For a Thousand Tongues to Sing. Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing My great Redeemer's praise My gracious Master and my God, assist me to proclaim, to spread through all the earth that charms our fears, that glints our sorrow's seas. Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music in the sands, Tis music His blood can make a fowler's crown. He is Lord of all. Amen. Then we're going to do a newer psalter we've done before, but it's Psalm 119G, if you'd like to follow along in there. But it's to the tune of Come Thou Fount. Unto Thee, the Lord, we beseech Thee. I hope Thy will is my comfort and affliction, that Thy promise may And we're doing hymn number 132, Power in the Blood. There's a wonderful power in the blood. There's a wonderful power in the blood. There is power, power, wonder, wonder in the blood of the lamb. There is power, power, wonder working in the blood of the lamb. There is power, power, wonder working. There's power in the blood, power in the blood. How great thou art, number 10. How great thou art, number 10. When I in awesome wonder Consider all the worlds I hear today I see the stars I hear the rolling thunder I fly through all the universes cold How great Thou art. How great Thou art. How great Thou art. How great Thou art. How great Thou art. ♪ From lofty mountain where I grew ♪ ♪ And near the pool and feel the dew to fall ♪ ♪ And sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee ♪ ♪ How great Thou art, how great Thou art ♪ How great Thou art, how great Thou art. And when I knew that God is a not true King, sent Him to call my spirit still. How great Thou art. How great Thou art. Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee. How great Thou art. How great Thou art. Wish out of lack of hope, son, and take me home. My Saviour God, to Thee How great Thou art How great Thou art Then sings my soul My Saviour God, to Thee How great Thou art How great Thou art How great Thou art! How great Thou art! Amen. How great He is. Amen. Reading from the word of our Lord, Romans chapter 4, beginning in verse 9. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also? For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? When he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision. but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed unto them also. And the father of circumcision, to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had been yet uncircumcised. For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect, because the law worketh wrath, for no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace To the end, the promise might be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before him whom we believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Let us pray. Father, again, we come before you and we praise your holy name. and we thank you for all your many blessings. And we thank you for your word. Father, I pray now be with the preacher and teacher now as he expounds this word unto us, Lord. Let him cut it to the quick, as we say. May you be glorified through it. May you give us ears to hear that all your people here, Lord, will be, will learn will be taught and edified, and in the end, that you be glorified, in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, good to be gathered together as we say every Lord's Day, amen. Good for the people of God to be gathered together, not only in this fellowship, but in many Bible-believing fellowships across America as we say today. Well, brethren, again, by God's good pleasure and by his providence, we find ourselves again this morning spiritually resting in Romans chapter 4. That's going to be the theme, the thought this morning that we are spiritually resting together. We are resting in the immutable truth. that we've been hearing, that Paul has been preaching, amen? That one's justification before God cannot be earned or obtained by any amount of our religious works. We remember last Lord's Day morning, brother, don't we, by way of just remembrance, that the Apostle Paul called up Father Abraham to verify God's message, if you will, that salvation is by grace through faith alone. You remember, he appealed to a passage of scripture that was written 2,000 years before the book of Romans to verify this as he was speaking and teaching to these Jewish men and women. In fact, it simply just states that Abraham believed God, and it was what? Credited unto him for righteousness. And so, it was counted unto him for rights. In other words, as we looked last week, It was by faith that God put his own righteousness in Abraham's account. And so again, Abraham is resting not in his work, but in the work of God that God has credited to his account. Well, then he showed us, didn't he? Again, using and calling up not just father Abraham, but he called up King David. And again, as we know, right, what is the Bible, the Bible described David, he was a man after God's own heart. And so again, they're reaching back, going back into scripture again, to show that what was true of Father Abraham was also true of King David that He was not saved