What Is Its Source?

The Condemned Man and the Letter of Pardon: An Analogy for Justification

0:02 The following sermon was delivered on Sunday morning, July 16, 2006, at Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. As we begin our study of the Word of God this morning, I want you to marshal with me all of your powers of imagination and reflection, that peculiar faculty that God has given to you and to me as image bearers. I want you to marshal all of those powers of imagination and construct in your mind the following scene with me. A certain man has been convicted of premeditated murder. He has confessed that indeed the court has made no mistake. He is a murderer. And he lives in one of those few states which have not totally abandoned the biblical mandate that whoso sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed.

1:13 The date of his execution has been set. Several days before the hour of his execution, he is seen holding an envelope just delivered to him by one of the prisoners. He is seen holding an envelope just delivered to him by one of the prisoners. He is seen holding an envelope just delivered to him by one of the prisoners.

1:29 Stamped in red on the outside of the envelope are the words, Urgent Time Value. He tears the letter open, and he finds written in bold letters at the top of that letter, this letter contains information as to how you may justly and righteously avoid your impending execution. Please read slowly and carefully the following facts, then comply strictly with the directions given.

2:14 Having read that part of the letter, he does a very, very strange thing. Without reading any further, he simply flips the letter with one flick of his wrist, and it makes its way into...

2:32 into the wastebasket in his cell. He picks up the paper that was delivered earlier in the day, and begins to read the comic strips and the sports page.

2:48 What would you think? If you witnessed such a scene, what would you think about this man? What's wrong with his response? Well, unless he has become utterly irrational, or insane, and therefore unable to be in touch with reality, one of three things is true of him.

3:14 Number one, he has no love of life. To live or to die is a matter of absolute, total indifference to him, and therefore, when he receives a letter that tells him that there is a way that he may justly and righteously avoid his impending execution, there are...

3:36 directives given as to what he must do to avoid it. If he's utterly indifferent to it and not insane, he is saying to any who witnesses his response to the letter, life or death mean nothing to me. There's no difference. I have no love of life.

3:54 Or secondly, it may be he has no confidence in the letter. He may judge that it's all a joke. It's all a sick sham that someone's trying to...

4:06 as it were, perpetrate a sick joke on him, and so he treats it in the cavalier way because he has no confidence that the letter represents reality. Or, it may be that down underneath he has no real conviction that his execution date will really come to pass and that he'll be executed. That he's hoping at the last minute perhaps the governor will sign a day of execution. But it's one of those three things.

4:36 That alone give any rational explanation as to what a condemned criminal slated to die in a few days would do with a document that announces to him there is a way that he may be justly and righteously... the sentence of death may be justly and righteously avoided if only he will read the terms that are set forth.

Our Spiritual Condition and God's Letter of Justification

5:06 Well, my dear listening friends, this is precisely our situation.

5:12 You and I are convicted by the law of God of crimes which demand our execution for the wages of sin is death. And the soul that sinneth, it shall die. And before our hour of execution, God has come with a letter, a message that reveals how we may be justly and righteously pardoned. How our relationship to that law which we have broken and which condemns us and which demands our execution at the hands of a righteous and a holy God, a way whereby we may not only be pardoned of all of our sins but declared righteous and therefore be given a just title to heaven and to everlasting life. And it is in the word of God, the scriptures that God tells us of that one way that we may have God justly and righteously stay the execution, reverse the sentence against us and fully pardon and declare us to be righteous. And it is the biblical doctrine of justification that is the details in the letter. That tells us how,

6:41 what we must know, what we must do. And I trust that none of you is in a state of spiritual madness to where inwardly you take this series of sermons and with one flick of your mental wrist throw it in the waistband of just so much more preacher's talk.

7:07 I trust, I trust you have not come to the place where you are not a Christian. Where heaven or hell, life or death are no different in your thinking. I trust you have not come with the skeptical disposition. I have no confidence in the word of God that really things are as bad with me as God says they are.

7:29 Or that the way of escape from His wrath is to be trusted.

7:35 I trust that each of us will listen to every facet of the unfolding of this doctrine. As those who know themselves to be justly condemned to death. And that there is but one way to avoid that death. And it is God's way revealed in the gospel of justification by faith through the imputation of the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

The Source of Justification: God's Free Grace (Romans 3:24)

8:04 So we come this morning to our tenth study in this vital doctrine. We have considered the importance of the doctrine. The context of the doctrine. The meaning of the word to justify.

