In this sermon, Steve Hopkins discusses Romans 9:30-33, focusing on the paradox of Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness attaining it through faith, while Israel, who pursued the law of righteousness, failed to achieve it. Drawing from Acts 17:11, Hopkins encourages listeners to be like the Bereans, who diligently searched the scriptures. He explains that God's plan has always included redeeming both Jews and Gentiles, highlighting the concept of election and the idea that true righteousness comes through faith rather than works. The sermon emphasizes that the Jews' rejection of the Messiah led to the expansion of God's mercy to the Gentiles. Hopkins also touches on the future of ethnic Israel, suggesting a time when a vast number of Jews will come to faith in Christ. He warns against relying on personal righteousness for salvation, urging faith in Christ's righteousness instead. The sermon concludes with a call to embrace the grace offered through Jesus and to avoid stumbling over the 'stumbling stone'—Christ himself.

If you would, turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Romans, once again, the ninth chapter. Before we begin, very quickly, just briefly, Acts 17 11 speaks of the Bereans who are said to be more noble than those of Thessalonica. How many of you know why? Because they search the scriptures to see if the things that were being preached to them were so, with the truth of God's Word. I encourage everyone, take your Bibles.

If you don't have a physical Bible, your electronic device, your Bible, follow along in the Scriptures and be as good Bereans and ask the Lord to show you if the things that are being spoken are the truth of God's Word, if they're to be accepted or to be rejected. With that, let's stand and read together Romans chapter 9. We'll read verses 30 through 33 together. Let's read together the Word of the Lord. What shall we say then that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.

But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone as it is written behold I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Let's pray. Father, we praise you, God, for your infinite greatness and we thank you, God, for your amazing grace.

And we thank you God for calling the people to yourself before the world began and for sending your Son in time to save us. And once again God we ask that you might be pleased to give the Spirit to open our understanding and illuminate your word for we ask it in Jesus name amen. Let's be seated. So in our last session when we looked at verses 25 through 29 of Romans chapter 9, we saw that the Apostle Paul had applied two verses to the Gentiles from Hosea and two verses applied to the Jews from Isaiah. And I said that it's always been the plan of God to redeem and elect people for himself among the mass of fallen humanity, not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles, and that it has always been the purpose of God, God's purpose, to make known the riches of his mercy, of his glory, on both Jewish and Gentile vessels of mercy, even as Paul says in verse 24, whom he hath called, very important word there, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles.

The true seed of Abraham are the called of God of all nations, whether they be Jew or whether they be Gentile. He's been talking about election, that word that is Not spoken of in many churches in our land today Election is about God in his mercy Calling a people who merit only his wrath into his favor and the kingdom of his dear Son, not of the Jews only but also of the Gentiles. It was said, as we looked at in our last session, it was said of those outside of the commonwealth of Israel, you're not my people. You're not my people. But God would have an elect people from among the Gentiles as well as the Jews.

And the occasion of this expansion of his mercy to the Gentiles, which continues to this day, would be the rejection of the Messiah by the greater part of the Jewish people. John said in John 1-11, He came unto his own, and his own received him not. And so it came to pass, even as we saw in our session last week, and as Hosea said, that in the place where it was said unto them, you're not my people. In the places outside of the commonwealth of Israel, where it was said to the Gentiles, or of the Gentiles, you are not the people of God. There they will be called the children of the living God.

I quoted Dr. Sproul in our last session commenting on this passage and he said, Paul is talking about us. We who were no people, now are his people by grace. We are the wild olive branch grafted into the root of the tree. He's referring to Romans 11, which we'll come to in a few weeks.

