Universal Principles
Notes
Transcript
Review
Review
Turn to Romans chapter three
I am certain that when Paul preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it sparked many questions in the minds of his Jewish audiences. Paul raised some of those questions in Romans 3:1-8.
Many questions were asked out of unbelief because the Jews thought that they were saved by virtue of being God’s chosen people.
We saw that “it is human to ask questions, but it is devilish to ask questions because of unbelief.”
God does not resent when we ask Him questions, but He does not accept questions that are asked in unbelief. Our motive matters.
Introduction
Introduction
Right now, there is an ongoing debate that is being hashed out around the world and it is not going to let up for several more weeks. As an American, you may or may not be aware of this debate, but many people are and they are very opinionated about it.
The question being debated is this: which national soccer team is the best?
Is it Portugal?
Is it Argentina?
Is it Germany?
This question is being played out and answered on the international stage of the World Cup.
Qatar, Panama and others have already been eliminated and sent home, setting up some of soccer’s greatest rivals on a collision course. USA v. Mexico, England, v. Germany, Argentina v. Brazil, are match ups that instantly draw heated comparisons among their fanbase.
Which national soccer team is the best?
Which superstar is the better player? Ronaldo? Or Messi?
The comparison of soccer’s greatest players and teams will continue as long as the sport is played.
Comparison is as ancient as human history.
Cain compared his offering to Abel’s.
Jews compared themselves to Gentiles.
We find this comparison drawn in verse nine.
Read Romans 3:9-20.
Paul has just proven that the Jews did indeed have real advantages over the Gentiles, but that raised a question: did that make the Jews superior to the Gentiles?
“Absolutely not!” Paul declares.
Whether Jew or Gentile, pagan or moral, moral or religious, all mankind are alike in this regard: there is…
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Universal condemnation - Romans 3:9–20
It is here that Paul begins to land the plane, so to speak. He has been arguing since Romans 1:18 that man is condemned already before a holy God. He has identified the different groups of mankind that are condemned and the conclusion is absolute: there are no exceptions. No one meets the high standard of God.
Paul drives home the final nail in his argument by referring to or quoting at least seven Old Testament Scriptures.
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v. 10-12 - Psalm 14:1-3 and Psalm 53:1-3
v. 13 - Psalm 5:9, 140:3
v. 14 - Psalm 10:7
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v. 15-16 - Isaiah 59:7
v. 17 - Isaiah 59:8
v. 18 - Psalm 36:1
Application: Christian, you cannot miss the implication from Paul’s example here: the Bible must be the authority of your life! Paul closes out his argument with verse after verse of Scripture! He appeals to the written Word as having the final say!
What has the final say in your life? Your opinion? Or God’s verdict, as given in the Bible?
It comes as no shock to me that devout Muslims, for example, obey the Koran. What sometimes amazes me is how much I must exhort Christians to simply obey the Bible - a book that’s without parallel!
Who is your authority? What has the final say in your life?
Based on the authority of the Word of God, Paul argued for…
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Universal condemnation - Romans 3:9–20
I’ve met some very godless people in my life. They laughed at the very thought of God.
I’ve met some very good people in my life, too. But they weren’t good enough for God.
I’ve met some very religious people in my life, also. But their religion could not impress God.
Each one is condemned already, no matter how good or bad we deem them to be.
Contrary to what some people may think today, ethnicity has no bearing on this. Black or white? Jew or Gentile? It makes no difference.
Nationality has no bearing on this. American or Chinese? It makes no difference.
Family background has no bearing on this. Were you raised in a Christian home or a non-Christian home? Was your dad a pastor or a plumber? It makes no difference.
The condemnation of all mankind before a holy God is universal.
Sometimes you’ll read a book that end on a pretty sad note. Mostly novels; sometimes biographies.
We may not always like that kind of ending, but it parallels reality. Ecclesiastes teaches us that life in a world of sin does not always turn out well.
That said, I’m thankful that Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome does not stop here. Neither did I want my message to stop here this morning either.
