WEBVTT 00:00:01.219 --> 00:00:03.620 Now would you take your copy of the Word of God 00:00:03.620 --> 00:00:06.419 and turn with me please to the Book of Romans. 00:00:08.619 --> 00:00:10.980 We're going to look at the last few verses in 00:00:10.980 --> 00:00:15.119 chapter three. There are few teachings of the 00:00:15.119 --> 00:00:19.000 Bible which are found so incomprehensible to 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:23.719 unregenerate man as that of justification by 00:00:23.719 --> 00:00:30.469 faith. Now why is that? Well, it's because man 00:00:30.469 --> 00:00:34.149 likes to think of himself as capable of making 00:00:34.149 --> 00:00:37.090 at least some contribution toward his acceptance 00:00:37.090 --> 00:00:46.649 by God. It's humiliating and irksome to his self 00:00:46.649 --> 00:00:50.909 -esteem, his ego, to think of himself as a helpless 00:00:50.909 --> 00:00:55.670 sinner in need of a Savior, in need of having 00:00:56.140 --> 00:01:00.039 his sin forgiven by the shed blood of another. 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:04.439 Unregenerate man resists that kind of teaching. 00:01:05.299 --> 00:01:07.379 As an example of that, I brought with me this 00:01:07.379 --> 00:01:14.579 morning a paragraph written by a religious leader 00:01:14.579 --> 00:01:20.120 of a denomination that will remain nameless. 00:01:21.500 --> 00:01:24.180 His name is Dr. John W. Graham. I believe he 00:01:24.180 --> 00:01:27.180 is dead now. He knows better than what he's written 00:01:27.180 --> 00:01:31.219 here at this point. But this is what he writes. 00:01:31.920 --> 00:01:35.620 The evangelical doctrine of atonement, as I am 00:01:35.620 --> 00:01:39.700 using the word historically, ascribed the salvation 00:01:39.700 --> 00:01:43.659 of mankind here and hereafter to their annexing 00:01:43.659 --> 00:01:47.180 for themselves, even how yet sinful, the infinite 00:01:47.180 --> 00:01:51.200 merits of the crucified Redeemer, who shed blood 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:54.019 was regarded as the equivalent in the divine 00:01:54.019 --> 00:01:57.819 sight for the sins of the world. This doctrine 00:01:57.819 --> 00:02:01.719 most people now find incredible, unspiritual, 00:02:02.379 --> 00:02:07.560 and even immoral. And so even religious people 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:10.599 who are unregenerate find the doctrine of Christ 00:02:10.599 --> 00:02:15.699 shed blood for the sins of mankind to be something 00:02:15.699 --> 00:02:21.379 to be resisted, is distasteful to them. The simplicity 00:02:21.379 --> 00:02:24.259 of the message of salvation by faith alone is 00:02:24.259 --> 00:02:30.740 offensive to our cultured, educated, proud world. 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:36.960 Its response to the Gospel message apart from 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:40.139 the work of the Holy Spirit is not unlike that 00:02:40.139 --> 00:02:43.659 of the Corinthian intellectuals who called the 00:02:43.659 --> 00:02:47.379 simple message that Paul preached foolishness 00:02:47.379 --> 00:02:52.460 or moronic. The text that we have before us today 00:02:52.460 --> 00:02:56.759 underscores, however, the simplicity of the Gospel 00:02:56.759 --> 00:03:02.120 message. It is key to biblical teaching, this 00:03:02.120 --> 00:03:08.240 doctrine of justification by faith alone. Perhaps 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:13.479 with the Jew in mind, Paul poses three basic 00:03:13.479 --> 00:03:19.210 questions in the text, Romans 3, verses 27. through 00:03:19.210 --> 00:03:24.669 31. You see they reacted to the simple message 00:03:24.669 --> 00:03:29.770 that he preached. Race, good works, the possession 00:03:29.770 --> 00:03:32.669 of the law, these were very important to the 00:03:32.669 --> 00:03:37.990 Jews. With them in mind, the apostle writes these 00:03:37.990 --> 00:03:41.409 words as he concludes this introductory section 00:03:41.409 --> 00:03:46.129 dealing with salvation. Where then is boasting? 00:03:46.930 --> 00:03:51.439 It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? 00:03:52.379 --> 00:03:57.039 No, but by a law of faith, a principle of faith. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:02.580 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith 00:04:02.580 --> 00:04:08.199 apart from works of the law. Or is God the God 00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:12.780 of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? 00:04:13.219 --> 00:04:16.740 Yes, of Gentiles also, if indeed God is one. 00:04:17.579 --> 00:04:21.220 and he will justify the circumcised by faith 00:04:21.220 --> 00:04:26.079 and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then 00:04:26.079 --> 00:04:30.379 nullify the law through faith? May it never be. 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:36.019 On the contrary, we establish the law. And so 00:04:36.019 --> 00:04:39.459 the three basic questions which the apostle thinks 00:04:39.459 --> 00:04:45.079 that a Jew might ask are these. Where then is 00:04:45.079 --> 00:04:51.319 boasting? Is God the God of Jews and Gentiles? 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:57.839 Do we nullify the law through preaching justification 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:03.439 by faith? Now it may be difficult for us, since 00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:08.019 most of us are Gentiles, to appreciate the significance 00:05:08.019 --> 00:05:10.959 of those questions. But I hope as we look at 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:14.240 them today that we will find some practical applications 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:18.500 for our own lives. And we'll be able to put ourselves, 00:05:19.180 --> 00:05:22.680 in some respect, into the Jewish mindset as we 00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:26.199 ask them. The first question is, where is boasting 00:05:26.199 --> 00:05:31.439 then? You see, the Jews boasted of their self 00:05:31.439 --> 00:05:36.579 -sufficiency, of their privileges, their law 00:05:36.579 --> 00:05:42.439 keeping. And then along comes this apostle, so 00:05:42.439 --> 00:05:46.870 called, who preaches a gospel which condemns 00:05:46.870 --> 00:05:50.689 man and closes the mouth of every man so they 00:05:50.689 --> 00:05:55.889 cannot boast before God." The Jew pride himself 00:05:55.889 --> 00:05:58.769 in those things that were especially Jewish. 