What's It Gonna Take

27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. 29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. 31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

In 1963 there was a show that aired on television where people dressed in all types of costumes, hoping their choice was outrageous enough to get them noticed and called out to join the host. If the host, Monty Hall, noticed them he would stand them up and they would hear the words that would make their foolish appearance all worthwhile, “Let’s Make A Deal”. In this show the traders would be given the opportunity to take a chance and perhaps get a great prize or a zonk. Along the way they would sometimes be offered money to trade-in a yet unrevealed prize. That prize would sometimes be housed under a box, or behind curtain number #1, curtain number #2, or curtain number #3.

Aside from the outrageous costumes, audience members would bring all manner of items hoping the host would perhaps call for a sewing kit, a dog biscuit, a can of shoe polish, or some other unusual item to trade for cash.

For centuries, mankind has bartered for, well everything you could imagine and some things you probably couldn’t; all to gain an advantage, to get the best deal, to get the prize. Whatever the prize was. And after all their wheeling and dealing they would boast at length about how they got the best deal, when most times, the boast is really about how they took advantage of the other person in the deal, even how they gained an unfair advantage. This atmosphere leaves some asking the question and the title of my message today, “What’s It Gonna Take?”

In this current political climate, there are deals being made;

• back room deals,

• across the aisle deals and even

• open, in your face threats of by hook or by crook deals

by those who are conspiring to get what they want, even if it means bending the law to their desires or breaking the law altogether. All this to get more time, to take more money, to not only destroy more people’s lives, but also our planet in the process.

This incessant bartering has somehow led man to believe he could also barter with God, such as in times when a loved one is at death’s door or in some other dire situation. Telling God, “If you …, I will…” Looking for avenues to bend God’s will to our way. Even though through the prophet Isaiah we learn that God says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” And if per chance God smiles down on us and grants our requests, could we be so haughty as to boast in this too? When Solomon warns that, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Could it be that man is so arrogant as to think that God would be pleased as we ravage our natural resources, stripping the Earth, His creation, of its beauty all in the name of progress, when in fact, it’s for greed—for the love of money, which is the root of all evil?

Could it be, that man’s relentless question of “What’s it gonna take?” is leaving us with a generation who thinks only of themselves, leaving little or nothing of true value for those who will follow? Unless God, in His infinite wisdom decides, that’s enough and comes to the rescue as He has done before.

What’s it gonna take? Are we unwisely trying to play, “Let’s Make A Deal” with God? Since everything belongs to him, what do we have to barter with?

In today’s text, in what is probably my favorite book of the Bible, Paul’s Letter to the Romans, in this particular chapter, chapter 3, the Apostle Paul is extolling the faithfulness of God; he’s letting us know that all people are sinners, in need of redemption and that Christ took on that punishment for us all, not just the Jews, but also for the Greeks which includes the rest of us.

In the Old Testament, Exodus 20, God gave Moses Ten Commandments. Over time, man had multiplied that number to over 600 commandments to obey, or suffer a penalty.

God knew, as well as man, knew this was an impossible task, because man’s nature was to sin, hence there were yearly animal sacrifices. For the atonement of sin, a sacrifice had to be made, blood had to be shed, and millions of animals died to pay that debt. But here was the problem, no amount of animal sacrifices could take away man’s sin, it merely covered it for a time, until the next time and the cycle continued.

That is, until there was one sacrifice that made the others no longer necessary. One sacrifice that, once and for all paid the debt, always and forever, for all mankind and there is no amount of bartering, or trading or begging or work or money that can be given in exchange for what Christ did for us. So then, what’s it gonna take? I’m so glad you ask.

The answer is in verse 22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. So you see, it doesn’t matter

• what we do or don’t have

• who we do or don’t know

• what our gender is

• what our race, creed, color, or ethnicity is

• our family blood line

• our education level

• or anything else man uses to bring lines of separation between us, anything else man would use to lift one up while pushing another down.

God gave His Son Jesus, as the sacrifice for our sin and all we have to do to be justified, is believe and have faith. We learn in Hebrews that, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not see. And that by faith, the elders gained a good report.

It’s nothing we can boast about, because we didn’t do anything to earn it.

