Truth or Dare
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For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Ho Hum
Ho Hum
Ho Hum
Ho Hum
Rich Young Ruler
And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ ” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” And Peter said, “See, we have left our homes and followed you.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Luke 18:18-30
“What must I do?”
“All these I have kept form my youth”
“Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven . . .and come, follow me.”
The point is to follow Jesus we must forsake the things we often hold dear. For followers of Jesus there is a complete shift in our thought and practice. We begin to forsake the things of this world: Its material, its thinking, its practice. We cling to the promise associated with following Jesus: eternal life. We exchange the temporal for the eternal. Jesus concludes this exchange with the Rich Young Ruler by showing that those who are to be saved don’t depend on their own work. They simply follow Jesus in faith.
And, one of those is highlighted in the Romans passage:
Paul, in Romans, puts it this way:
“righteousness that is based on the law” or “righteousness that is based on faith.”
WBTU
WBTU
Christians are called to live a life based on faith, not law
The law says:
How can I ascend to heaven and bring Christ down?
But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down)
Rom 10:
Or
How can I descend and bring Him up?
“or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
Both of these ideas have us at the center with the power and authority to control Jesus. This usually plays out when we do not believe that the work of Jesus was sufficient to appease God’s wrath.
The SIN: We live by the righteousness of the law rather than righteousness by faith. We try and save ourselves rather than live in the grace of God’s Salvation.
What must I do? Believe.
Anything else puts us in charge, Scripture teaches that our faith is to be in Jesus. If we attempt to live our life trying to keep the law so that we may be saved we are placing ourselves in God’s rightful place.
We are guilty of usurping the Kingship of God in His Kingdom.
We don’t obey the law to appease God’s wrath. No that only comes through faith in Jesus.
So What?
So What?
Paul says: Instead we are to live a life of faith.
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
Romans 10:
What must I do to be saved?
Paul answers that here:
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:
Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
Because the mouth is the instrument of confession
Triumphal Entry - Even the stones will cry out, confess
Believe in your heart that God raised him from the Dead
With the heart one believes
Confession and Belief are explicably linked for those who call themselves Christians.
For Instance
For Instance
(Positive) Abraham and Isaac
1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
Gen 22:1-
“God will provide” Confession and Belief
(Negative) Demons
1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
English Standard Version Chapter 5
5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
James confirmes this:
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
(Both) Peter
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
English Standard Version Chapter 16
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Peter believed and confessed that Jesus was the Christ, yet he still failed to act faithfully when faced with death initially.
He denied Jesus three times.
69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
:69
Message
Message
Jesus does not not expect us to live a life of righteousness by the law. He expects us to live a life of righteousness of faith.
How then shall you be saved?
You will be saved by faith in Jesus Christ. It is one that we proclaim with our mouth. Not in a Jesus that we have made up, but one that He defines in Scripture. The one who has accomplished everything for us to reconcile us to God.
This is why the resurrection is so important to the Christian faith. And, in God’s Kingdom, His rules, one who will be saved is one who puts his faith In Jesus, death burial and resurrection. It is not only something you believe, but it is something you confess.
It is one of the reasons we use the Apostles Creed and Nicene Creeds of the early church.
Both of those confess Jesus and Lord and His resurrection.
Apostles Creed: “The third day he rose form the dead. He ascended into heaven as is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.”
Nicene Creed: “And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; whose Kingdom shall have no end.”
What the church needs today are not more law keepers. No, this does not mean that as believers we should keep on sinning. No, what we must do though is to first and foremost believe and live by faith.
There is no further work to be done for your salvation that what was done that Easter morning many years ago. When we live by the law, we are living as if Jesus’ work was not completed.
Rather, what we should be doing is living a life where we believe righteousness, being reconciled to God, is accomplished completely by Jesus.
Then, when we are like Peter, off weeping because we again are guilty of sinning, and denying Jesus our Lord, we can rest in the same fact that Peter did. The promise recieved through faith.
John 21:15-
Peter’s Restoration:
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
Before we can follow Jesus, we must first believe. Then we must confess.
For the unbeliever:
Maybe, you are listening to this and asking yourself if you are really saved. Maybe you have lived your whole life as a “good” person. Maybe you lay your head down ever night and wonder if you are saved. Maybe this is because you are still relying on your own works. Maybe you are like the rich young ruler saying: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Confess and believe in Jesus Christ and his work.
“Everyone
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
For the believer:
Put your hope in the resurrection. This life is not everything. Death should not have the impact it does on us as it does the lost.
What if we started speaking like we believed this? What if our message during this pandemic right now was about what Jesus brings in the resurrection. I am all about life saving and focusing on stopping this virus. But, I am more worried that people are dying without confessing that Jesus is Lord.
Put your hope in a God who is sovereign. God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. This is beyond all miracles outside of the incarnation. God’s domain and rule is over everything. Nothing could hold Jesus down, because he made it all and controls it all.
What if we as Christians started confessing what we say we believe. God is sovereign and in control of everything. If you believe that then the conversations you are having with folks should sound different.
The message is simple this morning:
Confession and belief are so closely linked for the Christian that we should see no difference between the two. And, as we focus in the resurrection today, may that be so true in our hearts that all we speak about as we await the return of Jesus is this glorious day, the day God raised him from the dead. Do you believe it? Will you confess it?
What must you do to be saved?
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
AMEN