And so it happened, and we've seen it over the past 2, 000 years. The triumph of the gospel among the Gentile nations, the calling of a people who were not God's covenant people, but who on account of the mercy of God extended to them, to us, are now the children of the living God, God who is rich in mercy for the great love wherewith he loved us has called us his people who were not his people. The wild olive branch has been grafted into the root of the tree. The Gentiles who have been given the precious faith of God's elect are become fellow heirs with the patriarchs, with Abraham, with Isaac and Jacob and all the Jewish prophets and saints in the Old Testament of the same body and partakers of God's promise in Christ by the gospel, as Paul says in Ephesians 3 6. But what about the Jews?

Paul went on to verse 27. Isaiah also cries concerning Israel, though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, Paul wrote, a remnant shall be saved, only a remnant. The word spoken to Abraham back in Genesis chapter 22 17 was that his descendants would be as the sand of the sea in number. That Abraham's seed, that is his offspring, would be so numerous that they could not be counted even as the grains of sand on a beach. Genesis 22, 17 says, I, this is God speaking, I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore.

But Paul says even so, only a remnant among them would be saved. And as a note in my RHB Bible commentary says concerning the history of the Jews, there were times when the number of believing Jews was so small enough to be called a remnant. And I mentioned in our study last week how Elijah the prophet, remember how he complained of being the only one left to which God responded that he had reserved unto himself 7, 000 men who had not bowed the knee to Baal, a small remnant compared to the vast number of Jews living at that time. But Elijah thought he was the only one at that time. God said, no, I've got 7, 000.

And at the appearance of Christ, the greater part of the Jews stumbled over their Messiah, colluding with the Roman authorities to have him destroyed. And as a result, the nation of Israel was almost completely destroyed. As Isaiah said before, Paul goes on, except the Lord of Sabaoth, that's the Lord of the armies of heaven, since Paul speaking, except the Lord had left us, the Jewish people, a seed, we would have become a Sodom and been made like unto Gomorrah. Paul's a Jew and he says, if the Lord of the armies of heaven, of Sabaoth, hadn't left us, our Jewish nation, a seed in the earth, a remnant of ethnic Israelites from which to grow and replenish our numbers, we the Jewish people would have been completely wiped out of existence, even as the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah, when the Lord made a short work upon them in judgment. But Paul makes it clear throughout Romans that God isn't finished with his chosen people.

After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, which would take place about 11 years, 10 or 11 years after the writing of the book of Romans, a seed will be left in the earth to spring back up and over time become a vast number once again, even as we see today. Because God's plan, as we will see going forward with our study of Romans, will be to graft them back in again. When the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, when the height of Gentile conversion has been reached, We will see that God's destruction of Israel in history was neither full nor final. It will be very evident. And we'll see this going forward, especially as we come to Romans chapter 11, where Paul is going to pose the question, have God cast away his people that is ethnic Israel.

Paul will say, for I am also an Israelite of the seed of Abraham. God has not cast off his people whom he foreknew. Even at this present time, Paul will say there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And Paul was proof of it. Paul was living proof of it in his day.

And we've seen a remnant of ethnic Jews being saved ever since, but a small number. But the day will come, and we'll look at this when we get to chapter 11, again, where Paul will say these words, all Israel shall be saved. As I said a couple of weeks ago, a lot of controversy over that passage in the modern era, but everybody seemed to understand it at one time. There's gonna be a day coming when you will think the entire nation has been converted. Ethnic Jews in mass will look upon whom they pierced, even as Zechariah prophesied, with great mourning for rejecting God's suffering servants and for crucifying the Lord of glory their king and the savior of Israel and a vast number of ethnic Israel will put their trust in Jesus and be saved.

That's what's coming. But that's chapter 11, we aren't there yet. So what have we seen thus far? We've seen that it is the purpose of God according to election, it is that the purpose of God according to election stands not based on one's ethnicity, not based on one's bloodline, not based on one's works or merits or any human effort, but wholly upon the good pleasure and calling of God, who has mercy upon whom he will have mercy, whether Jew or Gentile." So we pick up with verse 30, where Paul writes, what shall we say then? That is, what should we think about all of this?

