I want you to open your Bibles,
first of all, to the ninth chapter of Romans. I'm sure this is true, what I'm
about to say. There's never lived a man with
more compassion and concern for his fellow man than the Apostle
Paul. Wouldn't you say that's true?
I want you to listen to two statements. Romans 9, first of all, verse
1. He says, I say the truth in Christ. That's as close as Paul ever
came to swearing. I lie not. I'm not telling a
lie. My conscience will bear me witness
in the Holy Ghost that I have great heaviness and continual
sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself
were accursed or separated from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen,
according to the flesh, who are Israelites." Now, that's a strong
intercession. I don't know anything about that. Moses said that one time. He
stood between an angry God and the people he loved, not more
than God, but he loved them. And he said, Lord, if you destroy these people,
blot me out of the book you've written. That's pretty strong, isn't it?
But that's what he said. God said, I'll blot out of my
book whom I please. But that's compassion. Look over
at Romans 10. Listen to Paul here. Brethren,
verse 1, Romans 10. My heart's desire and my prayer
to God. The desire of my heart and the
prayer of my heart to God for Israel is that they might be
saved. I want them to know God, that they might be saved. I bear
them record. Nobody knows them better than
I do. I'm one of them. I came down the same path that
they're now walking. I bear them record. They have
a zeal of God, but it's not according to knowledge. Everybody's got
some kind of religious persuasion. They've got a zeal for God. You
know anybody that's not religious? Everybody you work with's religious,
aren't they? Everybody I meet is religious.
Religious, religious, religious. That's the way these folks were.
But verse 3, they're ignorant, he said. They're ignorant. They're
ignorant of God's holiness. They're ignorant of God's righteousness. And they're going about through
all of this activity, religious activity, to establish their
own goodness. A fellow left his television
program this morning with this comment, do right and God will
bless you. That's exactly the philosophy
of this religious world, live right and God will bless you.
What is right? Anybody in here living righteously? That's what he's saying, live
right, righteously. Your righteousness is filthy
rags, did you know that? Man at his best state is altogether
vanity. If you're calling for the blessings
of God based on your righteousness, you're asking for judgment because
God looks on the heart. And justifying yourself before
men is not being justified with God. That's what these folks
were doing. They're going about to establish
their own righteousness. Listen, and have not submitted
and will not submit and do not even understand The righteousness
of God, verse 4, Christ is the goal, the end, the consummation
of the lawful righteousness to everyone that believes it. But
Paul had such compassion for these people. He desired to see them know God.
He wanted them to know God. And yet this man of such compassion,
here's a man saying, I could wish that myself were separated
from Christ for my brethren, according to the flesh. I have
great heaviness and continual sorrow for them. I want them
saved. And yet here was a man who could not and would not tolerate
a false gospel. You can't accuse Paul of prejudice
or bigotry or religious hatred. He was a man of compassion, concern,
but he could not tolerate a false gospel. Turn to Galatians 1. He strongly rebuked those who
went aside from preaching the gospel of Christ. He could not
tolerate a false gospel. He would not compromise. He said
if righteousness come by the law, Christ died in vain. I do
not frustrate the grace of God, I will not tolerate, I will not
compromise. In verse 8 of Galatians 1, he said, Though
we are an angel from heaven, it doesn't matter who it is or
what his credentials are, though we are an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached
unto you. The gospel of God, the gospel
of His grace, the gospel of His glory, the gospel of substitution,
the gospel concerning His Son. The gospel of the cross. If anybody
preaches any other gospel, let him be accursed. Let him be accursed. You know
what a curse it is? It means damned. Cursed is everyone. that loveth not our Lord Jesus
Christ. If any man loveth not our Lord
Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, a curse. And to show that this
wasn't just an exclamation of emotion, he
said, verse 9, as I said before, I'll say it again. I'll say it
again. If any man preach any other gospel
unto you than you that you have received, let him be accursed.
