Sometimes when we read a Scripture like I read
this morning, turn to Numbers again, chapter 12, and read about the sins and the failures of
some of God's choice people, like Moses, others. We're inclined to be a little
harsh and a little critical. That's what Miriam and Aaron
did over here in Numbers 12. You know, Moses married this
woman. She wasn't an Israelite. She
wasn't of the people of Israel. She was an Ethiopian. Why he
did that, I do not know. Neither did Miriam and Aaron,
and they got out of sorts about it. That's what it says here
in Numbers 12, verse 1. And Miriam and Aaron spake against
Moses harshly, critically, because of the Ethiopian woman whom he
had married. For he married an Ethiopian woman,
not an Israelite. Not one of the people who journeyed
with them, but a stranger. That's strange, isn't it? But
I read some time ago this statement, Speak tenderly and carefully
of the sins of the saints of God recorded in the Word of God. While God in His Word does not
hide the sins and failures of His people, as most biographies
do, most biographies that you read, they're very careful to
make the person appear to be much better than he really is.
But not the Word of God. The Word of God does not hide
the sins and the failures of His people. But when we read
about their sins and their failures, let's remember three things.
And here are the three things to remember. Remember, number
one, they're His people. They're His children. And He will deal with those who
mistreat His children, like He did with Miriam and Aaron for
mistreating Moses. Turn to Matthew chapter 18. In
Matthew chapter 18, It says here that, I want to
begin with verse 4, Matthew 18. Our Lord Jesus said, Whosoever
therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same
is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive
one such little child, that is, one of His little children. He's
not talking about receiving infants, but receiving one who has been
converted and become as a little child, one of God's children.
Whoso shall receive such, one such little child in my name
receiveth me, but whosoever shall offend one of these little ones,
one of His little ones, which believe in me, a person who believes
in me, It were better for him that a millstone were hanged
about his neck, and that he would drown in the depth of the sea."
Don't mistreat God's children. That's what he's saying. Miriam learned that. God turned
her into a leper because she spoke so harshly against Moses. So remember, number one, they're
his children. Number two, that even their failures,
will serve God's purpose and be an example to us. Turn to
Romans 15. This is what he's saying here
in Romans chapter 15. All of these things that happen
unto them, even the unbelief of Israel in the wilderness,
all of these things that happen to them in Romans 15 forward,
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our
learning, our learning, that we, through
patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope." These things
that are written back here, whatever they might be, are for example
and for our learning and for our instruction, either to avoid
or to follow them. And then thirdly, Turn to Galatians
chapter 6. Speak tenderly, the author said,
speak tenderly and carefully of the sins of the saints and
the Old Testament believers, because they are God's children.
And secondly, all of these experiences through which God brought them
were for our learning, our example. Thirdly, our Lord exhorts us
by His Apostle to be careful how we treat the fallen believer,
considering ourselves lest we be tempted. Look at Galatians
6, verse 1. Brethren, if a man be overtaken
in a fall, you that are spiritual, you that are mature, restore
such a one, how? In the spirit of meekness and
humility, considering thyself. lest thou also be tempted. And bear ye one another's infirmities
and failures, and so fulfill what law? The royal law of Christ,
the law of love. Love one another as I love you. So we have in the Lord's Word
the sins and infirmities of some of His choice servants. Vividly
described. Serious offenses. And while we
do not understand them, yet still God was pleased to record them.
For example, Jacob conspired with his mother to deceive his
father and steal his brother's birthright. Abraham was willing
to give his wife to another to save his own life. This is the
man of faith. This is the man who believed
God. This is the man who left his own country and went out
not knowing where he went. Lot. Lot greedily. And the Scripture calls him righteous
Lot. Righteous Lot greedily chose
the plains, the well-watered plains of Sodom, and left the
mountains for Abraham. And when he went down to live
among those people, and this is something that's amazing,
he called them brethren. When they came in to take the
angels out of his house, he said, brethren, don't do this. Isn't
that strange? Jonah rebelled against God's
command to go and preach to people and fled to Tarshish rather than
preach God's warning to Nineveh. David sacrificed a friend to
cover his own sins, had him killed. Solomon, Solomon built temples
to idols to keep his pagan wives happy. Peter sat by the fire
and even denied that he knew Christ. And not only are these open failures
recorded in God's Word, but our Lord exposes the little things,
the little foxes that spoil the vines, the little things that
are the greatest weaknesses of His people. The Apostle Peter
could walk on water, at least attempt it, but he couldn't stand
up under the accusations of a little girl. He could step out of a boat and
walk on water, at least attempt it. Fearless! But one little
girl said, you're a disciple. He said, no, I'm not. Job. Think about Job. He could endure the loss of all
his possessions, the loss of all his children, And yet when
these three men gathered around him and accused him of various
things, he couldn't stand up under that kind of pressure.
