I came in the office one day this week, and Martha, my secretary, told
me that American Express had a special insurance policy for traveling
people. I usually, we usually get my
plane tickets on these trips to England and Mexico and other
places on American Express card. And she said, they'll just, they'll
just add $13 on to the ticket and you're insured for a million
dollars. And my beloved treasurer, Russell
May, was standing there and he said, you're making it awful
hard for us to pray for your safe return. And he meant it. You know, it's not true. It's
just not true that a person must wait until the judgment to find
out if he's saved or lost. That's just not true. I received a letter not long
ago from a man who signed it. Saved by grace, if saved at all. Did you ever hear that before?
Saved by grace, if saved at all. Many people believe that a person
does not know whether they are in Christ until we get to the
judgment, and that's not so because Paul said, I know whom I have
believed. I know whom I have believed.
And John said this, he said, we know that we've passed from
death unto life. And Job said, I know that my
Redeemer liveth. And David said this, David said,
although it be not so with my house, God has made with me a
covenant, an everlasting covenant. Ordered in all things, and what?
Doubtful? Sure, sure. And this is my salvation. And this is all my desire. Yes,
sir. In other words, I want to show
you some scripture. Turn to 2 Peter 1. Actually, our Lord commands
us to settle this matter of faith in our hearts. He commands us
to. It's a command. that you settle this matter of
your relationship with God and settle it in your heart right
now. In 2 Peter 1.10, listen, 2 Peter 1.10, wherefore the rather
brethren give diligence to make your calling and election. Doubtful? No, so sure. Sure. For if you do these things, you
shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered
unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. Make it sure. And the Apostle
Paul said this in 1 Corinthians. You needn't turn to this one.
You're real familiar with it. He said, when you come around
the Lord's table, let a man examine himself, and so let him eat.
Find a cause to eat. Find an understanding and a discernment
of the Lord's broken body and shed blood. Examine yourself.
And then in 2nd Corinthians, I do want you to turn to this
one, in 2nd Corinthians chapter 13, 2nd Corinthians 13, the Apostle
says this, 2nd Corinthians 13, I believe it's verse 5, and what I'm saying is our Lord commands
us in his word to settle this matter of faith and union with
Christ. 2nd Corinthians 13, 5, examine
yourselves, Now, you're not to determine whether I'm saved or
not. That's something you can't determine. And I'm not to sit
in judgment on you. I'm never to make you say, well,
he just doesn't know the Lord. I don't know whether you know
the Lord. But I know whether I know the Lord. You examine
yourself. Now, listen. Whether you be in
the faith, prove, prove your own selves. Know you're not your
own selves? How that Jesus Christ is in you,
unless you're reprobate, Our Lord commands us to settle this
matter of our faith in Christ, our union with Christ. I'll tell
you the people of the Old Testament did, turn to Hebrews 11, listen
to these scriptures. You see, what I'm pointing out
here, it is that confidence, it is that confidence of a saving
interest in Christ, like David had, and Job had, and Paul had. and John had. It is that confidence
of a saving union with Christ, a saving interest in Christ that
encourages a person and motivates a person to follow Christ whatever
the cost. That's what motivates. True faith
motivates a person to follow Christ whatever the cost. Listen
to this in Hebrews 11 verse 4. By faith Abel offered unto God
a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. It cost him his life. It
cost him his life. Verse 5, by faith Enoch was translated
that he should not see death. Verse 6, without faith it's impossible
to please God. He that cometh to God must believe
that he is and that he's the rewarder of them that diligently
seek him. Verse 7, by faith Noah being
warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear and prepared
an art. Can't you imagine the ridicule
and harassment and mocking that that man endured building that
art for a hundred and some odd years? But he believed God. And that confidence in his God
led him to follow his Lord, whatever the cost. led him to follow his
Lord. Look at verse 8. By faith Abraham,
when he was called to go out into a place which he should
after receive an inheritance, he obeyed. He went out. He was
75 years old. He left his father's house, he
left all of his kinfolks, he left his people, and he went
out, look, not knowing where he was going. Now that'd be a
tough enough assignment now. But you think what it was then,
without all of the luxuries and so forth that we enjoy. He went
not knowing where he was going, but he believed God. I'm simply saying this, that
we don't have to wait till we get to judgment to find out if
we saved or lost. God tells us in his word to examine
yourself now, prove yourself now, give diligence to make your
calling and election sure. And these Old Testament believers
who are our examples, these men believed God, and they believed
God with such a confidence and such a certainty that it led
them to do things that other people wouldn't do. It led them
to follow Christ whatever the cost. It's like Paul said, quoting
David. David said this and so did Paul,
I believe, therefore I've spoken. You say, why do you preach? It's
like my brother-in-law was here not long ago, and he said, how
do you get away with saying the things you say from the pulpit?
