Rescued From The Folly Of Self-Salvation Part 2

The best we can do. Never please God sees every human goodness as filthy rags paired his own righteousness. That's why the gospel confers his own righteousness.

Those who believe in his son.

That's truly amazing Grace from the Moody Church in Chicago this running to win when who's clear teaching helps us make it across master loser. It seems we can't appreciate amazing grace.

Until we understand how loss we really are. One day you're absolutely right, and one of the reasons that we don't appreciate races because we don't understand or we don't believe in the doctrine of hell.

We forget what it is that God has saved us from we been saved from his wrath. Let me make a suggestion as we go through the book of Romans. In this series of messages. What about reading through the book of Romans once every week. I have a friend who did that and he let the book of Romans as where permeate his mind and his soul.

You know, if you do that, you'll discover a much greater appreciation for the doctrine of salvation and the wonder of God's grace.

Now these messages can be yours for a gift of any amount here is what you do go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337.

You might want to go, then back to the beginning.

Listening to this series of messages and keep reading the book of Romans, so that you and I understand the gospel of salvation much better. Now let's open the Scriptures and let us understand our misery and God's grace. Years ago I read a book entitled, the day America had told the truth. Now this was years ago, so I might be wrong on some things, but if I remember correctly about 50% of the people interviewed said that they lie at least once a day at least once a day, some multiple times that day and I was surprised at the number of people who would do despicable things. If you could absolutely guarantee that they would never be found out and even such things as what they'd be willing to do for $10 million. I think it was about 7% who said that they leave their wife and their family for $10 million and on and on it goes. And you look at that, the day America told the truth and you say to yourself while of course there's an interesting philosophical puzzle. I was going to comment on. But since I have your attention, I will if somebody tells you that he's a liar. Can you believe him and I says thrown out there.

Paul has an interesting comment in the New Testament. He says all Christians are liars and he said the reason I know that is because accretion told me have always been interested in. Can you believe accretion if he tells you that all creations are liars set that aside, folks, let's get back to the text.

All right, so you'll notice that tab.

That is the way it is.

I like the prayer that was prayed by Fred Holloman, chaplain of the Senate in Kansas when you love to pray this in the US Congress, omniscient father, help us to know who's telling the truth one side tells us one thing the other side just the opposite. And if neither side is telling the truth. We'd like to know that to and if each side is telling only half the truth. Give us the wisdom to put the right halves together, great prayer) there is none that does good. All right, so he talks about our speech and then he says their feet are swift to shed blood. That's verse 15 it means that they very easily resort to violence, they resort to violence and endo- retaliation.

Everything has to be retaliated.

There can be no injustice and you did this to me and I'll do that to you. Always violence and retaliation in their paths are ruin and misery the way of shalom the way of peace they have not known. So that shows us where their feet take them what their mouths say and then what their mind thinks there is no fear of God before their eyes just as last week someone was telling me about somebody who is unrelated to Moody Church, though undoubtedly stories like this happened about a man who leaves his marriage for a younger woman. And then what he does is he steals money from his wife and children in order to finance this new liaison and what makes it worse is he claims to be a Christian and someone says where is the fear of God. There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Nobody is scared of God anymore. The Bible says in the book of Ecclesiastes, because God does not requite justice immediately. People think it's safe to do wrong. So there many people today who think that it is perfectly safe to defy God. No wonder the apostle Paul comes to the conclusion and you'll notice he says now we're in a courtroom scene verse 19 of chapter 3.

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be accountable or guilty before God had people say to me, while you know when I stand before God on to give them a piece of my mind when you're at the great white throne judgment and I hope you won't be there.

I hope that rather you'll be at the judgment of the church which is the judgment seat of Christ were believers are two totally different judgments separated by great period of time, but here there at the great white throne judgment and God presents before you your whole life in the presence of his holiness. Your mouth will be stopped and you'll have absolutely nothing to say nothing that young man on a plane one time, to whom I was trying to witness sitting next to me when I was telling him why he needed a Savior said, quote I am willing to stand before God on the basis of my own record while his mouth will be stopped and you'll know that he's totally guilty before God.

