Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. The Bible says that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.
Only God's righteousness opens heaven's doors. That's why we're deceived if we believe that God helps those who help themselves. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. We're concluding a series on ten lies about God and why you might already be deceived. Pastor Lutzer, tell us where we're going today in Ephesians chapter 2 as you talk about the lie that God helps those who help themselves. You know, Dave, I have to tell you that when I taught preaching, I used to take students to a cemetery and ask them to preach to the dead. I wanted to make a point. Imagine telling the dead, God helps those who help themselves.
Of course, they can't help themselves. And the Bible says in Ephesians 2 that we are dead in trespasses and sins, but God. It is the intervention of God that saves us and that gives us hope. Well, I want to emphasize that today is the last day we're making a special resource available for you. It's a book entitled Ten Lies About God. I hope that you have a pen or pencil handy so that you can write this down. Go to RTWOffer.com. That's RTWOffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Now, at the end of this broadcast, I'm going to be giving you this contact info again because we believe that this resource will be of tremendous help. And thankfully, God helps those who cannot help themselves.
The answer is yes. The God who intervenes can save even big sinners. You remember when one of Luther's friends wrote to him, Spoloton, and said, Luther, I can't forgive myself for something I've done. And Luther said to him, hey, Spoloton, you know, and all that Spoloton did was give some bad advice. Today, if he had gone for counseling, people would have said, Spoloton, just chill out a little bit. What you did isn't so bad. Look at what all the other people are doing.
It's terrible. Luther didn't handle it that way. He didn't minimize the sin, but he did maximize grace. He said, you say that you've done a terrible thing. Oh, Spoloton, you're a big sinner?
Come over to us. Because he said, we are hard-boiled sinners. He said, Spoloton, you have to get used to the idea that Jesus just didn't die for nominal, childish sins. Oh, no, Spoloton, Jesus died for big, terrible sins, for damnable iniquities. And I say to you today who are listening, and you have not come to Christ because you feel so far down the ladder. Jesus died for damn iniquities.
And the God who can speak a word of resurrection to one person is able to speak a word of resurrection to others. And so we see here God's power, God's power. Notice how far we've come. Let's retrace our steps. We've seen our problem, which is incredibly serious. We are dead. We're depraved.
We're deceived. We've seen God's power, but God. And now let us look very briefly at God's purpose.
What was he up to in doing this? Well, I'm going to pick it up there again in verse four to get the context. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions. It is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in kindness to us in Jesus Christ.
Wow. Do you notice the three verbs here in the text? It says that God made us alive. It says that God raised us up. It says that God seated us. What do you do when you read those words?
But you think of Jesus, don't you? And these are references to the historical succession of events in salvation history. Christ was made alive resurrection. Christ ascended into heaven. There you have the ascension. He raised us up.
Christ is at the right hand of God, the father. That is exaltation. So that does not surprise us. What surprises us is that Paul says this is true of us.
It's true of us. In fact, he actually invents three verbs. He takes the regular verb and then he adds a prefix to it to say that we were alive with Christ. We have been raised with Christ.
We have been seated at the right hand of God, the father with Christ, exalted with him. And you read it and you say, Paul, are you sure? Can this be?
Can this be? Christianity is often criticized because it just puts people down. I've had people say to me that oftentimes in anger. You know, that's the problem with you Christians.
I know that there was one case in which that happened where someone who is sitting on the platform remembers that where I was in a certain place here in Chicago. And then they just said, that's the trouble with you Christians. You know, you're always putting people down. You're always talking about sin. I know we're always talking about sin. We're putting people down, but I want you to know that if you believe in Christ, there is no religion in the world that so exalts undeserving humanity as the gospel of Jesus Christ. Notice that the text says we have been raised with him and this isn't just positional.
This is actual. You are legally and judicially in heaven today. You are seated at the right hand of God, the father.
Why all that? That's what we're trying to answer. What is God's purpose?
Did you notice it? That in the ages to come, this is verse seven, that in the coming ages, he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness in Jesus Christ. What is the first purpose? The first purpose of redemption. It's not for us. It's for him that he might throughout the ages have trophies that display his grace.
Listen to me carefully. When Jesus was raised from the dead, that was an act of power. But when you and I are raised from the dead, it's an act of mercy. It's an act of grace. Another word he uses is it is an act of kindness because he deserved to be raised, but we didn't. And so throughout all of eternity, we are going to magnify the grace of God being on display as to what a gracious God will do with terrible, terrible sinners.
John Stott said that when he left Cambridge University, the principal of the school was also leaving that year, retiring. And in honor, they painted a picture of him, an artist did, and it was unveiled and it was apparently excellently done. And the principal in speaking about it paid tribute to the painter and said these words. In years to come, when people look at this painting, they will not ask, who is that man? They will ask this question.
