I was preparing the Sunday school
lesson for January the 13th, which includes verses 15 through
20 of 1 John chapter 2. And I do not intend to teach
the Sunday school lesson tonight. I'll save that for the teachers
for January the 13th. But a word caught my eye in verse
19, and it just glued my eyes to the page. And I began to try to find out just exactly
what the Lord was saying in this verse 19. I felt impressed to
give more attention to it, to study it more thoroughly. And
the more I studied it and looked at it, felt impressed to bring
it to you tonight. You see that last line in verse
19? I've never really, never really
looked at that for any length of time so as to have any understanding
of it. I read the first part, and I've
quoted it again and again and again, as you have. They went
out from us, but they were not of us. If they had been of us,
they no doubt would have continued with us. And Charlie, how many
times have we stopped right there? I've stopped there nearly every
time I've ever quoted this verse. But there's another phrase there,
that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us.
That God might teach us something, reveal something to us by the
presence of these false professors and by their departure, and by
their departure. So let's look at it tonight.
And my subject is what happens when a man leaves the gospel,
when he leaves the fellowship of believers, when he leaves
what we call the truth of redemption by the grace of God. And numbers
do. Too many do. It's too big a turnover
even in churches that preach the gospel of grace. There are
people coming in, but unfortunately there are people going out. And
John starts verse 19 with this statement, they went out from
us. Now who is he talking about? And I've taught you this before
and I want to remember it myself, read what is said before. He's talking about antichrist,
false prophets and false professors. Everyone who professes to know
Christ, who does not know Christ, who denies Christ in his heart
is an antichrist. I know that's a terrible statement
and we've been looking for what we call THE Antichrist. Well,
people who believe that THE Antichrist is one man are quite mistaken.
Because John says in verse 18, Even now are there many, not
one, many Antichrists. Any man who denies that Christ
is the only Savior is an Antichrist. Any religious person who denies
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is an antichrist, opposed
to Christ. An enemy of Christ is an antichrist. And so he's talking about these
false professors, these false teachers. He says, little children,
it is the last time. These are the last days. You
have heard that Antichrist shall come even now. Are there many
Antichrists whereby we know it is the last time? These false
preachers and false professors and false religionists and people
who do not know Christ for various reasons have entered the fellowship
of the visible church. Turn, if you will, to Acts chapter
20. Paul grieved over this. Paul warned the early church
of this. Paul said, I haven't ceased to
warn you day and night with tears about this, that the enemy is
going to sow tares, not on the outskirts, not on the outside,
among you. Look at Acts 20 verse 28. Take
heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which
the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers. Paul is bidding farewell
to the preachers and elders. And these are his closing comments
to them. He says, you take heed to the
congregations, to the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made
you overseer, to feed the church of God which he hath purchased
with his own blood. For I know this, that after my
departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing
the flock. Also of your own selves shall
men arise, right out of your own midst, right out of your
own group, even among elders and preachers, shall men arise
speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch and remember
that by the space of three years I cease not to warn everyone
night and day with tears. These false religionists, the
Bible says they creep in. They creep in unaware. The first
thing you know, they're in the pulpit. The first thing you know,
they're in the eldership. The first thing you know, they're
on the deacon board. The first thing you know, they're
in the place of leadership in the church. The first thing you
know, they're occupying seats of importance in the church.
They creep in, and they keep up this masquerade, living, acting
under false pretenses for a time. But John says, sooner or later,
they'll go out. Sooner or later, they'll go out.
Sooner or later, they'll depart from the gospel of grace. Sooner
or later, they'll depart from the church. Sooner or later,
they'll depart from the fellowship of believers. Now, four things
contribute to this departure. The first is this, and I think
Paul pointed this out in Acts 20, the scripture I just read.
