True Ministers and True Believers

Q: What does the Bible say about true believers?

The Bible emphasizes that true believers are those who are saved and have a genuine relationship with Christ. True believers, as articulated in Romans 10, are those who earnestly desire salvation and seek a relationship with Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul reflects on his supreme desire that others might be saved, highlighting that knowing Christ is more important than mere doctrinal correctness. Although understanding doctrinal truths, such as those encapsulated in TULIP, is valuable, it is essential that believers also know God personally. A true believer recognizes that salvation comes from faith in Christ, not from their own works or righteousness.

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

Salvation is confirmed by faith in Christ, as stated in Romans 10, which clarifies that righteousness comes through belief rather than adherence to the law. The distinction between salvation by faith and by works is crucial in Reformed theology, as encapsulated in Romans 10. The law requires perfect obedience, stating that the one who does the law shall live by it. However, since no one can perfectly fulfill the law, righteousness is only attainable through faith in Jesus Christ. As Paul emphasizes in Romans 10, it is not through our works, but through confessing with our mouth and believing in our heart that we receive salvation. The true essence of the gospel is the simplicity of believing Christ and His finished work for our justification.

Q: Why is knowing God's righteousness important for Christians?

Knowing God's righteousness helps Christians understand their dependence on Christ for salvation and the futility of seeking righteousness through their efforts. Understanding God's righteousness is vital for Christians as it reveals the gap between God's holiness and human sinfulness. Paul asserts in Romans 10 that many have a zeal for God but are ignorant of His righteousness, demonstrating a crucial misunderstanding of how salvation operates. They often attempt to establish their own righteousness through works, but this leads to error, as true righteousness comes from faith in Christ alone. By recognizing God’s perfect righteousness, believers are pointed away from self-reliance and instead trust in Jesus, the only means of being accepted by God. This foundational understanding influences all aspects of a Christian’s life and encourages reliance on grace.

Q: What does Romans 10 teach about the relationship between law and grace?

Romans 10 teaches that the law demands perfection, while grace, through faith in Christ, offers righteousness apart from the law. In Romans 10, Paul clarifies the significant contrast between law and grace. The law dictates that one must obey perfectly to attain righteousness; failure to do so results in condemnation. Conversely, grace offers salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, independent of the law's requirements. This reality underscores the futility of attempting to achieve righteousness through one's actions, as no one can fulfill the law's demands. Grace liberates believers, allowing them to be justified by faith rather than by works, as Christ has fulfilled the law on their behalf, thus freeing them from the curse of the law.

