Tonight we'll be coming to the book of Ephesians and continuing our studies in the closing chapters of Ephesians in our evening services. And I want this morning to begin a brief series on a topic that has been much upon my heart and mind in recent months and years. I've many times scratched notes together to try and get a sermon on this particular topic. But it's never worked out. And so, the obvious answer to that was it's not to be a sermon, it's to be a series. So, this morning I want to begin, and we'll certainly say more upon that in a few moments. So, Matthew's Gospel, chapter 11. I want us to read together, beginning in verse 1. It came to pass when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, He departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see. The blind received their sight, and the lame walked. Lepers are cleansed, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me." And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, "'What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment. Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet. Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist. Notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John, and if you will receive it, this is Elias which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear let him hear. But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is likened to children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced. We have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. A son of man came eating and drinking, And they say, behold, a gluttonous and a wine-bibber, friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children. We'll end our reading in verse 19, and again we trust the Lord's blessing to be upon the public reading of His inspired Word. Let's bow our heads and our hearts together. Our Heavenly Father, as we would enter into Your presence again in prayer, we are grateful this day that we have a refuge to which we can flee and ask for aid, to ask for grace. And Lord, we ask for those very things. Give us help. Give us grace today that we might understand Your Word, that we might honestly consider it, that we might honestly search our own hearts, and that we might know help. as we this day would examine again the very roots of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And so, Lord, we pray, door near to every heart, shut out from us distractions. Lord, I pray that even here this day we will be closed in with Thee, to learn of Thee, to be changed more into the image of Jesus Christ, to have even the things of this world grow strangely dim in the light of Your glory and grace. We ask and pray it all in Jesus' name. Amen. As I said, I want to begin today a brief series of messages that I've thought upon for many months and even years. I've hesitated to preach it until now, again, for the simple reason that it is a topic that is so vast, and I trust as we go along we'll see, that in so many ways it touches everything in our Christian experience. I want to speak this morning and in the weeks to follow on, yes, the subject of the gospel. But I want to speak on the subject of the gospel with reference to two distinct errors. The errors, yea, the heresies of legalism and antinomianism. Now those are terms that along the way we will come to give some definition to. This morning, a little later, perhaps some brief and even some common and not so accurate definitions. But I say all this because underneath this, I just put before you what I'm sure so many of you know is the continuing burden of my heart. We live in days of great apostasy. I know that we say that often, but I think it's imperative that we remember that our thinking be governed in light of that truth, in light of that reality. It is no secret in this place that I have a great burden for the church. That's not to say that I do not have, nor should we have, a great and indeed a passionate burden for the lost. There are myriads that surround us every day that are lost. One of the Difficulties, however, is here in what we still sometimes call the Bible Belt. We have magnified this problem of people that profess Christianity, and yet they are still lost. And so we have not only the offense of the cross to go to these people and tell them that they're lost in the need of a Savior. We have the double offense to suggest to so many of these that their religion is insufficient. Their profession is empty. It's a Christ that saves. They need a spiritual gospel that with power changes their hearts and their lives. I say the burden that should overwhelm us, yes, a burden for the lost, but a burden for the church. Because while we would lament those that are lost in the need of conversions in the world, I dare say we need to lament as well seemingly the equal need of conversions in the church. The church itself in need then, I say, of quickening and of reviving. It's time that judgment began at the house of God. Let the church be awakened to the needs in her own ranks. And I submit to you what we said at the very beginning, even at the foundation of this church here. One of the greatest needs, perhaps the most urgent need of this hour, is a recovery of the biblical gospel. To preach that gospel, to rid it of half-truths, to rid it of falsehood. To see it not only preached, but to see it be lived in power. The weakness and error of the church today is clear to any that will honestly observe. Segments of the church that have zealously maintained a strictness of standards and have fought against the wind and tide of this current age of ungodliness. In many quarters such churches, and we should be thankful for such stand among many of God's people, but in many quarters such churches have suffered severe losses to those churches that have changed the ways into the contemporary gospel. And many