Transcript: Repentance and Redemption Through Faith in Jesus

Music In today's message, we are going to speak about a subject vital to our eternal life in Christ, which, when truly understood, will be our anchoring and sure salvation. This subject is called true repentance. We are going to look into God's Word and unfold the understanding of what this most important and vital subject in a Christian's life means. You will understand that there is a deep sense of the intrinsic or inward evil of sin and see the need of having a deep sorrow because of it, because it is done against God. It is rebellion against His authority. We could call sin also insubordination against the law of God. True repentance extends to all known sin, without exception and without excuse. And you will learn today, precious ones, that true repentance always includes reformation or said in another way. It will be bringing change and turnaround in your lives. We are going to look at one of the greatest accounts in the Bible given to us on this subject of true repentance. Please, let us open this word today in Matthew 26, 30. Jesus is preparing his disciples here for his death, And he is also telling them that they will fall away and they will scatter and not remain with him. As we break into verse 30, Matthew 26. And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Verse 31. Then Jesus told them, his disciples, this very night you will fall away on account of me. for it is written, I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will scatter. But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee. Verse 33. And Peter replied, Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will. Jesus says, I tell you the truth. This very night before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times. But Peter declared, even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you. And all the other disciples said the same. And then please, dropping down to verse 67. Then they spit on him. They spit in his face and they struck him with their fists. Others slapped him and said, prophesy to us, Christ, who hit you? Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard and a servant girl came to him and said, You also were with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied it before them all. I don't know what you're talking about, he said. Verse 71. And then he went out to the gateway where another girl saw him and said to the people there, This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth. And he again denied it with an oath. I don't know the man. Verse 73. After a little while, those standing around there went up to Peter and said, Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away. And then he began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, I don't know the man. Immediately, a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken. before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times. And he went outside and wept bitterly. Peter remembered the word of Jesus. But please let us read the account in Luke. Luke gives us a peek in, I call it like a zoom in, a closer look at this very touching and beautiful account where the other gospel writers don't chronicle it like the way Luke did. In Luke 22, verse 54, please. Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance, verse 55. But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there by the firelight, and she looked closely at him and said, This man was with him. But he denied it. Woman, I don't know him, he said. And a little while later, somebody else saw him and said, You also are one of them. Man, I am not, Peter replied. Verse 59. About an hour later, another asserted, Certainly this fellow was with him. Peter replied, Man, I don't know what you're talking about. just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. Verse 61, the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered the word that the Lord had spoken to him. And before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times. Verse 62, and he went outside and wept bitterly. where Jesus was standing was an elevated place because of the preparation of the tribunal and Jesus could look down upon Peter where he was sitting near the fire by a tender and compassionate look with one single glance of his eye our injured Savior with one glance brought to the remembrance of Peter all of his promises his own predictions and also you can see according to the last scripture you see the overwhelming and great guilt of the disciple Peter in verse 62 and he went outside and wept bitterly by a tender and compassionate look by the one glance of what was the beginning of the man of sorrow's suffering pierced the heart of Peter's soul. And in that one glance of our Lord contained the remembrance of Peter's sin. The consciousness of deep and awful guilt rushed over Peter's soul and he ran from the palace area and went to a place where he could be alone in the dark of the night. And the scriptures say, he wept bitterly. You see, it was only a little while before that, whereby Peter sat in great confidence before the Lord at the communion table declaring his allegiance. And the next thing, he is denying him, forgetting all of his promises to his Lord. And even cursing and swearing and profanely calling on God to witness what he knew to be false. that he did not know him. You see, Peter didn't do this once before his Redeemer. It was three times repeated. And the scriptures tell us he did this with profane cursing and swearing. Matthew 26, 74. And he, Peter, began to curse and swear, saying, I do not know the man. dear church you do know you have to know this hurt our precious savior very deeply in his day of trial and persecution even though Peter's great sin is recorded and laid bare before every generation of believers not in just one gospel account but in all four accounts there was nothing hidden Peter's atrocious sin against Jesus Christ was exposed by eyewitnesses and it was written about for our example today as it has been for every generation since. Besides Apostle Paul Apostle Peter was one of the greatest apostles chosen of our Lord who foreknew his weaknesses and yes, even the greatest sin of denying his Lord. Even though we feel for our brother Peter and may ourselves at one time shed tears over his actions, what can we glean out of his crime? That's our question today. What can we glean out of Peter's crime? And you must remember, our sins are like crimes before our holy God and Father. And even though Peter has been fully restored and raised up with our Lord, what can we draw out of his fall? Let's look at 1 Corinthians 10, verse 12, please. 1 Corinthians 10, 12. Therefore, let anyone who thinks he stands, who feels sure that he has a steadfast mind in his standing firm, take heed lest he fall into sin. for no temptation, no trial regarded as enticing to sin no matter how it comes or where it leads has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man. That is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that it is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience and such as a man can bear. But God is faithful. faithful to his word and to his compassionate nature and he can be trusted not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and the strength of resistance and power to endure it but with the temptation he will always provide the way out the means of escape to a landing place that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently These scriptures give us keen insight to the weaknesses of Peter's sin. The first is that there is danger in self-confidence. He that thinks he stands should take heed lest he falls. True Christian confidence is that which relies on God for strength and feel safety only in the belief that he, God, is able and willing to keep you from temptation. This should be our confidence. Peter was exhibiting a self-confidence by his