Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/kc/sermons/23875/good-friday-day-5-18042014-christ-alone-dr-david-antwi/.

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] Thank you for listening. For more resources, please visit caris.org or call us on 0207-740-9960. God bless you.

[0:14] Amen. Father, thank you. Thank you that you loved us so much, that you shed your priceless blood to save us and to bring us reconciliation to yourself. Thank you as we hear your word.

[0:34] Today being a good Friday, let us have a better and a greater insight and revelation into what you did on the cross for us. We thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

[0:50] Amen. Someone say, Solos Christos. Solos Christos. Well, please say it again. Solos Christos. Say it louder. Solos Christos.

[1:01] All right. What is Solos Christos? Christ alone. During a certain period in the 17th century, but I think, yeah, there was what we call the Reformation because the church has gone into kind of decline and darkness.

[1:20] The gospel was not being preached and the essence of Christianity had been eroded or marginalized by tradition of men. And God himself brought a revival led by some guys, particularly Martin Luther.

[1:39] And during that revival, they brought a lot of reformation to the church. So that era is called, that's what is known as the Reformation. Now, during the Reformation, they came up because human tradition was ruling in the church so much, they had to establish what matters in Christianity.

[2:02] So they came up with a few solas, five solas. Now, so I'm sure if you are in this church, you must have heard me say them before.

[2:14] Solos Christos. First of all, I remember I spoke about sola fide. Now, sola, the word sola, S-O-L-A, is a Latin word. And that's when they say someone is doing a solo.

[2:26] What does that mean? Alone. Okay, alone, singing alone. Or someone is flying solo. Flying alone. Okay, so that's where the word solo stands out.

[2:37] So sola fide, which is faith alone. Talking about you, oh, Jesus. You become a Christian by faith alone.

[2:47] Not faith and works. And then they have so sola fide, and we had sola gracia. Sola gracia is just by the grace of God, not by human merits.

[3:02] No one gets saved because they merit it. Everyone gets saved because of the grace of God. All right, so sola gracia. And then we have solos Christos, which is through Christ or in Christ alone.

[3:19] All right, so we are saved not through Christ and church attendance. Not through Christ and tithe.

[3:31] Though some people, that's what they think. Not through Christ and offering. Not through Christ and well behavior. Through Christ alone. Someone say through Christ alone.

[3:41] Through Christ alone. And then we have the third one being sola scriptura. Only the scriptures has the final authority on our Christian conscience.

[3:53] Sola scriptura, and then finally sola de gloria. All to only the glory of God, not the glory of man. Amen. So we are here just for the glory to be to God.

[4:05] In fact, Jesus, when he taught them to pray, he says that for the end of this, for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory. Thine is the glory. Bible says that Ephesians 3 verse 20 talks about how he's able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that he can think or ask of.

[4:21] According to the power that unto him who is able to do that, according to the power that is in verse 21, unto him be the glory in the church. All right. So all glory goes to Jesus Christ or goes to God, to the glory of God alone.

[4:33] So these are the solace. And as you are aware of, as you are aware, this season, our theme is Solus Christus. Christ alone. Someone say Solus Christus. Say Solus Christus.

[4:45] Say Christ alone. Christ alone is the answer. Christ alone is the solution. Christ alone is what changes everything. When God created man, God is that high, so high, and man is a creature.

[5:04] Guess what? When you create a robot, you define and determine what the robot does. And the robot, by default, or the robot is supposed to do what you define it to do. And so if you don't even reward the robots, you've not done anything because that's why you created the robot anyway.

[5:20] Does that make sense? Now, God created us for his purpose. God created us to work with him. God created us to obey him. And so we obeying God is not something that needs an applause.

[5:36] That's why we were created. All right. We were created to obey God. And so God doesn't have to try and say, okay, if you obey me, I'm going to do this for you.

[5:46] Right. Because fundamentally, the purpose for you, you didn't create yourself. Anyone here who decided to come by himself? No one. God created us for his purpose. So every act of obedience does not necessarily, God didn't have to react and reward us for our act of obedience because that is why he created us.

[6:04] And when he created Adam and Eve, he put them in this perfect state. It's called by theologians, state of innocence. So they didn't know wrong.

[6:15] They didn't know good. They had not done anything wrong, anything good. Innocence. So God created them. And God didn't have to come and tell them that if you do this, I'm going to do this for you.

[6:27] But God is a God of covenant. What? Say covenant. Now, covenant connoves an agreement. God is so high, he didn't have to stoop low to come into an agreement with us.

[6:38] So he will bless us because he has created us for a function and we have to just fulfill the function without him promising us a reward. But because God is a God of goodness, God is a God, Bible said, God is rich in mercy.

[6:52] He's rich in love. He decided to condescend and to come into an agreement, a covenant with man such that if man does this, he said, I'm going to get this for you.

[7:03] And so when God put Adam and Eve in the garden, he made a covenant with them called the covenant of works. And he told them that everything is perfect.

[7:18] But you know what? If you obey me, I'm moving you to another pedestal. It's called the covenant of works. Say covenant of works. And Adam and Eve failed.

[7:33] Now someone said, but why did God allow evil to come? God didn't create us as robots. He created us and gave us free will. Say free will. So he didn't want to force you to do things.

[7:46] He wants you to use your free will to obey him. And so he gave them the privilege, the opportunity, the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. And that's the fruit of life.

[7:57] He says, you can eat every fruit, any fruit in the garden, but don't eat this just to let them exercise their will. Because if there wasn't any fruit, if there wasn't anything that they would exercise their will on, anyway, they are just created to do this.

[8:13] So that's one thing they are doing. All right. Created to love. Created to dance. That's what. Can you imagine if you were God? Can you imagine? Okay. Some of us would have done that. If you had the chance to create your husband or your wife.