He wilted and defended himself. When they came and told him his
children were all dead and everything, he didn't charge God with foolishness. put on sackcloth and ashes and
worshiped God. And then these fellows started
hitting at him. And he fought back. He fought
back. Though he slayed me, I'll trust
him. But when they started accusing him of false things, false accusations,
he got angry. Elijah could face 300 false prophets and destroy them. And he ran
from the wrath of one lone woman. Ran up to the hills. David could
face and defeat a nine-foot giant, but he couldn't handle his own
fleshly lust. Jonah could face death in the
sea. They said to him, somebody's
responsible for this. He said, I'm the one. Throw me
overboard. Throw me overboard. And then
he sat down under a gourd that had provided him with shade.
And during the day, the sun came out and the gourd died. And he
got mad at the gourd. And God said, are you right to
get mad at a gourd? This is a man that says, throw
me overboard. And yet he got mad at a gourd. Reminds me of folks getting mad
at a bowling ball because it goes in the gutter, or a golf
ball that goes in the woods, or something else, you know.
We can handle big things, but we just have an awful hard time
with little things. And that's justice. That's sin. Isn't that sin? John Newton once
said, I want you to listen to this, if you don't pick it up
right away, Chew on it a little while, but think about it. We've been talking here about
the sins of the saints in big things, serious matters. Also
their courage in great matters, and their failure in little matters. Mountains and valleys. But John
Newton said, the grace of God, the grace of God is as much needed
to create in me a right attitude over the breaking of a dish as
over the death of a child. The grace of God is as much needed
to create in me the right attitude over the breaking of a dish as over the death of a child.
Actually, sometimes we can handle big things a whole lot easier
than we can handle little things. And that's what makes us say,
O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body
of this death? Turn to Acts. I want to show
you something over here. I'm sure you've seen it before.
But here is the Apostle Paul, giant of God. illustrious apostle,
planter of churches, receiver of revelations, had a dear friend
called Barnabas. They went out the first missionary
journey. They went out from Antioch. Separate
unto me Paul and Barnabas, God said, for the work whereunto
I have called them. These men went out among the
heathen and preached the gospel, came back and reported what God
had done for them and through them and with them. Now they're
getting ready to leave on another missionary trip. Acts 15 verse
36, and some days after Paul said to Barnabas, let's go again
now and visit our brethren in every city where we preach the
Word of the Lord and see how they do. And Barnabas determined
to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. Barnabas won't
take John Mark with him. But Paul, thought not good to
take John Mark with them. John Mark departed from them
from Pamphylia and went not with them to the work. Something happened
there and he left them. Paul just never got straightened
out over it. And you think, now here are two giants. I mean giants. I mean men who knew God. Men who walked with God. The
Apostle Paul. The greatest apostle who ever
lived, bar none. Man of God. Man who saw the Lord. Man who had his gospel straight
from God. Looks like he and Barnabas could
work this thing out. Wouldn't you think so? Wouldn't
you think so? Nope. And the Lord doesn't hide
these things. And the contention, the contention
was so sharp between them that they departed asunder, one from
another. Isn't that so? Barnabas took Mark with him.