statements and declarations to his Lord. And he was operating on his own strength instead of relying on the one who would and could uphold him. a second point we should consider and beware of here is that the highest favors the most exalted privileges do not secure us from the danger of falling into sin few men were ever so highly favored as peter few ever so dreadfully departed from the savior and brought so deep a scandal on religion. And a third point to remember, when an individual begins to sin, his or her fall from one sinful act to another act is easy. And I could say almost certain based on biblical history. Remember at first, Peter's sin was only a simple denial. And then it increased and snowballed into a more violent affirmation and it ended with open profaneness. So, once sin begins, the downward spiral or set in another way, the road of crime is easy. When sin is once indulged in, the way is open for a whole host of crime against our holy God. The course or road of righteous living and obedience is not easily stayed on until the soul is overwhelmed with the awful guilt or conviction of the Spirit of God. A fourth point is that true repentance is deep and thorough and bitter. Peter wept bitterly, the scriptures tell us. It was a sincere sorrow. It was sorrow that was proportioned to the nature of the offense that he had committed. And a fifth point. With one look from Jesus, a look or a glance combined with affection, pity, and reproof produces a bitter sorrow for sin, precious ones. You see, we injure or hurt him by our crimes. And our sins are crimes against our beautiful Lord. And since he loves us, he will not let go of us without a struggle. We may hurt him by our crimes. but his tender look when we sin or err is meant to pierce our souls. It is through many sorrows that whereby the open fountain of tears spring up from the depths of your soul. This is meant to lead you and me into a bitter repentance over our transgressions just as Peter had experienced and demonstrated to every generation since. The sixth point. With this next point, you must know that when you sin, you are prone to fall into another temptation. It is so important to at once seek a place of solitude and pour out your sorrows before your heavenly Father. When it comes earnestly from your heart and not from your head, your dear loving Father will take notice of your groans. He'll hear your sighs and will behold and capture your tears. He will receive you into his loving arms again. It's just like that. he awaits our repentance our true repentance point seven some Christians by their going astray will be required to suffer sometimes great and severe trials God will sometimes allow this to show them their weaknesses and will use this to check self-confidence this in effect is to produce dependence on Jesus Christ. Through their suffering, they hopefully will learn and be permitted to show how weak and feeble and rash they really are. See, Peter was a real believer. And Jesus had prayed for him that his faith should not fail. In Luke 22, verses 31, please. Verse 31. Jesus predicts Peter's denial. And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, indeed, Satan has asked that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail. And when you return to me, strengthen your brethren. Peter's faith did not fail. That is, his belief in Jesus. Peter showed his true allegiance, dear church, or his true attachment to his precious Savior. And he knew during this whole scenario, an hour of testing, that Jesus was the Messiah. He knew it. Peter also knew that he himself was intimately acquainted with the Messiah and he chose to renounce him. This was Peter's sin. Peter knew that Jesus was the Messiah who was prophesied to come, but he renounced him. And I say again, dear church, this is where he sinned. You see, this was Peter's great sin. Denial of his Lord. And one last point I wish to make here, is that even though a true Christian may be required to go astray, that is to fall into sin in order to truly understand that we really need Christ and His grace, is that there comes a resolve deep within your soul through this bitter repentance that God grace carries you sustains you and gives you what you need to keep you from falling True repentance brings bitter repentance And that measure depends on the measure of your crime against your Father in heaven. Peter's example of deep and bitter tears and true repentance is the whole reason for this message today. It is meant for our admonishment. and let it be said that even though through this example of Peter and bitter repentance that there are many who use this example of going through the motions and then go back to their doctrine of cheap grace. Bitter repentance brings true change and turnaround in a true Christian's life. And there are people who go through the motions and profane the grace of God by going back to their vomit with the expectation of repenting after they sin. You see, these kinds of people are not Christians. They're only pretenders and they only fool themselves. True repentance that is required in the scripture is an about-face and a turnaround and change of mind. Before your conversion, you were alienated from God. Me too. We were spiritually deranged and we saw things not in a truth perspective. The account in Luke 15, 17, with the prodigal son shows us this. Luke 15, 17, please. Then, when he came to himself, that is his right senses or his right mind, he said, how many hired servants of my father have enough food and even food to spare? But I am perishing, I'm dying here of hunger. I will get up and go to my father and I will say to him Father I have sinned against heaven and in your sight I am no longer worthy to be called your son just make me like one of your hired servants you see when you come to understand sin even a little sin you find it repugnant and consider it a crime against God And not only that, sin is like a sickness. It is like disease. And we could say that sin is all disease in one because the madness and the fever and the deafness is all bound up in sin. Men wish to be free of sickness in their body, but they do not wish to be free of sin, which is the disease of the soul. you no longer desire any wrong ways that you used to excuse before but you begin to see the world as vain and eternity to be very near and you begin to have this holy fear that your life here on this side of heaven is very temporary and short and eternity is forever and nothing is worth taking a chance and losing out on eternal life Peter was the very one who God uses as a prime example of true and bitter repentance. He turned completely around and led others on the tried and the true path, the holy path that he was following now with an undivided heart. And we see Apostle Peter, who had been fully restored in action in Acts 2, 36, as he was boldly declaring the testimony of Jesus Christ in Acts 2.36. Peter is speaking and saying, Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this. God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. And when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, Brothers, what shall we do? Verse 38 And Peter replied Repent and be baptized Every one of you In the name of Jesus Christ For the forgiveness of your sins True repentance Implies sorrow for your sins against God Along with a purpose to forsake it It is not merely a fear of the consequences of sin or the wrath of God in hell. It is viewing sin as evil in itself and in your mind and heart and hating it and forsaking it, dear ones. Do you know that making excuses for your faults is sin? Yes, making excuses for your faults is sin. Excuses saying, I like what I have and I will continue to pet it. See, sin is contagious. And the more we make excuses rather than eradicate our weaknesses, they will multiply and grow like weeds in a garden. because in our hearts we say we really prefer it. The mere fact that sin is