I believe them. When a man believes something,
he'll preach it. David and Paul both said, I believe,
therefore I've spoken. Now, that ought to settle the
issue. I hear people say, well, Brother So-and-so believes grace,
but he doesn't preach it. He doesn't believe it. He doesn't
believe it. You see, to believe God, to believe
God makes a man bold and he's God. A woman too. To believe
God makes a person bold, gives them a confidence to do what
others won't dare do. And say what others won't dare
say. Because they don't fear them
that kill the body, they fear him who can kill your body and
soul and cast you into hell. That's whom they fear. They don't
fear men, they fear God. Paul stood on that ship, and
everybody on the ship had given up hope for the ship. Those ancient
mariners, those men skilled and gifted in sailing ships, they
said, this thing is going down. He said, no it's not. He said,
I believe God. They said, we better get off
this thing, we won't be safe. He said, stay right where you
are. I believe God. Well, it's a foolish thing to
stay there, not if you believe God. Not if you believe God. But we've got to get in the mainstream,
not if you believe God. Not if you believe God. Look
at Hebrews 11 again, verse 24. Look at this man Moses. This
man Moses. Now you get what I'm saying.
This faith, to believe God, gives a man a confidence. A confidence. that encourages that man to follow
Jesus Christ, follow the will of God, the word of God, the
gospel of grace, whatever it cost him and whomever it cost
him. In Hebrews 11 verse 24, by faith
Moses, only by faith, not by sign, not by vision, not by putting
out the fleece, by faith. when he was come to years, he's
40 years old, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, with
the slaves, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season,
esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures
in Egypt? For he had respect unto the recompense
of the Lord, by faith he forsook Egypt? With its riches and glory
and prestige and power and influence and luxury, he forsook Egypt
for what? For the desert? That's foolish. No, that's faith. That's that confidence of faith.
I know whom I have believed. Later he became the greatest
leader in the world. One of God's choice servants,
but he didn't know that then. That's 40 years later. We bleak
up. I've never known, Bob Coffey
asked me this yesterday, have you ever known a person, have
you ever known a person to really give up and give in and go where God led them? Have
you ever known a person to do that by faith, whatever the sacrifice,
have you ever known a person to fail and to be deserted? I said, not one. There may be
one, but I've never met him. I've never met him. Those who
dared, for the glory of God, based only on faith, believe
in Him, love in Him, need in Him, they walk out. I've never
known one yet that didn't receive four foes. houses, and lands,
and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and fathers, and whatever.
Christ said that. They said, what are we going
to have? We've forsaken all and followed Thee. He said, oh, a
hundredfold. And everybody said, a hundredfold.
Cast your care on Him. It doesn't mean ration it out. Cast it on Him. He cares for
you. And if He does, He will. Cast
your care on Him. He cares for you. If He does,
He will. He will. And I'll tell you another
thing about this faith. Now, understand this. This faith
of which I speak, this faith of which I speak, is not, please,
it's not my religious creed as opposed to other creeds I believe
to be in error. I know a lot of us in this day,
a lot of religionists in this day, they say, well, I know what
I believe. I don't believe like you do. Well, that's not the
faith of which I speak. And this faith that believes
God is not my doctrinal belief in regard to God, creation, eternity,
and doctrines of grace. I believe there are people who
give mental agreement to the doctrines of grace who don't
have faith. who don't know Christ. I really
do. And this faith of which I speak is not my moral principles and
traditions in regard to the law. You know what this faith is?
