Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/callanish/sermons/78101/no-condemnation/. Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions. Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt. [0:00] Herr Präsident, meine Damen und Herren! [0:30] Excuse me, I think I said the first meter, it should be the second meter, the common meter. Is that alright? Did I say the first? It should be the second, the common meter. Is that alright? [0:42] Well, good morning, welcome to the house of God and may it be the voice of God which we hear, the face of God that we see and above all the blessing of God that we know. [1:02] Let's begin our service of worship by singing to God's praise from Psalm 25. There's two versions of the Psalm, it's actually the second version which is the common meter version and we sing verses 1 to 6. [1:19] Four stanzas but marked six verses. The second version of Psalm 25. To thee I lift my soul, O Lord, my God I trust in thee. Let me not be ashamed, let not my foes try not over me. [1:38] And we go down to verse 6. Thy mercies that most tender are, do thou, O Lord, remember, and loving kindnesses, for they have been of old forever. [1:52] The second version of Psalm 25, to God's praise, verses 1 to 6. Psalm 25, to God's praise, verses 1 to 6. [2:26] Psalm 25, to God's praise, verses 1 to 6. [2:56] Psalm 25, to God's praise, verses 1 to 6. [3:26] Psalm 25, to God's praise, verses 1 to 6. [3:56] Let us pray. [4:24] Our gracious Father in heaven. Our gracious Father in heaven, we come into your house on your day with your people around your word, where your Holy Spirit is. [4:48] And we thank you, eternal God, that you have not dealt with us as our sins deserve. All because of Jesus. All because of Jesus. [5:00] All because of what he has done. You are holy. You are holy. We read in your word from your servant under distress. [5:14] The heavens of heavens are unclean in your sight. How much more abominable are we who drink iniquity like water. [5:31] Lord, thank you for your mercy toward us. Thank you for your forbearance with us. Thank you for your grace. [5:48] for what we have sung you are full of mercy compassion love and it's all true it's all real and it's all for us and we thank you it's got power power to change lives may it please you to change lives in here today give your Holy Spirit in large measure may not one of us grieve him quench him resist him melt our hearts renew our minds transform our nature turn our lives save our souls indwell our hope because Christ died for that purpose show us Christ today we pray open your word to us make it real make it vital make it for us heavenly father may we may we be blessed here today for eternity for eternity oh gracious father thank you for bringing us here around the glorious gospel may it be new to us may the old story be so new so fresh so powerful so blessed so eternal oh gracious father look down from heaven and bless us we pray thee for we are utterly unworthy of any of your mercies but you are good and you persist in showing mercy so lord bless us we pray thee remember this congregation remember its needs provide for them keep them bless them grow them remember this island gracious God having known outpourings of your spirit in the past return oh lord return for your name's sake now gracious father remember our nation we can only appeal to your mercy oh lord we have forsaken you we have intentionally removed from our statute book every remembrance of your word and we have replaced it with our own ideology therefore therefore we stagger from one different crisis to another but lord for your own name's sake be pleased to return save us and we shall be saved turn us and we shall be turned come gracious tongue down gracious [9:33] God and meet with us we humbly pray oh lord bless the gospel worldwide bless it today globally it's already been preached down under in the Australia continent and it will preach until the going down of the sun in the west may it be a great day for the gospel may Christ Jesus be exalted wonderfully globally today throughout the whole wide world oh lord please there's wars lord involving your ancient people the Jews your word tells us there's to be a day coming when everyone will be blessed every nation will be blessed when you bring back your people to realise what they did at the place called [10:47] Calvary that when they crucified Jesus of Nazareth they crucified their own saviour their own messiah that they looked for bring that day soon in your own time now our gracious father bless your word your truth convict challenge encourage those who may be discouraged enlighten those who may be walking in darkness oh lord strengthen the weak strengthen the weak soul feed the hungry soul are there hungry souls here today feed them you feed them lord you feed are there any wandering sheep that's gone astray here today restore them restore them lord keep them keep us all lord in your love keep us all in your fear prepare us for anything unexpected in your will and remember what we have forgotten to pray for so hear in heaven answer on earth for your own glory in Christ's name we pray amen we continue singing in psalm 25 and the second version we sing verses 8 to 11 again another four stanzas but four verses psalm 25 second version verse 8 the lord is good and gracious he upright is also he therefore sinners will instruct in ways that they should go down