REPETITION

Well, we are back in the Book of Genesis this morning. My wife said to me earlier this week. She said are we going to actually get out of chapter 19 this week? I said you don't we've been married that long. You should know how much that makes me want to stay in chapter 19. But because of my love for all of you, we're going to 20.

You're welcome.

The last couple weeks as we walked through chapters 18 and 19 and what a strange and horrible story that is We've really been wrestling with a question that the text brings us is is there blessing outside of God? Can we find peace and prosperity on our own? Is there another way besides God's way and chapters 18 and 19 gave us this beautiful contrast between Abraham and lot Abraham who went God's way and was experiencing God's blessing lot chose to go his own way to seek prosperity and peace outside of God's plan found himself in a world of hurt and pain. This morning in Genesis chapter 20, we we continue really with this idea of how do we experience God's blessing? But we we we pick up again on on some themes that we've seen in Genesis over and over and over again to Central themes one the Brokenness of man. man's salability None of us in this room are who we wish we could be. Is that safe to say this one? Is there anybody in this room who thinks I do everything the way I want to not even the way we think it should be but the way that we want to we as human beings are incredibly valuable broken. And at the same time we have this other thread that's woven through Genesis, and it's the faithfulness of God. Even when we are faithless, he is Faith full.

We got to continually remind ourselves of the larger story that Genesis is telling us each one of these stories these narratives in the life of Abraham and his descendants. Would we continue to walk through Genesis is framed by the author to tell us something very very important. And if you're paying attention, you're seeing if there's there is repetition. We're seeing these themes over and over again. God creates man Time In His Image male and female. He created them to be his imagers to partner with him in his work of bringing order out of chaos life. To the world that God has created. mankind is invited to share in the rule and reign of God as his imagers over the Earth and yet

man chooses to look for blessing outside of the will of God.

Fallibility of man the faithfulness of God, we see it right from the beginning and right from the beginning. We see the absolute commitment of God to have his way and his will in spite of the fallibilities.

The beauty of Genesis is that it doesn't end at chapter 3. When mankind first reveals and rejects, it's amazing to me that God doesn't Zappos. All the guy doesn't crumpled up the known universe like a piece of paper throw it away and start over again. That's not in the nature of. It's not who he is. It's absolutely committed. The ruling and reigning over his Creation with his immature curse to them. But he also covers them in the in the skins of animals to provide for them and he stays with them. This this story the beginning of Genesis gets played out over and over and over again. We've already seen it several times.

Adam and Eve have children Cain and Abel. Are they going to be the ones are they going to be the imagers? Able starts out pretty well puts that to bed. We see as we were walking through just the first 20 chapters of Genesis Time After Time After Time we have people Made in the image of God Called to be his images and even the ones that seek after God even the ones that are trying to they mess up over and over and over again.

So we're left with this. Extension God is called Abram now.

Abraham he called Abraham the father of many nations.

The infertile man and his wife who have never been able to conceive. I'm going to call you Abraham father of many people's father of great nation. I'm going to give you an air I'm going to give you a c from your own body. You will conceive and in through you. everyone everywhere Will experience my blessing Abraham through you I'm going to bring all of my creation back to me. This is who is Abram and Abraham is this is the promise that God has given to them. And yes. Abraham

makes mistakes

He he he fail. We saw early on immediately after he begins to follow God a drought comes he begins to fear. He begins to doubt he runs away to Egypt when he gets the Egypt Pharaoh takes one. Look at his wife Sarah and because she's beautiful says I want her. And Abraham, it still say no. That's my wife says she's my sister. It's Will Ferrell takes her as his wife. There's so many problems with that. But I want you to think about it from the big picture perspective this morning. God has promised a son an heir to come through Abraham and Sarah. Dog, mental promise that says I'm going to make this happen. Now Abraham has just given his wife who is going to be the one who brings the air. He's giving his wife to another man.

I got like yeah, that's not going to happen. Because I promised if they are will come through Abraham. So God brings a plague upon them and they realize what's going on in Pharaoh's like

pray for me throw a bunch of gold atom gives them all sorts of treasures. Get out of Egypt get out of here.

Abraham leaves and goes back Abraham C Abraham is like

In the scriptures, give us a really accurate portrayal of who is The Good The Bad and The Ugly. Ouija Coming out of chapter 18 and 19. We're feeling pretty good about Abraham clearly went off the rails. But Abraham comes off in the story as faithful and dependable and trusting and Abraham if you remember was arguing bartering with God. on behalf of an unrighteous City and people

there's a lesson here in chapter 20. Be careful. coming off of victory be careful in the moments immediately after success. Because there is something about human nature the in those moments of Victory and success make us incredibly susceptible to temptation. Let's get into the text before we get into Genesis 22. I want to sum up our sermon and some of Genesis 20 in one proverb. It's one of my favorite you ready. Like a dog returns to its vomit.