8:17 It means basically to declare a person righteous in terms of the law to which he is accountable. And now we have begun to look at the substance of the doctrine using the Westminster larger catechism as the framework within which to collate and expound many portions of the word of God. Question 70 of the larger catechism. What is justification?

8:48 The answer is justification is an act of God's free grace unto sinners in which he pardons all of their sins accepts and accounts their persons righteous in his sight not for anything wrought in them or done by them but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ imputed to them and received by faith alone. We've seen in that definition that the author of justification is the living God himself and the living God alone. Justification is an act of God in which he pardons he accepts and he alone imputes. And then we spent two Lord's days considering the recipients of justification. Justification is an act of God's free grace unto sinners. Sinners viewed in the two-fold light.

9:59 Sinners in their objective condition and state before the living God. Sinners in their true state before God but sinners who have come to own and acutely feel the reality of what they are as sinners. Now we come this morning to the source of justification. If we trace justification back as far as we can trace it what is its source?

10:31 Out of what fountain does it flow? From what mountain peak does it come down to us? Listen to the definition again. Justification is an act of God's free grace unto sinners.

10:50 And the source of our justification is the free grace of God. And in seeking to open up this dimension of the biblical teaching I will do so this morning under three heads. First of all a brief exposition of a crucial text which affirms that free grace is the source of God's justifying act. And then secondly a broad demonstration of the centrality of free grace in the whole scheme of God's saving work.

Exposition of Romans 3:24: Justified Freely by His Grace

11:27 And then thirdly some vital observations and applications with respect to this wonderful truth that free grace is the source of our justification. First of all then a brief exposition of a crucial text. Turn to Romans chapter 3 with me. Romans chapter 3.

11:56 Now remember the context Paul has been proving from Romans 1.18 through 3.20 that the entire human race stands in desperate need of justification. That the entire human race Jew and Gentile stands under condemnation and there is nothing they can do or have done in order to gain the sentence righteous from the court of heaven.

12:26 Verses 19 and 20 are the summary statement. We know that what things whoever the law says it speaks to them that are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin but now but now and in this very marked transition the apostle says now at last I can begin to expound that which is the very passion of my heart as I write to you Roman Christians I told you in what to us is chapter 1 that I was not ashamed of the gospel the gospel was the power of God to salvation in it is revealed a righteousness of God a way of right standing with God in the court of God that is acceptable to God that comes from God that will stand the scrutiny of the eye of God in the day of judgment that's what I want to expound to you however I want you all to feel and to feel as the old Puritans would say smartingly feel how much you need this message of a righteousness of God and so he proves universal sinfulness and now at last he says but now apart from the law apart from any notion of our keeping the law in order to gain this righteousness

13:56 apart from the law a righteousness of God a way of right standing with God has been manifested and though it is without any reference to our law keeping it is witnessed by the law that is the Old Testament scriptures that were divided into the law and the prophets it's without any law keeping that earns this righteousness but it's not something that is dropped down out of heaven without any roots in the Old Testament revelation it is witnessed by the law and the prophets even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe for there is no distinction for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God be in the law being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus now as the apostle begins to expound in this packed language the nature of justification how it is that we can obtain a righteousness of God a right standing with God he tells us that it's witnessed by the law and the prophets it's witnessed by the law it is through faith in Jesus Christ and is possessed by all who believe then if you regard

15:23 the latter part of verse 22 for there is no distinction as the beginning of a parenthesis all the way through to verse 23 and connect the middle part of verse 22 with verse 24 you'll see how smooth the language flows even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe verse 24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus 22b and 23 are a parenthetical statement and Paul is saying here that this righteousness of God that comes to all who believe in Jesus Christ puts them in the state of being justified but justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus this is the first time Paul uses the verb to justify in connection with this doctrine of justification here in the Roman letter he uses the verb with respect to other dimensions of its application but the first time we find the word to justify

16:48 referring to that act of God in which he pardons all of our sins accepts and counts our persons as righteousness it is nestled in these words justified freely by his grace these are the words in which he nestles the first use of the concept of justification it is freely and by his grace and so we need to park for a few moments and seek to understand what does the Holy Spirit mean when through the mind and pen or the pen of Paul's to whom he dictated the letter wrote freely and grace well the word freely is the adverbial adverbial form of a noun for a gift in John 4.10 when Jesus said to the woman at the well if you knew the gift of God in other words if you knew the free donation of God to sinners like yourself you would have asked and he would have given a gift is that which is given no strings attached it is not earned it is not bought it comes out of the fullness of the heart of the giver now that word for gift