00:05:59.410 --> 00:06:03.110 Back in chapter 2, verse 17, the apostle suggests 00:06:03.110 --> 00:06:06.569 this when he says, if you bear the name Jew and 00:06:06.569 --> 00:06:11.389 rely upon the law and boast in God and know his 00:06:11.389 --> 00:06:14.560 will, and approve the things that are essential 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:18.079 being instructed out of the law, and are confident 00:06:18.079 --> 00:06:21.000 that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:24.060 light to those in darkness, a corrector of the 00:06:24.060 --> 00:06:27.220 foolish, a teacher of the immature, and so on." 00:06:27.220 --> 00:06:29.680 You see, that's how the Jew regarded himself. 00:06:30.259 --> 00:06:34.560 He was Jew, whereas everybody else who was non 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:40.180 -Jew was Goyim, nations, Gentiles, nothing. But 00:06:40.180 --> 00:06:43.519 he was Jew, and he knew God, and he had the law, 00:06:43.740 --> 00:06:47.220 and he boasted about those things. That's why 00:06:47.220 --> 00:06:50.459 the question, what happens to boasting then? 00:06:52.759 --> 00:06:54.939 Well, lest we think that there is no place at 00:06:54.939 --> 00:06:57.980 all for boasting, let me assure you that the 00:06:57.980 --> 00:07:00.240 Bible does give us some things to boast about. 00:07:02.019 --> 00:07:03.899 I'm going to suggest three of them this morning. 00:07:03.959 --> 00:07:07.079 The list is not complete by any means. But let's 00:07:07.079 --> 00:07:09.839 look quickly at three things that we may rightly 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:13.819 boast about as Christians. There is a place for 00:07:13.819 --> 00:07:17.779 boasting. The first one I want to look at is 00:07:17.779 --> 00:07:25.199 in 1 Corinthians chapter 1. The worldly Corinthians 00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:29.639 regarded themselves above that which they should 00:07:29.639 --> 00:07:37.470 have. And so to remind them of their roots, The 00:07:37.470 --> 00:07:42.250 apostle says in verse 26 in chapter 1, consider 00:07:42.250 --> 00:07:45.629 your call, brethren, that there are not many 00:07:45.629 --> 00:07:49.509 wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, 00:07:49.670 --> 00:07:53.370 not many noble, but God has chosen the foolish 00:07:53.370 --> 00:07:57.209 things of the world to shame the wise, and God 00:07:57.209 --> 00:07:59.649 has chosen the weak things of the world to shame 00:07:59.649 --> 00:08:02.889 the things which are strong, and the base things 00:08:02.889 --> 00:08:06.089 of the world and the despised God has chosen. 00:08:06.379 --> 00:08:10.000 the things that are not, that he might nullify, 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:13.480 things that are, that no man should boast before 00:08:13.480 --> 00:08:18.699 God. He says, dear people, let me remind you 00:08:18.699 --> 00:08:24.339 of your lot. You see, God hasn't chosen many 00:08:24.339 --> 00:08:27.160 who arise. He doesn't say any. He says, not many 00:08:27.160 --> 00:08:32.360 who arise or who are strong. He says, on the 00:08:32.360 --> 00:08:35.019 other hand, God has purposely chosen the weak. 00:08:35.629 --> 00:08:39.210 and what the world considers foolish and base 00:08:39.210 --> 00:08:42.590 and despised. Yes, most things that the world 00:08:42.590 --> 00:08:47.649 says are nothing to nobodies. He says, God has 00:08:47.649 --> 00:08:51.889 chosen those people to be his saints so that 00:08:51.889 --> 00:08:56.490 no man should boast before God. Verse 30, but 00:08:56.490 --> 00:09:01.669 by his doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became 00:09:01.669 --> 00:09:04.799 to us wisdom from God. and righteousness, and 00:09:04.799 --> 00:09:08.100 sanctification, and redemption, that just as 00:09:08.100 --> 00:09:11.740 it is written, that him who boasts, boasts in 00:09:11.740 --> 00:09:14.740 the Lord. Now when the apostle writes that last 00:09:14.740 --> 00:09:18.080 sentence, he's thinking of a passage in Jeremiah. 00:09:19.460 --> 00:09:21.779 So let's turn back to the prophet of Jeremiah 00:09:21.779 --> 00:09:24.240 in the Old Testament and look at the whole text. 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:36.330 It's in Jeremiah chapter 9. Jeremiah, chapter 00:09:36.330 --> 00:09:44.950 9, verses 23 and 24. Thus says the Lord, let 00:09:44.950 --> 00:09:49.230 not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not 00:09:49.230 --> 00:09:52.710 the mighty man boast of his might, let not a 00:09:52.710 --> 00:09:56.870 rich man boast of his riches. But you destroy 00:09:56.870 --> 00:09:59.850 the things that most people boast about in that 00:09:59.850 --> 00:10:04.289 one verse. Though its intellectual capacity, 00:10:05.129 --> 00:10:11.070 one's degrees, his scholarship, etc., or his 00:10:11.070 --> 00:10:18.929 might, his power in the corporation, or his physical 00:10:18.929 --> 00:10:24.490 might, or his riches, the money, the bank account, 00:10:25.250 --> 00:10:28.830 the things he owns, the material things he possesses. 00:10:28.909 --> 00:10:31.169 Those are the things that people brag about, 00:10:31.190 --> 00:10:35.440 aren't they? For God says, Let not a man boast 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:40.980 in any of these things, but let him who boasts 00:10:40.980 --> 00:10:45.740 boast of this, that he understands and knows 00:10:45.740 --> 00:10:50.220 me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, 00:10:50.299 --> 00:10:53.039 justice, and righteousness on the earth, for 00:10:53.039 --> 00:10:55.620 I delight in these things, declares the Lord. 00:10:56.860 --> 00:11:01.120 What may we rightly boast in? Not what we are. 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:05.360 not what we possess, but we may boast in the 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:11.100 Lord. We may boast in him and who he is and what 00:11:11.100 --> 00:11:14.559 he's done. If you're going to brag about something, 00:11:14.700 --> 00:11:17.700 don't brag about yourself, brag about the Lord. 00:11:19.539 --> 00:11:23.320 Secondly, we may boast, according to Galatians 00:11:23.320 --> 00:11:27.919 chapter 6, in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:11:31.189 --> 00:11:34.549 Beginning in verse 12 of this last chapter of 00:11:34.549 --> 00:11:56.990 the book of Galatians, it says, What's he talking 00:11:56.990 --> 00:11:59.490 about? Well, there were some false teachers who 00:11:59.490 --> 00:12:03.990 were trying to seduce the Galatian believers 00:12:03.990 --> 00:12:07.330 away from the simplicity of justification by 00:12:07.330 --> 00:12:12.190 faith. And part of their doctrine was, well, 00:12:12.190 --> 00:12:14.889 yes, you need to believe in Christ, but you also 00:12:14.889 --> 00:12:18.110 need to keep the Jewish right of circumcision. 00:12:19.389 --> 00:12:22.470 Faith alone is not enough. You must be circumcised 00:12:22.470 --> 00:12:26.009 according to the law of Moses. Then you will 00:12:26.009 --> 00:12:28.610 be accepted by God. Then you will be justified. 