Objections To Justification by Faith

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So thank you again so much for watching these and sharing them. God bless you. If you would open your Bibles to Philippians chapter 3,

Philippians chapter 3. So we have taken a sidestep if you are visiting off of our series,

The Kingdom of God, which is an exposition or working through the gospel according to Matthew.

We finished the Great Tribulation passage, Matthew 24. And so we have chosen to step into the book of Philippians for the life, the health, the strength of our body.

Very short little letter here from the Apostle Paul while on chains. And we've tried to emphasize authentic joy.

That's sort of like the main heart we're trying to aim for. Authentic joy, where does it come from?

How do you as a believer get transformed and renewed to a place where you have authentic joy, not the plastic smile, not the external shell of joy?

What actually has to occur within a person for that to come out, to blossom, to grow?

What gives life to it? And I've been arguing as we've been moving through the text here that there are certain theological truths, foundations that have transformed the

Apostle Paul. And that's what he's resting on. That's why he can be in a position where he has not been living his best life now.

He has a life that's very difficult where his life is in danger. He's on the run. He's in chains.

He's per his chains. He's being persecuted. There's difficulties. There's no real, from a human perspective, reason to be joyful.

So why does he have it? Why is he constantly calling us to rejoice and to have joy? Why? And I do believe,

I just want to say, I do believe that this is probably one of the most important things that we can examine as believers, be renewed and transformed in this area.

Because knowing a lot of deep theological truths is one thing, but knowing them deeply, intimately, being transformed by them as another.

I'm sure with, of course, all the social media and interconnectedness of people, you've run into people who are very sharp theologically, very, very sharp, know their history, know their things, can quote different confessions of faith, can go to the verses, you know, they're ready, on the ready with an answer quickly, right?

And they're people that know their stuff. They're theologically astute. They're strong. Maybe they're great apologists.

They're theologians. They're Reformed, and they're proud to be Calvinists, and they are jerks. Right? I mean,

I know lots of people that are probably, they're smarter than me. They know more theologically than I do.

They're more studied. They have lots of degrees on the wall, and I wouldn't want them over for dinner. And that's just the truth.

You can know a lot of theology, spend all your time in it, but if you are not transformed down to the level of joy, rejoicing, peace, not worrying, not being anxious, then what's it all mean?

What's it good for? I argue it's not. And so that's why we've taken this step off, and we're dealing now with one of those central issues, justification, the imputation of Christ's righteousness, being justified, declared righteous by God, having peace with God.

And this, of course, is one of those core theological things. I mean, this is one of those Reformation things.

Reformed folks, we know this. We fight for this, right? And I want to say that it's important, as we go through this, that it's not something we're just saying, great,

I've got that theologically checked off. I know how to go to those passages. But I want to argue that if this hasn't transformed you to the place of peace and joy, then you're not there yet.

So, focus on it until you're changed. But there's another important point, important, how did— and that's that we have to be able to defend these truths, to defend them.

So what I'm going to do is I'm going to read the text so that you know it. It's in your hearing and in your heart and mind. And then we're going to go off today, talk a little bit about, okay, what does all that mean?

And then also, what are two kind of main common objections to justification through faith alone and Christ alone, having a foreign righteousness that you are hiding in in Christ.

And so we're going to be in Philippians 3, just as a start, and then kind of move in and out a couple different places so that we all understand how to defend these truths.

So Philippians 3, verse 1. Hear now the words of the living and the true God. Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the

Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs.

Look out for the evildoers. Look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the

Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.

Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh,

I have more. Circumcised on the eighth day of the tribe of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a

Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the law of Pharisee, as to zeal a persecutor of the church, as to the righteousness under the law, blameless.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as lost for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing

Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish.

In order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.

That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share in his sufferings becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible

I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Thus far is the reading of God's holy and inspired word.

Let's pray together. Father, I pray you'd bless today as we open your word and examine these truths.

Thank you that you've saved us in Jesus. We thank you that all of us right now who know you do not stand before you and in you through any thing of our own, not our own righteousnesses, the things done by ourselves.

Lord, there's nothing, nothing in us that's outside of Christ worthy of you.

And Lord, we acknowledge that we have peace with you because of Father, because of your son.

And Lord Jesus, we cling only to you. We look to you alone and your righteousness and your perfect work and your death and your resurrection as the only way of peace.

We look to you. We are trusting in you. And we thank you that we are declared righteous.

We thank you that we have your righteousness as a gift. I pray today as we unpack these things,

God, and look at them, I pray that you'd get me out of the way. Please, by your spirit, bless your church, teach your church.

Let it not be the words of a mere man. Empower the teaching, Lord, by your spirit. And I pray that it would transform and that it would heal, it would empower, and that,

Lord, it would go forth from us into the world. For your glory, for your namesake, and for your kingdom.

In Jesus' name. Amen. So again, as we've been in Philippians, again,

I've been talking about authentic joy. Paul has it. Why? What is it? And we've been talking about he knows the character of God.

He knows who God is, and he knows who he is, Paul is, in Jesus Christ.

He knows the benefits of being in Christ. He knows about the sovereignty of God, the power of God, all that God is working out in history to bring glory to himself.

There's a source for the authentic joy. The apostle Paul has this perspective of the future that he's not looking backwards, but he's pressing on, moving forward.

He has his eyes on Jesus. He has his eyes on the story that God has been telling.

And, of course, we know the hope that he has. He says that he that began a good work and you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Paul knows that this isn't his thing. He's not doing this ultimately. The responsibility isn't an ultimate in him or in us.

This is God's story weaved together in history through so many amazing ways that works towards his ultimate glory.

That's it. Now, that offends a lot of people today. We don't like a God that big. We want to be a part of the story.

We want somehow us to be a part of this whole thing. We want to be able to boast. We want the glory.

We want to be able to say, well, what's different from that person over there and myself is

I did this, or I contributed this, or I responded in this way. But, of course, you see from scripture from the beginning to the end, there's no room for boasting.

This story of redemption began before the world did. Jesus is described as a lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

The Bible talks about us being predestined by God, all of his grace.

This is a story that brings glory to God and not to us. And, of course, you have this part of Philippians that we actually stayed in for some time where the apostle

Paul is talking about his hope for the future. He knows what's coming. God's finishing this.

He's going to complete it in my life. I know who God is. I know what God has done. And so Paul can say, in the midst of very difficult circumstances, that I'm hard -pressed between living and dying.