Now turn to Galatians 6, our text, and he explains what's
going on in this religious world in departing from the gospel,
in compromising the gospel. In Galatians 6, verse 12, they
have other motives than the glory of God, these preachers Preachers
have other motives than the glory of God. Did you know that? I
know that's hard for you to believe. That a man who'd be a preacher,
and he'd stand in the pulpit, and pastor a church, and accept
a salary, and claim to pray, and preach, and love God, and
go into heaven and all that, and have a bad motive? Well, they have other motives
than the glory of God, or they'd preach the gospel of God's glory.
They have other motives than the good of their congregation,
or they'd preach the righteousness of Christ. If they had your good
at heart, they'd tell you the truth. But he says in verse 12, look
at it, verse 12, as many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh.
They don't have the glory of God at heart, nor your good.
They desire to make a show in the flesh. Their desire is to impress people,
to be successful. Preachers and religious leaders
are interested in building impressive organizations, impressive buildings,
impressive fellowship. They're seeking the honor that
comes from men. That's just being honest. Our Lord said in John 5, listen
to this, He said, How can you believe? How can you believe? Which receive honor one of another. You're honored among men. You
look for the honor and the acclaim and prestige among men, and you
seek not the honor that comes from God only. That's what he's
saying here. They desire to make a show in
the flesh. I've thought this over. As far
as I'm concerned, I don't see any reason, and I've given this
some thought, I don't see any reason at all why we should count
how many people are here this morning. Give me one reason why
we should know how many people are in this congregation, how
many were in Sunday school. Now tell me why. Why should I
know how many people are here? Why should I be concerned about
how many people are on the rolls of this church? How many members
do you have? I don't have the foggiest notion.
Why should I be concerned about it? How many did you baptize
last year? I don't really know, but why
should I count them? Just tell me why. The only reason I can think of
keeping records and counting people and making reports is
to make a show in the flesh. Can you name me any other reason? Well, I should put out a hand
bill and tell this town how many people we have on the roll, how
many people we have here, how much money we gave last year,
how much we spent for mission. Why would I do that? Except to
make a show in the flesh. Most of our buildings are erected
to make a show in the flesh. That's right. Now, Paul says
they desire to make a show in the flesh. And then he said in verse 12,
As many as desire to make a show in the flesh, they constrain
you to be circumcised. They constrain you and put pressure
on you. Now tell me why would I put pressure
on a man to come down to the front? To be circumcised or to
be baptized? Or to join the church? Why would
I put any pressure at the close of this service on anybody here
to come forward? Why would I pressure you at all
to make some physical move? One reason they do it is because
that's what natural men want. The rich young ruler came to
our Lord and said, tell me what to do to inherit eternal life.
Tell me something to do. You want me to be baptized? I'll
be baptized. You want me to be circumcised?
I'll be circumcised. Want me to join church? I'll join church.
Want me to sign a card? I'll sign a card. Want me to
tithe? I'll tithe. Give me something
to do. What must I do? Even the Philippian jailer asked
Paul that. What must I do? Tell me something to do. Like
Cain of old, men want something to do. They can't rest in the
blood, trust in the blood, look to the blood. They've got to
have something to do. Give me something to do. Give
me an hour to walk. Give me an altar at which I can bow. Give
me a day to keep. Give me a law to keep. Give me
a church to join. Give me a profession to make.
Give me a baptism. to fit in with, give me a work
to do, give me a tithe to pay, give me a righteousness to work
at, give me a creed, give me a theology, give me something
to do. So the preachers do. The preachers go along with these
natural religious ways. Why? Well, read on. Only, I'll
tell you why they do it, only, lest they suffer persecution
for the cross of Christ. Are you with me? Stay with me. This is the man. You say, well,
you Calvinists are callous. Paul's not callous. Charge me
with anything you want to, but don't charge him with callousness.
He said what I can't say. He said I could wish myself separated
from Christ. Don't charge him with callousness.
Well, y'all indifferent. This man indifferent, he died
for the gospel. And he said these fellas want
to make a show in the flesh. They want to make a show in the
flesh. They count numbers and noses in people and give reports
to make a show in the flesh. And they constrain people to
walk hours and shake hands and be baptized and sign cards and
call them and do these things because that's what people want.