[8:26] Some of us, you know what you do? You know what you're going to do? You're going to program that man. That any time you wake up in the morning, he wakes up.

[8:39] Or five minutes or ten minutes, twenty minutes before you wake up. You'll program him that he'll wake up. Go to the kitchen. Prepare some tea. Come and laugh with you. Give it to you. Any time you need something done, he'll program that he will fit you perfectly.

[8:53] Like the way our apps and computers work. They're supposed to save us. And so, if you are creating a woman, hey, for your wife, I mean your wife. Some of us, you are married and you are not satisfied because you wanted to have created a certain woman in a way.

[9:12] That even in your low state, when you are misbehaving or something, she, you know, sometimes men can behave funny. Sometimes, wives think, what is in the head of this man?

[9:28] What is in the head of this man? What is in the head of that? You know, if you had a chance, you would create a wife to the extent that when you even misbehave, she said, it does not matter.

[9:43] It does. Hello, my Lord. Hello, my Lord. Whatever you want today, I'm ready for you. But God, when God created us, he created us and didn't program us just to do what he wants.

[9:59] He created us and gave us free will. And he said, now use your free will to serve me. And so, there and there, God instituted the covenant of works, or it's called the creation covenant.

[10:14] And so, but guess what? Adam and Eve, man, used his will to do the other one. And so, he opened the door for evil to enter.

[10:24] That is why we have all these disasters, that we have all this pain, all this misery in humanity amongst men. Because, man, God created us in a perfect state, but we used our will to jump out of it.

[10:41] If there is God, why are people suffering? If there is God, because there is God, and God didn't want to force anybody. God gave us our free will. Listen, God can, whatever, maybe there is injustice.

[10:54] Most of this are all the things. God should go there with a gun. Some people say, but God should have striked Hitler. No, God doesn't do that because he would have been striking all of us in our bedrooms. You see what I'm saying?

[11:07] Before you say, God, if you are good, why didn't you deal with this injustice? You are saying that God, deal with me. Because how many of us know that sometimes we got some injustice? Hmm.

[11:19] Praise the Lord. So, when we disobeyed God, it opened the way for evil to come in. God told them, if you obey me, or if you eat, if you do not disobey me, in other words, if you obey me and not eat this fruit, you pass the text and you get into another state of glorious fellowship with me.

[11:42] Hmm. That was our destination. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. The state of perfection was the state of innocence just now for us to choose.

[11:53] Right. And man chose to go the other way. And all of us were plunged into that. But God, who? God, because Bible says that in Ephesians chapter 2.

[12:05] I like this scripture so much. Chapter 2 verse 4. Bible says, and God, who is rich in mercy? But God, who is rich in mercy? He is rich in mercy.

[12:15] He decided to do something. To the extent that when we fail, I like this. Romans chapter 5 verse 8 says that God commended his love towards us this way. That whilst we were yet, Romans chapter 5 verse 8, whilst we were yet sinners, God demonstrates his love towards us this way.

[12:34] In that whilst we were still sinners. Whilst we were, that is why the church have to go out and don't wait for people to change. Because God loves people the way they are.

[12:46] I like this. The song was that just as I am without my one plea. He says that nothing to the cross I bring. You don't bring anything. Nothing in my hands I bring.

[12:56] Simply to the cross I cling. I don't have anything to offer to make my life better with God. God has done it all through Christ alone.

[13:10] Oh, I'm going somewhere. I'm going somewhere. What is please don't miss what I'm saying. And so God himself put a system in place. Genesis chapter 3, 15 and 16. When man sinned, God, when he was pronouncing judgment, introduced a clause.

[13:27] He said, and I will put enmity between you talking to the devil. Between you and the woman. And between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.

[13:38] This is what your theologians call proto-evangel. The first gospel message. The first gospel.

[13:49] When man fell. Watch this. When man disobeyed God. As soon as man disobeyed God. And God was bringing judgment. Within the judgment was a provision for him to still come back to where it originally prepared for him.

[14:03] Hallelujah. Shout hallelujah. Hallelujah. Shout hallelujah. Hallelujah. And so that is the covenant of works. But there's what we also call the covenant of grace.

[14:16] Now I'm going to explain and show you the difference between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace. Because God is a God of justice.

[14:28] If you do wrong, justice requires that you must be punished. You must pay for the wrong you have done. So everyone who does wrong, according to proper justice, the one who does wrong must be made to pay for the wrongdoing.

[14:44] The consequence of the wrongdoing. But God, for God to declare you free, there must be a ground. There must be something you must do to merit that liberty.

[15:00] Now, so from Genesis, Genesis is a story or the Bible is not a history book. Get it? Simple thing. Okay, the Bible doesn't talk about this.

[15:11] The Bible didn't talk about everything. Even Jesus. The Bible didn't talk about everything he did. The Bible only spoke about the things that he did that are necessary for our redemption. So the Bible is a display of God's redemption plan from A to Z.

[15:27] It's all a redemption story. Redemption story. The Bible is a redemption story. All right.

[15:38] Now, so right from Genesis, God started working out a plan. Now, when you read the Bible, I want to draw your attention to something. Because sometimes, as a pastor, in the morning time, sometimes you, pastor, you come into a conundrum.

[15:56] You are not sure if you should use certain terminologies in the Bible. Because people can identify with them. Terminologies like salvation. Terminologies like redemption.

[16:09] Terminologies like propitiation. Terminologies like reconciliation. These are biblical ways. Terminologies like sanctification.

[16:21] Terminologies like forgiveness. Terminologies like the big one. I love that big one. Justification. Now, I realize that we can't do anything against the truth but for the truth.

[16:34] If you are a Christian, the earlier you get to know, be familiar with these terms or words, the better. Just like you have an iPad or you have a smartphone or you have a tablet and you don't want to know about apps.