I feel impressed to bring a word or two from Romans chapter
10. Romans the 10th chapter. Now the title of this message
is, True Ministers and True Believers. ministers and true believers. In verse 1 of Romans 10, Paul
says, Brethren, my heart's desire, my heart, I've just got one,
and the supreme desire of that heart and prayer to God for you
is That you might be saved. That's my heart's supreme desire. That you might be saved. That you might win Christ and
be found in Him. The true servant of God loves
fellowship. And He loves to be loved. He
likes to have friends. And if we can be friends and
we can have fellowship, that would be an added blessing. But my supreme and chief desire
and prayer to God is that we might be saved. We desire men to be moral, obedient
to God's law. And that would certainly be to
your advantage, to the advantage of your home and your children
and your neighbors and your family and your friends, for you to
walk in holiness and morality and honesty. But still, my supreme
desire is that you might be saved, that you might know God. I want
men and women to be doctrinally sound. The character of God,
the doctrines of the scripture to me are as clear as the sun.
I have no problem with tulip, do you? Total depravity, unconditional
election, particular or limited atonement, irresistible, invincible
grace, perseverance and preservation. I love that. But a man can know doctrine and
not know God. And I think the most troublesome
state a man can possibly be in is to have a correct doctrinal
position and not know Him. Christ is our doctrine. We don't
arrive at Christ through doctrine. We arrive at doctrine through
Christ. And I would that we had a larger
assembly, not to impress the world with
our size and strength, but that we might have more voices to
praise our God, that we might unite together
to do more and more toward preaching the gospel in other places. But my heart's desire and prayer
to God is that you might be saved, that you might be born of God,
born from above, redeemed by His grace. All these other things,
friendship, morality, doctrinal correctness and the growth of
the assembly. All these other things will come
about in God's good time if we know Him. As our Lord said, seek
ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these
other things will be added to you. And that's what Paul is saying
in verse 1, this is my heart's desire, this is my prayer to
God, that those to whom I preach might be saved. And then in verse
2 he said, listen to this, I bear them record. You know we run upon this word
record, this is the record. God has given us eternal life
and this life is in His Son, the record. What that is saying
is this is the truth. This is established. This is
correct. And Paul says, I know these people. I know them. Having been one
of them by experience, by the scriptures, by the grace of God,
the true servant of God knows people. He knows people. He has a discernment. And Paul
said, I bear them record. I know them. This is true. That
they have a zeal of God. All people are religious by nature. What do you think that this religious
revival that's taking place all about us is? It's a zeal for
God. That's what it's all about. People
have a zeal for God. Down in Mexico, someone asked
me, they said, when you were down in Mexico, did you find
a lot of religion? Well, of course, like everywhere
else. They're 98% Catholic. The women carry on the religion. The men rarely go to church.
They go to the Catholic church for any reason. They go three
times in their lives. The men go three times. Their
mama takes them when they're sprinkled as an infant. They
go when they get married, and they take them there when they
bury them. Steve Gunderson says they hatch them, match them,
and dispatch them. Isn't that right? Hatch them, match them, and dispatch
them. You'll remember that, won't you?
I did. But that's religion. They have
a zeal for God. And like in America, oh, everybody's
a member of somebody's church. They go to church on Sunday,
they don't enjoy it. They give, but they don't enjoy
it. They sing the songs and hear the preacher, but they don't
enjoy it and rejoice in it, but they have religion. Superstition,
emotion, tradition, and form reigns everywhere. Paul said,
I know them. They have a zeal for God, but
what's the next line? But it's not according to knowledge. They don't know the scriptures,
they don't know the character of God, they don't know the way
of life. Our children here know more than
the average preacher. That's exactly right. It's not according to knowledge.
Our Lord said this. He said, talking to the religious
Pharisees, these men were schooled in religion. He said, you do
error. Error. That's the way you go.
Error. For two reasons. He said, you err because you
do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God. And that's
what's wrong with this generation of preachers. They don't know
the Scriptures. They don't know the Scriptures.
Oh, you say, this man's a walking Bible. He can know the words
and not know the message. I knew that one time. I knew
the words and didn't know the message. Some of you here knew
the words, you've been to Sunday school all your lives, but you
didn't know the message. You don't know the scriptures
unless you know the message of the scriptures. And you don't
know the power of God, he said, the indisputable, unchangeable,
infinite power of God who does what he will, when he will, with
whom he will. Our God's not impotent. Is there anything too hard for
God? Not my God. Not the God of the Bible, but
there is for the Arminians God. He wants to save people in Cain.
It's too hard for Him. He said it's not according to
knowledge. And here's the evidence of their ignorance. True servants of God know people.
They're not deceived by people. Paul wasn't deceived. He said,
I know them. I bear them record. They have a zeal of God, but
they're ignorant. And here's how I know they're
ignorant. You know how I know they're ignorant? For they being
ignorant of God's righteousness, God's holiness, God's immutable