by any works. In fact, you remember what he said. He appealed there, and he said this. The sweet psalmist, if you will, sang, as I said, the same song of God's grace. He said this, blessed is the one to whom God imputeth. unto whom God imputeth, into whose account God puts his own righteousness apart from work. So again, he's addressing the idea that we address today, still even today, that has been one of those satanic dupes, if you will, all throughout Christianity and all throughout time, actually, that one can work and merit and merit their way to God. It's an amazing, stunning thing that will never end. It just keeps going on and on and on. That's why Paul, again, is addressing this to these Jewish Brethren, if you will. So, brethren, this morning, if you're saved, amen, we are indeed, as I said, we're resting spiritually. Think of this with Father Abraham and King David. We're resting spiritually in the work that God has done for us. And so that's why I said we're resting by his providence in this glorious work and in this text. Now, just as Paul did at the beginning of chapter four, amen, with the Holy Ghost-prompted question, he asked this, what shall we say then that Abraham, our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? So too does he this morning in our text begin our text with another series of glorious questions, ones that are, again, prompted, obviously, by the Holy Ghost of God to make them think about what Paul is preaching and to make us think about our own relationship and where we're at with the Lord Jesus Christ and what we're trusting in, amen? And so Paul says, look at verse number nine, as he asked this glorious inspired question, he says, Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. So again, he begins this glorious dissertation here in verse number nine with a inspired question. The Holy Ghost led him to write this, to ask this question, if you will, concerning this. Why would Paul do this? Again, we understand, brethren, don't we, that Paul understands who he's writing to, who he's speaking to here in this portion of the text. He knew it from his own Jewish upbringing. He knew it then from the subsequent, if you will, supernatural. Again, Paul understands that to understand what he's going to preach and what he's saying, It takes a supernatural work of Christ for one to understand that your works have nothing to do with it. Again, when did he see that? Because of his Jewish upbringing, he knew what he battled, and then his subsequent, if you will, meeting with the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. Amen. Because again, he was busy, as we saw, busy killing Christians, busy working his way, if you will, to God. So he knew this. He's just going to ask this question. In fact, He knew how ingrained the thought and understanding lurked in many of their minds and in their hearts concerning the role of circumcision and what God actually designed it to do and what God designed it for. And so he writes these or asks these questions, if you will. In fact, listen to what some of the rabbis wrote concerning this. This, again, this is why Paul, again, is led by the Spirit of God to ask this question. And again, it's really stunning from the Gentile mind. We don't quite understand what Paul's actually asking here, but we're going to find out. The Jew would have known specifically, and it would have blown their mind for Paul to say and ask this question. Listen to what one rabbi wrote. He said, our rabbis have said that no circumcised man will ever see hell. I mean, they were completely and totally encapsulated and trusting in their circumcision to keep them out of hell. Listen to what one other one wrote. Think of this for a moment, brethren. Again, this is why Paul is being led by the Spirit of God to ask him this question. So listen, was Abraham saved while he was circumcised or while he was uncircumcised? That's the question, amen? And so these again, these Jewish men are going to be just blown away by what Paul is simply saying. So what does Paul do? He turns again to Father Abraham, doesn't he? To show them that this is not, never has been, nor ever will be, nor can be the case. He said, again, come this blessedness, he asked. Literally, the saving of your soul. That's literally what he's talking about here. The word blessedness, that's what it means. Come this blessed event, only to the circumcision, but not also to the uncircumcision. Well, again, we know what the blessedness is. It's the saving one's soul. You see that in verse 6, right? Just go up there. Even as David also described with the blessedness of the man. There he is again. What is he saying? Well, it's salvation. The blessedness is salvation that God puts into your account and saves you apart from what you're doing, from your works. Amen? He says it in verse 7. Look at verse 7 there. He says, saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered. So again, the blessedness has to do with the saving of the soul. and what constitutes that saving of the soul. He says it again there, again, as we've seen, look at verse 