• There was and is no volume of work we could or can do to earn our way into heaven.

• There’s no measure of time we can spend at church,

• or the number of hours praying,

• or no amount of money we could give,

• there’s no being perfect and doing everything just right,

o all the time,

o in every situation and

o in every circumstance.

It’s all about what God freely gave to us, so there’s nothing for us to brag about, it’s all for the glory of God.

It’s our faith in God that makes us right with God, not trying to obey every law; because how many know, no matter how hard you try, you will not always be right? There are people literally losing their minds trying to be perfect, trying to please people, people who in the grand scheme of life, have no bearing on their eternal soul and have just a limited amount of influence in their earthly life.

No matter what we do, there is only one God and He is the God over everyone and everything. That one God makes people right with himself only by faith in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son.

What’s it gonna take? Because some would say, so since it’s about our faith, then we don’t need to obey the law, making the Ten Commandments null and void. Verse 31 says it this way, 31 Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? To which Paul answers, “Of course not!” He goes on to say, “In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.”

So then, what does the law accomplish? It shows us just how sinful we are. If there were no laws, it would be as in the days before the judges when every man did what was right in his own eyes, and there would be no sin. But let us not get so caught up in trying to obey the law, because we’ve already established that’s not possible. Here’s what we need to focus on… Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. When you can strive to do these two things, everything else will fall into place, because love has very specific characteristics that will not allow you to do certain things, while driving you to do others. You can find them in 1 Cor, chapter 13.

When you love God, you want to please Him and, what’s it gonna take to please God—faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. It is your faith, that activates the power of God in your life. God is all powerful, the question is

• How powerful is he in your life?

• How much faith do you have?

• How strong is it?

What do you believe about God?

• Do you believe God will do what He said He will do?

• Do you believe God is all powerful, all knowing and in all places?

• Do you believe God can save your children, no matter how far off they have gone?

• Do you believe God can fix your finances, no matter how deep in a hole you are? No matter how many creditors there are and how many times they call your house?

• Do you believe God will be with you in the darkness, if you can’t afford to pay your electric bill?

• Do you believe God will provide transportation if your car is repossessed?

• Do you believe God will put food on your table, if the cupboards are bare?

• Do you believe God will open the door for you to get a job, when every indicator says there are no jobs?

• Do you believe God for a career and not just a job?

• Do you believe God for your own business and not just a career?

What’s it gonna take?

• How many times must the sun rise, for you to know there is a God?

• How many times will God have to deliver you, for you to trust Him?

• How many times will God have to show up, for you to believe He’s there?

• How many giants will God have to slay, for you to know there’s no giant too big for God?

• How many babies must be born, for you to know God is the giver and sustainer of life?

• How many curses will come from your mouth before you understand that life and death are in the power of the tongue and that not only will God respond to His Word, He will respond to yours too?

• How many loved ones will die, for you to believe God knows what’s best for them and that they who die in the Lord are abundantly blessed?

• How long will you mourn, before you awake and see that it’s morning, and your joy awaits?

• How many of your battles will God fight, before you realize He ultimately wins the war?

Saints, what’s it gonna take, for you to rest in the knowledge that Jesus has paid your sin debt, that the door to eternal life has been opened for you and all you have to do is confess with your mouth that you are a sinner, believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for your sin. That He rose again from the dead, ascended back to heaven where he now sits at the right hand of the Father interceding on your behalf.

What’s it gonna take for you to trust God with everything you have and everything you are? Give yourself to Jesus, while you may not know the number of days, your days are numbered and today is the first day of the rest of your life. Ask Jesus to come into your heart today and be Lord of your life, then send us an email to [e-mail] and let us connect with you. Join us in the mission to bring the news of Christ to the world, one person, one post, one share, one broadcast at a time. The journey of a hundred miles, begins with the first step.

We’re online, on Zoom every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. for Sunday School and 11 a.m. for the message, and every Wednesday at 7 p.m. for Bible study and you can join us Thursday mornings at 8 a.m. for one hour of prayer. You can get all this information on our website at www.lovechristianctr.org on the outreach page.

So, what’s it gonna take? What you do today can affect where you spend eternity.