That the Gentiles, follow along with your Bibles here, this is just so interesting. What should we think about, how should we conclude all of this? That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. The Gentiles who weren't even seeking it attained it, while Israel, which pursued the law of righteousness, did not attain it?

Dr. Hodge, back in the 1800s of Princeton Theological Seminary writes, what to all human probability was the most unlikely to occur? Listen to this. What was to all human probability the most unlikely to occur has actually taken place. The Gentiles sunk in carelessness and sin have attained the favor of God, while the Jews, to whom religion was a business, utterly failed, close quote.

The Gentiles weren't even looking for righteousness. In fact, the Gentiles were abandoned to every form of wickedness. Remember where we began in Romans chapter 1. He's talking about the Gentiles, right? And then he goes on to the Jews, but he starts with the Gentiles, and it's like the Jews are probably applauding when they hear these words, but then Paul gets to them.

But he starts with the Gentiles before addressing the Jews in chapter one, and he refers to the Gentiles as, Go back to chapter one and look, God haters. Those who suppress the truth that they knew about God, that God had clearly shown to them from the creation of the world. The Gentiles had no interest in God or righteousness, but they attain unto it. Paul says, though they knew God from the invisible things of him from the creation of the world clearly seen, they didn't glorify him as God, the Gentiles. They weren't even thankful.

They didn't even look up to heaven and say, thank you God. And they became vain in their imaginations, Paul said, and their foolish hearts were darkened. And professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. That's the Gentiles. And they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into images made like unto corruptible man.

And they worshiped and served and created things like birds and beasts and creeping things. And Paul says because of this God gave them over to uncleanness through the lusts of their hearts to dishonor their bodies between themselves And he gave them up unto vile affections, and for even their women, changed the natural use of sexual relations with men into that which is against nature. He's still talking about the Gentiles. They're men also, leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust one toward another. Men working with men, that which is unseemly, shameful, detestable.

And Paul says, speaking to the Gentiles, they didn't even want to retain God in their thinking. The Gentiles didn't even want to retain God in their knowledge. And so God gave them over to a reprobate mind and allowed them to plunge themselves into sin, being filled with all unrighteousness and fornication, that's sexual immorality, and wickedness and covetousness and maliciousness and envy and murder, etc. These back-biters and haters of God who were deceitful and proud and boasters, these are Paul's words, not mine, and covenant-breakers who were without natural affection, implacable and unmerciful, and knowing the judgment of God that those who do such things are worthy of death not only lived in these things but also found pleasure in those who do them. Paul will tell the church at Corinth later of which some of you once were okay who are now cleansed of these things.

But these are the Gentiles, and these are the kinds of people who attained to righteousness while the Jews did not. These Gentiles who followed not after righteousness but on the contrary lived in every form of gross wickedness, have attained a righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed not, which followed after the law of righteousness, have not attained it. What's going on here? It doesn't seem right.

As Dr. Hodge said, by all human probability, this was the most unlikely thing to occur. And we're a part of that. Israel that had the written revelation of God, the very oracles of God, and pursued a law that would lead to righteousness, missed it? While the Gentiles who weren't even looking for it obtained it?

Why? Paul asks in verse 32, how could it be? Because they sought it not by faith Speaking of the Jews, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone, capital S, as it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion, a stumbling stone and a rock of offense, and whosoever believes, believes on him, shall not be ashamed or put to shame. Israel pursued righteousness by the works of the law and not by faith and in doing so they tripped over their Messiah when he appeared.

They stumbled at the only one who has ever met the righteous requirements of the law. They stumbled over the grace offered in the gospel to all those who believe on Him. Martin Lloyd-Jones calls it a tragedy, a tragic position. The Jews sought to establish their own righteousness by the law. This is why they stumbled.