18:17 in its adverbial form here being justified freely God's action in justifying has the quality of freeness it is given freely it is given with no reference to it being bought by the one to whom it is given earned by the one who is to whom it is given it comes solely out of the fullness of the gracious desire of the giver Jesus used it in Matthew 10.8 when he said to his twelve as he sends them out freely you have received without money without price without any deserving on your part I have conferred upon you the knowledge of myself I've conferred upon you your position as apostles I've conferred upon you these special powers to heal the sick to open the eyes of the sick to open the eyes of the blind to raise the dead freely you've received everything you have comes out of the fullness of my gracious heart it has no reference to what you deserve or what you have earned it's interesting it's the verb used or the I'm sorry the adverb used in John 15.25 they hated me Jesus said without a cause when people hated Christ there was nothing in him to merit hate nothing to earn

19:46 nothing to provoke hate he was hated without a cause he was hated freely he was hated without any rational reason for that hatred it's used in Revelation 21.6 and 22.17 beautiful illustrations of the significance of this adverb listen to their usage here in the closing chapters of the word of God 21 and verse 6 and he said unto them to me they are come to pass I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I will give to him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely I'll give freely you do not come to that fountain with any price in your hand you do not come with a transcript of what you are and what you've done that you think may earn it it is given freely Revelation 22 and verse 17 the spirit and the bride say come and he that hears let him say come he that is a thirst let him come he that will let him take the water of life freely you can't help but think of Isaiah 55 oh everyone that thirsts come to the waters he who has no money come buy wine and milk without money and without price God says

21:14 gospel commodity spread out upon the table of the gospel feast you do not come with a token showing you've paid something you do not come with a list of things you promise to do that you will pay back the generous provider no it is the water of life freely it is all that God offers in Christ without money and without price something given with not a gram of payment or merit in the one who receives it now we come to the second word back to Romans 3 23 being justified freely that is on the basis of nothing in us nothing we have nothing we've done nothing we've pledged to do but solely out of the good will of the heart and hand of the giver it is justified freely by his grace if the manner of our justification is freely the source the operating power is grace and what is grace well in its simplest definition grace is the free favor or unmerited

22:42 kindness of God one old author states it this way as the word mercy in its primary significance has relation to some creature either actually in a suffering state or exposed to suffering you remember through the gospel son of David have mercy on me here is a man who's blind he's in a suffering state he's asking the Lord Jesus to be moved towards him with an attitude and with actions commensurate to his need as the word mercy has relation to some creature actually in a suffering state or exposed to it so grace in its proper and strict sense always presupposes unworthiness in its object hence whenever anything valuable is communicated by the blessed God to any of Adam's apostate race the communication of it cannot be anything other than of grace and it can't be of grace unless the one upon whom it is conferred is considered as unworthy for so far as any degree of worth appears the province of grace ceases and that of equity takes place grace

24:10 and worthiness therefore cannot be connected in the same act and for the same end the one must necessarily give place to the other where grace is there is unworthiness where one ceases to be unworthy and has any measure of worthiness grace ceases bound up in the very essence of grace and this is made plain in the scriptures if by grace then it is no more of works otherwise it is no more grace but if it be of works then is it no more grace otherwise work is no more work Romans 11 in verse 6 you see the Holy Spirit has shown us that when we begin to think of grace we must totally exclude from our minds any thought of worthiness whatsoever in fact we must think in terms of unworthiness ill deserving not only non-deserving but deserving just the opposite of what God gives in grace another has defined grace as God's amazing favor and love not only unmerited by us but actually demerited and another grace is God's love for the unworthy revealed

25:40 in the coming of Jesus and his self-giving on the cross and then that author cites 2 Corinthians verse 8 chapter 8 in verse 9 you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor or in one final attempt one is written grace is the eternal and absolutely free favor of God manifested in his condescending to give spiritual and eternal blessing to the guilty and to the unworthy and you notice Paul is so determined to trace our justification as to its source to the grace of God that he adds the adverb freely and then grace it's a bit redundant yet he's so concerned that whenever we think of justification we think justification comes to us freely without any cause in us without any payment in us it comes as a matter of grace God lavishing upon us not only what we don't deserve but the exact opposite of what we deserve Professor Murray commenting on this fact says in his commentary on Romans the following the combination of the terms freely