Who was the painter? And I want you to know that throughout all of eternity, when we are on display before angels and demons, and if they still are around, though they will not be in that context, but as we are on display as trophies of God's grace forever, nobody is going to ask who are these people? People are going to ask who was the redeemer to take these miserable, selfish, bigoted sinners and exult them to the right hand of God the Father. The first purpose of redemption, my friend, is always God. It's not us. Paul says in the book of Romans, he says, God set forth Christ.
Why? To declare his righteousness. Salvation is always first for God.
But then we get in on the benefits. You'll notice it says that in order that we may show the riches of his grace expressed in his kindness in us, in us, there's a lovely line in Mozart's Requiem in which he says, Oh, merciful Jesus, remember that I was the cause of your journey. And that's right.
He was. You and I are the cause of his journey. And the first purpose is for God.
The second purpose is for us. He comes to redeem his people from their sins so that throughout all ages, glory might go to God. Well, does God help those who help themselves? You know, it says this in the book of Romans, it speaks directly to the issue. It's almost as if the apostle Paul said, you know, someday Ben Franklin's going to say something and I want to set him right.
Listen to what he says. Now, when a man works, his wages are not credit to him as a gift, but an obligation. In other words, you earn it. However, to the man who does not work, but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. It is, it is to those who don't work. Could I add it is to those who can't work because there's nothing that we can do to gain God's attention, to make it right.
Given our situation. Now, of course, in Ephesians chapter two, and we're back there for a moment, the apostle Paul does say that we are saved by grace. And then he says it is the gift of God. This is verses eight and nine, which is of course the point that I have been trying to make verse 10 for we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works.
Notice this. God helps only those who cannot help themselves when it comes to salvation. But after we are saved, God helps us in order that we might be able to help ourselves or more accurately that we may be able to do good works to give him glory.
But God always is the one who initiate. God gives that he might receive. God redeems that he might change us and leave us differently than he found us.
That is always the work of God. Before salvation, our works are filthy rags. After our salvation, Jesus Christ makes them acceptable to the father. Now, today I've been preaching on the grace of God.
This is Paul's theme here. Grace is very difficult to accept. Let me give you two categories of people that find it difficult, very difficult to accept grace. The first are those who have sinned greatly. I'm talking about drug addicts, prostitutes. I'm speaking about child abusers, adulterers, people who have been involved in a lot of sin. They find it difficult to accept God's grace because they say, I don't deserve it.
I don't deserve it. Simon Wiesenthal in his book The Sunflower tells the interesting story of when he was in a concentration camp. He was suddenly whisked out of the camp and taken to an army hospital run by the Nazis.
He did not know why he was there. There was a young Nazi soldier who was dying who wanted to speak to a Jew so that he could ask the Jews forgiveness for an atrocity that the young man had committed. Specifically, this young soldier had blown up a Jewish village and the screams of the women and the children haunted him and now he was about to die and he wanted to speak to a member of the race whom he had brutalized. And that's why Wiesenthal was brought into the hospital. And so the young man began to unburden his soul and could not this Jew, Wiesenthal, could he not, could he not forgive him?
Well some of you know the story that the answer was no. Wiesenthal said that first of all he could not take such a terrible atrocity and simply grant absolution or forgiveness. Number two, he could not speak on behalf of the dead, he said, who had experienced these atrocities? And so the young man was left to die without the benefit even of one human being's forgiveness. Afterwards, Wiesenthal thought to himself, I'd like to know whether or not I did right and he wrote a letter to 32 different people respected in various disciplines and told them the story and said what would you have done?
Twenty six said you did right. There's no way you can speak for the dead. Six said you should have taken the high road and at least as a human being have granted the young Nazi his forgiveness before he died.
Now I can understand the struggle. I can understand the struggle of those who have been so terrorized and brutalized but I want you to also understand this young Nazi's struggle. I want you to hear his guilt, his cries, his longing that somewhere in the depths of his soul someone could say to him, thou art forgiven, a privilege he did not experience. If you had been in his side and he had said, how can I prepare to meet God? Would you have told him the wonder of the gospel? Would you have said to him that there was a savior who died and if you trust that savior and put your confidence in him that even you, the issue is not the greatness of your sin, it is the wonder of the sacrifice and its completeness that was offered. Would you have said that?
I hope so. You see people who have sinned greatly find it very difficult to believe that God can forgive them and maybe I am talking to many people like that today and I want you to know that the issue is not the greatness of your sin. Then there's another category of people and by the way someone whose testimony you're going to hear in a couple of weeks makes an amazing statement. He said that he was brought up in a home where it was always said you know God helps those who help themselves. Here's a kid who's into drugs, he's into immorality, he's bound by all these chains and God helps those who help themselves.
