The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
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Introduction:
Introduction:
Show video of Joel Osteen and the Gospel.
The key verse of this section is verse 15.
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
:15
We have seen together many times that the point of the Apostle in these passages is to show why Israel is rejecting the Gospel.
He has been preaching for many chapters the gospel of salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
That has always been the message of the gospel and any deviation from that message is literally “another gospel”.
The Apostle Paul 5 A.D. to A.D. 67:
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
John Calvin 1509-1564:
Calvin in His Letters Chapter V: The Reformer
Man is reconciled in Christ to God the Father by no merit of his own, by no value of good works, but by gratuitous mercy.
Charles Spurgeon 1834-1892:
Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World Salvation Is of the Lord
I do not believe we can preach the gospel, if we do not preach justification by faith, without works; nor unless we preach the sovereignty of God in His dispensation of grace.”
Martin Luther 1483-1546:
Commentary on Galatians 15—For in Christ Jesus Neither Circumcision Availeth Any Thing, Nor Uncircumcision, But a New Creature.
But now, in the light of the gospel, it assures us that we are counted righteous by faith only in Christ.
John Owen 1616-1683:
Works of John Owen: Volume 1 Chapter 3: The Person of Christ the Most Ineffable Effect of Divine Wisdom and Goodness—Thence the Next Cause of All True Religion—In What Sense It is So
The glass wherein this glory is represented unto us—proposed unto our view and contemplation—is divine revelation in the Gospel. Herein we behold it, by faith alone.
R.C. Sproul 1939-2017:
R.C. Sproul’s Chapters from Symposium Volumes Is the Protest Now Over?
At the same time I believe, and I urge you to believe, that justification by faith alone is absolutely essential to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And when the word alone is left out in modern formulations, as it often is, the essential essence of this truth is fundamentally lost. To depart from this doctrine in any way is to betray the gospel of Jesus Christ. We simply cannot do this, no matter what it costs, no matter how many friends we may lose, no matter how many people become angry with us.
John MacArthur:
Reckless Faith: When the Church Loses its Will to Discern Is Unity with Rome a Legitimate Pursuit?
Rome continues to oppose the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Therefore the gospel according to Roman Catholicism is “a different gospel” from that set forth in the New Testament.
The message of the Scriptures and the message of evangelicalism has always been that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is received by Faith Alone.
And the question that Paul has been spending so much time trying to answer is: “why, if the Jews have received so many blessings, why are they still rejecting the Gospel?”
He then goes on the explain in Chapter 9 that it is by virtue of the sovereignty of God, that is it was God’s plan that it be so.
And in Chapter 10 he explains it by the unbelief of Israel.
Israel has rejected the gospel on the one hand because it was God’s plan and second because of unbelief.
And here you have that marvelous of duality that really covers all events of human history and divine redemptive history and that is that God’s sovereignty and man’s volition act together in some fashion which we find difficult to resolve.
The Apostle Paul spent his life in desire for the redemption of His people, the Jews.
We saw it in the very first sermon in this series.
I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
Paul was burdened that they submit to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The focus of the Apostle in this section is on the preaching of the Gospel.
And we want to break this section down for you in five area of important things to know about the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I. It is a Proportionate Gospel (vs. 12-13)
I. It is a Proportionate Gospel (vs. 12-13)
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is first an impartial gospel.
In relation to the text above, Calvin said:
Institutes of the Christian Religion 17. Answers to Further Objections
and that consequently God’s grace is extended to all indiscriminately.
And the Apostles point is that everyone who believes on Him will not be ashamed (vs. 11), then he describes the “everyone”.
The everyone are the Jews and Gentiles; not every single person without exception, but Jew and Gentile.
There is no discrimination with God, He offer the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles.
God is and acts towards ethnics in an impartial way.
Nothing could be more devastating to a Jew than the reminder that God makes no distinction between Jews and Gentiles.
Those with the greatest pride were in the belief that they were far superior to all other people could not tolerate that humbling truth.
Now, just to be balanced, we must understand that divine justice demands that God show no partiality in His judgment.
Col. 3:35
But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.
And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
The idea serves to warn various social classes not to let the false expectation of privileged treatment erode their ethical behavior.