We have seen universal condemnation, now secondly Paul turns his attention towards…
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Universal hope - Romans 3:21–31
Read Romans 3:21-31
This is the beginning of Paul’s second major argument. He’s proven that universal condemnation is upon every man. Now he sets out to show that God offers universal hope to every man.
We find this reality expressed in several verses:
Verse 22 - “unto all and upon all them that believe”
In other words, “salvation is not only available for all who believe; it is also given to all who believe.”[italics original] - Dr. Qurollo, Notes On Romans, page 46
Everybody can have hope in God’s salvation!
Verse 24 - “being justified freely by his grace…”
In other words, God’s salvation doesn’t come to us with a price tag! It cannot be purchased only by the super wealthy! It cannot be earned only by the super spiritual! It was already paid at great price, so now it’s offered to all mankind as a gift!
Verse 29 - God offers salvation to everybody - Jew and Gentile
Read verse 29.
“Is he the God of the Jews only?” No
“Is he not also of the Gentiles?” Yes
It’s for everybody! He offers universal hope!
On April 13, 1970, the Apollo 13 spacecraft was traveling toward the moon when an oxygen tank exploded. Astronaut Jack Swigert radioed the now-famous words:
“Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here.”
Suddenly, what had been a routine mission became a fight for survival. The explosion crippled the spacecraft, damaged critical systems, and left the three astronauts—Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert—facing the possibility that they might never return to earth.
From inside the spacecraft, the situation looked almost hopeless:
Their oxygen supply was threatened.
Their electrical power was limited.
The lunar module was not designed to support three men for a lengthy period of time.
They were hundreds of thousands of miles from Earth.
But while the astronauts worked to survive, thousands of engineers and flight controllers on Earth were already working around the clock to bring them home.
Even more remarkable, many of the tools that made their rescue possible had been put in place long before the explosion ever occurred.
Before Apollo 13 ever launched:
Engineers had already designed backup systems.
Flight controllers had already practiced emergency procedures.
The spacecraft had a lunar module that could be used as an emergency “lifeboat.”
In other words, the very things that became their means of rescue had been put in place before the crisis ever happened.
Mission Control spent days working through impossible-looking problems. They developed procedures to conserve power, created a way to remove dangerous carbon dioxide using materials already aboard the spacecraft, and guided the astronauts safely around the moon and back to Earth.
On April 17, 1970, Apollo 13 splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean.
Application: My friend, before you were ever born, before you were ever condemned by sin, God put in place the rescue operation for your soul! He offers universal hope to all who will believe on His Son, Jesus Christ! You need not be left hopeless! You need not remain under condemnation anymore! Jesus died on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for your sin!
Read slowly:
Believe that His sacrifice was enough to satisfy the judgment of a holy God and He will save your soul!
There is hope for the unrighteous man.
There is hope for the moral man.
There is hope for the religious man.
There is hope for you!
You can turn from your sin right now, trust Christ, and He will save your soul! And if you make that decision, come and tell me so that we can rejoice with you!
Application: Christian, one purpose of today’s message was to help you see with fresh eyes why you have reason to hope.
Some of you are going through some deep waters right now.
Some of you are being tested in ways that you haven’t experienced before.
Some of you are tempted to feel hopeless for a whole host of reasons.
Our Savior’s message to you is this: you still have reason to hope!
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him For the help of his countenance.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And hope maketh not ashamed*; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
*Ashamed: to disappoint
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Whatever has got you discouraged today, Christian, remember this: you still have reason to hope! It is a universal principle that will not change with the passage of time or with the change of circumstances.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Life on this earth is full of universal principles.
The Law of the Slow Checkout - The line you choose will always become the slowest
The Dropped Toast Principle - If buttered toast falls, it somehow lands butter-side down.
The Laundry Principle - The sock that goes into the dryer with a mate often comes out alone.
The Shopping Cart Law - The cart with the squeaky wheel always finds you.
It’s not much fun to be on the wrong end of any one of those principles, but it’s far worse to be under the principle of universal condemnation. Make certain today that you are saved and living under the principle of universal hope.
And if you are saved, then be encouraged! Don’t quit on God! Don’t quit walking with Him! Keep your eyes on Jesus who, when He faced the cross, never quit! But offers us universal hope!