I'm not sure which one I want to do. And that is, I've argued, actually a very convenient spot for us to be in in light of our current circumstances, right?

As everyone finally is focusing on their own mortality, we can actually look to the hope that we have in the gospel that Paul is a human being, frail just like all of us, fears just like all of us, struggles just like all of us, right?

He's not magical. He's a person that was redeemed by the grace of God, bought by the blood of Jesus. And he can say, looking at mortality, his own mortality, not sure which way

I want to go. Hard -pressed between the two. Living is more fruit. It's more ministry.

It's more glory to Jesus. And then dying is gain. What? All the decisions being made around us today are on the basis of ultimately that fear of death.

And I'm not saying that we shouldn't protect people from death. Death is an enemy for sure.

But sometimes human beings can be so fearful of death and not be thinking about things biblically in the world in terms of creator, creation, sinful fallen creation, that people can make very foolish and stupid decisions based upon a fear of death.

Very foolish. That end up hurting other people. But here is ultimately the heart of the Christian.

To live is Christ. To die is gain. To die is gain. You see, that's something you get from the

Christian worldview. That's gospel. That's gospel saturated. That's something that you get from Jesus by standing on God's word.

You see, the atheists can't say that. The atheists can't say, ultimately, to die is gain.

Right? To die in atheism is loss. Right? We've got this one moment in time.

We've got just what's before us. We don't really know if there's meaning or purpose. We think really there isn't.

No morality. No ultimate anything. And so what we've got is right before us.

We should live life the best we can because you live, you die, and you're gone. You're absolutely gone when you die.

You cannot say from an atheistic perspective to die is gain. But with Jesus, we get to say to die is gain.

Now, I want to argue a very important thing here that the biblical worldview is comprehensive. It's interconnected.

There are reasons why Paul can say to die is gain. You see, listen closely to this.

If the apostle Paul, knowing his own sin, he's the one who said, I am the chief of sinners.

If he knows he's the chief of sinners. If he knows that God's law is serious, it's a reflection of his own character.

And if Paul knows that he's offended the holy God and that he's the chief of sinners, then he cannot have confidence to stand before a holy judge.

Why? Because he's the chief of sinners. So what's all this talk about dying is gain?

And to depart and be with Christ is far better. Where's that confidence coming from?

How do you have it if ultimately you believe that God is holy, you're a sinner, and that your own righteousness and obedience is sort of the anchor, it's the thing, the foundation from which you will have peace with God.

If we know the holiness of God and our sin and that God is a just God, there is no hope in looking into yourself.

And so Paul can say he's going to finish what he started, to live as Christ, to die as gain, to depart and be with Christ is far better.

I mean Christians can actually say I'm looking forward to death. You could do that in a way that's not perverse.

By the way, can I just add a cap? This is really important. Pastor James has been talking a lot lately on the dividing line about Gnosticism and those sorts of things.

I do think it's important as we talk about Christians and death and actually departing and being with Christ far better, because I get to be with Christ, peace with God.

It's important for us also not to become Gnostic in our thinking and think that the Christian worldview is about escape from the body.

That's very, very important. It's very important to not think about the

Christian worldview as I really have to escape from the body and this evil matter material world.

God created the world and he created a good and Jesus is about restoration and restoring and renewing all things.

Remember that ultimately when this is all said and done, we will be spending eternity with God on a renewed earth.

Physical resurrection is an important thing in the Christian worldview. So yes, to depart and be with Christ is far better because the world has fallen.

I'm sinful. There's death still ahead of me. To depart and be with Christ is far better. But don't forget that there's an end to the biblical story and that is once all enemies, 1

Corinthians 15 are put under the feet of Jesus, the last enemy to be defeated is what?

Death. Jesus rose into physical body for a reason. But with all that said,

I think we need to now move with that behind us in terms of how the apostle Paul is thinking and illustrating these things into Philippians 3.

And it's interesting. He says, look, if you want to boast, I'll play the game.

We've talked about this, right? Paul's like, all right, I'll do it with you. All right, these dogs, these evildoers, the ones who mutilate the flesh, he says, they want to put their resume out.

Here's my resume. I guarantee you I'll get the job. Right? It's me. I'm at the top of the list.

So he says, okay, I'm of the people of Israel, tribe of Benjamin, circumcised the eighth day. Here's my pedigree.

This is where I started. You want to know where I'm at in terms of the law, that school of thought?

Okay, I'm a Pharisee. As to zeal, you want to know how zealous I am? Like how serious about my faith that I am?

I persecuted the church. He says, I tried to destroy it. And then he says, with all of that,

I've got you all beat. He says, I count it all as loss. And he actually uses, of course, that scandalous word scubala, refuse, trash, and that's saying it nicely.

It's a word that was supposed to pique everyone's Right? Paul said what in the letter?

Scubala. Very important. We have it as rubbish here in the ESV, but it's a very strong word.

Now, that's what he calls all this stuff. Right? All of everything he's gained, all of his resume.

He says, I only want to be found in Jesus. Not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law, but the righteousness that comes from God through faith, through faith.

Now watch. Immediately, you have to understand this, because you're thinking as a Christian, when you're hearing that, you're like, oh, praise

God, because that is my hope. That is the place of my daily peace, is that I am in Christ, standing before the

Father with a righteousness that is not my own, and I'm so grateful to God for that.

But the person who doesn't know God, that is still trying to look into internally at their own good life and good works and obedience, finds that message kind of offensive.

What? What are you talking about? You're saying that simply through faith, just trusting in Jesus and what he did.

Nothing else. No obedience on your part. No good deeds. No righteousness. None of that stuff.

No cooperation. Just faith in Jesus that you are reconciled to God. Like that.

Peace with God. That you're declared righteous. That you stand before God completely as a gift, and there's nothing in you.

Nothing at all. Yeah. All Jesus.

Completely through him alone. And the unbelieving person, the person who doesn't know their own sin and condition, finds that message of faith in Christ alone for salvation and peace.

They find it entirely offensive. Offensive. Because it's ultimately on their part a misunderstanding about the holiness of God.

They think that God is holy, but they don't understand quite how holy. They think God is a just judge, but they don't understand just how just he is.

And they think they're sinful, but they don't understand just how utterly depraved they are.

And when we don't understand the holiness of God and our own sinful condition, we won't understand the need for grace.