of those that remain show signs of great spiritual need, bondage theology, lack of assurance, struggles with holiness, and at times a smugness and a self-satisfaction, or even, sadly yet still, a self-justifying, defeatist attitude Well, at least we're right and everything else is wrong when there are real spiritual needs right there. Then we look on the other hand to the segments of the church that have given themselves over to the modern trend. Again, if we would honestly survey it, we have to say in many cases these have gone so far afield that a credible claim of biblical Christianity can't be granted to them at all. by those who know anything of the biblical gospel. It is the biblical gospel that demands our attention. It should consume the attention of God's people, not only in the age of apostasy, but in every age. An age of blessing. An age of destruction. I want to take at least my thoughts at this point, to take four messages to address the subject Because I believe this recovery of the biblical gospel that is needed is a recovery that needs to occur both in the doctrinal and in the practical, or as the old writers used to say, the experimental realm. Because I believe that we have, in these days of confusion and need, a great struggle. And again, these two errors that I want us to have kind of as the focus of these messages of legalism and of antinomianism. There is, I believe, in the current day, a tendency to go to one of these errors or to the other. These, I believe, are the two errors that are perennially present among those who misunderstand the gospel. I want you to think with me, though, for a moment. These are errors, I believe, that are genuinely present by people that misunderstand the gospel today. I'm going to talk about this throughout the series among those that are lost and among those that are genuinely saved, and yet they struggle with weak understanding. So these are errors that are genuinely and genuinely present in many hearts and in many churches today. But there's an interesting twist because on the other hand, these are errors that are cast at the truth in our day. If we would stand and preach the truth of the gospel, If we would preach the biblical gospel in its purity, if we would practice the biblical gospel in its purity, there are those who are going to look upon that gospel and look upon that living. And from one hand, the attack is going to come, you are a legalist. And from the other hand, the attack is going to come, you are an antinomian. You could almost say with humor if it weren't so sadly true. That if you're being accused of both of those things at the same time, it might indeed be a great sign that you've got a grip on the gospel. Free Presbyterians are getting blasted from both directions. We're not the only ones that have a grip on the biblical gospel. I'm not suggesting that. But these are charges that we hear all the time. legalist, antinomian. Friends, here I say is some doctrinal and practical ground that in many cases is difficult. These things are slippery. They're hard at times to get a hand on. They're easy at times for the flesh to corrupt. But I say it is territory that we need to become most familiar with as the people of God. I want to give to you this morning an illustration before we begin. I learned when I was writing my book several years ago that very often it's not good to save the punchline to the end. When your editor doesn't understand what you're saying, then you need to be more clear. She said, well, tell them at the beginning where you're going, then work through it, and then when you get there, they'll be ready. Here's an illustration I put before you to try and say where we're going. There is a mindset in the hearts of many of God's people, many in the church today. We'll take that as the professing church and the believing church at the same time. And when you suggest this whole topic that I'm putting before us to deal with, of the gospel with reference to legalism and antinomianism, maybe we should give here at this point some brief definitions. Let me give you false definitions to begin with. In the mind of many, a legalist is someone who in the name of Christianity lives a strict life. He doesn't do this, he doesn't do the other thing, doesn't go here, doesn't go the other place. Many say, this is a legalist. Well, let me tell you, a man that doesn't do this and doesn't do that might indeed be a legalist. And he might be a godly believer. You've got to have more than that for your definition. Then you come to antinomianism. For those who suggest antinomianism, it's just people that live loose. They don't pursue godliness. And that is heresy. There are others that say, well, an antinomian is someone that preaches that acceptance with God is by grace alone. And you're saying that men are saved and nothing they do, none of their works are involved in it. That's antinomianism. No, that's the gospel. So those brief and wanting definitions, but Lord willing, as we go along, we'll define these more fully. But there's the common mindset, and here's the illustration that I trust over these next several messages will be the end that we come to. The mindset is that there's a line, and on one end of the line, one extreme, is this legalism, this self-righteousness. And then on the other end of the line is this other error of antinomianism, of being against the law of loose living. And that in the center, the dead center of this line is the gospel. And the whole question then is how to be balanced between being a legalist or being an antinomian. And I submit to you friends that that illustration is exactly wrong. That is not the relationship that the gospel plays, that the gospel has to legalism and antinomianism. Because you see, when you think of it in those terms, you think, well, if I at some point come to view