That's what he was determined to do to start with. And Saul
to Cyprus. And Paul chose Silas. and departed,
being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God." God greatly
used Paul and Silas, and He greatly used Mark and Barnabas. And later
on, Paul was in prison, and he said, come see me and bring John
Mark with you. He's important to me. That's
right. Bring John Mark. So, this is
what I'm saying. I'm saying this to me, I'm addressing myself, and I'm
addressing the Lord's people here tonight. Speak tenderly, and gently, and kindly concerning
the infirmities, or failures, or faults, or diversities, or
divisions, or whatever of the Lord's people, because they are
His people. They are His children, and He
loves them. And He's not going to let us
mistreat them or anybody else. Just like you're jealous for
your children. I know my children's false. And you know your children's
false. But don't crowd them. Isn't that
right? Don't crowd them, because they
are mine. They are mine. And I tell you, what would we
be without false? If we didn't have to weep, we'd
be so proud and arrogant and lifted up, we'd never pray, we'd
never beg God's forgiveness, never would say, I'm sorry. And
then let's consider ourselves, lest we be tempted and fall. All right, but now here's my
subject tonight, but I'm convinced, I'm convinced that while we're
at home in this body, And we're absent from the Lord and we're
subject. We're subject to faults and failures
and infirmities and flesh and we're subject to these things
just like these men about whom we've been reading. But there's
one area and one sin. that a believer does not commit
and cannot commit. There's one area in which a believer
cannot err. He cannot err here. He cannot. He will not. He must not. That is, he cannot and will not
deny the efficacy and sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ. He
cannot and will not do that by no means. And he cannot and will
not trust his own righteousness before God. Cannot. He just can't
do it. God will save a sinner but not
a self-righteous man. God will save a murderer, but
He won't save a man who trusts his own righteousness. So I'm
saying with all of the faults and failures and infirmities
with which we are plagued, there's one that the believer cannot
commit. He cannot trust his own righteousness. He cannot deny the blood and
righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's a song in our
book. There are about three of the
verses, but I found some more, and it says this, I'm talking
about His blood and His righteousness now. His blood and His righteousness. Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness,
my beauty are, my glorious dress. Mid flaming worlds in these arrayed,
with joy shall I lift up my head. Bold I stand now and in that
day. For who ought to my charge shall
lay fully forgiven through these I am, blood and righteousness,
from sin, from fear, from guilt, from shame. And this spotless
robe the same appears when ruined nature seeks in years. No age can change its glorious
hue, the robe of Christ, is ever new. When from the dust of death
I rise to take my dwelling in the skies, even this, even then
shall this be all my plea, that Jesus lived and died for me. I cannot deny that. I will not
deny that. It's impossible to deny that.
It's impossible to trust my righteousness and His. Can't be done. Oh, let
the dead now hear thy voice. Be it Lord, thy people all rejoice. Their beauty this, their glorious
dress. Jesus, my blood, thy blood and
righteousness. All right, let's look at Philippians
3. And this is what Paul is saying here. Philippians chapter 3. Philippians 3. He says, brethren, I want to
begin with verse 1. Finally, brethren, my brethren,
finally, my brethren, the theme of this book, Rejoice in the
Lord, to write the same things to you. What are these same things? The grace of God in Christ, The
mercy of God in Christ, the blood of Christ, the righteousness
of Christ. That's the same thing. This theme I'm on tonight is
a theme I've been on 44 years. Jesus, thy blood and righteousness.
