No Confidence In the Flesh

Q: What does the Bible say about confidence in the flesh?

The Bible warns against having confidence in the flesh, emphasizing that our trust should be in Christ Jesus alone. Philippians 3:3 teaches us that we are to have no confidence in the flesh, which means we should not rely on our own abilities or righteousness for salvation. Instead, our confidence must rest solely in Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul emphasizes the necessity of recognizing our insufficiency, stating that there is no place for self-esteem in the Christian life. This aligns with the historic Reformed understanding that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, which completely excludes any boasting based on human effort.

Q: How do we know that salvation is by grace and not works?

Scripture clearly states that we are saved by grace through faith, not of works. In Ephesians 2:8-9, the Apostle Paul reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith, and not by works, so that no one can boast. This principle is foundational to Reformed theology which teaches that salvation is a gift from God, entirely based on His grace and mercy. All boasting in our own works or righteousness is excluded by the very nature of grace. Understanding this truth allows believers to rest in the sufficiency of Christ's atoning work rather than their own efforts.

Q: Why is rejoicing in Christ important for Christians?

Rejoicing in Christ is essential as it affirms our faith and confidence in Him alone. Rejoicing in Christ is a continual theme in Scripture, especially in Philippians, where Paul urges believers to rejoice in the Lord. This joy is rooted in the understanding of our complete salvation through Christ, which fosters a heart of thanksgiving and reliance on His work rather than our own. When we rejoice in Christ, we cultivate a godly humility and recognize our own limitations. Such joy also serves as a powerful testimony to others about the hope we have in Jesus, anchoring our faith in His sufficiency rather than our flesh's inadequacy.

Q: How should Christians view their own efforts in relation to faith?

Christians should view their efforts as secondary to their faith in Christ's work. While Christians are called to live out their faith actively, these efforts should stem from a heart transformed by grace, rather than a means of achieving salvation. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints assures us that our ultimate security in Christ is not predicated on our performance but on His unchanging grace. Therefore, good works will naturally flow from faith but should never be seen as a basis for justification or confidence before God. Instead, we are encouraged to depend wholly on Christ, recognizing that our sufficiency comes from Him alone.