This faith is my life. It's my life. It's not just my
creed. It's not my theology. This faith,
this union with Christ is my life. Tom spoke on it a few Wednesday
nights ago, or I believe it was Tom Harding on Galatians 221. I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless
I live, yet not I, Christ lives in me. Not his doctrine only,
Christ himself lives in me. He and I are one. I'm dead to
the world, I'm alive to Christ. And Paul said in Colossians,
when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye appear
with him in glory. This gospel is not a profession,
is not a vocation, it's my life. This Bible, God, Christ, this
church, This union is not, this is not the place where I go to
church. This is my life. This is my life. Is faith your life? Well, it's
got to be if it's living faith. You see what I'm trying to say?
And I make no apologies concerning this. If a man be in Christ,
he is a new creature. He's created of God in Christ
Jesus. In Christ Jesus. And he's a new
person. It's a new life. It's a new direction.
He's under new management. He has new interests. He has
new family. It's brand new. It's a new life.
It's not a creed. It's not a decision or a profession
of faith or a doctrine he believes in order to appease God and get
to heaven. It's life. And all things in this world
and all people and all interests which do not fit into this life
become of little consequence. That's just so. It's a new life. And those things and people and
interests which encourage and contribute to that life become
of great importance. It's a new life. I run with a
new crowd. I've got a new life. Turn to
Matthew 10. This is what our Lord is saying
in Matthew 10. Matthew 10, sure you have a job
in this world and you have certain connections in this world, you
have certain responsibilities in this world as long as you
live in this world. Our Lord said, I don't pray that
you should take them out of the world but keep them from the
world. When a person comes to faith
in Christ, to love and believe Christ, to be born again He's
a new person. He has a new life. He's not the
same life with a little interest in religion once in a while,
a little contribution to religion once in a while, and a little
insurance policy. No, he's a new person. The things he once was interested
in, he's not much interested in anymore. The people he used
to have a lot in common with, he doesn't have much in common
with them anymore. They talk a different language. They walk
a different direction. They've got different interests.
That's what I'm saying. And to him, in this new life,
that's of little consequence. That doesn't bother him. If they don't encourage and contribute
to this new life, he's glad to be rid of them. He'll fulfill
his duties toward him, but he's glad to be rid of them. And that's
what our Lord's saying right here in Matthew 10, 34, see if
it's not, think not that I'm come to send peace on the earth.
I'm not come to send peace, but a sword. I'm come to set a man
at variance against his father. Over what? Over whom? Over Christ. That's what this is all about.
over Christ, and a daughter against her mother. Over whom? At variance over what? Well,
that daughter's a new person. That daughter's going in a new
direction. That daughter's interest and
mom's interest isn't the same anymore. It's not the same anymore. They don't talk the same language
anymore. They don't have the same interest anymore. So they're
at variance. Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
And a man's foes shall be those of his own household. Foes over
what? Not because he wears black instead
of white now. That's not it. He didn't change
his clothes. He's changed God's. Changed God's. And they got a
problem. Well, he that loveth father more
than me is not worthy of me. And he that loveth son or daughter
more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his
cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me. And he that
findeth his life will lose it. He that preserves this old acquaintance,
this old life, this old environment, this old direction, he's going
to lose it. He's putting his eggs in the wrong basket. He's
going to lose basket eggs and all. But he that loseth his life and
his interest and his connections and his influence and his prestige
and his whatever, he has to give up. And he doesn't have to, he
wants to. It's what he loves. But if he
loses that for my sake, he'll find it. He'll find it. He'll find real life. This is
real life. There's nothing here. The fashion
of this world faded away. It's earmarked for destruction.
It's gone. It's down to two. There's nothing
here. Abraham looked for a city. You
know, he never owned a piece of ground. Looked for a city.
Whose builder and maker is God. Different environment. Four things
I want to give you. Briefly. Let me deal with four
facts concerning faith. Number one, our faith is based
on the Word. Faith like this is based on the
Word of God. This kind of faith comes from
hearing the Word of God. That's where it comes from, the
Word of God. Building my hope for spiritual
blessings on a feeling, on experience, on religious ritual, religious
affiliation, Even morality is sheer folly. If they speak not
according to the Word of God, there's no truth in them. John said, these things are written
that you might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Now,
I know a lot of people think it doesn't matter what a man
believes. It doesn't really matter what a man believes, so long
as he's sincere. You don't believe that, do you?
People say, well, live and let live. Don't criticize another
denomination. You go to your church, and I'll
go to mine. You believe your way, and I'll
believe my way, and we'll all meet in heaven. That can't be.
It just can't be. I'm sorry. It just can't be.