[16:50] I didn't know about apps. I knew about software. Because I was using computers. Tablets came and smartphones came. Phones came. And sometimes, I was going to talk about referring to apps.

[17:02] Then I end up saying software. But they are different. They are different. So, tablets operate or use apps. Are you getting what I'm trying to say? So, it's a new era.

[17:14] So, every new era or every field you get into, field of endeavor, there are terminologies and words in the army. There are words that the armies, we will use it in the civilian world.

[17:24] But when a soldier uses it, it carries a different meaning. Amongst the soldiers. In the same way, medical field. In the same way, the accountancy field. Am I right? In the legal field. There are words that go with these fields.

[17:38] In the same way, in the scriptures and the redemption and the redemption story, there are certain words. As a redeemed of the Lord, as a Christian, you must be familiar with and know about. Am I making some sense?

[17:49] And so, you must know about justification. You must know about propitiation. It is necessary. When Adam fell because of the covenant of words.

[18:00] When he failed, he failed and he fell. God's justice was breached. And God's justice needed to be met.

[18:13] So, human beings began to sin and we are sinning. And as it were, the wrath of God was against unrighteousness. Or is actually against unrighteousness. And so, something must appease the wrath of God.

[18:25] If I offer, that's what we, in the legal world, they call it compensation. Compensation or justice has been done. When something happens, you will be at your workplace.

[18:38] God forbid. And you are injured or something. You can claim compensation. And, you know, recently, last year, I was last year, two years. I traveled to Scotland on my way back.

[18:49] I was in the train late at night. And I think there was a problem. And we were, the train has to stop. They had to change the train. I was so cold somewhere in Newcastle. And I got home late, late at night.

[19:03] And when we got to the, just before we arrived in, I think, no, you see, King's Cross. Just before we arrived, they gave us forms to fill. So, when we arrived, all those who didn't have cabs or whatever, they arranged cabs.

[19:19] To pick us and drop us everywhere we were going. But I didn't know. I had already arranged for someone to pick me up. I said, oh. You know. So, that's justice.

[19:30] And they gave us a form to fill. And to claim back our tickets or what we've. And I just, I didn't even know where I put it. Later on, I said, I should have claimed this thing with my ticket. Because I was in first class.

[19:41] I would have gotten some, you know, good bucks, man. But, but God is a God of justice. And so, I said that to imply that justice must be satisfied for me to be appeased.

[19:56] The things I suffered, I must be appeased. In the same way, God, the things that we have done against the justice of God, God must be appeased. And it is called propitiation.

[20:09] Appeasing the wrath of God. No problem again. But the bigger one is reconciliation. Say reconciliation. Say it again. Reconciliation.

[20:19] Reconciliation. When Adam and Eve sinned, they broke the fellowship with God. And so, as it were, man and God were at log eyes. But God, for God so loved the world.

[20:33] And God didn't create us to be on our own. Because we can't be on our own. That is the reason for all this trouble in life. So, God created us to be with him.

[20:44] So, God had to put a system in place to bring us back into a relationship with him, which is called reconciliation. Is someone getting me? So, there are all these words. But particularly, one of the words that we are familiar with, which I like to talk about, is justification.

[20:59] Say justification. Justification. Oh, say it again. Justification. Say it again. Justification. Justification is a legal word. What is the meaning of justification? That justification, as you are aware, is the act of God declaring a sinner.

[21:15] Say a sinner. That's serious. The act of God declaring a sinner righteous. By grace alone. Through faith alone. Because of Christ alone.

[21:27] For his glory alone. Hallelujah. Pastor, please come quickly. So, Pastor Charles, let's say I am God. And this is Pastor Charles.

[21:37] He is a sinner. Okay? It's an illustration. So, this sinner, and I'm the righteous judge, and I'm declaring a sinner. Watch this. A sinner righteous.

[21:48] Having not done anything righteous. Having not said anything righteous. Having not acted in any righteous way. He remains a sinner, and I remain just, and yet declaring a sinner righteous.

[22:01] Yeah. Yeah. Hmm. How can you call a sinner righteous? How can you call blue, green? And still remain correct?

[22:13] I can't call black white. What color of his shoe? It's black. Why didn't you say white? Because it's black. And then when I started, I said, oh, Pastor Charles' white shoes are amazing.

[22:27] You'll be wondering, is Pastor okay? I thought there's something wrong with me, but I can call black shoes white and still remain okay. That's right. He didn't get that.

[22:38] So, how can God call you a sinner righteous and still remain right? There must be grounds for his declaration of you as righteous.

[22:50] Either you either meet the requirements of the law or the works. You have to produce the works that show that you are righteous. But you can't do it.

[23:01] And so, justification is the act. It's an act of God declaring a sinner righteous by grace. Now, that's why it's leading me.

[23:13] I'm going to explain the grace there. By grace alone, that's the covenant of grace, okay? By grace alone, through faith. So, all he has to do is have faith. Now, I'm going to show you how faith is, to make it easier.

[23:28] I don't know that to sound too great. I'm too big in someone's ear. Merit. Say merit. Merit. You know, sometimes, those times, sometimes I'm preaching and I ask a question and someone answers.

[23:38] I say, okay, let me give you. You must merit certain things. So, if I'm going to give him an award, can you imagine you say, let's give Pastor Charles an award. What would you be thinking? What has he done? For what?

[23:49] Okay. So, you can't give awards without merit. Now, faith is not a meritorious act. You didn't get it? When you say, I have faith in Jesus, it doesn't mean you have done something that now requires a reward of justification.

[24:09] Because faith is not a meritorious act. Okay. So, what is the meritorious act? Upon what grounds does he merit? If faith, faith is all he brings to the table.