myself as an antinomian, I'm a little loose, I've got to get some things in my life straightened out, I've got to get a little bit more on fire for the Lord, I've got to quit doing this and quit doing that. then the answer is to move along the line in the direction of legalism. And my only problem is to discern where am I going to stop on this line? Where is that balance point in the middle? You have the same thing on the other end. A man perceives himself to be a legalist. He thinks, well, I need to find this balance. And so I move along the line in the direction of antinomianism. And my only problem is, where do I stop on this line? Friends, that is exactly where many people are today. They're bouncing back and forth across this line about the kind of things they do, the kind of things they live. And they're just trying to find that balance. And they're missing the gospel entirely. The line illustration is where most people live. It's where an age of confusion seeks to wrestle with these terms, seeks to wrestle with this gospel. But that illustration, as common as it is in the minds of many, doesn't fit the reality at all. It is not a line. We could put it, I guess, in two-dimensional form. It's a triangle. You have this bottom line with legalism and antinomianism and they're on the same level. They're on the same line. And if I'm to be rescued from either of these pitfalls, from either of these heresies, the answer is never to go in the direction of the other heresy. Never to move in the direction of the other wrong. It's to move up and away from both of them to the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I say, Lord willing, over these next weeks and messages that fleshing out the meat of that little illustration between a line and a triangle is what will occupy our minds and our thoughts. If I could give a title to this series of messages, I would suggest it as this, Two Alternatives and an Answer. Alternatives, each of which are wrong. And one answer. For you see, legalism and antinomianism are the only alternatives that are available to fallen man apart from the gospel. Remember with me, mankind is incurably religious. Whether it's the pagan in the darkest recesses of the wilderness, and those recesses are fading in our century today as technology and travel are so easy today. But whether it's the darkest jungle that was ever found, or the most advanced civilization that was ever built, apart from the gospel, this is the way men go. Because man is incurably religious. He is a religious being. I love the title of a book. I haven't ever read it, but I've seen it in several book catalogs I get. The title of the book is, Does God Believe in Atheists? You think about that. That's a brilliant title. I hope it's a good book. I hope I'm not advertising a lousy book, but it's a great title. Does God Believe in Atheists? Because at the end of the day, there are no atheists. They're rebels. They're haters of God. There's no fear of God. They're bold enough to challenge His very existence. But then again, their lives are defined by transgressing His law. By their very desires, their very motivations. They give testimony to the fact that He exists, and they hate Him. Friends, this is where men are. Whether they're religious or irreligious. Outside of Christ, men are either antinomians or legalists. And the gospel is good news for both of these extremes. The gospel is a challenge to both of these heresies. I hope over the next weeks, again, in this series we're entitling two alternatives and an answer to deal with the subject under these four headings. This morning, to look at the rejection of grace by those who are lost. Next week, Lord willing, we'll come to consider the answer of grace to legalism. Then thirdly, the following week, the answer of grace to antinomianism. And then fourthly, Lord willing, we'll come to the adulteration of grace by those who are saved. The struggles even believers can have with these problems. Before we begin today, I want to try and set the stage a little further Again, we usually think of legalism and antinomianism as opposites. We think, wow, this guy is really strict and this guy is really loose, and boy, they are completely opposite. In the matters of lifestyle, in the matters of things that are done and things that are not done, there is certainly truth in that. That these are two sides of the issue. That the manifestation of this thinking, that the lives that are lived out are very different. You may have one that's a drug addict and a murderer. You may have another that's a priest. An outstanding citizen. Yet, at the end of the day, while these differences of appearance, these two extremes, may appear in the outworkings, I submit to you that at the core, at the root of it all, legalism and antinomianism are the same theology. It's the same theology, the same fleshly thinking. Actually, these two have, I say, much more in common than they have in distinction because they are both wholly foreign to the gospel of grace. And being contrary to grace, there is a degree of union they have with one another. As we go along, we need to be careful with this truth in mind that we avoid watertight compartments. As we deal with legalism, antinomianism will be near at hand. As we deal with antinomianism, legalism will be near at hand. And we also need to understand and recognize genuine spirituality of the gospel. I have a series of tapes. Some of you men have shared them with me or have loaned them out. We had some times to listen to them. A man dealing with the Marrow Controversy, which was a theological controversy in the Church of Scotland. The struggle was over the essence of the gospel, its grace and how that grace impacts the lives of believers. The man dealing with the subject in his tapes, Sinclair Ferguson, A former professor of theology at