WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:05.440 The book of Romans, chapter 4, and as I said, we're going to be reading verses 13 through 25. 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:08.080 So let's stand for the reading of God's Word. 00:00:13.599 --> 00:00:23.519 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:34.560 If those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made empty, and the promise nullified, because the law produces wrath, and where there is no law, there is no transgression. 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:47.759 This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants, not only to the one who is of the law, but also to the one who is of Abraham's faith. 00:00:48.000 --> 00:01:03.200 He is the father of us all, as it is written, I have made you the father of many nations, in the presence of the God in whom he believed, the one who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist. 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:10.319 He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what had been spoken. 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:12.959 So will your descendants be. 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:23.519 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body to be already dead, since he was about a hundred years old, and also the deadness of Sarah's womb. 00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:36.000 He did not waver in unbelief at God's promise, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, because he was fully convinced that what God had promised he was also able to do. 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:40.079 Therefore it was credited to him for righteousness. 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:46.799 Now, it was credited to him, was not written for Abraham alone, but also for us. 00:01:46.959 --> 00:01:52.560 It will be credited to us who believe in him, who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 00:01:58.000 --> 00:01:59.200 Let's pray. 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:06.719 Lord, we thank you for your word, and that we get to so freely sit here and hold it in our hands. 00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:12.080 Lord, I pray that as we go through this passage here this morning, that you would be the one doing the speaking. 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:28.879 Lord, that you would help me to rightly divide your word, and that each one of us would approach this passage with open hearts and open minds and open ears with eyes that are fixed on you, Lord, so that you can do the work that you desire inside of each one of us through your Holy Spirit. 00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:30.560 So, Lord, we surrender to you. 00:02:30.639 --> 00:02:36.639 We recognize our need for you, and we pray that you would mold us and change us through your word here this morning. 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:38.560 We pray these things in Jesus' name. 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:39.360 Amen. 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:41.280 You may be seated. 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:48.879 So, as I mentioned last week, last um, this is a two-part sermon, really. 00:02:48.960 --> 00:02:53.919 We did part one last week, and we're doing part two of that message here this morning. 00:02:54.080 --> 00:03:02.479 And so if you missed last week, I apologize because we're gonna be referring back to a couple things that we explained a little bit more thoroughly, but I'm gonna try and provide some on-ramps. 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:07.520 So if you weren't here last week, that you'll be able to be able to follow along with our passage. 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:09.360 So today is part two. 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:12.000 Last week we covered a lot about Abraham. 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:23.919 We spoke a lot about him and what we see in Genesis and how he's referred to as the as Father Abraham, because from his seed the nation of Israel came into being. 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:27.360 And from his seed, the Messiah would come. 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:36.719 And through our faith in Jesus, since Jesus was from the seed of Abraham, we can call Abraham our father as well, even today. 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:44.479 And we really focused last week on how Abraham was credited with righteousness before he could do anything. 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:51.120 Before he could do anything that would even appear to be him doing something righteous on his own. 00:03:51.280 --> 00:03:56.319 And Paul makes the case that it was Abraham's faith that made him righteous. 00:03:56.639 --> 00:04:03.520 And now, in the exact same way, it is our faith in Jesus Christ that makes us righteous. 00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:07.599 It's by grace through faith that we are saved. 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:12.080 So let's pick up in verse 13, starting part two of this sermon. 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:22.480 It says, For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 00:04:22.720 --> 00:04:33.680 The reason that the promise to Abraham had to be through faith is because nobody can uphold the law and obey the fullness of the law on their own. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:40.079 Jesus was the only one in history that could do that, and he did exactly that. 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:43.439 He fulfilled the law for us. 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:47.920 And God knew this from day one of giving the law. 00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:53.680 His plan for righteousness was never through absolute adherence to the law. 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:58.160 You know, the law, it's like a mirror for self-examination for us. 00:04:58.480 --> 00:05:05.680 It reveals God's character, it reveals that what God sees to be best for us. 00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:07.920 That is why we were given the law. 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:10.959 But he knew it would not save anyone. 00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:20.000 It was always the plan for God that it was going to be through faith that God would credit righteousness to anybody. 