Untitled Sermon

God’s Law and Grace

3 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written:

“That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.”

5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?

7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

Book of Romans: How to be declared righteous before God.

People think you are naturally good.

Scriptures say no.

A psychologist, “One of the most painful self-mutilating time and energy consuming exercises in the human experience is guilt. It can ruin your day, or your week, or your life if you let it. It turns up like a bad penny when you do something dishonest, hurtful, tacky, selfish or rotten. Never mind that it was the result of ignorance, stupidity, laziness, thoughtlessness, weak flesh or clay feet. You did wrong and the guilt is killing you. Too bad. But be assured. The agony you fell is normal. Remember, guilt is a pollutant and we don’t need anymore of it in the world.”

Article ends without solution how we can get rid of it.

How people deal with guilt? Alcohol, drugs, suicide

It is hard to avoid.

· , law of god written in the heart of every sinner.

· Moral sense, conscience, sense of what is right, what is wrong

· Conscience activates when we do something wrong and accuse us.

And we put ourselves, as it were, on the block of judgment before God because of our sin.

According to verse 9 through 18,

· All men are immoral

· All men are sinful

· All men bear guilt for their sin,

· They feel the weight of that guilt

· They all sill stand under the judgment of God.

· Some guilty sinners are more moral than others.

· Some are more religious than others.

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Sin is reality because death is reality. à Very valid argument à Wage of sin is death.

Then what God has to say? (~18) – Scriptural argument

Paul’s procedure is judicial. It is a trial.

Arraignment:

· What then? (What is the case? How we understand this?)

· Are we better than they?

o Paul already dealt with Jews and Gentiles.

o “we” – Paul and his readers

o Are we better than others?

· Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. (v.9)

o Everyone under God is sinners.

· Arraignment is complete: We are all called before the throne of God.

Indictment (Case against us): 13 accounts (v. 10~18)

· “none” used 4 times

· “all” used 3 times

· It is written ()

o Reference to a OT

o Perfect tense – It has been written

o It continues to be true.

· Character (Inside of your heart)

· Conversation (What you say)

· Conduct (How you behave)

10 As it is written:

“There is none righteous, no, not one;

· No one is capable to meet the standard of God.

· It doesn’t mean that people didn’t do any good deed.

o Noah’s flood – God didn’t see any good.

o Does it mean people didn’t practice any good act of kindness? No.

It means there was no one whose heart was righteous.

11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.

· Degraded mind, corrupted mind

11. None that understandeth. From . In abridging the passage, Paul rightly expresses the negative sense implied in the original. The universal lack of understanding is due to the darkening and perversion of the intellect because of sin (). The things of God have become foolishness to unregenerate man (; cf. ). The psalm from which Paul is quoting begins with the declaration, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (). (SDABC Vol. 6, 498)

having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; ()

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ()

12 They have all turned aside; (They’ve all gone off the track.) They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” (indictment of man’s character)

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

But “the generation of the righteous” would be quick to agree with Paul that “all have sinned” () and that they constitute no exception to his description of general sinfulness. They would be the first to acknowledge that they once were under the dominion of sin and that the righteousness they now enjoy has come from God through faith. (SDABC Vol. 6, 498)

Indictment of mouth (What they say) 13 “Their throat is an open tomb; (Unbearable stench, odor, smell) With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

· Deceit: fishhook in Greek

“The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”

Indictment of their behavior

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” – Motivation

And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil. ()

· Fear God is to respect God.

· Your spiritual condition is what decides your behavior toward God.

· Fearing God is control of your behavior and your speech.

· At the root of man’s problem of sin and unrighteousness is a practical Atheism, he does not fear God.

Verdict: Guilty

Against: I am not a sinner. I am a good person.

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The wrath of God is coming.

The entire world is condemned as sinful.

The Law was given to show us how sinful we are.

Good works will not help us avoid God’s wrath and judgment.

Three Key Phrases

---apart from Law…

…justified by his grace…

…through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe…

1. Thess. 5:9

God’s Righteousness Through Faith

21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Boasting Excluded

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Saw this posted this morning and had to repost ..... going to step on toes..... but this is the TRUTH!!!!