evil and God hates it is a sufficient reason why those who are truly repentant learn to hate it and forsake it. False repentance dreads the consequences of sin. False repentance dreads the consequences of sin. But true repentance dreads sin itself because it is offensive to God. In the scripture we read in Acts 2.37, when Peter was speaking and he spoke to them and told them what they needed to do and when they heard what Peter replied to them about repenting, Verse 37, now when they heard this, they were stung, cut to the heart. And they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, the special messengers, Brethren, what should we do? Peter answered them and said, repent and change your views and purpose to accept the will of God in your inner selves instead of rejecting it and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and release from your sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit for the promise of the Holy Spirit to and for you and your children and to and for all who are far away even to and for as many as the Lord our God invites and bids to come to himself. Verse 40 And Peter solemnly and earnestly witnessed and testified and admonished. he exhorted with much more continuous speaking and warned. He reproved them and advised and encouraged them, saying, Be saved from this crooked, perverse, wicked, unjust generation. Therefore, for those who accept and welcomed his message were baptized. And there were added that day about 3,000 souls. to those who accepted were merely alarmed and they were afraid of the wrath of God. And these people had no true sense of sin as evil, but were in that moment simply afraid of the punishment. And by their alarm, Peter did not take it as a genuine means of repentance. Such conviction for sin would soon wear off unless their repentance became thorough and complete. So you see, Peter told them to repent and turn from sin to exercise sorrow for it as an evil and bitter thing. And to express the sorrow in a proper manner. True and bitter repentance is a confession that God is right and you are wrong. And you have a firm resolve and a purpose to live a life of holiness. You truly confess your sin, your faults, and your weaknesses before your holy God and Father. And you elect to die to them, precious ones. You're given help. And you do not do this on your own power. Not by power, not by might, but by my spirit, saith the Lord. We see the fruit of godly sorrow in 2 Corinthians 7.10. 2 Corinthians 7.10. And we can see the fruit of having godly sorrow. Verse 10. For godly grief and the pain God has permitted to direct, produce a repentance that leads and contributes to salvation and the deliverance from evil. And it never brings regret, but worldly grief, The hopeless sorrow that is characteristic of the pagan world is deadly, breeding and ending in death. Verse 11. For you can look back now and observe what this same godly sorrow has done for you and has produced in you. What eagerness and earnest care to explain and clear yourselves of all the complicity in the condoning of incest. What indignation at the sin. What alarm. What yearning. What zeal to do justice to all concerned. What readiness to mete out punishment to the offender. At every point you have proved yourselves clear and guiltless in this matter. Godly sorrow brings true repentance and turnaround. Where worldly sorrow brings death. because it is only remorse, sorrow that one was caught or found out. Godly sorrow is connected with a return to God, conforming to his standards and his ways, his will and his desires. King David in Psalms said, Against you, O God, have I sinned. Psalms 51, verse 1. Psalms 51, verse 1. Have mercy upon me, God, according to your steadfast love, according to the multitude of your tender mercy and loving kindness. Blot out my transgressions. Verse 2. Wash me thoroughly and repeatedly from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make me holy, pure from my sin. For I am conscious of my transgression and I acknowledge them my sin is ever before me. Verse 4, against you, you only, God, have I sinned and done that which is evil in your sight. So you are justified in your sentence and faultless in your judgment. You see, David had grown to see that his sin was a crime against his holy God. And he expressed the great sorrow that he had with his sin. So then, the main point I wish to make today in this word is all true and genuine repentance is that which regards all sin as evil. And the true fact is that it is all committed against God. Let me say that. My point today is for you to catch that all true and genuine repentance is that which regards all sin as evil. And the true fact is that it is committed against God. Only a heart, truly repentant, seeks God and implores pardon from Him. Others sorrow and worldly sorrow view sin as just getting over the guilt and using cheap grace, thinking they are fooling God, and in fact are really being led away from God because of their deceitful intent from the beginning. The individual who has grief for sin only because it leads to disgrace or shame or because it will lead to poverty or pain, will not necessarily break off from it and reform. Dear church, it is only when it is seen that sin is committed against God and that it is evil in His sight and that it leads to a whole change of life. Yes, a whole change of life. In fact, you see, these kinds of people want only a quick fix, only to get on with their pleasures and cares in life. They'd rather have their consolations come from the world and or agreements from others on their own unregenerate level to give them confirmation that what they are doing is okay. Genuine sorrow for sin leads the soul to God and guides the sinner through to their Savior to obtain the pardon and peace which only He, Jesus, can give to a wounded spirit. God alone can pardon and true peace be found and godly sorrow for sin will be found only in this place. I provoke you with this question today. Is yours a true repentance or not? You might ask in response to this question, well, how do I know if my repentance is true and sure? I wish to give you these guidelines today to consider and then as your checkpoint along on your Christian path to view them periodically. Remember, this is not a how-to list. As we come to Christ, we learn that we must live in Him in order to become like Him. In this guideline, you might ask yourselves these questions to know if your repentance is sure and true. One, do I have reverence towards God? Do I always speak of Him with respect and love and revering His ordinances and worshiping in His sanctuary the way that He demands? Number two, am I obedient to His commands, making them the rule of my life and delighting in them as the expression of His will for my life? a third point do I trust in his goodness believing that he will never err in the arrangements of his providence in my life but that all things will work together for my good four am I in submission to his chastisements and bearing these from his own hand as his way of showing me that he loves me and disciplines me because of his love? Fifth point, do I, by revealing his image, show my actions and deeds that I am indeed his child? These five points or guidelines, as I said, are good checkpoints for us to periodically consider. so just as in our example of peter today who is probably the greatest of the new testament it's most bitter and memorable repentances let us take his life and example seriously in our own lives today let us take serious the look from our lord jesus christ too The look or the glance combined with affection and reproof or rebuke at sin and always guard against it lest it become easier and easier to spiral downward. Peter wept bitterly. And true repentance is a deep and a thorough repentance against sin. Sin is a crime against our holy God, and we hurt our Lord by our sins. Remember, he longs to lead you into true