Sermon: Order of Salvation: Faith

we're going to continue tonight or a little series through the Bordeaux salutes or the word of Salvation tonight. What we're going to do is look at Faith. following upon the hills of regeneration and repentance and tonight what I want to do just as a launching place. flip opened Romans 10

Romans 10 and Just use that as kind of a launching. place to talk about faith in the order

think what we'll do is back up to. mmm

It's back up to verse 8. I want to read verses 8 through. 17 let's pray before we open the word together this evening.

The father we are thankful that you are a God who is at work in this world? Weasley we take that for granted special as we sit in this place and stand in this place this evening.

You are God who is active? Is your god of love and exceeding Grace?

So we pray that even this evening that we would find that. reactive in this room

and more so that you are active within our persons. That you would bring this living and active word to Bear upon. Souls that are in desperately in need of it some of us this will be old hat and pray that it would not. Fall upon uses. Oh, I know that. that we would find ourselves refreshed and renewed and strengthened in this beautiful doctrine of faith for others of us in this room nothing of this faith and we pray that this

might even be the night. That you Open the Eyes of our heart that we might see you. Living God Of Heaven and Earth might come to treasure your beloved Son or savior. Work has only you can work this evening. You pray all of this in the Name of Christ Jesus our great prophet who speaks to us even now? amen Romans chapter 10 back up to verse 8 though. Really going to do is just kind of briefly look at verses 14 through 17.

But what does it say? The word is near you in your mouth and in your heart that is the word of faith that we Proclaim. Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. for with the heart One Believes is Justified the mouth one confesses in a saved the scriptures says everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek

for the same. Lord is Lord of all bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed. And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they depeach unless they are sent. As it is written. A beautiful or the feet of those who preach

the good news. They have not all obeyed the gospel for Isaiah says Lord who is believed what he has heard from us. to Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word Christ the grass withers flower fades of God is forever. Thanks be to God. amen To faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word. of God So I want to think about just here at the very beginning. Last week we looked at repentance the week before that.

We looked at regeneration this week. We'll look at Faith. Paul here in chapter 10 is detailing as he goes from Romans 9 to chapter 10 on to chapter 11. He's detailing how the Jewish people the Israelites how they have not believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ and his detailing how it is his great desire to see his countrymen those that he is United to by Blood come the saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who shed his blood for Sinners and

so he is speaking about that here in chapter 10 when we get here. He's detailing how is it that salvation occurs? But you notice he's saying it's not just for Jews not just for Israelites. It's also for Gentiles. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek for the same. Lord is the Lord of all for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. And then in verse 14, he gives us a train of his logical thinking in relation

to this gospel going out and it being received so that people can be saved if everyone who calls on him is saved then how are they to call on him? Is this question? well and his answer is a call upon him. They must believe in him but believe in him they have to hear of him and to hear of him. Someone has to preach to them the word and for someone to preach the word to them. Someone has to go to them or be sent to them.

It's The Logical flow of fall. And then he summarizes it all. So faith. comes from hearing And hearing through the word of Christ. It is God's normative way. That he saves Sinners by his word. It is his normative way that he saves Sinners by the word that is preached. Word preach it's often used in the New Testament. Has the idea of teherald or to Proclaim or to announce? It's not a conversation. It's a proclamation. This is

what is true. This is the one that you need to believe in here. You hear you the King has a word for you. This is what Heralds would do and this is the idea of what the proclamation of the word is. It's a heralding on behalf of the king. But even more particularly it is the heralding of the king himself when the preacher who has been called by God and ordained by God and been sent by God as a hero proclaims his word when he enters the

pulpit he is speaking and he's applying the words of Christ. The God's people as the spirit works and they receive it by faith. Christ is speaking to you.

He's speaking. in the preached word hearing a word from outside of us. And we need to hear that word. word from Christ He's the Creator where the creation he's the Lord. We are the subjects. He is the head. We are the body he speaks. And we listen.

It says not a dialogue. Often think when we're in worship together about this and think. it's meant to be like job when he appears before God with all of his complaints and he puts his hands on his mouth. We're just sit and have open ears and open spirits and Open Hearts and just receive what it is that he is saying to us.

Entire argument is that salvation comes by the word preached? And as the word is preached, it works faith in the people who receive it salvation is by faith alone. So faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. How is it that these Jews are going to be saved my countrymen. How is it that they will be saved. How will be that? The Gentiles will be saved. It will be that they hear the word. And it's by the preaching of the word as they

receive that word as that word falls upon dead. Dry Souls that are languishing in sin and death and facing the prospect of hell that as the word goes out. It is received by these people in faith.

first the necessity of salvation by faith alone Necessity of Salvation by being being by faith alone. Why is it that salvation must be by faith alone? Because there is nothing that we are and there is nothing that we can do that impresses God. nothing

or men and there are women that. are impressive Just impressive. walk into a room and Often do this watch people and think who's going to be the leader as we walk into a room. I like to watch that Dynamic and there's some that just naturally gravitate to the top. They're impressive. A lot of times with men it's because they're told. they have a gravity about them and they talk with a deep voice and people just listen to that man.

