Well, turn with me in your Bibles to John chapter 8. John chapter 8. Well, Father Abraham had many sons. Many sons had Father Abraham. We joked about singing that song this morning, but it somewhat misses the point. On Christ the solid rock I stand is more in focus with what Jesus reveals to these Jews this morning. As we pick up our text today here in John chapter eight, we remember that Jesus has been challenging these Jewish leaders as he often does. And last time we saw Jesus challenge these Jews regarding their freedom.

Jesus said they needed to be set free, and that offended them. They assumed they were already free, because they were Abraham’s seed, don’t you know? And Jesus said that they needed the Son to set them free, if they were to be truly free from the slavery of sin.

And remember, this is all under the premise that these Jews appeared to be believers. Remember in verse 30 of John chapter eight, it says, as he was speaking these things, many believed in him. And then 31 says, so Jesus was saying to those who had believed in him. So all of this is being said to those who apparently believed. And now Jesus begins to challenge these apparent believers because he knew their hearts.

Jesus does this by confronting issues that all people face. At first, it seems that he’s confronting their Jewish issues, but really, when you dig down into it, these are issues we all must come to grips with. These are the very thing that each one of us needs to realize if we are to be saved. As we saw last week, first, Jesus began with their sin problem. They, and we, were slaves to sin. And we covered that last week, that Jesus needed to set them free. Jesus needed them to see their need for a savior.

As he says in verse 34, truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. That’s all of us. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And because that’s true, Jesus said in verse 36, If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. We’re all slaves to sin and we need to be set free. We need someone to free us. We need a Redeemer. That’s what that word means. And Jesus Christ is the only Redeemer that there is.

We see in Galatians chapter 4, verses four and five, that when the fullness of time came, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, so that he might redeem those who were under the law, that he might set free those who were slaves to sin under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons. And that’s the first thing we need to realize. that we are slaves to sin and we need a Redeemer. But not only that, Jesus goes after something else that was an issue for them.

And that was the object of their trust. What it was that they were trusting in. What they relied upon for their salvation. Where they found their security. And again, this is an issue for all people because we all find security somewhere. Whether it’s a good source of security or not, we’re all trusting in something, especially in our physical and material life. Where do you find your security? What makes you feel secure? Some people find security in their wealth or possessions. Many people depend on their retirement portfolio to relieve their anxiety about the future. That’s where their security is found. That as long as I have enough put away, then everything will be fine. And don’t get me wrong, you should plan for your future, for sure.

The Bible tells us that it is the wise and prudent man that does so. But the Bible also tells us in Proverbs 27, 24, wealth is not forever. And it tells us in Proverbs 23, verses four and five, do not weary yourself to gain wealth because of your understanding, cease. Do you make your eyes fly up to see it, but it’s not there? Because it certainly makes itself wings like an eagle that flies toward the heavens. Don’t wear yourself out in this life chasing wealth. Don’t make that what your life is about. Wealth is a good gift from God. It is a blessing God gives to some so that they can bless others.

But is that where your security is? Is that where your hope is? Where would you be without wealth? What happens if you lose it? What happens if you never get it? One day you will be without your material wealth. When you stand before Jesus Christ, the judge of the living and the dead, you don’t bring your portfolio with you. What will you have then?

This is a warning Paul had, as he told Timothy in 1 Timothy 6 verse 17, command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Again, Paul says there, it’s not a sin to be rich, but make sure those who are rich are not trusting in their wealth, but in God. You can have wealth, but don’t put your hope in it. Because again, Proverbs 11, verse 4, wealth will not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness will deliver from death.

Others trust in their own importance, whether that means your job title, your position that you have. That is where they find their true meaning and significance in life. But is that what your hope is in? Again, what would happen if you lose it? What would happen if you lose your title or your position? Is that where your security is found?

The Bible warns us about hoping in our status and position as well in Proverbs 25 verse 6, do not promote your majesty in the presence of the king and in the place of great men do not stand. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees in Luke 11 verse 43, woe to you Pharisees for you love the best seat in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the marketplaces. Don’t put your hope in your identity. in your status and position.

Others put their hope and their security in their religion, thinking that if I do the right things enough times, that will deliver me. There is a huge draw among the younger generation today back toward the Catholic Church. Many, many young people in their teens and 20s and on are converting to Catholicism. Many people speculate as to why this is, but it’s really no different than it ever was.