00:12:29.629 --> 00:12:32.090 Earlier in the book, the apostle calls that kind 00:12:32.090 --> 00:12:35.350 of teaching another gospel. It's not the gospel 00:12:35.350 --> 00:12:38.169 of Christ at all. And he says that these false 00:12:38.169 --> 00:12:41.210 teachers want to cause you to go through that 00:12:41.210 --> 00:12:44.309 rite. They want to brag about you being added 00:12:44.309 --> 00:12:48.330 to their numbers. But then he says, may it never 00:12:48.330 --> 00:12:52.789 be that I should boast except in the cross of 00:12:52.789 --> 00:12:56.750 our Lord Jesus Christ. The cross to these other 00:12:56.750 --> 00:13:01.519 people was an offense. Paul says, I boast in 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:04.840 the cross. You see, the cross is offensive to 00:13:04.840 --> 00:13:07.899 the world because it implies three things. It 00:13:07.899 --> 00:13:11.659 implies that man is a sinner. It implies that 00:13:11.659 --> 00:13:15.700 he is under the just curse of the law for his 00:13:15.700 --> 00:13:19.799 sin. And it implies that he can do nothing to 00:13:19.799 --> 00:13:23.320 save himself, that he can only receive God's 00:13:23.320 --> 00:13:27.500 provision for his sins. That's why the cross, 00:13:27.659 --> 00:13:30.710 the preaching of the cross, is such an offense. 00:13:32.129 --> 00:13:34.769 You can talk about Jesus being a great teacher, 00:13:35.909 --> 00:13:37.870 being the moral example that all of us should 00:13:37.870 --> 00:13:41.129 follow, and nobody will ever lift an accusing 00:13:41.129 --> 00:13:43.789 word against you. They will pat you on the back 00:13:43.789 --> 00:13:47.289 and say, my, what a marvelous teacher and preacher 00:13:47.289 --> 00:13:51.190 you are. But the moment that you try to share 00:13:51.190 --> 00:13:54.730 the cross of Jesus Christ, you put yourself in 00:13:54.730 --> 00:13:58.549 the place of persecution. because the cross slays 00:13:58.549 --> 00:14:02.309 the pride of man. It means that man is helpless 00:14:02.309 --> 00:14:04.889 to save himself and all he can do is call out 00:14:04.889 --> 00:14:08.769 for mercy from God. The apostle says, I boast 00:14:08.769 --> 00:14:10.789 in the cross if I'm going to boast in anything. 00:14:12.309 --> 00:14:15.889 He says these Judaizers, that was the name applied 00:14:15.889 --> 00:14:18.690 to these false teachers, he says they want to 00:14:18.690 --> 00:14:20.769 add you to their number so they can brag about 00:14:20.769 --> 00:14:24.649 you. When I read about them doing that, I'm reminded 00:14:24.649 --> 00:14:26.809 of those people today that brag about the numbers 00:14:26.809 --> 00:14:30.789 of converts that they have, or the numbers who've 00:14:30.789 --> 00:14:34.570 been baptized this last year in their church. 00:14:35.090 --> 00:14:38.889 In fact, I used to receive a newspaper that listed 00:14:38.889 --> 00:14:43.090 the churches that had baptized over 200 people 00:14:43.090 --> 00:14:47.110 during that year. And I know some of the people 00:14:47.110 --> 00:14:49.370 who pastored those churches, they would do anything 00:14:49.370 --> 00:14:52.850 to get on that list for the fame and the acclaim 00:14:52.850 --> 00:14:56.850 of being announced by that publication as having 00:14:56.850 --> 00:15:00.870 over 200 baptisms. I know in one church the organist 00:15:00.870 --> 00:15:07.590 was baptized three times. Then there are those 00:15:07.590 --> 00:15:11.669 that brag about the, quote unquote, decisions 00:15:11.669 --> 00:15:16.259 for Christ in the meeting. I remember one pastor 00:15:16.259 --> 00:15:22.759 relating how he was reading a publication from 00:15:22.759 --> 00:15:27.240 a certain mission which was boasting of its tremendous 00:15:27.240 --> 00:15:30.940 results in a certain foreign land. And they showed 00:15:30.940 --> 00:15:34.440 a picture of the vast crowd that had gathered 00:15:34.440 --> 00:15:39.059 to hear their evangelist. And as the pastor was 00:15:39.059 --> 00:15:40.700 looking at that picture he noticed something 00:15:40.700 --> 00:15:44.250 strange. Here was a gal in a hat over here, and 00:15:44.250 --> 00:15:46.389 here was another gal in a hat just like it here. 00:15:47.250 --> 00:15:49.330 And here was a man who had his legs crossed, 00:15:49.350 --> 00:15:51.009 and here was a man over here on this side who 00:15:51.009 --> 00:15:54.070 had his legs crossed, the same way. As they examined 00:15:54.070 --> 00:15:57.490 the picture, they had duplicated the picture, 00:15:57.529 --> 00:16:00.330 put them side by side to double the crowd that 00:16:00.330 --> 00:16:03.809 was there to hear the guy preach, see? That kind 00:16:03.809 --> 00:16:06.769 of stuff goes on, even among some of God's people, 00:16:06.769 --> 00:16:10.769 and I believe that it disgraces God to stench 00:16:10.769 --> 00:16:14.129 to him. When we boast about converts and numbers, 00:16:14.850 --> 00:16:17.129 don't misunderstand me. I thank God for every 00:16:17.129 --> 00:16:20.230 convert. And when numbers represent individuals 00:16:20.230 --> 00:16:22.649 whose lives are changed by the grace of God, 00:16:22.710 --> 00:16:25.149 and when we baptize people and it's an indication 00:16:25.149 --> 00:16:27.830 of their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and their 00:16:27.830 --> 00:16:29.929 desire to walk in the newness of life, we rejoice 00:16:29.929 --> 00:16:32.750 in that. But God forbid we should ever get the 00:16:32.750 --> 00:16:35.169 numbers out there and boast about numbers. That 00:16:35.169 --> 00:16:37.970 doesn't please God. That's what these false teachers 00:16:37.970 --> 00:16:40.600 wanted to do. Paul says, if I'm going to boast 00:16:40.600 --> 00:16:43.100 about anything, I'm going to boast about that 00:16:43.100 --> 00:16:46.120 which is an offense to the world, the cross. 