[24:23] Upon what grounds does he merit this reward of justification? Am I making sense? I know some people are not getting it. You'll get it.

[24:33] Hallelujah. And so, that is what we call justification by faith. God, justification is God declaring a sinner to be righteous by grace alone, through faith alone.

[24:47] Their merits. Their merits. Because of Christ alone. So, Christ alone. Christ alone. Because of Christ alone. So, Christ must have done something to merit some other things.

[25:05] What did Christ do to merit the justice and the blessing of God which he passed to us? Now, the difference between the covenant of work and the covenant of grace is the covenant of grace does not nullify or annul the value, the efficacy or the necessity of the covenant of works.

[25:29] Can I have you, Pastor Frank? So, the covenant, please stand here. The covenant of grace, the covenant of works says that, do this and then you get this.

[25:48] The covenant of grace says that, you don't do anything. Someone will do what you have to do. And then you get the same thing you would have gotten if you have done it.

[26:01] So, that means that grace, when we talk about grace, grace says that you didn't have to do it to merit it. I, Christ, will do it.

[26:14] It's Christ alone. Because of Christ alone. Now, because of Christ, God's justice cannot say he can't forgive you. Because Christ paid the price.

[26:31] Is someone getting it? Christ paid the price. Now, let's go, before we go to the scripture again. Covenant of works, this man, he's supposed to obey the covenant of works, do some works to get a result.

[26:45] And Christ comes to do the work. Because covenant of grace, actually, what it means is that you don't have to do it, but a mediator.

[26:58] Say a mediator. A mediator. A mediator has to come and do it on your behalf to God. So that on the basis of what the mediator has done, you can freely go to God.

[27:11] Watch this. That is what makes prayer work. That is what makes church work. We come to church because of what Christ has done.

[27:25] We pray because of what Christ has done. When we, because of what Christ has done, who? Watch this. Pastor Frank, Bible says that God was in Christ.

[27:37] Reconciling the world to himself. God was in high light. Second Corinthians. Let's put it on the screen. Please take your seat. Clap for them. Why is it? Take your seat. Second Corinthians. Let's look at it. Second Corinthians chapter.

[27:48] Chapter five. I like this one. Verse 18. Hey! And 19. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! I have been redeemed.

[27:59] I have been justified. I have been sanctified. I have been reconciled back to God. And I don't have a problem with God. God doesn't have a problem with him. I can come boldly.

[28:11] I can come boldly. I can come boldly. Before the throne of grace. Because of Christ alone. Hallelujah!

[28:27] I am blessed. I am blessed. Tap someone. Tell the person. Watch me well. Watch me well. I am blessed. I am blessed. I am blessed. I may not look like that.

[28:37] But I am telling you. Don't be deceived. I am blessed. I am blessed. I know someone is blessed. I know you are blessed. You are blessed. Why are you blessed? Because of Christ alone.

[28:49] Why are you blessed? Because of Christ alone. I said why are you blessed? Because of Christ alone. So what about the things you did wrong? That is not the grounds for your blessing.

[29:01] The grounds for your blessing is what? Because of Christ alone. Christ alone. So Christ alone. Christ alone. That is called good news. What is better than this?

[29:15] What is better? Can you imagine? A thief has been arrested. Going to be killed. In Libya. All of a sudden. Someone comes. No, no, no. Leave him. Let him go.

[29:25] It doesn't matter. The thief says no, no, no. Why should I go? With all the bad things. Look at the people I have killed. No, no. Don't worry. Go. Why? You are free now.

[29:36] You are free now. Because we checked the records. And your file is very clean. Me? You remember the story of Barnabas?

[29:48] They exchanged Jesus. No Barnabas. Barnabas. They exchanged Jesus. The criminal. They said go. He said me. Yes, go. Because Jesus has taken your place.

[30:01] Jesus has taken your place. There is no criminal like human beings. How many of you agree with me? It doesn't matter your race.

[30:14] Human beings are the same everywhere. Asians still. White people still. Black people still.

[30:28] Red Indians still. Chinese still. Human beings are the same. That's why there is prison everywhere. Don't tell me the prisons are all in Africa.

[30:43] Oh, no. Oh, no. Russia has got prisons. Even in the time of Jesus. There were prisons. Therefore.

[30:53] In the time of Joseph. Joseph got his breakthrough through prison. Why? Because people are people. People are criminals. Criminals. By birth. Just that.

[31:07] Some people didn't get the opportunity. To develop their own. Because. Because either. The system you live in. Or your parental control. You know.

[31:17] There are bad people in South and North Korea. But most of them. They don't show. You can't show. Because the system is so regimented. Even if you don't have to clap. You clap in a particular way. Bad people clapping.

[31:30] Yeah. You know. Human beings. So. That is why. When they brought the woman. Caught in adultery. And they said. Jesus. Moses. In the law.

[31:41] Said we should stone her. Jesus said. Any of you. Who is without a sin. No. He didn't say. He said. Let him cast the first one. Just the first stone.

[31:53] Bible says. That they all dropped their stone. Starting from the head. High priest. Because. Oh. Bible said. If God should regard iniquity. Who can stand.

[32:05] Psalm 130. Verse. Three. If God should regard iniquity. Who can stand. Bible says. In Psalm 103. Verse 10. If God. God has not dealt with us.

[32:15] According to our iniquities. God. If God should deal with you. According to. You won't stand. You don't have a chance. You don't have a chance.

[32:26] Because you know why. Bible says. All have sinned. Romans chapter. Chapter 3. Verse 20. All. Say all. All. Say all. All. All have sinned. And have fallen short. Of the glory of God.

[32:37] All right. What scripture did I say. You should turn to. Somewhere. Not falling. Second Corinthians chapter. Chapter. Second Corinthians chapter 5.