holiness, His essential holiness, His required holiness, His demanded
holiness, what he demands of us, what he is himself, holiness. They're ignorant of God's holiness,
God's provided holiness, purchased holiness, purposed holiness.
And they're going about to establish their own holiness, their own
righteousness, either in their dress, or in their words, or
in their duties, or in their morality, or in their religion,
or in their profession. But they're going about with
much activity to establish their own righteousness. Now you think
about that, theirs, not his, theirs. Not his perfect righteousness,
but their imperfect righteousness. That's clear evidence they don't
know God. If a man knew God, he certainly
wouldn't try to find acceptance with God on the basis of what
he does. Christ said you need to know
me or my father. You have a form of godliness,
an outward form of godliness. You're ever learning, ever learning,
ever learning, but never coming to knowledge of the truth. Never! A holy God knowing our flesh
can never be pleased with what we do. Our Lord said in Luke 16, 15,
he said this to this religious generation. He says, you obey
what justifies yourself before men. You justify yourself before men
by your looks and duties and religion and all these traditions,
singing and preaching and praying. Giving of arms, you justify yourselves
before men. But that which is highly esteemed
among men is an abomination to God, for God looks on the heart. And there's no way that a holy
God can look on anything I say or anything I do and accept me
on that basis. He can't do it and be God. And
when a man thinks he can, that shows an ignorance of God, doesn't
it? When a man thinks that God will be impressed when he gives
a large gift, well, he's ignorant of God. Or when he does a certain
duty, when he walks down an aisle and kneels at a bench and cries
and prays and everybody says, well, he's so repentant, he's
so broken, he's so sincere, he's so, so, so, so nothing, God sees
his heart. And it's not a perfect repentance,
it's not a perfect contrition, it's not a perfect conviction,
it's not a perfect plea, it's an imperfect thing because the
flesh is doing it. And if he thinks God can accept
him on the basis of that, he's an ignorant fool. There isn't but one human being,
one human, one person in human nature that God's ever looked
upon with satisfaction, and that's Jesus Christ. There is but one
person who ever walked this earth in flesh and blood and bones
that Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, could look upon in all
that he did and said, and say, I'm pleased. And that's Jesus
Christ. Nothing in the flesh, no man
can please God. In the flesh dwelleth no good
thing. And this is an evidence of their
ignorance. They're going about to establish
a righteousness of their own. Paul said back here, listen to
this, I know that in me, that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good
thing. The will is present with me. How to perform that which is
good, I don't find it. Well, if he couldn't find it,
do you think we can find it? Romans 8.80 said this, listen,
they that are in the flesh cannot please God. I conclude, he said, that a man
is justified by faith, not by the deeds of the law. All right, let's look at verse
4. Now, I said in verse 1, a true servant of God has the supreme
desire of his heart in prayer to God is that the people to
whom he preaches might be saved, accepted of God, redeemed. But he knows us, he knows himself,
and he knows us. That while we by nature have
a zeal for God, we're ignorant of the true God unless God is
pleased to reveal himself to us in Christ. And one of the
evidences we're ignorant of God is the fact that we're going
about to establish a righteousness. And we'll not submit to Christ
the righteousness of God. We just won't do it. Do you know
what the most impossible thing for anybody here to do, this
son of Adam and you too, and you daughters of Adam. You know,
the most impossible thing is to literally, actually discount,
discount anything, anything we've ever done, can do, will do, for
acceptance with God and lean wholly, completely on Christ
Jesus for salvation. Now come on, I'm telling the
truth, that's the most impossible thing you ever attempted to do.
You cannot do it. With me it's impossible, but
God all things apart, He's able to bring you to that place. Preacher
can't bring you there, the soul winner can't bring you there,
mama can't bring you there, you might strive with all your might,
but that old flesh will rear up its head somewhere. And the
only one who can give you the power To become sons of God,
resting only in Christ, is God himself. That's just so. Look at verse 4. But the true
servant of Christ has a message. He has a message of good news
and glad tidings for all to hear. Here it is, verse 4. Now we need
to camp here and see if we can learn and lay hold of what he's
saying here. It's not a more important scripture
in the Bible. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believes. Now let me break
that down. I say this is one of the most
important scriptures in the Bible. There ought to be a star by it.
This is the answer to human ignorance. This is the answer to human righteousness. This is the answer to the impossibility
of our ever being accepted of God by what we did. We say, what's
the answer? Here it is! Christ Jesus, the
God-man, who was with God, is God, all things were made by
him, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. This God-man,
Christ Jesus, who is called Emmanuel, God with us, who is he? What
did he do? Why did he do it? Where is he
now? Have we got a hold of that? Christ
Jesus? He is the end of the law. What on earth by the man does
that mean? Christ Jesus is the end of the
law. Let me tell you, here it is.
Number one, he's the goal of the law. What is the end of your quest?
What is the end of your effort? No, well, what's your goal? That's
why when we're saying, what is the end of this thing, what is
your goal? Well, Christ is the goal of the
law. The law was never given to save. It was with Him in mind