00:16:47.799 --> 00:16:51.019 Then back up a few pages to 2 Corinthians chapter 00:16:51.019 --> 00:16:55.919 12. This may blow your mind. Here's a third thing 00:16:55.919 --> 00:17:00.600 that we may justly boast about. In 2 Corinthians 00:17:00.600 --> 00:17:03.220 chapter 12, the apostle relates this thorn in 00:17:03.220 --> 00:17:05.680 the flesh that he received and how that he prayed 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:10.579 three times that God would remove it. In verse 00:17:10.579 --> 00:17:14.539 9 he gives the Lord's response. He said to me, 00:17:15.079 --> 00:17:19.099 my grace is sufficient for you, for power is 00:17:19.099 --> 00:17:22.839 perfected in weakness. And now the Apostle's 00:17:22.839 --> 00:17:26.559 response is, most gladly therefore I will rather 00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:30.180 boast about my strengths. Is that what he says? 00:17:31.460 --> 00:17:33.380 Does he say, I'm going to boast about my strong 00:17:33.380 --> 00:17:38.170 points? No. He says, most gladly therefore I 00:17:38.170 --> 00:17:41.869 will rather boast about my weaknesses that the 00:17:41.869 --> 00:17:45.470 power of Christ may dwell in me. If you are now 00:17:45.470 --> 00:17:47.869 going to boast about anything concerning ourselves, 00:17:48.009 --> 00:17:51.549 let it be boasting about our weaknesses. Why? 00:17:52.890 --> 00:17:55.670 Because then, as people observe our lives, they 00:17:55.670 --> 00:17:57.769 are going to see the power of God evident in 00:17:57.769 --> 00:18:03.490 those areas of our lives. Why is it unpopular 00:18:03.490 --> 00:18:07.450 to boast about weaknesses. Well, in the first 00:18:07.450 --> 00:18:09.829 place, it runs contrary to the world, which boasts 00:18:09.829 --> 00:18:13.470 only about strengths and hides weaknesses. But 00:18:13.470 --> 00:18:16.549 secondly, because when we boast about our weaknesses, 00:18:16.730 --> 00:18:20.289 it means that we have to be transparent and allow 00:18:20.289 --> 00:18:23.950 people to see us as we really are. And we're 00:18:23.950 --> 00:18:28.450 vulnerable, and that's scary. That's exactly 00:18:28.450 --> 00:18:31.269 what the apostle says. I'm going to boast about 00:18:31.269 --> 00:18:34.049 those things that are weak about me so that when 00:18:34.049 --> 00:18:36.490 people see my life they will know it's the power 00:18:36.490 --> 00:18:41.390 of God and not me. I praise God for that. If 00:18:41.390 --> 00:18:43.529 we're going to boast, let it be in the Lord or 00:18:43.529 --> 00:18:47.470 in the cross of Christ or in our weakness. But, 00:18:47.569 --> 00:18:52.089 going back to our text, let it not be in our 00:18:52.089 --> 00:18:58.279 good works. Boasting of one's own goodness is 00:18:58.279 --> 00:19:04.339 not allowed before God. It is forbidden. He says, 00:19:04.460 --> 00:19:10.420 where is boasting? It is excluded. By what law? 00:19:10.460 --> 00:19:14.859 Works? No. If the principle of works were involved, 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:16.640 then people would boast about what they did. 00:19:18.259 --> 00:19:20.059 You know, if you and I got to heaven because 00:19:20.059 --> 00:19:22.380 of something we achieved or accomplished in this 00:19:22.380 --> 00:19:24.720 life, when we get to heaven, it would be simply 00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:29.039 an eternity of comparisons. We would walk around 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:31.000 with our list of what we had done and everybody 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:32.940 else would have their list and we would be bragging 00:19:32.940 --> 00:19:35.220 about what we did and how we did better than 00:19:35.220 --> 00:19:38.220 they or whatever. And God will have none of that 00:19:38.220 --> 00:19:41.519 in heaven. Where is boasting then in our own 00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:45.400 goodness? It's ruled out. The door is shut by 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:51.180 the law of faith. Warren Woosby in his book on 00:19:51.180 --> 00:19:54.599 Roman says that it's like the rescued swimmer 00:19:54.599 --> 00:19:58.549 who was drowning. He doesn't brag that he had 00:19:58.549 --> 00:20:03.970 faith to hang on to the lifeguard. When you and 00:20:03.970 --> 00:20:06.809 I understand that we are sinking in our sin and 00:20:06.809 --> 00:20:10.410 lost and helpless, that all we've done is reached 00:20:10.410 --> 00:20:12.529 out by faith and trusted the Savior, we have 00:20:12.529 --> 00:20:16.170 nothing to brag about in ourselves. But we brag 00:20:16.170 --> 00:20:19.750 in the one who saved us. You see, when we're 00:20:19.750 --> 00:20:23.529 saved, it's like a beggar coming to the king. 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:26.700 And with nothing in his hands, he reaches out 00:20:26.700 --> 00:20:29.980 and the king puts what he needs into his possession. 00:20:30.660 --> 00:20:33.740 That's what salvation is. It's simply receiving 00:20:33.740 --> 00:20:37.400 what God has to offer. Oh, there's a place for 00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:40.519 good works, but not as the cause for salvation, 00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:44.420 rather as the overflow of it, the results of 00:20:44.420 --> 00:20:50.700 it. Quote with me, Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. For 00:20:50.700 --> 00:20:54.559 by grace are you saved through faith. And that, 00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:58.579 not of yourselves, is the gift of God, not by 00:20:58.579 --> 00:21:03.940 works, lest any man should boast." Not by works, 00:21:04.059 --> 00:21:05.920 lest man should boast, but it goes on to say, 00:21:06.039 --> 00:21:08.759 but we are His workmanship created in Christ 00:21:08.759 --> 00:21:14.519 Jesus unto good works. God has created us in 00:21:14.519 --> 00:21:17.140 Christ so that we may now perform good works, 00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:22.529 having been justified by faith alone. We see 00:21:22.529 --> 00:21:25.089 this illustrated in a parable that Jesus told. 00:21:25.710 --> 00:21:27.849 I'd like you to take your Bible and turn to Luke 00:21:27.849 --> 00:21:42.049 chapter 18. Luke chapter 18 and verse 9. Jesus 00:21:42.049 --> 00:21:44.450 told this parable to certain ones who trusted 00:21:44.450 --> 00:21:49.130 in themselves that they were righteous and viewed 00:21:49.130 --> 00:21:54.160 others with contempt. Two men went up into the 00:21:54.160 --> 00:21:56.859 temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax 00:21:56.859 --> 00:22:00.779 collector. That was next to nothing, if not nothing, 00:22:00.980 --> 00:22:03.240 in the society in Israel on that day to be a 00:22:03.240 --> 00:22:08.259 tax collector. He says the Pharisee stood and 00:22:08.259 --> 00:22:11.619 was praying thus to himself. That's very well 00:22:11.619 --> 00:22:25.309 put. Even like this tax collector, I fast twice 00:22:25.309 --> 00:22:33.009 a week. I pay tithes of all that I get. Jesus 00:22:33.009 --> 00:22:36.670 was on to say, but the tax collector, standing 00:22:36.670 --> 00:22:40.130 some distance away, was even unwilling to lift 00:22:40.130 --> 00:22:43.049 up his eyes to heaven and was beating his breast 00:22:43.049 --> 00:22:48.490 saying, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. When 00:22:48.490 --> 00:22:51.740 he says, be merciful to me, He literally says, 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:55.279 be propitious to me. If you were here last week, 00:22:55.359 --> 00:22:58.140 you remember that term we studied, propitiation. 