believe that I am a true minister
of Christ. I know many true ministers of
Christ, men who love the Word, who love the Savior, who are
not covetous, who are not seeking popularity or possessions or
fame or any of these things. They're seeking to preach the
Word, to glorify God, to be a blessing to His sheep. And the true minister, first
of all in verse 1, has one sincere aim and desire. Let's read verse
1 of Romans 10. Brethren, my heart's desire. This is Paul speaking. He was
a true minister. My heart's desire and prayer
to God for Israel is that they might be saved. That's the true
minister's chief desire. That's the sincere aim and desire
of his heart, that men who hear him might come to know the Lord,
might win Christ and be found in him. Not that he might make
friends among people. That's not what he's seeking
to do. He's glad to make friends. Friendship and fellowship is
a blessing. But most of the time when we preach the true gospel,
we make enemies rather than friends, don't we? And Christ said that
would be true. He said, marvel not, my brethren,
if the world hate you. They hated me before they hated
you. And when they nailed our Lord to the cross, when they
crucified Him, and when they attempted to stone Him, when
they vented their anger against Him, He said, many good works have
I done, for which of these do you stone me? He said, they said,
we don't stone you for a good work. But because you're a man
and you say you're God, His message, that's what they hated. His message,
His gospel, substitution. That's what the world hated.
That's why they took Him out and nailed Him to a cross. We'll
not have this man reign over us. We'll not have the way of
substitution, sacrifice, redemption by the blood, Christ crucified.
So the true minister is not just seeking to make friends. And
secondly, he's not trying to make men moral. It'd be to their advantage to
live a moral life. It'd be to the advantage of their
friends and relatives and neighbors in this country if people walked
in law and morality. But that's not the chief aim.
It's that they might know Christ. That's what we preach, that people
might come to know Him. Our chief aim is to not make
men doctrinally straight. The character of God, the doctrines
of the scripture clears the soul, but there are a lot of men, there
are not a lot, but there are many men who know doctrine in
their heads who do not know Christ in their hearts. It's very possible
to be a theologian, strict, and doctrinally straight. and not
know Christ. We preach that man might know
the Savior. He's saved. And then we do not
preach to make church members. God's true servant is happy to
pastor people and to encourage people and to teach them the
word and to see his flock grow. That pleases him. But he's not
seeking to impress the world with the size of his following.
John said, I've got to decrease. He increases. I'm just a voice. We don't want men following us.
We want them to know Christ. And this is what Paul is saying
to us. The minister's true desire, the aim of his message and ministry
and the desire of his heart is that his hearers might be saved. That they might know Christ.
the power of his resurrection, that we might win Christ and
be found in him. Now, if a man comes to know Christ,
he'll be my friend. Our fellowship will be sweet
in the church, in the body of Christ. If he comes to know the
Savior, the people to whom we preach come to know him. We'll
be friends. We'll love each other. And they
will be moral. God's people walk in holiness.
They walk in the spirit, not in the flesh. But you can't legislate
morality. It's accomplished by the grace
of God in the heart. That's what I tried to tell us
this morning. That if a person comes to know Christ, he'll be
righteous in his life. Not only imputed righteousness,
but imparted righteousness. His life changes. He's godly
from the dwelling of Christ within him. And they'll be doctrinally
straight, but you don't learn, you don't arrive at Christ through
doctrine. You arrive at doctrine through
Christ. When you come to know Christ, when you really come
to know Him, when the Spirit of God takes the Word of God
and reveals the Savior to you, you know He's a sovereign Savior.
You know He reigns over all things. By Him all things were created,
and by Him they consist. You know He elected a people.
If He hadn't, they'd never come. You know His blood is effectual.
You know His redemption is particular. It can't be any other way. He
can't fail, being who He is, accomplishing that for which
He came. It's impossible for Him to die in vain or fail. So
we know when you come to know Him, somebody preaches sovereign
grace, that's my Lord. Effectual redemption, that's
my Lord. Election, that's my Lord. Invincible, irresistible
grace, that's my Lord. Perseverance, preservation, that's
my Lord. You see what I'm saying? I know
Him. That's His character, that's
His name. So when God reveals, when the Holy Spirit reveals
Christ in our hearts, you straighten your life out and your doctrine
out. And you walk. And you love. You'll be identified with the
church. You'll be identified with the people of God and the
things of God. Like Ruth said to Naomi, don't
make me leave you. Where you go, I'm going. Where
you live, I live. Your God's my God. Your way's
my way. Your life's my life. Your people
are my people. Where you die, I'll die. That's
where I'll be buried. I can't stand to be away from
God's people. They're my people, they're my family. See what I'm
talking about? So my heart's desire and prayer
to God is that they might be saved. And then God's true servant,
by scripture and by experience, he has an understanding of people. God's given him a discerning
heart. He the spiritual judgeth all things. He discerneth all
things. Yet, he's not discerned. He's not understood. But he understands. And Paul says in verse 2, I know
these people. I bear them record. I know these
people as one of them. I know the religious world. I
know the Doctrinal work. I know the organizations
of religion. I know the farm and the ceremony.