that God gave the law. You see what I'm saying? The law wasn't given to save,
it was given to people who were under condemnation. It was given
to people who were breaking it while God was giving it. The law wasn't given to make
you righteous, but to lead you to Christ. See that? To shut our mouths, shut us up
to Him. He's the goal of the law. When
God gave the Passover, and when God gave the tabernacle, when
God gave the Sabbath, when God gave all these things imposed
upon Israel, they were with Christ in mind, who is our Passover,
our Sabbath. He's the fulfillment. That word
end is fulfillment. It's over. It's fulfilled. No
use keeping on wearing something out if it's fulfilled. If it's already done, if it's
already finished, He is our Sabbath. He is our Passover. He is our
righteousness. Everything that the Old Testament
set forth and commanded as a type or a figure is fulfilled by Christ. He's the end of it. That's all. I wish these preachers
wouldn't keep on bringing it back. That's the end of it. He
took away the first, but he might establish the second. Over in
England now, they're arguing about LDOS, Lord's Day Observance
Society. They want to bring back, make
Sunday, well Sunday ain't the Sabbath to begin with. They're
defeated right there. But Christ is our Sabbath. I'm
not going to give up worshiping Christ to worship a day now.
I'm just not going to do it. I'll go out and bounce a tennis
ball against the wall just because I'm going to do it to keep from
resting in that day. I'll go run around the park or
do something, but I ain't going to worship that day with you.
Christ is my Savior. And if you're going to bring
that day, bring in the tithe, and bring in the sacrifice, and
go back and find the ark, and reconstruct the mercy seat, and
let's kill some lambs because Christ failed. Isn't that right? It's serious business. He's the
end of the law. You mean we can be lawless? Well,
that's the fool on the other side. He's the goal of the law that
was given with him in mind. He's the fulfillment of it, he's
the end of it, he's the shelving of it, he's the putting it back
in the storage room and leaving it and falling at his feet. And then he's the end or conclusion
of the law as a covenant, as a curse, as having any claim
on me. The law has no claim on me. No
claim. I'm not under the law. I'm married
to another. The old husband's dead, and I
took his picture off the wall. That's right. I don't operate
under his rules. I'm married to Jesus Christ.
He's a better husband. That old husband had me in slavery
and bondage, and he died. God killed him and gave me a
new one, Christ Jesus. And I've taken every remembrance
of that old slave massacre and task massacre out of the house,
and I'm going to live with Christ. Is that all right, Gary? That's
what that means. That's what that means. And that's
what Paul said, I want these religious people to be saved,
because I know them. They're intent on establishing
a righteousness. They'll do it by hook or crook.
They'll do it some way. They're going to establish some
way for God to accept them. except through Christ. But he said Christ is the end
of all this lying, trying, buying. He's the end of it. Lying about
my sins, trying to appease the holy God, and buying my way to
heaven. He's the end of it. He's the
goal of it. He's the consummation of it.
He's the end, finish of it. The fulfillment of it, it's done. It must be taken up with him. That's what that's saying. Well,
to whom? To everyone that believeth. To everyone that believeth. Not
to everybody who has all the information, but to everyone
that believeth. Not to everyone that understands
it. Boy, that'd leave me out. It's to everyone that believeth.
Not to everyone that does his best. It's to everyone that believeth.
I believe. I believe. that I'm a sinner. I believe God's word of promise
and purpose. I believe there's no merit in
this flesh. I believe Jesus Christ is my
righteousness. I believe that He's my sin offering.
I believe. God helped my unbelief. Do you
believe? Well, isn't there something else?
Well, if there is, He didn't say so. He said, believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ. And then the true servant of
Christ, in verse 5, knows the difference in law and grace.
He knows the difference. He doesn't try to mix them. It's
a confused man that confuses men. Paul said, I don't frustrate
the grace of God. I don't confuse it. If righteousness
comes by the law, he died in vain. That's how clear it is
to me. You see verse 5, here's a clear statement. Listen to
it. There's no obscurity here. You don't need to go to college
to understand this. You want to know what the law
says? Verse 5. You want to be saved by law?
Here it is. Duties and deeds? Here it is. Moses describes the
righteousness which is of the law. Here's that righteousness
if you're going to find it by law. Here she is, brother. That
the man which doeth those things shall live by them. There's the
law. There's no bending it. There's
no reshaping it. He says this, you want to be
righteous before God? Obey the law. He didn't say admire
it. Memorize it. Do it. Do it. Do it. It's not the hearer of the law,
it's the doer of the law. The whole law, not a part of
it, to offend in one part is to be guilty of all of it. The
law cannot be toned down to justify my imperfections. The law cannot
be toned down to make allowance for my weakness. It's not doing
the best I can. It's, do it! That's what the
law says. There's no mercy in the law. I beg your pardon. I wouldn't
stand before God's law. I wouldn't want to, desire to. I don't want any part of it. The law has no leniency. It has
no mercy. It has no bending. The law says
do it or be damned. Isn't that right? Do it or die.
Do it or die. I know you and I, we're just
not God though. And you and I will tell our children,
Go out and wash the car now, do it. Say hymn and ho and hang
around. Well, do it tomorrow, then it'll
be all right. Not God. I beg your pardon. Just do it or go to hell. And
that left us out. He said that's what the law said. Well, what's the gospel say?