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. So again, he's totally and completely trusting in what God has done versus what Abraham did. Amen. This is the idea. This is what he's trying to say over and over again. It's God's righteousness reckoned, imputed, credited, Paul asks, to the accounts of the believing Jews only. Then, brethren, the Holy Ghost, leads Paul in verse 10 to go to a place and to ask another question. Amen? That would absolutely shock and stun when the realization, if you will, and begs an answer from these Jews that they could have never dreamed of. They could have never thought it in a million years. Look there at verse number 10. If you would look what he asks again. Look at verse number 10. How was it then reckoned when he was in Circumcision or in uncircumcision, amen? No, no, not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision, brethren. Again, we with our little Western minds, our Christian minds really would have a hard time understanding what Paul has just told them. Again, they're basing their whole faith or their whole salvation on what? On their circumcision, which is an amazing thing. It's an amazing thing when you consider this. We don't, again, don't realize what Paul has just told them. He has told them, listen, brethren, again, what are they trusting in completely and totally? In their what? In their circumcision for salvation. What did Paul just say to them? What did he just say when he asked that question? It's an amazing thing when you consider it. Well, he's just told them that Father Abraham was justified, brethren. He was justified by his faith while still standing on Gentile ground. You realize and understand what that means to them. When he says, no, he was saved before he was circumcised. Well, what do the Jews call the uncircumcised? They're Gentiles. And Paul is simply saying, hey, Father Abraham, the one that you're trusting in, the circumcision that you're trusting in, he was saved long before he ever stood on any Jewish ground through circumcision. He was indeed standing on Gentile ground when he was saved by faith. It's an amazing thing when you consider that. when you consider what this means to them and what it would have meant to them. Again, trusting wholly, thinking about what their rabbis were writing, Abraham would never let a circumcised Israel go into hell. It just wouldn't happen. He's standing at the gate. He would never let that happen. Paul says, wait a minute. Abraham was saved before while he was still on Gentile ground. What are you talking about? It's an amazing thing when you consider that. In fact, look at verse 11, look what he says, Romans chapter four, look what he says there in verse 11. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith, which he had yet being uncircumcised. Again, he was already saved by faith while he was still standing on Gentile ground. What are you talking about? That he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed unto them also. So again, Paul is laying out the gospel here. Again, he's laying out God's sovereign monergistic work in the salvation of all people, Jews, Gentiles, everyone that's to come. Now, I want you to just if you would, follow me along in a little math class this morning, amen? I want you to see this, again, as he is talking about Abraham was saved while still standing on Gentile ground. Turn with me to Genesis chapter 17. I want you to see this again, brethren, as we consider what Paul has just said. And again, what is Paul doing when he refers back to Genesis chapter 17, when he refers back to Genesis chapter 15? What is he doing? He's referring back, what, to their own inspired history. So in other words, the Jews can't stand there and deny, no, no, Abraham was saved after he was circumcised. No, no, they can't because they're referring back to the Torah. He's going back to what they believe to be the word of God, the infallible word of God. He's using their own history. to teach them here the importance of how Abraham was saved and every other person that's ever been saved was never ever again by works. And again, we see this. Look here at Genesis, if you would, chapter 17. We're going to go back a little bit just in history here. And I want you to take note just again. Help me with my math this morning. I sat all week long in my office with my shoes off, counting with my fingers and that, trying to make sure that I had this right. Amen? Genesis chapter 17. Look at verse number one. And when Abraham was what? 90 years old and nine. So Abraham is 99 years old right here. This is where, of course, he receives what? The sign of circumcision. This is what Paul's talking about. He was saved before he received the sign of circumcision. Well, he's 99 years old here. Go along there. Look, Ishmael is born. We understand this, right? Look at there, if you would. He changes Abram's name to Abraham, keeping the promise that he made. He's going to be a father of many nations. And then you get there, if you would, to verse number nine. Look what the Bible says there. So he's 99 years old. Look at what the Bible says. And God said unto Abraham, thou shalt keep my covenant, therefore, thou and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which he shall keep. between me and you and thy seed after thee. Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin. And it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you. And that he is, what, eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations. He that is born in thy house and bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. So again, we see here in Genesis chapter 17 that, again, Paul's referring back, as he refers back in the text, to the sign of circumcision. How old was Abraham when he got the sign of circumcision? He was, what, 99 years old. So the question becomes then, when in their own inspired history does the Bible say that Abraham was declared righteous? When was that? Well, we got to back up a little farther in time, brethren. We got to back up about 14 years. So back up with me again. We looked at it last week, but I want you to see this again. I want to just make sure my math is right here. Look at Genesis chapter 15. Look at verse number six there again. We looked at this last week. And the Bible says, and he believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for what? For righteousness. So again, Here we have Genesis 17. He was given the sign of circumcise. However, he was declared what? Righteous in chapter 15. Well, if you follow the history along, Abraham was about 85 years old here in Genesis chapter 15. He's about 85. And how do we know he's about 85? Because if you go ahead to chapter 16, again, we're just going to do a little bit of math here. Look at chapter 16. Look at verse number 15. The Bible says, and Hagar bare Abram a son. And Abram called his son's name, which Hagar bear Ishmael and Abraham was what four score and six years old. So he's 86 years old here. So Genesis 15 is a year before Genesis 16. So he's 85 years old. Amen. When was he declared righteous? When he was 85 years old. When did he get the sign of circumcision? When he was what? What did we say? 99 years old. So if I do my math right, That's 14 years before he ever received the sign of circumcision. He was declared saved and righteous before God. Amen. I mean, I think if I had that right. And again, Paul is taking the scriptures. He's calling on Holy Writ, and he's calling their attention back to Father Abraham. They're calling him back to the time in his life. Let's see, when was he declared righteous? Yeah, Genesis 15. When did he receive the sign? Oh yeah, Genesis 17. They can't deny it. because it is their inspired history and they would not deny it. So again, Paul here is doing what any good pastor should do. Again, I'm not a math major, never claimed to be one. However, I can do math. I know what 99 minus 86 is, and that's 14 years. It's an amazing thing, which tells me, again, that Father Abraham through his faith in God alone was declared righteous 14 years before he ever stepped on Jewish ground. Think of that for a moment. Again, this is what Paul is saying. He's dispelling all of their works, dispelling everything that they're trusting in. And again, this is theological. This is what Paul is addressing, a very deep theological thing here. Is it not the prefaces which all things turn? Is it not what divides one from heaven and hell? Whether one is saved by faith through grace alone or whether one thinks he's saved by his works? Of course, it is. It's foundational to all. Paul simply saying, hey, look, this is what we see in our own inspired history. Again, Paul knowing his own upbringing, understanding, the great need for the greatest miracle that there ever is or ever can be, and that is what? That is the saving of the soul by God himself. So we come here, right? He uses their history to teach this heart-cutting truth to those leaning on all their repose. of their religious works for righteousness before God. Now, Paul then goes on, doesn't he? Because they're talking about circumcision, they're leaning on their circumcision, they're trusting in their circumcision. So what does Paul do then? He gives us, in the text, a glorious definition, purpose, and means of God, what God meant, what he declared it to be, what circumcision really is. Now look there, if you would, Romans chapter 4. Again, we are blessed, as we always say, to be on this side of the cross, to have all 66 books in this canon of scripture. We have the, if you will, the inspired commentary. I mean, just think, brethren, again, can I say this, how blessed we are to have 105 Bibles in our basement, to have 105 Bibles in our house, in our car, Bibles everywhere, Bibles on our phones, all together. Look at that. What an amazing thing. Think of what that meant to the Jews, to those whom Paul is talking to. Again, think of this. We can't understand it. Hey, by the way, you who are trusting in circumcision, let me just say that Abraham was saved before I ever stood on Jewish ground. He's on Gentile ground when he's saved. Again, I cannot say that enough. Paul cannot emphasize this enough to them because it's so important. It goes to the heart of the very gospel itself. Look here, now Paul, again, we have a Holy Ghost-led definition, what God designed it actually for, and again, we are blessed to be on this side of the cross and be able to read this. Look at verse number 11 again. The Bible says, and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal, notice them two words, there's a sign and a what? And a seal. Those are definitionally defined by God. What's a sign and what's a seal? This is the purpose and the means of circumcision. It was never to save you. It was indeed God's purpose to have a sign and a seal on his people. And we're going to look at that. Look what he says. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith, which he had yet being, what? Uncircumcised. He was still on Gentile ground, but his faith is what saved him. That he might be the father of all them that, what? That are circumcised, that do the right number of works, that work as hard as they can, no, that believe. He's the father of all those who believe. Whether Jew, whether Gentile, whether a pagan over in Indonesia somewhere, or in India, he is the father of all them that what? Believe. Look what he said. Though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed unto them also. Now we, again, consider this. As I said, the Holy Ghost, through Paul, defines God's means and purposes in circumcision. He first calls it a sign. What's a sign? Well, a sign is this. It's an external marking that points to the existence of that which it signifies. What was the sign of Abraham? What is it pointing to in Abraham's life? Was it pointing to his circumcision? No, it was pointing to what? To his faith. That's what a sign is. It's something externally that points to what it's pointing to, and it wasn't pointing to his circumcision. It was pointing to his faith. Not only does Paul say circumcision was a sign, but he says it was a seal. What's a seal? That which authenticates, that which confirms the genuineness. And again, brother, and again, this is what we always teach it again. What did we learn just all along the way we've been learning? When you're regenerated, when the Holy Ghost regenerates you and you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, there's going to be what? Fruit. There's going to be an external, if you will, showing of what happened internally. And that's exactly what a seal is here. It is, again, a, if you will, I'll define it, it authenticates what which confirms the genuineness of that which is signified. What was signified again? Was it Abraham's circumcision? No, it was his faith. This is where it points to, again, brethren, Paul, again, and I know we hear this so much, but again, brethren, we live in a works-related and certainly works-orientated world. We always have, we always will, and Paul, again, is driving home the point that it is by faith alone. It's in faith what God says. That's what Abraham, that's what saved him, not his works or anything else. It signified his faith. In fact, in verse number nine, let's just read these together. You know how many times faith comes up in the text? It's an amazing thing, it just grows and grows and grows and grows, and that it is indeed, then there's a reason why the Holy Ghost has Paul do it, but it's growing and growing. Look at verse number nine. The Bible says, come with this blessing then upon the circumcision only, or upon this uncircumcision also, for we say that faith was reckoned. Look at verse number 11, again, as we go ahead. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was uncircumcised. Look at verse 12. And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but also who what? Who walk in the steps of what? That faith of who? Our father Abraham. Again, faith, faith, faith. In fact, This morning I was talking to Wendy and I called her Faith because I've been working on this thing all week and it's like faith is in my head and I said faith. Oh wait, no, Wendy. Faith, faith, faith in what God says. Faith and trust and belief in what God says. Look, it goes on. Look at verse 13. For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of what? Faith. There it is again. Look at verse 16. Look at verse 16, really the title of our sermon. Therefore it is of faith that it might be by what? Grace. See how he ties those two together there? We're going to talk about that. To the end, the promise might be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of what? Abraham, who was the father of us all. Again, faith, faith, faith. He's driving that point home. And, brethren, that's a point we've got to drive home. Look at verse 20. We're going to skip ahead a little bit. Look at verse 20. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in what? Faith. There it is again. Believing, trusting, and next week, Lord willing, when we're together, we're going to look at this portion of text and how long and how long he believed by faith that God would keep his promises. This, of course, is dealing with Isaac. Well, we look back here, Ishmael came along, and Isaac was nowhere to be found yet. He staggered not because of his faith. Look at chapter 5, verse 1. Again, he concludes it with this. Therefore, being justified by what? By circumcision, by my works, no, by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, brethren, again, As I said, I had faith in my mind all week. Faith, faith, faith. There's a reason and a glorious purpose, brethren, why the Holy Ghost would have Paul encapsulate so much concerning faith in such a short portion of scripture. There is indeed a glorious purpose why he would reveal the total sum of these verses to us right here in this text. He's marking. making a distinction, as the Bible always does. He's marking and making a distinction between the, if you will, being a descendant of Father Abraham. There's a difference between being a descendant of Father Abraham and being what? A child of Father Abraham. That's what he's doing. He's making a distinction here. There are descendants of Abraham, but all the descendants of Abraham are not children of Abraham. In fact, This is what Jesus himself said. He taught the same thing. Again, faith. It's by faith that we become what? A child of God. It's by faith that we believe and trust in what God said. It's by faith. Now, you consider your own family for a moment. If you have children, amen? Your children are your descendants, but your children are not Christians because you are. Amen? This is the idea. This is what he's saying. You can have descendants, but it doesn't mean that they're children of Christ until they, what? By faith, believe for themselves. And this is what it's all based upon. Again, this is the idea. Look at John chapter 8. Look at what Jesus said here. Again, he makes this distinction. There's a distinction between being a seed and a child, a descendant and a child. It's a big difference. Like we talked this morning in Bible study, right? Not everyone's a child of God, okay? In fact, we know what scripture says, there's the children of the devil and the children of God. We're not all children of God, brother. I'm sorry to break that news to you. And Jesus himself makes that distinction here in John. Look there if you would, John chapter eight. Look there at verse number 37. And again, we read this verse last week. It all kind of comes together, if you will. Look at verse 37. Jesus, again, is having a discussion with who? Who's he talking with? The Pharisees, the religious people, those who are indeed trusting in their own works and their circumcision and every other thing that they do. Look what he says. I know that ye are Abraham's what? Seed. In other words, you're Jewish, you're a descendant of Abraham. He's admitting that, but you seek to kill me because my word hath no place in you. You can be a descendant and not be saved. You can come from that lineage and not be saved, just like all of us. Look what he says. Verse number 38, I speak that which I have seen with my father, and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. There he's making that great distinction. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, if ye were Abraham's what? Children. You're a descendant of Abraham, but you're not his children. Amen. You can have that. And this is what Paul is doing distinctively in our text. When you consider that, look what he says, if you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me a man that has told you the truth, which I have heard of God. This did not Abraham. And again, there's descendants and there's children and brother. And this is what Paul is saying to them. This is why he, he does what he does with the text. It is by faith alone, trusting as Abraham did in what God has said, that makes one a true child of God. And this is what Jesus is saying. This is what Paul is saying. Faith, faith, faith. I'll be sleeping tonight. I'll wake up in the middle of the night. Faith, faith, faith. Because this is what Paul is teaching in the text. It is by faith alone. by grace, alone in fact. Look what he does there, if you would, in verses 16 and 17. Look what he says, Romans chapter four, verses 16 and 17. He does this glorious, this glorious thing, if you will, as Spurgeon said, as you, faith and grace, they're congruent. And in Romans chapter four, look what he does. He says this in verse 16, again, as we've read the text. Therefore it is of faith that it might be, by what? Grace. There he's tethering faith and grace together. To the end that the promise might be made sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to also that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were. Paul here again in the text, he does again affirm that we only receive the gift of faith, the gift of salvation by God's means of grace through faith. Again, that's what it's about. These are the two cores that bind us to the same saving faith of Abraham, whom Paul calls here the father of us all. This is the great hurdle, brother, again, for religious people to get over. It is one of the hardest things that a religious person, again, when you go back to your own salvation experience, and again, this is borne out in every true believer. One of the hardest things for them to be taught is that there's nothing you can do to earn