repentance. He wants honesty and sincerity from our hearts, dear ones, because it is only here that is in the honesty and truthfulness in our hearts that we will always know true repentance. John the Baptist said, produce fruit in keeping with your repentance. Let us remember this beautiful fruit comes from one source and that pure virgin vine is our Lord Jesus Christ. One source, beautiful fruit from one vine, true vine, virgin vine. And our Lord Jesus Christ let us pray Father in the name of Jesus in your unfathomable mercy and love lead each one of us into the place where we are sensitive to your Holy Spirit and his gracious nudgings upon our hearts when we trespass against thee. Abba, pour out your grace and your love in our hearts today as we consider the points of this message and consequences of sin and the fact that sin is truly against you. Lord, help us to have the heart of your beloved servant and son David who desired more than anything to be made white as snow. Papa, we know this is the only way that we will have true gladness and joy and satisfaction in our lives. Hide not your face from us, Lord, but blot out every guilt and iniquity and create, O God, a clean heart, renewing a right spirit within each ear today who deeply desires to please you and walk in your ways. You are the God of our salvation. And, Papa, let our tongues sing aloud of your righteousness and justice in our lives. Oh Lord, open our lips and let our mouths sing forth the praises and testimonies of our King, our Messiah, for redeeming us and giving us eternal life. Father, help us please always to produce beautiful fruit in keeping with our true repentance. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and beseech Thee. Amen. Thank you. Our subject today is something I believe that we as God's children need to be reminded of from time to time as sort of a reality check. And this message today is called Just Be Real. And just being real involves sincerity. And Webster's Dictionary gives the definition of sincerity like this. Pure, unmixed, and being in reality what appears to be that is not feigned, not assumed or said for the sake of appearance. Sincerity is real, not hypocritical or pretending. Honesty with real purity of heart without a similitude or disguise. Honesty of mind and intention. Freedom from simulation of hypocrisy. Sincerity, then, is freedom from hypocrisy, disguise, or false pretense. Webster's Thesaurus gives these additional words as explanations of the word sincerity. truthful, faithful, trustworthy, honest and reliable, really genuine, earnest, above board, candid, deeply honest from the bottom of one's heart. And the Greek Bible dictionary, sincerity means without hypocrisy, without blame, showing uncorruptedness. It means pure and unadulterated without corruption. It indicates that a person acts or speaks out of genuine motives without deceit or wavering. Dear Church, God places a high value on the undivided heart and on the honest expression of what is in the heart by way of our words and our actions. This means there is no misgiving in the intent of the heart, which is pure honesty, warmth, and just being genuine. There will be no feigning or falsifying or embellishment or exaggerating of our feelings, our love, intent, or motives in all that we do. This word feign means any in false appearance or pretense. Fainting or fake means not real. It is a pretense. It means one who is phony or fake, not truthful or honest. It means one who lives a lie. It is opposite of sincere or sincerity. sincerity is letting your intentions be pure your declarations be sincere sincerity is when you tell someone you will do something like call them on a certain day or a given time that you will do exactly as you have promised as you had spoken in other words you let your yes be yes and your no be no you learn to be a person of your word and you're not careless with your words because when we are careless with our words it is really saying we care less and since we are careless showing that we care less then we are not being sincere sincerity is letting your love and your friendship be sincere. In Romans 12.9, Romans 12.9, the scripture says, Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good. So we see two opposing forces. God is love. And God is saying love must be sincere. And since insincerity is evil, God says hate what is evil. and cling to what is good. And 2 Corinthians 6.6. 2 Corinthians 6.6. In purity, understanding, patience and kindness in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love. Hallelujah. In purity, understanding, patience and kindness in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love. Praise God. Sincerity, again, I had said previously, is letting your love and your friendship be sincere. And Jesus used the words in Matthew 23, full of hypocrisy and iniquity, to describe the meaning of people who are acting apart by being false, deceptive, who are deceived because of the sin they are in agreement with. Let's begin in verse 25 of Matthew 23. Matthew 23, 25. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders, hypocrites, for you are clean outside of the cup and the plate, but within they are full of extortion, prey, spoil, plunder, and grasping for self-indulgence. Verse 26. you blind Pharisee first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate so that the outside may be clean also 27 woe to you scribes and Pharisees pretenders hypocrites for you are like tombs that have been whitewashed which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead man bones and and everything impure verse 28 just so you also outwardly seem to people to be just and upright but inside you are full of pretense hypocrisy and lawlessness and iniquity you see the admonishment of this scripture wasn't just for that generation it's for our time as well today and it's recorded for every generation because people still make choices that leave Jesus out of their lives. People become blinded by their own self-righteousness. These people have an appearance of being outwardly religious and good by their religious sayings and their sound good appeal, but they are, according to what Jesus says, are inwardly insincere and unrighteous. The hypocrite may be an artist at deceiving himself and as well others, but God's word warns us that this kind of person will indeed perish. Jesus pronounced severe condemnation on the who were the hypocrites of his day. And again in Matthew 23, chapter 23, verse 27. Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead man bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside, You appear to be people as righteous, but on the inside you're full of hypocrisy and wickedness. As I said earlier, Jesus pronounced condemnation on these people. And in Job 8.5, please, would like us to look at this scripture as well. Job 8.5 If you will seek God diligently and make your supplication to the Almighty, then if you are pure and upright surely he will be stir himself for you and make your righteous dwelling prosperous again verse 7 and though your beginning was small yet your latter end will greatly increase for inquire I pray you of the former age and apply yourself to that which their fathers have searched out. Verse 9, for we are but of yesterday and know nothing, because our days on the earth are a shadow. Shall not the forefathers teach you and tell you in utter words out of their heart the deepest part of their nature? Can the rush or the papyrus grow up without marsh? Can the flag or reed grass grow without water? Verse 12. While it is yet green in flower and not cut down, it withers, therefore, any other herb without water. So are the ways or the destiny of all who forgot God. And the hope of the godless shall perish. For his confidence breaks, and the object of his trust is a spider's web. Verse 15, he shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand. He shall hold fast to it, but it will