00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:24.480 From the first seed of Israel in Abraham, that was the plan. 00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:26.000 Look at verse 14. 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:32.720 If those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made empty and the promise nullified. 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:35.360 Because the law produces wrath. 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:39.680 And where there is no law, there is no transgression. 00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:45.360 If the law could save us, if the law could make us errors, there would be no point in faith. 00:05:45.519 --> 00:05:50.399 There would be no point in trusting God, because that means that we could do it on our own. 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:52.560 We could attain salvation on our own. 00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:57.839 But Paul's asking, where would we be if we didn't have the law? 00:05:58.160 --> 00:06:00.720 So look at what he says in verse 15 once again. 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:03.120 The law produces wrath. 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:06.480 And where there is no law, there is no transgression. 00:06:06.639 --> 00:06:10.720 You know, at first read you think, no law, no transgression. 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:13.920 Then why did God give us the law in the first place? 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:22.000 If it produces wrath and having the law leads to transgressions against the law, then why have it in the first place? 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:26.879 So I want to give you an example to help us kind of understand this in a modern-day context. 00:06:27.199 --> 00:06:33.120 Say a family's going camping, and they're going to be camping next to a fast-flowing river. 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:39.519 Right when they get there, the parents tell their seven-year-old son, come down to the river with me. 00:06:39.839 --> 00:06:51.040 And so they go down to the bank of the river in this sand and they draw a long line all the way across the sand of the shore, 10 feet away from the water. 00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:58.879 And they tell their son, you can play in the sand all that you want while you're here, but do not cross that line. 00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:04.480 If you cross that line, you can't play in the sand for the rest of our trip. 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:12.639 The kid understands, he tells the parents that he understands, he understands this rule that he's been given, this law that he's been given by his parents. 00:07:12.959 --> 00:07:20.879 So the next day, the mom and dad, they're making breakfast and they look down by the bank, and their seven-year-old son is ankle deep in the river. 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:34.800 They run down, and just as he steps in a hole in the river, the mom reaches out her hand and the son reaches out and grabs onto that hand, and she pulls him to the shore for safety. 00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:37.600 The mom shook to the core. 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:45.199 She carries him back to the campsite and lets him know that he can no longer play in the sand at all for the rest of the trip. 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:49.519 Tells him he has to stay right around the tent for the rest of the trip. 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:54.480 The kid cries, he throws a fit, he thinks his parents are just the worst. 00:07:55.439 --> 00:08:00.720 And the kid has a horrible attitude toward his parents for the rest of the trip. 00:08:01.279 --> 00:08:07.279 He makes life as miserable as possible for everyone that's on that trip. 00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:09.199 Now, here's the question. 00:08:09.439 --> 00:08:13.680 Why did the parents give that law, give that rule in the first place? 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:19.199 Because they didn't want him to get swept away in the river and drown, right? 00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:23.040 Next question is, why did they enforce it? 00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:27.519 They enforced it because they love that kid. 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:32.639 They don't want to lose him, and they couldn't trust that kid in the water. 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:38.639 But I think we could look at this from a different angle, couldn't we? 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:44.960 If the parent didn't draw that line in the sand, then everybody would be happy, wouldn't they? 00:08:45.759 --> 00:08:48.480 They wouldn't have to discipline their child. 00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:51.120 He would have been in a better mood. 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:57.120 The camping trip could have been so much more pleasant for everyone if they just didn't make that rule. 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:04.639 I mean, really, that law just provoked wrath from that child, didn't it? 00:09:04.879 --> 00:09:12.879 If they didn't draw that line in the sand, the kid wouldn't have gotten in trouble and could have kept playing on the beach, and everybody would be happier. 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:26.799 You know, everybody may have been happier for a time, but with no law and no consequences, that kid would have been right back in the water, and maybe his mom wasn't there the next time that he needed to be grabbed. 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:29.200 So look at verse 15 again. 00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:36.480 Because the law produces wrath, and where there is no law, there's no transgression. 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:40.159 So no transgressions doesn't equal good. 00:09:40.480 --> 00:09:41.919 I want to make sure we understand that. 00:09:42.080 --> 00:09:44.720 No transgressions does not mean it's good. 00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:51.840 No law and no transgressions means we're getting swept away into something that's gonna lead to death. 00:09:52.159 --> 00:09:56.639 The law just points out, hey, that's going to lead to death. 00:09:56.799 --> 00:09:58.720 You shouldn't cross that line. 00:09:59.039 --> 00:10:04.720 God says, here's the law, so that you know what rivers to stay away from. 