[32:48] Verse 18. Let's see what. It's got to say. Oh. Thank you. Holy Spirit. Thank you. Jesus. I want to read from verse 17. Don't worry. Okay. Therefore. If any man be in crisis.

[32:59] A new creation. All things have passed. Away. Behold. All things have become new. Now. All things are of God. Who has reconciled us to himself. Through Jesus Christ. And has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

[33:11] Verse 19 is the key one. That is. God was in Christ. Reconciling the world to himself. Not imputing their trespasses against them. God was in Christ. Reconciling the world to himself.

[33:23] Not imputing their trespasses against them. So as I said earlier on. Even the covenant of grace. Because we fail in the covenant of work. The covenant of grace came. So that. The covenant of grace says that there needs to be a mediator.

[33:36] Someone will do it on your behalf. And then you'll get the credit. But. Watch this. I'm going somewhere with this thing. Before. That someone does it for you to get the credit.

[33:47] Remember. You're already in red. What do you do with your guilt then? Okay. Let's say you're going to be. You're going to be given the award. All right.

[33:58] Someone wants to. Do something for you to have the award. But. What do you do. About your guilt. There are people who are very gifted. Eloquent.

[34:08] And. It's like. They are. They are qualified for a certain position. Maybe political position. But when they were preparing them for the. Promotion. They found out that in their records. In their history.

[34:18] Some. Man. Serious prison sentences. Which they are even. Are trying to. Escape. And. Car fines. And. All kinds of. Penalty charges. And. Things like that. They find that thing in your record.

[34:29] They have to put on hold. The reward. Or the award. Because it makes. It will make the one giving you the award. Look very irresponsible. Because. How can you be given an award. With this.

[34:40] In your background. So. The point I'm trying to raise. Here is that. All. Have issues. We have all sinned. So. God cannot just say. Okay. You are righteous before me. Before he declares you righteous.

[34:52] Because. Remember. We are not talking about. Um. He declares you. Innocent. One thing I didn't say. I haven't said yet. Is. When. Many people think.

[35:03] Jesus Christ. Came to bring us. To the state of innocence. Where Adam fell from. Jesus didn't bring us. To the state of the innocence. Where Adam fell from. He came to bring us.

[35:13] To the state of honor. Where Adam was supposed to go. Yeah. So. So. We went farther. Ahead of Adam. How did you get there?

[35:26] How did you get there? Because. Oh. The only way to get there. Can I have. Again. Please come. Come quick. Please come. Is that okay to come? Hey.

[35:36] Come. Come. Minister. Come quick. Quick. Quick. Okay. This is destination. Destination glory. Someone say glory. Glory. I didn't call Pastor John Luke.

[35:47] Because he would have wanted. To be the destination glory. And. And. This is. The works. Means. To glory.

[35:59] And. Pastor Philip. Can you come quickly. Please. And this is. Man. Okay. Don't go there. Interesting. Oh. Okay.

[36:09] That doesn't matter. No. Personal. This is. The falling state of man. Okay. Destination doom. Destination what? Glory.

[36:19] Glory. And when God created Adam. Adam was in. A position of innocence. But to get to. Destination. All right. Can I have. Someone else.

[36:31] Yeah. Pastor William. Please come. Yeah. Nice looking man. Please stand here. Okay. Pastor Philip. Please go back a bit. So now. This is man. Be in the middle.

[36:43] Man. Was in. In a state of innocence. And God says that. If you eat the fruit. You end up here. If you.

[36:54] Don't eat the fruit. And you obey me. You go. Covenant of works. You go through here. You end up here. Destination glory. That's God's original intent for us. But guess what.

[37:06] Man. Ed the fruit. Yeah. And so man is now here. There's no state of innocence. Many people think. Jesus Christ. Let's say I'm Jesus Christ. Okay. Does that look okay for me to say?

[37:18] All right. So Jesus Christ brings. Man. Many people think. Jesus Christ brought man here. No. Jesus Christ brought man there. But. The access.

[37:30] To here. Is the works. Right. So. How. You can't get there without the works. I'm trying to explain the difference between covenant of works.

[37:41] And the covenant of grace. Jesus Christ. By the covenant of grace. Got us here. But what about the works? So that's why. He didn't come to die immediately.

[37:55] He came to do the works. Right. He came to do the works. So.

[38:05] Remember I mentioned merits. Yes. The merits of our salvation. I'm going to say something strong here. Go on. We are saved. We are justified by what?

[38:17] Faith. All right. Grace through. Faith. Okay. Faith. Said. For by grace are you saved through faith. Faith. On our path. Faith. Yeah. Yeah. And not of works. That's right.

[38:28] Ephesians chapter 2. I'm going to say something quite interesting. Don't miss me. It's very serious work. Same thing I'm going to say. I'm going to introduce to you. That.

[38:38] We are saved by faith. But actually. We are saved by works. The only way you can get here is through works. Okay.

[38:54] You are very confused. Don't worry. You'll get it. The only way. What's the. What's the route to destination glory? So how can you get there without works? All right.

[39:05] No. Jesus. Jesus is not works. He did. So. Jesus. Had to come. And do the works. That brings us the salvation.

[39:15] Mm-hmm. So then when you come. You can't get there without works. But the works. You get there. Is the works of Jesus. That's right. That takes. Is someone getting it?

[39:26] Yeah. So. So. That is why. It's Christ alone. Not your works. Because Christ has done it all. God. In Christ. Was reconciling.

[39:37] The word. The world to himself. So Christ came to fulfill. All the laws. So that's why I said. The covenant of grace. Does not nullify the covenant of works. The covenant of grace.

[39:48] Is an extension of the covenant of works. It will fulfill the covenant of works. On your behalf. As a mediator. Amen. Quickly. Take your seat. Clap for them. Quickly. First.