The Roman Catholic Church system provides you with a way to accomplish your own salvation. It takes the matter out of God’s hands and puts it in yours. You go to confession. You go to mass. You repent and pray enough prayers. And you do, and you do, and you do. And as long as you continue to do, then you’re secure. Then you will be saved. People’s hope for deliverance from sin and its punishment is found in what they do.

And all of that sounds appealing to a younger generation, understandingly so, who saw many of a previous generation whose so-called faith was talk and no action. So what sense does that make if faith is professed but not lived out? But again, is religion the place where hope is found in what you do? And while I pick out this recent trend in Catholicism, it’s really nothing unique to Catholicism.

All religions tell the same story. Every false religion out there is just another system of earning your own credit, your own value towards salvation. But no matter what religion or system or how many good works you do, We maintain that a man is justified apart from the law by faith. Romans 3, 28. Ephesians 2, 8, 9, for by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of yourself. It is the gift of God, not of works, not of anything you can do so that no one may boast. There is no salvation in what you do. There is no security in what you do. Only in what He has done. Is your trust in what you do. Is your hope for salvation in your own goodness. That you aren’t as bad as that guy, so God won’t think I’m that bad. is your hope in your religion, in what you do.

And still other people find their hope and security in their own heritage. Many people today believe that they’re saved because their family is Christian. Or because they go to the church that their family’s always gone to. That they were raised Christian, and that should count for something.

And that is the very issue that Jesus challenges these Jews on today in our text. So as we approach this text, we need to consider where is your hope? Where do you find your security? For these Jews, they found their hope in the fact that they were Abraham’s children. But Jesus has some news for them.

Being Abraham’s seed was only meaningful if that was accompanied by the deeds of Abraham. Or to put it another way, belonging to the right physical family isn’t what saves you. It’s belonging to the right spiritual family that saves you. And that only comes by faith like it did for Abraham. So what is most important, as Jesus is revealing to them, is where they placed their hope, where they found their security.

And what we see in our text today is Jesus explaining the meaning of two things. Number one, what it means to be the seeds of Abraham, and number two, what it means to do the deeds of Abraham. So first, the seeds of Abraham, and then the deeds of Abraham. We’ll be in John chapter eight, starting in verse 37, and we’ll go through at least the first part of verse 41 this morning. So please allow me to read our text for us this morning. John chapter eight, verses 37 through 41. I know that you are Abraham’s seed, yet you are seeking to kill me, because my word has no place in you.

I speak the things which I have seen with my father. Therefore, you also do the things which you have heard from your father. They answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. Jesus said to them, if you are Abraham’s children, you would do the deeds of Abraham. But now you are seeking to kill me, a man who told you the truth, which I heard from God. This Abraham did not do.

You are doing the deeds of your father. So again, first we see Jesus explain what it means to be the seeds of Abraham. That’s what he says there in verse 37. I know you are this Abraham’s seed. I know that, but you’re seeking to kill me. because my word has no place in you.” So first, Jesus acknowledges that they are, in fact, Abraham’s seed.

They are Jewish. That’s true. But he also knows where they find their security. That’s pretty obvious. They believed they were guaranteed entry into God’s kingdom because they were Abraham’s offspring, because they had Abraham’s blood in their veins.

And we see this revealed throughout Jesus’ interactions with them, specifically when He mentioned that they needed to be set free, they needed to be saved. They replied by saying, what? We’re Abraham’s seed. What do you mean we need to be saved? What do you mean we need to be set free? In the early church in the 100s, so right after the generation of the apostles.

There was a Christian writer and apologist named Justin Martyr. And Justin Martyr is famous for his correspondence, the letters he wrote back and forth between himself and a Jew named Trifo. And he argued for the gospel with this Jew, trying to show him from scripture that Jesus was his Messiah. In those letters, he’s pointing this very problem out to this Jew named Trifo, and this is what Justin Martyr says.

He says, they, meaning the Jewish teachers, beguile themselves and you, supposing that the everlasting kingdom will be assuredly given to those of the dispersion who are of Abraham after the flesh, although they be sinners and faithless and disobedient towards God. This is the very problem. that Justin Martyr is arguing against.