to verse 11 now for thine own name sake o lord [13:10] I humbly thee entreat and pardon mine iniquity for it is very great psalm 25 verses 8 to 11! [13:22] the lord is good and gracious the lord is good and gracious! [13:47] the lord is good the Lord good in our Lord our Savior is good in time in which I give you hope ho Und wir sind es für heute chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing chewing [15:13] ZANG EN MUZIEK ZANG EN MUZIEK ZANG EN MUZIEK [16:22] Romans chapter 8 and we'll read the first 17 verses. Romans 8 at the beginning. [16:42] There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. [16:53] Who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. [17:09] For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin and sin in the flesh. [17:27] That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. [17:38] For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit. [17:50] for to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. [18:01] because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be. [18:13] So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you. [18:31] Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness. [18:54] But if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you. [19:13] Therefore, brethren we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the flesh for if you live after the flesh you will die. [19:26] But if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body you shall live. For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God. [19:44] For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but you have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father. [19:59] the spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children then heirs heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ if so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together. [20:32] May God bless to us the very reading of his own word. And we'll sing once again the second version of Psalm 25 verses 12 to 16 four stanzas that five verses second verse in Psalm 25 verse 12 what man fears God him shall he teach the way that he shall choose his soul shall dwell at ease his seed the earth earth as heirs shall use and down to verse 16 O turn thee unto me O God have mercy me upon because I solitary am and in affliction Psalm 25 verses 12 to 16 what man hears [21:36] God him shall he teach the way that he shall hear his soul shall dwell like peace to see he never not fear shall he he He does he can't all the Lord to his wish so just to hear his name and see he is all he shall plan! [22:36] will mount his head to them! [22:46] ! Lord the Lord my! new waiting eyes on! [23:00] Amen. [23:58] Amen. Let's turn in our Bibles to the passage of Scripture which we read, the Epistle to the Romans, chapter 8. [24:23] And as God would help me, I'd like to concentrate on the first part of verse 8. Sorry, verse 1. Verse 1. [24:34] We'll read the whole verse. Romans, chapter 8, verse 1. [25:10] That surely must be one of the most encouraging verses in the whole Bible for Christians. Just think. [25:24] No condemnation. God considers there's nothing wrong in your whole life. [25:37] No possibility of losing the blessings of salvation. You want security? Your security. [25:51] Your security. The gifts and the calling of God are without change of mind. But it's not only tremendously encouraging for Christians. [26:07] What hope there is for sinners. The only qualification for the gospel is that you are a sinner. [26:19] Christ died for sinners. Not for good people. Let's look at what this verse is saying. [26:34] First, who is the person, the blessed person, spoken of here? And then secondly, let's look at some of the blessings that belong to him. [26:47] And if we've got time, thirdly, the description given of them. So first of all, who is the blessed person spoken of here? [26:59] He is not the person who has never sinned. For all have sinned. [27:11] And come short of the glory of God. A Christian is not someone who has never sinned. Neither is a Christian a person who has hardly ever sinned. [27:30] You might understand no one is perfect. No one is sinless. But, oh, they're pretty good people. There's a version of the Bible that always struck me as a young person. [27:45] It's in the book of James. I haven't taken a note of the reference. But it says, Whoever keeps the whole law of God and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of the whole system. [28:05] The whole system of getting to heaven by being good enough fails if you sin in one point of one law ever. [28:25] The system of being good enough fails miserably. Now, should it frighten us? But that's not the blessed person spoken of here. [28:43] And neither is it the person who's born special. Oh, he was unique from the womb. Do you note what our verse says? [28:55] There is therefore now now no condemnation no condemnation to them. There used to be. There always was. [29:08] For we are all born in sin shaped by nicotine. All of us. It's the way we come into the world. [29:20] But now, now, it's possible for things to be different. And God himself to have no problem with you. [29:34] God himself to have no complaint with you. who is that blessed person? Our Bible says it is that person who is in Christ. [29:53] Christ. The Bible hardly ever uses three times the term Christian. The term it uses most of all to describe a Christian