Welcome to the world today..... Where sex is free and love is expensive. Where losing a phone is more painful than losing your virginity. Where modernization means nudity, profanity, and if you don't drink/smoke dope you're out of fashion/style. Where boys stay boys and never want to become men, and girls become men to rule over them. Where if you don't fool your partner it's because you're not clever enough. Where the bathrooms have become photography studios. Where pizza delivery is faster than the emergency response. Where people fear the thieves and the terrorists more than God. Where Worshipping God is difficult. Where temples turn into dating pools. Where lies become realities. Where the ladies fear pregnancy more than h.i.v., and babies are murdered so the ladies can escape. Where people become toxic when they speak the truth or you're resisting to turn from what is actually toxic. Where perspectives and clothes decide the value of a person. Where money is more important than family and God. Where children are ready to leave their families for their love of the moment, rebellion and spite. Where the marriage covenant is no longer sacred or taken seriously. Where it's easier to play house than to build a home. Where jumping from partner to partner for sex or attention is easier than waiting for the right partner for life. Where love is a game. Where evil no longer exists. Whoever plays with the mind always gets happiness and who plays with the heart always hurts. Modernity, love and liquid education...

The new generation of humanity.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of many will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

There's still hope in Jesus, it's not too late!God’s Law and Grace

There's still hope in Jesus, it's not too late!

3 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written:

“That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.”

5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?

7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

Book of Romans: How to be declared righteous before God.

People think you are naturally good.

Scriptures say no.

A psychologist, “One of the most painful self-mutilating time and energy consuming exercises in the human experience is guilt. It can ruin your day, or your week, or your life if you let it. It turns up like a bad penny when you do something dishonest, hurtful, tacky, selfish or rotten. Never mind that it was the result of ignorance, stupidity, laziness, thoughtlessness, weak flesh or clay feet. You did wrong and the guilt is killing you. Too bad. But be assured. The agony you fell is normal. Remember, guilt is a pollutant and we don’t need anymore of it in the world.”

Article ends without solution how we can get rid of it.

How people deal with guilt? Alcohol, drugs, suicide

It is hard to avoid.

· , law of god written in the heart of every sinner.

· Moral sense, conscience, sense of what is right, what is wrong

· Conscience activates when we do something wrong and accuse us.

And we put ourselves, as it were, on the block of judgment before God because of our sin.

According to verse 9 through 18,

· All men are immoral

· All men are sinful

· All men bear guilt for their sin,

· They feel the weight of that guilt

· They all sill stand under the judgment of God.

· Some guilty sinners are more moral than others.

· Some are more religious than others.

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Sin is reality because death is reality. à Very valid argument à Wage of sin is death.

Then what God has to say? (~18) – Scriptural argument

Paul’s procedure is judicial. It is a trial.

Arraignment:

· What then? (What is the case? How we understand this?)

· Are we better than they?

o Paul already dealt with Jews and Gentiles.

o “we” – Paul and his readers

o Are we better than others?

· Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. (v.9)

o Everyone under God is sinners.

· Arraignment is complete: We are all called before the throne of God.

Indictment (Case against us): 13 accounts (v. 10~18)

· “none” used 4 times

· “all” used 3 times

· It is written ()

o Reference to a OT

o Perfect tense – It has been written

o It continues to be true.

· Character (Inside of your heart)

· Conversation (What you say)

· Conduct (How you behave)

10 As it is written:

“There is none righteous, no, not one;

· No one is capable to meet the standard of God.

· It doesn’t mean that people didn’t do any good deed.

o Noah’s flood – God didn’t see any good.

o Does it mean people didn’t practice any good act of kindness? No.

It means there was no one whose heart was righteous.

11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.

· Degraded mind, corrupted mind

11. None that understandeth. From . In abridging the passage, Paul rightly expresses the negative sense implied in the original. The universal lack of understanding is due to the darkening and perversion of the intellect because of sin (). The things of God have become foolishness to unregenerate man (; cf. ). The psalm from which Paul is quoting begins with the declaration, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (). (SDABC Vol. 6, 498)

having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; ()

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ()

12 They have all turned aside; (They’ve all gone off the track.) They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” (indictment of man’s character)

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

But “the generation of the righteous” would be quick to agree with Paul that “all have sinned” () and that they constitute no exception to his description of general sinfulness. They would be the first to acknowledge that they once were under the dominion of sin and that the righteousness they now enjoy has come from God through faith. (SDABC Vol. 6, 498)

Indictment of mouth (What they say) 13 “Their throat is an open tomb; (Unbearable stench, odor, smell) With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

· Deceit: fishhook in Greek

“The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”

Indictment of their behavior

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” – Motivation

And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil. ()

· Fear God is to respect God.