They want something to do, to do, to do in order to appease
God, in order to build a righteousness. So they go along with these people.
They let them erect their crosses. You go to the average preacher
and he says, no, I don't believe in symbolism, I don't believe
in visual aids, I don't believe in crosses, then why don't you
put one on top of that church? That's what the people wanted. They even told Moses, he said,
they wanted a castle, I made them one. That's what they wanted. And
that's what the preachers are doing now, they're giving people
what they want. lest they suffer persecution for the cross. You won't run into a preacher
in this town that won't tell you, no, I don't believe in religious
pictures. Jesus Christ never posed for
a picture. Nobody ever knew what he looked
like. God said don't make any graven images of anything in
heaven above or earth beneath. It's idolatry. Then why don't
you take them down out of your church? Because sister so-and-so
gave it in memory of her dead husband. I don't dare touch it.
That's what they want. Not a one-up day. If one of them
will say, no, I don't believe walking the aisle saves, then
why do you keep pulling people down the aisle? That's what the
people want. Why wouldn't they close the service without giving
an invitation? Why not? That's what the people want.
Now, I'm not going to buck them. I'm not going to change my message,
regardless of what God says, because I'm going to give the
people what they want. I'm going to build them an altar at the
front of the church. I'm going to call them to public
display. I'm going to go along with the
ecumenical line. I'm going to let live principles
of modern religion. I hear preachers talk all the
time about this horrible rock and roll religious music, but
they still let them do it in their churches. Paul says, I'll tell you why.
I'll tell you why. If you don't go along, you're
branded a fanatic. If you don't go along with modern
religion and modern religious ways and building golden and
erecting idols and crosses and religious pictures and invitations
and eye walking and counting numbers and reporting and getting
more of this and more of that, you're going to be persecuted
for the cross of Jesus Christ. And they're not willing to suffer
persecution for the cross of Christ. Is that what that says,
Richard? That's what that says. Jim, is that what that says?
If words mean anything. They desire to make a fair show
in the flesh. prague, boast, glory in the flesh. Numbers. Numbers. And they constrain you. They
put pressure on you to do this and do that and do the other.
And I'll tell you said why, lest they suffer persecution for the
cross of Christ. Look back at Galatians 5.11.
See what Paul is saying here. Galatians 5.11, Our brethren,
if I yet preach circumcision, if I go along with these things
and preach these things, preach these outward duties, do's and
don'ts and regulations and rules, why do I suffer persecution?
If I go along with these things, then is the offense of the cross
ceased. There is, Paul said, you can
get rid of the offense by your methods. You see, the cross addresses
all men as sinners, guilty, fallen sinners. The cross shuts men
up to the grace of God, and that offends man's dignity. And the
cross declares that salvation is the free gift of God, unearned, unmerited, undeserved. It's the free gift of God, not
of works, and that offends man's pride. And the cross accomplishes
a full and effectual atonement and redemption. And that offends
man's efforts to save himself. And the gospel of the cross comes
by revelation. It's not discovered by reason,
but by revelation. And that offends man's wisdom.
I tell you this, The sovereign grace of God in Christ, redemption
by substitution and the satisfaction of Christ alone, is the enemy, the common enemy
of all religion. Did you know that? I want you
to turn to Acts chapter 4. And you can prove this in any
gathering. You can prove this in any gathering.
When you shut men up to the free grace of God, When you shut men
up to the mercy of God in Christ, when you shut men up to seeking
the Lord and waiting upon God for His manifestation of His
grace, then you bring upon you the enmity of all religions. Acts 4.27, listen to this. Verse
26, Acts 4.26, the kings of the earth stood up, the rulers of
the earth were gathered together, against the Lord, against his
Christ, for I have a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou
hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate." And those two
men were enemies. They had no use for one another,
none whatsoever. With the Gentiles and the people
of Israel, now those two nations were total enemies. And here
are four enemies, Herod, Pontius Pilate, Gentiles, and Jews all
gathered together against whom? Against Christ, every one of
them. I'll tell you one way you can
unite religionists, and that is to preach grace. And they'll
unite against grace. And you can have in an office,
a shop, you can have A dozen religious people work in there.