Grace. Now to get behind all of this in Philippians 3, because it's one passage and you can unpack everything from here,

I try to get to the more comprehensive explanation of this in the apostle Paul, same author, in the book of Romans.

It's his systematic explanation of the gospel. He gets into here's the problem. Here's our condition.

Here's justification. This is what the purpose of Jesus is. Here's how God has always done it. And he moves through that story comprehensively through Romans so you can really get underneath this discussion that he's having here in Philippians 3 in the expanded version in Romans say chapters 1 through 5.

So we did that. We walked through there. But I wanted to highlight a couple of things to make sure

I plant them right now within us as a body. Because as I was thinking about finishing this up and going on to the very next thing,

I thought, you know, it's very important for me as a pastor not to assume that everybody who's sitting here in the congregation is there, understands these things, has really spent time studying these things, knows how to defend them, those sorts of things.

I don't want to assume that. I want to be able to get into the meat at times, but I don't want to skip over the things that really matter because we just have them as assumptions and move right past them and you have no way to understand them or defend them.

So I want to encourage you to get to know justification. What's it mean?

To be justified. You don't have to yell out just yet, but there's a theological word there, a term.

Do you know what it means, justification by faith? When someone says you are justified what's that mean?

Declared righteous. Very good. It's legal context. It's courtroom context. We're going to look at that in just a moment here, but it's important that you don't let these terms just fly over you.

At times we can get into deep discussions. We could talk about legitimai. We could talk about imputation and justification and dikayasunefeu.

You hear all these like big words. Everyone says, oh, I'm supposed to know what that means. I'll pretend and smile like I do, right?

But it's important for us to know what does it mean? Why? Justification, declared righteous for the apostle

Paul. His context is all God's court and how are you and I going to be made right with God before his throne?

Imputation. You hear that word, imputation. What's it mean? It's accrediting.

It's charged to the account of another person and boy, does it matter? Because listen, you could be in here. You could be a teenager right now.

You could be a small child. You hear the word coming across this pulpit, imputation, and you're like, okay, what's on TikTok right now or whatever stupid thing you guys are watching.

Okay. You hear the word imputation. You say, why is it relevant to me right now that I understand what imputation is?

Listen, if on your way home tonight down the I -17 or however you get home, you get struck by a truck which could happen to any of us, you'll care very much about imputation.

Imputation. How are you at peace with God? How are you at peace with God? I'll tell you right now, there are people in hospitals right now all over the world who are having a hard time breathing that are moments away from death.

They're probably really thinking about where they're at before God and you know what matters in that moment?

Imputation. Do I have Christ's righteousness? Am I at peace with God? So it might be a very fancy theological term, but believe me brothers and sisters, it is so simple and so basic and so essential.

Do you know what justification is? Do you know what imputation is? Because Paul's using that terminology. Do you know what it means to have a union with Jesus Christ?

Because all this is interconnected, right? Justification, imputation, union with Jesus Christ, being in Christ.

Paul says, I don't want a righteousness of my own derived from the law. I want the one that comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ.

So there's a union with Jesus Christ. I want to be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law.

Do you know what the benefits are of being in Christ and why that matters? Because you know what?

I'll tell you what. It's not just important. It's not just important. It isn't just important for your theological camp.

Like which camp am I in? Right? What am I supposed to believe about union with Jesus Christ and the imputation of Christ's righteousness?

Let me tell you, it has everything to do with your joy and your peace daily. Because you know, here's the thing.

If you're in Christ, it's not just that you have a righteousness that's not your own, that you've been credited

Christ's righteousness, your sins are not countered against you, that you stand before the Father with a perfect righteousness as a gift and therefore you have peace with God.

But let me tell you, this will meet you at midnight. When you're lying there in your bed and you're struggling, you're struggling with how you failed as a husband.

You're struggling with how you failed as a wife. You're struggling with how you failed as a child to honor your parents or you failed in any possible way.

You're thinking about your past sins and all your brokenness. When you're thinking about approaching

God and God feels so far off, you feel so distant. Like you just can't even feel like you're connecting.

Right? In those moments, this doctrine of union with Jesus Christ, it's everything.

Because you see, in Christ as a believer through faith being reconciled to God, you have a new identity.

And your inner monologue and your circumstances and your difficult moments and your hard days, moms, dads, your failures can't touch your identity in Jesus Christ.

You are in Him. You see, this isn't just the stuff of like the theological sort of like ivory tower discussion.

This is really the stuff that holds everything else up. Sometimes we're afraid.

We're saying, that's a deep theological. I'm not even sure I want to go that direction. I don't even know if I want to pour into that. That just seems too high, too lofty.

Like I'm not in that game. Like the serious theological discussion that gets really difficult and abstract.

Let me tell you, this right here isn't one of those things that you should call that. This is one of those things that is the basis of our peace with God and our daily joy.

Because you have to confess to it. Don't pretend. Don't come in here with the God face on and pretend like all is well all the time.

Every believer is being sanctified and transformed and renewed. Every believer has moments where they have they feel like they're in a spiritual high and they feel intimate with God and they feel strong and they feel peace with God.

And then all of a sudden you wake up the next day and God feels like he's a million miles off. You feel like when you pray, your prayers aren't going higher than the ceiling, right?

Why does he feel so far off? There's moments where there's tragedy, difficulty, circumstances that blast you.

And you feel just at a complete loss. You feel like, have I lost peace with God? Have I lost something?

Is there something I must do to get back to that place? Right? So is there something in me that I've failed where God no longer is good with me?

We're no longer at peace. You see, every Christian struggles with those moments. And here's the question. How are you going to heal from that?

How are you going to be renewed from that? How are you going to be able to actually put to death your inner monologue where you're talking back, arguing with God and his truth?

How are you going to be able to fight maybe the spiritual attack and oppression that you may be engaged with in that moment?

The lies that are being told to you, maybe from outside a voice that's not your own, whether it's coming from a person or something more spiritual and demonic.

How are you going to fight that? Let me just tell you right now. Union with Christ. Your union with Jesus Christ.

And I'm going to argue that's what Paul is aiming at right here. It is. It's not just a matter of the

Westminster Confession and the 1689 London Baptist Confession and the Reformers and Clement and any early church father.

This is the substance of the Christian life. It truly is. Do you have a past?

Think about it. Do you have a past? Do you have a past where you've abused your wife? Do you have a past where you've abused your husband?