He’s saying, your blood gets you nothing. Just because you’re Jewish doesn’t mean you’re saved. He says, who are Abraham after the flesh, although they be sinners and faithless and disobedient towards God. They don’t even know God and they think they’re going to heaven. They thought their lineage was enough. They thought that being Jewish automatically meant they were going to heaven. So why would they need a savior?

What is he talking about? I mentioned this last week, but Paul speaks to this very problem. Turn with me to Romans chapter two. We’re going to turn to a few different places in the New Testament today to explain these Jews’ point of view and what Jesus is trying to help them understand. In Romans chapter two. Paul directly challenges this idea that Jews are saved simply by being Jewish, that they’re saved simply by their heritage and their lineage. And you see in Romans 2, verse 17, Paul clarifies exactly the people he’s talking about, exactly the ones that he’s going on to explain who they are. Verse 17 of Romans 2, but if you bear the name Jew and rely upon the law and boast in God. So that’s who he’s talking about.

Those who are Jews, but they rely upon the law and they boast in God. They rely upon the law for their justification, for their standing before God. They believe that, well, since we’re Jewish and we have the law and as long as we obey, good enough, then we can boast in God. Well, we’re God’s people. So these are the very people that Jesus is talking to. They had the law and they boasted in being God’s people by birth. So why would they need a savior?

But look at how Paul explains this. He goes on to list all of the ways that they actually don’t keep the law, so they shouldn’t be relying on the law. And then Paul basically says that the Gentiles who actually obey God are better off than Jews who disobey God and live in disobedience, despite their heritage and blood. But you get down to verses 28 and 29. This is what Paul says.

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew who is one inwardly. and circumcision, that is, which is of the heart, by the spirit, not by the letter, and his praise is not from men, but from God.” Again, it’s important to remember the context.

He’s speaking of the people he’s talked about in verse 17. These are Jews by ethnicity. But yet he’s saying, but they’re not Jews in their heart, meaning they’re not God’s people in their heart. Yes, there is an ethnic group who are Jews, who are Israelites. That’s who Paul is speaking of in all of Romans 2. And yes, God has made specific promises to that group of people, the Israelites, but those specific promises will only be fulfilled to those Jews who are Jews inwardly as well. Those who are truly God’s people, those within Israel who are believers.

Believing Jews, Jews who are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The only way anybody’s ever been saved. By grace through faith. By faith in the promises of God which we now see after the revelation of Jesus Christ that they are fulfilled in him. And Paul says that is what matters, that is what saves.

A Jew’s heritage does not save him. Faith saves him. Just like Jesus is telling these Jews here in John 8, I know that you’re Abraham’s seed, but you’re seeking to kill me because my word has no place in you. Ethnic descent from Abraham counts for nothing without faith. That’s always the way it was.

The thing that made them Jewish, which they saw to be external circumcision, the following of the law and its practices, that had to be accompanied by faith. Or as the Bible talks about, circumcision of the heart, setting yourself, your heart apart to God.

This is what Moses told them in Deuteronomy 10 verse 15. Yet on your fathers did Yahweh set his affection to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all peoples as it is this day. Yes, God chose Abraham, and he promised to Abraham, and he promised to Abraham’s seed, verse 16.

So, therefore, circumcise your heart and stiffen your neck no longer. If you want the promises given to Abraham, believe. Set your heart apart to God. It doesn’t just come naturally because you’re Jewish. No, believe God like Abraham did. Set your heart apart to God in faith.

That circumcised your heart in the Old Testament is an illustration for regeneration, for being born again, for setting your heart or having your heart set apart to God. You can’t truly be God’s salvificly chosen people unless you’re regenerated, leading to faith, unless you’re born again. Remember what he told Nicodemus in John chapter 3, the thing we covered last year. John chapter three, verse three, truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

And Jesus says in verse 10, are you the teacher of Israel and you do not understand these things? And you need to think about why was this offensive to Nicodemus? Unless you are born again, You cannot see the kingdom of God. Why is that offensive? Because to Nicodemus, being born a Jew was enough. I’m already born into the kingdom of God. What do you mean? And Jesus says, you need to be born again. Your physical birth is not enough. You need to be born again.

