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Good morning, everyone. You can 
turn in your Bibles with me to Acts chapter 20. Acts chapter 20. Just a reminder that 
we've been looking at the Apostle Paul over the last four Lord's 
Days now, including this one. A reminder that in looking at 
the Apostle Paul, our minds, our hearts, our souls don't stop 
there, but much rather, as Paul would have it, a study of him 
is a vehicle by which we glory in the triune God and we glory 
in the Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel of amazing grace. 
And we'll finish off this morning by looking at the doctrinal legacy 
of the Apostle Paul. We've looked at his former career, 
his conversion, his commission as an apostle. We've looked at 
his missionary endeavors, as well as his ministerial character. 
And we noted last Lord's Day, his death, not recorded in the 
Bible, but according to history and tradition under Emperor Nero. 
prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. And so it's fitting, 
I believe, to end this series of sermons in looking at Paul's 
doctrinal legacy. What would he have us to know 
in our knowledge of God and his Christ? Let's pick up reading 
in Acts chapter 20 at verse 17, and we'll read to verse 35. From 
Miletus, he sent to Ephesus, and called for the elders of 
the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them, 
you know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what 
manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, 
with many tears and trials, which happened to me by the plotting 
of the Jews, how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but 
proclaimed it to you and taught you publicly and from house to 
house, testifying to Jews and also to Greeks, repentance toward 
God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And see now I go 
bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will 
happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in 
every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But 
none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to 
myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry 
which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel 
of the grace of God. And indeed now I know that you 
all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see 
my face no more. Therefore, I testify to you this 
day that I am innocent of the blood of all men, for I have 
not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore, 
take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the 
Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God 
which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that 
after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing 
the flock. Also from among yourselves men 
will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples 
after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember, 
that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night 
and day with tears. So now, brethren, I commend you 
to God and to the word of His grace. which is able to build 
you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 
I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you 
yourselves know that these hands have provided for me necessities 
and for those who were with me. I have shown you in every way 
by laboring like this that you must support the weak and remember 
the words of the Lord Jesus that he said, it is more blessed to 
give than to receive. Amen. Well, let us pray. Heavenly 
Father, we thank you for this time of worship, the preaching 
of your word. We pray that you would help us 
as we continue in worship to honor and glorify you. We pray 
that we would reflect with great reflection upon the greatness 
of our triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. that we would 
reflect upon the greatness of your gospel, the greatness of 
our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And we pray that this exercise 
of worship would be unto the edification of the saints and 
unto the salvation of sinners. And we pray in the name of Jesus 
Christ, our Savior. Amen. Well, here in this particular 
section of the Book of Acts, the Apostle Paul first gives 
a reminder to these Ephesian elders, a reminder of his ministry 
in verses 17 to 21. He expresses joy in the face 
of coming opposition. He has heard that it is coming 
and it is coming, but nevertheless he expresses joy in verses 22 
to 24. We see a vindication of his apostleship 
and the warning of forthcoming dangers in verses 25 to 31. And then we see the section close 
with his benediction and final exhortation. Captured in this, 
we have a great expression of the Apostle Paul's ministry, 
perhaps summed up in the statement that he was testifying to both 
Jews and Greeks the gospel of the grace of God. And that's 
what Christianity is all about, the worship of the triune God, 
the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ because of, among other 
things, the blessedness and the glorious nature of the gospel 
of the grace of God. So in looking at Paul's doctrinal 
legacy, we want to look at seven things, and we'll name those 
as we move along to introduce or to sort of govern our thoughts 
in a sense with regards to the Apostle Paul's doctrinal legacy. This is Chrysostom Paul, more 
than any other had Christ speaking in him, and his mouth was the 
mouth of Christ. Paul's teachings are sufficient 
to give us a clear and exact knowledge of divine things. And so the first thing we want 
to look at with regards to the Apostle Paul's legacy is the 
comprehensive nature of sin and depravity. The Apostle Paul did 
not shy away of expressing what man's true plight is. Man's true 
plight is that he is dead in his trespasses and sins. Man 
is not simply sick, or man is not simply hindered and needs 
a little bit of a nudge of a small spark of grace, but rather the 
Apostle Paul sets forth before us the true nature of man as 
he is, dead in his trespasses and sins. Augustine summarizes 
Paul, the teacher of the Gentiles, is like a spiritual physician 
who knew well the power of sin and the necessity of grace. He 
shows how the grace of God, through Jesus Christ, heals the wounds 
of our nature, and sets us free from the bondage of sin. So first, 
with regards to the comprehensive nature of sin and depravity, 
I want you to turn with me to the book of Romans. Paul highlights this in much 
of his writing, and one place in which it becomes very clear 
is Romans chapter 3, beginning at verse 9. He's speaking with regards to 
Jew and Gentile here as he works towards the doctrine of justification 
by faith alone. He closes with the reality of 
the nature of sin and depravity and its gravity. So here we see 
the truth of Sin and depravity. Notice Romans 3, verse 9, and 
continuing, what then? Are we better than they? Not 
at all, for we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks 
that they are all under sin. As it is written, there is none 
righteous, no, not one. There is none who understands. 