27:08 and by his grace has the effect of emphasizing the completely unmerited character of God's justifying act the free and sovereign graciousness of the act is the positive compliment to that which had been asserted in verse 20 that from the works of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight no element in the biblical doctrine of justification is more central than this God's justifying act is not constrained to any extent or degree by any thing that we are or do which could be esteemed as predisposing God to this act you see his emphasis nothing in us nothing we do or have done predisposes God to justify us it is free grace and not only is this the case that nothing in us or done by us constrains to the act but all that is ours compels the opposite judgment for Paul just said in verse 19 the whole world is brought guilty before God with a shut mouth nothing everything to call down his judgment nothing to elicit or draw forth his justifying act this action

28:38 on God's part that is justification derives its whole motivation explanation and determination from what God himself is and does in the exercise of free and sovereign grace merit of any kind on the part of man when brought into relation to justification contradicts this very first article of the biblical doctrine and therefore of the gospel it is the glory of the gospel of Christ that it is one of free grace well so much for that brief exposition of this pivotal passage and I trust that you will anchor your thinking and your prayers and your witness to a text like this wherever anyone can be declared justified it will be because of God's free grace being justified freely by his grace now we come secondly to a broad demonstration of the centrality of grace in the whole scheme of redemption justification is but one aspect of the whole spectrum of the blessings of God's saving grace in Jesus Christ what Paul calls in Ephesians 1 4 God has blessed us with every

The Centrality of Grace in the Entire Scheme of Redemption

30:06 spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ and the reason why justification has its source in free grace is because it is but one part of a whole scheme of redemption that in all of its parts has its source in free grace and if justification were rooted in anything other it would be out of harmony with the whole symphony of God's gracious saving acts in Jesus Christ it would be like justification was being played in a minor key where all the other facets are being played in C major there would be dissonance there would be a lack of harmony and the reason why justification has as its source God's free grace is that every single facet of his salvation is rooted in free grace and I want to give you in a few moments this broad demonstration of the centrality of grace in the whole scheme of God's redemption think of our election our being chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world what lies at the root of that sovereign election of God well look at Romans chapter 11 verses 5 and 6 the word of God could not be more clear

31:33 even so at this time there's a remnant according to the election of grace but if it is by grace it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace God says if you think of his marvelous scheme of redemption with its tap roots in that free sovereign choice that he made out of the mass of Adam's lost race a multitude of no man can number out of every kindred tribe and tongue and nation and say what is the source of his choosing a people here the text says it is grace or in 2nd Timothy 1 8 and 9 the apostle underscores the same thing in his letter to Timothy 2nd Timothy 1 verses 8 and 9 be not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner suffer hardship with the gospel according to the power of God who saved us called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before times eternal so our election the very initial dimension of our salvation in Christ grace

33:03 stamped over God's election in the accomplishment of our redemption in the person and work of Jesus where does grace fit well look at Titus 2 11 Paul uses as a phrase to describe the coming of Christ and the work of Christ in the procurement of redemption in this way for the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men he sums up all of the person and work of Jesus in space time history as the appearing of grace it's the appearing of grace Ephesians 1 in verse 7 the work that Christ has done which forms the basis of our forgiveness in whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace or John 1 17 the law was given through Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ so that it surely as grace is stamped over God's election so in the actual accomplishment of redemption in the person and work of Christ well what about in its application when people

34:31 actually in their space time history come to repentance and faith where does grace fit in all of that well Paul says in Galatians 1 15 when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace and that was not peculiar to Paul for in that very same epistle he says I marvel you were so soon removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ our calling is a calling of grace and when we are brought to repentance and faith where does grace fit Ephesians 2 8 and 9 for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works that no man should boast in Acts 18 27 it speaks of Apollos that he helped much those who had believed dia through grace they believed through grace so when salvation is applied it is through grace and when the people of God persevere in the way of faith and obedience how is it that they persevere they persevere according to Acts 13 43 through grace and then when the Lord Jesus returns and consummates the work of redemption

36:00 and we are glorified where does grace fit Peter says set your hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought to you at the appearing of the Lord Jesus 1 Peter 1 13 and then on into eternity here is an amazing text and I want you to get it with your eyes as well as your ears Ephesians 2 and verse 7 having described the people of God as having been dead but now alive in union with Christ what's the end of all of this verse 7 of Ephesians 2 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus we God's redeemed people will be God's theater in which he'll display the exceeding riches of grace through all eternity will be God's grace theater the undeserving the ill deserving who are there in his presence so it shouldn't surprise us when Paul is talking to the Ephesians in Acts 20 he says I don't count my life dear to myself I want to finish my course and testify the gospel of the grace of God he says my gospel my good news