· Your spiritual condition is what decides your behavior toward God.

· Fearing God is control of your behavior and your speech.

· At the root of man’s problem of sin and unrighteousness is a practical Atheism, he does not fear God.

Verdict: Guilty

Against: I am not a sinner. I am a good person.

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The wrath of God is coming.

The entire world is condemned as sinful.

The Law was given to show us how sinful we are.

Good works will not help us avoid God’s wrath and judgment.

Three Key Phrases

---apart from Law…

…justified by his grace…

…through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe…

1. Thess. 5:9

God’s Righteousness Through Faith

21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Boasting Excluded

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Saw this posted this morning and had to repost ..... going to step on toes..... but this is the TRUTH!!!!

Welcome to the world today..... Where sex is free and love is expensive. Where losing a phone is more painful than losing your virginity. Where modernization means nudity, profanity, and if you don't drink/smoke dope you're out of fashion/style. Where boys stay boys and never want to become men, and girls become men to rule over them. Where if you don't fool your partner it's because you're not clever enough. Where the bathrooms have become photography studios. Where pizza delivery is faster than the emergency response. Where people fear the thieves and the terrorists more than God. Where Worshipping God is difficult. Where temples turn into dating pools. Where lies become realities. Where the ladies fear pregnancy more than h.i.v., and babies are murdered so the ladies can escape. Where people become toxic when they speak the truth or you're resisting to turn from what is actually toxic. Where perspectives and clothes decide the value of a person. Where money is more important than family and God. Where children are ready to leave their families for their love of the moment, rebellion and spite. Where the marriage covenant is no longer sacred or taken seriously. Where it's easier to play house than to build a home. Where jumping from partner to partner for sex or attention is easier than waiting for the right partner for life. Where love is a game. Where evil no longer exists. Whoever plays with the mind always gets happiness and who plays with the heart always hurts. Modernity, love and liquid education...

The new generation of humanity.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of many will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

There's still hope in Jesus, it's not too late!God’s Law and Grace

3 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written:

“That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.”

5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?

7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

Book of Romans: How to be declared righteous before God.

People think you are naturally good.

Scriptures say no.

A psychologist, “One of the most painful self-mutilating time and energy consuming exercises in the human experience is guilt. It can ruin your day, or your week, or your life if you let it. It turns up like a bad penny when you do something dishonest, hurtful, tacky, selfish or rotten. Never mind that it was the result of ignorance, stupidity, laziness, thoughtlessness, weak flesh or clay feet. You did wrong and the guilt is killing you. Too bad. But be assured. The agony you fell is normal. Remember, guilt is a pollutant and we don’t need anymore of it in the world.”

Article ends without solution how we can get rid of it.

How people deal with guilt? Alcohol, drugs, suicide

It is hard to avoid.

· , law of god written in the heart of every sinner.

· Moral sense, conscience, sense of what is right, what is wrong

· Conscience activates when we do something wrong and accuse us.

And we put ourselves, as it were, on the block of judgment before God because of our sin.

According to verse 9 through 18,

· All men are immoral

· All men are sinful

· All men bear guilt for their sin,

· They feel the weight of that guilt

· They all sill stand under the judgment of God.

· Some guilty sinners are more moral than others.

· Some are more religious than others.

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Sin is reality because death is reality. à Very valid argument à Wage of sin is death.

Then what God has to say? (~18) – Scriptural argument

Paul’s procedure is judicial. It is a trial.

Arraignment:

· What then? (What is the case? How we understand this?)

· Are we better than they?

o Paul already dealt with Jews and Gentiles.

o “we” – Paul and his readers

o Are we better than others?

· Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. (v.9)

o Everyone under God is sinners.

· Arraignment is complete: We are all called before the throne of God.

Indictment (Case against us): 13 accounts (v. 10~18)

· “none” used 4 times

· “all” used 3 times

· It is written ()

o Reference to a OT

o Perfect tense – It has been written

o It continues to be true.

· Character (Inside of your heart)

· Conversation (What you say)

· Conduct (How you behave)

10 As it is written:

“There is none righteous, no, not one;

· No one is capable to meet the standard of God.

· It doesn’t mean that people didn’t do any good deed.

o Noah’s flood – God didn’t see any good.

o Does it mean people didn’t practice any good act of kindness? No.