Or can be that you watch someone and they're just they just have a Charisma about them. They when they talk to people people just gravitate towards and they're just likeable. People listen to them when they talk. There are others that just have it by reputation. They they are known they're credentialed. You know that. They've written this or they've spoken at this or they have this reputation. And so when they walk into the room, you can watch people's eyes just kind

of drift to that person and See what? They're going to say and what they're going to do. It's very easy to impress one another. We do this all the time. and I think a lot of people think that God is much like our interactions with one another that he is one that can be impressed by her traits and our characteristics and our background and our education and our credentials that that will commend us to him as a commends us to others in a

room. And God will see us and he just won't be able to help himself. He'll be impressed and off we will go to spend eternity together. But God said be holy as I am Holy. That's the requirement. Be holy as I am Holy. And the distance between our Holiness and the Holiness standard that is required from us. It's infinite. The idea that you and I could in any way approach that Holiness standard is laughable.

But so far. from us Philippians 3 Take you there flip over and Philippians 3 with me. Paul was thinking upon this reality is he's thinking about salvation by faith.

He's thinking about his pedigree. He's thinking about. All the things that he is and that he has done.

Look at if he Philippians 3, let's look at verse 4. and he says this

though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh Also if anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh. I have more. Circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel of The Tribe of Benjamin a Hebrew of Hebrews as to the law of Pharisee as the view of persecutor of the church as the righteousness under the law blameless. Look if anybody has what is required, it's me says Paul And we have to agree. There's no one like Paul.

That leads him and verse 7 to say this.

But whatever gain I had. Counted as laws for the sake of Christ. Indeed. I count everything as loss. Because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for this sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish dung. In order that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith. in Christ the righteousness from God that

depends on faith That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share his sufferings becoming like him as death that by any means possible. I maintain the resurrection of the Dead. It's all lost. He says why because it screams of Independence. It screams of saying I have arrived I got enough.

And relax and understanding of the depth of our sinfulness.

you and I to Adorn ourselves with our pedigrees or our human righteousness or our families of origin Think that that is somehow acceptable to God. It reminds me of the illustration heard years ago about a man that read everything he could about swimming. He didn't know how to swim. So he read every book he could about swimming and so after he had read these books he went out and he had equipped himself with everything that he had read about

he had on these huge goggles and he put on a swimmer's cap and he put on the flippers on his feet and he put a snorkel in his mouth and he had read how it's helpful to train with diving weights. And so he had diving weights on his ankles and on his wrists and he's ready to jump into the pool.

Those things that he thought were going to be assets or going to be liabilities. Going to find themselves drowning. David goes out to fight Goliath. So puts all his armor on him. This is what a warrior looks like, but David realizes that what soul thinks our assets are actually liabilities. They won't help him gain Victory. They will lead him to his death. So what does he do? He does the same thing that the Apostle Paul does here.

He looks outside of himself. He places his faith in Christ. But whatever gain I had I counted it as loss for the sake of Christ. And then Ephesians 2 as promised spoke about just a couple of weeks ago. We were dead in our trespasses and sins and then another beautiful but but God being rich and mercy because of the great love with which he loved this, even when we were dead in our trespasses made us alive together with Christ by Grace you have been

saved through faith all are dead in self-righteousness.

Oh status Paul was on that road to Damascus murderer as zealot. About knowledge a man who? Was looking to himself and confidence in his flesh and God rich and mercy and rich in Grace and Rich in love makes dead Sinners alive. How by Grace you have been saved through. faith

how does faith in Christ make you right before God? That's second question. How does that make you right before God?

faith is often been referred to as the instrument of our justification the instrument it's the means. By which you and I receive the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Christ Alone upheld and upholds the standard of God. He is perfectly righteous. He is perfectly holy he fully meets all the demands of the law and God as the Heidelberg Catechism says grants and credits it to me. All that righteousness all that satisfaction

all that Holiness. It's credited to my account.

Then what's required of me? Was a Heidelberg Catechism says all I need to do is to accept the gift of God with a believing heart. That's what's required. faith I believe in heart. It's the one thing that's required of us. To have a right standing before God because it alone is the instrument by which we receive the credit of Christ's righteousness to our account and God declares us justify. Faith receives and in this sense it's passive.

Comes to you you just receive it. It's simply just resting in Christ Jesus.