There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside. They have together become unprofitable. There is none who does good, 
no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb. 
With their tongues they have practiced deceit. The poison 
of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing 
and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed 
blood. Destruction and misery are in 
their ways in the way of peace they have not known. There is 
no fear of God before their eyes. says quite the indictment of 
the nature of man, of man in sin and depravity, the gravity 
of sin, the weightiness of sin, the severity of man in sin. And if anyone was to come to 
this passage and say, well, you know, the Apostle Paul here must 
be speaking of some other class of men. He must be sort of bringing 
into view the really wicked. They're really sinful and focusing 
on them. Well, there's a universal Condemnatory 
statement that follows immediately after to answer and reject that 
idea notice at verse 19 now we know that whatever the law says 
it says to those who are under the law that every mouth may 
be stopped and that all the world may become a guilty before God. So the Apostle Paul renders the 
universal condemnation of both Jew and Greek, Jew and Gentile, 
all men, all women, every boy and girl, everyone under God's 
good sun and on God's green earth, those who are outside of Christ 
are marked by this severity of sin and depravity. And there 
is a particular gravity to it. It's not just that men are dead 
in their trespasses and sins, that all men are marked by sin 
and iniquity, but there is a gravity that is brought to the fore in 
Paul's opening, really, of the book of Romans back in verse 
18 of chapter 1, where he writes, for the wrath of God is revealed 
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who 
suppress the truth in unrighteousness. So again, it's not only that 
man is dead in sin and trespasses, but by virtue of that, he sits 
under the very wrath and the hotness of God's justice for 
being marked by ungodliness. unrighteousness and this caught 
the comprehensive nature of sin and depravity its Acknowledgement 
is used in the movement from sin to grace as we'll see in 
a number of moments the Apostle Paul doesn't just let the nature 
of man hang there and and that's it and But Paul's expression 
of the nature of man in sin and depravity is often used as the 
launching pad to then speak with respect to the very grace of 
God in the salvation of sinners. Notice in Ephesians chapter 2. In Ephesians 2, as we see the 
comprehensive nature of sin and depravity brought forth by Paul, 
but in the case, in this case we see it as that which leads 
in a movement from sin to grace. In Ephesians 2, at verse 1, And 
you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which 
ye once walked, according to the course of this world, according 
to the prince of the power of the air, the Spirit, who now 
works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted 
ourselves in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires 
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of 
wrath, Just as the others and we won't look at it yet, but 
notice verse for the first two words But God as we move on to 
a particular point later in our discourse here this morning We'll 
see this blessed transition from the comprehensive nature of sin 
and depravity in man to the blessedness of amazing grace but let's move 
secondly then after we mark the nature the comprehensiveness 
of of man in sin and depravity. We want to notice, secondly, 
under Paul's doctrinal legacy, the incarnation of the divine 
Son of God. Because what is the answer to 
man in his depravity? What is the answer to man dead 
in sin? What is the answer to man's grave 
plight? It's not that man would do better, 
that man would lift himself from out of his plight, but rather 
it is that one would come down from heaven to save those dead 
in their trespasses and sins. And the incarnation of the divine 
Son of God is central in the Apostle Paul's discourse and 
in his missionary engagements. John Owen writes, the Apostle 
Paul, in his epistle to the Philippians, he's specifically speaking of 
that epistle, provides a profound exposition of the mystery of 
the incarnation when he declares who being in the form of God, 
thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself 
of no reputation. Here Paul sets forth the eternal 
pre-existence of the Son, his equality with the Father, and 
his voluntary condescension in assuming human nature. The Incarnation 
is not merely the assumption of a human body, but the taking 
of the entire human nature into personal union with the Divine. 