It means there was no one whose heart was righteous.

11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.

· Degraded mind, corrupted mind

11. None that understandeth. From . In abridging the passage, Paul rightly expresses the negative sense implied in the original. The universal lack of understanding is due to the darkening and perversion of the intellect because of sin (). The things of God have become foolishness to unregenerate man (; cf. ). The psalm from which Paul is quoting begins with the declaration, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (). (SDABC Vol. 6, 498)

having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; ()

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ()

12 They have all turned aside; (They’ve all gone off the track.) They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” (indictment of man’s character)

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

But “the generation of the righteous” would be quick to agree with Paul that “all have sinned” () and that they constitute no exception to his description of general sinfulness. They would be the first to acknowledge that they once were under the dominion of sin and that the righteousness they now enjoy has come from God through faith. (SDABC Vol. 6, 498)

Indictment of mouth (What they say) 13 “Their throat is an open tomb; (Unbearable stench, odor, smell) With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

· Deceit: fishhook in Greek

“The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”

Indictment of their behavior

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” – Motivation

And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil. ()

· Fear God is to respect God.

· Your spiritual condition is what decides your behavior toward God.

· Fearing God is control of your behavior and your speech.

· At the root of man’s problem of sin and unrighteousness is a practical Atheism, he does not fear God.

Verdict: Guilty

Against: I am not a sinner. I am a good person.

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The wrath of God is coming.

The entire world is condemned as sinful.

The Law was given to show us how sinful we are.

Good works will not help us avoid God’s wrath and judgment.

Three Key Phrases

---apart from Law…

…justified by his grace…

…through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe…

1. Thess. 5:9

God’s Righteousness Through Faith

21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Boasting Excluded

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Saw this posted this morning and had to repost ..... going to step on toes..... but this is the TRUTH!!!!

Welcome to the world today..... Where sex is free and love is expensive. Where losing a phone is more painful than losing your virginity. Where modernization means nudity, profanity, and if you don't drink/smoke dope you're out of fashion/style. Where boys stay boys and never want to become men, and girls become men to rule over them. Where if you don't fool your partner it's because you're not clever enough. Where the bathrooms have become photography studios. Where pizza delivery is faster than the emergency response. Where people fear the thieves and the terrorists more than God. Where Worshipping God is difficult. Where temples turn into dating pools. Where lies become realities. Where the ladies fear pregnancy more than h.i.v., and babies are murdered so the ladies can escape. Where people become toxic when they speak the truth or you're resisting to turn from what is actually toxic. Where perspectives and clothes decide the value of a person. Where money is more important than family and God. Where children are ready to leave their families for their love of the moment, rebellion and spite. Where the marriage covenant is no longer sacred or taken seriously. Where it's easier to play house than to build a home. Where jumping from partner to partner for sex or attention is easier than waiting for the right partner for life. Where love is a game. Where evil no longer exists. Whoever plays with the mind always gets happiness and who plays with the heart always hurts. Modernity, love and liquid education...

The new generation of humanity.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of many will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

There's still hope in Jesus, it's not too late!God’s Law and Grace

3 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2 Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. 3 For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? 4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written:

“That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged.”

5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) 6 Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?

7 For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? 8 And why not say, “Let us do evil that good may come”?—as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

Book of Romans: How to be declared righteous before God.

People think you are naturally good.

Scriptures say no.

A psychologist, “One of the most painful self-mutilating time and energy consuming exercises in the human experience is guilt. It can ruin your day, or your week, or your life if you let it. It turns up like a bad penny when you do something dishonest, hurtful, tacky, selfish or rotten. Never mind that it was the result of ignorance, stupidity, laziness, thoughtlessness, weak flesh or clay feet. You did wrong and the guilt is killing you. Too bad. But be assured. The agony you fell is normal. Remember, guilt is a pollutant and we don’t need anymore of it in the world.”

Article ends without solution how we can get rid of it.

How people deal with guilt? Alcohol, drugs, suicide

It is hard to avoid.

· , law of god written in the heart of every sinner.

· Moral sense, conscience, sense of what is right, what is wrong

· Conscience activates when we do something wrong and accuse us.

And we put ourselves, as it were, on the block of judgment before God because of our sin.