There can be a seven-day Adventist, a Christian Scientist, a Catholic.
There can be a Baptist, a Methodist, a Presbyterian, Christian, Pentecostal,
whatever. And they may have their differences.
They'll differ as to what day you worship. They'll differ as
to what style or culture you worship. They'll differ on some
prophetical point, but you put in their midst one person who
believes God's sovereign, immutably, unchangeably sovereign, that
God is sovereign in salvation, that he saves whom he will, and
that salvation is a gift of God through the merits of Christ
alone, Christ alone, and that salvation is something accomplished
in the human heart by the hand of God, by the power of God,
and by the grace of God, And that God saves whom he will.
And Christ's death is sufficient and effectual to save only his
elect, that he died for them. And that they will all persevere
in faith. And that their righteousness,
they're not holy in themselves, they're holy in Christ. They're
sanctified in Christ. They're still sinners, saved
by the grace of God. They desire to walk in holiness,
but they admit even the best deeds they do without Christ's
filthy right. And every one of them will turn
on that one man. I guarantee it. Every single one of them
will turn on that man right there. They'll come together in a common
bond. They'll come together in a common
charge. They'll come together in common
wrath against that man right there. Well, I don't believe
that. You know why? There are just
two religions in this world, grace and works. Salvation is
the gift of God and salvation is the result of my labor. Now
that's so, and that's what happened here in Acts chapter 4 when all
Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and the Jews all gathered together
against the Lord and His Christ. Let's go back to our text. Paul
said, as many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, that's
what they're out for the show, the honor, the accolades of men. They constrain you, they pressure
you, they put all kind of pressure upon you to be baptized or circumcised
or make a decision or do something or build yourself a righteousness.
They'll preach tithing. They'll preach Sabbath keeping,
they'll do all, only, and the reason they do that, lest they
suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For neither they themselves
who are circumcised keep the law, they don't keep the law.
These fellas that are preaching righteous living, they're not
living righteously. These fellas that are preaching
live righteously, they're not living righteously. The most
worldly people in the world are those who preach against worldliness. That's right. In here is where
their hatred is. In here is where their prejudice
is. In here is where their malice is. In here is where their jealousy
and envy and strife is. Church organizations are
the most unpeaceful places on earth. You ought to sit in one
of their business meetings. A fella told me down, I was preaching
on John 13 last week down at North Carolina, on Christ washing
the disciples' feet. And he told me, he said, I was
raised in a certain denomination that practiced foot washing.
And he said they'd get together on Saturday night and have a
knock-down, drag-out business meeting, and Sunday morning they'd
wash their feet, show their humility. The most unsanctified people
in the world are those who preach sanctification by human works.
The most unholy people in this world are the so-called holiness
people. They are unholy. And the most
certain people in the world who hear Christ say, depart from
me, I never knew you, are those who are out serving Jesus in
His name, trying to make a name for themselves. That's exactly
right. You see, everything a man does
is for a reason. Look at verse 13. They don't
keep the law, these scalawags. He said, neither they themselves
who are circumcised. They're not keeping the law.
They're not living holy. They're not living righteous.
They're not coming up to God's standards. They call on you to
do things that they don't do. But they desire to have you circumcised,
and you baptized, and you committed, and you doing this, that, and
the other, that they may glory in your flesh. That's why they're
doing it. Glory in your flesh. Everything
a man does is for a reason. There's a reason for this ambition
to make a show. There's a reason for it. There's
a reason for getting these professions and folks to walk the aisles.
in larger numbers baptized and circumcised. There's a reason
for going along with the crowd. There's a reason to urge men
to work out their salvation. There's a reason for law keeping
and works. I'll tell you the reason, that
they may glory in your flesh. That's the reason. Not that God
may be glorified. Not that God may be glorified.