Westminster Seminary and now a minister in the Church of Scotland. I must add a note here. It's going to be underneath. I hovered over the world. In many ways, rejects the law. Christ says to the disciples, look. There's a real sense in which as the Pharisees looked out and saw, they saw in John the Baptist, legalist. And they rejected him. Beyond that, they said, he's got a devil. And they looked at Jesus of Nazareth, and they saw Him, the One that even of their own mouths gave what a testimony to Christ, friend, publicans and sinners. And they looked at Jesus and said, Antinomian. And I say, these here rejected the Gospel. Here is the rejection of grace by those that are lost. What did they reject? Let's look first at the preaching of John. They rejected a baptism of repentance. Now, I should say at the outset here, it's vital to remember that it wasn't John was preaching one thing and Christ was preaching something different. Christ preached repentance. You can't read the Gospels without hearing the cry of repentance repeatedly from the lips of Christ. Christ said, even those sobering words, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Christ preached repentance. Christ preached the message John preached. That's the message we must preach if we're faithful. We must hold up the law. Show men their accountability to God's law. Show them that they're condemned by God's law. And call upon them to repent. Call upon them to turn from their sins. But lest we think that John preached only repentance, Again, Christ preached repentance. But John also preached grace. What a privilege John had to be the one that said, the first one that said, Behold, the Lamb of God taketh away the sins of the world. So John preached grace too. John, if you look with me over in Luke's Gospel, The opening chapter. Some discussion among commentators, but sometimes I think commentators just live to discuss things and argue with one another. But some discussion as to whether or not John was actually a Nazarite. You look in the Old Testament, there was an order of the Nazarites that in the days of their vow were given to be set aside from other things. No razor to come upon their heads, to drink no wine, nothing fermented. They were given that and these other things throughout the days of a vow. There were Nazarites in the Old Testament that may have been Nazarites, but they were not Nazarites for life necessarily. They were Nazarites during a particular period of a vow. And for this reason and other things as to some things being listed and some things not being listed in different contexts, they go back and forth as to whether John was a Nazirite. Well, the case being if he was, which I would tend to think he was, he was for life rather than just a more abbreviated vow. But here is this one given then, even above and beyond as it were, to set himself apart, to give himself wholly to the ministry. And here one going forth to challenge those in the generation to whom he came. Luke chapter 1 gives statement of the prophecy of the birth of John. It said in verse 14 or verse 15, For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb. Many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord. They're God. It continues on that the spirit and power of Elijah would be upon him. Christ even said in the portion we read in Matthew's Gospel, that if you would receive it, this was Elijah that was to come. So what a place! What a preaching! What a life this John had! And as Christ speaks there, and if you go back to our text in Matthew 11, You find that Christ comes and as these disciples of John have come to Him, Christ takes time to single out John in the thoughts of those that are listening to Him. He says, what did you go out in the wilderness to see? This One that went forth to prepare the way for me to come, for you to come and hear my preaching. Who was He? What was He like? Almost in a series here of rhetorical questions, He lifts up the esteem of John the Baptist in the eyes of those that were listening to Him. And he said, What went ye out to see? A prophet, verse 9, Yea, I say unto you, more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist. Then the phrase, Notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven, is greater than he. This in itself is a topic that could take an entire message, but without wrestling through the difficulties, can I just suggest to you what I believe, and this by far is the opinion of orthodox commentators. Christ isn't saying here of John the Baptist that he's of a character, of a moral value as it were, greater than others. Nobody has risen greater than John. And then all of a sudden in the kingdom of heaven, Everybody that comes along is going to be of a greater moral, spiritual character than John was. The point here is not personal, individual characteristics. The point here is of position of ministry. Christ says of all the prophets that have gone before, what privilege, what position, what greatness was given to John the Baptist that far beyond Isaiah that prophesied of centuries in the future this Christ to come. John would say, here He is. This is Him. Then He says, "...of those in the kingdom of heaven." Again, Christ inaugurated that kingdom in the days of His flesh. We're children of that kingdom even now. Christ said, "...he that's least in the kingdom of heaven will be greater than John." Again, not our personal characteristics. but that here we will be able with greater fullness, with greater light, to shine the light of the New Testament Scriptures back on the work of this Christ who has already come, who has already cried, it is finished, who has already risen from the dead, who has already taken His seat above. That's the whole point through that somewhat difficult passage. The position of ministry. Think of the light of the Gospel then that belongs