We can't all be right about God and salvation and eternal life
when we're so far apart, poles apart. Can't all be right when
we contradict one another. But here's what I'm saying. You
want to look into this thing of faith. Don't go to a man. Don't go to a church building.
Go to the Word of God. Here's the foundation of faith.
And I say this to you. Now listen to me carefully. Listen
carefully. God reveals Himself in His Word. And I'm not afraid, not for a
moment, to submit my belief in God's immutable sovereignty to
this book. I'm not afraid to. My belief
in God's sovereignty, immutable majesty will hold up submitted
to this book. And I'm not afraid for a moment
to submit my doctrine. I'll tell you, man's doctrine
of an impotent God won't meet this book. And I'm not afraid to submit
my doctrine of man's fall. and original sin to this book.
I submit it to the word of God. And I'm not afraid to submit
my gospel of grace, predestination, election, sovereignty, effectual
redemption, perseverance to this book. It'll hold up, Bob. I submit
it to the word. I'm not afraid to submit my confidence
in the personal work of Jesus Christ to this book. It'll hold
up. I'm not afraid to submit my belief
in believer's baptism to this book, or the perseverance, or
the eternal glory. I don't ask men if they believe
exactly as I do, but I do ask them this, have you searched
the scriptures? What do you believe? Does it
meet with the word of God? Is it true to the word of God?
Or have you accepted what you've been told? Now, people that are
here this morning, Your faith is grounded upon what? What you've
been told or what you read? What you've heard or what you've
read? What you think or what God says? Now come on. What do you believe? You say,
well, I just really haven't taken the time to go into the Word. Oh, you've got a lot at stake. I've got a lot at stake. an eternal
soul, happy is the man whose faith is founded on the Word
of God, whose faith can endure the trial of the Word of God.
Listen, whose faith can endure the trial of the Word, for it
will some day be tried for the Word. I know people jump to the defense
of the Graham's and Farwell's and Swigert's and Roberts and
Baker, you just don't say or say a word, everybody jumps to
their defense. Don't waste time defending any man. Let God be
true and ever man a liar, this one included. But look up and
see what this says, huh? What does God say? I'm not afraid
to submit my faith to this book. This is where I got it. I believe
God. Abraham said, I believe that
God will do exactly what he promised. Secondly, our faith has one object. I don't believe in prayer. I
hear people all the time saying, I believe in prayer. I don't.
That won't help you a bit. That's an idol. I believe in
Christ who hears prayer. You say, well, that's what I
meant. That's not what you said. Well, I believe in the old rugged
cross. I don't. My whole confidence and faith
is in Him who died on that cross. Can you see the difference? Well, I believe in the finished,
I'm trusting the finished work of Christ. Well, I'm sorry, I'm
not. I'm trusting a person who finished
the work. You say that's cross and hair.
You ask folks sometimes if it is. You see, our faith, the object
of our faith is Christ. God the Father purposed our redemption. Christ the Son performed it. God purposed it. The Son performed
it, purchased it. And the Holy Ghost applies it.
And we believe our God. Turn to Philippians 2 a moment.
I wish I could get the attention of this whole world on this subject
right here. Who is Jesus Christ? What did
Jesus Christ do? What did He do? Why did He do
what He did? Why did He do that? Where is He now? I tell you, in Philippians 2,
we talk about His nature, the two natures, the divine nature
and the human nature. Philippians 2 verse 5, Let this
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in
the form of God, who thought it not robbery to be equal with
God, this is the eternal divine Son of God, but made himself
of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and
was made in the likeness of men. What a mystery! God Almighty
left heaven's throne He came down here in some unusual, mysterious,
holy transaction and actually inhabited a human body with a
human nature and lived there and represented a people. He
is the object of my faith from His eternality. to His incarnation,
to His divine righteousness and obedience, to His death on the
cross, to His tour of the tomb, to His resurrection, till He
took that human body, man, Christ Jesus, victorious over sin and
death and the grave and hell, and walked into the Holy of Holies
within the veil, and sat there at the right hand of God. as
my forerunner. He's the object of my faith.
I'm not looking to this water. I'm not looking to these elements. I'm not even looking to the law.
