Untitled Sermon (5)

Two weeks ago, We looked at this idea that in God there is no hypocrisy he will judge all people by the same standard, his law. Since God is not a hypocrite he calls us also to live a life free from hypocrisy. We are to practice what we preach and teach. We are allow the word of God to penetrate passed externals into our hearts. The word of God is to designed not just for outward conformity but transform us into the image of Christ.

In this next passage Paul deals with what he perceives to be three objections that the Jews have to this shocking revelation that God will judge them the same way he judges the gentiles.

So today we are going to build todays sermon around answering these questions. In doing so Paul is exempilyfing what Peter also encourages us to do.

1 Peter 3:15 CSB

15 but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

In other words, we as believers should be ready to give an answer to anyone about our faith.

You see church family the answers to anyone objections are found in the word of God through careful study and examination. It will be a shame one day for us to enter into eternity, stand before God, and not actually know His Word.

Which will bring us to the very first question we will answer today.

Objection #1: What advantage then does the Jew have?

Romans 2:25–3:1 CSB

25 Circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 So if an uncircumcised man keeps the law’s requirements, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who keeps the law, will judge you who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. 28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. 29 On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That person’s praise is not from people but from God. 1 So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?

to the ancient Jew circumcision was the identifying mark of a Jewish person. It was to show that they and their offspring were the line by which the messiah would come.

In other words, you and all of your offspring , your seed belong to the Lord. Out of this people, a people called to my purposes

Isaiah 49:3–5 CSB

3 He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” 4 But I myself said: I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and futility; yet my vindication is with the Lord, and my reward is with my God. 5 And now, says the Lord, who formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him so that Israel might be gathered to him; for I am honored in the sight of the Lord, and my God is my strength—

Isaiah 49:6 CSB

6 he says, “It is not enough for you to be my servant raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring the protected ones of Israel. I will also make you a light for the nations, to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

Genesis 22:18 CSB

18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your offspring because you have obeyed my command.”

So then what benefit did circumcision play. It was physical sign of lineage. It was a privilege to be the people from which the messiah would come. It was a privilege to be the nation that would point the world to God.

In the same way for us today, it is a privilege to be called a son of God, to have the spiritual DNA the mission of Christ flowing through his people.

This is what Paul was trying to get across to them. The privilege wasn’t found in their physical DNA but in there calling. Circumcisiion marked them as a people of God. A People called to be a light. The gospel was not the cessation of this mission it was the continuation and springboard for it.

In the past Israel was to point others to the coming hope, the messiah, one they had not yet seen. Now they are to point others to the Messiah that has come, the messiah revealed.

Pointing others to the truth of Christ was always the privilege of Israel and now we have been adopted and grafted into this same plan.

Romans 3:2 CSB

2 Considerable in every way. First, they were entrusted with the very words of God.

Noticed the word used “Entrusted”.

This word has the idea of a deposit made for safe keeping. So in other words, The very words of God were deposited into the safe keeping of the Jews. So they could keep to themselves no so that they could safely deliver it to the world.

When we are adopted into Christ we by nature are adopted into the same mission and purpose. When Israel forgot who they were and went after other Gods, when they valued other gods and they were no longer concerned with their purpose of delivering the message.

One thing we must understand about this text is that it is still in the shadow of the teaching on hypocrisy. My goal is this next statement is to be truthful yet gentle.

There are certain markers that determine a healthy a church or even a spiritually mature and healthy individual. Gospel proclamation is one of those markers.

A Church that is healthy sees gospel proclamation as a joyful privilege of every believer. Just as the nation of Israel was to see themselves in this same light.

If you go out into the hallway you will see this very thing written on our walls.

“We believe found people; find people.”

So then each one of us must decide if we are going to be dedicated to the things we are called into. If we want God to move both the church as individuals and as an organization forward, then the mission must become a priority.

But even when we are unfaithful to fulfill our mission, just like Israel God is still faithful

This brings to the next concerning question:

Objection #2: If God will judge Israel than isn’t His faithfulness nullified by our unfaithfulness?

Romans 3:3–4 CSB

3 What then? If some were unfaithful, will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Absolutely not! Let God be true, even though everyone is a liar, as it is written: That you may be justified in your words and triumph when you judge.

This question is one that once again goes back to Genesis. This is why we need to know the O.T. in order to fully understand the new. In our study of Genesis we saw the account of God promising Abraham that He would be faithful to his descendants.

The accusation here is that if God has promised to be faithful to the descendants of Abraham, how then can God declare the jews to be guilty. In other words, we are the chosen God must accept us as we are. If you tell us that God will judge us as sinners you are suggesting that God will no longer be faithful to us.

Paul is rejecting the idea that in order for God to be faithful he must accept Israel even in their rebellion.

The modern day equivelant to this line of thinking is “If God is love he would never send anyone to hell.”

It is in statements like this that man place himself as a Judge of God. Should the creation judge the creator. You see God is not love, faithful and righteous because of the things he does. He is these things because it is his divine holy nature. His actions flow from his perfect righteous holy nature.

Paul rejects their line of thinking . In fact he uses one the most strongest Greek phrases available.

Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s “Absoluteley not”. Let God be true and everyone who would suggest anything else is a liar!

Why because deep down inside we know that God’s judgement against sin is because he is faithful and consistent. His Judgement is well-deserved.

In fact, quotes from Psalm 51. A Psalm of David. In this Psalm David goes before God to confess his sin of adultery and murder.

he says,

That you may be justifies in your words and triumph when you judge. In other Words, God you are faithful and your judgement against me is just and true. God is faithful even in his holy judgement. God is love even in his holy wrath.

In fact his judgement displays his holiness.

Which brings us to jewish objection no 3.

Question #3: If my sin by contrast displays the holiness of God, is he righteous in inflicting wrath?

Romans 3:5–8 CSB

5 But if our unrighteousness highlights God’s righteousness, what are we to say? I am using a human argument: Is God unrighteous to inflict wrath? 6 Absolutely not! Otherwise, how will God judge the world? 7 But if by my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I also still being judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”? Their condemnation is deserved!

In other words if our sin gives God the ability to display his holy nature than why is God just in punishing the world including Israel for their sin?

At first glance this may seem like a logical question but once you consider this next story I am sure you will change your mind.

There once was two Brothers. Unfortunately as brothers go they were often rivals, One brother grew up to be a police officer and the other a high end car thief. They both lived in the same town. So over the course of time, it was in evitable that these two brothers choice of occupations would soon collide.

Finally that day came. The good brother got the call that a mazeratti had been stolen off the lot. In his heart he knew it was his brother. So he jumped into his cruiser and so began the chase. His thief of a brother in a much faster soon spead away leaving the police officer in the dust. Due to the mazarttis excessive speed he soon crashed into another car severly injuring both passengers than lost control and ran down an embankment. The police officer came upon the scene and his brother jumped out of the car and aimed a gun at him. After yelling at his brother to drop the gun, he opened fire wounding his brother, the chase was over and he was taken into custody.

When interviewed by the local news they asked the police officer about this experience. The police officer responded, as soon as I heard it was my brother, my heart was overwhlemed by gratitude. I was so thankful that my brother gave me this opportunity to display me doing good. In fact, I am going to petition the courts to let him go because of all that he did in contrast helped me show the nation how great we as police officers are at catching criminals. Thank you brother for you just being you.

Now when we approach this idea in this context we can see just how silly and argument like this is.