I know the special days and all these things. I know these people. I understand them. They're not
atheists. He says they have a zeal of God.
These men are not atheists. They believe there's a God. And
they have a zeal. These men had both given time,
and toil, and money, and their lives. Of course, they profited
by it. But they had a zeal for God, as all men do by nature. You can go to the pagan jungles
of Africa, and they have a zeal for some kind of God. They talk
about the hereafter. They talk about life after death.
They talk about the spirit world. They talk about the gods. What do you think this religious
revival in America is all about? It's a form of religion. They
have a God. Now he says, listen, it's not
according to knowledge. It's not according to knowledge.
Their zeal is not according to knowledge of the scripture, or
the character of God, or the true way of life. Our Lord talked
to these religious. Nicodemus was a leader of religion
in his day. Gamaliel, all these fellows were
high ranking. Saul of Tarsus, members of the
Sanhedrin. They studied the scriptures.
They searched the scriptures. They were scribes that translated
the scriptures. And they searched them. And they
had a zeal for God. But they were ignorant of two
things. Christ said you don't know the scriptures and you don't
know the power of God. The scriptures teach Christ. Our Lord told His disciples,
He went back and took the writings of Moses and came all the way
to Moses and the prophets and the Psalms and the minor prophets
and showed them the things concerning Himself. These men searched the
scriptures and went about religion and kept holy days and taught
men and led ceremonies, but they didn't know Christ. Didn't know
Christ. Didn't see Christ. And when they
nailed Him to a cross and took Him there and put Him in a tomb,
they fulfilled all that was written of Him in the Scriptures, which
they read every day, every Sabbath day in the synagogue. But they
didn't see Him. They didn't see Christ. And they
didn't know the Scriptures and didn't know the power of God.
Christ said, you don't know me, you're my father. They had a
form of godliness and denied the power there. They were ever
learning and never coming to the knowledge of the truth. How
God can be just and justified. And you know the evidence of
their ignorance and the evidence of the ignorance today. Here
it is, listen. Verse 2, he says, I bear them
record. They have a zeal of God, a zeal for religion, but not
according to knowledge. They being ignorant of God's
righteousness. Ignorant of God's holiness. And
they're going about to establish their own righteousness. And
have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.
Now a man who knows God, and knows scriptures, he knows that
God is holy. That this one word, In the whole
human language, that can best define God, the word is holy.
When Isaiah saw the Lord, the centurions were saying, holy,
holy, holy. It's the holy temple. It's the
holy word. It's His holy angels. The Lord's
in His holy temple. God is holy. Holy in reverent
is His name. Immaculately, infinitely, unapproachably
holy. evil, darkness, sin. And we cannot approach God except
we are as perfect as God, as holy as God, unless our righteousness
is equal to God's righteousness. So therefore we are without hope,
without help, without God in this world. But the Lord God
sent Christ down here, the second Adam, made of a woman, made under
the law. to redeem them that were hopelessly,
helplessly in darkness, death, depravity, and sin. He became
a man. And where the first Adam failed,
he succeeded. When the first Adam died, he
lived. When the first Adam disobeyed, he obeyed. The first Adam is
of the earth, and the second Adam is the Lord from heaven.
And he worked out in his perfect life and perfect obedience a
perfect righteousness. Because his righteousness is
the very righteousness of God. And he gave it to all who believe.
That's what it says in Romans 3. He gives this righteousness
to all who believe. And thereby clothing his righteousness
with his spotless righteousness on, I'm as holy as God's Son.
God is perfectly holy. He demands perfect holiness.
We don't have it. Christ accomplished it. Provided and gave it to us. Therefore
we can approach God. But these people, being ignorant
of God's holiness, ignorant of God's righteousness, ignorant
of their own guilt and sinfulness. We be not sinners. We be not
born of fornication, they said. They went about to establish
their own righteousness. They tried to please God and
approach God through keeping a Sabbath day, paying their tithes,
keeping the law, enlarging the phylacteries around their garments,
praying on the street corner, reading the scriptures, doing
all these religious deeds, keeping the fast days and feast days
and prayers so many times a day. I thank you God I'm not like
other men. I tithe, I fast twice a day,
I give alms to the poor. I'm not like the republican.