to us. privileges we have, not only in our own experience, but in our teaching and preaching and living and speaking to others, to give the fullness of the light of this Christ to those that will hear. As we consider the preaching of John and the Pharisees' rejection of it, I think it's important that not only we understand the praise and the teaching Christ gives of him here, but look a little bit at who and what he was. Here's a man that in following Christ was fearless and bold in everything that he did. We noted already John's in prison. How did he get there? He got there for being fearless. We'll not turn up the passages for our time has hastened on. But who was this John? When he began preaching, baptizing near Jordan, Pharisees and the Sadducees, they start hearing things. A lot of people getting together to hear this preacher. We better go check him out. And when they come to him, does he tremble in fear? Does he hide away? Oh, the religious authorities are here? The world council of church leaders are here to talk to me? No, and he said, you generation of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? What are you doing here? Here is a man bold to stand right in the face of fault for religion and call it what it was. May God give us some prophets like that today. People willing even to wrestle through some of the changing vocabulary of the church with terms like separatist or fundamentalist or whatever. I don't care what the titles are. We need the reality. We need some people to stand today. And as John, call a spade a spade. Call a false teacher a false teacher. And here's a man that with boldness did it. But you know it didn't stop there. You read the account, again we haven't the time to turn it up, but you look in Matthew 14. Herod, civil leader, king. He heard of John. It's apparent from the reading he had some fear of John, some appreciation of the integrity of this prophet. But he had stolen his brother's wife. John the Baptist wasn't afraid to say it's not lawful for you to have her. Ultimately, it cost him his life. He offended that woman. She instructed her daughter, when my husband calls for you, this is what I want you to ask of him, the head of John the Baptist. I say here is a man bold in his preaching, fearless before church, fearless before the world. A man that would let the law speak. This is the preaching of John. But we must hasten. What then of the preaching of Christ? Again, I remind you that as Christ came preaching grace, the law was all throughout Christ's preaching as well. No one in Scripture preached more about the law. No one preached more about hell than Christ did. But you see, Christ had the interesting thing as well that frustrated the Pharisees. John was an ascetic. He was distinct. He was out separate from the world and the church. A hermit in some ways. Christ was involved, moving, going here and there in society. Even at times having the audacity to dine with publicans. Those tax collectors that were hated of the people. Those representatives of the Romans in their midst. Those that took of their money and sent it to Rome and then kept a lot in their own pockets because they just sent Rome what Rome needed and what they collected far and above they lived on themselves. When Christ went and preached grace to the likes of these, the Pharisees couldn't handle it and they said of Christ, friend of publicans and sinners. Christ went forth preaching grace. Again, the law was present in his ministry as it was in John's. Grace was present in John's ministry as it was in Christ's. Christ went even to the lowest of society and offered them the gospel. How did the Pharisees react to this? What was their reaction to John and to Christ? Turn with me, if you would, quickly to Luke's Gospel, chapter 7. We've read the account in Matthew 11. But Luke's account gives us two verses that Matthew omits in the midst of this incident. We'll read beginning in verse 28 of Luke 7. For I say unto you, among those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist. He that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, Justified God. Again, that's not the way we use the word justification in the sense of salvation, but they admitted, they declared the righteousness of God in this. Being baptized then with the baptism of John. Verse 30, But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of Him. I say the Pharisees rejected both. They rejected John. They rejected Christ. Why? They looked at John. They heard his preaching. He was preaching repentance to a nation that had suffered the agonies of apostasy. And he preached to them repentance for the remission of sins. And the Pharisees said, we don't see our need of repentance. We'll not submit to this. And then Christ came. And Christ was preaching grace. And then they said of Christ, we can't see grace. Because this thing He's preaching would give the same standing to these publicans. It would give to the likes of us good and godly religious people. And we can't have that either. Here is those that do not believe rejecting the gospel of grace. If you go back with me to Matthew's account, or you can stay in Luke for the rest of the way in Luke 7, it's the same as our text. Christ brings an illustration right to the face of the Pharisees. He says in verse 16, and I think it's interesting, even just a little insight to the situation, that Christ's very words suggest that it was with difficulty He searched for an illustration of what's going on in the minds of these Pharisees. Where unto? What shall I like in this generation? Where can I find anything even to illustrate this with? Such a comment on the hardness of their hearts and how far from the truth they were and they didn't even know it. The picture here is of children. It's Saturday. People are at home or they're doing various labors. It's a