If the pulpit... for which the pastor and elders
are responsible. If the pulpit and if the church
Bible teachers will be faithful to the true gospel of God's grace
and of God's glory, false professors will not remain in that congregation. They're not going to sit and
listen to the truth. Grace and works cannot abide
long together. Charles Spurgeon said, a lie
will sit down forever beside another lie. But a lie will not
long remain with the truth. And people who come into congregations
and infiltrate churches who do not know God and who do not know
Christ and who do not love the gospel of God's glory and of
Christ's mercy and grace, if the pulpit will just continually
preach it and preach it and preach it and the teachers will teach
it and teach it and teach it and the people will talk it and
talk it and talk it, they'll get it and leave. They can't
stand it. A man who does not know the grace
of God is not going to long listen to it. A man who does not love
the truth of sovereign grace, of redeeming mercy, of Christ's
glory, he's not going to stay long listening to that message.
And they'll get up and leave. Or they'll try to get rid of
the one who preaches it and teaches it. And then here's another thing
that contributes to their departure. John said they went out. Another
thing that contributes to their departure is trials. A man is
not going to long suffer persecution for something he doesn't really
believe. In other words, a fellow may come into a church and he
may have some kind of a religious experience and join up and talk
about Jesus and the cross and the Bible heaven and hell and
life after death and all these things, but he's not going to
suffer persecution for something that he doesn't really believe.
So when trial comes along, as our Lord said, they sowed the
seed and it fell on the stony ground and not having root when
the sun came out. He was all right in the shade.
He was all right in the comfort and cool of the shade. But when
the sun came out, when persecution for the sake of the truth came
his way, he died. He's not going to take it. But
you know another thing that contributes to the departure of false brethren
is not only trials of poverty and suffering and persecution,
but trials of prosperity. Some people leave the fellowship
of the gospel because they're persecuted. Others leave the
gospel of the grace of God because of prosperity. And as I've said
before to you, Charles Spurgeon once said, for every one man
that I've seen depart from the faith because of poverty, I've
seen 50 depart because of prosperity. False professors can't handle
either one. Paul said, I know how to be abased. I know how to be humbled. I know
how to do without. I know how to suffer trial. He'd suffered enough of it. But
he said, I know how to abound. I know how to handle prosperity.
I know how to handle blessings so as not to make idols of them.
so as not to put my undivided attention upon them, so as not
to suffer in my spiritual life, so as not to suffer in my relationship
to Christ. I know how to take care of prosperity. He said, I know how to be hungry,
but I know how to be full. My hunger does not make me steal,
but my prosperity does not make me forget God. Paul said, I know
how to be abased and I know how to abound. I know how to be hungry,
and I know how to be full. I know how to conduct myself
when I don't have anything in my pockets, and I know how to
conduct myself when I got my pockets full. A lot of folks
don't know that. And you get a professor of religion,
and he comes into the church, and he comes in empty-handed,
and he begins to prosper. His needs begin to be met. He
begins to be somebody. First thing you know, he's a
proud individual. He's an arrogant individual.
He's got more to do than to sit down and listen to the gospel.
He's a busy man. All right, I'll tell you another
thing that causes folks to go out. John said they went out.
The gospel drove them out. The truth drove them out. God's
people would not compromise with them. God's people would not
meet them halfway. God's people held the line to
the truth. So they quit. Trials drove them
out. But here's another thing that
causes false professors to leave. They have their own glory, not
God's glory, in their hearts. They're not seeking His praise
and His glory, they're seeking their praise and their glory.
They do not have the general welfare of the congregation.
And I regret to say this, most preachers, it's a terrible
thing to say, but I really am convinced of it, most preachers
do not have the glory of God at heart, nor the general well-being
and welfare of the church. I do not believe they do. If
they did, I do not believe we'd suffer so many divisions in churches. I do not believe we'd suffer
so much conflict in churches if the preachers and the people...
You know, a false professor, he wants his way. He wants his
will done. And when his will crosses God's
will and God's way, he's offended. He's easily offended. He can't
be rebuked. Can you be rebuked? He can't
be reproved. He can't be admonished. He can't
be instructed. He can't be taught. And when
his will is crossed, and when his way is denied, he's not going
to give way to the general good of the congregation and the general
glory of God. He's going to have his way. Have
you ever been in that position? I'll just quit. I've been there. I've done that. I've done that. I've wanted my way and my will,
and when my way and my will was crossed by others, well, I'll
just quit. I'll just let you have it. Now, that's not the well-being
of the church and the congregation. That's not for the glory of God.