Ignorant of God's holiness. In the flesh, no man can please
God. In the flesh, well, it's no good thing. But they're going
about to establish their own righteousness and will not submit
to Christ, who is the righteousness of God. That's proof of their
ignorance, to think that God Almighty would be pleased with
what they do and what they give and what they are. And then the
true servant of Christ in verse 4, he has a message of good news. Christ is the end of the law. Christ Jesus is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believes it. Just count
there now. See if we can lay hold of what the Lord is saying
here through His servant Paul. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness to everyone that believes it. Christ Jesus,
the God-man. Christ Jesus. In the beginning was the Word.
The Word was made flesh. The Word was with God. He dwelt
among us. And the Word was God. And we
beheld His glory. The man, Christ Jesus. Christ
Jesus, that's who we're talking about. Under us a child is born,
a son is given, the government's on his shoulders, his name is
Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace. That's who he is. He is what? He is the end of the law. What
does that mean? Well, it means first he's the
goal of the law. He's the objective of the law. It was with him in
mind the law was given. The law wasn't given to make
men righteous. The law was given to lead men
to Christ. The law was given to shut a mouth, strip a sinner,
break him, humble him, bring him into the desk, turn his eyes
to God's mercy in Christ Jesus. That's the goal of the law. The
law wasn't given to say. The law was given to bring men
to Christ. That's the purpose for which
it was given. It was with him in mind that God gave the law.
It wasn't given to make men righteous, but to lead men to the righteousness
of God in Christ. Secondly, he's the end of the
law. That is, he's the fulfillment of the law. Not only the goal
of the law, but the fulfillment of the law. He didn't come to
destroy the law. He said, I came to fulfill it.
Look at Romans 3. Turn over there a moment. Romans
chapter 3. He is our Sabbath. He is our wisdom. He is our righteousness. He is our holiness. Look at Romans
3, verse 19. Now we know that what things
soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law,
that every mount may be stopped, and all the world become guilty,
subject to the judgment of God. Therefore by the deeds of the
law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. By the law is the
knowledge of sin. But now, here's the good news.
The holiness of God. That's not his essential holiness.
That's a holiness comparable to his essential holiness. That's
the holiness that Christ gave to us. But now, the righteousness
of God without the law. Without my obedience to the law.
But because of his obedience. It's not without obedience. The
law's got to be obeyed. God demands perfection. He demands,
I'm saved by works, not mine, his. I'm saved by obedience,
now mine, his. I'm saved without the law, but
he kept the law. See what I'm saying? But now
the righteousness of God without my obedience to the law is revealed,
manifested, being witnessed. This is what the whole Old Testament's
all about, the law and the prophets. Listen, it's even the very holiness
of God. It's even the very righteousness
of God, which is by faith, by the faithfulness, by the obedience
of Jesus Christ. And it's unto all and upon all
them that believe. There's no difference. There's
no difference. He's the goal of the law. He's
the fulfillment of the law. He has fulfilled it in every
jot and tittle. He's paid for our sins past,
present, and future. In Him we're perfect. He's fulfilled
it. every jot and tittle. And then
thirdly, he's the end or he is the conclusion of the law as
a covenant and as a curse. As a covenant and as a curse,
he's the end. We don't pray tithes. We don't
go to Jerusalem to the temple. We don't offer sacrifices. We
don't keep the feast days. Christ is our Righteousness. Christ is our Sabbath. Christ
is all these things. He taketh away the first and
establishes the second. Christ Jesus. He's our altar. He's our high priest. He's our
mediator. He's our sacrifice. He's all
in all. He's everything that the Jew
did in type, pitch, and pattern. Every bit of it. He's our circumcision. Everything. He's the end. conclusion of the law as a covenant
and as a curse. He has redeemed us from the curse
of the law, being made a curse upon us. The law has no claim
on me or on you. You'll never meet the law at
judgment. We've already been judged. There's no judgment to
them who are in Christ. You're not under the law, you're
married to another. That old husband's dead. Take his picture
off the wall. Somebody said one time that we
need to put the Ten Commandments back on the wall in the high
school. Well, the high schools could certainly use some commandments.
But we don't put the commandments on the wall. We're Christ's people. We do what we do because we love
Him. Because He's our Master, our Lord. Somebody said the preacher's
not making church memories, he's making slaves, born slaves of
Christ. That's what you are. He's your
master. He's your Lord, the true servant
of God. His heart's desire is that those
to whom he preached might really, truly, sincerely, Brother Barnaby,
you said, be well saved. Remember that, well saved. Come
to know him. Wean from the arm of the flesh,
wean from the depending on some organization or denomination.
Paul said the threefold description of a true Israelite is one who rejoices in Christ Jesus alone,
worships God in the Spirit, he said, worships God in the Spirit,
rejoices in Christ alone, and has no confidence in the flesh.
The true servant of God, he knows what religion is, he's been there.