This is the foundation of our salvation, for without the true 
and full humanity of Christ, joined inseparably to His deity, 
He could not be our mediator, nor could He offer a sacrifice 
of infinite value for our sins. That being the case, the Apostle 
Paul takes pen to paper and he spends a good amount of time 
exalting the Lord Jesus Christ in his incarnate mission. Very often, in fact, the Apostle 
Paul is not specifically arguing arguing the chief point of Christology 
or the doctrine of Christ, he's very often using the incarnation 
in order to exhort his hearers onto good things in this lower 
earth. For example, with regards to 
the giving of money to help other churches, he writes to the Corinthians 
that the son of God, though he was rich, Nevertheless, he took 
on poverty for our sakes that we in our poverty might become 
rich. Our poverty, speaking with regards 
to our lowness in sin, our deadness in sin, the fact that we are 
marked by this comprehensive nature of sin and depravity. 
The Son of God took on not sin, but he took upon himself our 
nature that he might redeem us. And Paul spends much time there. 
In fact, The Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter 2 serves 
as the foundation for century upon century of Christian articulation. In Philippians chapter 2, remember 
in a similar manner to the verse we just noted, the Apostle Paul 
is exhorting his hearers unto unity. There was a problem of 
unity at the church in Philippi, and the source of that problem 
was pride, a lack of humility. And so he brings the incarnation 
of the Lord Jesus Christ to the fore in order to speak to these 
Philippians. in order to say, as Calvin says, 
since then the Son of God descended from so great a height, how unreasonable 
that we who are nothing should be lifted up with pride. And 
Paul in Ephesians 2 uses the language of the one who is equal 
with God in the form of God took on the form of a bondservant 
coming in the likeness of men. And generation after generation, 
in defending our doctrine, the Christian doctrine of Christ, 
would use that form of God, form of a bondservant language, in 
order to argue for the full, I should say, the true divinity 
of the Lord Jesus Christ and His true humanity. As John Owen 
says, the foundation of our salvation is that the Son of God took to 
Himself human nature into personal union with the divine. And the 
Apostle Paul, in many a place, speaks with regards to the truth 
of it, and he also speaks with regards to the glory of it. So 
Christ did come in the fullness of the times, born of a woman, 
born under the law, to redeem those under the law. But there 
is so much glory in that condescension. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh. And as we are always to do with 
these sorts of things, we're to marvel in that. We're to praise 
God for that. We're to have our minds enraptured 
by the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Paul glories in it. The apostles 
gloried in it. Christians throughout generations 
are to glory in it. And let's remind ourselves of 
how the fathers would speak with regards to the incarnation of 
the Lord Jesus Christ, that God stooped down to assume humanity. They would say things like, the 
incomprehensible was held in a grasp. The immutable took on 
the nature of changing humanity. The one who is pure spirit, infinite, 
eternal, and unchangeable took on finitude, took on mutability. The impassable took on passability. The one who created the heavens 
and the earth took upon that which he himself created. There 
is so much glory in the incarnation. Paul speaks to the truth of it, 
he speaks to the glory of it, and he speaks to the purpose 
of it. Remember the first verse that we sort of launched from 
in this study of the Apostle Paul's ministry and doctrine 
was in 1 Timothy, and you can turn there. What's the purpose 
of the incarnation? Paul speaks of the truth of it, 
it took place. Paul glories in it, great is 
the mystery of godliness. And Paul speaks to the purpose 
of it. In 1 Timothy 1 at verse 15, this is a faithful saying. 
worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world 
to save sinners, of whom I am chief." What a blessed, concise 
statement of the purpose of the incarnation. Christ Jesus came 
into this world, sinners to save. That was the purpose of the incarnation. It was not to display himself, 
Christ, as a great teacher, though he was. It was not simply for 
the Son of God to act as a great prophet, though He was. It was 
so that the Son of God, in taking on our nature, would redeem the 
sons of men, would save sinners. From their sins what a faithful 
saying it is that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners 
The Apostle Paul uses that faithful statement because in the context 
he's engaged in his own autobiography Remember he was a blasphemer 
a persecutor and an insolent man But this is a faithful saying 
worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world 
sinners to save of whom I am chief. I Paul glories in the 
incarnation, in the truth of it, and displays for us the purpose 
of it that Christ Jesus came into the world, sinners to save. 
And remember the words of Calvin, because in the coming in of Christ 
to the world, the Son of God did not depart from heaven, coming 
down to a place where he previously was not, and departing a place 
where he previously was. Christ being God fills the heavens 
and the earth just as he has from the beginning. As Calvin 
said, this is a marvelous thing, that the Son of God came down 
from heaven in such a way that, without leaving heaven, he willed 
to be born in the Virgin's womb to go about the earth, to hang 
upon the cross, but he filled the heavens and the earth as 
he always had from the beginning. What a glorious doctrine we have. 