not last. You see, a hypocrite is one who is pretending to be what he or she is not. They were actors who wore masks. They play a part for an audience. A hypocrite does not act spontaneously from the heart, but with calculation to impress observers. A hypocrite thinks only of the external trappings of religion, ignoring the central message of the New Testament, and that is the heart issues of love. Love for God and others. Jesus gives this warning to the hypocrites of every age, and yes, even our age today. In Matthew 23, verse 13, Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. Verse 15, Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. Wow! Jesus is warning these people whose hearts were not right or pure before God that they make an outward show or display, phony to the core, to evangelize someone and win them over as a convert when their own lives were a lie. Pretending to be something that we are not is self-righteousness and hypocritical is not being pure in your heart. Jesus declared this in Matthew 5 verse 8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. I would like to make mention at this point in our word today in another area that God's people lack sincerity is in their private prayer time or public and corporate intercession. Contrived feeling or tears in public prayer or intercession will thwart any move of God because it is not real and honest. Sometimes we in the church get into ruts and patterns of the ways that we've heard people whom we may respect or admire in their prayer ability or power. And Jesus gives us true and honest and simple from the heart kind of prayer when he prayed to his heavenly father throughout the scripture. And each of us must examine our own hearts and allow the Spirit of God to shine His light in and show us if we have any false ways in us. And that being any desire to be seen or heard in our public prayer, if in our tears in intercession are not genuine, then it means that they are false and we are presenting a lie. And not only that, precious one, there is a presence we are responsible for, and that is called soul power, which is governed by Satan and his hordes from the demonic realm. False or contrived means unsound, untrue, distorted, misleading, awry, deceitful, dishonest, fraudulent, and invented. Self-righteous means you are able and capable of doing all things on your own power. And it means you are able, and since you are able, God will let you continue in your own ability. Dear Church, the Holy Spirit will not wrench out of our hands and our hearts that which we desire to do. But you will, however, be troubled and go from one trial to another until you either surrender willingly or perish because of the sin of hypocrisy. I know I'm speaking boldly today to provoke you into asking yourself, am I real before God and men, or am I like a hypocrite who is considered a phony in Jesus' day? Dear one, I say to you as well as to myself that we must fit into one category or another. We dare not be hot or cold. We dare not learn a churchy language and try to show a measure of piety or holiness. But we better learn to be real and transparent in all that we do and we say. The book of Revelation 3.14 gives us a look at the warning and rebuke of the Lord regarding our subject of just be real. In Revelation 3.14, to the angel of the church in Laodicea write, These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. verse 15 I know your deeds that you're neither hot nor cold I wish you were either one or the other so because you are lukewarm neither hot nor cold I'm about to spit you out of my mouth verse 17 you say I am rich I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing but you do not realize that you are wretched pitiful poor blind and naked I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire so you can become rich and white clothes to wear so you can cover your shameful nakedness and salve to put on your eyes so you can see Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline So be earnest and repent Here I am. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens, I will come in with him and eat with him and he with me. Verse 21. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. You see, when you act or are pretending to be something you are not, you are double-minded. And the biblical dictionary declares that double-minded means two-spirited, that is vacillating in opinion or purpose. Jesus came and gave his life and went to be with his heavenly Father and left with us who are his, his very own spirit, precious Holy Spirit. And when we are double-minded, it is considered being too spirited and it grieves the Holy Spirit that we really choose ourselves over Him. We are in effect saying to the Spirit of the Lord, I can do all things myself without you. I don't need you or the help that you may give through your ministry to the church. You see, the book of James says that people like this are unstable. In James 1.8, he is double-minded, a double-minded man, unstable in all that he does. And James 4.7 says, Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. And come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Double-minded people have really given their hearts to Satan. And he dances all around them rejoicing at their pretense. Satan is the great pretender, and those who pretend are not transparent. They wear masks. They put up walls and live a life contrary to the truth. These people are serving him, that is the enemy, and he rejoices that he owns them, and they do not even know it. They are in prison and feel quite comfortable in their place. Satan is not real. He is not truthful nor transparent. and he and his hordes of hell long to make you their valuable subjects as you fall deeper and deeper into wearing masks of deception. Dear Church, we need to examine ourselves at times and know our heart's true allegiance. Give the Holy Spirit permission to convict or confirm your heart throughout this word. And either you will welcome this word in your walk with Christ, or you will seethe with anger inside at the truth and reject the correction of the Lord. There's a saying that if the shoe fits, wear it. And for some listening to this word today, this is a word in due season. As a matter of fact, a real course correction for your walk with Christ. You choose to accept or reject this word today. It is your choice. And the reason Jesus had so much righteous indignation or anger with these kinds of people was because they trusted in their righteousness and they rejected his righteousness. This is what people do when they look to themselves as being more than able. they can be all do all and handle everything with a great big show it is self-righteousness and a big show of pretending to be something one is not this kind of person has an unteachable heart and spirit and even go so far as to reject the godly leadership and oversight in their lives They find fault with God's ordained leaders. Isaiah 64, 5. Isaiah 64, 5, please. We are all infected and impure with sin. When we put on our prized robes of righteousness, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we fade and wither and fall. Our sins, like the wind, sweep us away. Verse 7, Yet no one calls upon your name or pleads with you for mercy, and therefore you have turned away from us and turned us over to our sins. Within himself, he thinks he does everything right because of the deception of self-righteousness. The hypocrite, the self-righteous one, doesn't think he does anything wrong. Because of the deception, the self-righteousness. Because of this sin, hypocrisy sets itself up in their hearts and establishes its throne and rules in the heart in the masquerade of a lie. These kinds of people think no one knows, but anyone with any measure of spiritual maturity can see right through the masks and the lie of self-deception we must be reminded at times that it is not by works you cannot save yourself