1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,840 Now we're going to turn tonight in our Bible to Job chapter 10, 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:08,680 and I'm just going to read the verse 13 verses of the chapter, 3 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:15,280 Job chapter 10. Let's hear the Word of God. 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:19,000 Words will come up on screen for those online reading, of course, 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:24,400 from the King James Bible, Job chapter 10. 6 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:30,600 This is a little message that the Lord gave me few days ago. 7 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:34,360 One of my daily morning Bible readings. 8 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:38,520 Job chapter 10. Listen to these words. 9 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:46,480 Verse one. My soul is weary of my life. 10 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:52,600 I will leave my complaint upon myself. 11 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:57,680 I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. 12 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:03,160 I will say unto God, Do not condemn me. 13 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:08,240 Show me wherefore thou contend us with me. 14 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:15,120 It is good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress the work of 15 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:19,280 thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked. 16 00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:24,680 Hast thy eyes of flesh, or seest thou as man seeth? 17 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:32,320 Are thy days as the days of man? Are thy years as man's days, 18 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:38,960 that thou inquirest after mine iniquity, and searches after my 19 00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:42,480 sin? Thou knowest that I'm not 20 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:47,320 wicked, and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand. 21 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,400 Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together. 22 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:55,680 Bring to bite, yet Thou dost destroy me. 23 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:02,360 Remember, I beseech thee, that Thou was made me as the clay, 24 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,240 and wilt Thy bring me into dust again. 25 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:12,680 Hast Thy not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like 26 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:16,400 cheese? Thy has clothed me with skin and 27 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:22,520 flesh, and has fenced me with bones and sinew that has granted 28 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:26,840 me life and fever, and Thy visitation hath preserved my 29 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,920 spirit. And these things as thou hid in 30 00:02:30,920 --> 00:02:36,160 thine heart, I know that this is with thee. 31 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:38,560 Amen. We know that God will stamp with 32 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,680 His own approval and blessing this reading of His own precious 33 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:47,680 and infallible Word. Now my text tonight is taken 34 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:51,560 from Job chapter 10 verses 6:00 and 7:00. 35 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:57,040 It reads as follows that thou enquirest after mine iniquity 36 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:02,040 and searches after my sin. Thou knowest that I am not 37 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:06,000 wicked, and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand. 38 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,160 And have entitled tonight's message. 39 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:14,200 Job's assurance of being acquitted by God. 40 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,440 Now Job is an Old Testament believer. 41 00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:23,240 He's a saved man, one who feared God and who hated evil, and he's 42 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,560 come under attack from the powers of darkness. 43 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:31,640 God had permitted Satan to attack Job and deprive him first 44 00:03:31,640 --> 00:03:35,280 of all of his ten children. 10 children were partying in the 45 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:39,320 house, and they all died at the same time on the same night. 46 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,520 A mighty tornado hit that house where they were partying, and 47 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:47,200 they were all dead. He deprived them of thousands of 48 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:51,520 his possessions. Think of his animals, his sheep, 49 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:56,040 his camel and his oxen, and also deprived him of his own health 50 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,040 and strength. Now here's an upright man. 51 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,160 And even though we feared God and hated evil, he's brought low 52 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:08,440 under the sovereign hand of a holy God and yet a loving God. 53 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:13,640 And in his mind, Job is struggling with a contradiction 54 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:19,240 between God's holy justice and his own suffering. 55 00:04:19,959 --> 00:04:22,880 Job feels that God is searching him out. 56 00:04:23,840 --> 00:04:26,440 He feels he's been treated as a criminal. 57 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:32,840 He he feels the exposure of sin that he doesn't perceive in his 58 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:35,960 own heart and mind. So here he is. 59 00:04:37,040 --> 00:04:42,760 He's sitting in anguish of soul. He is mentally exhausted from 60 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:47,640 this deep storm of affliction that has engulfed his life. 61 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:53,720 And in his woe and in his anguish, Job turns to the Lord. 62 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:58,400 He does the right thing. He pleads before him for 63 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,560 answers. He wants to know why Lord. 64 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:06,120 He wants to know exactly what is happening to him, and in the 65 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,560 midst of his peeing and suffering, under the inspiration 66 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:14,960 of the Holy Spirit, he utters a most profound theological truth. 