00:22:59.480 --> 00:23:02.240 He's not just asking God to show mercy, but he's 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:05.920 saying, God show mercy to me because of the blood 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:09.019 that is shed as an atoning sacrifice for my sin. 00:23:10.819 --> 00:23:13.180 Now today we don't have to pray this prayer because 00:23:13.180 --> 00:23:15.960 that atoning sacrifice has been made once and 00:23:15.960 --> 00:23:21.490 for all in Jesus Christ. But you see the attitude 00:23:21.490 --> 00:23:25.589 we do need today. For one cries out to God for 00:23:25.589 --> 00:23:29.630 mercy and sees nothing in himself whereby he 00:23:29.630 --> 00:23:35.089 deserves to be saved. Jesus goes on to say, I 00:23:35.089 --> 00:23:40.789 tell you, this man went down to his house justified 00:23:40.789 --> 00:23:44.890 rather than the other. For anyone who exalts 00:23:44.890 --> 00:23:47.029 himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles 00:23:47.029 --> 00:23:51.640 himself shall be exhausted. God will have no 00:23:51.640 --> 00:23:54.880 flesh, glory, and his presence. You know, it 00:23:54.880 --> 00:23:57.980 bothers me sometimes when I hear certain testimonies, 00:23:58.960 --> 00:24:03.180 which in subtle ways promote and exalt the testifier. 00:24:05.539 --> 00:24:07.640 I guess I think particularly of those testimonies 00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:09.500 where the person gets up and tells us how bad 00:24:09.500 --> 00:24:12.599 he was before he was saved, and he drags out 00:24:12.599 --> 00:24:15.920 this grocery list of sins. And the way it comes 00:24:15.920 --> 00:24:17.880 across, it almost sounds as though he's bragging 00:24:17.880 --> 00:24:20.740 about all the things he did before he got saved. 00:24:22.700 --> 00:24:25.500 You know, he lived a more life before he was 00:24:25.500 --> 00:24:29.359 five years old, armed down the list, exaggerating 00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:32.039 sin after sin, and then it concludes as, but 00:24:32.039 --> 00:24:35.640 God saved me, and he sets down. The rest of the 00:24:35.640 --> 00:24:37.980 testimony was not the grace of God and how good 00:24:37.980 --> 00:24:42.250 God is, but... seems to be more of all the bad 00:24:42.250 --> 00:24:45.529 things he did. He promotes himself in some subtle 00:24:45.529 --> 00:24:49.349 way. Then there are those who think that a testimony 00:24:49.349 --> 00:24:52.250 is only really worth hearing when it's given 00:24:52.250 --> 00:24:57.369 by some evangelical superstar, some person out 00:24:57.369 --> 00:25:00.390 of Hollywood or out of the athletic world. That's 00:25:00.390 --> 00:25:02.730 a real testimony. That's the one that's really 00:25:02.730 --> 00:25:07.470 worth hearing and excludes or at least overlooks 00:25:07.789 --> 00:25:12.109 the testimony of the common person. God is not 00:25:12.109 --> 00:25:16.009 pleased with that, folks. When you and I testify, 00:25:17.309 --> 00:25:19.990 whether we be a superstar or like most of us 00:25:19.990 --> 00:25:23.289 here, the common person, in our testimonies let 00:25:23.289 --> 00:25:27.250 us bring glory to God. Where it is boasting, 00:25:27.609 --> 00:25:33.470 it is excluded. Question number two. Is God the 00:25:33.470 --> 00:25:38.460 God of Jews and Gentiles? Well, you have to put 00:25:38.460 --> 00:25:40.359 yourself in the place of a Jew to appreciate 00:25:40.359 --> 00:25:44.779 that question. That's hard for us to do. Most 00:25:44.779 --> 00:25:47.339 of us are Gentiles. We say, well, of course God 00:25:47.339 --> 00:25:51.000 is the God of the Jews and the Gentiles. What 00:25:51.000 --> 00:25:54.299 else? Well, you've got to put yourself back in 00:25:54.299 --> 00:25:59.559 a first century Jewish mindset. For centuries, 00:25:59.819 --> 00:26:02.420 the Jews have been taught, you are an elect people. 00:26:02.440 --> 00:26:06.369 You are separated from the nations. You worship 00:26:06.369 --> 00:26:10.170 the true God, they worship false gods." That 00:26:10.170 --> 00:26:15.470 was true. So now along comes this Gospel that 00:26:15.470 --> 00:26:17.809 Paul is proclaiming, and he says it's for Jew 00:26:17.809 --> 00:26:20.509 and Gentile, that now in the eyes of God in this 00:26:20.509 --> 00:26:24.109 age, there's no distinction between Jew and Gentile. 00:26:25.369 --> 00:26:28.690 The God we worship is the God of Jews and Gentiles. 00:26:28.930 --> 00:26:32.470 And the Jew says, now wait a minute. Wait a minute. 00:26:32.890 --> 00:26:35.349 You're trying to tell me that that Gentile doesn't 00:26:35.349 --> 00:26:37.710 even have to become a Jew before he becomes a 00:26:37.710 --> 00:26:43.470 Christian? Paul says that's right. That Gentile, 00:26:43.690 --> 00:26:47.690 uncircumcised, having followed the pagan religion 00:26:47.690 --> 00:26:51.529 of his forefathers, can trust Jesus Christ and 00:26:51.529 --> 00:26:53.750 be in the family of God without ever coming through 00:26:53.750 --> 00:26:57.390 the door of Israel. The Jew shakes his head. 00:26:58.009 --> 00:27:02.049 It's hard for him to comprehend. Now maybe I 00:27:02.049 --> 00:27:07.940 can can create some kind of a parallel that's 00:27:07.940 --> 00:27:12.420 not a parallel, but will, I hope, help you understand 00:27:12.420 --> 00:27:15.079 the difficulty that this presented to the Jewish 00:27:15.079 --> 00:27:17.920 mind. I suppose that there was some fellow that 00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:19.599 came into the church this morning and got up 00:27:19.599 --> 00:27:21.400 here in the pulpit and said to you, I have an 00:27:21.400 --> 00:27:26.680 announcement to make. We have blessed news. The 00:27:26.680 --> 00:27:29.319 God that we Christians worship is the same God 00:27:29.319 --> 00:27:33.380 that the Moslems worship. We just call them by 00:27:33.380 --> 00:27:36.680 different names. Your God and the God of all 00:27:36.680 --> 00:27:39.059 is the same God, and God has further revealed 00:27:39.059 --> 00:27:42.440 himself through Mohammed his prophet, and we're 00:27:42.440 --> 00:27:45.859 worshipping the same God. Well, what would be 00:27:45.859 --> 00:27:51.259 your response? Well, we probably would throw 00:27:51.259 --> 00:27:57.000 the bum out on his ear. In love, of course. We 00:27:57.000 --> 00:28:00.059 would totally reject that. That doesn't square 00:28:00.059 --> 00:28:03.759 with the scriptures. It's not true. But you see, 00:28:03.779 --> 00:28:05.859 if you carry that back to the Jewish mind, that's 00:28:05.859 --> 00:28:08.279 sort of how the Jew looked at it. When the apostle 00:28:08.279 --> 00:28:10.400 came along and said that God's the God of the 00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:14.619 Jew and the Gentile. It was hard for him to receive. 