53) Israel's Works
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Pastoral Reminder: Head Heart Hands
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Turn with me to the last part of the ninth chapter of the book of Romans.
30 What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith. 31 But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law. 32 Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. 33 As it is written, Look, I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and the one who believes on him will not be put to shame.
The love of God has been shown through chapters 1-8 that all men both Jew and Gentile are in need of salvation. That all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and that Jesus makes dead men and women alive and the Spirit dwells in new believers.
The questions that Paul asks in this chapter pertains to the relationship of Israel to the gospel. Many of the same questions that are asked today. Did God get fed up with Israel and discard them when Jesus came? Do they have special privileges today that the church doesn’t have in relation to salvation? Did God go back on his promises to the chosen nation of his people.
Has Israel been separated from the Love of God?
His answer is no because not all of who are descended from Israel belong to Israel. He has specifically chosen Abraham from all the people. He chose Isaac and not Ishmael, Jacob and not Esau. God is free to chose and does chose who he extends mercy and compassion too. He is just in doing so as we looked at last week.
Paul comes back to the central point of the letter. Proclaiming how anyone can be saved.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.
In our passage today he uses this image of a prize or reward that can be obtained. The prize is the righteousness. For without it no one will be justified before God. This is the fundamental point of everything Paul has been examining. Who will gain righteousness and how one gains it.
Here he will contrast the Gentiles and the Jews and the prize of righteousness.
The Pursuit of The Reward
The Pursuit of The Reward
Paul asks, what should we say the? What is our conclusion?
30 What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith. 31 But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law. 32 Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. 33 As it is written, Look, I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and the one who believes on him will not be put to shame.
He points out the difference between what the Gentiles and the Jews pursued.
Gentiles
Gentiles
For the Gentiles at no time were they looking to be saved from the wrath of God. At no time were they wanting to be made right. They were not pursuing righteousness at all. Instead they have suppressed the truth and worshiped the created things instead of the creator
18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. 24 Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.
This is the way of the Gentiles. They followed carnal desires and passions. Creating all kinds of false idols. They created idols that glorify man instead of God and justify sin instead of righteousness. They create a new immoral law to themselves. They are not seeking God. They do not know what they should be doing.
There was a time in our nation that the majority of people had a basic concept of God and what was right and wrong in God’s eyes. We see each year that many in our nation are like the Gentiles in the bible, they are ignorant of anything God. They do not pursue him let alone righteousness. They do not worship him. They are not worried about their end. They live for their desires today.
19 Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things,
The Gentiles live life pursuing their own ends. Filling their bellies with the things of this world.
16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world.
John paints this summary of those that pursue the world. Living and pursuing selfish pleasure, material possessions. If you were to picture the greatest reward that ever existed. They just did not desire to have it. They put no thought into it. No energy. No planning.
Israel
Israel
In contrast Israel put great effort into pursuing righteousness. They knew God, they knew what his desire was for them and what it ment to have righteous behavior because it was given to them on the mountain to Moses and the the people
31 But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law.
They looked down toward the righteousness that was revealed in the Law and the people had committed to follow the law in the covenant.
1 Then he said to Moses, “Go up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders, and bow in worship at a distance. 2 Moses alone is to approach the Lord, but the others are not to approach, and the people are not to go up with him.” 3 Moses came and told the people all the commands of the Lord and all the ordinances. Then all the people responded with a single voice, “We will do everything that the Lord has commanded.”
Unlike the Gentiles who were ignorant and blind to what God desired, Israel as a people in a single voice had committed to follow everything that was written. The nation of Israel was given great advantages as we saw in the beginning of the chapter
4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises. 5 The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, praised forever. Amen.
Each of these advantages continued to reinforce what righteousness looked like. Their history is a roller coaster of attempting to follow the law to completely losing it and rebelling against it. But at the time Paul is writing this letter they have developed this legalistic approach to pursuing the righteousness of God by attempting to follow all of the commands given to the nation. They have even added more requirements in an attempt to obtain it. They were zealous for this as Paul knows all to well.