We looked at Romans 2. Later on, Paul picks up the same theme in chapter 9, speaking of these Jews who rely upon the law and boast in God. In Romans chapter 9, verses 6 through 8, it says, but it is not as though the word of God has failed, for they’re not all Israel who are descended from Israel. Exactly what he’s talking about.

Nor are they all children because they’re Abraham’s seed. It’s who Jesus is talking to. But through Isaac your seed will be named. That is, the children of the flesh are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are considered as seed.

No one was ever saved simply by having Abraham in their family tree. It was only ever the believing remnant of Israel who were saved. That’s how the Bible refers to them, the remnant of Israel, as you see in verse 27 of chapter nine. Paul quotes Isaiah chapter 10, verse 22, and he says, Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, though the number of the sons of Israel is like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved. Not all Israel is saved. Only the Israel who believes. is saved. Only the remnant will be saved because the remnant is saved by faith. But these Jews standing before Jesus who, verse 30 said, it appeared they believed, they’re demonstrating that they don’t actually believe. And so they are not part of the remnant of Jews who are saved.

Because as Jesus says in the next verse, in verse 37, yet you’re seeking to kill me. You’re seeking to kill me because my word has no place in you. They heard his word, but it had no place in them. As he said last week in our text, if you abide in my word. Then you’ll be my disciple, or then you’re truly my disciples. You reveal yourself as my true believers. But he says, my word has no place in you. You don’t actually believe what I’m saying.

You see that the tide is shifting in Jesus’ direction, so you wanna jump on board and get any benefits there might be. We see this today. A lot of people who want to claim the name of Christ because it’s becoming culturally popular again. Christ is king, right? Yeah, more than you know. More than you know. And Jesus continues, I speak the things which I’ve seen from my father. Therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.

His word had no place in them. The seed fell by the roadside and it sprung up and looked like it was growing great. But then the weeds of unbelief choke it out quickly. And here in verse 38, Jesus speaks to them again about their differences. Remember back in verse 23, he says, you are from below and I am from above. You are of this world and I am not of this world. Now He tells them, and even their actions reveal the difference in where they’re from.

He is from the Father, so He does what the Father says. And they’re from their Father, which you will clarify in verse 44, He’s the devil himself. And they do what their Father says. They reject Jesus’ words because their Father does. They disobey God. because their father does.

They didn’t know him and they don’t understand the words he speaks. And because they don’t know him, they don’t know his father, which is what he said to start this conversation off in verse 19. You know neither me nor my father. If you knew me, you’d know my father also. And here’s where the irony sets in. Their heritage does matter. Their lineage does matter. But not in the way that they thought. They think their salvation is found in being children of Abraham.

But Jesus says their damnation is found in being children of the devil. To truly be Abraham’s seed of promise They need to know and trust him as their savior. That’s the first point of this text this morning, the seeds of Abraham and what that really means. Next, Jesus tells them about the deeds of Abraham. Verse 39, they answer and they said to him, Abraham is our father. And Jesus said to them, if you’re Abraham’s children, you do the deeds of Abraham. Apparently they think Jesus misunderstood what they said when they said, we’re Abraham’s seed.

Because after Jesus’ response, no, no, no, Jesus, I don’t think you’re understanding us. We mean Abraham is our father. We descend from him, get it? Don’t you know that means something? You can see where their hope is, can’t you? And Jesus knows exactly how to challenge this as well, because he says, if you are Abraham’s children, you would do the deeds of Abraham. Oh, you’re Abraham’s children, really?

You could have fooled me. You see, I know Abraham. I knew him. I was friends with Abraham, which he will drop that bomb later on in verse 58. And you people are nothing like Abraham. You see, I knew Abraham. Like father, like sons, right? But you’re nothing like Abraham. If you are Abraham’s children, why don’t you act like him? Why don’t you do the deeds of Abraham? And what’s he talking about? What was it that distinguished Abraham? What would Jesus be talking about that would be a recognizable attribute if they were truly his children?

We’ll turn to Galatians 3, where I read earlier in the service. It tells us specifically what he’s talking about, the deeds of Abraham. Galatians 3, again, starting in verse 6, just as Abraham believed God. and it was counted to him as righteousness. So know that those who are of faith, those are the sons of Abraham.” What are the deeds of Abraham? He believed God. He believed God. If you were of Abraham, you would have some resemblance. You would do the deeds of Abraham. You would believe.