00:28:15.740 --> 00:28:17.740 But the blessed truth is that God is the God 00:28:17.740 --> 00:28:23.059 of all nationalities. And God has a certain relationship 00:28:23.059 --> 00:28:28.119 to all men, despite race or culture. He is the 00:28:28.119 --> 00:28:32.359 creator of all men, for example. He is the provider 00:28:32.359 --> 00:28:34.519 for all men, whether they realize it or not. 00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:38.279 In His providence, He provides rain and the seasons 00:28:38.279 --> 00:28:41.660 and food and so on for all men. He is the judge 00:28:41.660 --> 00:28:44.440 of all men, again, whether mankind realizes it 00:28:44.440 --> 00:28:48.259 or not. So He has a certain relationship to all 00:28:48.259 --> 00:28:52.359 peoples, but He is not the Savior of all men, 00:28:52.740 --> 00:28:56.160 regardless of their attitude toward Him. He is 00:28:56.160 --> 00:28:59.880 the Savior only of those who believe. Now, there 00:28:59.880 --> 00:29:02.339 are those who promote the lie that we all worship 00:29:02.339 --> 00:29:04.640 one God and just call him by different names. 00:29:06.339 --> 00:29:08.980 Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the 00:29:08.980 --> 00:29:13.500 life. No man comes to the Father but by me. And 00:29:13.500 --> 00:29:16.960 he did not say, but by me, and Muhammad, and 00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:21.859 Buddha, and others, et cetera. He said, no man 00:29:21.859 --> 00:29:25.779 comes to the Father but by me. Biblical Christianity 00:29:25.779 --> 00:29:30.029 is an exclusive religion. It claims to be the 00:29:30.029 --> 00:29:34.710 only way to God. You see, just as God is one, 00:29:35.869 --> 00:29:42.009 so the way to God is one. I'm reminded of the 00:29:42.009 --> 00:29:47.250 unbelieving apostate seminary professor who teaches 00:29:47.250 --> 00:29:49.809 in the classroom and who says that Christ is 00:29:49.809 --> 00:29:53.930 the better way of salvation. A missions professor 00:29:53.930 --> 00:29:58.130 to top it off. Christ is not the better way of 00:29:58.130 --> 00:30:00.910 salvation because that implies there are alternatives. 00:30:02.470 --> 00:30:08.829 He is the only way of salvation. God is one. 00:30:10.670 --> 00:30:13.910 And He has one way by which we come into relationship 00:30:13.910 --> 00:30:17.789 with Him as Savior. That is through faith. That's 00:30:17.789 --> 00:30:21.430 what the Apostle says. That it is justification 00:30:21.430 --> 00:30:26.640 by faith. Over to Timothy, he writes, there is 00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:32.460 one God and one mediator between God and men, 00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:37.220 the man Christ Jesus. That's why he writes here, 00:30:37.240 --> 00:30:42.000 he will justify the circumcised, the Jew, and 00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:45.140 the uncircumcised, the Gentile, through faith. 00:30:45.579 --> 00:30:50.779 That's the only way we come to God. Is that where 00:30:50.779 --> 00:30:55.180 your trust and your hope is today? Or are you 00:30:55.180 --> 00:30:58.140 in some way still trusting in your birth? You 00:30:58.140 --> 00:31:00.240 say, well, I'm an American. I was born into a 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:06.319 Christian country. Were you? Nonetheless, your 00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:11.359 birth does not influence God. You say, well, 00:31:11.359 --> 00:31:16.160 I've been a good boy. I've tried hard. I may 00:31:16.160 --> 00:31:18.039 not have kept all the Ten Commandments, but I 00:31:18.039 --> 00:31:21.519 think I've kept most of them. Not only are you 00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:26.460 wrong, you are self -deceived. Yes, but I may 00:31:26.460 --> 00:31:29.619 not have been religious too much, but I was confirmed, 00:31:29.619 --> 00:31:32.079 I went through these certain rituals in my church, 00:31:33.400 --> 00:31:36.400 that my friend God justifies only on the basis 00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:43.660 of faith, apart from works. Faith alone recommends 00:31:43.660 --> 00:31:46.619 the soul to God, and if today your faith and 00:31:46.619 --> 00:31:49.519 your trust is in anything or anyone but Jesus 00:31:49.519 --> 00:31:54.049 Christ, you're lost. Even if you're trusting 00:31:54.049 --> 00:31:58.369 99 % in Jesus Christ and only 1 % in your good 00:31:58.369 --> 00:32:05.230 works, you are lost. Our total faith, 100 % of 00:32:05.230 --> 00:32:09.549 our faith, must be in Jesus Christ and His finished 00:32:09.549 --> 00:32:13.930 work on our behalf at the cross. We are justified 00:32:13.930 --> 00:32:20.890 by faith alone. Question number three. Maybe 00:32:20.890 --> 00:32:25.549 the most difficult of them. certain to the Jews, 00:32:26.190 --> 00:32:29.910 he says, do we nullify the law through faith? 00:32:32.170 --> 00:32:34.369 Do you understand what's in the Jewish mind here? 00:32:35.089 --> 00:32:39.130 I mean the law was his boast. This was his covenant 00:32:39.130 --> 00:32:43.410 with God. And now Paul comes along and over and 00:32:43.410 --> 00:32:46.450 over again he preaches and writes, apart from 00:32:46.450 --> 00:32:49.650 the law, without the law, justified by faith 00:32:49.650 --> 00:32:53.359 alone. And so the Jew says, yes, but wait a minute, 00:32:53.380 --> 00:32:57.599 what about the law? Does this message of the 00:32:57.599 --> 00:33:03.380 Gospel nullify the law? The Jews accused Paul 00:33:03.380 --> 00:33:07.539 of saying that when he was arrested in the temple 00:33:07.539 --> 00:33:12.859 prior to his being sent to Rome. The accusation 00:33:12.859 --> 00:33:17.019 leveled against him by the mob was, This is the 00:33:17.019 --> 00:33:20.240 man who preaches to all men everywhere against 00:33:20.240 --> 00:33:25.440 our people, Jews, and the law." They said he 00:33:25.440 --> 00:33:30.180 preaches against the law. Is that true? No. The 00:33:30.180 --> 00:33:34.900 apostle makes it clear here that the gospel message 00:33:34.900 --> 00:33:40.660 of justification by faith does not contradict 00:33:40.660 --> 00:33:44.799 the law. On the other hand, he says, it establishes 00:33:44.799 --> 00:33:49.390 the law. How is that? Well, think with me a moment. 