67 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:20,400 And the truth is this, that God is both the one who examines the 68 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:26,200 heart and God is the only one who can acquit the wicked. 69 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:31,680 Job acknowledges that no one can deliver out of God's hand. 70 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,440 What does that mean? It means this. 71 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:39,920 If he is to be justified, if he is to be acquitted in a legal 72 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:42,960 sense, then God himself must do it. 73 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:47,520 Only God has the power to do it. And these words, as I read them 74 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:52,320 the other day in my study, these words brought home to me this 75 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:58,480 theme of being acquitted by God, not on the basis of personal 76 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:02,160 merit, not because he deserved it, not on the basis of 77 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,000 religious rite and ceremony. He didn't go and join a church. 78 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:10,080 He didn't start doing religious things, but by the free, 79 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:16,280 sovereign grace of God. Listen to the text again, verse 80 00:06:16,280 --> 00:06:20,480 6 that thou inquirest after mine iniquity and searches after my 81 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:22,320 sin. Thou knowest that I'm not 82 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:26,360 wicked, and there's none that can deliver out of thine hand. 83 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:31,040 Now three things tonight very quickly. 1 the scrutiny of 84 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:35,560 Jehovah's search. Look at verse 6 that thou 85 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:39,520 inquirest after mine iniquity and searches after my sin. 86 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:43,960 You see, God is not indifferent to sin. 87 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:51,960 God is not a passive observer. He inquires about our sin. 88 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:59,880 He searches for our sin. He examines us regarding our 89 00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:03,880 sin. Remember first John 110 says if 90 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:10,280 we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and His word is 91 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:15,040 not in US. How many people affirm with 92 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:21,080 confidence, even brashness, that they have not sinned against 93 00:07:21,280 --> 00:07:25,320 God, and they get angry when you tell them that they are a 94 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:28,080 Sinner? The Bible affirms this in the 95 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:32,720 book of Hebrews 4 and 13. All things are naked and opened 96 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:36,160 unto the eyes of him with whom they have to do. 97 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:39,520 Young people, tonight God's scrutiny is perfect. 98 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:44,960 He scrutinises our thoughts, our words, and our deed. 99 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:48,640 He examines our heart. He looks into our mind. 100 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:51,640 He thinks of the works of our hands. 101 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:56,400 God's scrutiny is penetrating. We talked about the onion this 102 00:07:56,400 --> 00:08:00,160 morning. From the outside, layer upon 103 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:04,040 layer, The outer layer leads to the inner layer. 104 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,000 When you get into the inner, it leads to the outer. 105 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:13,320 You see, sin is not just on the outside, sinners, not just about 106 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:17,800 our behaviour. We don't just do wrong things, 107 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:22,160 we have hearts that want the wrong things. 108 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:27,600 The bottom line is this, we are sinners by nature and practise. 109 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:31,200 And to tell people that on the doors, to preach that from the 110 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:34,840 pulpit and on the street, people get mad and angry. 111 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:41,240 What is sin? Sure, the Catechism says sin is 112 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:44,560 any want of conformity unto your transgression of the law of God. 113 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:47,600 Let me teach you tonight from the Bible what sin is. 114 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:50,160 Sin is a transgression of the law. 115 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:57,120 First, John 3 and 4, the breaking of the 10 commandments. 116 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:02,480 That's the summary of God's law. Sin is more than just a 117 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:05,280 transgression of the law. Sin is knowing to do good and 118 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:09,480 doing it, not James 4 and 17. Knowing that you're to love God, 119 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:14,320 knowing that there's say no to sin and not doing it, that's 120 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:16,680 sin. The Bible even says that 121 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:20,520 unbelief is sin. Whatsoever is not a faith is 122 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:24,400 sin. Romans 14 and 23 the Bible says 123 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:28,080 in first John 517 all unrighteousness is sin. 124 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:33,760 So put that all together and here's God defining from us, 125 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:38,920 teaching us what sin is. And God's scrutiny of that sin 126 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:42,440 is not only perfect, but it's penetrating because it's our 127 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:50,040 thoughts, our words, our deeds. Imagine even unbelief saying 128 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:55,760 there is no God. The atheist is committing sin by 129 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:58,440 the way he lives and what he pronounces because the fool have 130 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:01,240 said in his heart there is no God. 131 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:05,120 I'll tell you something else. God's scrutiny is personal. 