Oh, that God may be glorified. Oh, that we may know Christ and
the power of his resurrection. Oh, that we may win Christ and
be found in him. Oh, that I might see you in glory. Oh, my, my, my, my, my. Can you
see it? Can you see it? Why can't preachers... Turn with me to Acts 20. Let
me show you something here. Why can't preachers do like the
Apostle Paul over here? Why can't they just get up and Study the Word and prepare and
get up and preach. Just preach. And leave salvation, spiritual
work and growth and these things to the Spirit of God. Why can't
we do that? Why do we have to play Holy Spirit, play God? Force
and coerce and pressure and persuade and drive Why can't we just leave
men with God? Isn't our gospel effective? Isn't
it able? Isn't our God strong enough? Is His hands tied that He can't
save? We have to save for Him? Well,
a man needs to commit himself. You mean God can't get a committal
out of him? Well, the redeemed of the Lord
need to say so. Well, if they are redeemed of the Lord, they
will say so. Can I do what the Holy Spirit can't do? Paul, this is the last time he's
preaching to these elders at Ephesus. The last time he's going
to speak to them. He's leaving. He said, you'll
see my face no more. Boy, we ought to have a real
rededication service then, Paul. We ought to get everybody down
at the front and recommit it and re-consecrate it and re-dedicate
it and re-something. Now look at verse 32. Brethren,
I commend you to God. I put you in His hands and to
His Word. I commend you to God and to the
Word of Grace. I commit you to God and His Word,
which is able to build you up. God is, and He's in His Word,
and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified.
I commit you to God. Now, that's good enough for me.
When I get through preaching this morning, get through with
my message, I'm not going to constrain you to do anything.
I'm not going to pressure you to do anything. I'm going to
leave you with God. I'm going to leave you in the
hands of a holy God and His blessed Word. Leave Him and His powerful
Spirit to make that Word effectual in your soul and heart and bring
you to love Christ, to believe Christ and walk with Christ.
That's right. And then Paul says, but I'll
let these fellows do what they want to. They make a fair show
in the flesh and pressure and coerce people to be circumcised
and try to avoid persecution for the cross, and they're not
keeping their law, they're not doing what they say. They're
phony as a three-dollar Confederate bill. But they desire to put this pressure
on you that they may glory in your flesh. But God forbid, God
forbid, that I should glory, delight, take pleasure in anything
except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let me ask you
a question. Paul, over here in 1 Corinthians
1, has a lot to say about the cross. Brother Mann, there it is. Now,
you're always so hard on these crosses, people wearing their
lapels and crosses on churches and crosses everywhere. There,
Paul said he gloried in the cross. He gloried in the cross. One
of Paul's favorite songs would be the old rugged cross preacher,
would it really? And over here in 1 Corinthians
1.18 he says the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness. What did Paul mean by the cross?
Well he certainly did not mean that tree on which Christ died. And he certainly didn't mean
these crosses that men idolize and worship and this sign that
folks make. This cross of Christ, Paul said,
God forbid that I should glory save in the cross. Now you listen,
if you don't hear anything else, listen, this is the foundation.
This cross, which is foolishness to the Greek, which is a stumbling
block to the Jew, this cross of Christ, which is the power
and wisdom of God, is as follows. One, it is all the glorious work
of Christ as our surety, representative, and federal head before he came
to Calvary. It's his purpose and plan in
decreeing Calvary. Secondly, it is all the suffering,
the soul offering, the sanctifying, satisfying work of Christ on
Calvary. And the cross is all the glorious
work of resurrection, ascension, exaltation, intercession, and
calling since he was taken down from Calvary and ascended to
the right hand of God where he makes intercession for those
for whom he died on Calvary. So the cross, when Paul talks
about glorying in the cross, he's talking about glorying in
all that Christ is and all that Christ does and all that Christ
will do. Which was accomplished chiefly
by the shedding of his blood. To preach Christ crucified is
to preach Christ foreordained and appointed. To preach Christ
crucified is to preach Christ in the types and pictures. To
preach Christ crucified is to preach Christ incarnate in a
human body. You've got to have a body to
die. To preach Christ crucified is to preach Christ the high
priest, anointed as our head. To preach Christ crucified is
to preach Christ the sin offering, Christ resurrected, Christ accepted,
Christ seated, and Christ power to make a man a new creature
by washing him in his blood, sanctifying him by his word,
and dwelling in his heart. That's the first Christ principle.