00:33:50.509 --> 00:33:54.589 What was the purpose of the law? This is not 00:33:54.589 --> 00:33:56.490 a complete answer, but I'm going to give you 00:33:56.490 --> 00:34:00.450 a three -fold answer as to why God gave the law. 00:34:00.869 --> 00:34:06.910 Number one, to reveal His holiness and righteousness 00:34:06.910 --> 00:34:13.150 to man. You see, God's more perfections are revealed 00:34:13.150 --> 00:34:17.119 in the Ten Commandments. and other aspects of 00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:20.639 the law. The law demands perfect righteousness 00:34:20.639 --> 00:34:23.980 if a man is going to be right with God. The law 00:34:23.980 --> 00:34:28.900 reveals how pure God is. God is light and in 00:34:28.900 --> 00:34:35.019 him is no what? No more darkness at all. That's 00:34:35.019 --> 00:34:39.539 what the law does. Secondly, the law shows the 00:34:39.539 --> 00:34:44.050 awfulness of man's sin. In fact, the very existence 00:34:44.050 --> 00:34:48.469 of the law says that there is sin. If there were 00:34:48.469 --> 00:34:51.409 no sin, you wouldn't need law, would you? We 00:34:51.409 --> 00:34:54.690 wouldn't have to have laws in this country. There 00:34:54.690 --> 00:34:58.269 wouldn't have to be laws against murder and rape 00:34:58.269 --> 00:35:03.070 and stealing. If everybody was perfect, we'd 00:35:03.070 --> 00:35:05.449 just write them off the books. A perfect society. 00:35:06.530 --> 00:35:08.849 But we have laws in this country because man 00:35:08.849 --> 00:35:12.150 is a sinner. And that's why God gave the Ten 00:35:12.150 --> 00:35:15.130 Commandments, to expose the sinfulness of man. 00:35:15.610 --> 00:35:17.730 In chapter seven of this very book, the apostle 00:35:17.730 --> 00:35:20.829 will testify that he would not have known, but 00:35:20.829 --> 00:35:23.789 covetousness is, if God's law hadn't said to 00:35:23.789 --> 00:35:26.550 him, you shall not covet. Now it wasn't that 00:35:26.550 --> 00:35:30.550 the law made him a covetor. It was that the law 00:35:30.550 --> 00:35:32.389 turned the light on and he saw for the first 00:35:32.389 --> 00:35:34.409 time what covetousness is. He was practicing 00:35:34.409 --> 00:35:37.949 covetousness. You put a speed limit sign out 00:35:37.949 --> 00:35:40.369 here that says 35 miles an hour, it doesn't make 00:35:40.369 --> 00:35:44.449 a person a speeder. It simply exposes his speeding, 00:35:45.070 --> 00:35:48.889 you see. You say, thou, you will not commit murder 00:35:48.889 --> 00:35:52.590 in this state. Does that make a person a murderer? 00:35:52.769 --> 00:35:55.769 No, it simply exposes his deed if he does it. 00:35:56.349 --> 00:35:59.789 That's the purpose of the law. It exposes the 00:35:59.789 --> 00:36:02.670 awfulness of man's sin. And thirdly, I would 00:36:02.670 --> 00:36:05.369 say that the purpose of the law is to bring then 00:36:05.369 --> 00:36:09.949 the sinner to God's provision for his sin. Now 00:36:09.949 --> 00:36:12.590 in the Old Testament what that meant was that 00:36:12.590 --> 00:36:16.789 the Jew would bring a sacrifice to the temple, 00:36:16.969 --> 00:36:20.070 the blood would be shed and offered up in the 00:36:20.070 --> 00:36:23.469 prescribed way, and his sin would be atoned for. 00:36:24.329 --> 00:36:26.409 We won't do that today. You didn't bring a lamb 00:36:26.409 --> 00:36:28.489 or a pigeon to church with you this morning. 00:36:29.600 --> 00:36:33.139 because the great sacrifice for all ages has 00:36:33.139 --> 00:36:37.559 been offered by Jesus Christ. Now the purpose 00:36:37.559 --> 00:36:40.940 of the law is to reveal God's holiness, to expose 00:36:40.940 --> 00:36:45.119 my sin, and to bring me to the Savior. In Galatians 00:36:45.119 --> 00:36:49.280 the Apostle says that the law is our school teacher 00:36:49.280 --> 00:36:54.820 to bring us to Christ. Now when a man trusts 00:36:54.820 --> 00:36:59.239 Christ, what does he do? Well, in the first place, 00:36:59.360 --> 00:37:02.219 he is recognizing God's holiness and God's righteousness. 00:37:03.199 --> 00:37:05.980 Then he is seeing himself as he really is before 00:37:05.980 --> 00:37:10.340 a holy God, helpless and sinful. He is confessing 00:37:10.340 --> 00:37:13.599 Christ as the one who bore the law's penalty, 00:37:14.039 --> 00:37:17.280 as his substitute. What is he doing? Well, he 00:37:17.280 --> 00:37:20.659 is simply vindicating the law. He is saying that 00:37:20.659 --> 00:37:24.099 the law did its work. It brought me to Christ. 00:37:25.039 --> 00:37:27.920 And so you see this doctrine that we teach of 00:37:27.920 --> 00:37:32.940 justification by faith honors the law in its 00:37:32.940 --> 00:37:38.059 justice and its demand for righteousness. When 00:37:38.059 --> 00:37:40.639 we say that it establishes the law, I want to 00:37:40.639 --> 00:37:42.719 emphasize it does not mean that we're under the 00:37:42.719 --> 00:37:46.420 law. We've been delivered from it, but it still 00:37:46.420 --> 00:37:50.780 doesn't work in our hearts. When I say this, 00:37:50.900 --> 00:37:53.719 I am not saying either that the law has any power 00:37:53.719 --> 00:37:57.159 in itself to transform the heart. It doesn't. 00:37:58.159 --> 00:38:01.119 A person can memorize and quote every day the 00:38:01.119 --> 00:38:05.920 Ten Commandments and never be a Christian. But 00:38:05.920 --> 00:38:08.199 what the law does is to repair our hearts with 00:38:08.199 --> 00:38:11.340 a gospel message so that we see our need and 00:38:11.340 --> 00:38:15.139 seek God's provision. It concerns me when I hear 00:38:15.139 --> 00:38:18.940 some people talk about their testimony. And I 00:38:18.940 --> 00:38:23.280 see that in some subtle ways they are expressing 00:38:23.280 --> 00:38:28.579 faith in works. I think William Newell puts it 00:38:28.579 --> 00:38:32.139 this way and puts it well when he writes these 00:38:32.139 --> 00:38:36.260 words in his commentary. If God announces the 00:38:36.260 --> 00:38:39.920 gift of righteousness apart from works, why do 00:38:39.920 --> 00:38:43.800 you keep mourning over your bad works and failures? 00:38:44.820 --> 00:38:48.210 Do you not see that it is because You still have 00:38:48.210 --> 00:38:51.329 hopes in those works of yours that you are depressed 00:38:51.329 --> 00:38:56.230 and discouraged by their failure? If you truly 00:38:56.230 --> 00:38:59.429 saw and believed that God is reckoning righteous 00:38:59.429 --> 00:39:02.949 the ungodly who believe on him, you would fairly 00:39:02.949 --> 00:39:05.949 hate your struggles to be better, for you would 00:39:05.949 --> 00:39:08.590 see that your dreams of good works have not at 00:39:08.590 --> 00:39:12.050 all commended you to God, and that your bad works 00:39:12.050 --> 00:39:14.550 do not at all hinder you from believing on him 00:39:14.550 --> 00:39:18.469 that justifies the ungodly. Therefore, in seeing 00:39:18.469 --> 00:39:22.150 your failures, you should say, I am nothing but 00:39:22.150 --> 00:39:25.530 a failure, but God is dealing with me on another 00:39:25.530 --> 00:39:28.170 principle altogether than my works, good or bad. 00:39:28.670 --> 00:39:32.150 A principle not involving my works, but based 00:39:32.150 --> 00:39:38.610 only on the work of Christ for me. As we bring 00:39:38.610 --> 00:39:40.909 this message to its conclusion, I wonder if that's 00:39:40.909 --> 00:39:46.860 where your faith is today, in Christ alone. If 00:39:46.860 --> 00:39:51.500 in one percent you find yourself trusting in 00:39:51.500 --> 00:39:56.860 your works, thinking that somehow though you're 00:39:56.860 --> 00:39:59.219 trusting Christ, your goodness is still going 00:39:59.219 --> 00:40:02.519 to commend you to God, then today flee and repent 00:40:02.519 --> 00:40:05.440 from that way of thinking and recognize that 00:40:05.440 --> 00:40:09.380 salvation, that justification, that being made 00:40:09.380 --> 00:40:13.800 right with God comes by faith in Jesus Christ 00:40:13.800 --> 00:40:18.760 and by faith alone. I want to make this application 00:40:18.760 --> 00:40:24.699 to us Christians. In what or in whom is your 00:40:24.699 --> 00:40:30.820 boast? As you review this past week that you've 00:40:30.820 --> 00:40:36.199 lived through, have those around you been aware 00:40:36.199 --> 00:40:39.139 that your boast is in Christ and in him crucified? 