I'm not looking to my duties or deeds or profession or dedication
or rededication. I'm looking to Him who's within
the veil. That's real to me. And I'm one
with Him. And He's the sole, complete object
of my faith. I'm where I am because he's where
he is. I have what I have because he did what he did. That's all there are to it, God
said. He's my prophet, priest, and
king, and I have in him wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and full redemption. All right, thirdly, our faith
stands alone. Based on the Word of God, its
object is Christ and it stands alone. Nothing enters into this thing
of faith. Nothing. We say by grace through faith.
Even faith is not of yourself. Faith in your faith won't save.
You see, God doesn't require me to produce a righteousness
to receive one. It's produced for me. God doesn't
require me to create life, He gives it to me. God doesn't require
me even to understand Him, but to believe Him. It's not faith and works that
justify, it's not faith and decision, it's only faith and faith alone. Turn to Jeremiah 17. I want you
to see this scripture, Jeremiah 17. This is interesting. Jeremiah
chapter 17, verse 5 through 7. Now listen to this. This faith stands alone. It's
not even Doris and my faith. It's my faith. Her faith is her
faith. She believes God, I believe God. It's faith, and it stands alone
apart from anyone else or anything else. Anything of me, in me,
and about me, it rests in Christ alone. It believes God. Now listen,
Jeremiah 17, verse 5, Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that
trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, whose heart departeth
from the Lord. He'll be like the heath, that
is, a little shrub, a plant in the wilderness, in the desert,
and shall not see when good cometh, but he shall inhabit the parched
places in the wilderness in a salt land not inhabited. But blessed
is the man who trusteth, who looketh, who resteth, who believeth
in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is. That's the best I can
give it to you. That's faith. Yeah, but I just believe that,
you know, I've taught Sunday school and preached and that
ought to count for something. Without Christ, it'll count against
you. That's all I got. But I tell
you, I've supported this church and those missionaries and I've
done these things. That ought to count for something.
It'll count against you if it's not in Christ. If you're not
looking to Him. It'll count against you. God
will call you a worker of iniquity. It'll count against you. Everything
you've ever done in service to God or service to your fellow
man, apart from confidence and faith and rest in Christ alone,
will be charged against you because you tried to usurp his authority. That's right. You tried to infringe
on his right as the high priest with a sacrifice. That's what
we're doing. All right, last of all, now quit. This faith,
four facts about it, it's on the Word, I believe God, object
Christ, and it's Christ alone. No blood of noble martyrs ever
entered that stream. The royal bath of mercy was drawn
from the veins of the Son of God. He washed me clean, and
there's nothing sprinkled in it. It's pure blood. The banquet of mercy served up
by one host, the Lord of Glory. And last of all, that faith is
born of need. Need. It's need. You say, who's going to believe
like that? Those who need Him. That's who's going to believe
like that. Well, who's going to walk in that way? Those who
need Him. Those who need Him, that woman, that little sickly
woman had wasted everything she had and was no better. But she
needed Him. She needed Him. The old blind
Bartimaeus sitting there in his darkness and dirt and living
death, he needed Him. And when Christ made them whole,
they didn't want to leave Him. Do you need Him? All who sought
Him in the days of the flesh needed Him. He said, Come unto
Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, I'll give you rest.
Oh, every one that thirsteth, come to the water, and out of
your bellies shall flow rivers of living water. I need Jesus. I need Jesus. I feel like saying this morning
to you, Turn to Acts 22, and I'll let you read it. Acts 22. When Anna and I spoke to Paul,
Acts 22, 14. He said, Paul, verse 14, Acts
22, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest
know his will, and see that just one, and hear the voice of his
mouth, Thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what ye have
seen and heard. And now, why do you tarry? Why
halt ye between two opinions? There is no decision to be made.
Let God be God. Arise and be baptized. Wash away your sins and call
on the name of the Lord. Right now. Right now. Look to Christ. Believe Him. And somebody I heard a preacher
say one time, well, you've only got two alternatives. No, you
just got one. There ain't no two alternatives.
All that's not Christ is living death. I don't have two alternatives. I don't have any. It's Christ.
And God's going to be God, and His will's going to be done,
His glory's going to be accomplished, and His Son's going to be glorified.
You play with your toys all you want to, but He's going to be
glorified. Ain't no question. And you know something? I know
most of you do. I want to be in on that right
now. If I haven't loved you before,
let me begin right now. All right, let's have Mike lead
us in a song now.