Let's look back together at the
Scripture which Brother Eccles read to us a few moments ago
from Philippians chapter 3. I think I have something interesting
for you tonight. It has been to me as I looked
at the subject and prepared the message. Now in Philippians 3,
Verse 1, Paul says, Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. And this is a theme of the book
of Philippians. I believe the word rejoice appears
in this book something like ten or eleven times. Rejoice. And
again I say rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord. Be glad
in Christ our Lord. And then he says, to write the
same things to you over and over again, to preach the same things
to you over and over again, to me indeed is not grievous. We
had an example of that in the study tonight, one of our men
read Isaiah chapter 40. And just a couple of services
ago, another one of the men read Isaiah 40. But it was just as fresh and
just as beautiful and such a blessing tonight as it was a few nights
ago. You say, why would the Lord lead
a man to read one chapter and somebody else read it just two
days later? Because that's the way the Lord does things. He
has to tell us the same thing over and over and over and over
again. And that's what Paul is saying here. He's not grievous. To me, it's not tiresome at all
to preach the same thing to you over and over and over again.
Same gospel. And then he says, for you it's
safe. It's good to hear the same message over and over again.
Keep you from sins of spirit and attitude. Keep you from error
of doctrine. Keep you from coldness of heart.
keep you from getting gospel-hardened. There are a lot of reasons to
preach the same message over and over and over again. I like
what one old fellow said back many years ago. He was preaching
in a revival meeting at a little country church, and he preached
on You Must Be Born Again. The second night he preached
on You Must Be Born Again. The third night he preached on
You Must Be Born Again. And one of the men came to him
after the service and said, Are you going to preach on, you must
be born again? He said, till you're born again. That's a good answer anyway. Till you're born again. But then he goes on in verse
2 and warns us about false preachers. And we may feel that the words
of the Apostle Paul are a bit harsh here, but he bars them
from Isaiah, doesn't he? Beware of dogs. You mean he's
referring to preachers as dogs? Some of them. Some of them. And he's not being complimentary
either. The reference here is to Isaiah 56, if you'd like to
turn over there and read it. Isaiah 56 is where it's found. Isaiah 56.10. He talks about
these preachers who are supposed to be watchmen. They're supposed
to be warners. Mostly servants of God, and he
says in verse 10 of Isaiah 56, his watchmen are blind. Wouldn't
that be awful to have a blind watchman? Couldn't see? They're ignorant. Have a preacher
that's ignorant? Ignore the word of God. They're
dumb dogs. They cannot bark. Sleeping, lying
down, loving to slumber, lazy, indifferent. Yeah, they're greedy
dogs. We see a lot of that now in the
so-called ministry. They never have enough. They
never can pay their bills. They never have enough. They
never can, they're never satisfied. Keep needing more and more and
building bigger and greater things to their own glory. They're shepherds
that cannot understand. They look to their own way, every
one for his gain from his quarter. Well, that's what he's talking
about. Beware of those fellows. Beware of these dogs, dumb dogs,
loving to sleep. Then back in our text, Philippians
2 verse, Philippians 3 verse 2, he says, Beware of evil workers. You know, when those people stood
before our Lord in Matthew 7, they said, Lord, we We preached
in your name and cast out devils in your name and did many wonderful
works." And what did he call them? Evil workers. He said, depart from me ye evil
workers. That's right, workers of iniquity,
evil workers. I never knew them. And Paul uses
the same language the Master uses. Dead dogs, evil workers. Beware the concision, the circumcises. The fellows that always want
you to do something in order to be saved. If you don't do
this, God won't save you. If you're not baptized, God won't
save you. If you don't join our church, if you don't become a
Baptist or a Methodist or a Catholic, if you're not circumcised, if
you don't keep the holy days, if you don't believe in the pre-millennium,
anything that any man adds for your doing and duty in order
to be saved is not of God. Salvation is of the Lord. It's
in Christ alone. Abraham believed God and accounted
Him for righteousness. And this is the concision. This
is the circumcision. These are the lawfellows, the
legalizers, the separationists. You've got to keep people in
misery. Keep them bound up by laws and
rules and standards and do's and don'ts. We have a freedom
in Christ. It's not a freedom that leads
to sin or lasciviousness or excess. It's just a delight and a rest
and a freedom in Christ Jesus who saves sinners. That's right. Beware of these fellows. Don't
be bound. Don't be bound by these fellows
that lead disciples after themselves. I've tried to show you and teach
you and preach to you that we're just lampbearers. We're not the
light. Christ is the light and we just
point you to Him. Run to Christ. Find in Him your
joy and happiness and rejoicing. Verse 3, for we are the circumcision. You want to talk about circumcision?
Want to talk about Jews? Want to talk about Israelites?
We're the circumcision. Who are they? Who worship God
in the Spirit. Not in days and forms and rituals
and sacraments and ordinances. We worship God in the Spirit.
You know that woman at the well, when our Lord was talking to
her. She said, well, she said, our fathers say you're to worship