And brothers and sisters, please don't think that this has reference only to the Jews. Please listen to what I'm saying here and I'll talk a little bit more about this at the end. But like all those who seek to attain by their own endeavors, that which is unattainable by human effort, they failed. And so will any one of us who attempts it ourselves. And we need to dig deeper into this, probably next week, dig deeper into this because, you know, there are many who think, you know, we talk about this and we say, okay, yeah, the Jews, they tried to establish a works righteousness they they sought you know righteousness by their own works or whatever and when you really get down to it and you and you really dig down deep you find that a huge percentage of the people in the churches of America believe exactly the same thing.

They're not humbled before God by their sin and their transgressions of this holy law and driven to the cross of Christ to cry, God be merciful to me a sinner. They think they're good, but that's next week. This is what Paul was trying to drive home to the Jews in chapter three when he said, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in God's sight. You remember when we were there what did Paul say? For by the law is the knowledge of sin.

You understand what Paul is saying here? No one has ever been justified in God's sight by trying to keep the law. Now, it doesn't mean we're not supposed to try to keep the law. We are. You know, earlier on in Romans, he talks about how those who are saved actually established the law, not thrown out, but no one has ever been justified, declared just, accounted just in God's sight by their own work so by trying to keep the law.

Why? The more that we see of God's law, the more that we see of our sinfulness. The law is like a mirror that shows us our sin and looking into that mirror and seeing our sinfulness and our filthiness and our absolute inability to meet its demands, the law should drive every one of us to utter despair who would dare rest in their keeping of it to find acceptance with God. Paul goes on, but now the righteousness of God, this is back in chapter 3, we went through this, but now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, that's Romans 3, 3, 21, Being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God, which is by faith in Christ Jesus unto all, and upon all them that what? Try really hard, no.

Upon all them, to them all, and upon them all that believe, that believe, Paul says. And then he says these words, and we're back to where we are now, for there is no difference. What you talking about? For there is no difference. What does he mean?

There is no difference between the Jew and the Gentile with regards to our guilt before God under the law. For all have sinned and fall short of God's demand for a perfect righteousness. But now Paul says now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed even the righteousness of God which is by faith in Christ Jesus unto all and upon all them that believe. By faith, When he says believe, he's talking about faith. By faith, we lay hold on Christ and His righteousness.

The only righteousness that will be acceptable before God when you stand before God on the day of judgment will not be your own righteousness. Remember, Jesus said, many are gonna come to me on that day and say, we did good, we did good, we prophesied, we cast out demons. We did many, many wonderful works. And Jesus is gonna look at them and say, I never knew you, I never had a relationship with you. By faith we lay hold on Christ and His righteousness.

When we believe on Him, when we put our trust in Jesus and what He has done for us in our place, in both his life and in his death, in his perfect obedience in life, and his justice satisfying, wrath appeasing sacrifice on the cross, the transaction is made. Our sin is transferred to him. His righteousness is transferred to us and we are once for all time saved, declared right in God's sight. That's the gospel, whether a person likes it or not. The Jews viewed the law as an end in itself, and so they stumbled over Christ.

But we'll see in our next message next week from Romans 10-4, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Again, the law is intended to show us our sin and our inability and our need for a righteousness that is alien to us, that is outside of us, in order to be accepted of God, and thus to drive us to the foot of the cross to embrace the righteousness of God provided to us in Christ. Israel sought it not by faith but as it were attainable by the works of the law and it's not And so they stumbled at the stumbling stone, capital S. They tripped over Christ and were offended at the notion, the very notion of relying upon Him and His righteousness rather than their own works, themselves and their own works. He was a rock of offense.

That's offensive to them. His righteousness imputed to me. No, my righteousness before God. That was the Jewish position. He goes on as it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone.

God laid this stumbling stone and rock of offense. And only the one who believes on him, and him alone, will not be ashamed on the day of judgment. The scripture says, as it is written, behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed. Not now, not on the day of his coming, not on the day of judgment, not ever. That's good news, isn't it?