Now what Paul is saying is we are equally guilty all yes I know your branches so much straighter than somebody else's. I know that you're saying I would never do what so-and-so did. I understand that but you and I remember we are a branch of a tree that is under the judgment of God in a tree filled with sinners and there we are, and we may justify ourselves in 100 different ways but in the presence of God or Miles or stopped and we are equally guilty before God. Of course it's much better to live as a good citizen than a bad one than to commit crimes at the end of the day whole part were all part of this thing called sin and therefore we are equally guilty. We are equally helpless and dad equally dead in trespasses and sins, and you know let's just remember, it's not harder for God to raise one corpse than another.

You can actually find this on the Internet man by the name of Jeremy Bentham who died in the early 1800s was a great utilitarian have a lot of money. He willed it to the college in England, the University College. I believe it was under one condition that at every board meeting his body which would be, what shall we say at remade and what is it that they do when they take a body on ball net that's the word I was looking for his body would be properly involved, put in the case and then wheeled out for the board meetings for as long as the University Hospital continues and then the chairman used to say Jeremy Bentham is present but is not boating and you and I were present, but were not boating. We are dead in trespasses and sins.

Now we come to grace I promised you that this message would and with optimism and joy.

But I want you to think through this now when it comes to grace and why it is amazing. It's because when God decided to save us. He knew that he could not use anything that human beings would do to be a part of the salvation process because everything that you and I do is tainted. So what God decided to do is to take all human goodness. All of the things that you do that you think are so wonderful and he put them on a shelf and on that shelf.

He put a label that said on suitable for use it all had to be under the label of unsuitable and God says I am going to institute a salvation that is going to be totally independent of all of the fallenness of human nature, and if I'm going to do it and that's why the Bible says salvation is of the Lord God says if I am going to do it. I'm not have to do this alone, and I'm going to have to provide a way by which righteousness is going to come to human being in this righteousness obviously has to be a free gift because because the righteousness that I'm demanding is the kind that no human being has just like you can take a million bananas then keep adding them, then add to a billion bananas and never get an orange in the very same way all the human goodness that is ever been done on this planet from the beginning of time until today cannot change God's mind regarding as singles sinner, not hearing many a man's I am I alone up here now it's all right that's all right, so God says salvation is going to be of the Lord.

Furthermore, God says when I provide salvation, and that was provided through his son the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross and made a sacrifice for sinners. God says when I provide salvation. It's going to have to apply to any branch on the tree that wants to receive it. So the issue of salvation is not the extent of your sin even though it would be better if you lived is a relatively good person then bad person.

That's true, but it's not as if it's not as if God can save one center over against another. All have to be raised. All have to be sought in the graveyard of our spiritual death, and therefore God says that this grace needs to be applicable to anyone who receives it.

That's important because I have no doubt that I'm speaking to people today who think that they have sinned to greatly to be forgiven by God, I wouldn't doubt but that I'm speaking to people who have some very terrible things in their back down crimes and what have you. I remember speaking to a man who was dying and I didn't understand why he always said I I can't believe I can't believe until I I discovered just before his death that he had been guilty of murder and in this sense of condemnation on his conscience made him think that Shirley God is so mad at me. I can't be saved.

But the good news of the gospel as if God is seeking you.

If God is come to find you no matter where he finds you he is able to bring you to himself because the Scripture says he is able to save on to the uttermost onto the uttermost those who call on to God by him.

It is really true, as there is a song that we sometimes saying that the vilest of sinners who truly believes that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

That is the good news of the Goss.

Now I want to conclude by clarifying something there some people and you'd find them all throughout Chicagoland who believe in grace but they don't believe in amazing grace, so they believe in a kind of grace and believe that God gives them the ability to do good works by which they are saved so they believe in the kind of grace that says oh I'm doing good and my work, save me, but it is really, by the grace of God that I can do these good works that kind of grace can never possibly save you. Let me illustrate it from the parable that Jesus told he told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt. He said two men went into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The Pharisees standing by himself prayed thus, I think you go that I'm not like other men who are extortioners, unjust, adulterers even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes to all of all that I get all right. Does he believe in grace yeah kind grace. Remember this.

He is thinking God that he is not like other sure I am the kind you gives ties. I do all these right things and that ought to save me but really I know that it's by God's grace that I do these wonderful things. That's why I'm thanking God. Well, you know the rest of the story, don't you, there's a tax collector, standing in the same Temple, but he stood afar off, he would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast same God. God be merciful to me a sinner.