Come to me all you are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. passive just resting in Christ. John Calvin commenting upon this said you see that our righteousness is not enough but in Christ that we possess it only because we are partakers in Christ indeed in him. We possess all its riches. the reformers when they come along and the Protestant Reformation the magisterial reformers and lutherans Wing Lee the second generation reformers and Calvin and

melanchthon and abuser and others they will speak about justification by faith being what they would call the material called. The material cause of the Reformation that is it's the very material or the very substance of the Gospel. This is the heart of the Gospel justification is by grace alone in Christ alone through faith alone. Again, our justification is not based upon Merit the holy God will never ever be satisfied with

the works of all men neither though is our justification based upon the infusion of Christ's righteousness in US. A kind of righteousness that's placed in us and that grows within us becoming our righteousness as it grows in US rather our Salvation is solely based upon the person of Christ and his righteousness, which is imputed to us. It's just credited to us.

And that can only be received by faith alone.

Roman Catholic church and the reformers both believe that justifications by faith from Catholics you talk to them today? You know anything about their theology will say yes you we're justified by faith that's clear teaching of scripture. The difference is in two ways. Is that one? It's that word alone. Just okay just fine by faith alone. In addition. There's also been a disagreement about the meaning of justification itself is

our justification founded upon the righteousness of Christ imputed. Or credited to us or is it that the righteousness of Christ that is working in US? That justifies us. reformers Rightly understood the scriptures as Christ's righteousness is imputed to The Sinner and that God declares us as righteous by virtue of that gracious Act of imputation. It's a real imputation. It's a real crediting and because it's a real imputation that occurs with the real Spirit raw

Union with the righteous Christ. This is not a legal fiction. When you and I stand Before the Throne of God because we are in Union with Christ. His righteousness credited to my account is not a legal fiction. I'm in him. And so his righteousness is my righteousness. So that when God looks upon me a sinner, he sees a sinner saved by grace through faith. He sees the righteousness of Christ. Credited to me.

to give

to give it's not a process.

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Christ's righteousness is infused. So that the righteousness of Christ is as it were placed in you and you as a man or woman who has this righteousness of Christ in you you then cooperate with that righteousness. And as you cooperate with that righteousness, there is a progressive and inwardly renovating of your heart. And so you are declared. You're not declared righteous. You're actually becoming righteous.

And that's your justification.

Process is said to begin a baptism. Christ's righteousness is infused in you and to progress as you. Merit your salvation by continuing in this grace through living a moral life and doing good works and participating and Religious rituals, but it's pretty clear in Scripture. Paul says here in Philippians 3 the righteousness from God. He says in Romans 1:17 that it is in the gospel that quote righteousness of God is revealed from Faith forfeit.

John Murray coming to commenting upon this and it's commentary in Romans says this he says it is a god righteousness. Because it is such God as its author. It is a righteousness that must elicit the Divine approval. It's a righteousness. That meets all the demands of his Justice and therefore avails before God but the particular emphasis rests upon its Divine property and is therefore contrasted not only with human unrighteousness.

but with human righteousness man righteousness, even though perfect and measuring up to all the demands of God's Perfection would never be adequate to the situation created by our sins. And this is the glory of the Gospel. You have the very righteousness of God credited to you. to gift

this is my standard be holy as I am Holy. Here it is. Christ

just receive it.

by faith

another Theologian said The Reformation gave renewed Focus to the alien righteousness that is a righteousness outside of us and alien righteousness of Christ. While the monks were busy trying to find the good within the reformers were pointing Believers to the Christ outside of them in history who lived and died and rose again to give freely what none of us has or can create on the inside.

Can't do it.

No matter how much effort you put in you can't do it.

so third To finally Define what saving faith is?

It's often been argued in the history of the church that saving faith is three things. everything it's knowledge. to sin and its trust knowledge sent trust do this with kids. I always write. On the board say, you know, what is your favorite animal and we'll talk about in the night say one of my least favorite is a cat and I'll put k a t up there. erupt that's not how you spell cat true. That that's how you remember this knowledge sent Trust.

We must have true knowledge of Christ. We must know him. Faith has content. Otherwise, it would simply be gibberish Faith must contain knowledge of who Christ is what he has accomplished and what he has promised Paul is telling us that here in Romans 10 that faith comes from hearing the word of Christ. There's content. You have to know it. However, there must be more than knowledge of Christ. The second component is a sin.

This means not only having this knowledge where I know of Christ. I know of his life. I know of his death. I know of his burial I know of his resurrection I know of is Ascension I know of his promise of Salvation to Sinners when he says come to me all you who are wearing heavy late and I know of that but it's more than that. I also sent to it. I actually believe that that is true.

I believe that Jesus was real. I believe that he truly died. I believe that. It truly was buried. I believe that he was truly resurrected. There's a scent to that knowledge.