Do you have a past where you've been a horrible father? mother Do you have a past of drug addiction?

sex addiction Do you have a past of theft? evil Brokenness.

Do you have that past? So here's the question Okay What relevance is that now?

Is it relevant? Could be relevant. Could be relevant. You may not be in Jesus Christ. You may not be hiding in the righteousness that Paul is hiding in so he can say

Like to die is gain And you might actually be a person who's not reconciled to God And so that past is relevant and your present is relevant right now.

So question Where where are you at? Because you see if you're in Christ your past isn't relevant

Your addiction to drugs You're failing Even as a professing christian.

Did you catch that? Even as a professing christian you're failing all of that All of that Actually begins to get washed away in light of the doctrine of union with christ because you see

This doctrine of union with christ I argue Doesn't just have to do with peace with god one day

Someday right going to heaven one day this doctrine that paul is talking about here is really everything

It's my peace with god today, it's my peace with god at 10 o 'clock tonight. It's my peace with god tomorrow

It's my peace with god 10 billion years from now And it's the basis of my hope and my joy and my peace

In those moments of greatest struggle where i'm reminded of my past and my evil and my brokenness

When I contemplate my own failures as a follower of jesus christ I'm in christ

How does the father see me? Well, here's the question how does the father see jesus How does the father see jesus

Perfection So, how does the father see me Perfection And you think to yourself that sounds so twisted and so broken that is that doesn't make any sense whatsoever

And I would say I think you're getting close To the incomprehensibility of god's grace.

It is that vast It is that big that I have the righteousness of jesus christ as a gift so We went through romans chapter 4 go there quickly because i'm just addressing two objections today

Romans chapter 4 I want to just point you to this because we've been talking about Justification through faith alone in christ alone the law not being able to justify us

We've talked about abraham and david through romans 4 But you know, there's something that's going to happen

There's two main objections today one Is paul versus james? Two is oh so you can just keep sinning, right?

Those are two main objections. You're going to get when you herald the glory of god's grace and justification through faith alone in christ alone

But in romans 4 this is so important you guys ready for this. This isn't going to be very hard today I think it's very very important you get this down because you will get this

If you're out preaching the gospel to anybody who actually has part of a non -christian cult or unbiblical

Movement, they're going to go to this. I guarantee it. You're going to hear it as a matter of fact I'm waiting for this objection when we go out and preach christ and the gospel at the mormon temple

I'm, just waiting for the objection from the mormon missionary because they are taught in their mormon missionary classes

They are taught that when you run into a christian who believes that they are justified through faith alone in christ alone

You are to quote this passage in james chapter 2 faith

Without works is what? dead So abraham was not justified by faith alone.

He was justified by works also so what i'll often do when I hear a mormon missionary quote

That faith without works is dead. I'll just ask the question. What passage is that from?

Because I know it's taught trains, right you tell the christian it's faith without works is dead faith Without works is dead.

Make sure you share that with them and you'll nail them And so when they bring it up, my first response is, uh, where are you quoting from?

now Say 50 of the time the mormon missionary won't be able to actually tell me they'll just go.

Uh, send that book somewhere Right, that's the truth. That is really the truth If you've seen our videos, you've probably seen them say that right where are you quoting from?

Uh, it's in there somewhere, right? Well, that's kind of a problem You just proof text out of the bible and you don't even know what you quoted from where it's at what the context is

James chapter 2 so usually kind of help them like well, that's actually from james chapter 2 Oh, that's what I was gonna we were gonna say james 2, right?

So I was thinking And you ask the question. Okay, what's the context of james chapter 2 and they'll just sort of go

I don't know faith without works is dead. That's the context. Okay So what's really important for us as believers is as you're talking about the imputation of christ's righteousness

Having a foreign righteousness is not your own through faith in jesus christ justified by faith apart from the works of the law romans 328 we need to be able to know the difference between paul's discussion in romans

And james discussion in james chapter 2 and I believe truly it's so easy to spot

What's happening between the two? So my first thing i'm going to say is this James and the apostle paul are not at war with each other

James and the apostle paul I would argue aren't actually even talking about the same thing.

Did you catch that? James and paul aren't even talking about the same thing and there's proof that cannot be denied

It cannot be controverted that they are not talking about the same thing and it has to do with the timeline The timeline of abraham's life.

What are they talking about? And so first thing I want to do to lay it down so you can see it for yourselves So you're not just listening to a pastor and just biting down and saying great got it

I'll go with what he said. I want you to see it for yourself go to romans chapter 4 I'm not going to go through every detail of this because we've already unpacked that but I want

To point you to the timeline. Remember that the apostle paul here is talking about a human being's relationship to god

And how are you going to be right with god? The question is about our relationship to the living god

Paul's point is all have sinned. There is none good. There is none who seeks for god The law will justify nobody it shuts the whole world up.

And so how are you going to make it? How is god going to be just? And the justifier of the one who has faith in jesus and his answer is jesus propitiation

Faith in him his work his life and then he moves to abraham. This is key

Get this and you get the whole discussion. He moves to abraham and remember what the conversation is about This is essential james and paul are not in the same discussion

Paul is talking in romans 4 verse 1 What then shall we say was gained by abraham our forefather according to the flesh for if abraham was justified by works

He has something to boast about but not before god

For what does the scripture say abraham believed god and it was counted to him as righteousness Now to the one who works his wages are not counted as a gift

But as his due and to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies get this the ungodly

Some translations say the wicked his faith is credited counted as righteousness

Just as david also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom god counts righteousness apart from works

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered blessed is the man against whom the lord will not count his

Sin, so stop for a second and think about what this is about. What's the conversation about? Well, we see paul saying we're all sinners jew and gentile together none righteous

How are we going to ever correct this redemption gift of god's grace through faith in jesus christ

God remains just and the justifier the one who has faith in jesus Clearly the context here is between us and god the context is the ungodly being declared righteous by god god counting people righteous apart from their works and their lawless deeds forgiven their sins

Covered and here it is verse 8 blessed is the man against whom the lord will not count his sin So the lord not counting my sin.

This is a vertical discussion Vertical it's between us and god.

How are we going to have peace with god paul's discussion is about peace with god You want proof romans 5 1

Therefore since we have been justified by faith We have peace with god through our lord. Jesus christ through him.

We have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand

Context is vertical us and god got that lay that down us and god vertical paul's conversation

Is about the sinner before a holy god next point and this is again about the timeline

Listen to what paul says here in verse 9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised or also for the uncircumcised?

