Let's take our Bibles and turn with me to the book of Hebrews chapter 13. Hebrews 13. I would like for us to look at the first four words of the 20th verse. Hebrews 13, verse 20. Now, the God of peace. Let's pray together. Our Father, how we thank You that, Lord, we can call upon your holy name in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And know that, Lord, for Christ's sake, on his merit, by his intercession mingled with our prayer, you hear us for his sake. Lord, would you bless the services tonight. Lord, I ask thy will be done for Christ's sake. Amen. The Apostle Paul had asked in verse 18 to the Hebrews, pray for us, God's preachers have been called to the highest calling that there is. There is no higher calling in this world. To be called a preacher of the glorious gospel of God's free grace. And with that high calling comes also the very real understanding to the preacher who is sufficient for these things. Men appointed by God everlastingly to be a voice, a herald of the gospel of Christ And being men, they are frail. They are frail creatures. Dust. And they know it. Brethren, pray for us. The Apostle Paul also declares in verse 18, For we trust we have a good conscience in all things, willing to live honestly, virtuously. We pray and thank the Lord, relying on God's Spirit, who bears witness to our heart, that we be found faithfully preaching the gospel, faithfully preparing, faithfully asking God's blessing. Philippians 1.27 says that our conversation or our manner of life, our walk, be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. God's preachers are men, men that are frail, but men that have a grave responsibility to walk before God Almighty and men with realization of the ministry that they've been called to. And they know the struggles. And then the Apostle Paul does what he has asked the Hebrews to do. And he prays for them. Now, I'm going to read verse 20 and 21. We're just going to look at the first four verses. And Lord willing, next time we'll look at the rest of verse 20 and then 21. But let's read 20 and 21. Now, the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. The Apostle prays. The God of peace. Now may we consider this evening this blessed privilege. Praying for one another. Scripture says in verse 23 of 1 Samuel 12, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord. in ceasing to pray for you. Not that I should be careful that I shouldn't sin against you, which we do by not praying for one another, but ultimately, all sin is against God. God forbid that I should not sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you. The Apostle speaks of Jehovah in his relationship to his people. Here it is. In fact, those four words, four marvelous divine words now, the God of peace. Five words. The God of peace. We always need to be reminded. Man was ruined in the fall. Now, you know, by the grace of God, a believer knows that. He knows that in Adam's fall, by the imputation of Adam's sin, but by actual sin, my sin, my iniquity has alienated me from God, alienated because of rebellion, separated from God. And if there's ever going to be any reconciliation, if there's going to be any peace, then the God of peace is going to have to establish that peace. Peace. That word peace right there. Set at one again. Set at one. Rest. The God of peace, may He be propitious toward us. You know, we use that word, propitiation. Propitiation means appeasement. Appeasement. You remember when the Lord told Moses to build the Ark of the Covenant. It was a box and it had gold on the outside, gold on the inside. That box had a lid on top of it. And on that lid there were two graven cherubims. It was one piece of gold and it was one lid. And the Lord said, I'll meet you at the mercy seat. That word, appeasement, propitiation, means appeasement. That's where I'm going to meet you. The reason I'll meet you there is because peace has been established. I'll meet you at the mercy seat. Peace. It was the Lord of Heaven, God the Father, the Scripture sets forth, who was the one that actually chose in perfect agreement with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. But the Scripture sets forth that God the Father chose to show mercy to whomsoever He would. He was going to have to establish peace, the God of peace. And for there to be any peace between the offended God and the sinner, righteousness was going to have to be established. See, this is the ignorance of man as he is born in Adam. Man is ignorant. Man by nature thinks that God just forgives, just arbitrarily just says, don't worry about it. God is just. You have to understand that without justice, without justice being served, God will not Forgive sin. Without absolute justice, without God's wrath poured out on God's Lamb, God will not forgive sin. Now you listen to this verse. You've heard it. Without the shedding of blood is no remission. There is no forgiveness. Without justice being satisfied, God does not forgive sin. And that demand for fulfillment and peace, justice being served, that demand is totally beyond the capability of a man, a mere man, born in Adam, to fulfill. Man is guilty. This is the problem. Man is guilty. Romans 3.19, now we know that what thing soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law, which is everybody born in Adam, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. But even here we see the grace of God. That Almighty God would tell a man that he's guilty. Unless God Almighty reveals that to a man, a man thinks he's not that bad. Men now justify themselves according to other men. I said before, a worm comparing itself to a worm is still a worm. Paul thanked God. Romans 