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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s message will be a blessing to you and your family.

All right Romans in chapter four, Romans chapter four. Now listen, I have no doubt that most of y’all in here, maybe all of you, are well grounded on the idea that salvation is by grace. You know it’s not by the law and so forth. But when you teach in the Bible, I have to teach it as though you don’t know anything. Because I have to cover it all over again, because there might be one person who doesn’t understand and know what you know.

And also, sometimes it’s a refresher course, but I also want you to see the foundation for why you believe that salvation is by grace grace alone. So you need to understand what justification is and why it’s not by the law and why it has to be by grace and why it has to be by faith so that you rightly understand it. Because as you live your Christian life and you talk to people, they’re always going to be asking you questions.

And the more answers that you have, the more people you can influence and Therefore it’s to your advantage to learn as much as you possibly can from the word of God. So we’re in the fourth chapter. If you look there in your notes, I have a little statement right there at the front. On the top, this portion of scripture teaches why justification was not and cannot be by the law. In other words, what it means is why a man cannot save himself, why it’s impossible to save himself by his works.

And so we have the scripture given to us and we start there in verse 13. Why justification was not by the law. If you look there in verse 13, 14, and 15, these three verses, for the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. Now, Abraham had already been justified by faith before the law was ever given. So you know that.

You’re supposed to believe that. And so you never have to worry about that again in your whole life because Abraham could not have kept the law to be saved. Why? There was no law. It had not yet been given. So that’s why Abraham could not keep the law in order to be justified. There wasn’t any law. It had not yet been given. And so there’s a reason. So look in verse 14, for if they which are of the law be heirs of justification by faith, because God promised Abraham that he would be and also others after him justified by faith.

Now hold your place right here and turn over there to the book of Galatians in chapter 3. Galatians and chapter 3. See all of this boils down to one main thing that God made a promise and if God makes a promise God keeps his promises. God keeps his word. And that’s why you and I can rest in the fact that God promised us eternal life, in which God cannot lie, we rest in that assurance that God is not going to take it away from us because he said he wouldn’t.

So here in Galatians in chapter 3, look here in verse 6. It says, even as Abraham, be lead God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness or put to his account. Or, as I said last week, he cleared the bank. Have you ever wrote a check and it not clear the bank? Don’t raise your hand. Have you ever received a check that didn’t clear the bank? I’ve had done both. I have thought that I had enough money in the account or I was going to get it in there before the check cleared and it didn’t work.

And then I had to pay another fee on top of the fee because I misjudged. I’ve even had people write checks to the church. I knew that sometimes they didn’t have much, but they wrote it anyway, and then it bounced and cost them $35 more. And then I felt so sorry for them. Sometimes there’s not enough in the account to clear the check. Christ was raised for our justification, in other words, to make sure that the money clears the bank.

It’s not put to your account to you believe it. like he has money in an escrow account, but it’s not applied until you believe.” And that’s why it’s so important that his righteousness is not imputed to you or put to your account until you believe that he did it for you. And then it cleared the bank. So here in Galatians he says in verse 7, “…know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham and the scripture, that means in the Old Testament, for seeing that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham.

Now what I want you to see is he preached the gospel unto Abraham for seeing that in the future, see that the sun would make a payment for the sins. So they were saved by faith because God saw what he was going to do, and there’s people who believed what God said concerning the promise, and we are saved because of a promise that God made as we look back to the fulfillment of the promise. So they look forward to the cross, and we look back to the cross, but it’s because we both believe the promise that a payment would be made for the sins of the whole world and that anybody and everybody could be justified by faith.

So God foreseen that he would justify the heathen through faith preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So to be blessed by God was to have eternal life, to be justified by faith, to be declared righteous. So he says here, in verse 9, So then they would be of faith, or blessed with faithful Abraham. Abraham believed what God says, and because of his faith, he was justified. So God used Abraham as a type in which to teach by.

It’s all who believed that way, or justified the same way. So all that we have to do is be saved by faith, believing what Abraham believed. So you see, the gospel that was preached in the Old Testament is the same gospel that’s preached in the New Testament. It’s not a different gospel. It’s not a new way of salvation. We’re all saved exactly the same way. Now, if you had to be saved by your works, which we have mentioned before, we went through the book of Galatians, look there in verse 10, where he says, for as many as are of the works of the law, are under the blessing or curse.