Whoever believes on Him, trusts in His righteousness alone, in His person and His work, will not be put to shame, will not be brought to account for their sins and punished for their sins because their Savior who went to the cross 2, 000 years ago was already punished for their sins and God isn't going to punish twice for one offense. God sent his Son into the world to die for our sins. Whoever believes on him is not going to be ashamed on the day of judgment. They're not going to be put to shame on the day of judgment. They're not going to be confounded, Not now, not on the day of His coming, not on the day of judgment, not ever.

1 Peter 2, 6, 8. You know, it's all a bore to the unregenerate mind. 1 Peter 2, 6-8. Wherefore also it is contained in scripture. Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

This is Peter now saying the same thing. Will not be put to shame. This is 1 Peter 2, 6 through 8. Under you therefore, listen to this, who believe Christ is precious. He's precious to those who believe.

But unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, that is, refused to allow it, altogether rejected, the same is made the head of the corner, capital H, the head of the corner, the stone, capital S, which the builders disallowed, rejected altogether, is made the head of the corner. Peter says, in a stone of stumbling, just like Paul said, and a rock of offense, even to them who stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. Brothers and sisters, the greater part of the Jews stumbled over Christ at His appearance and rejected their Messiah. And Jesus predicted it. Jesus predicted it and the judgment that would follow upon Israel for their apostasy.

Turn with me to Matthew chapter 21, beginning with verse 33. Jesus predicted it, this apostasy, and the judgment of God that would come upon them. And it's so precise. And he did it with a parable. Verse 33 of Matthew 21, read along with me.

These are the words of our Lord Jesus. Here another parable. There was a certain householder who planted a vineyard and hedged it around about and digged a wine press in it and built a tower and let it out to husbandmen and went into a far country. And when the time of the fruit or harvest drew near, He sent his servants to the husband men that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husband men took his servants and they beat one and they killed another and stoned another.

Again he sent other servants more than the first and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son saying they will reverence my son but when the husband men saw the son they said among themselves this is the air come let us kill him and let us seize his inheritance. And they caught him and they cast them out of the vineyard and slew him. When the Lord therefore of the vineyard comes, What will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their season.

Jesus saith unto them, here we go, did you never read the scriptures, the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner, This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. Did you never read that from the prophets? Therefore shall they lay the even with the ground. Therefore I say unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation, that is to a people, bringing forth the fruits thereof. Talking about Gentiles here.

And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he was talking about them. He's talking about us. And they stumbled over the stumbling stone. They tripped over the Messiah and the grace offered to all who believe on His name.

And Paul tells us why. The Jews couldn't imagine attaining a righteousness apart from their own efforts. The very thought of that offended them. They stumbled over the stumbling block, the rock of offense. And so what happens?

So when the Jews were gathered together for Passover, Pilate brought Jesus and Barabbas out to the people and he said, whom of these two will you have me to release unto you? Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ. And they said Barabbas. Pilate said, what shall I do then with Jesus who is called Christ? And they all said unto him, let him be crucified.

And the governor said, why, what evil has he done? But they cried out the more, let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but rather a riot was being made, He took water and he washed his hands in front of the multitude saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person. You see to it. Then answered all the people and said, His blood be on us and on our children.

They stumbled over the stumbling block, the rock of offense, and it cost them dearly. In Luke chapter 19 we read, and when Jesus was come near to Jerusalem, he beheld the city and wept over it, saying, If you had only known, if thou hast only known, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace. But now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days will come, the days shall come upon you, that your enemies shall cast a trench about you and compass thee roundabout and keep thee in or hem the end on every side. And they shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Brothers and sisters in less than 40 years from the time Jesus spoke these words, and less than 10 or 11 years from the time that the book of Romans was written, the Roman legions under Titus will lay them even to the ground and their children within them, just as Jesus said. Just as Jesus said. But a seed will be left them that will spring up into a vast future crop. Robert Haldane, Scottish theologian, 1800s, quote, the Jews who escaped the destruction at the overthrow of their city by the Romans were spared merely as a seed from whence was to spring all the multitudes who will yet arise to Jesus Christ out of the seed of Abraham. Had it not been for that, not one individual would have been left.