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:07.759 That's why he's giving us the law. 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:11.600 And God tells us, you know, that river's better to stay away from. 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:18.399 Actually, you should probably stay 10 feet away from that river because it's so dangerous to your life. 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:23.279 But God knows that we can't stay away from the river, doesn't he? 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:25.279 He knows us too well. 00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:30.080 He knows that we'll cross that line and that we'll put our toes in the water. 00:10:30.960 --> 00:10:35.360 I mean, no one ever gets swept away by just putting their toes in the water, right? 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:37.759 But it's really hot. 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:43.759 So we think, well, I'll just go ankle deep into this dangerous river. 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:45.519 You know, it's it's really hot. 00:10:45.600 --> 00:10:47.679 I'm just gonna go to my knees. 00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:53.679 But then we step in a hole, and before we know it, we're swept away in whatever sin that might be. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:11:08.399 So in his grace, when we just can't help but step into that river, because of our belief in him, he extends his hand to us, and all we have to do is reach back out and grab hold of it, and he'll pull us back to safety. 00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:12.000 And then God looks at us and says, I forgive you. 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:18.399 But God also, just like the parents in the story, he disciplines the ones that he loves. 00:11:18.559 --> 00:11:27.039 Proverbs 3, verses 11 through 12 says, Do not despise the Lord's instruction, my son, and do not loathe his discipline. 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:35.440 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights. 00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:44.320 Just because God rescues us from our sin, it doesn't mean that we won't have consequences, that we won't have discipline that come from him. 00:11:44.720 --> 00:11:50.399 It's because he loves us too much to let us keep going back to that river. 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:57.279 But he is faithful to rescue us if our faith is found in Jesus Christ. 00:11:57.519 --> 00:11:59.440 Look at verse 16 with me. 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:15.360 This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace to guarantee it to all the descendants, not only to the one who is of the law, but also to the one who is of Abraham's faith. 00:12:15.679 --> 00:12:18.000 He is the Father of us all. 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:22.240 So the new covenant through Jesus is a covenant of grace. 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:29.679 It's by grace through faith that we enter into it, getting something that we don't deserve. 00:12:29.919 --> 00:12:38.240 And that something that we don't deserve is salvation, is forgiveness of sins that only comes through Jesus Christ. 00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:46.240 Yet we find ourselves so often still trying to earn grace from God, still trying to earn it from Him. 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:48.960 Have you ever seen a tandem bicycle? 00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:57.120 You know, where it's the two riders, there's a one long chain, there's the two sets of pedals all going back to that back tire. 00:12:57.360 --> 00:13:00.960 Faith and grace are like two riders on a tandem bicycle. 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:04.879 They're working together, they're going in the same direction. 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:15.039 If you try to put grace and works on that same bicycle, works turns around and starts pedaling the opposite direction. 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:18.000 And you end up going nowhere. 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:21.759 Because works doesn't help grace. 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:26.559 We don't earn more grace by having more works. 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:30.720 God's grace is sufficient all by itself. 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:37.679 When we put works on the bike with us, it accomplishes the opposite of what we think it's going to do. 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:43.759 We start experiencing less grace because we start to believe that we have to earn it. 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:55.200 The only time that works are good in a believer's life is when we do them out of love for Jesus and not out of any ulterior motives. 00:13:55.519 --> 00:14:02.799 Just because we love God and we love others, that's why we should have works in our life. 00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:11.519 And that's why we want to see God's kingdom advanced, because we can't imagine somebody living without God in their life. 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:18.639 You know, we mentioned last week, and uh we'll mention it again here this morning, Ephesians 2, verses 8 through 9. 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:24.159 And that's where it says, For you are saved by grace through faith. 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:32.399 And this is not from yourselves, it is God's gift, not from works, so that no one can boast. 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:43.200 And what Paul is saying here in verse 16 in our passage this morning is that this new covenant is offered equally to Jews and to Gentiles. 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:48.240 Abraham is the father of us all that believe. 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:51.519 That's why we're called believers as Christians. 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:55.600 We're called believers because of that faith, just like Abraham had. 00:14:55.840 --> 00:15:04.480 We have the same belief and confidence in who God is and that what he will, that he will do what he says he will do. 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:07.120 And that theme continues in verse 17. 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:08.639 So let's look at that together. 