In other words, anyone who is trying to save themselves by their works are under a curse. They can’t be blessed. I mean, they can’t have eternal life. They can never be justified by their works. They’re under a curse. So that means all the people in all the churches and all the preachers that tell people that they have to be good to go to heaven are preaching an accursed message. And the people that believe the message are still under a curse.

They’re not going to go to heaven. They do not have eternal life. They don’t pass, go and collect $200. But it said, now get this, for it is written cursed is everyone that continue if not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. In other words, if a man is saved by his works, he has to continue all the time and everything from the beginning of his life to the end of his life without fail.

That means that God would have had to say that you’re justified by the law. but there’s no law given which could have given life. Look there in verse 19. Wherefore then serveth the law, it was added because of transgression till the sea should come to whom the promise was made to God made a promise. And then look in verse 21, is the law then against the promise of God? How did God promise to save by faith? Well, why did he give the law?

So that you and I would know that we’re transgressors and we cannot save ourselves by our works. God never gave the law To save a man, but to reveal to the man that he can’t save himself by his works. When you see that, it’s clear as a bell. If you don’t see that, you’ll always have in the back of your mind. Well, you got to do something. It can’t be just that easy. Because, you see, it’s hard for people to believe that salvation is by grace and grace alone.

And so he says in the last part of verse 21, God forbid for if there had been a law given, which could have given life, well then barely righteous. should have been by the law. So it is talking about righteousness. How is a man to be made righteous? If he could earn it by the law, then that’s the way it should be. So then we know that the promise is dealing with a man being made righteous, a man being justified just as if he had never sinned.

Look there in verse 11 of chapter 3 of Galatians. He says, but that no man, no man, is justified by the law or by his works. It is evident in the sight of God, the just shall live by faith, and the law is not a faith. You see, it’s not just what you believe concerning the law. The law means you must do. When we talk about salvation of Christ, it’s not what we have to do, it’s done. It is a done deal.

He’s already paid for all of our sins and all that we have to do, own thing we can do is accept what has already been done for us. When Christ made this statement on the cross, it is finished. How are you going to add to something that’s finished? When it deals with my sins, he hath, according to Hebrews in chapter 1 and verse 3, he had by himself purged our sins. He’s already done that. He’s already made a payment.

So that sin question is taken care of. So that’s why when I talk to people, I only reveal to of them that they’re sinners. I don’t try to get them to stop anything because Christ has already dealt with the sin issue. All they need to do is accept that payment Christ made. See, there’s so many preachers trying to get everybody to live right that they go to hell, and they think they have to perform in order for God to save them.

Like, I’ve got to earn the right to be saved by grace. Now, can’t you see a contradiction there? Like, I’m not Not worthy to be saved by grace. God can’t save me the way I am. I’ve got to stop all my bad stuff and promise that I’m going to live right and then I’ll be saved. It’s just like you hear the phrase many times mentioned. I gave my life to Christ. You ever heard that statement? I gave my life to Christ.

How do you know you’re saved? I gave my life to Christ. Okay? So if God saved you because you gave your life to Christ, when you take your life back, did did you lose your salvation? And that’s where most of them get it. You see, your life is that pure, the kind that you’re going to live upon the earth. I gave my life to Christ. So when I find out that, okay, he doesn’t really have my life. I wanna live my life.

The way I wanna live my life, I changed my mind. Therefore, how can God still save me when I wanna live for myself? So I’m not saved anymore. So they doubt their salvation. You see, salvation has nothing to do with what you give to God. It’s receiving from God. Salvation is a gift you receive. It’s not anything you do. And if people could only see that, it would be tremendous. Under the law, do, under grace, done, and you simply accept the payment that He made on the cross for you.

Anyway, it’s all because of a promise that God had made. Look there at number one in your notes. God promised Abraham that he would be the heir of the world was through the righteousness of faith 430 years before the law was given. And there’s the scripture references for that. The next statement, if justification was by the law, if it was, faith is made void. In other words, you don’t need faith, you just gotta perform, just do it. And God will save you if you perform.

Okay, well, how has everybody done? And got to, in 1500 years, nobody ever kept the law because you see, you have to keep it perfectly. You can’t fail. You can’t have one sin against you. So that’s why nobody can save themselves. Where is this first found? For by the law is the knowledge of sin. Romans 3 and verse 20. And you reverse 19 and 20 together. And it’s two verses that are really tremendous in showing you. The transgression is against the law and the law reveals.