00:40:40.940 --> 00:40:45.219 Or have you boasted in your accomplishments or 00:40:45.219 --> 00:40:49.239 claimed your rights, pushed for your recognition 00:40:49.239 --> 00:40:53.699 and your strengths and your sufficiency. You 00:40:53.699 --> 00:40:56.539 see, my friend, the only boast that we should 00:40:56.539 --> 00:41:02.179 have is our boast in the Lord. We need to choose 00:41:02.179 --> 00:41:05.920 to die to self -sufficiency and self -boasting, 00:41:07.519 --> 00:41:10.420 to turn away from our wisdom, our might, and 00:41:10.420 --> 00:41:17.420 our riches as a source of pride. and to see our 00:41:17.420 --> 00:41:21.139 boasting as being alone in Jesus Christ. Will 00:41:21.139 --> 00:41:23.980 you boast in Him this week and point others to 00:41:23.980 --> 00:41:30.239 Him? Will you choose to die to self? Will you 00:41:30.239 --> 00:41:33.199 choose to boast in your weaknesses, be vulnerable 00:41:33.199 --> 00:41:36.980 and transparent? You know most people out there 00:41:36.980 --> 00:41:39.059 in the world think of a Christian as somebody 00:41:39.059 --> 00:41:43.650 who's perfect, who's got it all together. who 00:41:43.650 --> 00:41:46.710 doesn't have any problems. Do you know why they 00:41:46.710 --> 00:41:49.989 think that way? Because that's the act that we 00:41:49.989 --> 00:41:54.809 put on. That's the impression that we try to 00:41:54.809 --> 00:42:01.110 give. And it's wrong, isn't it? I've never met 00:42:01.110 --> 00:42:04.150 a Christian yet who had everything put together 00:42:04.150 --> 00:42:08.409 in his life. So instead of putting on a masquerade 00:42:08.409 --> 00:42:11.579 out in the world, Let's be what we really are 00:42:11.579 --> 00:42:15.559 by the grace of God. And if we must boast in 00:42:15.559 --> 00:42:18.780 anything about ourselves, let it be a boasting 00:42:18.780 --> 00:42:22.860 in our weaknesses, being transparent, so that 00:42:22.860 --> 00:42:26.019 as God's power then is made real in our lives, 00:42:26.300 --> 00:42:29.059 people will know that glory belongs to Him and 00:42:29.059 --> 00:42:33.739 not to what we are. Boast in the Lord. Bring 00:42:33.739 --> 00:42:39.119 glory to Him this week. And now, Father, I pray 00:42:39.119 --> 00:42:43.380 that that will be very practically applied to 00:42:43.380 --> 00:42:46.760 my life and to the life of every Christian here 00:42:46.760 --> 00:42:50.820 today. I'm aware that as I talk, there are some 00:42:50.820 --> 00:42:54.260 of us who are living in sin out of the will of 00:42:54.260 --> 00:43:00.639 God. I pray, Father, that those of us who know 00:43:00.639 --> 00:43:04.820 Christ Every one of us will today be in that 00:43:04.820 --> 00:43:07.159 place of obedience where we can know your blessing. 00:43:08.659 --> 00:43:11.340 I pray that you'll call back to a place of fellowship, 00:43:13.000 --> 00:43:15.420 that Christian who's wasting his life living 00:43:15.420 --> 00:43:22.079 in sin, who's priding himself in his accomplishments 00:43:22.079 --> 00:43:26.420 and his sufficiency and his riches. I pray that 00:43:26.420 --> 00:43:28.900 today there will be a renewed humility before 00:43:28.900 --> 00:43:33.650 the cross. that there will be a dying to self, 00:43:34.750 --> 00:43:38.769 and the pushing for one's own rights, and a yieldedness 00:43:38.769 --> 00:43:43.650 to God. And I pray for that friend who's here 00:43:43.650 --> 00:43:48.489 today without Christ altogether, that today that 00:43:48.489 --> 00:43:50.510 one will know the meaning of these words being 00:43:50.510 --> 00:43:55.030 justified by faith alone. We pray for this in 00:43:55.030 --> 00:44:00.719 Jesus' name. Amen. We're going to close by singing 00:44:00.719 --> 00:44:05.280 a hymn. As we do this, it is an opportunity for 00:44:05.280 --> 00:44:08.639 you to make a public response as the Spirit of 00:44:08.639 --> 00:44:12.679 God would lead you. It may be that you today 00:44:12.679 --> 00:44:14.860 would want to make a public profession of your 00:44:14.860 --> 00:44:18.099 faith in Jesus Christ and you want to come forward 00:44:18.099 --> 00:44:21.199 just like Jesus called all of his disciples publicly. 00:44:21.260 --> 00:44:24.099 You want to come forward and in so doing say 00:44:24.099 --> 00:44:27.340 before men, today I am trusting Jesus Christ 00:44:27.340 --> 00:44:30.579 alone. For my salvation, I am not ashamed to 00:44:30.579 --> 00:44:35.139 say it. As a Christian, you may need to come 00:44:35.139 --> 00:44:37.760 today and say before God and before your brothers 00:44:37.760 --> 00:44:40.679 and sisters, I've been away from the Lord, wasting 00:44:40.679 --> 00:44:43.619 my life, living in sin, but today I want to come 00:44:43.619 --> 00:44:45.880 back to the Lord and be faithful and obedient. 00:44:46.619 --> 00:44:49.699 I'm coming today to give myself afresh and anew 00:44:49.699 --> 00:44:53.059 to Christ, that he may be the Lord of my life. 00:44:54.340 --> 00:44:56.579 or maybe that you want to come in a commitment 00:44:56.579 --> 00:44:58.820 for a church membership or some other desire, 00:44:58.840 --> 00:45:01.880 but if the Spirit of God is ruling your heart 00:45:01.880 --> 00:45:05.159 and tugging with it today, I pray God that you 00:45:05.159 --> 00:45:07.659 will do what you need to do in this hour to be 00:45:07.659 --> 00:45:11.019 in obedience to Him. We're going to sing together 00:45:11.019 --> 00:45:14.820 number 298, which pretty well summarizes what 00:45:14.820 --> 00:45:18.920 we've been talking about. Come every soul by 00:45:18.920 --> 00:45:23.699 sin oppressed. There's mercy with the Lord. Only 00:45:23.699 --> 00:45:27.400 trust Him now. Let's stand as we sing together. 00:45:27.639 --> 00:45:29.719 I wait right here in the front. You slip out 00:45:29.719 --> 00:45:31.059 and come if we can help you.