in this mountain, and you Jews say you're to worship in Jerusalem.
He said, woman, you worship, but you don't know what you worship.
It's just a form. It's just a legalism. It's just a ritual. You don't
know what you worship. God is spirit. God is spirit. And they that worship God, worship
God in spirit. in heart and truth. For such God seeketh to worship
him in the heart. It's not whether you kneel or
stand or sit. It's not whether you wear black
or white or blue. It's not whether you're in some
kind of special place or not. You worship God in the spirit,
in your heart. And then you rejoice in Jesus
Christ. Rejoice and rest in Christ Jesus. And then here's the phrase I'm
trying to get to, and have no confidence in the flesh. No confidence in the flesh. Now,
this is the title of my message, No Confidence in the Flesh. Now it seems to me that the general
philosophy today in religion, it appears this way to me, this
is the way it comes across, is to raise your self-esteem. Raise
yourself a stick, feel good about yourself. I had a fellow sent
me a religious book one time entitled, I'm Okay, You're Okay.
I don't know if you've read it or not, but I didn't read it
because I didn't like the title. I didn't feel okay. He might be okay,
but I'm not okay. But that's what, feel good about
yourself. That's what's wrong with, feel
good about yourself. And I think that's what I, that's
what it comes across to be. And then much preaching, is devoted,
and we heard this, Darce and I heard this the other night,
and she said, can you believe that? Can you believe he's saying
what he's saying? But much preaching is devoted
to this, how much the living God depends upon us. Do you hear that? Oh, how much
God depends upon us. He depends on our decisions.
He depends on our commitment. He depends on our works. He depends
on our service and his service. Is this not true? This is what
I hear. God is just waiting for you to
do this and depending on you to do this. God has no hands
but your hands, no feet but your feet, no mouth but your mouth.
And we run into some sharp criticism. I have and you have. I know you
still do and many preachers do. We run into sharp criticism of
our efforts to abase the flesh. I've got to keep abasing this
flesh, mortifying this flesh, putting down this flesh. I've
got to keep abasing the flesh and exalting the Lord Jesus Christ. That's right. Somebody asked
Brother Barnard one time, well, how do you tell a true preacher
of the gospel? He said, well, he'll preach a
big God and a little man. And the bigger God and the smaller
man, the better preacher. Keep a base in this flesh, putting
it under, putting it under, putting it down and exalting the Lord
Jesus Christ. Somebody said they didn't care
for this statement. I'm a poor sinner and nothing
at all. And Jesus Christ is my all in
all. I'm just a poor sinner and nothing
at all. And Jesus Christ is my all in
all. Don't make fun of that now. There's nothing wrong with that.
I'm just a poor sinner and nothing at all. But Jesus Christ is my
all and all. Well, let's see if we can find
some proper understanding of this no confidence, no confidence,
no confidence. Well, man's got to have some
confidence in someone and something. But it says no confidence in
the flesh, so let's see what we can do with it. And I say
this, I say there's two statements here that must go together. We
rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. You've
got to read those together. We rejoice in Christ Jesus, we
do have confidence in Christ Jesus. But we don't rejoice in
the flesh and we have no confidence in the flesh. In other words,
this is what I covet for myself and for you. A good hope and
a godly humility. I believe those things go together.
A good hope and a godly humility. We rejoice in Christ Jesus and
have no confidence in our flesh. That's what this text says. So
if I'm going to preach on having no confidence in the flesh, The
first thing I've got to preach on is rejoicing in Christ Jesus,
because that's the reason I have no confidence in the flesh, because
I rejoice in Christ Jesus. Now here are four things, and
I'm going to sound real pushy now, because I believe these
four things. I'm going to sound real pushy.
I'm going to sound real cocky. I'm going to sound real positive. I'm positive on these four things.
And I won't bend and I won't move for anybody. Number one,
I have a full assurance and total confidence in our gospel. My confidence does not bend or
waver in this gospel of God's grace. I feel like the Apostle
Paul. There is no other gospel but
the gospel we preach. That's how sure I am of my gospel.
There is no other gospel but the gospel that we preach. Paul
said that. Let's check on that. Turn to
Galatians chapter 1. Ain't this what he said? Galatians
chapter 1 verse 8. I'm talking about the gospel
of God, the gospel of God's grace, and the gospel of God's glory.
I'm talking about the gospel of His indisputable sovereignty,
and I don't believe a man can preach the gospel. He doesn't
preach a sovereign God. I don't believe a man can preach
the gospel if he doesn't preach a God who has the right to and
the power to save whom he will. I don't believe a man can preach
the gospel if he does not preach the effectual atonement of Jesus
Christ. I mean the atonement that atoned,
the redemption that redeemed. I don't believe a man can preach
the gospel of Jesus Christ if he doesn't preach the effectual
work of God's Holy Spirit. And if he doesn't preach the
perseverance of God's people, don't believe him to preach the
gospel. I think that those things rise or fall together. And Paul
felt that way. He said in Galatians 1a, that
we are an angel from heaven. Preach any other gospel to you
than that gospel which we have preached to you. Let him be accursed. Now this is the man that said