That’s why Paul made the statement in Romans chapter 7 when sin revives. I died. When I saw the law, I saw my sin. And that’s why you might think you’re doing pretty good. Just look at God’s standard of writing. righteousness. How are you doing compared to that? And none of us can compare. None of us are clear. We’ve all sinned and we’re all guilty. And this is why God says it. It’s got to be by faith and faith alone.

Look at number two, promise made of none of faith. In other words, a promise that God said that he would save a man by faith. Well, then that won’t count either. So the promise of God would have been annulled and the next statement, it would benefit only the Jew because they’re the only one that received the law. If you had to be saved by your works and you had to know the law and know the law what works, would Jews receive the law and the Gentiles didn’t?

So only Jews could be going to heaven because they would have been the only ones who had the knowledge of what the law was. Well that would have messed us up too, wouldn’t But look at letter C, for he says, it’s by grace and grace alone so that everybody in the whole world can have it. So the law worketh wrath, in other words, there is a penalty, a death penalty by all who do not keep it perfectly. Therefore, it condemning all and saving none.

The law condemned all but saved none. There’s nobody’s ever been saved by keeping the law. Jesus Christ was not saved because He kept the law. He was never condemned, so He never needed to be saved. He had to break the law in order to keep the law to be saved. But then that’s what we call an oxymoron, it can’t happen. Look at number two, why justification is by faith. Look in verse 16, therefore it is a faith that it might be by grace.

So how simple the word of God is, look at it, it’s right there. And to the end, for this assurance, the promise might be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that which also is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of Islam, Jews and Gentiles. It’s the same for everybody. So verse 16 is a tremendous verse. And looking in verse 17, As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations, before him whom he believed, even God who quickeneth the dead and call off those things which be not as though they were.

In other words, God can see into the future and declare that this is what’s going to take place before it ever happened because God’s foreknowledge. And God can save a man in the Old Testament because God knew what his son was going to do do on the cross is the pay for the sins. God was trusting his son to do what his son would do. Do you realize that if Jesus Christ had not come and paid for our sins, God could not have kept his promise and God wouldn’t be God?

Then that’s something to think about. But anyway, look at verse 18, who against hope believed in hope that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. So it wasn’t just to the nation of Israel, it was to them and beyond. To the whole world, everybody would be saved by faith and faith alone. Look at it to note, why justification is by faith? Number one, that it might be by grace.

Otherwise, it can’t be free. Because if it was by your works and it can’t be by grace, because grace and works are not the same thing. That’s why when you read the book of Romans in chapter 11 and verse 6, if it is by grace and it can be by works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is by works, it cannot be by grace, otherwise work%]is no more work. It’s either by grace or by work, but it can’t be both ways.

And I think God makes it very clear, like in Titus 3.5, therefore it’s not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us. You ever heard of Ephesians 2.89? For by grace, are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is the gift of not of works, not of works. So if it’s not of works, then it’s not of works. It must be by grace. It can’t be both ways. So, wise justification by faith that it might be by grace.

And look at the next one. That it might be sure or eternally secured to all. So in verse 16, it’s got to be by grace so that you can know that you have it. Did you know if salvation was by works,manufacturing you would never be sure you’re going? That’s why so many people don’t have a clue where they go in with a diet. I asked him in one day, I said, where are you gonna go in your diet? He says to heaven.

I said, what about tomorrow? He said, I don’t know about tomorrow. I’ll have to wait and see tomorrow. He thought he was living good enough today. But ten years down the road, he’s not too sure. So he couldn’t say for sure. But he, oh, I know I’m going to heaven when I die. Because he’s living right and he’s not doing a bunch of wicked stuff and yet and robbed the bank lately or shot anybody, you know. He knows he’s got it made today, but he’s trusting in his works.

Because if he believes he can lose it down the road, he’s not sure how he’s going to perform. So if a man’s salvation depends upon his performance and he doesn’t know how he’s going to perform, then he can’t be sure he’s going to make it. God says, I want it to where you’re sure you’re going. Well, the only way it can be sure is that it’s free. It’s by grace. If it is free, then it can be forever. Don’t that make sense?