They would have been cut off of Sodom and Gomorrah, but for the elect's sake, those days were shortened. The remainder was reserved for sowing with a view to a future crop." And this is the understanding of all of the reformed thinkers going back. Brothers and sisters, Paul began chapter nine with these words, I say the truth in Christ. Remember where we began? When we began, this is like a couple years ago or about a year ago, a year and a half ago, in chapter nine.

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, I'm not lying to you. My conscience also bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. Why? For my kinsmen, according to the flesh, who are Israelites. It was Paul's great desire to see his fellow Jews saved, and so great was his love for them that he said he could even be willing to substitute his salvation for theirs.

Remember when we went through that? But Paul also offers hope, a certain hope for the future of the offspring of ethnic Israel. In Romans chapter 11 we read, I say then, have God cast away his people? God forbid. I'm also an Israelite, Paul said, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

God has not cast away his people whom he foreknew, the remnant that's going to come to him by faith. Even so, he says, listen to this, God has not cast away His people, who which He foreknew, even so then at this present time. Also, there is a remnant according to the election of grace." Paul's word, not mine. I don't like this election in grace stuff. Well, you have to skip several books of the Bible and several chapters in Romans.

Even so at this present time, also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Now, the human mind cannot comprehend a lot of things, right? The human mind cannot comprehend how it is that only the elect come to Christ and yet man is responsible for his sin and rejection of Christ. But we know that both are true because it is written. No one's been able to explain it.

No one comes to me, Jesus said, except the Father who has sent me draws him. No one's been able to explain it. No one comes to me, Jesus said, except the Father who has sent me draws him. No one's been able to explain it. You must repent of your sins or perish.

Yet both are true. We can't comprehend. We can't figure it all out. But we know that both are true. And Paul says in Romans 11, 7, the election has obtained it.

What? The righteousness of Christ, the righteous covering of Christ. The election has obtained it. The elect have obtained the righteous covering of Jesus Christ, the imputation of their sin to Him and His righteousness to them, and that by faith. Laid hold on by faith.

The righteousness that answers the demands of the law is the righteousness of God which is received only by faith. Again, that's Haldane. And as we close, brothers and sisters, don't think that the Jews are the only ones who stumble over Christ. Anyone who Trusts in their own works of any kind to obtain acceptance with God trips over Christ, stumbles over the stumbling block. Anyone who seeks to establish a righteousness of their own.

As I said before, many do it, they don't even realize they're doing it. Trusting in their own works. Anyone who seeks to establish a righteousness of their own, who trusts in their own supposed goodness for their acceptance with God, contends with Christ and the gospel. And quote, they do in their furious madness carry on war with God himself. John Calvin.

Brothers and sisters Christ is our righteousness. We bring nothing to the table to meet with God but our sin. We bring nothing to the table to meet with God but our sin. We bring nothing to the table when we meet with God but our sin. And Jesus died for our sins.

And he rose again the third day proving that his sacrifice was acceptable to God on our behalf Are you trusting in Christ and his righteousness? Alone Are you trusting in in Jesus and his his righteousness alone? Behold I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense, and whosoever believes on Him shall not be put to shame. Not now, not ever. Don't trip over Christ.

Don't trip over Christ. Let's pray. Father, many have stumbled over the stumbling stone, seeking a right standing before you through the keeping of the law, pursuing a righteousness acceptable in your sight through their own feeble endeavors. But, O God, Our feet are not planted on the sinking sand of human effort or merit. Nothing in our hands we bring, O God, simply to the cross of your Son we cling.

And we believe, O God, that faith is your gift, your work in us, and that on account of your mercy given us in Christ Jesus before the world began and so we believe. Oh help us God to believe. Let no one leave this building today oh God who does not believe that it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that we shall be saved. Amen.