132 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:10,800 Imagine going to the doctor. There's something wrong with 133 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,480 you, but you can't quite figure out what it is. 134 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:16,760 And the doctor looks at you and says there's nothing wrong with 135 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:19,360 you, take a paracetamol and go away home. 136 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:25,280 But you've got a wound, you've got a sore, you feel pain in 137 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:27,480 your body. What do you want the doctor to 138 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:29,960 do? You want the doctor to examine 139 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:32,040 you. You want the doctor to probe. 140 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:36,480 You want the doctor to expose what is wrong. 141 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:40,480 Why? Because once he finds a correct 142 00:10:40,680 --> 00:10:48,440 prognosis, then he'll tell you. And you see, the probing of the 143 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:52,480 doctor is not to destroy you, but to deliver you. 144 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:55,960 The probing of the doctor is not so that you're going to suffer, 145 00:10:56,560 --> 00:10:58,760 but so that you can be saved and helped. 146 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:01,560 The probing of the doctors not to hurt you. 147 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:04,480 The probing of the doctor is to help you. 148 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:09,720 But before you could be helped, delivered, or saved, you must 149 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:14,120 have an honest exposure of the problem of the pain that you 150 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:17,240 feel in your body and what is true in the physical realm. 151 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:23,920 Here's Doctor Jesus, the great Physician, and your sin must be 152 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:27,720 brought to light. You have broken God's law. 153 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:32,400 You're a law breaker. In the book of Exodus in chapter 154 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:35,800 20 and in the verse three, he says thou shall have no other 155 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:39,320 gods before me. And if you love someone else or 156 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,600 love some other thing more than you love God, then you're 157 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:47,480 breaking that first commandment. Remember what we read there in 158 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:50,840 the Gospel of Matthew in Matthew chapter 23. 159 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:54,920 He says in verse 37, Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all 160 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:59,800 thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. 161 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:04,080 This is the first and great commandment, and the second is 162 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:06,320 like unto it. I shall love thy neighbour as 163 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,200 they shall. On these two commandments hang 164 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,720 all the law and the prophets. In other words, he took the 10 165 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:13,360 commandments and summarised them. 166 00:12:13,560 --> 00:12:18,800 Love to God the first four and love to your neighbour the final 167 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:23,480 six. But the reality is natural, man 168 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:26,120 doesn't love God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength, 169 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:30,600 and he certainly doesn't love his neighbour as he loves 170 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:33,680 himself. And what does that make us then? 171 00:12:33,680 --> 00:12:41,440 That makes U.S. law Breakers. The Bible even tells us in 172 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:46,800 Colossians 3 verse 5, covetousness, which is idolatry. 173 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:50,040 The Bible says in the 10th commandment, thou shalt not 174 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:53,840 covet. And what is covetousness? 175 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:58,120 It is idolatry. It's it's a love for things that 176 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:00,880 maybe somebody else has and you wanted and you're going to do 177 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:03,200 anything you can to get that thing. 178 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:07,080 I'm speaking as a pastor. I'm speaking as a friend 179 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:09,640 tonight. And I don't have a big stick. 180 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,360 I don't have a club to beat you over the head. 181 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:17,800 I come as a a faithful pastor and friend because listen to 182 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:19,880 what our old reformers taught us. 183 00:13:20,560 --> 00:13:25,480 True conviction must proceed, a true justification. 184 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:29,640 John Calvin said man never achieves a clear knowledge of 185 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:33,600 himself unless first he looks upon the face of God. 186 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:37,480 And when you look on the face of God, you discover what Job 187 00:13:37,680 --> 00:13:42,240 discovered, That thou inquires after mine iniquity and searches 188 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:44,320 after my sin. God hates sin. 189 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:47,920 God searches out sin. God defines sin. 190 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:53,080 God punishes sin, and a true view of self is necessary before 191 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:56,680 there can be salvation. Remember what the Lord Jesus 192 00:13:56,680 --> 00:14:00,440 said in Mark 7. For from within hears what comes 193 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:03,800 in out of the heart of man. For from within, out of the 194 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:07,920 heart of man, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, 195 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:16,640 fornications, murders, theft, covetousness, wickedness, 196 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:20,280 deceit, lusciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pridefully, and 197 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:24,720 all these evil things come from within and defile the man. 198 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:30,640 Here's the sinner's practise. Here's a catalogue of things 199 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:35,560 that comes out of his heart and out of his life, and coming out 200 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:39,560 of his heart reveals that he's a Sinner by nature. 