in the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thirdly, the Apostle 
Paul speaks much of the sovereignty of the triune God in the perfection 
of salvation. the sovereignty of the triune 
God in the perfection of salvation. Remember, Paul is a Trinitarian. The Bible is a Trinitarian document. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit 
is the one God of the Holy Scriptures. And Paul acknowledged the Trinity 
of God. For example, in places where 
he's simply ending letters and encouraging his hearers or the 
recipients of his letters, he ends 2nd Corinthians with that 
blessed language, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love 
of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 
Amen. Paul was a Trinitarian. And how 
did he speak of this God? How did he speak of our glorious 
God with regards to his sovereignty, generally speaking? You can turn 
to the book of Acts with me here and look at Acts 17, we noted 
it only briefly a number of Lord's Days ago with regards to Paul 
preaching at the Areopagus, preaching in Athens to those entrenched 
in man's philosophy. we see Paul declaring the unbounded 
glory of God in his unmitigated sovereignty. Notice, beginning 
at verse 24, God, who made the world and everything in it, since 
he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made 
with hands, nor is he worshipped with men's hands, as though he 
needed anything, since he gives to all life breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood 
every nation of men to dwell on the face of the earth, and 
has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their 
dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord in the hope that 
they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far 
from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and 
have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 
for we are also His offspring. The Apostle Paul declares to 
this audience, an audience of many of whom would have subscribed 
to notions of deity. First off, a polytheism, a many-god 
religion, but also an anthropomorphic religion where the gods are simply 
old men with beards or women bedecked with dresses who descend 
from mountains. and interact with the sons of 
men. He declares to them the boundless 
majesty of God. He is Lord of heaven and earth. He does not dwell in temples 
made with hands. Echoes of that that Solomonic 
temple blessing where Solomon says that God is even above the 
heavens. He doesn't dwell in houses made 
by men but rather he fills the heavens and the earth just as 
he always has. The Apostle Paul speaks further 
to the sovereignty of God in the book of Ephesians where he 
says blessedly in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 11 in a in a very concise 
but strong statement the following language he wrote in verse 11 
of Ephesians chapter 1 in him we also have obtained an inheritance 
being predestined according to the purpose of him who works 
all things according to the counsel of his will Paul Paul would know 
the psalmist's language, our God is in the heavens and he 
does whatever he pleases. Echoes of that are in the mind 
of the apostle Paul when he writes, the purpose of him who works 
all things according to the counsel of His will. What is the answer 
to man dead in his trespasses and sins? We've already noted 
that the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ affords that objective 
foundation for salvation. It is the sovereignty of God 
in the salvation of sinners that answers the deadness of man in 
trespasses and sins. Our God is in the heavens. He 
does whatever He pleases. He has purposed and worked all 
things. according to the counsel of his 
own will, and the Apostle Paul glories in this. Similar to the 
Incarnation, not only is it true, the sovereignty of God, generally 
speaking, but Paul glories in this truth. In Romans chapter 
11, we have a record of that glorying in the sovereignty of 
God. Near the end, Romans 11 after 
having opened up the sovereignty of God in the redemption of the 
elect we read at verse 33 Oh the depth of the riches both 
of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his 
judgments and his ways past finding out for who has known the mind 
of the Lord or who has become his counselor or who has first 
given to him and it shall be repaid to him for of him and 
through him and to him are all things, to whom be glory forever, 
amen. You know, these pleadings by 
the apostles, by the writers of Holy Scripture with regards 
to God, to whom be glory forever and ever, those are pleadings 
to call us to lift our souls above this lower plane and find 
them contemplating the God of glory. The modern conception 
of God has fallen on tough times with regards to man's contemplation 
of God. Even within the Christian church, 
God has been brought down to one who is a strong and divine 
helper, just a little bit above men and angels. I think it was, 
I can't remember if it was Lorraine Botner or A.W. Pink or something, but they said 
something like, in comparing the God of modern Christianity 
to the God of the Bible, they said it's like comparing the 
dim flickering of a candle to the brightness of the noonday 
sun. We need to get back to contemplations of God with respect to the brightness 
of the noonday sun. Our doctrine of God is not a 
flickering candle. It is the brightness of the noonday 
sun for of him and through him and to him are all things to 
whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. and the ultimate display 
of this sovereignty of the triune God in the salvation of sinners, 
we can read in Romans chapter 9. What is the display of it? 