37:29 is so suffused with grace that I'm ready to designate it the gospel of the grace of God and that word by which people are nurtured and built up later on in that chapter verse 32 he says I commend you to God and to the word of his grace his undeserved favor which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance so in the light of this and that's just been a sampling folk I sat at my desk and my concordances and saying Lord which ones do I omit everywhere you turn every facet of God's salvation has its tap roots in his grace so it should not surprise us to hear that the ultimate source of our justification is the grace of God well having sought to expound briefly that key text in Romans 3 24 giving you this fly over of the place of grace in the whole scheme of redemption I want now thirdly to make some vital observations and application of this wonderful truth and I have three applications and I want you to listen very carefully according to the scriptures you and I all men women boys and girls in this place according to the scriptures we are as naturally opposed

Application 1: Humanity's Natural Opposition to Grace-Based Salvation

38:58 to a salvation rooted in the grace of God as we are naturally opposed to God's authority revealed in the law of God now think with me think with me let's start with the last part of my statement the Bible makes it abundantly clear that by nature we are all without exception born with a disposition of opposition to the law of God Romans 8 7 the carnal mind that is the ruling governing disposition of an unregenerate man or woman is enmity against God it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can it be so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God now by nature we are utterly opposed to God's law because we are opposed to God we are at enmity with God and we show our enmity to God by our insubordination to his law and unless God intervenes that's the way we live and die and go to hell and exist forever they that are in the flesh cannot please God that's reality and so it takes the intervention of God by the power of the spirit so he goes on in the next

40:27 verse to say but you are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be the spirit of God dwells in you and it's only when God in his powerful gracious work by the spirit takes out the heart of stone gives us a heart of flesh writes his law upon the heart places his spirit within us that we now have a disposition of delighting in God and hence in his law and when we say oh God I love you we can then say oh how love I thy law yea thy law is within my heart now in the same way that by nature we have this opposition to God and only the spirit of God can change it so all of us by nature are opposed to a salvation rooted in the grace of God and we see this so clearly taught in a passage such as Romans chapter 10 Paul referring to his fellow Jews who had the written revelation of God had all the privileges of their history as God's people his covenant nation they had his law which was calculated to show them their sin they had the sacrificial system that was calculated to show them their need of grace and God's provisions of grace and God's dealings

41:56 with them were gracious he said I have brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage therefore you shall have no other gods before me his ethical demands were rooted in his gracious provisions but they missed it all until Paul had to write this brethren my heart's desire and supplication to God for them my fellow Israelites that they may be saved I'd pair them witness they have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge for being ignorant of God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God Almighty God has a way of righteousness he has provided a way of right standing they were ignorant of it they did not submit to it they went about to establish their own righteousness and whatever righteousness men go about to establish the word grace has no place in it no place in it now you ask why is this so the scriptures teach us everywhere that men are as naturally opposed to a salvation rooted in the grace of God as they are opposed to the authority of God revealed in his law why I give you three reasons number one

43:22 the blinding power of God the blinding power of the devil the blinding power of the devil look at 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 in this marvelous section Paul is discoursing about the nature of the new covenant and new covenant ministry and he says in this ministry we openly declare the truth of God and we seek to validate it by the kind of life we live verse 3 of chapter 4 and even if our gospel is veiled it's veiled in them that perish in whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God should not dawn upon them there is an active devil who does not want men and women to see the glory of God revealed in the face of Jesus Christ who is the expression of God's grace for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus that being rich he became poor the incarnation is the revelation of God's unmerited favor to sinners that the second person of the Godhead would take to himself a true human soul and body in Mary's womb

44:50 that he might be our redeemer one who could be who could meet us where we are and yet touch us in the court of heaven with all of the worth and power of divinity he becomes the God man and it's an expression of grace unmerited favor and yet the God of this world blinds the minds of the unbelieving that the light of this gospel that displays the glory of Christ as the gift of grace as the one who in pursuit of a salvation based upon grace alone nothing to do with what we earn based on what we are or can perform he lives a life under the law in perfect obedience he goes to the cross and bears the penalty of the broken law that God might righteously and justly offer right standing based solely on the work of another nothing to do with what I've done what I am what I can do what I pledge to do he blinds the minds lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ should dawn upon them it's a frightening thing there's a powerful devil who blinds people's minds to salvation by grace and grace alone but then secondly not only is this true because of the blinding