by your good works precious ones are thinking that you are pleasing God by a show of self-righteousness by your being good there is none good but God none good but God and there is none righteous but our precious Lord Jesus Christ Jesus said these people were doomed to hell and yet they thought of themselves as good and another reason for Jesus saying these insincere hypocritical people were destined for hell was because of pride and not only do these insincere double-minded people trust in their own righteousness but they exalt themselves exalting self is pride and pride is sin please look with me in Luke 18 verse 9 Luke 18 verse 9 to some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else. Jesus told this parable, verse 10, two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself. God, I thank you that I'm not like the other men, robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. Verse 13. But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but he beat his breast and said, God have mercy on me, a sinner. I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Paul speaks of sincerity as freedom from hypocrisy, purity of motive, in 2 Corinthians 1.12. Now this is our boast. our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world and especially in our relations with you in the holiness and sincerity that are from god we have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to god's grace so paul in essence was speaking there's a freedom from hypocrisy when we have purity of motive and this is certainly demonstrated in Paul's life all who exalt themselves the Word of God tells us we'll go to hell in James 4 6 James 4 6 this is why the scripture says God opposes disposes of the proud but gives grace to the humble verse 7 submit yourselves then to God resist the devil and he'll flee from you come near to God and he will come near to you wash your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded well if anyone desires to be saved he must acknowledge himself a helpless sinner it's just like that if we desire to be saved we must acknowledge that we are helpless sinners and we need the grace of God. You see, we cannot save ourselves and rely upon our own abilities, but it is purely by grace. And we need God's own Son, Jesus Christ, in all that we do and all that we say, because He alone is the grace giver. He provided all. And you can't rely upon your mental assent or your mental abilities to rescue yourselves or others. Just no way. It'd be all in vain. It is all in vain. It's all based on self-effort. These kinds of people should instead confess that hell is their deserved portion and prostrate themselves at the foot of the cross of Christ, asking for grace and trusting in Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified in shame for their sake. Nothing under heaven requires more humility than believing in the Lordship of Jesus Christ as Savior. If you confess this, then the fruit of this truth will evidence itself in you by lifting Jesus up rather than lifting yourself up. You will demonstrate the fruit that shows your life in Christ and not in yourself. Self-exalted people love to say how they can remedy their own problems and faults and need no other help, thank you. And because of their pride and self-deception, They wallow in their sin by crawling into and out of one pit of darkness after another, trying to do it themselves in their own self-sufficiency. It's hard for these people to acknowledge themselves as sinners because of their pride. Did you notice in the account that we read in Luke of how the Pharisee informed God about himself and his own goodness? Look at that again, please. In Luke 18, 9. Luke 18, 9. To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else. Jesus told this parable. Two men went up to the temple to pray. One a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and he prayed about himself. God, I thank you that I'm not like other men, robbers and thieves and evildoers and adulterers or even like this tax collector over here. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. He's basically telling God, God, I'm thankful I'm already good without your help. I've not done these bad things, but I have done so much good. Yeah, he looks on himself as a perfect man and of course does everything right and in all excellence. He did not come to ask and pray. He came and gave a report to God. He informed God. He did not lean on or depend upon the grace of God and the finished work of the cross. because he sees himself as good in his own eyes. He's truly a man worthy of perishing and going to hell. In God's eyes, in God's judgment, a so-called righteous man needs a Savior to atone for his sins just as much as a notorious sinner would. And God will never show himself to anyone who can only see themselves in all of their good. God will never use people who are not sincere in their motives, their intentions, and yes, even with their words. So many people today want to run out and do something for God. But God will not entrust his secrets with double-minded people. These kinds of people are indifferent to God's demands on their lives. They even make a show of learning, but they end up empty because their hearts are not sincere in their acquiring knowledge. The book of Amos declares in the book of Amos, Amos 8.12, that men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east searching for the word of God, but they will not find it. And in the book of Daniel 12.1, we are told that the time will come, that the truth of Scripture will be closed to those who played games, lived a lie, and were not real while they had the opportunity to live in the way that God demands according to His Holy Word. Daniel 12.1, please. Read with me. Daniel 12.1 at that time Michael the great prince who protects your people will arise and there will be a time of distress since has not happened from the beginning of nations until then but at that time your people everyone whose name is found written in the book will be delivered multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake some to everlasting life others to shame and everlasting contempt. Verse 3, Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who led many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. Verse 4, But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge. Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others. one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank and one of them said to the man clothed in linen who was above the waters of the river how long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled verse 7 the man clothed in linen who was above the waters lifted his right hand and his left hand towards heaven and i heard him swear by him who lives forever saying It will be for a time, times and half a time, when the power of the holy people is finally broken. All these things will be completed. Verse 8, I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, my Lord, what will the outcome of all this be? Verse 9, he replied, go your way, Daniel. because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end, many will be purified, made spotless and refined. But the wicked will continue to be wicked, and none of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. Dear Church, it is time, It is time that we who call ourselves the people of God wake up and begin to practice what the Scripture speaks to us. It is time. It is time we wake up, we grow up, and we practice what God's Word speaks to us. That we live it, we practice it, we believe it, and live in it, and dwell in it. in Proverbs 14, verse 2. Proverbs 14, verse 2. 