[40:00] Timothy. Chapter 2. Timothy. Timothy. Timothy. In Africa. We say Timothy. It depends on where.

[40:11] Which part of our. Some of you are disagreeing with me. Seriously. First team. First team. First team. Brad team. First Timothy chapter. First Timothy chapter.

[40:22] Chapter 2. Verse 5. We are all going to read out. Out loud. From the screen. Are you ready? Yes. We are all going to read it out loud. If the Bible is sure. Make sure you underline it.

[40:32] But let's read. Let's go. For there is one God. And one mediator. Between God and man. The man Christ Jesus. One more time. For there is one God.

[40:45] Between God and man. The man Christ Jesus. I believe you can read it out loud. Louder. For. There is one God. And one mediator. Between God and man. The man Christ Jesus.

[40:57] Alright. Interestingly. It starts by saying. There is how many goals? One. One. One. Only one God. And this is what. That statement.

[41:08] This is what. Annoying many people. How can you say. There is only one mediator. Between God. And man. Even that.

[41:20] Time. Let me just tell you something. Brothers and sisters. When you say. One mediator. Between God and man. Okay. That. Word mediator. It's a bit of a hyperbole. I will explain what it means.

[41:31] It's. It's. Okay. Those of you. Who did the antenna. I don't even know. What a hyperbole is. But then. Let's say.

[41:42] Let's say. Someone. Comes to town. And the whole city. Went to meet him. Okay. You mean. When Michael Jackson. Came to the stadium. The whole city. Went to the stadium.

[41:52] Including the doctors. In the house. The sick people. In the house. No. It's an exaggeration. But it's not. Falsified statement. But it's an exaggerated statement. To mean something.

[42:04] Try and quote. Not something. Okay. So that's a hyperbole. Now. When you say. There is. One God. And one mediator. Between God. And Moses. Bible says. Moses was a mediator. So why.

[42:17] Bible says. One mediator. The prophets. They were mediators. Between God. And man. The priests. In those days. The priests. Used to take. The request of the people.

[42:27] To God. So they were mediators. Between God and man. Moses. Prophets. The priests. But why did God say. There is one God. And only one mediator. Say Christ alone.

[42:38] Christ alone. Why. Because. Christ is a mediator. In a way. That is different from all. A lot of presidents. Can arrive. When. Dansi Mandela's funeral.

[42:49] But when the president came. Everyone knew. That the president has come. Yes. When Obama came. Oh. The president is in. But there are so many presidents. That is a hyperbole.

[43:01] But then. It is true in a sense. Do you understand what I am saying? In the same way. When we were growing up. There were quite a few. Where I grew up. There were quite a few bishops in town. Yes. But when people are talking. They say.

[43:11] Oh. Bishop said. Bishop said. Everybody knew. Who the bishop is. I am. I am. Do you understand what I am saying? And so. In the same way. When they say. There is one mediator. Between God and man.

[43:22] Jesus. This mediatorial work. Is kind of different. From what Moses did. Moses did. Ah. Moses did not. Jesus.

[43:32] This is a good one. Hallelujah. Someone say. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I feel different. Moses did not. Moses did not. Reconciled man.

[43:43] With God. The mediatorial work of Christ. Brought reconciliation. Between former enemies. You and I.

[43:57] Man and God. Were brought together. They were reconciled. That is what the Bible means. That there is only one mediator. How did they do it?

[44:07] Oh. Jesus. Before I go on to that one. Someone watch this. Got it. Got it. Before I go to. Mother of God. I feel the Holy Ghost here. Hey.

[44:18] Shout hallelujah. Shout hallelujah. Hallelujah. Before. Before. Before I go there. You know. I was talking about. If you are going to be awarded. How about your wrongs?

[44:29] Yes. Romans chapter 4 verse 25 said. Jesus Christ. Was delivered for our offense. Our offenses. Jesus Christ. So. Hmm. Hmm.

[44:41] Hmm. In Isaiah. I feel. In. Watch what is. In Isaiah chapter 53. Verse 3. Put it on the screen.

[44:51] I can't go into my Bible. It's time. It's time. It's time. It's time. He said. He. He. He is despised and rejected by men. A man of sorrows. Acquainted with grief. And. We hid. As it were.

[45:02] Our faces from him. He was despised. And we did. Esteem. We did not esteem him. Verse. Verse. All right. Surely he has borne our griefs.

[45:12] And carried our sorrows. Yet. That. That. That we. That we. Esteem him. What? Eh. We esteem. Stricken. Smitten. By. Who smote him?

[45:23] Who smote him? Who. I don't know the pastor. But I know. Who. Who. Who did that strike in the screen? We had.

[45:35] We had it. Stricken by God. Watch this. The Roman authority. Couldn't kill Jesus. Human beings. Could not kill Jesus.

[45:47] They were just. Puppets. Who. Is that. We. We. Esteem him. Stricken. By God. himself. What do you think.

[46:00] On the cross. He said. Eli. Eli. Eli. Labang sabatani. My God. My God. Why have thou forsaken me? God.

[46:10] Himself. For once. Emptied. His wrath. Against. Your sins. Against. Your bad. And. Evil.

[46:21] Human beings. Evil act. God's. Anger. Against. Human. Unrighteousness. Was all. Emptied out. On Christ. So. The. Bible says that.

[46:32] The chastisement. For. Go to the next verse. The next verse. Isaiah chapter 53 verse. That's right. Said. But we were. He was wounded. For our transgressions. Did you see that? He was bruised.

[46:43] For our iniquities. The chastisement. For our peace. Was upon him. You need peace. Someone needs to be punished. For the evil things. We have done. And. For so that. You can have peace.