46:18 power of the devil but because of the resisting influence of human pride human pride that wants to do something in order that it may take credit to itself you remember what Adam and Eve did the moment they sinned they run from God at the same time they tried to hide by making a covering of fig leaves and from that moment on every one of us is born with a fig leaf apron factory in our hearts we'll make a covering for ourselves for ourselves for our sin and the sense of our guilt that covering may be resting in our heritage as Paul did Philippians chapter 3 Hebrew of the Hebrews circumcised the eighth day of the tribe of Benjamin or it may be our performance of a strict Pharisee as zeal persecuting the church there is within us this fig leaf apron factory because once we've made our apron of our fig leaves of our own rotten things that we think will commend us to God then we've got something to boast wasn't that the Pharisee of Luke 18 I thank you I'm not his others he's just describing the parts of his fig leaves

47:46 I'm not like this one I do this I don't do that and this is why it's so hard for us to come to grips with the salvation that's all of grace and only of grace as to its origin the blind man's eyes the blinding power of the devil the resisting influence of human pride that's why the first beatitude is very telling blessed are the what poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven a poor man's got nothing to give to others he has to beg for his own needs blessed are the poor in spirit who've come to the beggarly position of the Lord the publican who's standing before God says all I deserve is wrath and judgment and I've got nothing to offer but my sinnerhood God be merciful to me the sinner that's all he offers to God is the sinner that's all nothing else nothing else he was poor in spirit that's the first observation according to the scriptures all of us are naturally opposed to a salvation rooted in the grace of God secondly according to the scriptures

Application 2: Maintaining Grace for Gospel Purity and Power

49:13 the maintenance of grace as the only source of our salvation is absolutely necessary for the maintenance of the purity and power of the gospel it's absolutely necessary to maintain this reality that grace is the only source of our salvation if we're to maintain the purity and power of the gospel when you read the book of Acts you read the epistles with this question in mind where did the devil attack the church very early well he tried to get some division by ethnic prejudice you had Grecian widows and you had these Jewish widows and some felt that others were showing preference so they dealt with the crisis in Acts 6 and appointed seven men to take care of the church and the tables then you had Paul's persecution and that scattered the church but then when you come to Acts 15 you find that already people were going out and infiltrating the Gentile churches telling these Gentile converts Christ and grace are not enough you need to add to the pure unmerited favor of God you need to offer up your foreskins and show them

50:41 you're circumcised you need to offer up to him the list of the dietary rules of the old Jewish economy that you're keeping grace in Christ is not enough and the church hammered out that issue until we find this clear statement coming out of the council at Jerusalem in Acts 15 and verse 11 listen how clearly the issue is stated James is speaking and he says but we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in like manner as they the devil was attacking the doctrine of the graciousness of God's salvation seeking to add circumcision and Jewish rituals in order to be saved that was the issue you read it in the early verses of chapter 15 well then when you find the apostle Paul in the book of Galatians you find a very interesting thing he is so passionate about preserving the purity of the graciousness of God's salvation in Jesus Christ and therefore the purity of the gospel notice what he says

52:10 in the first chapter and what he does in the second chapter of Galatians look at Galatians 1 6 I'm seeking to bring scriptures that demonstrate that the maintenance of grace as the only source of our salvation is absolutely necessary for the maintenance of the purity and power of the gospel verse 6 I marvel you are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different gospel which is not another gospel only to be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ though we are an angel from heaven should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you let him be accursed of God as we've said before so say I now again if any man preach unto you any gospel other than that which you receive let him be accursed and what was the other gospel they were saying that Christ and grace were not enough you had to have circumcision and become a kosher Jew Christ did his part but you must compliment and supplement and make up what is lacking in Christ and grace alone and so Paul writes these white hot words as one writer I believe said that he marveled that the quill of his pen didn't melt when he wrote them

53:38 or when he dictated them whoever wrote them but the quill of his pen then he doesn't only do it with his words he does it with his deeds preserving the purity of the gospel in deeds you come to chapter 2 and what does he tell us in the opening part of that chapter look at it I went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas taking Titus with me I went up by revelation laid before them the gospel I preached among the Gentiles verse 3 but not even Titus who was with me being a Greek was compelled to be circumcised and that because of false brethren privily brought in who came in privily to spy out our liberty that we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into bondage to whom we gave place in the way of subjection no not for an hour now notice that the truth of the gospel might continue with you Paul saw that if he capitulated for the sake of peace and had Titus Titus taken to the local rabbi or to the temple and circumcised he would be compromising the truth of the gospel because they were saying circumcision is essential to salvation something other than pure grace in Christ by faith is essential to true salvation Paul said