2 I can testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
The Gentiles don’t pursue righteousness at all and the Jews were zealous to follow all of the regulations of the law. So the natural conclusion would be that those that ran the race would eventually receive the prize, right? When you watch a race who do you expect to gain the medal at the end? We have some pretty dedicated runners here in our church.
You prepare and train. You get the proper shoes and the right clothes. You eat the right foods. You get enough sleep. You may plan for months or even years to reach the finish line of some of these races. While you run, or bike, or swim there are always spectators and bystanders and workers. Right?
There are people who are not running the race. They may be around it they may even be working it but only those that are at the starting line are expected to able to receive the prize.
So one would expect that Israel who was looking ahead and working would be the only ones who could receive the righteousness they were looking for and the Gentiles would be excluded from the possibility because they were not part of the race.
Receiving the Reward
Receiving the Reward
Paul flips the script on its head.
30 What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith. 31 But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law.
For 1300 to 1500 years the Israelites have been pursuing the righteousness through the law. And what is the result? They have not achieved the righteousness of the law. They have worked for it, looked forward to it, and for over 1000 years they have not obtained it. They are still not justified before God based on this work. They made a promise to follow the commands of the law Moses read them and they were never able to achieve them. They were in the race plodding along throughout history always pursuing the prize but never achieving it.
On the other hand the spectators that have no interest in the race at all have obtained righteousness. How can this be? How can they of all people obtain the righteousness that comes by faith.
The word used to describe the Israelites is one that means to attain of arrive or to succeed. They started the journey with a mission to accomplish but never made it to the end. They never grasped the reward. There was no victory.
However the word used by Paul for the Gentiles is that they have grasped or taken the prize. They acquired what they were not looking. Once they saw it they reached out and grabbed ahold of it with both hands.
How can they find what they were not looking for? I used to be super jealousy of my little brother. He had this knack for finding things. He would find money all the time. And some times what we thought were large sums. I remember when we were fishing one time and he found this large fold out knife. It was the biggest knife we had. And I was the bigger brother I should have the biggest knife. He found Swiss army knives and all sorts of other things that just bugged me? Why is he so luck I would think? Why him? I look and don’t find and he isn’t even looking.
Later on I came to realize that it had nothing to do with luck or effort or talent. My brother just walked staring at his feet. Most the time oblivious to the world around him. Meandering. Not looking up not trying to find anything. He would just drift along and when something of value came into his view, he would reach out and grasp it.
The Gentiles were drifting through life not looking toward any prize of righteousness but when the Gospel was heard, when they heard the name of Jesus proclaimed. They reached out and grasped the message of hope and they believed.
13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.
We see this in many of the accounts of the Gentiles as they receive the righteousness that comes by faith. One instance is when Paul and Silas are in prison. There is an earthquake and everyone was set free. The jailer woke up, thinking everyone had escaped, he was going to end his life.
28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because we’re all here!” 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
We see similar accounts in the Ethiopian Eunuch, Lydia, and the man on the cross next to Jesus. There are many Gentiles that are not looking for righteousness but hear the message and grasp onto it by faith and attain righteousness by faith.
Israel
Israel
Israel on the other hand had been given greater opportunity and instead of hearing and believing and grasping the message by faith. They continued generation after generation to pursue righteousness by their own effort.
20 And Isaiah says boldly, I was found by those who were not looking for me; I revealed myself to those who were not asking for me. 21 But to Israel he says, All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and defiant people.
And Why did they not achieve the righteousness they sought?
32 Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.
It wasn’t effort that God has asked of them. It was their faith and trust.
2 My hand made all these things, and so they all came into being. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at my word.
It has always been by faith.
17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God. 18 In your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build the walls of Jerusalem.
As a nation they put their trust in their own effort and privilege as God’s chosen nation. We see this in the different accounts of many of the Jewish leaders.
Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The Pharisee is content with his works and the tax collector believes that God will show him mercy. Men want to be affirmed that they are on the right side of the line. Like the rich young ruler.