is the man who is in Christ. [30:11] Now, are you like me? You had a problem with, when that was explained to me, I remember saying, look, have I to be in Christ? [30:24] Or has Christ to be in me? Which is it? One or the other? No. It's both. Christ in you and you in Christ. [30:38] Look, verse 9 tells us, it speaks about Christ being in us. But primarily, it's usually if any might be in Christ. [30:52] How can you be both, I would say? How can I be in somebody and that's something in me? It's one or the other. No, it's not. The illustration that was very, very helpful to me was this. [31:05] Someone said to me, look, take a bucket, take an empty bucket and take it along to the sea and place the bucket in the sea and the sea is in the bucket and the bucket is in the sea. [31:21] so you can have both. Christ can be in you and you can be in Christ. So, who is that person that is in Christ Jesus and Christ Jesus is in him? [31:43] Well, here's my attempt. he is that sinful person that sinful person who is so conscious of the pollution of his sin his only hope is that Christ died for my sin according to the scriptures. [32:11] That's all he has. and I'll tell you this is all I have. It's all I have for eternity. I'm no better than anyone that if Christ didn't die for my sins I'm finished. [32:30] And so is your elders and so is every professing Christian. That's the only hope we have. Sinful person who is so conscious of the pollution of his sin he depends on Christ's righteousness alone. [32:50] So conscious of their inability to be good to keep all the commandments in every point of every law always so conscious of our utter inability to do that we need Christ's perfect righteousness to be upon us. [33:17] It's that sinful person that sinful person who is so conscious of the debt they owe to God they needed someone to stand in for them on the day of judgment. [33:34] there's a verse in Revelation chapter 10 or chapter 12 and it tells us what goes on every night and every day. [33:53] 12 10 The accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night. [34:15] Revelation 12 verse 10 last night when you were asleep there was things going on in the heavenlies. [34:28] There's another world. There's a spiritual world. Things go on there and last night those of us who profess Christ Satan went into the courts of heaven and said something like this that child of yours they sinned yesterday they sinned I sinned and I'm in hell he says why are they not in hell with me that goes on in the courts of heaven every day every night what happens then if you're a Christian if you're in Christ if Christ is in you you know what happens the advocate sorry the prosecutor the accuser of the brethren he goes into the courts of heaven and he's allowed and says that he says case is allowed to carry on because it's true [35:43] God's people did sin yesterday but then the advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous in the courts of heaven last night went in and said yes my Lord that's right they did sin but my blood paid for every one of their sins let my people go end of court case a Christian's sin has been paid for that's our security I used to be in business and I remember my job was at the end to go around all the customers that owed our company a lot of money and I always remember phoning one client who owed thousands and wasn't paying it and couldn't pay it actually and he said [37:02] George I assure you you'll have that money tomorrow I'm going to put a cheque in the phone you'll have that money tomorrow next morning came I phoned up and I said could I speak to whoever it was no no no I want to speak to the person that spoke to me last night I said I want to speak to him I want to mention it you wouldn't know him anyway but he promised me a cheque I have a cheque today for so many thousand and I said I haven't got it I want to speak to him and I'll never forget what I heard he said Mr. [38:01] McCaskill from nine o'clock that's from nine o'clock this morning I am that person if you want to speak to him about money you go through me okay he said overnight the company had gone first you need someone to stand in for you when satan goes into the courtroom of heaven and says that child of your sin yesterday why is he not with me in hell are you Christ standing in for you representing you that is what we all need here's the simple gospel first Corinthians chapter 15 at the beginning Christ died for my sins according to the scriptures that's it all and that's all there is for eternity now secondly let's look at the blessings there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in [39:33] Christ Jesus that is no condemnation from God men and demons may have plenty but from God no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus I say what about Satan Satan is condemning us he's just told us I did not say that Satan cannot condemn you he has not got the power all he has is he can accuse you of doing things that you have done but that's all he can do all Satan can do to you Christian is accuse! [40:26] you if you are in Christ no one can condemn you the last analysis condemnation belongs to God in heaven and it's God in heaven who is saying to us today there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus now when I discovered that first I had a problem with look I sinned there I'm guilty of that sin how can a holy God say to me no condemnation I