"A Self Righteous Life Will Not Lead You To The True Christ”

Romans 2:17–29 ESV

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Main Proposition:

Statement of Doctrine or Application (SILVER BULLET)

The good news is that Jesus saves, but the bad news is that so many people can get so close to Jesus, but never taste salvation.

They do not fully trust in him as their Lord and Savior

Intro:

Statement of proposition:

Paul is continuing to build his case that outwardly moral people (Jews) cannot lean on their history to save them from God’s wrath. As we read in the previous passages Jews use the “being the descendants of Abraham, being given the law” as excuses for why the rules do not apply to them and because of that they do not fear the wrath of God. In this passage we see that Paul directly deals with this head on and he does it in a number of ways first to build up their confidence on what they have and then pull the rug out from beneath them. Here we have outwardly moral people Jew and Gentile that will stand condemned by God’s judgment. Their heritage, knowledge or circumcision will not protect them from God’s righteousness. We can see how Paul is just building and building his case. This started in Romans 1:18 and continues though Romans 3:20. Paul is building on the base of saved through faith in Christ alone. He is tearing down every barrier that is between Jews and their true way to salvation. He wants to leave no stone unturned and does not care who this upsets, who this message angers or whatever BECAUSE Paul knows the Gospel, He knows the truth and is going to share it no matter what. Romans 1:1 “Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,” He know what his mission is and it is to spread the word of God and the good news of his son and he will do it no matter the cost.

Other texts that support

Matthew 3:7–9 (ESV)

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

John 8:31–34 (ESV)

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

These two passages I think solidify that we are ONLY saved through faith alone. These are words that are from Christ himself.

On top of it I like how He uses “descendant of Abraham” is not a reason to consider yourself saved, justified or immune to God’s wrath on the day of judgment.

Why does this matter?

This is important for us to realize because even though we are not Jews in the 1st century, being in the 21st century the world puts a lot of stock in moral righteousness, self righteousness, the outward appearance of “I’m a good person”, but as believers we know that the only person that we are to compare our goodness to is Jesus Christ and no matter what we do we will never match Christ’s obedience or sacrifice on any level. We must put our whole life in Christ’s hands, not 95% or 99.99% we need 100%

Main Point #1: “We Must Be True Leaders”

Statement

English Standard Version Chapter 2

17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—

Prove

Just in case the Jews thought that they would escape the wrath of God because they thought they were religious, even God’s “chosen people” Paul is telling them not so fast.

In verse 17:

As we read in the past verses last week. Their religious privileges only increased their responsibility and accountability before the Lord.

“Relying on the Law”: Meaning that all the Jews were placing all of their hopes upon it to make them right with God.

They are only relying on the law to make them right with God

It was really a self centered religious swagger that showed that they trusted in who they were ethnically in connection to God for salvation instead of their true relationship with him through God’s son Jesus.

Because God had favored the Jews they took this as partiality. The result was that the Jews looked down on the Gentiles.

They failed to consider that God’s favoring of them was not because they were so mighty, but rather because he was so merciful and remembered the oath that he made to them.

We talked about it last week: Because God shows zero favoritism he does not consider race, place or face to ever influence Him.

unlike us sinful humans.

They looked at themselves as self righteous people because God has always delivered them, he choose this group of people over others. They thought well if we got chosen over another we must be better.

In verses 18-20:

We see Paul setting up the Jews because he knows how they think, what their presuppositions are to God so here he is just baiting them

He continues to speak to their self confidence

Paul is telling these people that they are the leaders/guides as spiritual leaders.

A light to those who are in darkness (Spiritual light and Spiritual Darkness)

A teacher of babes, spiritual immature, ignorant

He is listing all the genuine advantages of being a Jew

The Jew’s know God’s will and approve of it, but Paul is trying to get out of them whether or not they practice what God’s laws say.

The question I want to ask after reading this part here have the Jews truly fulfilled their calling?

Flowers in texts

John 3:16 (ESV)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Matthew 23:24–28 (ESV)

You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Jesus is talking about their hearts, what is going on, on the inside of these people.

*Catholic Church reference*

James 2:14–16 (ESV)

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

Illustrations:

Muhammad Ali’s Rope a Dope Illustration

Apply or Confront

God did not call us to be silent believers. He didn’t call us to sit in on a church service for an hour a week, cross that off the list and thats it. He calls us to be unashamed, he calls us to bear fruit, he calls our hearts to Him. As we go into this week I want each of us myself included to focus on living a biblical life that leads friends, siblings, family members. We should live a life that makes people say “hey, wait a minute”. When we take the mindset of a leader, when we start acting like a leader a true leader people will respond.

Main Point #2: “If you can talk the talk, then you need to walk the walk”

Statement

English Standard Version Chapter 2

21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Prove

Verses 21-24

A series of questions designed to fight against most Jews’ practice with what they knew and taught.