00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:22.480 As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations, in the presence of the God in whom he believed, the one who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist. 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:28.080 So in Psalm 33, it talks a lot about God creating everything. 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:36.320 And in verse 9, specifically of Psalm 33, it says, For he, referring to God, spoke and it came into being. 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:40.320 He commanded and it came into existence. 00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:48.559 And I think what Paul is getting at in verse 17 is that our works and our trespasses are dead in the law. 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:53.200 Because Ephesians 2.1 tells us that we were dead in our trespasses and sins. 00:15:53.360 --> 00:16:06.960 And Ephesians 2.4 says, but God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ, even though we were dead in trespasses. 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:09.279 So that's where we were. 00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:11.279 And God called to life. 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:17.440 He called into existence righteousness that we did not have previously. 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:24.240 If God can speak creation into existence, he can speak righteousness into our lives. 00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:32.240 He can speak righteousness and credit it to our account as if it was our own, as a free gift. 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:35.200 And we don't have to question if it's enough. 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:37.360 Do we have enough from God? 00:16:37.600 --> 00:16:41.600 We don't have to earn more grace than he's already given. 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:45.039 We don't have to earn any part of our salvation. 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:47.360 It's a free gift from God. 00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:52.480 We just need to believe and have faith, just like Abraham had. 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:54.320 Verse 18. 00:16:55.200 --> 00:17:00.480 He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations. 00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:05.359 According to what had been spoken, so will your descendants be. 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:15.279 So even though there was no reason for Abraham to hope for a child before this promise from God, and we're going to see a little bit more about that in verse 19. 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:20.720 He had no reason to hope because of his physical age and the age of his wife Sarah. 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:23.839 They were well beyond childbearing years. 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:29.680 There was no reason for hope, yet he had hope in what God told him. 00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:34.559 And he believed that he would be the father of many nations. 00:17:34.799 --> 00:17:36.400 Like we see in verse 19. 00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:47.359 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body to be already dead, since he was about a hundred years old, and also the deadness of Sarah's womb. 00:17:47.599 --> 00:18:01.839 He did not waver in unbelief at God's promise, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God because he was fully convinced that what God had promised, he was also able to do. 00:18:28.400 --> 00:18:31.920 This is the faith that we've been talking about the past couple weeks. 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:34.799 Faith that God can do the impossible. 00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:40.960 And when God says he's going to do the impossible, it says Abraham believed him fully. 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:45.599 Can't believe him fully if there's any doubt that's creeping in, can you? 00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:51.200 This makes me think of a similar but different scenario that we see in Scripture. 00:18:51.359 --> 00:18:52.480 With Zechariah. 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:59.039 Zechariah was visited by the angel Gabriel while he was doing his priestly duty in Luke chapter 1. 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:04.799 Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were also advanced in age, well along in years. 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:06.880 They were past their childbearing years. 00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:14.319 And Gabriel tells him, Zechariah, the angel Gabriel says that they will have a son, referring to John the Baptist. 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:21.200 And Zechariah questions how it would be possible since he and his wife were so advanced in age. 00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:27.599 Gabriel tells him, Since you doubted, you're going to be mute until your son is born. 00:19:27.920 --> 00:19:32.880 But can you see the contrast there between Zechariah and Abraham? 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:37.839 Zechariah couldn't see past the physical barrier that was before God. 00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:43.920 Abraham knew he was worshiping a God that spoke all things into existence. 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:48.640 He knew he was worshiping the God that has no physical barriers. 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:50.960 Look at verse 21 again. 00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:58.720 He was fully convinced that what God had promised, he was also able to do. 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:00.559 Fully convinced. 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:04.960 Not somewhat convinced, not pretty sure that he thought maybe God could do it. 00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:13.519 He was fully convinced that God was able to come through on his promise, even though conventional wisdom said, There's no way. 00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:18.240 Even though his wife Sarah laughed when she heard about it. 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:33.200 Even with all of that, Abraham was fully convinced, and his faith didn't weaken or waver. 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:36.640 No wonder Abraham's known for his faith, right? 