18 A ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.” 21 “I have kept all these from my youth,” he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 After he heard this, he became extremely sad, because he was very rich.
There is a tendency in man to want to know where the line is so that he can earn his way to righteousness. Like The good Samaritan
25 Then an expert in the law stood up to test him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the law?” he asked him. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.” 28 “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Paul was like this until he believed and then all of his greatness was brought low before the greatness of knowing Jesus.
4 although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; 6 regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless. 7 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith.
We see that their hearts want to find the line. They want know what must be done in their own power to attain righteousness. But that is the problem. The righteousness of the law is unattainable for anyone but Christ.
8 Indeed, if you fulfill the royal law prescribed in the Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well. 9 If, however, you show favoritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.
They looked to the requirements of the law and instead of seeing the righteousness of God in them that can never be obtained. They turned their eyes to each other and decided that a filthy unrighteousness that is better than that of by brother is good enough for me it should be good enough for God.
Instead of having faith in the promises of God, they put their trust in their own achievements and works. And so when the righteousness of God appeared in the form of a man, they did not receive him like the Gentiles did, on the contrary they stumbled of Jesus as they stumbled over him.
The Stumbling Block
The Stumbling Block
32 Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. 33 As it is written, Look, I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and the one who believes on him will not be put to shame.
Like the toddler that rejects the help of a parent and looks back and says “me do it”, Israel pursued the righteousness of God with the same attitude. “Me do it”. “I got this”
They followed the law from the perspective of a holy checklist. Evaluating their righteousness in light of their own understanding. They looked around and said Joe and Sandy are the best we have at following the Law. So if Joe and Sandy check off more boxes than anyone else then as long as we are not too far behind them we will be fine as well.
But when the light comes into the world and shines on the works of man they are found to be very wanting. The bar for righteousness is not the man next to you but the holy one the son of God. He who was tempted in all ways yet was without sin. The one who lived the righteous live in accordance with the law that no other man or woman could ever accomplish.
Jesus’ righteousness reveals the darkness in the hearts of even those that attempt to look good on the outside. He is the stumbling block that God speaks of in two Isaiah passages:
16 Therefore the Lord God said: “Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable.
and
14 He will be a sanctuary; but for the two houses of Israel, he will be a stone to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
When man has decides that he is going to earn is way to heaven or the next life by being a good person and doing what is right and they come face to face with the truth that all of their effort is in vain they will do one of two things, they will submit or reject. They will believe and submit or they will double down and call that which is true false. They will reject the truth.
11 This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”
Israel in a way was looking for a cap stone instead of a cornerstone. They were looking for a messiah that would take what they had built and take it to the next level to complete what they had started. But Jesus isn’t the capstone. He is the cornerstone. The first block that all else is built off of. The stone that gives the building its direction and foundation. There is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.
Notice that Israel were the builders. they should have recognized the value of Jesus of the God provided cornerstone, instead they tossed it away and went back to their way of work.
4 As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God—5 you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and honored cornerstone, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame. 7 So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving, The stone that the builders rejected— this one has become the cornerstone, 8 and A stone to stumble over, and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
The Israelites as a nation rejected the stone that was chosen and honored by God. Even though God choses his people Israel is still responsible for their rejection of Jesus and their unbelief. The Jew and Gentile alike are being built on the cornerstone into a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession.
33 As it is written, Look, I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over and a rock to trip over, and the one who believes on him will not be put to shame.
Conclusions
Conclusions
Righteousness has always came by faith. God approved Abraham and all of the ancestors in Hebrews 11 by faith. His belief was credited to him as righteousness. God has been reconciling the Gentiles and the Jews back to himself.
There are still many today who pursue some man made form of a law.
We fall into this as well.
There will be those that are chosen that will reach out and grasp and take hold of the righteousness that comes by faith.
Those that have obtained this righteousness will strive to live for the one who saved them.
Let us pray.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Blessing/Benediction
24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.