Well, it's as clear as the law, verse 6. But the righteousness,
the holiness of God, which is by faith, speaketh on this wise. It don't say, do anything. It
says, don't say this in your heart. Who shall ascend into
heaven? That is, to bring Christ down.
Who shall ascend into the deep? To bring up Christ. What does
the righteousness of faith say? It's a word that's in your mouth
and in your heart. It's the word of faith. It's
the gospel which we pray. Don't you think that divine justification
depends on something to be done by you or anybody else? The law
requires doing, the gospel requires nothing. It's not my descending, it's
his that redeems me. It's not my ascending, it's his
ascending. Not mine at all. All we need
to do is hear the gospel and believe it. Let me show you something
on this verse right here. Some of you fellas will appreciate
this. Turn to Deuteronomy 30. Now keep
Romans 10 right there where you have it. And turn to Deuteronomy
30. Romans 10. Hold that right there
and then Deuteronomy 30. Deuteronomy 30 verse 11. Now
here Moses says the law is clear. The law is clear. Deuteronomy
30, verse 11, are you with me? For this commandment, which I
command thee this day, is not hidden from you. It's not far
off. He's talking about the law. It's
not in heaven that you should say, well, who will go to heaven
and bring it down to us that we may hear it and do it? Neither
is it beyond the sea that you should say, who will go over
the sea for us and bring it to us that we may hear it and do
it? The Word is very known to you. It's in your mouth and in
your heart that you may do it. The Law is very plain. And Paul
takes the same words and uses them about the Gospel. You see
that? Moses is saying, it's not obscure. The Law just says, do it. Love
God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Obey God. Walk in perfect holiness from
the cradle to the grave, and you'll be safe. Well, who's going
to go up there and bring all that? You know it. There it is. Well, if you can't do that, then
turn to the gospel. What's the gospel? Well, who's
going to go to heaven and bring the gospel down? It's already
here. Well, who's going to descend into the deep, into the mysteries
of the sea, and bring up the gospel? It's already here. It's
in your mouth. It's in your heart. It's the
word of faith. It's clear as crystal. It's belief on the Lord
Jesus Christ. You heard me. Jesus Christ came
down to this earth. He obeyed the law. He went to
the cross and died. He was buried and rose again.
Well, what must I do to be saved? Look to Him. Believe on Him.
That's it. Well, tell me something. Tell me the mystery. Ain't no
mystery. There it is. It's in your mouth, in your heart,
and in this Word I'm preaching. And people are just trying to
make it confusing and strange and everything else, but just
like Moses said over in Deuteronomy, he said, the law is clear, do
it and live. Paul over here says, the gospel is clear, believe
it and live. You see that? That's what he's
saying there. And here it is, verse 9, that if you shall confess
with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart God
raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness, with the mouth confession made unto salvation. That's the gospel. What is to confess Christ? It's
to make a sincere heartfelt confession to God before me, that Christ
is my prophet, to reveal God, Christ is my priest, to give
me a perfect righteousness and a perfect atonement, Christ is
my king to reign over me, this I believe. And this I confess
in believers' baptism. I'm dead to religion, I'm dead
to my own righteousness, I'm dead to the world, I'm dead to
tradition, I'm dead to custom, I'm dead, I'm buried with Christ,
I'm risen Like he died, was buried, and rose again to walk with him.
That's my confession. This is a heart work. And a man's
not going to do that openly until he believes it secretly. He must
not do it outwardly until he believes it inwardly. One of
the great old hymn writers wrote a hymn about baptism, confessing
Christ, and this is what he said, Lord, in humble, sweet submission. Here we meet to follow Thee,
trusting in Thy great salvation, who alone can make us free. Naught have we to claim or merit,
all the duties that we can do. Can no crown of life inherit,
all the praise to Thee is due. Yet we come in faithful duty,
down beneath the wave to go. or the bliss, the heavenly beauty,
Christ my Lord was buried so, as an emblem of thy suffering
and thy victory over the grave, we who know thy great salvation
are baptized beneath the wave. Fearless of the world's despising,
we the ancient path pursue, buried with our Lord and arising to
a life divinely new. That's confession. Confession with the mouth, believe
it or not. Do you see that? I hope that's
helpful. It is to me. It's encouraging.
It's comforting. Because I believe. I believe
Christ. And I'm confident more and more
as I grow older there's no There's no merit in religion and no acceptance
based on anything that we have done or ever will do. It's all
in him. The law says, do and live. The gospel, the righteousness
of faith, says this. Same way Moses talked about the
law. It's very clear. Nobody has to go to some secret
place and find out what the recipe is, or go to some far off depth
and find out the mystery. No, it's right here on your mouth,
on your tongue, and on your heart. Christ died for sinners. Believe
Him. Believe Him.

True Ministers and True Believers

What does the Bible say about true believers?

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

Why is knowing God's righteousness important for Christians?

What does Romans 10 teach about the relationship between law and grace?

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True Ministers and True Believers

What does the Bible say about true believers?

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

Why is knowing God's righteousness important for Christians?

What does Romans 10 teach about the relationship between law and grace?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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