The argument goes in a different direction in verses 21-24. Despite the advantages of the Jews, they have failed to live up to their calling.

Paul is arguing that their calling is to teach others, but are they violating the law that they teach i.e. hypocrisy

Israel transgressed the moral norms that they proclaimed.

Paul does not mean that all Jews commit these transgressions of the law, but these sins are representative of the contradiction between what the Jews claim and their conduct

He reveals the religious hypocrisy of the Jews in five rhetorical questions that shows their desperate need to be saved by Christ

By doing so he is hoping to blast away at their false securities of his fellow jews and says to them:

You then who teach others, do you not teach yourself?

While you preach against stealing, do you steal?

You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?

You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law?

They are talking the talk, but aren’t walking the walk

The sins listed here are references in Jeremiah 7:9-11

Jeremiah 7:9–11 ESV

Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord.

Verse 24:

Paul states the consequences of the Jews lifestyle:

All that God stands for in His essence and character, all that he is in His person is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of the Jews.

How are you representing God? You say you are a believer, but.... fill in the blank with sins that are committed, bragged about, exalted. You represent Christ yet you act that way?

Flowers in texts

1 Timothy 3:5 (ESV)

for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?

Isaiah 52:5 (ESV)

Now therefore what have I here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail,” declares the Lord, “and continually all the day my name is despised.

Illustrations:

Michael Jordan and the Last Dance Documentary

Carl Lentz adultery

Apply or Confront:

We have to lead by example. We cannot say you need to live this life because that is what God tells us to do, but then behind the scenes or even out in public we are doing what we said not to do. How would that look? If we are going to claim to be Christians we better act like true biblical Christians. We cannot be hypocrites.

Main Point #3: “Your Heart Must Be God Centered”

Statement

English Standard Version Chapter 2

25 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26 So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Prove

In the previous verses Paul has completely dismantled a lot of what the Jews pride themselves on and now he is going to focus on the one thing that they REALLY believe and trusted in. The performance that they thought would always make them right with God.

the rite of circumcision

In verses 25-27 Paul really sets forth the fact that any outward sign, even one ordained by God, is worthless if it is not connected with an inward work of grace in the heart.

The outward symbol is nothing without the inner reality.

We have a similar take in the church today where some believe that Baptism automatically guarantees salvation.

We talked a few weeks ago about how every secret will be revealed on the day of judgment. God knows our hearts. Everything we think and do when nobody is around. We can fake it here, but it doesn’t matter how well you fake it because everybody’s secrets will be revealed. We can do everything right on the outside, but where everything starts is on the inside.

Horizontal v. Vertical relationship: If our vertical relationship with God is not true, then it does not matter what kind of horizontal goodness we do. If our heart doesn’t do because of the love of Christ, but because of our self righteousness.

Paul is referring to a genuine obedience in verses 26 and 27

Verse 26: Shows that believers are in view by saying that the “uncircumcision” of gentiles will be “counted as circumcision. “

In verse 27 thinking of gentiles who will judge Jews, “not by keeping the law, but by faith.”

The last clause in verse 29 shows that the obedience to the law produced by the Holy Spirit includes an eternal reward.

That those who are truly Jews and have a circumcised heart will receive a reward from God.

Jewish opponents of Paul were continuing to build their hopes for eternity on the mere fact that they were biologically descended from Abraham.

Inward circumcision by the Spirit is accomplished when our hardness of heart is removed, and a new birth (regeneration) causes our heart to come alive to the things of God.

Flowers in texts

Jeremiah 9:25–26 (ESV)

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh— Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.”

Galatians 5:3 (ESV)

I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.

Illustrations

We see even today how people look at outward appearances and actions save. The Catholic Church thinks that as long as I can Baptize my 6 month old she is good to go. That is all I need. That is actually the opposite of what scripture says.

People think that by their family going to a Church when they were kids contrasts being justified for their sins.

Story about Josh and his GF

The only thing that can save a person is having faith in Jesus Christ.

Faith = Salvation

Based on Salvation you want to live your life like Christ. It is the heart posture behind your actions.

Apply or Confront

Confront: In today’s world we absolutely love to show people our outward appearance. People post about it everyday. It’s like they’re trying to keep a tally of who supports more inclusive groups, who does the most moral goodness, they want recognition for it.

Confront: Going to Church = moral goodness

Apply to their lives:

Pray about how you can grow as a spiritual leader to friends and family.

As we grow in our faith our responsibilities grow as believers.

Don’t just talk about being a Christian, act like a Christian.

We have to live a life that glorifies God (Catechism Question #1)

We must focus on the posture of our hearts

We cannot get caught up in our outward actions if our inward desires don’t match it doesn’t matter how much “good we do.”