And it indicates one of two things. It indicates a believer who's
on the wrong path, or it indicates a false professor who never has
known Christ. I am to submit my will and my
way to the glory of God and the general spiritual well-being
of His church. If it costs me, cease of my life.
His church must go on. His people must be fed. His glory
must be accomplished. We're nothing but a part of His
glory. Somebody said, grind us all,
grind us all to to powder and fill the ditch and let the charity
of Christ roll over it. And let me just be just a part
of that right down there. But that happens so often, false
professors get offended and they quit. They leave. They went out
from us, John said. And then another thing. This
is the fourth thing that contributes to the departure. When true love
for Jesus Christ is missing, Men soon weary of pretense. I use the term a whole lot, playing
church. Playing church. And this is what
I'm talking about. And really and truly, my friends,
I believe that most religious organizations today are nothing
in the world but adults playing children's games. When I lived
in Fairfield, Alabama, My pastor was an evangelist. He was well-known all over the
South. He was always holding meetings.
We always had tent meetings everywhere, which is good. I wouldn't mind
having a tent myself. Maybe we will someday and hold
some more tent meetings. But when we weren't, as kids,
we weren't going to the tent meetings at night. We was home
playing church. We had, across the street there
was a family that went to our church and down the street. And
all us kids would get over in the backyard and we had a tent
back there. We built us a tent out of blankets
and stuff. And we had a little pulpit, and
we had a song leader, and other kids would sit there, you know,
and one of us would be the preacher, and one would be the song leader,
and one would make the announcements, and one would teach the Sunday
school class, and we used to play church. And we had fun. We had fun building the tent,
we had fun building the pulpit, we had fun going out trying to
get some benches to sit on, and we had fun carrying on the services,
but we soon got tired of it. And after a while, we quit playing
games. And we went to some other amusement. And I'll tell you
this. This is what I think most folks
today are doing. They're playing play life, children's
games. They're meeting together, and
they're going through all the motions. And if the fellow in
charge of the game doesn't keep some new entertainment and new
projects and new promotions and new purposes and new revelations,
he's going to lose his crown. You just come and sit and listen
to the gospel and pray and seek the face of God and weep over
our sins and try to find, as Darwin prayed, the will of God,
that gets awful old to a man unless it's really a part of
his heart. And he's not going to stay with it. That's the reason
churches always are promoting things. Youth Night, Family Night,
Father's Day, Mother's Day, Anniversary Day, Shut-In Day, all these different
things, you know, to celebrate, to keep them coming, contests. These things are nothing in the
world but to keep the children's interest who get tired of playing
games. Well, John says they went out
from us. They got weary of playing church
and they left. And he shows us about four things
that resulted from their going out. Here's the first one. He
said they went out. It doesn't matter why. There's
several things that contribute to their going. One, they couldn't
take the truth. Two, trials, poverty or prosperity. Or number three, they're seeking
their glory and somebody costs their will or way Or then there
was the true love for Christ was missing, they're just weary
of the game. They're going out playing something else now. But
John says, here's what the result is. Number one, they went out
from us, but they were not of us. They were not of us. What do you mean by that? Well,
he means this. Their bodies were here, but their hearts were not
here. Never were. Our Lord said, you
call me Lord with your lips, but your hearts are not with
me. Their names were on our rolls,
but their name was never in the book of life. They took up the
name of Christ, but they never took up the cross of Christ.