[46:53] The punishment. For your peace. Was given to Jesus. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Shall Christ alone. Christ alone. Shall Christ alone. Christ alone. So on the cross.

[47:06] He bore the wickedness. Of all humanity. To us put on him. That's what I both talks about. How second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21. For God made him.

[47:17] He knew no sin. He knew no sin. He knew no sin. He knew no sin. Listen brothers and sisters.

[47:29] The most amazing thing about Christ. Is not just his resurrection. It's his sinlessness. Human beings lived.

[47:42] A human life. Without sin. You heard the Bible reading. We had. The head this morning. John chapter. Verse 38.

[47:52] John chapter. What is it? 20. Verse 38. He said. Pilate said. I find no fault. In him. The people who brought him. To accuse him. Couldn't have.

[48:03] Any viable grounds. To accuse him. Because he was faultless. In the book of Hebrews. Chapter 4. Verse 15. He said. For we do not have a high priest. Who cannot sympathize with us.

[48:14] We have a high priest. But we have. Who was. Who was. In all points. Tempted as we. Yet. Say without sin. Without sin.

[48:25] In 1st Peter chapter. 1. Verse 18 and 19. Particular 19. He says that. For we are redeemed. By the precious blood. We. For. You have. 1st Peter chapter.

[48:36] What? Chapter. Chapter 1. Verse 19. Verse 19. Says that. Verse 19. Say you have been. But we have. But we have been redeemed. By the precious blood of Christ. As of a lamb.

[48:47] Without blemish. Without sin. Without sin. He was pure. And yet. The punishment. For our sins. Was supposed. Who punished him?

[48:58] Who did that? Who put the punishment on him? The justice of God. Needed to be paid. Someone there to pay for God's justice. For. For the wrong thing we took.

[49:08] Before we even end up. Coming to the glory point. The wrong thing we took. Must be punished. So. Watch this. Watch this. So. He's. Watch this. He's dying on the cross. Paid for the sins.

[49:20] Look at this text. You will like this scripture. I'm about to quote. Romans chapter 5. Verse 10. I like this one. I even want to clap for Jesus. Romans chapter 5. Verse 10. For if we were.

[49:32] For if when we were enemies. We were reconciled to God. Through. How. How. How. How did that happen? The death. The death. Brought us the reconciliation.

[49:43] When did that happen? When we were enemies. So. You remember. This way. Simo used this. Peccato. You were just. At the same time. Faulty. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[49:54] Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He dead. He's dead. Oh, sorry. He's alive. Yet stinketh. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. John chapter 11. Verse 39. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He was brought back to life.

[50:05] And they said by now he stinks. So when the guy came out from the dead, he was stinking but yet alive. Right. Right. Stinking yet alive. Right. How many of us are born again? Yeah.

[50:16] Alive but still stinks. Amen. So don't come to church and be criticizing people. Yeah. Okay. Because you can be born again. Yeah. And still stink. Oh, am I talking to somebody?

[50:29] Stinketh and yet alive. Right. Or alive and still stinking. Yeah. Alive and still stinking. God declares you even though you stink. Yeah. Declares you righteous.

[50:41] Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Amen. And as I said on Monday, I will say it again. I love this. And when they open your purse, they bring out the record, it's been deleted. Yeah. Yeah. Their cross deleted the purse.

[50:59] Completely wiped off so that you don't have any record of evil. When you are in Christ. Why? Because the cross took it out of the way. Hallelujah.

[51:11] Amen. Let me finish that text. Huh. Romans chapter 5 verse 10. It says, For when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his son.

[51:23] Much more having been reconciled, we shall be saved. By what? By what? By what? By what? His life. Listen to this, brothers and sisters. Remember I spoke about the merits.

[51:35] The life Jesus lived. It is the merits that bring us away. So, his death on the cross, which is called the vicarious death of Christ.

[51:47] He died in someone's place. He didn't have to die. But he died in our place. The vicarious death of Christ on the cross paid for our sins. But that's not the end of the story. His life.

[51:58] He lived a life of righteousness and built equity and credit. And guess what? Before you got to God, he transferred all that credit into your account. Amen.

[52:13] Say Christ alone. Christ alone. Say Christ alone. Christ alone. He alone is our answer. He alone is God's solution. He alone. Now, once you are in Christ, you confess anything the devil breaks your way.

[52:28] Because you are back to relationship with God. You are back into the healthy position where Adam should have been. You are back there. You are back in authority. You are back in upper hand.

[52:39] You are back in control. Tell someone, I'm getting back my control. Because of what? Christ alone. Why? Christ alone.

[52:51] Why? Christ alone. Why? Christ alone. So, when someone asks you, why are you dancing like that? Christ alone. Why are you giving your tithe? Christ alone. Why are you praying?

[53:02] Christ alone. Why are you going to church? Christ alone. Why do you look so excited? Christ alone. Why are you expecting a breakthrough? Why are you expecting a miracle? Why are you saying a miracle in Christ? Why are you getting grateful? Why are you young? Why are you God is so blessed?

[53:12] Why are you blessed? Why are you blessed? For you so blessed? saben Christ alone. Marcelo. Vanupt. Why are you as blessed? Christ has blessed?据え es de et hum You say he true? Why are you harvesting a breakthrough? Why are you expecting a breakthrough? Why are you expecting a miracle? Why are you indicating a miracle? Why are you blessed? Seeing Christ alone.

[53:23] Falls alone. Save Christ alone. Remember when the same لو. Why are you blessed? Say Christ alone. Christ alone. Amen. Hallelujah. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

[53:37] Christ, he died for us. In conclusion, watch this. Pastor Charles, come again.

[53:49] Pastor Philip, come quickly, please. This is Christ. Christ came to fulfill the works. And Pastor Frank, come back to your position.

