5.3.43 9.20.2020 When Grace Comes to Town God's Fairness Exposes everyone Romans 2

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Entice:

What advantages have you had in life?

Our world is torn right now with discussions of privilege. There are real obstacles to understanding what it means.

Most people who are don't think they are.

Most people who aren't think that those who are know they are, even though they don't.

Having privileges does not mean you take advantage of them.

With or without privilege we can either leverage or squander it.

Engage: Paul realized that Jews had the advantage of the law. He also observes that they squandered the privilege by seeing it as a barrier between themselves and other cultures, societies, religions and races. He also saw those other cultures, societies, religions and races as not meeting their own standards...also seeing barriers where bridges were needed.

Expand: Romans is difficult, in part, because Paul is deliberate. He wants both Jew and Gentile to understand our common plight. With or without law-we are lost. With or without conscience-we need to be transformed. With or without advantage we are fallen, with or without priveledge we need bridges between ourselves and more importantly between our fallen reality and the transforming power of God's grace.

Excite: When grace comes to town...

God's fairness means that

we are all exposed

and all

eligible for transformation.

Explore:

We all must understand that everyone, despite having advantages or disadvantages must be transformed by God's Spirit.

Explain: What are the issues?

First...Regardless of our advantages or disadvantages we fail to live up to standards which Should be…

1. Impartially Appraised.

Romans 2:1–10 ESV

1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.

(Compare how God appraises us and how we appraise ourselves.)

1.1 We have no excuse.

hypocritical.

presumptive.

1.2 He is Impartial.

Aware

Patient

Next, Regardless of our advantages or disadvantages we fail to live up to standards which Generally are…

2. Inconsistently Attempted

Romans 2:11–24 ESV

11 For God shows no partiality. 12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus. 17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

(Consider the relationship between internal morality & external law)

2.1 We do not link law and Conscience.

2.2 We see boundaries rather than bridges.

Finally beyond our advantages or disadvantages we fail to live up to standards which after all Must be...

3. Internally Applied.

Romans 2:25–29 ESV

25 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26 So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Because the externals such as law & circumcision do not guarantee anything We must have

3.1 A mind which pursues godliness beyond boundaries.

3.2 A heart which is transformed by the Holy Spirit.

Shut Down:

You know where this is going. Surrendering the high ground of either our plenty or our want we must come to Him whose righteous judgment is turned away by His mercy. We will never be impartial about our own need. We will always be inconsistent in attempting to please Him. We need him to build a bridge and tear down our self-created barriers.

And when grace comes to town and builds a bridge for you to cross...don't cross it alone. Bring others. Share the gospel story, that while God exposes everyone's sins by His own righteous standards He eclipses them by grace and transforms hearts.