Doris asked me the other day, what does that verse mean? Take
up your cross. and follow me. Well, I don't
know a whole lot about that, but I do know this. I know what
the cross is. The cross is the symbol of death. That's what the cross is. Our
Lord died on the cross. He took up His cross and bore
it to Calvary. The cross is the symbol of death. So when I take up my cross, I
am dead to this world and alive to Christ. I'm dead to my ambitions,
and I'm alive to His will and His commandments. I'm dead to
my merit and righteousness, and I'm alive to Christ's righteousness
and Christ's merit. Secondly, the cross is not only
a symbol of death, it's a symbol of shame. A cross of shame. And I'll tell you this, the gospel
is offensive. The gospel of God's grace is
offensive. When you and I are stripped,
we're stripped to our shame. Our shame is revealed, our filthiness
and guilt, the awful nature that's within us and our hearts and
minds is revealed by the gospel. And that shame and reproach is
the shame and the reproach that Christ bore on that cross as
He was stripped, as He was humiliated, as He was humbled, as He suffered
up there the most ignominious death, the most awful shame hanging
there, a curse between heaven and earth. My cross is the cross
of shame. I admit what I am, who I am,
and I look to Christ for His covering and for His cleansing
and for His atonement and for His acceptance, and I'm never
anything but what Christ was on that cross, not in human flesh. I never graduate from that. I
take up the cross of shame. All right, like Lot's wife though.
Lot's wife left Sodom. She left Sodom in body, but she
never left Sodom in heart. She never left Sodom in mind.
And people who are false professors of religion, they leave the world,
and they leave their worldly companions for a while, and they
leave the outward sins for a while and come into the church, but
they never really left them. Lot's wife, when the angel went
down and said, get out of here now, get out of here, God's going
to destroy this city. Well, Lot left that place. And
he was glad to leave it. His righteous soul was vexed
all the time he was down there. And he was willing, he not only
left it in body, he left it in heart and mind and in every other
way. But his wife, in body, she followed
him. But her heart was still back
there and her mind was still back there. And the angel said,
don't look back. But she could not resist turning
and looking back. Because that's where her interest
was. And that's, John says, they never were of us. Their bodies
were here, but their hearts weren't. Their names were on the roll,
but not in the book of life. They took up the name of Christ,
but never took up the cross of Christ. Like Lot's wife, they
left Sodom. They left the world in body,
but they never left it in heart. I saw a man wearing a lapel pin
some time ago. I don't even remember where it
was, but it kind of shocked me. because he claims to believe
something about the Word of God. He had a lapel pin that said,
Try God. Try God. My friend, let me tell
you something, and this may be a key right here that will help
you. One does not try God like you try on a suit to see if you
like it. One does not try God as you try out an automobile
to see if it runs good or it will meet your needs. One does
not try God as he tries a job or a new community. Go back to
verse 16 here, verse 15. Look at it here, verse 15, 1
John 2. Love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world, if any man love the world. The
love of the Father is not in him. Nothing in this world, nothing
identified with this world, Nothing of this world meets our need.
Christ is our life. There's no other life but His
life. You can't try that on. You have to experience it. There's
no other joy but His joy. You can't try out joy. It's born
in the heart. There's no other love but His
love. There's no other righteousness but His righteousness. There's
no other hope but His hope. There's no other family but His
family. There's no other way but His
way. That's not something that you try on. It's something that's
revealed. It's a new life. It's a new creation. It's a new master. It's a new
hope. And the believer loves Christ
first. Now look at this verse right
here, verse 15. Love not the world. That mean you're not supposed
to love your relatives? No, it doesn't mean that at all.
The believer loves his relatives and friends. In fact, the Bible
says if a man doesn't care for his own household, he's worse
than an infidel. He loves his relatives, he loves
his children, he loves his grandchildren, he loves his friends, he loves
and pities all men. The Scripture tells us to love
all men, to love our neighbors ourselves. He loves and enjoys
the blessings that God affords him in this life. But he holds
these relationships, and he holds these interests, according to
their relationship with his Lord. He loves Christ first and foremost
and supremely. And all of these other things
are temporary, they're means. Their relationship that he knows
will someday be dissolved, and their relationships and their
gifts and their blessings that someday will have to be laid
down. And all of his interest and concern is toward Christ. Now that's not trying something,
you see. That's a new creation. That's
a new life. That's a new nature. That's the
life of God. You can't wean a man's love from
the things of this world unless Christ gives him a new love.