55:06 no visit to the rabbi in the case of Titus now no one was putting that pressure before Paul Paul takes Timothy an uncircumcised half-breed Jew out in missionary endeavors as an accommodation he has him circumcised the gospel was not being threatened but here by action he says I wanted the truth of the gospel to continue with you furthermore verse 11 and when Cephas Peter came to Antioch I resisted him to the face because he stood condemned before that certain came from James he ate with the Gentiles but when they ate he came he drew back and separated himself fearing they were of the circumcision and the rest of the Jews dissembled likewise with him insomuch that even Barnabas was carried away with their dissimulation but when I saw they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel I said to Cephas before them all he reproves him publicly why? because there would be a compromise of the truth of the gospel and the truth of the gospel in table fellowship Peter wasn't denying salvation by grace with his words but when he had been eating with these Gentiles he's declaring Gentiles are saved like we are by grace alone when the Judaizers came along who said you have got to be circumcised and become a Jew

56:34 to be truly saved Peter knew they'd be upset if they saw him declaring otherwise by his actions and when by his actions he compromised the gospel he got rebuked publicly why? Paul saw the issue folks we can compromise the gospel by our actions as well as by our words and he said no compromise of the purity of the gospel thank God for Paul how many of us will wait a while in the line I was going to say the queue when we get to heaven to embrace that message and say thank you Paul for your passion to preserve the purity of the gospel no circumcision for Titus no drawing back from table fellowship in the case of Peter and dear people it's that disposition that must get into our bloodstream where everyone is a faceless man where every woman is a faceless woman who would in any wise compromise the pure gospel of pure grace and then thirdly and this is my final word of application according to the scripture the perversion of grace is a major method of the devil to discredit grace

Application 3: The Devil's Perversion of Grace into License

58:00 according to the scriptures the perversion of grace is a major method of the devil to discredit grace once we have encountered the pure gospel we are going to that gospel that says in the language of Romans 5 21 where sin abounded grace super abounds the more sin there is the more grace there is to level the mountain of sin the devil comes along and adds his logic to the gospel of grace well then if where sin abounds grace does much more abound if you want to see abounding grace let's commit more sin and Paul knows that's the devil's logic because no sooner does he say where sin abounds grace does much more abound at the end of chapter 5 in Romans he then says in the first verse of chapter 6 what then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound he knows the devil's logic and he says may it never be God forbid but you see he understood that the devil would seek to discredit grace by perverting grace into license and that happened

59:30 under the very nose of apostles the book of Jude Jude says I was about to write to you of our common salvation however I became aware of circumstances that made me change my mind about the theme of my letter Jude 1.4 there are certain men crept in privily who were of old written beforehand unto this condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of our God into licentiousness turning grace into an open door to sensuality unbridled self-indulgence unrestrained preoccupation with the flesh they turned the grace of God they didn't turn the grace of God they didn't deny grace they perverted it they perverted it and what happens when people hear grace perverted as a license for sin they feel they've got to protect grace so they begin to turn grace into works and they try to protect grace by the human invention of rules and regulations and things that they think will keep people in the way of holiness no it's only grace that preserves grace not human works not human rules and regulations and you and I as a people need to understand

60:57 if you want to set the stage for people to move away from pure grace pervert it with your wretched abuse of Christian liberty and call it grace and true saints who know that the grace of God has come to what purpose you know that the grace of God you read it with me now in Titus chapter 2 why has grace been manifested here we have God's answer Titus 2 and verse 11 the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men instructing us to the intent that understanding our Christian liberty we can indulge worldly entertainment and worldly pursuits and worldly pursuits and worldly pursuits and worldly pursuits and worldly pursuits and worldly pursuits and worldly pursuits and worldly pursuits and worldly pursuits and worldly pursuits and worldly pursuits and worldly pursuits no, no a thousand times no grace has been manifested instructing us to this intent denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present evil world when grace has us in its school it makes us the most capable

62:24 careful meticulous holy men and women boys and girls we become more careful and more meticulous than those who are trying to earn their salvation by their works because with hearts suffused with the wonder that what we have in Christ comes to us in spite of all of our ill deservingness in spite of everything in us that calls forth divine wrath we've been showered with forgiveness acceptance adoption the gift of the spirit the pledge of eternal life the promise of the presence of Christ and the enabling power of his grace and this so binds us to him that we want to please him in a life of meticulous obedience because we love him and the fruit of love is obedience and the more we love him the more we desire to obey and to him that is forgiven much the same loveth much and the more we seek to press on in a life of meticulous holiness and obedience as this passage in Titus tells us the more we discover the remaining corruption but when we stand our ground in grace saying Lord you didn't accept me on the front end