It wouldn't work for the young Nazi and it wouldn't work for him either. But then there's another category of people that find it difficult to accept God's grace and that's these good people. The people who do volunteer work. The people who think to themselves there are a hundred people I could name without thinking who are beneath me in the moral ladder. Now bless them we should be doing relief work obviously but they use that as their righteousness and they think to themselves surely I am fine. Surely I'm fine because look at all that I do. The first category say I can't respond because I don't deserve God's grace.
The second category says I can't respond because I don't need it. This past week I spoke at a prayer breakfast and you know how these prayer breakfasts are you have different members of the clergy from the local clergy and this was in another city it was not Chicago and they had a member of the clergy and I'll be just that vague give the opening prayer and thanks for the food and as he was reading his prayer I was listening to it and he said these words oh God help us to conduct ourselves so morally that when we stand before you we will be proud of our moral life and the way we lived. I thought oh yummer.
Yummer cannot be translated. Let me ask you a question today can a man who prays a prayer like that be born of the spirit? Does he understand the gospel?
I don't think so. I want you to know that when I stand before God someday I do not expect to be proud for the way I lived. I expect much more to be like Isaiah saying oh woe is me for I'm undone and I'm a man of unclean lips. Oh God because at the end of the day the scripture says we are still undeserving servants.
No no nobody proud. Jesus told a story that really illustrates the fact that if you believe like Benjamin Franklin that God helps those who help themselves you will be lost forever even as so far as we know Franklin was. He said there were two people who went into a temple to pray. One of them said oh Lord I thank thee that I'm not like other men who are adulterers and extortioners and unjust but I give tithes of all that I possess and I give to the poor and I thank you that I am not like the man standing beside me this tax gatherer and he could have added I thank thee also Lord that you help those who help themselves and therefore father I thank you that I've so impressed you and I know that I will be proud of the way in which I lived.
And then there was another man the tax gatherer. He smote his breast and he said God he wouldn't look up. He couldn't stand to look up toward God. He said God be merciful to me the sinner. Both of them believed in grace. The man over here you remember he said I thank thee God that I am not like other men. Can't you just hear him saying oh but for the grace of God there go I. Yes it's all God's grace.
It's because of God but he has given me the ability to do such nice things. The other man thought to himself if God only helps those who help themselves I shall be damned and he received in humility the gift that only God can give. God does not help those who help themselves with respect of salvation. God helps only those who cannot help themselves and who know it and that's why Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven the the harlots and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of heaven sooner than some of you who stand and pray about how proud you are for your good works because he who humbles himself will be exalted. He who exalts himself shall be abased.
You've heard me quote Augustus top lady's song many times but I must do so again today. Nothing in my hands I bring but simply to thy cross I cling. Naked come to thee for dress. Helpless look to thee for grace.
Foul I to the fountain fly. Wash me savior. Ere I die. Let us pray. Our father father we thank you that you found us in the graveyard. We thank you that when we were dead and when we were deceived and when we were so perplexed and depraved you came.
You entered the cemetery and you spoke and our dungeon was filled with light. We thank you today father that in grace as you quicken the hearts and minds of those who are listening in this auditorium and wherever that even at this moment you can give them that desire and enlightenment to believe. Granted father enter into the tombs of those who are here today who have never come to life and grant them what only you can give and even as you spoke to Lazarus and said come forth so we pray oh lord god that eyes shall be opened ears shall be unstopped and wills shall be transformed for the glory of our god.
We do love you we thank you that you're a god who is rich in mercy and we thank you that forever we shall display that. Now before I close in prayer what is it that you need to say to god today? It is possible you know for you to receive Christ even where you are seated to simply say oh god thank you for showing me today I'm in the graveyard but today I believe I trust Christ I come helplessly I come helplessly to believe.
Would you tell him that? Father we wait to hear your voice granted to us lord we ask amen. My friend this is Pastor Lutzer could I have a few seconds of your time?
If you've never come to Jesus Christ to receive him to recognize your sinfulness and to cleave to his grace would you do that right now? Running to Win exists to show people the glories of Christ for sinners and we're so glad that we have this opportunity to do so. At the same time what we want to do is to make resources available for you for your Christian life so that you might better understand the issues of our culture and the issues of scripture and this is the last day we're making a special volume available for you it's a book entitled 10 Lies About God. I wrote it because many people have a wrong conception of god it's not a scriptural conception they think that god is whatever we want him to be they think that he is very tolerant today whereas in the old testament he was very harsh how do we answer all those issues? For a gift of any amount this book can be yours and I certainly hope that you have a pen or pencil handy here's what you do go to rtwoffer.com let me say that more slowly go to rtwoffer.com or pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-218-9337 the title of the book 10 Lies About God go to rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and as you have frequently heard me say together to the glory of god we are making a difference.
You can write to us at Running to Win 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard Chicago Illinois 60614. Running to Win is all about helping you find God's roadmap for your race of life. Next time we begin a series on God and the nations. We'll see that God is moving the nations into position for the climax of this present age. Thanks for listening. For Pastor Erwin Lutzer this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.