And I'll tell you why Paul gloried in the cross. And this message
is sufficient to make a man a new creature. And I'll tell you why
Paul gloried in the cross. The glorious truth of pre-justification
and full atonement And please remember, when Paul talks about
the cross here, he's not just talking about that one incident. He's talking about all that's
included in the personal work of Christ. You see, in the sacrifice of
Christ, there is a display of God's divine character. He that has seen me has seen
my Father. In the sacrifice of Christ, there's a manifestation
of God's love. In the sacrifice of Christ, there's
a putting away of our sins. In the sacrifice of Christ, the
sting of death is removed. In the sacrifice of Christ, we
have a believer's full entrance into the presence of God. In
the sacrifice of Christ is the death of the world to the believer. Look at it again. God forbid
that I should glory save in the cross, in the person and work
of Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto
the world. I have a country, but this is
not it. I'm a stranger and a sojourner. I'm going to the country Abraham
looked for. This world is crucified unto
me and I unto the world. I have a family. I have a family. My Lord identified them. He was
up preaching one day, and someone came in and said, your mother's
out here and wants to see you, and your brothers and sisters. He
said, who is my mother? Who are my brothers and sisters?
These who do the will of God, the same are my mother, my brothers,
and my sisters. I have a family. It's a different, new family.
I have a life beyond this life. Somebody said, well, I'll live
as long as I can. I have a life. I have a life, and this is not
worthy to be compared with that life. This is not life at all.
This is death. That's life. And I have a home. I have a home. I have an inheritance reserved in heaven. I have a
home. I had a cute illustration. Paul
and Mindy's little girl, Hannah, was spending the night with Darcy
and I Friday night. She came over kind of early,
and she spent the evening, had supper, and then spent the night.
Saturday morning, she got up, and she played around a little
while, and I went back to my study and worked. After a while,
she came back and said, I want to go home and stay home. I said, what? She said it again.
I want to go home and stay home. In other words, this is all all
right temporarily. You and Mimi are OK. But my home's
not here. I'm not comfortable. I got a
home, and I want to go home and stay home. That's what he's saying here.
God forbid. I glory in the cross, the person and work of my Lord
Jesus, in the full redemption, justification, sanctifying, and
keeping his people. That's our strength and glory.
He's able. I don't have to stand up here
and tell you to do things and prove things. I'm going to tell
you the good news. As a sinner here, I've got good
news for you. can effectually, sufficiently, eternally save
you. He's able. He's able to keep you from falling.
He's able to present you faultless. He's able to keep that which
you commit to Him. He's able to raise your vile
bodies. He's able to do all that He promises. He's able. He's able. And there's no use
us putting on a show, no use that at all. It's just you either
love Him or you don't. You either trust him or you don't.
You either rest in him or you don't. There's no game to it. Are we all going to the same
place? Well, I don't think so. I don't
think so. Christ said, I go to prepare
a place for you. I go and prepare the place. And
I want to go to the place he's prepared. That's the place. And I'll tell you, that place
is a person. the reality of it. I would challenge myself and
you too. Let's pray God will deliver us
from this present religious world with all of its... You know it's
phony and I know it. It's a sham and a show, hypocrisy. It's just competitive business. There's no worship involved. There's no calling on the living
God. There's no great messages preached. It's just talking about
God's gonna do things in 88. You know, all that foolishness,
you know. God's always done something. He's done it in Christ, through
Christ, for the glory of Christ, for those who love Christ. It's
a daily walk with Him. Whether you're here in this building,
you know, He's trying to whoop you up to a big emotional experience. I want that common everyday man
in his common everyday life to know the Living Lord, to walk
with Him, love Him, love His Word, trust Him, and in his heart
the principles of truth and honesty and grace flows from our lips,
seasoned with grace. And these, they're ladies. Let's
don't come in here and try to whip up an emotional experience
and get the carried away, you know, let's seek the Lord. Seek
the Lord in faith and confidence and trust. He is plenteous redemption
and mercy day by day.