201 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:43,480 David said, Behold, I was shaped in an iniquity, and in sin did 202 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:47,480 my mother conceive me. And remember, the Bible teaches 203 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:51,600 in Revelation 21 and verse 27. And there shall in no wise enter 204 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:56,760 into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh 205 00:14:57,440 --> 00:15:01,520 abomination or maketh a lie, but they that are written in the 206 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:04,640 Lamb's book of life. It's said in chapter 21, verse 207 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:06,520 8. But the fearful and unbelieving, 208 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:09,800 and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers 209 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:12,480 and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the 210 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:14,920 lake which burned up with fire and brimstone, which is the 211 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:18,040 second death. The fearful, the man or woman 212 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:21,480 who knows there's a God and knows he's a soul and knows he's 213 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:26,080 a Sinner and unbelieving, but doesn't want to believe that, 214 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:33,040 happy to live in their own way. We have such a light view of sin 215 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:36,160 today. The majority of people do not 216 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,240 have a true view of themselves. They think they're great. 217 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:41,840 They think they're wonderful in the sight of God. 218 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:48,960 Oh, and this and that. But we need, as Calvin said, a 219 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:53,360 clear knowledge of himself. And when does that begin? 220 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:57,920 When he first looks upon God's holy face. 221 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:03,000 So that's the first thing, the scrutiny of Jehovah's search. 222 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:07,800 The second thing in our text is this, the sincerity of Job's 223 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:11,440 statement. Look at chapter 17, chapter 10, 224 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,080 verse 7. Listen to these words. 225 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,480 Thou knowest that I'm not wicked. 226 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:21,840 This is what Job said to God. I am not wicked. 227 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:24,160 Thou knowest that I'm not wicked. 228 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:30,360 The word wicked is a legal term. It has to do with the law courts 229 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:35,560 and the legal justice system. The word wicket is connected to 230 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:40,960 the concept of deserving punishment, deserving judgement. 231 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:46,160 And Job is pleading before God. He's pleading confidently. 232 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:51,240 He's pleading calmly, asserting that he doesn't stand before 233 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:55,480 God, condemned. And let me tell you, Job is 234 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:59,880 absolutely correct because nowhere in the Bible or nowhere 235 00:16:59,880 --> 00:17:05,680 in the book of Job do we read or find God condemning Job or God 236 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:08,760 rejecting Job. In fact, it's the opposite. 237 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:15,200 He receives Job, he he cares for Job. 238 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:19,880 Listen to what we read in Job chapter 1 and in the verse one. 239 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:22,599 There was a man in the land of Olives whose name was Job. 240 00:17:22,599 --> 00:17:26,800 And that man was perfect, means fully committed and upright, and 241 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:30,160 one that feared God and eschewed evil. 242 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:37,120 You see, God praises him. God tells us that there's none 243 00:17:37,120 --> 00:17:38,560 like him in the whole of the earth. 244 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:48,320 Job was not claiming here sin, this perfection, rather he's 245 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:51,840 asserting his integrity. What he's basically saying, 246 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:55,360 folks, is this. I'm a saved man, I'm an Old 247 00:17:55,360 --> 00:18:01,040 Testament believer, I've a real and genuine faith in the Lord my 248 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:04,920 God. I am upright before God, I fear 249 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:09,120 Him, I hate evil. I'm not a guilty, hell deserving 250 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:14,360 Sinner, I was, but I've trusted Christ as my Lord and Saviour. 251 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:20,120 Job was telling us all that, and yet at the same time, he's still 252 00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:25,320 a Sinner in need of God's grace. He's not sinless, but he's 253 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,320 sincere. He's not perfect, but he's 254 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:31,560 pardoned. He's got a full free forever 255 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:35,040 justification. And God knows that Job was not 256 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:38,400 wicked yet due to his circumstance and the situation, 257 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:42,600 Job feels as if he's been treated as if he were wicked. 