7.25. He thanked God through Christ Jesus our Lord. Which is the only way a man can thank the Lord. God of heaven, through the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank God through Christ our Lord. With the mind I myself serve, I bow to, admit to the law of God. I admit it's good. What I admit is that I'm not able to keep it. But I know it's good. I know God's law is good. What's wrong with serving the Lord, loving the Lord thy God with all your heart and mind? What's wrong with that? What's wrong with that killing, murdering? What's wrong with that? What's wrong with not stealing? The law of God is holy. Man is guilty. Paul thanked God with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, admitting to its holiness and purity. But with the flesh, you also thank the Lord that He knew He served the law of sin. I thank the Lord that He reveals this to us. When we realize our need of mercy is when God has given us a new heart. Cry out for mercy. But man is born ignorant of that fact. He's ignorant of his guilt, but that does not change the certainty of his guilt. And it doesn't change the severity of the penalty either. Even in the Old Testament. Hold your place right here in Hebrews. Hold your place and turn to Leviticus 5, verse 17. Leviticus. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus. Leviticus 5, verse 17 to 19. And what I said was, man is guilty. Born ignorant. of that guilt. But that ignorance doesn't change the fact. In the Old Testament, there was a sacrifice that was needed to cover the sin of ignorance. Leviticus 5, 17. Scripture says, if a soul sins and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the Lord, Though he wist it not, though he didn't know it, yet is he guilty and shall bear his iniquity. And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock with thy estimation." According to the priest's declaration of what needed to be brought, is what he's saying. for a trespass offering unto the priest, and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred, and which did not, and it shall be forgiven him." It is a trespass offering, and he hath certainly trespassed against the Lord. I was driving through Fairmont the other day, minding my own business, Driving the speed limit, 30 miles an hour, 30 miles an hour. And I just drove right past the sign that said, end of 15 miles an hour school zone. I didn't even know where I got in it. But do you know what didn't change the fact? Thankfully, I wasn't pulled over, but I was just as guilty and I knew it. I mean, as soon as I saw that sign. I could have told the police officer, I just didn't see the sign. Wouldn't have changed a thing. Guilty. Man is guilty. And his ignorance is only aggravated in his attempt to cover his sin. He's got a conscience. He's ignorant of the righteousness of God. But he knows that he's guilty. There is a conscience in every man. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, the scripture says that Eve was beguiled. That means that she was deceived. Adam sinned with his eyes wide open. But do you know that both of them tried to cover their nakedness before God with fig leaves? Why? Because they were both guilty. Eve was beguiled, deceived. Adam sinned against God, knowing the Lord had told Adam, in the day you eat of the fruit, you are going to die. Man can attempt to reform outwardly and clean up his act, but the Scripture says that the whole head is sick, the whole heart is faint from the sole of the foot even unto the head. There is no soundness. There is no health in it. Man, guilty, and cannot cover his guilt before God. He's ignorant on how God Almighty must be just and can justify a sinner. He does not know. He does not know how sin is dealt with How his sin can be covered, how there can be an atonement made. So, what does he do? Well, Romans 10. Here's what he does. Romans chapter 10, verse 1 to 3. Every man by nature, this is what he's going to do. He's talking about the Jews, The Jews, the Gentiles, all in sin and unbelief. This is what they do. Romans 10, verses 1 to 3. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Boy, what a heart of tenderness. You know, I think about men, women that hear the gospel that we preach. The gospel of free grace, sovereign grace. electing grace, predestinating grace. And usually you're going to find when men hear those words, election, predestination, sovereignty, man, I'm telling you, they bow up. They hate those words. They just frown on God's preachers and God's people as though they're some kind of a, you know, like they hate everybody. Y'all trying to close everybody out. We want everybody to come in. Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. I've said before, I mean this. I pray God have mercy on your family, on your kids, on your wife, your husband. I pray the Lord have mercy. Save your grandchildren. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our righteousness, our sanctification, our wisdom, our redemption. They have not submitted themselves unto Him. God's people know that all works-oriented religion, and that's everything that's not free grace, all works religion is man's attempt to hide his guilt before God, God with whom he's going to deal. Man's guilty and ignorant. But I've got some good news. Here's the good news. The psalmist declares, Psalm 130 verse 4, But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared, respected, honored. There is forgiveness with thee. Oh, what a blessed word. But, but, there is. That verse right there, Psalm 130 verse 4, the one that was just before that. Psalm 130 verse 3 said, If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? Lord, if you in absolute strictness should call every man to account, for any shortcoming, for any missing the mark, for any lack of conformity. Think about, for yourself, think about me. When I think about the deviations that I know about, the sins that I'm aware of, and then those that I'm not aware of, I mean the mere fact that I've come short of the glory of God. If it was left up to me, I don't even know where the line is. I don't even understand the word holy. I know He is. And for that, I'm thankful. And I thank God that my sin of ignorance is covered by the blood. But all thanks be unto God that God does not mark iniquity. Lord, if you took one transgression, if you marked sin, if you marked iniquity, Lord, who could stand? You mark one transgression, and Lord, I'm condemned. But there's forgiveness for thee. Full, free, sovereign, pardon in the precious great King, the Lord Jesus Christ. And here's the bottom line. It's God's prerogative to give it. I will have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. I will have compassion on whom I'll have compassion. Do you know what that makes a believer do? To run afresh in his heart to the Lord And thank God, thank You, Lord Jesus, that You'd have mercy on me. Lord, thank You. When you hear the glorious doctrine of election, it makes you thankful that God Almighty did not leave you to yourself. And you continue to pray for those that are without, without a knowledge of Him. It does not make you hard. unsympathetic. It does not. Tender. Oh, Lord of heaven and earth, where is this mercy found? Where is this peace found? One place, in the Prince of Peace Himself. Not in man's ability, in God's power, God's mercy, God's grace. Not by works of righteousness which we've done, But according to His mercy, He saved us by the washing of regeneration, renewing of the Holy Ghost. Thanks be unto God, sinners are saved apart from any work, any merit on their part. They have no merit. Christ Jesus came to this world to save sinners. Everything we do is polluted. with sin, every thought we think, every prayer that we would pray not mingled with His merit. Without me, He said, you'd do nothing. Salvation is all together in the God of all grace, all mercy, all peace. He chooses to show mercy to whomsoever He will. And then those that He chooses to show mercy to, He draws them to sit under the gospel. The gospel of Christ that Paul said, I'm not ashamed of. This is the power of God unto salvation. And when He's pleased to do so, when it pleases Him, to call one of his own out of darkness. This is what he said he does. He said, I'm going to give you a new heart. I'm going to give you a new mind, a new will. You're going to have a new love, born from above. And that new heart, born from above, believes God and does not sin. It trusts the God of peace. It trusts the one who has established peace, and He has established it by taking His Son, making Him sin, a Calvary, laying on Him the iniquity of all of His elect, every transgression that Almighty God knows and knew before they ever did it. He knows. And made Him sin. There's another one that I can't explain. But I know it so. And He poured out His wrath upon His beloved Son. His Son cried, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? because he is a God of peace toward his people. And sin is going to be dealt with. And without the shedding of blood, there is no remission. And now that regenerated sinner knows that the righteousness of God without the law, that is, with no regard to the sinner's obedience to the law because he couldn't obey it. Righteousness of God without the law is manifested to the sinner's heart through the preaching of the gospel. This is how you know. This is God's revelation of how He has established peace being witnessed by the law and the prophets. The Lord said, Moses spoke of Me. Abraham believed God. This is what Abraham believed. Substitution. Peace through the blood of the Messiah. And now this glorious gospel sent from the God of peace declares that all for whom Christ died, God is going to have them. All that the Father chose and the Son redeemed, the Spirit of God is going to regenerate them. He is going to seal them. Going to keep them. That blood atones. That blood answers. It answers the demand for justice. He shed that blood. Crying from that cross, it's finished. Peace. God's been satisfied eternally. And in time, the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished it. Peace. All who believe that salvation is totally by grace, they know by the revelation of the Spirit of God. There's peace with God. And they know, don't ever look in here for any answer. You look inside and I'm telling you, you're disappointed. You're embarrassed. You look inside, you'll cry again, Lord have mercy, which we always do. For all who believe God, I can tell you this, Peace has eternally been purposed by God for you. To all that the Father has chosen in Christ, peace has been procured by Christ for you. And peace shall everlastingly be secured by the blood of Christ, that blood that the Father ever sees. What I see the blood is our great high priest stands before God. I say stands before God. Scripture says he's seated. He's finished at the right hand of God. Ever living to make intercession for his people. His blessed witness of his accomplishment, his work, and his merit His righteousness. These glorious truths that we have been robed in the righteousness of Christ. And Mitch, we look at ourselves. We say, like old John Newton, can I deem myself a child? Robed in His righteousness? If I believe Him, He said, I am. If I trust Him, I am. Lord, have mercy upon this needy sinner and thanks be unto God, the God of all peace.