You can't wean a man's interest from the things of the world
unless Christ gives him new interest. You can't take a man's affections
from the things of human nature unless God gives him a new nature.
And greater is He that's in you than he that's in the world.
And this is a miracle. This is a new birth. This is
regeneration. And this is what John is saying
here in verse 19. They went out from us. Whatever
the cause for their coming in, whatever the cause for their
going out, this is one thing that is revealed by their leaving. They were not of us. They were
among us. They were numbered with us, but
they were not of us. You see what he's saying? They
were among us and they were numbered with us, but they were not of
us. They were not of that new creation. They were not of that new life.
They were among those who were trying God. They're wearied for
a while of this, or they're wearied for a while of that, or they're
wearied for a while of this, or perhaps they saw some attraction
or attractive thing. Perhaps they got interested for
the moment in something that was promised, so they came and
joined up. But there was never a regeneration,
there was never a new nature, there was never a new life and
a new love shed abroad in them by the Holy Spirit. They never
bowed to a new master. I'll tell you, when Saul of Tarsus
met Christ on the road to Damascus, he didn't try God. Right there,
he was smitten, he was stripped, he was blinded, he had revealed
to him that this world was just nothing, it was temporary, it
was just so many trinkets and toys. He saw Christ, His glory. His majesty, His power, He heard
Christ speak. He came to know who Christ is. And right then, all this other
stuff just was revealed for what it really was, nothing. And Christ
became everything. And from then on, whether He
was in prison or whether He was in Nero's palace, it didn't make
any difference. It was all trinkets, a prison,
would a palace prove or a palace would a prison prove? Christ
wasn't there, Christ was there. You see that? It became nothing.
And Paul loved his friends and his relatives and he loved good
food that God gave him. He loved clothes that God gave
him. He loved comforts that God provided him. But whether he
had the comforts or didn't have them, whether he had the friends
or didn't have them, it really didn't matter. He had Christ. And that's avos. Somebody understands
what you're talking about. Somebody that identifies with
you in this relationship with Christ. That's what makes this so difficult
when you're really, like the old timers used to say, well
saved, truly saved. Try to go back and fellowship
with some of the people you fellowshiped before you met the Lord. Well,
you don't have the same interests. You don't talk the same language.
You're not ambitious or concerned about the same things. They're
uptight about this, that, the other. You're not. They're ambitious
to get more, gain more, enjoy more, and you're just not. You'll
take it if God gives it. You'll do without it if God withholds
it. You'll live here if God enables you. You'll live there if God
enables you. But what difference does it make? You're going to
live always with Him. They're not of us, of us, of
us. We're going to have to learn
what that means, of us. Everybody that's with us, that
is with us, is not of us. Everybody that's among us is
not of us. You know what, it's just like, I read a book one time by a man
who, I think it was a guy called Black Like Me, a white man, Died
his face or something and went among the black people. He found
out they talked a different language. They had different interests.
It was a whole new world, a new life. And he was there. He was among them. He was dressed
like them. He looked like them. They didn't
know the difference. He wasn't of them. Never did
become of them. Brother, I'll tell you this.
You can talk like a Christian, and you can learn doctrine like
a Christian, and you can go around with a pious look and look like
a Christian, and you can do the things that Christians do, like
going to church and paying your tithes and doing all these different
things, but there's another thing to be of us. Of us. And John said the reason they
went out, they never were of us. Look at the second thing. Look
at what he says next. But if they had been of us, am
I getting through to you what I'm talking about? If they had
been one of us, contrite heart, broken spirit, in love with Christ,
willing to die for Him, loving that gospel, living on it, feeding
on it, finding joy in it, If they had been of us, they would
no doubt, not a question about it, John said, I don't have a
doubt about it, they'd still be here. That's what he said. Our Lord said one time that thousands
were before Him and fed Him, preached to Him and they didn't
like what He said and they left. He turned to the twelve disciples
and He said, will you also go away? And they said, to whom? I tell you, Charlie, while you're
not going to leave here, you ain't got no place to go. Now,
that's just coming down to it. To whom shall we go? I tell you,
while you're not going to leave Christ, there's no one to go
to. Where are you going to find joy? happiness, sanctification,
justification, eternal life. Where are you going to find wisdom
and redemption? Where are you going to find a
hope? Where are you going to find comfort and joy? Where are you
going to find His good providence? Nowhere. And they said, to whom
shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. Turn to Jeremiah 32. Let me show you a verse of Scripture.