your salvation. That it is simply by grace through faith that God saves you. Again, it was the same experiential thing that Paul dealt with again on the road to Damascus. It's the same thing that you dealt with on your road wherever you were when Christ came and found you. I grew up Catholic. That's what I knew. It's an amazing thing, and again, I'm not picking on them this morning. But you go tell a Catholic they're saved by grace through faith alone, and they're going to stare at you like a calf at a new gate. They're not going to understand what that even means. What does it mean? I'm not saved by doing this, and doing this, and doing that, and doing this, and keeping this penance, and doing this, and doing that. Again, a true believer rests spiritually, brother, in Father Abraham's faith. the faith that he gave, that God gave, the accrediting of his account. It's a resting thing for one to understand this. Again, that Paul makes this glorious distinction there between the two. I remember going to confession. If you're Catholic here, you know what I'm talking about. I remember being told in order to be forgiven of my sins that I just confessed to you, I had to go say eight Hail Marys in our contrition and a holy father this and a holy father that. And you know what I believed? I'd go sit in the dark church and I'd say it. Hail Mary full of grace, blah, blah, blah. And I'd leave there thinking I've been forgiven. I've been set free. And I'd leave, and I'd get back in the same bondage, and I'd go back again. And I'd have to sit and do something over and over again. Brethren, Paul is dispelling all of that. Amen? He's saying, again, as God has always said, that which is, again, congruent with all things, that you are saved by grace through faith. Now listen again how Paul makes the distinction here. And we'll close with this text. Look at verse number 12 again, as we've already read, but I want you to begin to see the promise, the distinction, all those things, all, if you will, resting on the foundation of faith alone. Look at verse 12. And the father of circumcision to them that are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had yet being uncircumcised. For the promise, there it is again, amen, and we'll look at that, Lord willing, next week. For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. And again, what was the purpose of the law? What did the law do for the lost sinner? All it did was showed him how crooked he was, and then what? Lead him to Christ. That's all it could do. It couldn't save him. It couldn't make him righteous. In fact, it did the opposite. It showed him how crooked he is and how righteous God is. And then how do I get to God? How am I brought and made right before God? Faith, trust, belief, faith. Look what it says. Verse 14, for they which are of the law be heirs. Look at what it, I mean, it's such a devastating statement to them who were leaning all their repose on the law. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made, what? Void in the promise of none effect. Again, what did we say when someone comes before God and they say, God, look what I'm bringing to you for my salvation. Look at all my good works that I'm bringing to you. What are we doing? We're telling God, just like so many evil doctrines tell him, that what he says and what he has provided is not enough, that he needs more than what he's provided. that I can bring something more than he can give. Brethren, it's an amazing thing when you consider this. You make the promise void, and faith is void, and there's none effect to it. Look at verse 15 again, he tells them, here's the law. Because the law worketh what? Peace, grace, mercy, no, it worketh wrath. That's what it brings. That's what it's designed to do. For where no law is, there's no transgression. Therefore, it is of faith that it might be of grace. Again, as we consider this very important piece and portion of scripture, I want to close with what Charles Spurgeon said concerning grace there, as we read faith and grace in verse 16, all the way through the text. He said, grace and faith are congruous. and will draw together in the same chariot. But grace and human merit, I like how he did it, are contrary one to the other and pull in opposite ways. And that's exactly what Paul is describing. That's exactly what scripture describes to us. Grace and faith are congruous and will draw together in the same chariot. But grace and human merit are contrary one to the other and pull in opposite ways. Therefore, brethren, Spurgeon says, God would not, and I'm going to add to it, would not, cannot, will not, ever not, if you will, yoke those two together. Faith and grace are yoked together by God himself. Those are the saving cords. They're bound together in God. for the salvation of your soul, for the salvation of my soul, for those who are yet to be saved, those who were saved in every dispensation of time going all the way back to Father Abraham, even farther back than that, all the way back to the garden. All by grace, through faith, God providing the sacrifice. Amen. What a beautiful portion of scripture