But you see that's not even enough. James will tell us even the demons believe. And they shudder. They know the information. They're not only know the information they sent to it being true. Right when Jesus appears there with the Demonic and the Garrison see that demonic will say to him. Our time has not yet. Come. He knows. He knows that Jesus is Lord and King when he commands a me obeys immediately. He knows he has

knowledge and he has a sin but he doesn't have the third thing. trumps knowledge scent Trust it's a true leaning on the true resting on a true trusting in Christ instead of ourselves for our Salvation. This third component is what one Theologian said is the crown of faith. You got to have the crown.

Faith must look away from self to utter and complete dependence upon Christ his person and his work of salvation. Burrows

so four quick questions that are often tied to this. You misunderstanding. Isn't Faith a work then?

often been in this conversation with Roman Catholics and let's say oh you also believe that it's necessary to do you have You have to believe. Where's that coming from? You've got to believe isn't that a work? No. Because faith is always a give. To give that is extended for by Grace. You've been saved through faith. This is not a result of your own doing. It's a gift of God. If any of us have faith, that's because God gave it

to us. Second but doesn't my faith save me that sounds like I'm saving myself. Well, let's say it this way in one sense. It is not our faith itself that saves us. Remember reading Bebe Warfield years and years ago and thought Oh, this is the best I've ever seen on this and he said this he said it is not strictly speaking even faith. in Christ that saves but Christ that saves through faith. The saving power resides resides exclusively

not in the Act of Faith or the attitude of Faith or the nature of Faith but in the object of Faith so that we could not more radically misconceive it then by transferring to Faith even the smallest fraction of that saving energy, which is attributed in the scriptures solely to Christ himself. Our faith is but the instrument By which we receive the saving Christ.

Just the instrument. Christ that say

I'm not sure. The God has chosen to give me saving Faith. How do I know?

Listen faith is not believing you've been saved. Neither, is it belief that you are elect? We come to him a sinner. I don't come to him because we've been saved but to be saved. Sinners that run to him

finally I Faith seems wobbly. Not sure my faith is strong enough to be saved.

This wonderful count and Mark 5 where? entire chapters about faith have Jairus who is having Jesus go with him to heal his daughter and father on their way to heal jairus' daughter proud that is All Around Jesus and pressing in on Jesus as his own way. And there's a woman that has that issue with blood. She can't stop bleeding. And she's an unclean woman because she's bleeding. but she knows of Jesus and she's heard of Jesus and

So she reaches out and she touches Jesus. Because she believes that by touching him. She might be healed. And you have this really interesting. Passage where Jairus is oh beside himself because they need to rush to get to his daughter and they're on their way in Jesus just stops the entire crowd. He says who is it that touch me. He felt the energy go out.

And he stops to instruct about faith.

It's interesting that the bleeding woman. She doesn't have a perfect faith in many ways. We could say it was. wrapped up with a lot of mysticism she thought that simply by touching him she Would be healed. presumptuous at the very least She didn't have her theological tease cross. You never theological eyes dotted her faith was not perfect. Nonetheless it was faith in Christ.

And he commends her faith. He commends her because she trusted in him.

And ounce of saving faith is saving faith.

none of us None of us has a pure unsullied unstained pure faith.

And there is sufficient Grace. for such wobbly faith

Jesus himself will even say right he will say we're to come to him with a child like Faith that's children us. models to us

if you trusted in the person of Christ.

It's enough.

again, Marie says it is here. at the most characteristic Act of Faith appears It is engagement of person. to person The engagement of The Sinner as loss to the person of the Savior able and willing to save Faith after all is not belief of propositions of Truth respecting the Savior. However essential and ingredient of Faith such belief is Faith is trust in a person the person of Christ the son of God and the savior of the Lord

Have you placed your faith? person of Christ

it's enough. Now we live a life of Faith to him.

Although things that we think could Merit us heaven or open the gate or gain God's favor make us pleasing or nothing. everything else we trust in as a loss. It's rubbish. It's dung. As Paul says Christ. Alone is our is our gain. Because salvation is by grace alone through faith alone. In Christ Alone

It's a great gift of the ages.

Hope you know it tonight. You do ha you should go home skipping. You don't I would love to talk with you. Let's pray together.

Father we thank you for the great gift. Once you have given us in Christ. Thankful that none of us in this room have reason to boast. And none of us have reason to despair.

And if we have faith. Is a gift from your hand and may we live? life of continual Faith before you Thanksgiving and joy in our hearts We don't yet know your son. Brave in tonight

that you would flood our hearts with the truth of your word. And we would know this righteousness of yours credited to our account. You would extend your hands out and give the gift of faith.

Help us. Never to despair to think we are too far ago, and you are God who saves sinner? For that we are thankful. We want to give you praise and glory with all that we are. And pray this in the strong name of Christ. amen