time when the streets are somewhat vacant. And they're out playing in the marketplace. You got one group of kids, maybe from one neighborhood or one family and another group of kids from somewhere else or maybe they're brother and sister or brother and brother. Things don't go very well that day and they're playing. I say, let's play wedding. We'll let Johnny be the groom and little Mary, she'll be the bride and I'll be the bridesmaid and all this and I don't want to play wedding. Well, you don't want to do that? Well, let's play funeral. And we'll mourn and I don't want to do that either. How many times, I mean the illustration if you stop to think it through, very powerful. How many times are children of the mindset or the mood, I'm not going to be satisfied no matter what you do for me today. You can polish my shoes, you can make my bed, you can straighten up my toys, and I'm still going to spit in your face. That was their mindset. Children and their selfishness and their self-absorption Whatever another child suggested to play that day, nothing was going to be good. I'm not going to agree to anything. That's what Christ says here of the Pharisees. They look at John. They say, we don't need that repentant stuff. They look at Christ. We can't believe He would accept publicans. You see, the problem in their hearts is they wanted to be the ones to say what will play. I'm not going to play anything you tell me to play today. We're going to play what I want to play or nothing. There's the illustration. These men wanted to be the ones to define the law. And if they couldn't define the law, they'd have nothing to do with it. And that is why in their own refusal of the gospel. They look at John, they'll have nothing to do with Him. They look at Christ, they'll have nothing to do with Him. We're going to make our own law. And they tried to bring John and Christ into contradiction. They tried to bring grace and works into contradiction. They're always in contradiction except in the gospel. Christ said of them, wisdom is justified of her children. The Pharisees looked at John the Baptist. They could not see their need of what he was preaching. And so, they looked at him and said, he's got a devil. He's nuts. Anybody that could come to the likes of us and say we need to repent, he's not thinking straight. He's possessed. I ask you, if we go to people today, if we go to those in the seeker-sensitive circles, if we go to those in the courts of Rome, of false religion, of the cults, and we tell them their need of repentance, that the things they're pursuing, the things they allow in their lives are incompatible with Christianity, that they need to come and embrace Christ and turn from their sin. There are many today that feel completely justified in looking at us and saying, you're possessed. You know, you folks are really weird. And we have to admit it, even as people come to visit with us here. There are a lot of things that we preach and pursue. And even from Christian circles, people look and say, you guys are weird. We're in good company. That's where John was. You see, the Pharisees wanted the liberty to define the law for themselves. John's definition, he says, we need repentance. He's off base. Was he? No, he was not. Christ said here, and our time really is gone, wisdom is justified of our children. It's a difficult phrase in many ways. Some of the commentators go back and forth. To me, I think if you look at the context, the answer is relatively simple. These that misunderstand, or maybe more accurately, these that reject the gospel of grace. They look at John, they look at Christ. They see no compatibility and they see nothing in either of them that's attractive. They seem to be so different. All they know is they don't agree with either one. Christ says wisdom is justified over children. No contradiction between me and John. Grace and righteousness are entirely compatible. The need of repentance among even the religious and the full and free acceptance with God even of the likes of a publican or a woman of the streets These are entirely compatible. Because whether you're religious or irreligious, apart from Christ, you need repentance. And whether you're religious or irreligious, when you come to Christ in grace, you're freely and fully accepted with God. The Pharisees said, no, we're not going to play either of those games. It's going to be our way or the highway. And they rejected the gospel. Did they understand it? Maybe not. Maybe so. But they wouldn't let God define things. They wanted the prerogative to define it themselves. Christ said, your children argue just like these brats in the street. But wisdom is justified over children. The gospel is the answer. It's a gospel of free grace. It's a gospel demanding repentance. It's a gospel that brings forth fruits, as John said. Friends, this is some of the territory, doctrinally and experimentally, that we've got to wrestle with today. I pray that God will give us grace in these weeks to flesh out these bones and give us help in looking afresh at the gospel of the grace of God. Let's bow our heads and our hearts together. Heavenly Father, as we enter Thy presence today, Lord, we confess we've just but begun. Lord, we ask for grace, wisdom, or humility. Lord, we ask that in the end to be rejoicing. So we pray that thou will give us even in these studies to find Christ in their midst. Lord, purge from us the minds of the Pharisees that would want to make the rules. You are sovereign. Lord, we confess if it were not for your grace The rules would say only that we must perish. But you have honored your law. You have remained just. And yet, you are now the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. Lord, I pray, meet with us in these studies. Guide us in our own thoughts. Give us grace and power. Lord, we ask it in Jesus' name.