And to write these same things to you, to me, that's not tiresome. That's not tiresome. That's not
grievous for you, it's safe. Now, beware of dogs. That's false
prophets in general. Beware of dogs." All sorts of
false religious leaders. Take a moment, turn to Isaiah
56. Here's the Scripture that Paul is referring to there. Isaiah
56, beware of dogs. You say, that's a harsh statement. I know it. But folks who compromise
the truth of God deserve it. Isaiah called them dogs. He said
in Isaiah 56, verse 10, His watchmen are blind, they're all ignorant,
they're all dumb dogs. Supposed to be watchdogs, but
they don't bark. They sleep, lying down, loving
to slumber. They're greedy dogs, which can
never have enough. They're shepherds that cannot
understand. They all look to their own way,
every one for his own gain from his own quarter. Beware of these
dogs. Covetous. Self-serving, self-seeking
preachers. Flee from them. Beware of evil
workers. Who are these? Folks in Matthew
7. Preachers and religious people
who use the name of Christ for their own works and their own
glory. They said, Lord, we preached in Your name. We did many wonderful
works in Your name. We cast out devils in Your name. He said, depart from me ye Evil
workers. Workers of iniquity. That's who
they are. Beware of them. Beware of them. And then thirdly,
beware of the concision. Here are three kinds of preachers
here. The general, covetous, self-seeking, self-serving preachers. The workers of iniquity, religious
iniquity, using the name of God for their own advantage. And
the concision here, the flesh merchants, the circumcisers,
the legalists, the law preachers, those who want to bring you out
of your freedom back under the bondage of the ceremonial law. Days and diets and doings and
duties and all these things. Beware of them. For he says,
verse 3, we're the circumcision, we're true Israel. And he gives
three marks. Number one, we worship God in
the Spirit, not in form, not in tradition, not in this mountain
or in Jerusalem, but in the Spirit. That's what our Lord said. Told
that woman at the wedding, you worship, you don't know what
you worship. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain. You Jews worshipped
in Jerusalem. He said, the day is coming when
men shall worship God neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
God is Spirit. We worship Him in Spirit. Listen,
we rejoice in Christ Jesus only in Christ. He is our Messiah. He is our Redeemer. He is our
Righteousness. And we have no confidence in
the flesh. Ah, the Apostle Paul. Believe what Roland Hill said.
No sermon should be preached without ruin by the fall, redemption
by the blood, regeneration by the Spirit. And here it is just
reversed. Regeneration by the Spirit. We
worship God in the Spirit. Redemption by the blood. We rejoice
in Christ. Ruin by the fall. Got no confidence
in this flesh. Now then, verse 4, Though I might have confidence
in the flesh, if any other man think that he hath whereof he
might trust in his works, or in his righteousness, or in his
flesh, does anybody anywhere, Paul said, feel like that he
has any right to trust in his own righteousness? Well, I'm
over if it could be so, for he says, Verse 5, "...I circumcised
the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin
the beloved, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as touching the law of Pharisee
concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness
which is in the law, blameless." Ah, but, but, what things, and
here's the testimony of every believer, what things, I knew
what things I had, what things I boasted of, what things I possessed,
what things I trusted, what things I experienced. All these things
that were gained to me and important to me and I count them lost. Put them in the lost column.
You people who have businesses, you have your assets and liabilities,
you got your gain column and loss column. Paul said, take
everything that you are, know, have, believe, trust it in, back
you under your own righteousness, and put it in the loss column.
Put it in the loss column. I count it but loss for Christ. That's the believer's testimony,
yea, and without a doubt. Watch this now, yea, doubtless.
I'm saying that a believer cannot, will not, cannot plead his righteousness
to God. He cannot. The blood and righteousness
of Christ is his very life, hope and foundation. And in that area,
he will not fail. Yea, doubtless. Where have you
seen that word before? Doubtless, without doubt. John
wrote in 1 John 2, 19, they went out from us because
they weren't of us. If they were of us, they what?
No doubt. No doubt. It's impossible. It's
impossible. A believer cannot quit believing. He can't do it. Doubtless, I
count all things, all things but loss. For the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered
the loss of all things, and I do count them..." Boy, let me tell
you something now. I count them but garbage. This
man Paul was brought, his mother and daddy were Hebrews. Back
yonder Miriam found fault with Moses. He married a Cushite,
married an Ethiopian. And that bothered them, I mean
dreadfully. Would have bothered Paul too.
He said, my mama was a Hebrew. My daddy was a Hebrew. I was
of the tribe of Benjamin. I grew up under Gamaliel, I grew
up under the strict law, the diet laws, the Sabbath laws,
the feast laws, the sacrifice laws, the Levitical laws, and
I kept them to the letter. But he said, I count all that but garbage. Garbage. That's a believer's confession,
and that takes an act of God to make a man. Take all his religious
upbringing and pride and heritage and accomplishments and gifts
and doings and duties and say, garbage! Take it out and put
it in a truck and haul it down to the dump. And I'll never look at it again.