Please, that makes sense to me. Look at the next statement. Why justification is by faith? That God might fulfill His promise made to Abraham. And what was the promise? That God would justify the heathen by faith, not by His works. So if God’s gonna do it that way, He can’t do it the other way. God can’t do it both ways. Look at the next statement. Number three, why justification was by faith. Why justification was by faith. God chose a man and a woman who were already past the age of bearing children.

Physically speaking, their bodies were old and they could not have children. So it was to demonstrate the impossibility of the flesh producing this child Isaac. God says, I want a miracle child. I want a child by faith. In other words, Isaac is a type of the new birth and the new birth is because God worked the miracle. And therefore it wasn’t because Abraham and so it’s not because they physically had the ability to perform. Their inability to produce a child was the same as a man trying to keep the law to be saved.

They were both impossible. So God had to work the miracle. And so Abraham believed God and believed he was going to have a child because God said so and it was by faith what he believed. So God performed a miracle. And number three there, why justification was by faith. Abraham was not weak in faith. He was weak in flesh. The flesh could not perform, but he could believe that God can do it because he couldn’t. Number one, considered not his own body now dead, considered not the deadness of Sarah’s womb, staggered not through unbelief.

Abraham was strong in faith, giving glory to God and fully persuaded. Now, number two, there is a good statement on what faith is. Look there in your Bible. See there in verse 20, he said, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, was strong in faith, giving glory to God. Believing that God was able to do what God said he would do. Verse 21, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, so this all deals with the promise, believe in the promise of God.

He was able also to perform. So this is why God is able to perform the new birth. You and I are not able to perform the new birth. You and I are not able to perform and keep the law, that’s why we need to be saved by faith and faith alone. Now, this is a good definition of what faith is. Believing that what God said God will do. That’s taking God at His work. So when we try to get individuals to trust Christ as your Savior, why are we trying to do that?

Because we believe that if they do trust the Lord, God will keep His promise and save them. So because I believe the promise of God, I declare even in my own mind, I am saved. But my declaration is made upon His declaration, and mine is not secure unless His Word is secure. My confidence is based upon His Word. And because I believe His Word, I can declare, I am saved. I am a Christian. I am going to heaven when I die.

I have eternal life. Well, how do I know that? Because I believe what God said. Look at the last statement. Why justification shall be by faith. Righteousness was not imputed unto Abraham for his sake alone. Righteousness shall be imputed unto us also if we believe. In other words, it wasn’t that this was how God was going to save Abraham and save everybody else a different way. No, we’re all saved the same way. And just like God’s righteousness was put to Abraham, he was saved.

Ham’s account. God says they’re in verse 23. Look in verse 23. See in verse 22 it says, and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Abraham believed God’s righteousness put to his account in verse 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone that he was imputed to him or put to his account. But for us also to whom it shall be imputed and here’s the key thing. If we keep the law, no. If we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.

So are you supposed to believe that God raised up Jesus from the dead? Then the resurrection must be part of the gospel, the good news. And so therefore it was imputed when you believe. That’s why we try to get individuals. Will you right now? Will you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. And if they trust Christ as their Savior right now, when would they be justified? Ten years from now when they prove it? No, that’s what some people believe.

They believe that trusting Christ is simply giving you the indwelling Holy Spirit to help you live good enough to make it. No, when I trust Him as my Savior, I am trusting in the finished work of Christ for my salvation. So I believe that when I trust Christ as my Savior, I am at that moment justified, declared righteous. And I’m going to heaven whenever I die, and I can state that, I can claim that. And I would be calling God a liar if I couldn’t say that.

If I would say, yes, I believe that He did all that for me. And I’m trusting Him as my Savior. Well, where are you going to die? Well, I don’t know. Well, do you have eternal? Well, I don’t know. But look at the last statement down here. Let her see, Christ was delivered as the payment for our offenses for our sins. Christ was raised from the dead to justify those who believe. See, He’s the one that puts it to our account.

It’s put to our account. In other words, it’s cleared the bank. When you believe it, today we have it where it’s in real time. You can pay a bill online. And when you pay the bill without any money changing anybody’s hand, it’s just out of your account and to their account is all done by numbers. And it’s, it’s cleared. Well, when you do it by faith, it’s clear. It’s been put into your account. The debt has been wiped away.

The very moment you trust them, your Savior. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the Gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy.

There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Name. The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address and God bless you and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634.

And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound, and we will be changed. Hark to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon just keep looking up