Galatians keeps going, verse eight, and the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, all nations will be blessed in you. So then, those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. For as many as are the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the law to do them. Now that no one is justified by the law before God is evident, for the righteous shall live by faith. However, the law is not of faith, rather he who does them shall live by them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree, in order that Christ Jesus, the blessing of Abraham, might come to the Gentiles. so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Now there’s a lot of things going on in Galatians that a lot of people miss. Paul here, just like he did in Romans, has a specific group of people in mind.

And he talks about the true sons of Abraham, those who are of faith. Those are the sons of Abraham. But then he goes on to say, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaiming the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, all the nations will be blessed in you. So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham. So there’s the sons of Abraham and those who are blessed with Abraham. Here the distinction is the sons of Abraham are the Jews that believe, the ones who have his lineage and his deeds. Those who are true, believing Jews, and then the Gentiles who are brought in, blessed with Abraham.

Abraham’s children are children by faith. The only way to receive the blessing promised to Abraham, meaning salvation, is by faith in Christ Jesus, the blessing of Abraham. Not all Jews are saved. Only those who come through Christ. who believe, who do the deeds of Abraham. There is true children of Abraham.

And again, Paul makes this distinction to close this letter. This distinction between those who are the true children of Abraham and those who are blessed with Abraham. Turn over a couple pages to Galatians 6. I go here because this is an important distinction to understand. Galatians 6 verse 16. Paul is closing his letter, pronouncing blessing on those who he’s talking to. He says, and those who will walk in step with this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God. Peace be upon who?

Paul makes a clear distinction here. Number one, those who listen to Paul and don’t take the rule of circumcision. Now, who would it be that would need to be circumcised? The Gentiles, who weren’t born Jewish. So that’s the first group he’s talking about. The Jews already had circumcision. They don’t need to take the rule. They were already given it. So these are those who won’t take the rule, so Gentiles who realize what Paul’s talking about this whole time, that you don’t need to become Jewish to be saved.

And second distinction, upon the Israel of God, the true children of Abraham, believing Jews, those who don’t take the rule in the Israel of God. Not all Israel is the Israel of God. The Israel of God is Jews who believe in Jesus Christ. The Israel of God or true Israel is not the church. Paul does not say that. That is inferred upon the text by many who don’t see the distinctions here. The church is made up of the Israel of God and believing Gentiles as the people of God.

They all come in through Jesus Christ. both people groups that Paul blesses in Galatians 6.16. That’s a little bit of a side trail, but it is relevant to this discussion because even Paul keeps pointing out within Israel there are true children of Abraham, true Israel of God, and they have to be believers, believers in Jesus Christ. So back to John 8. These Jews are proving that they are not the Israel of God because they’re not believing in the blessing of Abraham, the one who delivers them from the curse of the law that they rely on, Jesus Christ, the one standing before them.

They didn’t see their need for him. They didn’t see their need for saving at all. They were self-righteously trying to earn favor with God by their own works. Well, we’re already saved. We just look better if we keep the law. As Romans 2 said, their hope is in the law and their boast is in God.

They did not follow Abraham’s example. Those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. Paul calls Abraham the believer. That’s what distinguishes Abraham. Salvation is not based on our own effort or our own religious background. Or here, our ethnic background. Paul lists all of those things in his resume in Philippians 3. He lists his heritage. He’s a Jew. He descends from Abraham. He’s a Pharisee of the Pharisees. He keeps the law as good as anybody. So if it’s in your heritage, he’s good. If it’s in your religion, he’s good. But he says all of those things count for nothing. Nothing. All of those things that he could take credit for count for nothing. Anything that you can take credit for counts for nothing before God.

Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone. The way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. As Acts 4.12 says, there is salvation in no one else. No one else. Not you. Not anybody. For there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.

And 1 Timothy 2.5 tells us there is one God and one mediator. between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. There’s one mediator. No other mediators, no other mediatrixes, no other saviors, no other way of salvation. Jesus Christ alone.

If they were truly Abraham’s children, they would have done the deeds of Abraham. Jesus knew Abraham. Jesus was there. As he says in verse 58, before Abraham was, I am. Genesis 26 verse 5, God says, Abraham listened to my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes and my laws. Abraham listened when God came to him. But these Jews, when God comes to them in the flesh, they’re trying to kill him. And Jesus says, he’s just a man who told them the truth, which he heard from God.