Now, our text, the Apostle addresses ethnic groups, not social classes, and declares the fundamental dichotomy between Jew and Greek through God’s judicial impartiality.
In other words, God will equally judgment all ethnic groups the same.
But this impartiality manifests itself not only in judgment but also in grace.
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
One of the key doctrines of the Book of Ruth is redemption for both Jews and Gentiles.
The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.
Notice the words of Paul and Barnabas.
Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Rom. 3:27-
Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
To the Gentile believers in the church at Ephesus Paul declared:
Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
The same Lord who called out Abraham and descendants to he His chosen people, is the Lord of all who believe in Him.
But because most Jews were looking for a national deliverer rather than a universal Savior, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which extends to all who call upon Him, was unacceptable.
Not only is Christ the Savior of and Lord of all who believe but He is also abounding in riches for all who call upon Him.
Gentile believers have God’s equal blessing as well as His equal salvation.
Now, just to be balanced, I want you to understand that there was not total and completed hatred on the part of the Jews for the Gentiles.
In fact, there a number of ways in which the Jews and the Gentiles shared in things that were common.
For example, in the religious participation of the Temple.
Josephus, a Jewish Historian, in his work on the “Wars of the Jews” speaks about Romans occupying the Temple.
The Works of Josephus: New Updated Edition Chapter 13: The Great Slaughters and Sacrilege that Were in Jerusalem
for the Roman emperors did ever both honor and adorn this temple;
In fact, Josephus even indicates that some Gentiles were even allowed to send in sacrifices to the Temple.
In his work of antiquity, book 13 chapter 8 and paragraph 242 he states:
The Works of Josephus: New Updated Edition Chapter 8: Hyrcanus Receives the High Priesthood, and Ejects Ptolemy out of the Country. Antiochus Makes War against Hyrcanus, and Afterwards Makes a League with Him
And when Hyrcanus sent to Antiochus, and desired there might be a truce for seven days, because of the festival, he gave way to this piety towards God, and made that truce accordingly; and besides that, he sent in a magnificent sacrifice, bulls with their horns gilded,d with all sorts of sweet spices, and with cups of gold and silver.
Josephus makes this claim about the Jerusalem Temple:
The Works of Josephus: New Updated Edition Chapter 4: The Idumeans Being Sent for by the Zealots, Came Immediately to Jerusalem; and When They Were Excluded out of the City, They Lay All Night There. Jesus, One of the High Priests Makes a Speech to Them; and Simon the Idumean Makes a Rep
and have now walled up that city from their own nation, which used to be open even to all foreigners that came to worship there.
We also know that is Sardis in Asia Minor, which is modern day Turkey, archeologist have found a Jewish synagogue that was connected to a Gentile gymnasium.
We also know that in the Temple area, in Jerusalem, there was a what was called “The Court of the Gentiles”.
Show picture of the Court of Gentiles.
But even though there was not total hatred of the Gentiles, as works like the Mishnah show, the Jews very much kept the Gentiles at an arms length when it came to religious practices.
The Jews were adamant that the Gentiles could not enter into the holiest parts of the Temple, because alone are the elect of God.
And so, Paul’s point that God extends grace to all that call upon became unacceptable.
And to further emphasize the universal ethnic outreach of the Gospel, the Apostle writes:
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Of course, Paul is borrowing a passage from the prophet Joel, in .
The word “Lord” here represents God’s covenant name, Yahweh or Jehovah.
Romans: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Parameters of Salvation
Therefore to call upon the name of the Lord was not a desperate cry to just any deity—whoever, whatever, and wherever he or she might be—but a cry to the one true God, the Creator-Lord of all men and all things. As Paul has just stated, it is by the confession of “Jesus as Lord” and belief in one’s “heart that God raised Him from the dead” that any person “shall be saved” (Rom. 10:9). He is the one true Lord on whom faithful Jews had always called in penitence, adoration, and worship. To call upon the name of Jesus as Lord is to recognize and submit to His deity, His authority, His sovereignty, His power, His majesty, His Word, and His grace. Everyone, Jew or Gentile, who does so will be saved.
So, the Gospel is a Proportionate Gospel.
II. It is a Pressing Gospel (vs. 14-15)
II. It is a Pressing Gospel (vs. 14-15)
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!