00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:42.240 And verse 22 says, Therefore, it was credited to him for righteousness. 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:57.279 His proper perspective of the God that he was worshiping, his trust and his submission to God, that is what was credited to him for righteousness. 00:20:57.599 --> 00:20:58.720 Verse 23. 00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:05.680 Now it was credited to him, was not written for Abraham alone, but also for us. 00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:11.359 It will be credited to us who believe in him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead. 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:18.720 Righteousness will be credited to us as believers in him who raised Jesus. 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:21.839 Our Lord from the dead. 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:23.200 Verse 25. 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:28.480 He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. 00:21:29.119 --> 00:21:30.160 He was delivered. 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:31.279 He was handed over. 00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:33.839 Jesus was handed over to the authorities. 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:38.720 For God so loved the world, he gave his only son. 00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:40.400 The Father gave. 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:42.240 And Jesus gave himself. 00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:43.599 He didn't resist. 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:47.200 He went to the cross willfully in our place. 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:52.240 He was delivered up for our trespasses, for our sins. 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:56.000 He became our substitutionary atonement. 00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:58.640 Jesus paying for our offenses. 00:21:58.880 --> 00:21:59.680 And he rose again. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.119 For our justification. 00:22:01.279 --> 00:22:07.680 Justification being the act of God declaring men free from guilt and acceptable to Him. 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:11.200 You know, I think it's important to distinguish something here. 00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:28.880 When we say believe in Jesus, it doesn't just mean that we believe that He was a real person 2,000 years ago, which we should, or that He actually still exists in heaven, which we also should, or even that He's God, all of which those things are true and we should believe. 00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:49.759 But when we talk about believing in Jesus, we're talking about belief that through his work on the cross and being raised from the grave, that God is pleased with that sacrifice and will credit righteousness to our account because of the works of Jesus and not because of our own works. 00:22:50.079 --> 00:22:53.279 That's the belief that we're talking about. 00:22:53.680 --> 00:22:59.039 That what he said he has done through Jesus, he has actually done. 00:22:59.279 --> 00:23:05.759 And belief that our salvation is through Jesus and that our sins are forgiven. 00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:09.680 That's what we're talking about when we're talking about faith in Jesus Christ. 00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:17.200 And I want to encourage you, if you've never come to that place of faith in your life, today is the day. 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:29.920 All you need to do is confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Christ, that he is the Lord, that he did all of those things that he said he has done. 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:31.359 And you're saved. 00:23:32.160 --> 00:23:34.319 You're adopted into the family of God. 00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:38.319 And you can do that sitting exactly right where you are right now. 00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:44.400 And if you do, I just encourage you after the service to come up and tell me so I can give you some next steps. 00:23:44.480 --> 00:23:47.440 I'd love to pray with you and get to know you a little bit better. 00:23:47.680 --> 00:23:48.640 Let's pray together. 00:23:50.079 --> 00:24:02.160 Jesus, we as we look at all that you did for us, Lord, it it should just blow our minds to think about that. 00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:05.680 That there's nothing we can do to earn more grace. 00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:08.160 There's nothing we can do to earn our salvation. 00:24:08.319 --> 00:24:10.079 It's all been done. 00:24:11.039 --> 00:24:22.160 So, Lord, I pray that all of our works, everything that we do for you, that we do for your kingdom, would come from a place of a pure heart and a desire of doing those things because we love you so much. 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:26.240 Because we want to see your kingdom built up and expanded. 00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:31.839 Because we love people too much to watch them walk down a road of destruction. 00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:40.160 We love people too much to see them just being caught in the rivers of sin and being pulled away and drowning in those. 00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:43.119 Lord, we know that you are the rescuer. 00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:45.200 You can rescue us from ourselves. 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:46.799 And you've already done the work. 00:24:46.960 --> 00:24:49.359 Jesus has already paid the price on the cross. 00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:57.680 So, Lord, I pray that you would use us to do good works, not because we think we're earning anything, but just because we love you so much. 00:24:58.000 --> 00:25:01.359 We thank you so much for the free gift of salvation. 00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:02.240 Free to us. 00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:04.319 Jesus, you paid everything. 00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:15.759 We thank you that you've made it so easy, so easy that sometimes we can't comprehend it, or we think that we're doing something wrong because you've made it so clear and so easy. 00:25:17.279 --> 00:25:23.440 Lord, we we put our faith in you, we put our trust in you, and we thank you for the free gift of Jesus Christ.