for us. What a glorious thing for us to continue to learn from read and to study. And more than that, well, that's a lot. But more than that, I pray this morning that it affects us. That the Spirit of God will move this glorious teaching of faith alone and grace alone. He'll move us to be bold and speak of these truths. Because again, they are the linchpin. in which one's soul either is in heaven or in hell. It's the dividing wall. It's the dividing belief. It's the dividing faith. Faith in God, faith in what he has said, faith in what his work has done, or faith in myself, faith in my own works. And you remember what David knew and what he understood. Amen? The works he brought to God were what? Think of it again. Lying. deception, drunkenness, murder. Let's not leave this one out. He counted against the will of God. He was held accountable for that, counting God's army when he shouldn't have done that. Just think of the things that the Bible says, who is a man after God's own heart, and what song did he sing? Blessed is he. Blessed is the one to whom the Lord God imputes his righteousness into his account, apart from what? Apart from works. Amen. What a glorious resting truth. What a place to rest. What a place for the child of God to be and to understand that. Amen. It'll do things for you. It'll help you. Kind of like we talked this morning in Bible study, right? When you start thinking about these things, It should produce joy in you. It should produce exceeding joy in you. It should make us rejoice over and over again. Like Paul is saying to those in the Jewish community, rejoice, brothers. Put away your altars. Put away your sacrificial knives. Put it away. Don't worry anymore about carving the lobe off the kidney just right. Don't worry about doing this and washing this just right. Don't worry about letting the water drip down off the end of your elbows. Don't do that anymore. You can rest by faith through the Lord Jesus Christ as God indeed intended it to be. How it is, shall we say it together? How it is, how it shall always be. how it was, how it is, and how it always shall be. Amen. What a glorious place for the child of God to rest, knowing that God could never lie to you. knowing that what he says is truth, believing that, like Abraham, and we're gonna see next week again, he made a promise to him when he was 75 years old, and by the time, well, let's see, again, we'll have math class next week, he was 100 years old when Isaac came, that's 25 years. that he waited, believed, was not weak in faith, staggered not at the promise. Just look at how Abraham is such a good example for all of us who are his heirs through faith, amen? The heirs of Christ through our father Abraham, by King David, through all of it, all the same faith, all saved the same way, gloriously true and gloriously right. Let's pray. Father, again, have certainly rejoiced in your words today. Every true child of God does. They should bring us great joy, knowing that our work, all it does is bring debt, a debt we cannot pay. Therefore, let us not work for our salvation. Of course, there's works you've designed for us after we're saved, but we're just simply saying the foundation of salvation, faith. It's amazing when the Spirit of God regenerates one's heart and mind. And when you are drawing that lost sheep, how this makes perfect sense. And not only that, it's great melody to our ears. Those of us who grew up in religion, we know what that is. How wearying and how tiring that is to do the same thing over. I've sinned. Go do this again. Oh, I've sinned again. Go do this again. Go do this. Go do that. Oh, Father, we are so blessed. Brother Howard taught this morning, we rejoice greatly knowing that you have provided the sacrifice. You have indeed, through the gift of faith, given it to us that we might believe. We might look at scripture, we might look at the cross, we might look at what you say concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and believe every scintilla of it. That he was our substitute, that he is our substitute, that he is our high priest who's intervening for us, that he indeed died for our sins, that he shed his blood, that he went to the grave and that he was there three days and rose again and he's waiting now in heaven. As the church watches, the true believers watching, being prepared and readied for when you choose to come, when the Father chooses to send you. Father, we rejoice in that. We're thankful for it. We pray for those who are stuck in religion. Paul here's addressing specifically circumcision, but there are many, many, many religious things that people try to do. We pray, Father, that the lost sheep will be, as they will be, drawn out of that. They will come to the realization that all of us who are saved here this morning came to know and realize that exercising the gift of faith that you gave us to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ And as Holy Writ says, we are saved. Sealed, it's completed, it's done. We thank you for it now, Lord. We pray all of these things in Jesus' name and all God's people said, amen, amen, amen.