He knows the evidence of God's righteousness, how God can be
just and justified. They're ignorant. They're going
about to work their way. I'm doing the best I can. Well,
that's not what the law requires. So let's look at verse 5, right
quickly, verse 5. Listen. Now you want to be under
the law, do you? Do you want to try to be saved
by your righteousness? All right, here it is. Moses
describes the righteousness which is of the law. That the man which
doeth those things shall live by them. That's what it requires.
Well, I admire the law. No, it doesn't require for you
to admire it. It requires for you to obey it. Well, I think
it's a good law. No, that's not the way it's doing.
Obey the law. If you'd be righteous before
God by your works, it demands perfection. How holy does a man
have to be to go to heaven? As holy as God. As holy as God. It's not the hearers of the law,
it's the doers of the law. It's not the admirers of the
law, it's the doers of the law. It's not part of the law, it's
all of the law. The law cannot be toned down
to justify my weakness. It's not doing the best I can.
Moses says, here it is. Obey it! from the cradle to the
grave, in thought, word, and deed. Well, that's not possible. Well, listen. But the righteousness
which is of faith, this righteousness of Christ, this righteousness
of God, which is by faith, it's unto all and upon all them that
believe. There's no difference. Here it is. It speaketh on this
wise. Don't say in your heart, who
shall ascend into heaven. That is, to bring Christ down
from above. Or, who shall descend into the
deep? That is, to bring up Christ again from the dead. Where did
this come from? Well, turn to Deuteronomy 30.
Deuteronomy 30. When Moses was describing the
law, he made it clear. He said the law is clear. There's
no reason to doubt what the law demands. Here, I'll give it to
you, he said. In Deuteronomy 30, verse 11. There's no shadow here. This is clear.
Listen. Deuteronomy 30 verse 11. For this commandment, which
I command thee this day, is not hidden from you. It's not far
off. It's not in heaven that you should
say, well, go up first to heaven and bring it unto us that we
may hear it and do it. And it's not beyond the sea that
someone should say, well, who will go over the sea for us and
bring it to us that we may hear it and do it? I tell you about
this law, he said. It's very nigh unto you. It's
in your mouth and in your heart that you may do it. It's not
shady. It's clear as a bell. Love God
with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and your neighbor
as yourself. Walk in holiness before God all the days of your
life without ever imagining an evil thing. Have pure hands and
a clean heart. That's pretty clear, isn't it?
Well, the gospel is just as clear. You don't have to say, well,
who will go up into heaven and bring Christ back? He's already come.
A man said to a preacher one time, well, if somebody, if somebody
would just come down here, leave heaven, the throne of God, and
come down here, And tell us about God. He did. He did. And we didn't believe
Him. He said, I come in my Father's
name and you didn't believe me. Another comes in his own name.
Did you hear Him? And run after Him by the thousands.
He did. He came down. Well, who descended
down into the deep places and dark places and mysterious places
into death? Tell us about death and tell
us about what's after death and what's beyond the shadow. He
did. He died, was buried, rose again. He came back. Told us what to expect. I go
to prepare a place for you. I come again and receive you.
Ain't nothing in doubt about it. Clear as a bell. I don't
know why these fellas have trouble. as clear as a veil. The Son of
God left the glory of heaven, came down to earth. No man seen
the Father, the Son manifested it, declared it. He tells us
everything. God spoke to our fathers with
the prophets. He spoke to us by His Son. He that hath the
Son hath life. He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life. You don't
have to make any Boy, if I could just go to heaven and see what
is... No. We've seen heaven. He walked
among us. We beheld His glory, the glory
of God. We heard it. He went to the grave.
He came back. So, listen. Verse 8. Here's what the true
messenger knows. What does it say? This word is
now used in your mouth and in your heart. You're holding it
there in your hand. And as I read it, you're reading it. You're reading it. It's the word of faith which
we preach. That's what we preach. That if
thou shalt confess with thy mouth, Jesus Christ to be Lord, and
believe in your heart, God Almighty sent him. God Almighty pierced
him, bruised him, hung him on a tree as our sin offering. God Almighty raised him from
the dead and gave proof to the whole world that by this man,
Every man will be judged. Do you believe that? Thou shalt
be saved. With the heart, man believeth
unto righteousness. With the mouth, confession is
made unto salvation. This is our gospel. It's the gospel of God. It's
the gospel of grace, pure grace. It must be by grace for it to
be sure. for all to see. If it's any other way, it's not
sure, it's not certain, and doubtful. But if it's a gift, it can be
sure. It fulfills the Old Testament
promises and prophecies and pictures. It meets the need of the greatest
sinner, be he Muslim or Buddhist. But he's not going to stay a
Muslim and a Buddhist and bow to Christ. He's got to leave
his idols and hear of Christ. Man's not in the body of Christ
who's not in the grace and blood of Christ, is he? Faith of Christ?
It's just one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one body, one God
and Father. That's the gospel.