258 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:49,880 Job, remember, as a tried and tested St of God, he knows and 259 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:53,480 loves the Lord. He fears the Lord, and he's 260 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:58,560 proclaiming here a wonderful truth, a majestic, glorious 261 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:03,760 biblical truth, a doctrine that stands at the core, in essence, 262 00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:07,360 of what the gospel really is, and hears that truth. 263 00:19:07,520 --> 00:19:10,840 Now listen to me carefully whenever a Sinner comes to the 264 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:14,600 Lord for salvation and redemption, when he calls on 265 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:20,520 him, when he believes in him and and repents before him and cries 266 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:22,800 out God be merciful to be the Sinner. 267 00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:32,000 His sins, real as they are, legal as they are, because he's 268 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:37,680 a guilty, hell deserving Sinner with a polluted heart that's 269 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:42,480 impacted upon his behaviour. The moment he calls on the Lord 270 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:49,200 for pardon, that moment his sins are dealt with by the power of 271 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:52,560 the blood of Christ. His sins are blotted out, His 272 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:56,160 sins are put away. Remember Isaiah said, I, even I 273 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:59,080 am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own 274 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:01,520 sake, and will not remember thy sins. 275 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:04,320 See, here's the heart of the gospel. 276 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:07,640 God sent forth his Son to save sinners. 277 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,680 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, 278 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:15,680 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have 279 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:19,320 everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into 280 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:23,480 the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him 281 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:26,840 might be saved. And the Lord Jesus was born for 282 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:28,440 sinners. The Lord Jesus lived for 283 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:32,680 sinners. The Lord Jesus fulfilled the the 284 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:35,440 precepts and penalty of the broken law for us. 285 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:38,080 He died in atoning death and the cross for us. 286 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:40,840 He rose again bodily from the dead for us. 287 00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:44,960 And therefore, through receiving Christ as Lord and Saviour by 288 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:50,000 faith, we can have a full, free and forever pardon of sin. 289 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:53,840 We can know the joy of forgiveness, we can possess 290 00:20:53,840 --> 00:20:57,760 eternal life here now, we can have fellowship with God, We can 291 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:01,000 experience peace with God. Therefore, being justified by 292 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,400 faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 293 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:07,960 And if you're in Christ tonight and received him as Lord and 294 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:13,360 Saviour, you can say before him, Thou knowest that I am not 295 00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:19,640 wicked. True believers like Job may 296 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:25,520 boldly appeal to God, assert before him that truth, not on 297 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:30,280 the basis of immortal perfection, but on the basis of 298 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:32,760 an imputed righteousness, even the imputed righteousness of 299 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:34,920 Christ. The Bible says if any man be in 300 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:37,840 Christ is a new creature, all things have passed away, and all 301 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:40,280 things have become new, and all things are of God. 302 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,560 The Bible teaches us in Second Corinthians chapter 521. 303 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:50,080 For he that is God had been him that is Christ to be sin for us, 304 00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:54,360 a sin offering. That's a tremendous truth, you 305 00:21:54,360 --> 00:21:57,280 know. For he that is God hath made him 306 00:21:57,280 --> 00:22:02,320 that is Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be 307 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:05,760 made what the righteousness of God in him. 308 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:09,280 It was Martin Luther that said at the same time we are 309 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:16,840 righteous and sinners, righteous in Christ, but sinners in and 310 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:20,520 off ourselves. Remember what the Lord Jesus 311 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:24,920 taught in John chapter 5 and in the verse 24. 312 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:29,120 He said this Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my 313 00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:34,080 word and believeth on him that sent me hath what's He got 314 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:42,200 everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but it's 315 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:51,920 passed from death unto life is not tremendous encouragement not 316 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:56,680 only the scrutiny of Jehovah's search and not only the 317 00:22:56,680 --> 00:23:00,960 sincerity of Job's statement, but think finally of the 318 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:06,200 sovereignty of Jesus sentence. Look at verse 7. 319 00:23:06,880 --> 00:23:10,360 And there is none that can deliver out of thine hand. 320 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:13,200 You see, here's a sobering truth. 