Will God Surprise in Missions: For All Those Who Believe (3)

Introduction

The simplicity of the gospel. The plan God designed for the redemption of man is fairly simple. To be declared righteous and therefore justified, is simple. The Bible says that Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. To say it another way for you and me, it turn in repentance and faith to God.

On the other hand you and I, want to make it difficult. As we saw last time, Paul says that Israel was going about to establish their own righteousness. We spent the last time showing the difficulty Paul went through to establish his own righteousness. He persecuted the church.

We sometimes do the same thing before we surrender to the simplicity of the gospel. Rather turning in repentance and faith to God, we make it difficult. We sometimes think we have to cleanup our act before we come. We look at God’s Word saying the Bible this is how I am suppose to live but I do not like that and add to or take away from simple faith and repentance.

Today I want you to understand the difficulty in establishing your own righteousness and the simplicity of the free gift of God’s grace in receiving God’s righteousness.

Romans 10:3–10 KJV 1900

3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Being ignorant of God’s righteousness… (3-4)

Can we fault Israel for being ignorant of God’s righteousness? Can we fault anyone for being ignorant of God’s righteousness? I do not think so.

What do we do with people who are ignorant of God’s righteousness? We have compassion for them.

Their error was they were ignorant of God’s righteousness. They did not understand the righteousness of God.

They sought righteousness in that which they could not give them righteousness.

The law cannot give righteousness to anyone. It can only reveal if righteousness is already present or it reveals sin that is already present in a person.

Paul teaches us that Christ is the end of the law righteousness. (4)

The word end has different meanings.

We know what is meant when we say the end of a rope or the end of a road.

Or, let’s tie up the loose ends. Or, we have an odds and ends drawer in the kitchen.

We understand when we say the end of the day or year which talking about time.

1 Peter 1:9 tells that the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls.

Romans 10:4 KJV 1900

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

The sinner living under the law of Moses had a means for identifying righteousness but it could not give them righteousness.

The means for identifying righteousness is the law. The problem is that they could not reach the threshold the law demands.

We cannot reach the threshold the law demands to be declared righteous. The threshold is perfection.

Christ Jesus is the end of the law for righteousness to all that believe.

The word end here means to achievement, fulfillment, completion, perfection.

Jesus perfectly met the demands of the law.

Jesus abolishes the possibility of attaining to righteousness by the law.

Jesus is the end of the law for justification.

The law pointed the sinner to Christ. The moral law revealed the sin that caused the wound and the ceremonial law was the shadow of what Christ would do for healing the wound of sin.

Remember we talked about the meaning of the “Christ” the anointed one. One reason for anointing was for healing.

Christ Jesus heals the wound that sin caused but only to those who believe.

Matthew Henry helps us to understand that when the substance comes the shadow is gone.

When Christ came there is no more need for the ceremonial law and there is no more need for the moral law for justification.

Christ did what the law could not do. The end of the law brings men to perfect obedience and secure for them justification.

That does not mean we do not need the moral law. We need it not for justification but for sanctification.

The moral law teaches how we are to love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, and mind and how we are to love our neighbor as ourself.

The battle was lost in their minds. We might be able to have all the appearances of keeping the law, but it is our heart that portrays us. (5)

Romans 10:5 KJV 1900

5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

The demand of the law is perfection

This means you must live 24/7 in your mind, body and spirit by the law.

We cannot live by the demands of the law.

Why? Because the flesh is weak. The flesh is sinful.

We cannot keep the law in our own heart perfectly. We can try but we fall short.

Falling short of the laws demands is the definition of sin.

Any amount of sin make the whole sinful.

Paul quotes Leviticus 18:5 “5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord.”

The law demand you to Do and Live.

Romans 10:6–8 KJV 1900

6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

This is a quote Deuteronomy 30 11-14

Deuteronomy 30:11–14 KJV 1900

11 For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 13 Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? 14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

It is not a difficult thing. It has always been by faith.

You understand that this passage in Deuteronomy said we do not have to climb to the heights of heaven to Christ down. We do not have go to the depth of the sea to been Christ from there. No mountain climbin and no deep sea divin and not hole doggin. No sayin it is to hard.

Salvation was and is always by faith. The law points you Christ. True faith in the one who save.

You see, salvation in for every one who believes.

This is what it means to believe.

Romans 10:9–10 KJV 1900

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

You see the simplicity? We confess the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. This means you are turning away from establish your righteousness, repentance. Believing in your heart God raised Jesus the dead, faith. Believing Jesus paid the your debt of your sin by dying for your sin and God raising Him from the dead for your justification.

You do not have to climb up to heaven to bring him down nor do you have to go down into the depth to bring him up. “But the word is very near unto thee, in thy mouth mouth, and in thy heart, thou mayest believe.”