2 declares, he who walks in uprightness reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, but he who is contrary and devious in his ways despises him. In the fool's own mouth is a rod to shame his pride, but the wise man's lips preserve them. Verse 4, where no oxen are, the grain crib is empty, but much increase of crops comes by the strength of the ox. Verse 5, a faithful witness will not lie, but a false witness breathes out falsehoods. You see, by not being transparent, people are living a lie. It's just like that. Just like that. If we are not transparent, sincere, and honest, then we are false. We are living a lie. Matthew 25, verse 6, please. Matthew 25, verse 6. But at midnight there was a shout, Behold the bridegroom, go out to meet him. And then all those virgins got up and put their lamps in order. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise said, There will not be enough for us and for you. Go instead to the dealers and buy for yourselves. But while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were prepared went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. verse 11 later the other virgins also came and said lord lord lord open the door to us but he replied i solemnly declare to you i do not know you i am not acquainted with you watch therefore give strict attention and be cautious and active for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come. People who are not sincere are really indifferent to God and His presence. And by not being transparent or just being real, you have set yourselves to be indifferent to divine order in your lives and over your lives being a lone ranger never has been approved by god there is a godly order which has been laid out in the word of god and by not submitting to the godly order and authority people act on and in their own deceptions whereby many people are injured in the process these people are not willing to wait on god they are more than able in their own eyes and there are many who are in a hurry to eat fast food they do not want to grow up being firmly established upon the rock jesus christ in all sincerity and truth they do not desire to take time to sit in the presence of the lord and their attitude is just, give me what may benefit me now and fill me up with information. You see, these double-minded people just want to get the goods and run, so to speak. But God will confuse their wrong intentions, and he'll mess up their plans because their heart was not sincerely seeking after the things of God. people who profess to be Christians and example hypocrisy demonstrate a visible fruit. And that is their beauty at a distance changes into hideous deformity when they come near. They just want to have the knowledge for pride's sake. They wanted knowledge for argument's sake. They wanted knowledge, the treasures of God so that people would recognize them as great orators or intellectual, spiritually gifted people. The book of 1 Timothy 1.4 tells us the bottom line and the top of the list goal for all of us who live in Christ to aim for in 1 Timothy 1.5. 1 Timothy 1.5. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Verse 6. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. You see, dear church, God places a high value on the undivided heart and on the honest expression of what is in the heart by way of our words and our actions. This means there is no misgiving in the intent of the heart, which is pure honesty, warmth, and being genuine. It means you are just being real. That means you will be transparent with no hidden motives, Hallelujah. And there will be no feigning or falsifying or embellishment or exaggerating of feelings of love, intent or motives. You see, sincerity is letting your intentions be pure and your words be sincere. Let love and friendship be sincere. 1 Peter 1.22, please. 1 Peter 1.22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth, so you have sincere love for your brothers. Love one another deeply from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For all men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers, the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever. Praise God. Praise God. The word of the Lord stands forever. I know this has been a word of exhortation for us all today, including myself. Remember, God's word is truth. And it will stand forever. It must not be watered down or diluted to make us feel good. God is looking for sincere, transparent, real people who love him from their hearts and not from their heads, dear church. He's desiring to work through humble people to work out His redemptive plan of salvation, empowered by the power and might of His Holy Spirit. God the Father is preparing to send His Son, Jesus Christ, back to this earth as promised in Scripture. Jesus is head of His church, and He's been preparing His bride for His return. And all of heaven is waiting and groaning for this day, dear saints. He's heaven's groaning. And Jesus is desiring to heal and free those who are in bondage to self-righteousness and hypocritical living. Those who wear masks and pretend to be something they're not. Please, go with me to the book of Revelation 22, verse 1. And I would like to end this simple message today that we have been speaking about and that is being sincere or just being real. Those who are sincere in their lives, while they have breath and live the truth of Scripture, that is, have practiced it, will dwell in the eternal waters of purity, enjoying life before the throne of God, worshiping forever and paying divine honor to the Lamb of God who was slain for them before the foundation of time. These scriptures, these few verses in Revelation 22, give a sharp contrast between the honest and the sincere, and also those who are insincere and hypocritical. And the word again, let me remind you, hypocrite means liar. Chapter 22, verse 1. I'd like you to pay attention, please, as we read to the contrast as I said before. And then he showed me the river whose waters give life, sparkling like crystal flowing out from the throne of God and the Lamb. And through the middle of the broad way of the city, also on either side of the river was a tree of life with its 12 varieties of fruit, yielding each month its fresh crop, and the leaves of the trees were for the healing and the restoration of the nations. Verse 3, There shall no longer exist there anything that is accursed, detestable, foul, offensive, impure, hateful, or horrible. But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall worship him, pay divine honors to him, and do him holy service. They shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no more night, and they shall have no need for lamplight or sunlight, for the Lord God will illumine them and be their light, and they shall reign as kings forever and ever through the eternities of eternities. And he of the seven angels further said to me, These statements are reliable, worthy of confidence and genuine. They're true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his messengers to make known and exhibit to his servants what must soon come to pass. Verse 7 And behold, I am coming speedily. blessed, happy is he who observes and lays to heart and keeps the truths of the prophecies the predictions, the consolations and warnings contained in this little book and I, John, am he who heard and witnessed these things and when I heard and saw them I fell prostrate before the feet of the messenger angel who showed them to me to worship him but he said to me refrain you must not do that I am only a fellow servant along with you and with your brother and the prophets and with those who are mindful of and practice the truths contained in the messages of this book worship God verse 10 and he further told me do not seal up the words of this prophecy of this book and make no secrets of them for the time when things are brought to a crisis and the period their fulfillment is near now i'd like you to pay special attention to verses 11 and 12 they show us the contrast here between the honest and sincere and the hypocritical and the false verse 11 he who is unrighteous unjust wicked let him be unrighteous still and he who is filthy vile and impure let him be filthy still. And he who is righteous, just, upright, and right standing with God, let him do right still. And he who is holy, let him be holy still. Behold, I am coming soon, and I shall bring my wages and rewards with me to repay and render to each just as what his own actions and his works merit. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the before all and the end of all. Blessed are those who cleanse their garments that they may have the authority and right to approach the tree of life and enter through the gates into the city. Verse 15, but without are the dogs, those who practice sorceries, magic arts, and impurity, the lewd, the adulterers, and the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and deals in falsehood, that is, untruth, things of error, deception, and cheating. Verse 16, I, Jesus, have sent my messenger angel to you to witness and give you the assurance of these things for the churches. I am the root, the source, and the offspring of David, the radiant and brilliant morning star. Verse 17. The Holy Spirit and the bride, the church, and true Christians say, Come, and let him who is listening say, Come, and let everyone who is thirsty, who is painfully conscious of his need of those things by which the soul is refreshed and supported and strengthened, and whoever earnestly desires to do it, let him come, take and appropriate and drink the water of life without cost. Verse 18. I personally, solemnly warn everyone who listens to the statement of the prophecies, the predictions and the consolations and admonitions pertaining to them in this book. If anyone shall add to them, God will add and lay upon him the plagues, the afflictions and calamities that are recorded and described in this book. And if anyone cancels or takes away from the statements of the book of this prophecy, these predictions relating to Christ's kingdom and its speedy triumph, together with consolations and admonitions or warnings pertaining to them, God will cancel and take away from him his share in the tree of life, in the city of holiness, purity, and hallowedness, which are described and promised in this book. Verse 20. He who gives this psalm warning and affirms and testifies to these things say, Yes, it is true. Surely I am coming quickly, swiftly, and speedily. Amen. Let it be. Yes, come, Lord Jesus. Verse 21. The grace, the blessing, and favor of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, be with all the saints, God's holy people, those set apart for God to be as it were exclusively His. Amen. So let it be. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Oh, dear church, let us take this word today as an exhortation. And may all who are self-exalting, practicing falsehood in any way by wearing a mask and by not being honest with yourselves and others. Cease to be proud from this day forward. Just as in the scripture said, amen, so let it be. There's a personal decision that everyone and all must make. A personal decision that we all must make. Just being real, being transparent in all of our words, our deeds and our actions. It's a personal decision. Let us pray. Father, in the name of Jesus, let every repentant heart, every conviction and nudging of your Holy Spirit today in the lives and hearts of the hearers in this word. Take root and bring change where it is needed. Dear Jesus, I pray for victory and freedom for all who at this time have been convicted and are seeking truth in their inmost parts. Lord, please allow the cleansing waters of your Holy Spirit to wash anew and bring fresh revelation and hope to those who have repented of this sin today. Abba, please pour out your spirit, your love, and true fellowship in our hearts today that we may worship you in all honesty and sincerity and reverent obedience and fear. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. We'll be right back. to discuss a subject which is little talked about in the church these days, repentance from dead works. Repentance from dead works is our subject and we will see in this word that the book of Hebrews speaks quite clearly of this basic truth which we need to understand in order to truly advance in wisdom and maturity in our spiritual lives and kingdom of God on this earth So we're going to begin this word today by turning to Hebrews 6.1. Hebrews 6.1, please. Therefore, let us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teaching and doctrine of Christ, the Messiah, advancing steadily towards the completeness and perfection that belongs to spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the same foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works and by the faith by which you turn to God. Verse 2, with teachings about purifying the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment and punishment, These are all matters of which you should have been fully aware of long, long ago. Verse 3, if indeed God permits, we will now proceed to advance teaching. Verse 4, for it is impossible to restore and bring again to repentance those who have been once for all enlightened, who have consciously tasted the heavenly gift and become sharers of the Holy Spirit and have felt how good the word of God is and how the mighty powers of the age and the world to come, if they deviate from the faith and turn away from their allegiance, it is impossible to bring them back to repentance because while as long as they nail upon the cross the Son of God afresh as far as they're concerned and are holding him up to the contempt and shame of public disgrace. Wow. Wow. Well, Paul makes it clear, doesn't he? He makes it very clear that we need to understand this advancement in wisdom and maturity in our spiritual lives, as I had stated before. You see, all the bad things that we deserve were laid upon Jesus at the cross. and all of the blessings or the promises of the kingdom that belong to Jesus, we share in through the cross and the resurrection, the work of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross. We must understand, dear church, that salvation is by grace. And it is by the grace of God that we can be fully accepted by him as our father and live the kind of life that pleases him. See, no matter or no amount of religious work or obedience to God's commandment on our part can buy or earn God's blessings. Jesus bought these blessings for us at the cross. He paid the price. And we can never say that through our works we merit or earn or deserve any part of God's salvation. God's salvation is freely available to us and we are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Hallelujah Hallelujah Romans 3.21 please in Romans 3.21 we're going to see this but now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the law Although actually it is attested by the law and the prophets, namely the righteousness of God, which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ, the Messiah. And it is meant for all who believe. Hear that? For all who believe. For there is no distinction since we have all sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives. Verse 24. All are justified and made right and in right standing with God freely and virtuously by His grace is unmerited favor and mercy through the redemption which is provided in Christ Jesus. Hear that. In Christ Jesus. Verse 25, whom God put forward before the eyes of all as a mercy seat and propitiation by his blood, the cleansing and life giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation to be received through faith. Through faith. This was to show God's righteousness because in his divine forbearance, he had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment. Verse 26, it was to demonstrate and prove at this time in the now season that he himself is righteous and that he justifies and accepts as righteous him who has true faith in Jesus. Hear that? In Jesus. Well, please, also, let's look at Ephesians 2.8. Ephesians 2.8. for it is by