She brought nothing to the table except his great need be understood that if he was to be saved. It could have nothing to do with good works, of which he had few that this was not an issue of works. This was an issue of undeserved and matchless grace, God would have to do it all in. Jesus added this commentary.

I tell you that this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted and that is why grace is so amazing. It is because God does what we can and I say to you today. No matter how you are listening to this message. Whether here at the Moody church, or by some other means. The Internet radio whatever remember this, that if you believe in Jesus. If God is drawing you took Christ come to him receive his grace because in you and in me inherently.

There dwells no good thing. It is only by God's direct intervention that we can have eternal life.

Now what hinders you from coming to Christ today. What is the intellectual barrier the moral barrier. I urge you today to see Christ as the answer and to say with a tax collector. God be merciful word is propitiated. God be merciful to me, the sinner, and you will be saved and rescued out of the nothingness of our own paltry works that is the good news of the gospel and God brought you here today so that you might hear it. By the way so that you might recognize that it is through his grace that fallen human nature can be saved come to Christ.

Even as I pray now would you bow your head wherever you are, as we conclude today in prayer and if God is talk to you.

Yes, it is possible for you to receive Christ. Even where you are seated to say Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I now understand that my works can have no part in my salvation.

I confess that, and based purely upon your mercy and grace I receive your forgiveness and your reconciliation God be merciful to me, the center, you pray that prayer father. We want to thank you today for the cross of Jesus Christ.

The changes everything. We thank you that even as we sing about the cross we delight in the salvation that you came to give us may are singing be an act of worship. And for those who are receiving Christ as Savior, wherever they may be bring them to full assurance of faith, we ask in Jesus name, my friend.

If you never saving really believed on Jesus and do it now, you may be driving a car.

I hope that you can stop somewhere and take time to pray to repent and to receive, you may be in an office. Perhaps you are at home wherever you are. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit of God calling you, calling you to God thanks to Jesus at the beginning of this broadcast. I suggested that you read the book of Romans. Along with this series of messages. Try to read through the book of Romans. Every single week and as you listen to these messages let them be burned into your heart and into your soul for a gift of any amount. These messages can be yours. Here is what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 let the book of Romans be transforming in your life so that you are better prepared to share the good news of the gospel with others.

I think these messages will help.

Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and let me thank you in advance for your gifts because together we are making a difference for the good news of the gospel is time once again for you to ask Pastor look certain question about the Bible or the Christian life. Martin Luther was a famous reformer and a major factor in the Protestant split from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1500s. His translation of the Bible into German contains a verse in which he chose to add a word not found in the original text. Fred is written to us asking about that verse please comment on Martin Luther's adding the word only to Romans 328, which reads, for we hold that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

This addition angered Luther's enemies into them. He said please do not give these donkeys any other answers of their useless bring about the word soul or alone than simply this. Luther will have it so and he says that he is a doctor above all the doctors of the Pope. Let it rest there. Dr. lutes or Fred thank you so much for your question. You know I have more than simply a passing interest in Martin Luther. It's been my privilege to lead tours to the sites of the Reformation at actually lecture at all the major Luther sites even though I am not Lutheran. In many respects. I admire him now whether or not he should have added this word only to the text of Scripture. I don't think he should have. But I do believe that it is implied in the text. You'll notice that it says a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

So Luther was saying by faith alone, and he added that word. That of course is the sense of Scripture, but I don't think it was wise for him to add that word. It is already implied in the text as to his comments.

For those who criticized him. Luther was a very brash man and he loved to say things that irritated people and when he says, for example, that he is a doctor above all the doctors of the Pope. He is speaking with a sense of sarcasm and irony, but to love him or hate him Luther cannot be ignored. Historically, because of his huge impact in Europe and we are still affected by the Protestant split from Rome way back in the 1500s. Thanks for your question Luther, of course, was a man of clay, many faults, but also mightily used of God. God bless you. Thanks for writing to us. Fred, thank you Fred and thank you Dr. lutes. Or if you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or Wallace 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 Romans we learn that God furthers the righteousness of Jesus on those who believe next time don't miss rescued God's righteous wrath. This is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the teacher