he had no confidence in his flesh. Now he's got confidence in his
gospel, hasn't he? He said, if it's an angel from
heaven that disagrees with me on the gospel, let God curse
him. And listen, he said in verse
9, I said it before, I'll say it again. Let every word be established
by the mouth of two or three witnesses. If any man preach
any other gospel to you than you have received, let him be
accursed. Boy, that's positive. But he
said, verse 11, I certify you brethren, the gospel which is
preached of me is not after man. This is not a man's gospel. I
didn't learn it. I didn't receive it of man. I
didn't learn it in the seminary. I wasn't taught it by man. I
got it from the revelation of Jesus Christ. And I won't move. I won't bend. He said in another scripture,
he said, if righteousness come by the law, Jesus Christ died
in vain. If salvation by works in any
shape, form or fashion, that cross was wasted effort. That's
what he said. We have a full assurance and
total confidence in the true mystery of godliness that God
was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. We do not move
from that position. Do not move. All right, secondly, turn to Colossians chapter 2.
We do not move from this position right here. Colossians chapter
2. For I would that you knew, verse
1, Colossians 2, 1. I would that you knew what great
conflict I have for you, and for them in Laodicea, and for
as many as have not seen my face in the flesh. that their hearts
might be comforted, being knit together in love and unto all
riches of the full assurance of understanding, full assurance,
to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the Father
and of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge." In other words, what Paul is saying, everything, I
have full confidence and full assurance that everything God
has for a sinner is in Christ. All fullness dwelleth in him.
That's where he's the fountain of every blessing. He's the source
of life. It's all Christ. He's made unto
us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It's all in him.
Jesus Christ, not in the baptistry, not in the sacraments. It's in
Christ. All right, thirdly, and we have
full assurance and total confidence of a good hope in Jesus Christ
through faith, a full assurance. And I ask you
to turn to Hebrews 6. We're talking about a confidence
here and a full assurance, unmovable. In Hebrews 6 verse 11, listen,
and we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence
to the full assurance of hope unto the end, that ye be not
swothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience
inherit the promises. For when God made promise to
Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself,
saying, Surely I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply
thee. And so after he had patiently
endured, he obtained the promise. For men Verily, swear by the
greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise
the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that
by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to
lie, his promise and his oath, we have a strong consolation
who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before
us, Christ Jesus our Lord. In him we have a good hope. Turn to Romans 5, 1 and 2. Romans
5, verse 1 and 2. Listen to Paul here. Romans 5,
verse 1 and 2. Therefore, being justified by
faith, We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand, and we rejoice in the hope, in hope of the glory of
God. That's confidence. Number one,
we have full assurance that our gospel is the only gospel. Number
two, we have a confident, full assurance That everything God
has for sinners in Jesus Christ. That's where it's at. And it
is ours by faith in Him. By believing God. Abraham believed
God. And by faith he obtained the
promises. Now here's the fourth one. We
have a full assurance and total confidence of our privilege.
I don't care who the person is, how great a sinner that person
has been, what a weak person he is now. It does not matter. We have a full assurance and
total confidence of our privilege of coming boldly into the very
presence of God Almighty through our high priest, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Come and welcome, come and welcome. Turn to Hebrews
10, let me show you that. And that's our assurance, and
that's the word he uses here. We're confident. In Hebrews 10,
verse 19, having therefore brethren boldest, boldest to enter into
the holiest by the blood of Jesus. by a new and living way which
he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his
flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, let us
draw near with a true heart, with a sincere heart, with a
heart born of hypocrisy and insincerity, but believing God, resting in
Christ in full assurance of faith. Draw near in full assurance. So, we rejoice in Christ Jesus. We rest in Christ Jesus. We entertain
no doubt in reference to his love, in reference to his grace,
in reference to his mercy, in reference to the efficacy of
his blood, and the promises of mercy in him. As Abraham of old,
we believe God. We believe our gospel. We believe
that everything God has for us is in Christ. We believe it's
the gift of his grace. We receive it, not by working,
but by believing. And that because we believe Christ
and because Christ died for us, we have the right and privilege,
as Jim did a few moments ago, to stand in the very presence
of a holy, eternal, almighty God and call him our Father. Is that right? And to say with Paul, if God
be for me, who can be against me? He that spared not his own
son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with
him freely give us all things? Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? It's God who justifies. Who can
condemn us? It's Christ that died. Who can