The display comes to a head in verse 19. The demonstration of 
the sovereignty of God and the salvation of sinners. What is 
the purpose? Verse 19 of Romans 9, you will 
say to me then, why does he still find fault? For who has resisted 
his will? But indeed, O man, who are you 
to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to 
him who formed it, why have you made me like this? Does not the 
potter have power over the clay from the same lump to make one 
vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting 
to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with 
much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 
and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the 
vessels of mercy Which he had prepared beforehand for glory 
even us whom he called not of the Jews only but also of the 
Gentiles what is What purpose does creation serve? What purpose 
does providence serve? What purpose does time in its 
rolling serve? It serves the display of God's 
grace in the salvation of sinners by virtue of the perfect work 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Creation, providence, time, space, 
these things serve to display the grace of God and even the 
visitation of the hotness of his divine justice is so that 
he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of 
mercy which he had beforehand prepared for glory. Paul was 
a champion of the sovereignty of the triune God in the salvation 
of sinners. And fourthly, The Apostle Paul 
was a champion of amazing grace in the salvation of sinners. 
We use that term and we know it mostly, of course, from John 
Newton's hymn, Amazing Grace. John Newton wasn't exaggerating 
when he was speaking of divine grace. God's grace really is 
amazing. Why is it amazing? Well, because 
of the glory of the triune God, and also because of its powerful 
utility in bringing those dead in their trespasses and sins 
to life in Christ. So we want to know the truth 
of amazing grace. And for that, we can turn back 
to the book of Ephesians. Remember, we said we'd look a 
little bit later beginning at verse 4 in verses 1 to 3 of Ephesians 
2, we already noted the situation with man, his grave plight, that 
he is dead in trespasses and sins, but then we find the amazing 
grace of God opened up by the apostle Paul. The opening up 
of the sinfulness of man was that vehicle whereby he was to 
lead into, to move into the blessedness of amazing grace. Notice at verse 
four, but God, that beautiful transition, but God who is rich 
in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 
even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, 
by grace you have been saved. and raised us up together, and 
made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that 
in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of 
His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace 
you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it 
is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. for 
we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, 
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. 
It's verses like this that ought to bring us to worship. You know, 
the act of preaching isn't worship set aside for a moment and just 
some guy up here at the pulpit opening his fallible mouth to 
a gathered audience. The act of preaching is an act 
of worship, and it's not about the preacher and the precision 
of words and what he says, necessarily. It's about the ascended Christ, 
by the power of the Holy Spirit, dwelling with his gathered people, 
and by the Spirit, communicating the glories of God and the glories 
of Jesus Christ. We are brethren to know with 
certainty that Christ is with us. He walks amongst His lampstands, 
we read in the book of Revelation. The ascended Christ is with His 
people. He is the worship leader. He 
is the one who, by His Spirit, cheers our hearts with the knowledge 
of God and with the knowledge of amazing grace. The Apostle 
Paul mounts, adjective upon adjective, word upon word, the riches of 
His grace, kindness towards us, God who is rich in mercy, His 
great love. What a blessed thing, knowing 
from where we came prior to amazing grace, dead in our trespasses 
and sins, not seeking God, seeking everything that is not God, seeking 
everything that God hates and God abominates. And yet now, 
because of his rich mercy, because of his loving kindness, because 
of his amazing grace, we can gather together a motley crew 
and together sing the glories of God, together pray to that 
God in one accord, together read from his revelation, and together 
engage in the act of preaching, the act of worship, the preaching 
of his word. What a blessed thing we have 
in the amazing grace of God. The truth of it is displayed 
by the Apostle Paul, and the glory of it is written by the 
Apostle Paul. Notice in Ephesians 1 at 6, 7, 
12, and 14. First, at verse 6, what is amazing grace 
about? It's to the praise of the glory 
of His grace. Notice in verse 7, in Him we 
have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according 
to the riches of His grace. In verse 12, that we who first 
trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory, And 
then in verse 13, we have this language in him. You also trusted 
after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation 
in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy 
spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance 
until the redemption of the purchase possession note. to the praise 
of His glory. We have the truth of amazing 
grace, which doesn't just stop in a contemplation of that amazing 
grace, but lifts us up to praise our glorious God. Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit, as Paul opens that up in Ephesians 1, 3 to 
14. the blessedness of amazing grace, 
it is true and there is much glory to be found in it. And 
we would want to note as well the manner in which it is demonstrated. How does amazing grace come to 
bear? Man is dead in his trespasses 
and sins. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son 
of God came down from heaven to redeem us. The sovereignty 
of God is interposed or the sovereignty of God comes and punctuates man's 
lower depravity in this lower earth and how is it then what 
is the vehicle what is the instrumentality where all of those things come 
to a confluence if you will and Bring forth man from the deadness 
of sin to life in Christ. You can turn with me to Romans 
chapter 10 because It is by the word of truth that God in His 
sovereignty brings forth dead sinners to life in Christ. Notice 
in Romans chapter 10 at verse 11. For the Scripture says, whoever 
believes on Him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction 
between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to 
all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name 
of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him 
in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in 
Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without 
a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? 