For we say that faith Was counted to abraham as righteousness

How then was it counted to him get this and you'll get the whole thing.

Are you ready? Was it before or after he had been

Circumcised it was not after but before he was circumcised

So if you're taking notes, if you don't mind doing that underline highlight make an arrow Whatever you have to do because paul's point here is this abraham

When was he justified when before circumcision or after circumcision? Which which place and paul makes it clear

He believed god empty hand of faith and before circumcision before he did anything there he was justified

He believed god. He was credited righteousness before circumcision

And paul's argument here clearly is timeline When was abraham credited righteousness?

When he believed well, when was that before circumcision or after circumcision?

Did he contribute something? And paul's argument is no he believed Rona just kidding

Not really, it's allergies relax. Okay Gosh, it's so it's hard being in public right now, right?

There's times where i've had to sneeze so bad I'm like running into my car just because I don't want someone to like like knife me or something

I almost sneezed the other day and I people were like looking I was like, uh, um The timeline here is so vital to get paul says believe god credited righteousness and when

And it was before circumcision Okay Now stop and think about sunday school or whatever you have to to think about timeline now abraham in history

Believes god credited righteousness and then what happens? Circumcision, but he's already credited righteousness before circumcision.

So before he did anything ceremonial Obedient whatever the case may be.

He believes god. He offers nothing He trusts god and what happens credited righteousness if you want to be abraham's seed

You want to be part of his offspring if you call yourself a true jew, that's the faith that connects you to abraham

Don't have it. You're not a true jew. Don't have it. You're not a child of abraham Get it paul's point is this if you're a child of abraham

You've got to have a faith that is actually next to his like his which means faith alone

Faith apart from works empty hands gracious Gift of god faith, but it was before circumcision.

I think about the timeline again sunday school, right? He has circumcision then what happens? Well, then isaac comes along Right And then what happens?

Well, what is it about 20 years people say? Before he offers isaac on the altar people have spent, you know, how long is that?

Well, you've got years and years and years that go by and then isaac is offered on the altar and don't forget abraham happens when in history after moses or before moses

When is abraham in history? Did I say that right? Everyone looked at me all confused. It was okay. Sorry Okay, abraham, where is he in the timeline of history?

Is he before or after moses? He's before so he believes god Credited righteousness and then what happens circumcision and then what happens?

Isaac on the altar and then we're talking like 400 years before moses So before the law is even given

We've got abraham the father of our faith justified credited righteousness by faith before anything

And key thing here timeline. It was before circumcision. It was before isaac was on the altar

Everyone got that Timeline down. So what is the context of paul?

It is vertical us Before god and when he uses his star

Of the show he uses abraham and says when? It's key thing when was he declared right?

When was he credited righteousness faith before what everyone? Circumcision before what else isaac before what else?

the law Got it timeline good. Okay now james chapter 2

People will say well, you see this is so complex really You see it's really complex because you see

Yes, we're saved through faith, but you really need to let all of scripture speak

And see we're saved by faith, but james says faith without works is dead

And so you see works really do have something to do with your justification You just really have to take the whole thing together

You need to take james and paul you need to take them together because we are ultimately saved

Yeah through faith in jesus and you need the grace of god But it still has something to do with you and your obedience and your righteousness because james says faith that works is dead

So it's really about reading the whole bible together I want to argue james and paul are not arguing against each other

They're not actually talking about the same thing. And again, there's proof first thing you need to ask me to go to james

Is do you know what it's talking about? First of all, if you want a good book to read daily, that'll kick your teeth in read james good for you.

Okay but james is not the same kind of literature as romans

Just strike you right away James is wisdom literature. And by the way, this is so important as christians.

It's so important as christians We need to know that the bible is this Amazing revelation in history that god's preserved throughout history using all of these different authors all of these different genres

We've got historical narrative. We've got wisdom literature We've got the book of revelation.

That is this apocalyptic people say kind of writing their symbolism in a metaphor

I mean you've got manhoppers in revelation Manhoppers, you know i'm talking about the locust with man faces manhoppers

I mean people like if you want to be if you want to read literally if you want to say it's all literal That's pretty freaky, right?

I mean, that's that's like a jordan peele horror movie, right? Seriously Manhoppers, you've got harlots drinking blood riding seven -headed ten -horned beast.

You've got all kinds of crazy imagery Here's the thing. You cannot read the book of revelation like you read the book of romans.

Don't do that That's a problem, right? Or have you ever read song of solomon? right

It's a different kind of writing, right? You've got wisdom literature. You've got all these different genres of writing James is not writing the same kind of thing that the apostle paul is writing

He's writing wisdom literature and what is wisdom? skill in living

How do I? apply How do I apply? How do

I live? Read the book of proverbs. What is it amazing? But what is it?

How do I do this? Right. It's not just it's not just sort of abstractions

It's how do I do this? How do I live this way? So james starts 1 5

If any of you lacks what? wisdom Let him ask of god who gives generously to all without reproach and it will be given to him but let him ask in faith without With no doubting for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind

For that person must not suppose that he'll receive anything from the lord as he's a double -minded man unstable in all of his ways

So james clearly is wisdom. It's focused upon wisdom skill in living. Give me another example of it same chapter 1 verse 22

But be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves for if anyone is a hearer of the word

And not a doer He is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror

For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like But the one who looks into the perfect law the law of liberty

And perseveres being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts He will be blessed in his doing and more listen if anyone thinks he's religious

It does not bridle his tongue But deceives his heart this person's religion

Is worthless religion that is pure and undefiled before god The father is this to visit orphans and widows and their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world

You feeling the difference already? It's all how do I live? How am I consistent?

And yes, you should pay attention to the fact that james is clearly concerned with true religion not the genes

But real religion right? It's not a religion. It's a relationship. No, that's stupid. Um, it is

It is a religion And also a relationship, but it is a religion

And james is concerned about That but notice what he says there Being unstained from the world.

Okay, here it is. Are you ready? We're going through it chapter two my brothers Show no partiality as you hold the faith in our lord.

Jesus christ the lord of glory for a man Wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly

And a poor man and shabby clothing also comes in and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing

And say you sit here in a good place while you say to the poor man you stand over there or sit down at my feet

Have you not then made distinctions among yourselves? And become judges with evil thoughts listen

My beloved brothers has not god chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom

Which he has promised to those who love him, but you have dishonored the poor man Are not the rich the ones who oppress you and the ones who drag you into court?

Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called if you really fulfill the royal law?

according to the scripture You shall love your neighbor as yourself You are doing well, but if you show partiality you are committing sin

And are convicted by the law as transgressors now stop Very important remember

I told you when you go out and do evangelism you'll say paul says We Um, he says the romans 3 28 justified by faith apart from the works of law

Justified by faith apart from works of law. It's all faith in christ alone apart from works. He justifies the ungodly

The person will say yes, but faith without works is dead and you'll say where's that from don't know

Okay, then the person says oh james chapter 2 great. Let's turn to it Now actually a couple of verses above Where you're quoting from where it says faith without works is dead in james chapter 2.

It actually says this first For whoever keeps the whole law, but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it

How do they say it In goodwill hunting how you like them apples Think about it for a second now james teaching that works

Are a part of this whole salvation process my obedience my work It's like a faith and works together kind of a thing like obey the law and its faith and its grace

It's the same guy that says in verse 10 He puts a stumbling block before anybody who could possibly have an interpretation

Of his words whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet stumble in one point is guilty of all

So how you doing? How are you doing with god's law? Because you see you can't just say i'm doing my best

I'm failing in some ways Failing in some ways is violating the law. It's a unit so I often use the um

The portrait of this particular truth by saying, you know, you're out Uh, you're you're in your house one day and you're next to a golf course

And you're sitting in your living room You got a big window and all of a sudden a big golf ball comes through the corner and just breaks out sort of this

Big part of the edge of the window and you run outside to these two goofballs wearing um tight pants

Driving a golf court golf cart in arizona in the sunshine. I hate golf.

I hope it's coming through um And you walk up you say hey guys

You you broke you broke my window and the guys are out there just sort of being kind of cocky saying no

No, no, no big deal. It's just a piece You you would say no, excuse me, you've broken the whole thing.

They said no. No, I only broke the corner out Now you see this thing's a unit you break a piece of it.

The whole thing is blown And that's the portrait here We have of james and the law if you keep the whole thing and stumble in one point

You're guilty of all of it. You're a transgressor of the law. You're guilty before god So you can have a perfect day of obedience tomorrow before god, which ain't happened ever

Well, and then the next day sin against god and you are guilty of the whole thing you're worthy of hell So how is faith and works working in that system if james says if you violate in one you broke the whole thing

It doesn't work But james goes on and he says For he who said do not commit adultery also said do not murder if you do not commit adultery

But you you do murder you've become a transgressor of the law So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty

For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy mercy triumphs over judgment.

Here it is Think about timeline remember paul his discussion vertical us and god abraham

Believe in god then circumcision then isaac and then the law but believes god credited righteousness

First before god he says in verse 14. What good is it my brothers if someone says he has faith stop

Take your time with that one James is giving us skill in living and here he says

What good is it my brothers if someone? says He has faith

But does not have works Can that faith save him?

So what's the context here right away? Is the context here? Us before god vertical or is the context a question about kinds of faith?

and a mere said faith Someone says they have faith, but they have no works.

Can that faith? Can that kind of faith save him and what is?

The confession of every reformed christian been since these fights have really broken out.

No That empty that does not save dead faith doesn't save A mere said faith doesn't save real faith saves living faith saves so james says

Can that faith save him? So he gives a picture here He says if a brother or a sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food

And one of you says to them go in peace be warmed and filled without giving them the things needed for the body

What good is that? So also faith by itself If it does not have works is dead

So think about the portrait he's painting for us right now Someone comes to your door and they're Broke down they're wounded.

They're starving and you open your door and you say to them. Oh, yes be warm be filled I want to take care of all your needs and you go boom and shut the door in their face.

What does that mean? What good is that? Do you believe the person?

Who behaves like that? They tell you something with their lips but then

Right away their actions controvert their profession So the point james is making here is faith by itself

If it does not have works is dead. So the question for james here is this and here we go

What kind of faith saves? living faith or dead faith

The question here is not how a person is justified before a holy god The question before us with james is what kind of faith saves living or dead?

And the answer is obvious only living faith Only an alive faith only a real faith

Actually saves so then james says this but someone will say You have faith and I have works

Show me your faith apart from Your works and I will show you my faith by my works

You believe that god is one you do. Well, even the demons believe and shudder

This is a really important element here guys so critical and key in terms of defining what saving faith is it's a living faith

It's a faith that trusts in jesus. It's not a mere said faith and it's not merely an acquiescence to facts

Like what do the demons believe? God is one what do the demons know about god theologically a lot

Demons are probably fantastic theologians They could answer the questions better than many of us could right if they had a theological exam

And they were forced to be honest. They'd get it All right, if they were trying to do people they could sort of do it.

They could get all those propositions Correct, they could get all they could check all the boxes and you know, what's amazing if you ask satan if jesus is eternal god

He'd say yeah, I believe that He believes that truth he knows it's true he believes it's true, but he doesn't have any faith in jesus

And so even the demons believe And shudder, they don't have a trust in jesus, but they know these theological things.

They know they're true Do you want to be shown you foolish person that faith apart from works is useless?

Was not abraham our father justified by works? When he offered up his son isaac on the altar wait stop pause

James and paul are at war with each other No Wait a second in the apostle paul

As he's explaining the gospel in romans chapter 4 Where was his point in the timeline? You remember this

I kept saying it over and over again. So I would make sure you get this correct this time, right? His point the timeline was he believed god was credited righteousness before what event

Circumcision what came long after circumcision? Isaac on the altar what came after that long after that the law but it was circumcision and then isaac

For james though for some reason though he says here You see he says was not abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son isaac on the altar

Well, that's interesting because the apostle paul says that he was credited righteousness Before he was even circumcised long before isaac was in the altar.

So what is going on? here He says you see that faith was active

Along with his works and faith was completed by his works and the scripture was

Fulfilled that says abraham believed god and it was counted to him as righteousness and he was called a friend of god

So think about the two different timelines now You've got james talking about a different point in the timeline than the apostle paul paul's talking about a vertical relationship with god

How are made right with god james is talking about the difference between a said faith a dead faith and a living faith

Which one saves? And he says this ultimately Abraham was vindicated by his works

And not by faith alone, how do you know that abraham's faith was alive?