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord? Don't be wishy-washy about that. Don't be uncertain about any
of those things. Don't be uncertain. Don't try
to have a false humility along those lines. You hear people
say, well, God wouldn't receive me, I'm too great a sinner. Now
that's not humility. That can really develop into
a pride. God delights to show mercy. So
we rejoice in Christ Jesus, unbending, confident, with full assurance
of the hope of our gospel. But, if you'll notice though,
in all of these scriptures which I've read, And all of these testimonies
of the patriarchs, there is absolutely no confidence expressed in themselves
ever. It's always in him. Did you notice
that? As I read about Abraham, as I
read the writings of Paul, when Paul said, if God be for me,
who can be against me? He said, who can condemn me?
God justified me. He said, who can claim that my
child Christ died for me? There's no confidence in himself
or his flesh, but the confidence is in Christ. I was reading old
brother Ebenezer Erskine again, and he gave in a book, I have
seven reasons why the gospel of God's grace forbids any boasting
on the part of a man. Would you like to hear them?
Seven reasons why the gospel of God's grace promotes no confidence
in the flesh, humility, and will never let a man boast in the
flesh. Here they are, number one. He
said the gospel message itself forbids any boasting or confidence
in the flesh. The gospel message itself. Turn
with me to 2 Timothy chapter 1. The gospel testimony, that's
what the gospel message is called in the Bible, the testimony of
God. The record that God had given
concerning his Son, the testimony. Look at 2 Timothy 1, see if you
can find any place here that will allow the flesh to glow.
Verse 8, 2 Timothy 1, Be not thou therefore ashamed of the
testimony of our Lord, the gospel of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner,
but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the
power of God, who saved us, who has saved us, and who hath called
us, not according to our but according to his own purpose
and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before the
world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of
our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and brought
life and immortality to the light through the gospel." Where am
I in there? No place to both. God's the creator. God's the one who purposed it,
God's the one who gave it, God's the one who called. Here in his
love, not that we left God, but he left us and gave his son to
their propitiation by sin. Let's turn to Ephesians 2 a moment.
Let's see if we can find any place here in this gospel message
for glory. Now in Ephesians chapter 2, you've
read this so many times you can quote it, but he talks about
what we were, and then verse 5 he said, and even when we were
dead, Dinner and sin and God has quickened us together with
Christ. By grace you're saved and God raised us up together
and God made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ.
That in the ages to come God might show the exceeding riches
of God's grace and God's kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by God's grace are you saved through faith, and that not of
yourself, faith's the gift of God. It's not of works, lest
any man should boast, were his workmanship created in Christ
Jesus. Where is there and there to boast?
It won't allow for boasting. The gospel message itself forbids
all boasting. One more scripture. Turn to Titus
3. Listen to this. Titus chapter 3, this is the
gospel message of free grace. In Titus 3 verse 3, listen, for
we ourselves also, we were sometimes at one time foolish, disobedient,
deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice,
envy, hateful, hating one another. There you are. That put us down
on it. after the kindness and the love
of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness
which we've done, but according to his mercy, mercy on the miserable. He saved us Who saved whom? He saved us by the washing of
regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit which he shed
on us abundantly, richly, all we need through Jesus Christ
our Savior. Oh, let me hurry. That's the
first reason. No confidence in the flesh because
the gospel message won't permit it. Second reason, no confidence
in the flesh. Because the gospel questions
won't permit it. Gospel questions. What are gospel
questions? You think of a gospel question?
I say this is one of the reasons the gospel is not being preached
today, is because preachers and people are not asking gospel
questions. I'll show you a gospel question
in the Old Testament. Turn to Job 25. Here's a gospel
question. Here's a gospel question that
ought to be asked in every pulpit in America, or by every person
in the pew of the pulpit. Job 25, verse 4. He asks it over
and over again in the book of Job. Job 25, verse 4. How then
can man be justified with God? How can he be clean that's born
of a woman? That's a gospel question, isn't
that a dandy? How can a man be just with you?
How can he be clean? It's born of a woman. Behold,
even to the moon that shineth not, the stars are not pure in
God's sight. Heaven's been touched with sin.
How much less man that is a worm. He said how much more is man
abominable, filthy, stinking. I'm much less man than is a worm,
the son of man who is a worm." How can man be just with God?
And that question is answered in Romans chapter 3 when it said,
God gave his son to be a propitiation that he might be just and justify
the ungodly. Here's another question, Job
11, turn over here, Job chapter 11. Job chapter 11. Now Scripture says no man has
seen God. No man knoweth the Father. How
can God be known? Job 11. Here's a good gospel
question. Job 11 verse 7. Can you by searching