63:51 for anything in me for anything I had been anything I had done but you did not accept me just the opposite everything I had been and everything I had done had done called forth your wrath but nonetheless in grace you freely graciously justified me now Lord you're not going to change the ground of your dealing with me I've got more muck and more stuff that comes to the surface in my heart and in my life but Lord I'm going to stand on the ground of grace and grace alone and when we do our love for him is inflamed and when our love for him is inflamed then our desire to obey him is intensified and when our desire to obey him is intensified our life becomes more carefully and meticulously a sober, righteous, godly life looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God in our Savior and grace carries on its work in the purpose for which grace was manifested to make us such a people dear people if you want to cause the grace of God to die in this place pervert it into a license for a careless sloppy worldly Christian life and there are going to be people who say Christ must be able to do more for people that say they're saved from hell

65:18 and from the clutches and power and dominion of sin that I see him doing and these people we've got to somehow help grace they say they love grace and they glory in grace and they say they love grace and believe the doctrines of grace but if that's all grace is doing I've got to have grace plus something else and you'll open the door for fundamentalist legalism and people start making rules that go beyond the scripture because they instinctively know there must be something more to grace than what they see in a sloppy half-baked half-burnished so-called Christian life hmm?

Conclusion: The Advocate and the Forgiven Sinner

65:57 so what's the origin of God's justifying act justification is an act of God's free grace what a wonderful thing to look out and say I don't care who you are where you're from what you've done what your background is right now God is prepared on the basis of his word and promise in the gospel to declare you righteous by pardoning all of your sins accepting your person and accounting you in the court of heaven as though you had fully kept his law in all of it's depth and breadth breadth and length and depth of demand if you will but cast yourself upon Christ turn from your sin throw yourself in the lap of divine mercy that is Jesus Christ and God will receive you and child of God the posture in which you come into beginning is which the one you've got to live in I'm going to read in closing a poem I came across some time ago that moved me greatly and in the providence of God it fell out from underneath one of my books in my desk early this morning it's Jesus speaking to the father concerning one of his justified children all the way to the end and I'll tell you where at the end the author of the poem then turns and speaks

67:26 to you and to me here is Jesus speaking to his father father I bring this worthless child to thee to claim thy power in once yet once again receive him at my hands for he is mine he is a worthless child who owns his guilt look not on him he cannot bear thy glance look thou on me his vileness I will hide he pleads not for himself he dares not plead his cause is mine I am his advocate by each pure drop of blood I shall be shed for him by all the sorrows graven on my soul by every wound I bear I claim it due father divine I cannot have him lost he is a worthless soul but he is mine sin has destroyed him sin has died in me death has pursued him I have conquered death Satan hath bound him Satan is my slave my father hear him now not him but me I would not have him lost for all the worlds thou for thy glory hast ordained and made because he is a poor and contrite child and all his every hope on me reclines

68:54 I know my children and I know him mine by all the tears he weeps upon my bosom by his full heart that beats against mine I know him by his sighings and his prayers by his deep trusting love that clings to me I could not bear to see him cast away weak as he is the weakest of my flock the one that grieves me most that loves me least I measure not my love by his returns and though the stripes I send to speed him home drive him upon the instant from my breast still he is mine I drew him from the world he has no right no home but in my love though earth and hell against his soul conspire I shield him keep him save him we are one and now the author turns to you and me oh sinner what an advocate hast thou methinks I see him lead the culprit in poor, sorrowing, shamed all tremulous with fear prostrate behind his lord weak, self-condemned clad with his savior's spotless righteousness himself to hide and hear the father's words my son his cause is thine and thine is mine

70:23 take up thy poor lost one he is forgiven hallelujah what a savior let's pray oh father we confess the wretched folly of our hearts that we would ever seek refuge in anything other than the perfection of your beloved son and yet we thank you you patiently deal with us constantly to draw us away from looking at ourselves and to look outward and upward to him who is your well beloved and in him alone we find acceptance we pray that your spirit will seal the word to the encouragement and joy and stability of your people we pray for any who sit among us who professing to revel in grace turn that grace into a license for sin and whose lives are not marked by sober godly righteous pursuit of pleasing you in every facet of life our father whether for conviction or comfort or direction instruction seal your word to our prophet we pray amen and receive our thanks for the revelation of your grace in Jesus as we offer up our prayers in his name amen