321 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:20,520 God is the final authority. His judgement is ultimate. 322 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:26,440 It cannot be overturned. There's no appeal court above 323 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:29,400 him. There's no advocate outside of 324 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:31,360 his provision. There's only one righteous 325 00:23:31,360 --> 00:23:35,640 advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ. There's no escape from his hand. 326 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,280 There's no exit from his sentence. 327 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:43,760 You see, if God condemns us, no man can save us. 328 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:45,800 One day we'll all stand before God. 329 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:48,640 Romans 14, verse 12. Then every one of us will give 330 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,560 an account of himself to God. God is holy, God is just, God is 331 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:55,720 wise, God is all powerful. One day we'll all give an 332 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:58,840 account, and the book shall be opened, and the book of life 333 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:00,800 with your name on it, it'll be opened. 334 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:04,280 And every sin of thought, word indeed is recorded in that book, 335 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:07,600 unless it's blotted out and covered by the blood that'll be 336 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:11,960 held against you. And the Lord will speak to us on 337 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:13,800 that day. He will address us that day. 338 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:16,560 There'll be no evading that day. There's no escape that day. 339 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:19,360 This is the day for which all other days have been made. 340 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:23,480 And if you're unrepentant, you'll tremble and you'll fear 341 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:26,120 in that day, and you'll stand without Christ. 342 00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:29,080 And I'll tell you worse, you'll stand without comfort. 343 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:32,880 And on that day out of Christ in your sin. 344 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:36,480 This is what you will hear according to the Gospel of 345 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:43,240 Matthew in Matthew Chapter 7 and in the verse and 20 and three, 346 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:46,440 you, you, you will hear those terrible words. 347 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:51,160 In Matthew 7 and verse 23, you'll hear these words. 348 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:55,840 And then when I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart 349 00:24:55,840 --> 00:25:03,120 from me, ye that work in equity. If God condemns us, then no man 350 00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:09,160 can save us out of his hand. But if God acquits us, then no 351 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:12,760 man can condemn us. Remember what we read in the 352 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:17,080 book of Romans in Romans chapter 8, and we read there in the 353 00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:25,160 verse 2033 and verse 34. Romans chapter 8, verse 3334. 354 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:29,000 We read these words. Who shall lay anything to the 355 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,480 charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 356 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:34,960 Who is he that condemneth? That is Christ that died. 357 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:37,800 Ye rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of 358 00:25:37,800 --> 00:25:41,400 God, who also maketh intercession for us? 359 00:25:42,000 --> 00:25:47,480 You see, if none can deliver us out of God's hand, then God 360 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:49,760 himself must provide the deliverer. 361 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:57,160 The deliverer must come, and the good news is, he has come. 362 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,360 Has God provided a deliverer? Yes. 363 00:26:00,360 --> 00:26:03,280 Who is he? The Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 364 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:07,600 11/26 There shall come out of Zion the deliverer, and shall 365 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:11,240 turn away ungodliness from Jacob, and that fulfils the Old 366 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:15,080 Testament prophecy, one of the lovely titles of the Lord Jesus 367 00:26:15,360 --> 00:26:19,200 the Deliverer. Who shall deliver me from this 368 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:21,640 body of death? The answer is the Lord Jesus 369 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:24,840 Christ. Romans 7/24/25 who have 370 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:26,880 delivered us from the power of darkness. 371 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:32,840 Colossians 113 The Lord Jesus Christ, whose deliver us from 372 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:36,280 wrath to come. First Thessalonians 1 and 10 373 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:38,640 Jesus which delivered us from wrath to come. 374 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:43,280 You see, here's the gospel. Jesus was born for us. 375 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:47,080 Jesus lived to send us life for us, kept the law of God 376 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:53,400 perfectly. Jesus Christ in His own life was 377 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:59,360 searched, examined and found. Send us and spot us. 378 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,680 And even though that was true, He never committed a sinful 379 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:07,760 thought, uttered A sinful word, committed a sinful deed. 380 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,560 The Lord Jesus went away all the way to the cross. 381 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:14,200 Why did Christ die? Christ died for our sins 382 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:17,280 according to the Scriptures. That is, He took our punishment 383 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:20,120 upon Himself. He offered Himself as a once and 384 00:27:20,120 --> 00:27:24,560 for all sacrifice for sin and is already read there in Romans 385 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:28,520 chapter 8. Who is he that condemneth? 