Jeremiah 32. And I've got to move on. But
I want you to see this. Jeremiah 32, verse 40. Our Lord says here in Jeremiah
32, verse 40, He said, I will make an everlasting covenant with
them. I will not turn away from them. To do them good, I put
my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
There's a two-fold continuance in this thing. He said, I'll
not depart from them and they'll not depart from me. There's preservation
and there's perseverance. We're kept by the power of God
through faith. That's right. If anybody wants
to leave, he can leave. But those who are redeemed don't
want to leave. They've got no place to go. God's children don't
leave the gospel. God's children won't leave the
family. God's children don't leave the table. God's children
don't leave the things that identify them with Him. And the reason
they don't is they found in Him a resting place. And He hath
made them glad. They found in Him all the joy
that their hearts can stand. They found in Him all the hope
that their hearts need. They found in Him the total satisfaction
for all that He meets every need. He meets every need. We're familiar
with verses that go like this, my sheep hear my voice and they
follow me. You're my friends if you do what
I command you. By this shall all men know you're
my disciples if you love one another. But John adds this,
perseverance is evidence of salvation. If they had been of us, they
would have stayed with us. That's what John said. They would
have stayed with us. Closing here's the here's the
statement That but they went out But they went out Verse 19
you with me, but they went out that they might be made manifest
That they were not all of us God permits false professors
and False teachers to find their way into the church. That's a
fact Turn, if you will, to Matthew chapter 13. What are you saying,
preacher? Stay with me now. God permits.
God permits. There's a directive will of God,
and there's the permissive will of God. I can't explain that.
I just know that everything that's done in regard to His church
and His kingdom is according to His will. He worketh all things
after the counsel of His own will. He is God. God doesn't
attempt to do anything or try to do anything or hope to do
anything. He does what He purposes to do.
Known unto God are all His works from the beginning. He declares
the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that
are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand. I'll do
all My pleasure. The fall of Adam was in the permissive
will of God, or he never would have fallen, Bob. God wasn't
on vacation when Adam fell. Before Adam ever fell, God said,
I have a lamb slain for sinners. Well, there aren't any sinners,
Lord. There will be. There will be. Verse 24, Matthew
13, Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom
of heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field.
Well, you know who that is, and you know who the seed are. But
while men slept, his enemies came and sowed tares among the
wheat. and went his way. Now when the
blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit, the tares grew also. So the servants of the household
of the good man came and said, sir, did you not sow good seed
in that church? Where'd those tares come from,
those false professors, those self-righteous people, those
enemies of the gospel? He said an enemy did this. Well,
a servant said, you want me to go and gather them up? So, boy,
a lot of folks have tried that. I've heard preachers say, I know
who's saved and who's not saved. Boy, I don't. I don't have a
faintest idea. I know who does, but I don't.
Well, man, you believe there are tares in this congregation?
I wouldn't be surprised, would you? Our Lord had 12, and one
of them was a devil. Well, don't you think you ought
to discipline them? You ought to run them off? Well,
that's what this fellow thought, too. And the Lord said, hold
on here now, verse 29, hold it, lest while you gather up the
tares, you root up the wheat. Be careful now. Be careful. Just let them both grow together. Evidently, there's a purpose
behind this. God says let them grow together.
In the time of the harvest, I'll say to the reapers, you gather
together first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn
them, gather the wheat into my barn. There are a lot of folks
that spend a lot of time talking about when all of it's right
and all you can tell the difference and so forth and so on. But here's
what our Lord's teaching. He's teaching several things
here. And the thing He's teaching is you don't decide who's saved
and who's lost among professors. That's God's business. And you
don't try to root out the tares lest you root up the wheat also.