Listen, for he says, that I may, I count it but garbage, that
I may win Christ and be found only in Him, not having, not
having, not having my own righteousness, not having any. My righteousness
is a filthy rag. That's the theme through this
Bible, not by works of righteousness which we've done, but according
to His mercy. Not of him that willeth, not
of him that runneth, but of God. For by grace are you saved through
faith, that not of yourselves, not of works. That old hymn writer
said, Not for the works that we have done or shall hereafter
do hath God decreed on sinful worms salvation to bestow. The
glory, Lord, from first to last, is due to Christ alone. Ought
to ourselves we dare not take or rob thee of thy crown. Tis
not by works of righteousness which our own hands have done,
but we are saved by His sovereign grace abounding through His Son. The true believer can never,
never, never, Never leave out this not right here. And be found
in him not having my own righteousness. He can't do it. He can't do it. Because that's his very foundation. Not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law. But that which is through the
faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Come
ye weary, heavy laden," now watch this psalm, come ye weary, heavy
laden, bruised and mangled by the fall, if you tarry till you're
better, you'll never come at all. For it's not the righteous,
it's not the righteous, it's sinners Jesus came to call. Let
not conscience make you linger, nor of fitness fondly dream,
all the fitness he requires. is to feel your need of Him.
And this He gives you. This He gives you. Somebody said,
but didn't you repent? Yes. But the goodness of God
led me to repentance. But can't you say you did something?
Didn't you believe? Yes, I believed. But He enabled
me to believe. Face the gift of God. You did
something, you repented. I know I did. But His goodness
led me to repent. But to believe, sure I believed. But He made me willing to believe. But you were willing, but He
made me willing. But now don't you love Christ?
I sure do, because He first loved me. It's got to fall right back
on Him. I repented because His goodness
led me to repent. I believed because it was given
to me, not only to suffer but to believe on it. I'm willing,
but He made me willing. I love Him because He first loved
me. Yeah, but you labor, you preach,
you You sat in your study and prepared this message and got
it all ready for us. You labored. Paul said, I sure
did, more abundantly than they all. Yet not I, but Christ in
me. I didn't do it, He did it. It
wasn't, I am what I am by the grace of God. I don't have one
spot, Adam, inkling of any righteousness or holiness whatsoever that's
not Christ in me. You don't even. You don't have
one thing that even the piercing eye of a sovereign holy God can
find in you that's worth anything, unless it's Christ. Yeah, but
you witness. I'm His witness. I'm just telling what he did.
That's my whole witness. I'm telling who he is. I'm telling
what he did. I'm telling why he did it. I'm
telling you where he is now. I didn't have nothing to do with
that. I'm just telling what I saw. And he opened my eyes and let
me see. It just all comes back. That's
right. Let's look at this verse here
and then I'll let you go. Verse 10 says, Oh my, that I
may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship
of His sufferings being made conformable to His death. The
believer has three goals right there in that verse. That I may
know Him. Commitment to Christ. Commitment
to Christ. That I may know Him. I know Him
because He knew me. Secondly, Fellowship. Communion with Christ. Communion. Sons of God. Fellowship of His suffering.
Thirdly, conformity. One day, I'm going to be perfectly
conformed to His image. Perfectly conformed. That's what
he's talking about in verse 11, that if by any means, I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead, not as though I've
already attained, haven't. I'm not already perfect, not
by a long shot. Now I'll tell you this, I follow
after, and I want you to write in your margin, right here, the
word apprehend means lay hold, lay hold, that's what it means,
lay hold. That I may lay hold. upon that
for which I am laid hold of Christ Jesus." See, that even goes back
to Him, that I may lay hold on eternal life, that I may lay
hold upon the inheritance of the saints because He laid hold
of me for that purpose. Brethren, I count not myself
to have apprehended, to have laid hold of these promises and
blessings, but I tell you one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things
which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Wouldn't you agree? Wouldn't you agree that while
in my flesh dwelleth no good thing, an old wretched man that I am,
And the infirmities of this flesh have to be hedged about by God's
sovereign power and restraining grace. But I'll tell you one
thing, no true believer can ever deny that it's His blood that
makes us clean and His righteousness that makes us holy. My hope is
built, we're going to sing this, on nothing less than Jesus' blood
and righteousness. blood. I dare not trust even
the sweetest prayer. I wholly lean on Jesus name.