How do you know that abraham wasn't a charlatan that he wasn't pretend? How do you know? Because he offered his son isaac on the altar

A long time after he was already credited righteousness And the scripture was fulfilled but When we don't know our bibles and don't dig into the languages

And don't show concern for context we could see a word like see it says it right there justified

That's the same word paul uses Must mean the same thing Well, you're gonna have a real hard time with that You're gonna have a hard time with it in the context

It's right before us and you're gonna have a real hard time with it when you go to matthew 11 19 or luke 7 3

Where jesus is being accused of being a drunk? A glutton right a friend of sinners and all that stuff and then jesus says in response

Wisdom is justified by her children What The word justified is there

What's that mean wisdom is justified by her children whose wisdom she? She is what declared righteous before god by her children.

No, what does it mean? Wisdom is justified by her children. If you want to see what true wisdom is

It'll be vindicated by what it produces Right wisdom is justified by her children wisdom is vindicated by What it produces its children and in the context here of the of james

James is clearly in the discussion of how do you and I know that abraham's faith was alive and not dead?

It wasn't just merely a said faith answer. He offered his son isaac on the altar So you see that he was vindicated by his works and not by faith alone

Not merely by profession by by what he did so the discussion between james 2

And romans chapter 4 are two different contexts two different categories of thinking one is wisdom literature

It's a difference between the living faith and a dead faith What kind of faith saves only living faith and the other conversation is about how are we reconciled to god and have peace with him?

These are not at war with each other. These are two different conversations About two different aspects of the christian life and I want to just argue and this will get us right to the final point

It's not going to take us very long because paul goes right to it after justification by faith. This is so critical. It's so key

It's important The biblical worldview is a comprehensive worldview It's not just simple slogans

I think that's the thing that's evangelicals So dead today in terms of cultural influence and even life within churches many times

Because we sort of we make christianity about slogans. It's just slogans pithy slogans, right?

We don't want to think comprehensively. We don't want to think deep deep thoughts important thoughts meaningful thoughts

This is important You see the whole portrait painted Of the glory of god and the story of redemption

Is that god gets this glory he completes what he started. He's the one that does everything

Even down to open in the eyes of the blind granting repentance and faith giving us christ

Christ living a perfect life dying in the place of sinners conquering death God filling us with a spirit

With his spirit empowering us to live for him God finishing what he started in a believer's life.

You see it's not just that we are justified by faith God punches our ticket and says see you Hope you do.

All right I used to believe that I didn't That's that's the that's the version of christianity.

I was introduced to initially Was you pray this magic prayer? And if as long as you pray that prayer

You're good. So that's what you'd ask people. Did you ever pray the sinner's prayer? Yeah once When when

I was on my grandpappy's knee when I was three, he said it and I repeated it after him How old are you now?

75 What's life been like in jesus now i've never been to church don't read the bible never concerned about spiritual things

Some people would say still saved answer dead faith said faith dead faith not living faith not real because the biblical story of faith is it's something that god grants

And god makes people go from spiritual death to spiritual life so that they believe in jesus

Are credited righteousness are declared righteous before holy god have peace with god

They're indwelled by god's spirit. And so something happens. You see that's Comprehensive abraham believed god.

It was credited to him for righteousness. And then that's it He never talked about god again. Never walked with god. Nothing.

What no Then it's what? Circumcision and then this testing of his faith with isaac, which is really a portrait of jesus

Which is incredible and all this stuff like god's walking with abraham through his entire life abraham knows god

He has a living faith a real faith. Not a said dead faith now

People will hear the story of justification through faith in christ alone and it isn't alone

It is apart from works Nothing in us ever not now not ever It's all jesus all to his glory.

It is gift gift all the way through They'll hear that and they'll say what oh so You're saying that you can just believe in jesus and then do whatever you want

Well No, james says Living faith saves real faith saves not said faith dead faith, right?

So it's not a mere you're not saved by a mere profession of faith in jesus

You are joined to christ by actually Possessing jesus, right?

Trusting in jesus clinging to jesus. That's real faith But isn't it interesting that paul clearly heard it.

That's what I love about how paul moves through through inspiration romans one through five It's it's so well thought out.

It's so comprehensive. It's so amazing And then he gets as soon as he finishes the discussion about adam and jesus and if you're an adam you're dead and there's

Condemnation, but if you're in christ, there is righteousness and the gift of eternal life

So you're in one or the other which one are you in it immediately? romans 6 gets to this romans 6 1

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin? that grace may abound

So you know that paul's heard it because now he's actually Answering the imaginary objector, right?

Oh Great, so you're saved and you can just do whatever you want Oh, so you're saved so you can just continue in sin so that there's more grace

You know, there's some people that say really stupid things like that Have you ever heard it?

Oh, I can tell you I have I've definitely heard it I remember even asking somebody once in my life when

I had a Really turned to christ truly know that I was saved and came to christ

After my addiction I asked the person who was a professing believer About this question like you're just going to keep doing this.

We can't just keep doing this And that was really the answer. It was that I prayed that magic prayer and you know

I mean the more I sin like that more that jesus paid for he'll look really good Like in the end he's going to be glorified because I got a lot of sin, but he gives a lot of grace

It sounds so silly, but you know what man does it come out of our mouths And paul addresses it

He says are we continuing sin so that grace may abound and somebody says to you so you think that you could just trust in Jesus christ and then live however you want

I would say You don't understand the gospel You don't understand what the bible means about faith and salvation.

Jesus saves sinners from their sin When someone has eternal life, there's life there, which means it won't look dead

It'll look like fruit Right. It'll be a living faith and paul says this he says

By no means how can we who die to sin still live in it? you see that's the critical aspect of The christian life that needs to be engaged with immediately if you're in christ and if you're a baby in jesus

You need to understand this The bible teaches that if i've been joined to christ by faith

I've been joined to him And his death So there is actually a death that's occurred

It's not the only place this is talked about by the way, you know that famous scene where jesus turns a bunch of people away

Right crowds growing mega churches forming, right? And jesus cuts it in half well more than in half just makes it basically go away

Because he tells people and coming to him They must hate and the name's your most important people in your life

And then he says and you have to take up the cross which means come die So people are like, uh

No, thanks. I was here for the fish. See ya, right? Like what do you mean die? Come to you and die

Well paul's talking about the same thing if you come to jesus to trust in him to be joined to him by faith apart from any works all to his glory

This free gift of salvation if you've truly been joined to jesus and you're in him now Then you've been joined together with him in his death and resurrection.