But what I'm pointing out is the very existence of tares among
the wheat. And Spurgeon said this. The church
is like a threshing floor. The chaff will be blown away,
and the wheat will remain. The tares will grow among the
wheat, that it all might be evident, now watch this, that it might
be evident, that we might learn from it, that we might be observed,
that we might understand more clearly, salvations of the Lord. You say, how can I learn that?
Nothing, now watch this, nothing will reveal more clearly to me
that salvation, sanctification, righteousness, wisdom, perseverance,
all of these gifts of grace, nothing will reveal more clearly
to me that this is all of the Lord than to observe what finally
happens to people who try to do it for themselves. You see
what I'm saying? This is what I'm saying. We're
taught by the Word of God and we're taught by the Spirit of
God that it's God who chose us, that it's God who by His grace
called us, that it's God who by His grace keeps us, that it's
God who by the righteousness of Christ covers us, clothes
us, sustains us, provides for us, makes us what we are. Who
maketh thee to differ? We're His workmanship created
in Christ Jesus under good works. We know that from the Word. We
know that from the teaching of the Holy Spirit. But I'll tell
you how I can learn it also, is to observe and watch people
who try to do those things for themselves. That's what he's
saying here. When this man comes into the
congregation, and he sits for a while, and he endures for a
while, and he listens for a while, And you see that he's going about
to establish his own righteousness and you observe his conduct and
observe his behavior and then observe him leaving. You understand
more fully, if it wasn't for God's grace, I'd be leaving too. If it wasn't for God's grace,
I'd be weary of playing the game too. If it wasn't for God's grace,
I wouldn't have any interest in this gospel either. If it
wasn't for God's grace, I wouldn't remain faithful either. If it
wasn't for God's grace, I wouldn't have that love and concern for
the gospel either. And that man's departure, it
makes it more manifest and clear to me and to you. That which
sustains us and keeps us and makes us what we are is not our
own effort, like the man who left. That's the result of his
effort, but it's the grace of God. Paul said, I am what I am
by the grace of God. By the grace of God. Here's what
he's saying here. These people were among us, never
of us, and they left. They no doubt would have continued
with us if they had been of us, but they left. And God clearly
manifests to you that if it wasn't for the grace
of God, you'd leave too. That's what he's saying. They
manifested that to you. You see, they were born of Adam
just like you are. They're human beings just like
you. They have the same nature. They're dug out of the same pit.
They're just exactly like us. And the fact that we are different.
Who maketh thee to differ? Let me show you that verse again.
1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 4 verse
7. 1 Corinthians 4 says, Who made
you to differ from another? Who made you to differ from another?
What do you have that you didn't receive? Now if you did receive
it, why do you glory as if you did not receive it? That's who made the difference.
So I can't take any credit or any praise or honor to myself.
I am what I am by the grace of God. And brethren, there's two
religions in this world. One of them is the religion of
pure, complete, Grace, salvation is a gift and work of God, and
the other is salvation by works. And as I observe the results
of this effort to establish a righteousness on the part of a man, as I observe
that person and his finally departing from what he calls the faith,
it makes it more clearly evident to me that if I continue in the
faith, it will be by the grace of God. If I continue, if you
continue, it'll be by His grace. He'll
get the glory for it. All the glory. You see, He planted
the wheat. The enemy planted the tares.
Our Father in Heaven, grant unto us, you said we've
been anointed with the Spirit, with the Holy One. You made us
to differ. And we believe we are among those
who have been made to differ. We believe we are among those
who are partakers of this special anointing as to know the truth,
the truth about God, who He is, revealed in Christ the Lord,
truth about ourselves, all the shame of our guilt and rebellion,
truth about salvation, it's in the blood of Christ, in the merits
of Christ. The truth about repentance and
faith, the gift of our God. The truth about perseverance. We walk in Thee because of Thy
grace and because of Thy preservation, kept by Thy power, and yet we
believe.