As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach 
the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things. The amazing grace of God attends 
the preaching of the Word of God, in some instances the reading 
of the Word of God, but nevertheless, under normative circumstances, 
under the ministry of the Church, within the context of the gathered 
Church, The ascended Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, 
meets the proclaimed word, meets the red word, and sinners are 
saved by that amazing grace. What a blessed thing that we 
have word and grace meeting sinners, bringing them forth from the 
deadness of sin to life in our blessed Savior. Fifthly, we have 
the fact that the Apostle Paul emphasizes justification by faith 
alone. One of those, of course, cardinal 
doctrines of the Christian faith. The blessed doctrine of justification 
by faith alone. Spurgeon says, take away the 
doctrine of justification by faith and you have taken away 
the foundation. of Christianity. You may as well 
attempt to pull the sun from the sky as try to remove this 
glorious cornerstone from the fabric of the gospel. The Apostle 
Paul knew this. The Apostle Paul preached this, 
and the Apostle Paul wrote Page after page spilled much ink, 
spilled much sweat and blood over the doctrine of justification 
by faith alone. Where do we see the truth of 
it? We could turn to a number of 
places, but let's turn to Galatians 2. one of those addresses of 
Holy Scripture that speak to the absolute clarity of the doctrine 
of justification by faith alone, that we are not justified by 
deeds of righteousness which we have done, whether in part 
or in whole, but justified solely and alone by the act of impassive 
obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ, His perfect saving work. Notice 
in Galatians 2, and the Apostle Paul here in Galatians 2 could 
not be any clearer One clear statement should suffice, but 
we're so sinful that we need reminder. And very often in the span of 
two seconds, in the span of one verse, we need reminder in order 
to drive home divine truth. Notice in Galatians 2 at verse 
16, three times he makes this clarity in positive and negative 
statements. knowing that a man is not justified 
by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even 
we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by 
faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the 
works of the law no flesh shall be justified." So here we have 
the truth, of justification by faith alone. And it's inescapable 
for the papist. It's inescapable for those who 
would like to smuggle in human works as some particular measure 
or part which gives us justification from God on high. To smuggle 
in even the smallest work or the smallest human deed or merit 
is to destroy Christianity, and it is to cast into the mud of 
heresy the doctrine of justification and the glory of our God. Notice 
again, Paul, we don't have to read the verse again, but reading 
it on your own, on your own time, Paul, in a threefold strong emphasis, 
with positive and negative statement, not by the works of the law, 
but by faith in Jesus Christ, emphasizes justification by faith 
alone. he also then speaks to the importance 
of it. Not only do we have the truth 
that man is justified solely and alone by the perfect work 
of Jesus Christ, and when we say justified by faith, We don't 
mean that our act of faith justifies us. The act of believing isn't 
that which justifies us before God. Faith is the instrument 
that lays hold of that which truly does justify us, the righteousness 
of Jesus Christ. As our brother prayed this morning, 
or as our brother spoke this morning, I can't remember if 
it was in the comments on scripture or in prayer, but either way, 
it was a great statement. We have an alien righteousness. 
It doesn't mean UFOs and little green men. That means from outside 
of ourselves, something external to ourselves. That alien righteousness 
means it's not ours, but it is another's. And that other is 
Jesus Christ, the Savior. We cannot redeem ourselves, we 
cannot atone for our own sins, we cannot justify ourselves, 
but much rather it is Jesus Christ who saves us, Jesus Christ who 
justifies us by his active obedience unto the whole law and his passive 
obedience in his death. And as we engage in that perusal 
of the diary of our memories of sin, to steal Spurgeon's language, 
aren't we then led to glory in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing 
that we, at every second, at every jot, at every tittle, failed 
in any sort of act of obedience unto the law. Even if we could 
engage in any measure of obedience for a time, we would always stumble, 
we would always fall, we would always trip by virtue of our 
sinfulness in seeking to do the will of God. So not only did 
we violate the law of God, not only did we not actively obey 
the law of God, but we rightly deserve the punishment due to 
the transgression of God's law. Because of our sin, we rightly 
deserve divine punishment for transgressing the law of God. 
We're sinners. But Christ comes, and he was 
actively obedient unto the whole law, and not just that, generally 
speaking, but in our place. We failed, Adam failed, we in 
Adam failed, and from that vantage point of original sin does flow 
our own wickedness. We sinned against God, yet Christ 
comes and he is actively obedient unto the whole law in our place. 