mean it's not true is it it is actually the version of the [41:26] Bible that worried me was Exodus 34 7 God is saying there that I can by no means clear the guilty God is defining himself there in Exodus 34 and he says I cannot clear the guilty person I just can't clear them I'm holy I can't clear the guilty person and I said well I'm guilty I've done that how can God who's holy clearly I did it it's because I got on to finish what guilt means do you know what guilt means liability to punishment [42:29] Christ took away my guilt and your guilt if Christ is in you guilt means you're liable to punishment do you ever wonder I used to ever wonder Isaiah 53 why did Christ keep silent when he was accused of things he never did that mock trial of Christ that mock trial they had of him they accused him of things he never did and he never opened his mouth he opened not his mouth but went like a lamb to the slaughter he was silent why because the people he was standing in for the people he was representing were guilty of what they threw! [43:32] at him and he took their guilt he took their guilt away and we're not guilty friends if you're a Christian were not guilty Christ took our guilt as well as our punishment and that's why Christ opened not his mouth but kept silent when he was charged of things he never did but you did if you're a Christian isn't that a blessing isn't that a blessing what's our security for God changes his mind eh and in the way we behaved afterwards after he forgave us after he blessed us the way we behaved are you ashamed of your life I am ashamed for the things [44:32] I've done what's our security what if he changes his mind about impossible for I am the Lord I change not God is unchangeable that's your security I am the Lord I change not Malachi chapter 3 verse 6 I am the Lord I change not therefore because I'm unchangeable therefore you're not consumed you jolly well deserve to be consumed but because I am unchangeable you're safe you're secure isn't it amazing God Christ the Holy Spirit is not sorry he forgave any one of his people despite how they've let him down despite how they live our security in [45:43] Christ he's a God of truth as well he says whoever believes on the Son is is not condemned do you believe in Christ do you believe in Christ you're not condemned I'm not saying that God's saying it you've got it in writing before you God being a God of truth secures the safety of the Christian God being an unchangeable God is the security of another church and God is a holy God he's a God of justice if he requires you to pay one millimeter of punishment for your sin he's unholy because [46:45] Christ paid it all there's not a little bit for you yet to bring now listen God will chastise us but he'll never ever punish us Christ has taken the punishment chastisement is correction because we're not obedient and we need to be put back into life however let's move on that's a spiritual blessing and there's heaven waiting for us I'm not going to speak about that about it's worth to be stupid about but here's a blessing verse 28 here's another blessing the Christian has we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose all things everything that goes wrong in your life will eventually work out for good! [48:00] that's what helps us put up with lots of things we'll suffer for when something painful is to come to us in providence often sent by Satan before that painful experience that hurtful experience reaches you it has first of all to go through [49:02] Christ Christ has to pass it he has to say okay Satan you can do that because I'm going to eventually make it work out for good if you're in Christ that painful thing has to go through Christ first because you're in Christ to go through him first is to have his approval first another blessing the Christian has is he cannot be separated from the love of God all these blessings are because God loves you God loves the Christian he's angry with the sinner he's angry with the wicked there we are [50:04] I've fallen in the trap myself I thought it was a verse from the Bible saying God is angry with the sinner every day there's no such verse in the Bible I've checked it out the Bible says God is angry with the wicked every day you see I'm still a sinner God is not angry with me but listen I grieve him I grieve him but he's never angry with me if you're a Christian if you're in Christ God is never angry with you he expelled all his anger on the head of his son at the place called Calvary he's never angry with you again but oh we can grieve him with our behaviour we can grieve him with our behaviour but he's not angry that's a glorious gospel that's a blessing and it's all because [51:06] God really does love us but you see what if what if we what if we wander away from his love he'll bring you back nothing well you can read the last verses of this chapter wonderful verse 35 who shall separate us from the love of Christ and he goes on to right end to the last verse height depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord nothing can separate you from nothing created nothing uncreated has the power to separate the Christian from the love of [52:07] God and Christ and the Holy Spirit just finally then how they're described in verses 4 and 5 that the righteousness of the law might be filled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit for they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit now just to be a wee bit technical maybe verse 1 defines the Christian verses 5 in particular 4 and 5 describe the Christian now I'm not going to be technical but there's a difference between a description and a definition really our short catechism those of you [53:08] I'm sure will know it uses the term new obedience what does a Christian look like well he's got new obedience that used to confuse me new obedience how is it called new obedience you're obeying the same laws it's the same commandments we're doing the same things we used to do or trying to do before why is it called new obedience good question excellent question answer Christians the person that's in Christ has a new reason for keeping the commandments a new reason that's only different same commandments but we have a new reason why you keep them you keep them out of gratitude and love to Christ for paying the punishment of your sins that's why you keep them to please [54:12] God to please Christ he died for us he took the punishment of our sins we want to thank them we want to thank them by not making up some idea or give a thousand pound to the church or something you do that please but it's not pleasing them you please them by keeping his commandments obeying him with thankfulness gratitude are you as dull as I was I read the ten commandments in Exodus chapter 20 and I foolishly thought that did you think I always thought the children of Israel were to keep the ten commandments so that they would get into the promised land I used down as I was that's what I always thought there's the ten commandments God's given to you so if you keep them you'll get into the commandments just read what we call the preface to the ten commandments very important very important the reason why you have to keep the commandments [55:26] Exodus 20 verse 2 I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage I brought thee out because I took you out of Egypt therefore keep the commandments actually it comes over better in Deuteronomy account therefore you shall keep Deuteronomy chapter 5 chapter 5 verse 15 remember that I was a servant in the land of Egypt and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand by a stretched out arm therefore therefore the [56:33] Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day because he took you out of Egypt therefore new obedience a new reason for keeping the commandments and therefore we strive and you can see there in verse 5 it's a striving to keep the commandments we never do it perfectly can't not in this world down here on earth we'll never keep them perfectly but here's a mark with a genuine desire to and make a serious attempt at work description of the Christian desires wishes to keep the commandment as 1st John says the commandments are not grievous what grieves! [57:44] having any obedience would you rather God change his commandments so that you can do what you want or would you rather God change you so that you can keep the commandments he has already written if your cry is oh Lord change me that I am able to keep your commandments that's a mark of divine grace but if you say oh I wish God would change that commandment it would be great that's a bad saying but you ask God to change you so that you will desire and attempt and endeavor to please him by keeping his commandments well finally you know the verse without faith it's impossible to please [58:47] God that is of course without faith in Christ it's Christ that does the saving without faith in Christ it's impossible to please God my friend you will never ever ever get to heaven by being good enough have you got that even though you give your body to burn it won't do you'll never make it it's by faith it's not by being good enough it's by faith in what Christ did at the place called Calvary and anyone anyone anywhere anytime can please God not by being good enough but you can please [59:50] God in one moment by repenting of your past life and trusting in Christ alone for salvation may God the Holy Spirit make his word effectual to every one of us let's pray our father in heaven please take the things of Christ and make them effectual to every one of us here in heaven answer on earth because we pray for your glory in Christ's name Amen we'll conclude by singing four verses from psalm 62 psalm 62 and we sing verses 5 to 8 i often ended a communion season by singing these verses because these verses effectively what a [61:18] Christian is saying at the Lord's table psalm 62 verse 5 my soul wait down with patience upon thy God alone on him dependeth all my hope and expectation he only my salvation is and my strong rock is he he only is my sure defence I shall not move it be in God my glory presidence and my salvation sure in God the rock is of my strength my refuge most secure ye people place your confidence in him continually before him pour ye out your heart God is our refuge high psalm 62 verses 5 to 8 my soul wait down with patience upon night [62:41] God alone! on every day! God has been on! [62:56] God has expected heaven! He only my salvation is and my strong prophecy is me! [63:21] He was sure defense! I shall not move in thee! [63:38] In God my glory face is and my salvation is good! [63:57] In God the Lord is of my strength my refuge ho Be a good heart. [64:45] God is our refuge. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all. [65:09] Now and forevermore. Amen.