According to verse 9 through 18,

· All men are immoral

· All men are sinful

· All men bear guilt for their sin,

· They feel the weight of that guilt

· They all sill stand under the judgment of God.

· Some guilty sinners are more moral than others.

· Some are more religious than others.

“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Sin is reality because death is reality. à Very valid argument à Wage of sin is death.

Then what God has to say? (~18) – Scriptural argument

Paul’s procedure is judicial. It is a trial.

Arraignment:

· What then? (What is the case? How we understand this?)

· Are we better than they?

o Paul already dealt with Jews and Gentiles.

o “we” – Paul and his readers

o Are we better than others?

· Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. (v.9)

o Everyone under God is sinners.

· Arraignment is complete: We are all called before the throne of God.

Indictment (Case against us): 13 accounts (v. 10~18)

· “none” used 4 times

· “all” used 3 times

· It is written ()

o Reference to a OT

o Perfect tense – It has been written

o It continues to be true.

· Character (Inside of your heart)

· Conversation (What you say)

· Conduct (How you behave)

10 As it is written:

“There is none righteous, no, not one;

· No one is capable to meet the standard of God.

· It doesn’t mean that people didn’t do any good deed.

o Noah’s flood – God didn’t see any good.

o Does it mean people didn’t practice any good act of kindness? No.

It means there was no one whose heart was righteous.

11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.

· Degraded mind, corrupted mind

11. None that understandeth. From . In abridging the passage, Paul rightly expresses the negative sense implied in the original. The universal lack of understanding is due to the darkening and perversion of the intellect because of sin (). The things of God have become foolishness to unregenerate man (; cf. ). The psalm from which Paul is quoting begins with the declaration, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (). (SDABC Vol. 6, 498)

having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; ()

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ()

12 They have all turned aside; (They’ve all gone off the track.) They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” (indictment of man’s character)

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

But “the generation of the righteous” would be quick to agree with Paul that “all have sinned” () and that they constitute no exception to his description of general sinfulness. They would be the first to acknowledge that they once were under the dominion of sin and that the righteousness they now enjoy has come from God through faith. (SDABC Vol. 6, 498)

Indictment of mouth (What they say) 13 “Their throat is an open tomb; (Unbearable stench, odor, smell) With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

· Deceit: fishhook in Greek

“The poison of asps is under their lips”; 14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”

Indictment of their behavior

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways; 17 And the way of peace they have not known.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” – Motivation

And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil. ()

· Fear God is to respect God.

· Your spiritual condition is what decides your behavior toward God.

· Fearing God is control of your behavior and your speech.

· At the root of man’s problem of sin and unrighteousness is a practical Atheism, he does not fear God.

Verdict: Guilty

Against: I am not a sinner. I am a good person.

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The wrath of God is coming.

The entire world is condemned as sinful.

The Law was given to show us how sinful we are.

Good works will not help us avoid God’s wrath and judgment.

Three Key Phrases

---apart from Law…

…justified by his grace…

…through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe…

1. Thess. 5:9

God’s Righteousness Through Faith

21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Boasting Excluded

27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. 29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Saw this posted this morning and had to repost ..... going to step on toes..... but this is the TRUTH!!!!

Welcome to the world today..... Where sex is free and love is expensive. Where losing a phone is more painful than losing your virginity. Where modernization means nudity, profanity, and if you don't drink/smoke dope you're out of fashion/style. Where boys stay boys and never want to become men, and girls become men to rule over them. Where if you don't fool your partner it's because you're not clever enough. Where the bathrooms have become photography studios. Where pizza delivery is faster than the emergency response. Where people fear the thieves and the terrorists more than God. Where Worshipping God is difficult. Where temples turn into dating pools. Where lies become realities. Where the ladies fear pregnancy more than h.i.v., and babies are murdered so the ladies can escape. Where people become toxic when they speak the truth or you're resisting to turn from what is actually toxic. Where perspectives and clothes decide the value of a person. Where money is more important than family and God. Where children are ready to leave their families for their love of the moment, rebellion and spite. Where the marriage covenant is no longer sacred or taken seriously. Where it's easier to play house than to build a home. Where jumping from partner to partner for sex or attention is easier than waiting for the right partner for life. Where love is a game. Where evil no longer exists. Whoever plays with the mind always gets happiness and who plays with the heart always hurts. Modernity, love and liquid education...

The new generation of humanity.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of many will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

There's still hope in Jesus, it's not too late!