And they were not listening, and they were not obeying like Abraham did. And their disobedience and rejection of God the Son proved they were not Abraham’s children at all. Abraham was not a murderer. They’re trying to kill him. Again, when God appears to Abraham, A pre-incarnate appearance of the Son of God, the very one standing before them. Abraham welcomed him into the tent. But they reject him.

They are nothing like the one they claim is their father. And so Jesus again says, you’re doing the deeds of your father. Oh, you’re like your father. But your father’s not who you think he is. Their father wasn’t Abraham or God. Their father was Satan himself.

Jesus reveals all of this by showing them where their security is found. It was found in their ethnicity, their family background, their heritage. They relied upon the law and they boasted in God, but their security was misplaced because Jesus fulfilled the law. And they didn’t know the God they boasted in.

And this doesn’t always look like you think it does. This doesn’t just look like stuffy, pretentious Pharisees. Do you feel like you’ve let God down when you stumble and fall into sin again? Do you feel like you haven’t obeyed well enough for God to still love you? And that when you sin and choose to do that again, he likes you less now? Or you’ve disappointed or disapproved of him? If that’s you, you’re still hoping in the law. You’re still relying on your law keeping to please God.

The law is fulfilled. Your obedience is accomplished. He obeyed it for you. He knew you would sin. Again. And He still obeyed on your behalf. And He went to the cross to die for the sin you commit. And if you believe in Him, His righteousness is imputed to you. Your obedience can’t earn you any more favor with God. Because He sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ in you. There’s no more favor to be found. Because Christ is your righteousness.

That is where our hope and security is. In Jesus Christ. In how much the Father loves the Son. And when He looks at us, He sees the righteousness of His Son. You can’t have any more favor than how He favors His Son. And that’s how He favors us when we’re in Him. And we continually live lives of repentance and turning from our sin, yes, but because we love Him, because of what He’s done for us already.

So where is your security found? Or to use Paul’s language, what do you boast in? What do you boast in? That’s what that means. Where do you find your hope and your security? Can you say with Paul, may it never be that I would boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Is that where your security is found?

That I am loved by God and favored by God Because I have Christ’s righteousness. Because He died for me. And He is my Savior. Can you say with Paul in Galatians 2? I have been crucified with Christ. My sin is paid for. I have been crucified with Christ. And it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. My sin is paid for and my obedience is accomplished. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. That is my boast. That is my hope. That’s the only hope I could ever have.

Do not place your security and your hope and your boasting. In anything else. Everything else that you could hope in will be gone on judgment day. Your financial security, your status, your title, your obedience, it’s gonna be gone when you stand before the judge.

The only thing that you have to hope in on that day is He obeyed for me and He paid my penalty so that I stand before God in the righteousness of Jesus Christ my Savior. And I can only see the favor of God on me because there is nothing left for the wrath of God to punish because He took that for me. Hope can only be found in Jesus Christ. Hope in Him alone.

If you don’t know Jesus Christ, if you don’t know Him, if you don’t know that you’re in Him, you need to come to Him today. He came and He lived and He died on the cross so that those who trust in Him as their Savior could live with Him for eternity. Come to Him today. Please don’t leave here today without talking to somebody here about how you can know Jesus Christ and how you can know that you have hope and security before God. And if you are a believer, if you have Christ to boast in because He died for you, come to the table today. We are about to recognize and celebrate and remember what it costs to make us who we are in Jesus Christ.

Hope in Jesus Christ alone. Stand with me this morning as we close in a word of prayer before we come to the table. our God and our Father, we rejoice in the words that we see in your word. That it is only those who do the deeds of Abraham and believe in Jesus Christ who are children of the promise, who are blessed along with Abraham. because the blessing of God has come to us, in the flesh, in Jesus Christ our Savior, who came, was born of a woman, who lived in perfect obedience that we could not live, and died the substitutionary death in our place, that we could not die, so that we could be saved. so that we could stand before you in his righteousness and see nothing but your favor. God, we don’t know what to say. We are so humbled and thankful and blessed because our hope is in Jesus Christ alone. We pray all of this in his wonderful name, amen.