find out God? How are you going to find God? How are we going to find God?
Can you find out the Almighty unto perfection? And listen,
it won't do to find Him out to imperfection, will it? How are
we going to find God? What's higher than the heavens?
What can you do that's deeper than hell? What can you know?
How are we going to find God? That's what the disciples asked
Christ. Show us the Father. He said, He that has seen me
has seen the Father. God was in Christ reconciling
the world in Jerusalem. That's how we find God, in Christ. Here's another gospel question.
If a man dies, shall he live again? Man died spiritually,
how is he going to live again? The Son quickeneth whom he were. The time is coming, and now is,
when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and
they that hear shall live. Man is going to die physically,
shall he live again? Christ said, and the day comes
when all that are in the graves will hear the voice of the Son
of God, and they'll come forth, some to life and some to eternal
death. Here's another gospel question,
who maketh thee to differ? What hast thou that thou didst
not receive? So I tell you, the gospel itself, the gospel message
forbids boasting. I have no confidence in the flesh,
and these gospel questions, the answers cannot be found in the
flesh. Here's the third one there. The gospel way of reckoning destroys
boasting. Reckoning, what is reckoning?
I looked up the word in the dictionary today. Turn to Romans 6. What
do we mean by reckoning? Reckon, reckon, reckon. Well,
it means two things. Reckon means to count something,
reckon it to be so, count it to be so. Or the second word
is consider, consider it to be so. All right, here's a question.
Look at Romans, or statement, Romans 6 verse 11. Likewise,
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin." Dead
to the law? To the curse of the law? You
count yourself, you consider yourself dead to the law? To
the law's penalty? To sin's penalty and sin's power? You reckon that? How do you reckon
it? How do you count that? How do you consider that? What's
this next line? and alive unto God through Jesus
Christ our Lord. No boasting there. I reckon myself
to be dead to the law, to be dead to its curse, to be dead
to the law as a covenant, to be dead to the law as a rule
of life, and to be alive unto God through Jesus Christ my Lord. What about this? How about righteousness?
Turn to Romans 4. Righteousness. How do you reckon
yourself to be righteous? In Romans chapter 4, and you
can't stand before God unless you are righteous, in Romans
4 verse 3, listen to this. What sayeth the scriptures? Abraham
believed God and it was reckoned, it was counted, imputed unto
him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh, Is the
reward not reckoned of grace, but of death? Is that the way
you're coming in? No. But to him that worketh not,
but believeth on Christ that justifieth the ungodly, and that
was our first question, his faith shall be reckoned for righteousness. The gospel way of reckoning,
reckon yourselves to be dead unto sin. and alive unto God
through Christ. Reckon yourselves to be righteous
and holy, unblameable in Christ. And then how about strength and
confidence? Turn to 2 Corinthians 3. Listen
to Paul over here. No room for boasting. 2 Corinthians
3 verse 5. Listen to this. Paul says, Back
in verse, chapter 2, he said, who's sufficient for these things?
In chapter 3, verse 5, he said, not that we're sufficient of
ourselves to think anything of ourselves, but our sufficiency
is of God. I have a strength, I have a sufficiency,
but it's not in myself, it's in Christ, for when I'm weak,
then am I strong. Here's the fourth one. Our gospel
will not tolerate boasting or confidence in the flesh. The gospel message won't, the
gospel questions won't, the gospel way of reckoning. Now, the gospel
doctrines. What are the gospel doctrines?
Well, I'll tell you this, the gospel doctrines all abase the
flesh and exalt the grace of God. Man ruined His power was
of himself, his recovery is of the Lord. David said that in
Psalm 23, he said, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures. He leadeth me beside the still
waters. He restores my soul. Now what
are the gospel doctrines? Well, the doctrine of regeneration.
We're born of God. The doctrine of justification.
It's God that justifies. The doctrine of the effectual
call, whom he justified, he called. The doctrine of sanctification,
he has made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification. And the doctrine
of perseverance, we are kept by the power of God through faith. The whole of the doctrine of
the gospel is set forth to this end, he that glories, let him
glory in the Lord. There is no room for boasting. Consider this, the gospel parables
which our Lord taught leave no room for boasting, rather the
opposite, they give God all the praise. Take the parables, I'm
not going to take all of them, but just here's a couple of them.
Number one, our Lord said he set forth a parable and said
this, there were two men went up to the temple to pray. One
was a Pharisee, one was a publican. And the Pharisee came down to
the altar and he lifted his eyes to heaven and he said, God, I
thank you, I'm not like other men. And you know what else he
said? I'm not like that publican. And our Lord said the publican
would not so much as lift his eyes or even his hands to heaven,
but he smote on his breast and he said, oh God, oh God, be merciful
to me, the sinner. And this man went home justified
rather than this man. Where's the room for both? And
then there's this parable of the lost sheep. The shepherd
went out to find the sheep. The lost coin, dead, lying in
the dust, and the woman lit the lamp. There's the Lord Jesus
Christ who went out for the sheep. The Holy Spirit who lit the lamp