386 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:32,960 It is Christ that died. Yeah, rather that is risen 387 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:35,040 again. Who is even? 388 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:38,280 Where is he now? At the right hand of God, who 389 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:42,560 also maketh intercession for us. That's why we sang that 390 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:45,800 beautiful hymn. Could you imagine this scene as 391 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:49,880 we close tonight? Think of a judge on the bench 392 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:56,600 and he's a father and he's trying a case and that father 393 00:27:56,600 --> 00:28:00,040 has two boys and one also works in the legal profession. 394 00:28:00,360 --> 00:28:07,000 He is the chief prosecutor and then the defendant they bring in 395 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:16,480 to the dock his other son. His other son is a wild, wicked 396 00:28:16,480 --> 00:28:19,040 man. He's been guilty of some 397 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:25,520 horrible crimes and that father has to sentence that other son. 398 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:33,400 He has to pronounce him guilty. He has to exact punishment. 399 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:41,440 The elder brother who's the prosecutor, he offers before his 400 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:47,000 father to be punished in the guilty stead of his blood 401 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:53,320 brother and his blood brother, he's pleading, is to go free. 402 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:58,920 Now that's a faint picture of what the Lord Jesus Christ did 403 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:07,160 on our behalf. I encourage you tonight to rest 404 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:10,920 alone in Christ. You're here, maybe full of 405 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:14,560 feelings. You're full of fears for the 406 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:19,040 future. Have you felt the weight of sin? 407 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:24,000 Are you conscious of it? Where do you go with guilty 408 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:29,280 feelings and guilty fears? I'm not good enough to stand 409 00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:32,600 before God. When I stand in the judgement 410 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:34,760 I'm going to hear depart from me. 411 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:37,720 You curse it, you worker of iniquity and the everlasting 412 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:40,520 fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 413 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:49,560 But Despite that feeling and guilty fear, I urge you this to 414 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:53,320 rest in Christ alone. For if you rest in Christ alone, 415 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:58,760 then you're ready to meet the Father, and you'll not here 416 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:08,160 depart, you'll hear Come thy thy blessed come and inherit all 417 00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:14,400 that the Father has. We're going to sing in closing 418 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:18,720 in a moment to him, and we specially choosing it. 419 00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:22,760 And this is what the first verse says. 420 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:27,640 Jesus, thy blood and righteousness, my beauty, are my 421 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:31,960 glorious dress midst flaming worlds, and these arrayed with 422 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:37,640 joy, shall I lift up my head. You see, the God who searches 423 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:43,120 you sees you tonight. But the God who searches you and 424 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:48,120 searches your sin, and who sees you in a sight, He's the God who 425 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:52,120 saves you. And how can the Father see if he 426 00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:55,200 saves through his Son? Who said I'm the way, the truth, 427 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:57,560 the life? No man comes unto the Father but 428 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:01,920 by me. And I ask tonight this will you 429 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:05,760 be acquitted? Will you be accepted into the 430 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:09,400 Father's house because you're resting in Christ? 431 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:12,800 Yes, you will. But unless you're resting in 432 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:17,680 Christ, you'll not be acquitted. You'll not be accepted into the 433 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:20,040 Father's house. And on what basis is that 434 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:25,160 acquitted, pronounced. The basis of receiving and 435 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:28,280 resting in Christ alone for salvation. 436 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:30,800 So I leave this little thought with you. 437 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:36,480 The assurance of being acquitted by God, the scrutiny of 438 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:43,920 Jehovah's search, the statement or the sincerity of Joe's 439 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:50,200 statement, and also the sovereignty of Jesus sentence. 440 00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:55,800 I pray God will give you grace tonight if you're not resting in 441 00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:59,280 Christ, if you haven't received him as your Lord and Saviour, 442 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:01,880 that you'll come and put your faith and trust in him. 443 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:05,240 If I can help you, if I can speak to anyone either on the 444 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:08,840 Internet or here tonight in the meeting, you know yourself 445 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:13,000 whether you're resting in Christ, whether you've received 446 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:17,600 him, or whether you're just living without Him, in a sense, 447 00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:23,520 rejecting Him, saying no. May the Lord give you grace as 448 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:24,880 the Lord applies His word.