He says very clearly How can we who died to sins to live in it you see jesus is a savior from sin

Right, and I can't be a person who says jesus has saved me from my sin

And I still desire love want to pursue my sin How can we who died to sin continue to live in it if I understand?

Jesus and his message and my condition then when I come to him in faith to trust in him

I'm leaving behind an old self I'm turning away from an old life because I don't want it anymore

I want the salvation he offers in the gospel And so paul says how can we who died to sins to live in it?

Do you not know that all of us? Who have been baptized into christ jesus were baptized into his death

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death in order that just as christ was raised

From the dead by the glory of the father. We too might walk in newness of life you see

It's interesting As you move down in verse nine, he says we know that christ being raised from the dead will never die again death

No longer has dominion over him for the death. He died to sin Death he died.

He died to sin once for all but the life he lives he lives to god. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin

And alive to god in christ. Jesus let not sin therefore reign In your mortal body to make you obey its passions

Do not go on presenting your members to sin as instruments

For Unrighteousness but present yourselves to god As those who have been brought from death to life and your members to god as instruments for righteousness for sin

Will have no dominion over you since you are not under the law But under grace, isn't it interesting people think that if you say it's grace grace grace

There's just going to be more sin, isn't it? It's the it's the reverse for paul What he says sin will not have dominion over you since you're not under the law, but under grace

So it's a place of grace Salvation life where sin has no dominion, but it's the area of grace.

Is that where you're at the area of grace? so I wanted to have some final thoughts here in thinking about This as a body.

These are two main objections to justification through faith alone union with christ james chapter 2

And of course so you can just keep sinning The biblical faith is a comprehensive faith that teaches that when god saves a sinner he saves a sinner

He opens the eyes of the blind He raises them to spiritual life God gives us the ability to trust in jesus people who never would have trusted him before God indwells us and paul says the source of his joy

He says that he that began a good work and you will complete it until the day of jesus christ I'm not going to remain in jesus because of me i'm not

You there's there's no pastor here That can do it

There's no spiritually amazing hero That can do it The only reason we have heroes of the faith that died as heroes of the faith is because jesus

Not because they were real heroes Think about it Heroes of the faith that died faithful men and women of god.

They died that way because jesus We call them heroes of the faith But really it's just it's just a nod towards them and a big praise to jesus, right?

He did it not them and it's important for us to recognize that this story of justification through faith alone in christ alone having a

Righteousness that does not our own credit to us as a gift. That story is part of a comprehensive story of what god does to save sinners

He's where your hope's at your union with him is where your hope is at God's gonna finish what he started.

And so even at your weakest moments At your weakest moments you need to stop

I need to stop looking inward saying How am I going to make this happen? How am I going to accomplish this?

How am I going to persevere? The answer is you can't You didn't get yourself in this to begin with It's a clinging solely to jesus and his work

And I actually believe this Truly In those moments where we are feeling most distant from god

And most broken sad lonely depressed whatever you're dealing with It's because we are losing sight

Of what god says is fundamentally true about us You're united my son That's where i've placed you you have his righteousness.

You are not condemned. You have peace you have eternal life And on the worst day

Check your monologue Check your vision check your perspective.

I guarantee you you've lost sight Right. It's not that your circumstances are so bad or somehow that you as a creature were able to thwart a holy god's perfect plan

His sovereign plan for you Is that you've lost sight of what god says is true?

It's you're dealing with unbelief So put it to death Right It's isn't that amazing victory to be able to actually rest in that?

Like to have a moment where you feel like god is far off or you're not righteous and you're you know

You're totally screwed up or whatever. It isn't it freeing to be able to say I have jesus

He's righteous He's perfect. He's blameless. Take that satan

Right take that fears That isn't isn't that an amazing gift of god that's the hope you have in jesus

Let me tell you right now. No man -made religion can offer you that Because there is no story like this story

Because it's his the true god Accomplished redemption in history and is finishing what he's started and if you trust in jesus

You're in that story and he's going to finish what he started So that gets to this question it has to be asked it has to it really does have to be asked when you talk about These things you can't assume them

Now that we've heard all that you've been digging in and hearing these truths Where are you at?

Do you trust in jesus? Are you the person? Is there someone in here? There's no altar call coming.

Okay But you have to ask that question because you have to let this Actually meet you and cut you and challenge you

Are you the person that had a said faith? You've had a said faith.

I profess it But is it dead It's not alive you believe theological propositions

Right You can quote the confessions You can tell me what justification is you can tell me what jesus did

But do you have the demon -like faith that knows those things are true, but doesn't trust in jesus right

You would be in the camp of christians that says that's all true, but you've never really trusted in jesus

And clung to him You've never turned From sin to be joined to him.

You've never died And been joined to him I think you should Ask that question before we come to the table.

I really think you should spend time maybe with the lord on your knees confessing sin Examining yourself

It's good to do that. It's not good to be a spiritual schizophrenic Right You know i'm saying where you're the kind of christian and it's like he loves me.

He loves me not He loves me. He loves me not he loves me like, you know I mean, were you just not trusting in god and his promises? You're like,

I don't know if i'm saved and like it's like 20 times a day. You're like questioning your salvation Oh, I want jesus so bad if you want jesus so bad

You've got jesus probably Okay, because people that are dead in their sins don't want jesus really bad

But it is good for somebody Who's been a part of the body for a long time? Maybe you're raised in church to ask the question.

Do I have a said faith a dead faith or a living faith? Am I alive? Have I been justified really am

I joined to jesus or is it just that I believe these things in terms of I can check the box Do you trust in jesus?

Are you joined to him by faith? Ask that question And then once you're you're in that place of examination and looking at your heart before god

I think you need to rest in the comfort of the peace that god brings through jesus

Because clearly god wants us to have that joy These things have a written unto you that believe in the name of the son of god

That you may know that you have eternal life

That you may know that you have Eternal life. We're supposed to be able to rest there and it's supposed to be the place of authentic joy

Praise god. Let's pray father, I pray You would bless The words that went out today lord.

I pray for those in this room that know you that have faith Living faith that you've given That are joined to jesus.

I pray that you to just encourage them just grant joy in you and for those in the room that Don't know you

I pray that you would grant eyes to see Give living faith Make people alive for your glory

I pray you bless the words that went out over the course of the last three weeks In the series or a couple of weeks in the series

Um, I pray that they would provide for our body a strong foundation