[54:05] Oh, don't let the devil accuse you. Because he can take my praise away. He can take my praise away. Listen, Bible says that bless the Lord, oh my soul.

[54:19] And forget not his benefits. Who forgives your iniquities? Listen, it doesn't matter what money you don't have. Once you have forgiveness of sin, that should make you rejoice. Because it starts with forgiveness of sins.

[54:32] That's right. It starts with justification. It starts with justification. It starts with justification. Justification means you have the audacity. Unmitigated audacity.

[54:45] To stand before God without guilt. To stand before God boldly. So Hebrews chapter 4 verse 16. It said, therefore, let us come boldly before the throne of grace.

[54:58] That which may obtain mercy. And find grace to help in time of need. I see testimonies coming to someone. Let me finish this.

[55:11] And so, this is the man. Man is a sinner. Christ comes to fulfill the law. The works required for him to get there. And now, the punishment that was due to him.

[55:25] Christ takes it out of the way. I didn't finish saying this. Let me just qualify quickly. Because if you read Isaiah's account I quoted. It said, we did esteem him stricken. Smitting of God.

[55:36] So it could be that it's our miscalculation. Because we did esteem him stricken. But when you look at verse 10. Look at verse 10 quickly. Put it on the screen quickly for me.

[55:47] Verse 10 of Isaiah chapter 53. Isaiah chapter 53 verse 10. Yet he pleased the Lord to bruise him. You see that? He has put him to grief.

[56:00] When you make his soul an offering for sin. God himself bruised him. So when we say we did esteem him stricken.

[56:10] It's true. God strikes him. Strike him of God. For our sins. Now watch this. So his pain. His suffering on the cross.

[56:21] Takes care of our offenses. Romans 4.25. Okay. He was delivered for our offenses. And he was raised for our justification. I like that. But his life.

[56:33] Because if he says it was just talking about death. He could have come. The day he had to die. Come, die and go. Why did he have to come and live over 33 years? Why? Why did he have to?

[56:44] Because he needed to come and live a human sinless life. To accrue the credit. That a human being has lived a sinless life. Has made the requirements of the covenant of works.

[56:57] As a mediator. So he's standing. He said, I will do it. I will do it for them. He did it. And he said, no, I've done it. Take it. Take it. So he takes the righteousness he has done. Gives it to man.

[57:07] Man is not righteous. So that is going to God. In the righteous. So follow him. In the righteousness of God. So God sees him as righteous. But guess what?

[57:19] It's an alien righteousness. It's not his own righteousness. It's not his. Alien righteousness. Righteousness.

[57:31] It's called. By theologians. Righteousness. Extra knows. Righteousness. Outside of yourself. Behavior.

[57:41] That you didn't do. Think about it. Behavior. Which you didn't do. But it accredited to you. Someone behaved for you. So righteousness.

[57:53] Righteousness. Extra knows. But. It's very important to understand. It is righteousness. Pro. Nobis. I'm getting a bit theological. Sometimes it's cool. But. It's good.

[58:03] Because you never know who is listening. And we have to meet. Righteousness. Pro. Nobis. Righteousness. Pro. Nobis. Righteousness. Means righteousness. For you. So Jesus Christ. Didn't have to.

[58:13] Live for himself. He lived. For us. He died. For us. He died. To pay the debt. So we are free from. The punishment. Of sin. And he lived.

[58:24] Bible says. In Romans. Chapter 5. Verse 10. Put it. Put it again. On the screen. He lived. And to give us. His righteousness. So that we can go to God. With righteousness. That's not. Not ours.

[58:35] How much. Shall we be saved. By his life. God bless you. I prophesy over your life. That every argument.

[58:46] Satan raises against you. Because of the blood of Christ. Because of Christ alone. Because of Christ alone. Because of Christ alone. Satan's stance.

[58:57] Satan's argument. Satan's grounds. Is stripped of him. In the name of Jesus. Satan will not have an upper hand. Over your life anymore. Satan will not have an upper hand.

[59:08] Over your life anymore. Satan will not have an upper hand. Over your life anymore. Life will no more treat you anymore. Life will be in your control. Because of Christ alone.

[59:20] Because of Christ alone. Not because of what you have done. Not because of how good you are. Not because of how bad you are. But because of Christ alone. I speak over your life.

[59:32] So shall it be. So shall it be. So shall it be. So shall it be. If you are the one. Lift up your hand and shout hallelujah. I mean shout hallelujah.

[59:47] Shout hallelujah. Why do you pray? Christ the Lord. Why do you give? Christ the Lord. Why do you come to church? Christ the Lord.

[59:57] Why are you rejoicing? Christ the Lord. Why are you expecting a breakthrough? Christ the Lord. Why are you expecting your healing? Why is your marriage going to work? Why would life work for you?

[60:08] Shout Christ the Lord. Rest your feet and give the Lord a shout. Oh hallelujah. Oh hallelujah.

[60:20] Oh hallelujah. Oh hallelujah. Rest your feet somebody. Begin to bless the Lord. Begin to thank him. Say Lord I thank you. Lord I thank you.

[60:31] Lord I thank you. For is Christ the Lord. I thank you for what you have done on the cross. I thank you for Easter. I thank you for dying on the cross to save me.

[60:43] Hey. I thank you Lord. Solus Christus is my testimony. Solus Christus is my testimony. I don't have any other testimony. My testimony is Christ the Lord.

[60:55] My testimony is Christ the Lord. My testimony is Christ the Lord. My testimony is Christ the Lord. My testimony is Christ the Lord. I am healed because of Christ the Lord.

[61:08] I am blessed because of Christ the Lord. Lift up your hands and begin to bless his name. Thank you for listening. For more resources please visit caris.org or call us on 0207 740 9960.

[61:23] God bless you. God bless you. God bless you.