And not only that, but he dies upon Calvary's cross in order 
to remove the curse in order to bear the wrath and bear the 
curse of God for our violation of His law. What a blessed gospel 
that we have. As we reflect upon ourselves, 
we then quickly fly to the redeeming King, Jesus Christ, who justifies 
us by faith alone and by virtue of the perfection of his own 
work. Notice, so we have the truth 
of justification by faith alone. We also have the grave importance, 
the blessed importance, but also the gravity if it's rejected. 
Notice at verse 21 of Galatians 2, I do not set aside the grace 
of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ 
died in vain. The importance of justification 
by faith lands in this very strong verse. If holy, for sure, but 
even if in a small measure we say that we somehow gain our 
own justification, the Apostle Paul comes quickly and says, 
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness 
comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. Christ came to 
save us. We cannot and could not save 
ourselves. Praise God for the blessedness 
of salvation in Jesus Christ. And there is so much utility 
for the doctrine of justification in our Christian walk. There 
is so much of a usefulness as we reflect upon the doctrine 
of justification by faith alone. what ought it to bring to the 
Christian soul, but peace with God. That's what the apostle 
Paul writes. Therefore, having been justified 
by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, the Christian preacher 
is not to feed the flock with the tainted food of presumption 
and doubt. but to speak to a gathered flock 
with confidence that Jesus Christ did come into this world, sinners 
to save. And you can have assurance, you 
can have blessed assurance, not by looking at yourself, but by 
looking at the Lord Jesus Christ and resting upon the perfection 
of his work and the glory of his salvation. Sixthly, as we 
move towards a close, we'll Notice that Paul also, having preached 
justification by faith alone, that we're saved solely and alone 
by virtue of the perfect work of Christ, he speaks of sanctification 
in union with Christ. So we are justified that legal 
declaration by God that we are not guilty or not condemned, 
but rather justified because of the work of Christ. And then 
sanctification ensues. We grow in the grace and in the 
knowledge of Jesus Christ. Owen. would say, the work of 
God's grace, sanctification is, the work of God's grace by which 
believers being united to Christ and indwelt by the Holy Spirit 
are progressively renewed in the whole man after the image 
of God. The whole man was marred by sin. The whole man, our body and soul, 
all the faculties of body and soul were affected in sin, by 
sin and total depravity. Sanctification comes after our 
effectual call, that blessed declaration justified. Then we 
have this growth in grace and the fact that the dominion of 
the whole body of sin is destroyed, as our confession says, and the 
several lusts thereof. more and more weakened. The Apostle 
Paul speaks to this. You don't have to turn there, 
but in Ephesians one very briefly, he writes this at the beginning 
of this doxology, long doxology. He writes, blessed be the God 
and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with 
every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. That includes that blessed package, 
golden chain of redemption, one of those things of which is our 
sanctification. Verse 4, just as He chose us 
in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should 
be holy and without blame before Him. We're not holy and without 
blame before Him, Then we merit salvation because of that or 
that's not the ground of our salvation But notice again the 
language He chose us in him before the foundation of the world that 
we should be holy and without blame before him by the Spirit 
Paul would say the sinner is brought towards that progressive 
renewal after the image of God, the truth of sanctification and 
the source of it. Our sanctification, we are not 
the source of our own sanctification. We don't sanctify ourselves. 
The doing of good works is an evidence of sanctification, but 
that isn't somehow how we sanctify ourselves. Who sanctifies us? 
It is God. Sanctify them by thy truth, Thy 
word is truth. The power in sanctification is 
not the one sanctified, but the God who sanctifies. And it is 
unfinished, this side of glory. The Apostle Paul speaks to the 
nature of sanctification in Romans 6, where he talks about the fact 
that we're united with Christ in his death and resurrection. 
We're noting not just sanctification by Christ, but sanctification 
in union with him. We as Christians are united to 
Christ. We are in him, in Christ, as 
the Apostle Paul would repeat so many times. And in Christ, 
we grow in the grace and knowledge of Him, and it's unfinished in 
this lower world. Paul would write, the Spirit 
lusts against the flesh, and the flesh lusts against the Spirit. 
