Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Introduction:
The Reverend Boaz Obed Smith was born January 1, 1900 and having been converted to saving faith in Jesus Christ as a young man. Having then felt that God was calling him to preach His word, the then young Boaz Smith enrolled in a three year Bible certificate program at was was then called "Philadelphia School of the Bible". Upon his graduation, the ambitious young preacher and his wife Louise would minister for 30 years in various churches throughout South Eastern, KY. By the mid to late sixties, following Louise's passing, Reverend Boaz Smith would do various sorts of Bible studies and pulpit supply for roughly another 20 or so years in rural South Western Pennsylvania. This beloved man of God was my paternal grandfather, otherwise known as "Grand-daddy". Having passed away in 1983, my Grand-daddy left an amazing legacy of nearly 60 years of preaching, ministry and evangelism. Several months ago my dad gave me all of my Grand-daddy's sermons. These wonderful sermons, radio transcripts and letters have proven to be a treasure trove. Included in the collection are my grandfather's notes that he took when attending Philadelphia School of the Bible (now Philadelphia Biblical University) back in 1927.
I will ever cherish this collection, being that I barely knew the man I called "Grandaddy". However I felt it necessary to begin sharing a little bit with the readers of this blog his writings and words as both a tribute and a carrying on of the legacy of a man who lived what he preached and preached what he lived. Today's post is a continuation and conclusion of a sermon he preached sometime in the mid-1950's on a chilly October night. The subject of the sermon is on the truth of: "Justification by Faith Alone". The title of the message is "justification". May you get an immense blessing out of it.
A Sermon on "Justification" -continued-
by Reverend B.O Smith
"God owes absolutely nothing to man. God brings untold mercies to sinners and allows them to live in good homes' to live at peace; to amass fortunes; to live in health and to be cared for. Three things God has given to sinners: God's goodness, God's forebearance and God's long-suffering.God's goodness is His moral goodness and His kindness; God's forebearance is His holding back or delaying of His wrath against people. It is as though God raised the thunderbolt of His wrath in one hand to strike mankind to destruction, but with His other hand He restrained the thunderbolt of wrath from falling upon mankind.
God's longsuffering is His slowness in avenging wrongs. Man has despised these three things of God. It goes to show ingrattitude. The blackest of all sins is to despise the riches of God's grace. These three things should lead you to repentance.
Repentance is not necessarily signified by a person coming to the mourner's bench and there crying and praying and weeping for mercy. It is the word, "about face." A group of soldiers are marching, and the office cries out, "Halt!" "About face!" They immediately pivot on their feet and march in the opposite direction. Behind you is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is despised and rejected by you. Before you is your good works and your opinion. If the good of the Lord moves you, you will "about face" and accept Jesus as your personal Saviour. Then, God will declare you to be a righteous, perfect person, and will set you before the court of heaven as though you had never sinned. Will you repent tonight? Will you turn from anything you have, and look to Jesus? God help you to do it."
Closing thoughts:
Well that concludes my Grand-daddy's sermon on justification. I pray you have found it to be edifying, instructional and illuminating. Some day I will see Him again either when I pass from this life or when our Lord Jesus Christ comes to catch me and other Christians away unto Himself and then I will see my Grand-daddy in a glorified resurrected body, along with my own - as both of us bask and praise the One Who saved us and redeemed us.
God's longsuffering is His slowness in avenging wrongs. Man has despised these three things of God. It goes to show ingrattitude. The blackest of all sins is to despise the riches of God's grace. These three things should lead you to repentance.
Repentance is not necessarily signified by a person coming to the mourner's bench and there crying and praying and weeping for mercy. It is the word, "about face." A group of soldiers are marching, and the office cries out, "Halt!" "About face!" They immediately pivot on their feet and march in the opposite direction. Behind you is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is despised and rejected by you. Before you is your good works and your opinion. If the good of the Lord moves you, you will "about face" and accept Jesus as your personal Saviour. Then, God will declare you to be a righteous, perfect person, and will set you before the court of heaven as though you had never sinned. Will you repent tonight? Will you turn from anything you have, and look to Jesus? God help you to do it."
Closing thoughts:
Well that concludes my Grand-daddy's sermon on justification. I pray you have found it to be edifying, instructional and illuminating. Some day I will see Him again either when I pass from this life or when our Lord Jesus Christ comes to catch me and other Christians away unto Himself and then I will see my Grand-daddy in a glorified resurrected body, along with my own - as both of us bask and praise the One Who saved us and redeemed us.