and found the coin. And then when the son came home,
the father welcomed him and kissed him and made a feast and said,
my son was dead. Now, God gets all the glory.
And then fifth, sixthly, the gospel promises and covenant
are based not upon us in any shape, form, or fashion, but
the gospel covenant and promises of that covenant are based upon
His grace. And I'll read you two passages.
Turn to Jeremiah 31. Jeremiah 31, the gospel covenant. God made the covenant, the covenants
of God's making. God's purpose. Jeremiah chapter
31. Let's read beginning with verse
31. Jeremiah 31 verse 31. Behold
the days come, saith the Lord, I'll make a new covenant with
the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. Not according
to the covenant I made with their fathers in the day that I took
them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. which
my covenant they break, although I was a husband unto them, saith
the Lord. But this shall be the covenant I make with the house
of Israel. After those days, saith the Lord, I'll put my law
in their inward parts, I'll write it in their hearts, I'll be their
God, they'll be my people. They shall teach no more, every
man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the
They shall all know Me from the least of them to the greatest
of them, saith the Lord, and I will forgive their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more. That's His covenant.
Jeremiah 32, just over one page. Jeremiah 32, verse 38. Listen
to this. Jeremiah 32, 38. And they'll
be My people, and I'll be their God. All the promises originate
with Him, not us. The promises are fulfilled in
Christ, not us. All the promises of God are in
Christ, yea and amen. Listen, I'll be their God. They'll be my people, I'll be
their God. Verse 39, I'll give them one heart, one way, that
they may fear me forever. for the good of them and of their
children after them. I'll make an everlasting covenant
with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good.
I'll put my fear in their hearts and they shall not depart from
me. Where is the room for boasting? I can't find it anywhere in any
of them. I've got one more. The gospel
message forbids boasting. The gospel questions forbid boasting. The gospel way of reckoning destroys
boasting. The gospel doctrines abase the
flesh, exalt the grace of God. The gospel parables, every one
point to his hand and his grace. The gospel covenant, the gospel
promises, every one are in Christ. And watch this now, in closing.
The gospel calls. The gospel calls to receive Christ
and to find in Him all we need. Even those calls, when God calls
a man to Christ, abase the flesh and exalt our Lord. Listen to
it. Does the gospel call the righteous? No. Christ said, I'm not come to
call the righteous. I've come to call sinners. Now
that abases us. I'm not come to call the righteous.
I'm come to call the sinners. Does the gospel call and invite
the fool and the rich? No. He says, oh, everyone that
thirsts it, come to the rider, and he that hath no money, come
and buy. Does the gospel call and invite
the friends of God? No. God commended his love for
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
If when we were enemies we were reconciled to God, much more
we shall be saved by his life. Does the gospel call and invite
the good religious folks? No. Come, let us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet,
I'll make them as white as snow. Come unto me, all ye that labor
and a heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. Come, ye sinners, heavy
laden, bruised and mangled by the fall. If you tarry till you're
better, you'll never come at all. Let not conscience make
you linger, nor fitness fondly dream. All the fitness he requireth
is to feel your need of him." That's the gospel gospel. One
more scripture, Romans 3. Oh, I rejoice in Christ Jesus,
my confidence in Christ Jesus. I want it to be unshakable, unbending,
established, settled firmly, immovable, stronger as the days
go by with a full assurance and confidence that this old flesh
and the deeds and doings of the flesh, I want it constantly abased
and put down. Romans 3 verse 25, listen. Whom
God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to
declare his righteousness for the remission of sins of the
past through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, at
this time, his righteousness. His righteousness that he might
be just. and the justifier of him that
believeth in Jesus. Now, where is your boasting?
Where is your boasting then? Why it's excluded. By what law? Of works? No. It's faith that
excludes boasting. It's the gospel that excludes
boasting. It's when you rejoice in Christ
Jesus that you have no confidence in the flesh. It is when your
eye looks fully upon him and in the brightness of his love
Beauty and sufficiency, you see your own insufficiency. Whereas boasting is excluded. By what law? Of works, no. It's excluded by the law of faith.
Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith without
the works of the law. No confidence in the flesh. But we do rejoice in Christ Jesus.

No Confidence In the Flesh

What does the Bible say about confidence in the flesh?

How do we know that salvation is by grace and not works?

Why is rejoicing in Christ important for Christians?

How should Christians view their own efforts in relation to faith?

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No Confidence In the Flesh

What does the Bible say about confidence in the flesh?

How do we know that salvation is by grace and not works?

Why is rejoicing in Christ important for Christians?

How should Christians view their own efforts in relation to faith?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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