They're contrary to one another, but the Spirit wins, and by the 
power of the Holy Spirit, the ascended Christ forms us after 
His own image. And we want to close with the 
doctrinal legacy of the Apostle Paul with this. The Apostle Paul 
taught a simple and a glorious eschatology. Remember that eschatology 
means the doctrine of last things. There's a cosmic eschatology, 
what happens in the end to the cosmos, the universe, and a personal 
or human eschatology, what happens with man in the end. And in our 
modern church, You know, eschatology has become a thing where, you 
know, massive charts and chronologies are multiplied where, you know, 
the eschatology contains helicopters and F-22s and nuclear bombs and 
all that sort of madness. Paul's eschatology, Paul would 
say that there are no helicopters and F-22s and nuclear bombs in 
the Bible, that the eschatology of our blessed God is very simple. Spurgeon would say something 
like this, the light of divine truth is obscured by the fog 
of human invention. These modern day gross elaborations 
on what they think the Bible says about the last times. The 
simplicity of scripture is not to be adorned with the gaudy 
decorations of human imagination. Turn with me in closing to 1 
Corinthians 15. Here we see Paul. writing concerning 
a simple and a glorious eschatology. Notice in 1 Corinthians 15, beginning 
at verse 20, But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has 
become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since 
by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the 
dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be 
made alive, but each one in his own order. First Christ, the 
first fruits, afterward those who are Christ's, it is coming. 
Then comes the end when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father, 
when he puts an end to all rule and all authority and power, 
for he must reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. 
The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. for he has put all 
things under his feet. But when he says all things are 
put under him, it is evident that he who put all things under 
him is accepted. Now, when all things are made 
subject to him, then the Son himself will also be subject 
to him who put all things under him, that God may be all in all. 
And now verse 50. Now this I say, brethren, that 
flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does 
corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery. 
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in the moment, 
in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and 
the dead will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. For 
this corruptible must put on incorruption. This mortal must 
put on immortality. So when this corruptible has 
put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, 
then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death 
is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? 
O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and 
the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives 
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved 
brethren, be steadfast and movable, always abounding in the work 
of the Lord. knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. What is Paul's simple eschatology? It's that Christ will come again 
with great glory and bring his people home. The next blessed 
event is the bringing home of the sons of God redeemed by the 
work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the casting into everlasting 
fire those who believe not the gospel and reject the God of 
Holy Scripture. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote this 
with regards to the simple and glorious eschatology. Cyril was 
essentially the Spurgeon of the fourth century. Some might say 
Chris Austin, but they can have a battle. But someone will say, 
how are the dead raised? Oh, what a thing to be astonished 
at. A seed, a little grain of wheat, is cast into the earth. 
It lies dead, dry, without form. And who would expect it to live 
again? But the power of God, through the rain and the warmth 
of the sun, raises it up, and it becomes a root, and ears of 
corn are formed. Therefore, if a little seed of 
grain has such power, shall not the human body, which once had 
life, be raised again by God's power? This dead and mortal shall 
put on immortality, and this mortal shall be clad within corruption. And so that which is written 
shall come to pass, death is swallowed up in victory. Amen. What a wonderful legacy that 
the Apostle Paul has left us. And we would want to say, what 
a blessed legacy that God, through the inspiration of the human 
author Paul, has left us with. The glory of Jesus Christ. If 
we could sum it all up with Paul's words, we could say, God forbid 
that I should boast, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
by whom the world is crucified to me, and eye to the world. 
And Paul would want us to close with an exhortation. I believe 
he would. To the saints, that you would 
be built up in the knowledge of God and his Christ. To Christians, 
to saints, that you would be lifted up in the knowledge of 
his gospel and the knowledge of amazing and glorious grace. 
That you were once lost but are now found. That you were once 
blind but now see. And for sinners here this morning, 
for those outside of Christ, in unbelief, believe on the Lord 
Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Yes, dead in trespasses 
and sins, but God has the power, the amazing and glorious power, 
to, by His amazing and victorious grace, lift you up from the deadness 
of sin to behold the glory of Christ. Believe on him and you 
shall be saved. And you will know this blessed 
eschatology. Death is swallowed up in victory. 
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you 
for this time in your word. We rejoice in your goodness to 
us. We thank you for the fact that we can gather in freedom 
to worship the one and only living and true God, Father, Son, and 
Holy Spirit. And we pray that you would help 
us as we go now to continue in keeping the Lord's day, that 
you would impress upon us the joy of being found in Christ, 
not having our own righteousness, which is from the law, but that 
which is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that righteousness 
that comes from God. And we pray that you would help 
us to reflect with Great reflection upon the doing and the dying 
and the rising again of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, the perfection 
of his work for the salvation of sinners. Do be with us and 
might you be glorified in all things. We pray in the name of 
our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, our closing hymn 
this morning for a doxology will be the doxology. You can turn 
to 568 if you don't know the hymn and we'll stand as a church 
and sing together. ♪ Praise God from whom all blessings 
flow ♪ ♪ Praise him, all creatures here below ♪ ♪ Praise him, all 
God, here below ♪ The Lord bless you and keep you. 
The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. 
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. 
Amen. Well, we'll have a brief time 
of prayer. You can sit. A brief time of prayer and meditation 
when the piano's finished. You're dismissed.