Is a fool who repeats his folly. Dog owners here. You've seen it, right? They really do this. It's creepy and just staying in immediately after they do it. I want to lick your face.

The Jeremy why you got to be so gross? Why do you got one? It's in the Bible. To the Bible is a grown-up book for grown-ups.

It's it is actually trying to make a point and the visceral repulsion that you feel when you think about this is what you're supposed to feel. It's not a proverb if it just goes. Don't make the same mistakes. That's not a problem.

The problem is taking something out of nature out of shared reality and experience and drawing a point to a greater truth in the dark because it lacks wisdom. It slacks Insight wrongness up for a reason.

What's that it goes?

That same way is a fool. Who repeats is Bali? Genesis 20 from their Abraham Journey for the territory of the McGavin lived between Kadesh and shur and he journeyed sojourned in garage. Coming out of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, but all the cities around this very fertile and prosperous playing has been devastated where Abraham was dwelling at The Oaks of manners, very close. He was able to stand on the top of the mountains look over the plane and see this destruction. No, I don't know. I don't know the details of that destruction. In other words the scriptures tell us that God did something that they was consumed in Fire and sulfur and salt in there was and I don't know whether God did that through completely, you know Supernatural intervention or through natural processes. Here's what I do know this struction of that. capacity Is not something you want to stay close to imagine the air? As if entire plane has been consumed by fire and sulfur we're seeing that right now all across the country wildfires that are sweeping the smoke from the wildfires on the west coast has been so prolific that actually reach the East Coast.

So here's Abraham and his family and his people and his and his hers and Abraham at this point is a very wealthy very successful, man. Can any swelling in this area that's now right next to the structure. And so it makes all the sense in the world. We're going to move away for a little better air quality. So he heads South in again in the direction towards Egypt. He doesn't go to Egypt. He goes into this kind of desert area that's in between Egypt and and and Kane in the land of promise is still where God has called him to be he still walking with God, but now Abraham like what is sojourning and dwelling in the midst of peoples that do not know. The very next verse says this Abraham said of Sarah his wife my sister. And abimelech king of gerar sent and took Sarah.

Here we go again.

Here we go again.

Abraham and Sarah moving out Let's be honest. It's a little different than the last time it happened when he went to Egypt. They were young. Sarah was beautiful. There is now 90 years old and in her own words. This is how she described herself just two chapters ago. She's worn out.

What's going on? Why would that's probably not his name? It actually means my father is King. It's probably an honorific title that's given to the ruler of that City. But he looks Here Comes Abraham. He's got we know Abraham has not only large flocks and and and herds and and he's got people that tend the herds in the fox. But he's also got trained Warriors. We should go back a few chapters. Remember when the Kings went to war the Four Kings against the five Kings and they they just Devastation Warfare and they took lot captive and what did Abraham to be raised up his 318 fighting man, and they went after and they destroy those Army. Abraham has the reputation. As a wealthy man a prosperous man and a dangerous man. So now he's moving into this area and this King abimelech looks and and says, we need to establish some connection. Then in the ancient world and even not so ancient world even today this happens all over the world. One of the best ways to do that is to forge bonds through marriage. Becomes a brownies once you give me one of your family as a wife. And then we'll be connected. I'm going to our families are going to be joined through marriage.

Abraham is afraid.

yellow house for that app

To be taken as a wife to another man again. There's so many problems with this. From the big picture perspective. There's a giant problem because God is just come to Abraham and Sarah and said within a year. I will come to you and you will conceive and have a son. We're going to hear the clock is ticking. She thought her nine-year-old was done, but got restarted that then.

Within a year you are going to physically conceive and have a son if you're going to name a little after cuz you laughed at me. Not working that time frame and Abraham's like fears take my wife. And once again just like you need to or face with this reality. God has made a covenant pledge and promise that Abraham and Sarah going to come back next week. The God's promise was that Abraham and Sarah would have a child now. Sarah has been given to another.

And if that is allowed to happen. the Covenant faithfulness of God

Can you doubt?

So God came to abimelech in a Dream by night.

What a What an experience that must have been for this guy?

God came to abimelech in a Dream by night and said to him. butthole You're a dead man.

That would get your attention. What is secant think about that? You go to sleep. You think you've just avert a major crisis you now married this this woman that created ties to Abraham. You think you handled this? Well, you think you've brought safety and provision for your community. You think everything is good you go to sleep and all of a sudden this Divine God fan in front of you and says, you're a dead man.

What why? Because of the woman you have taken for she is a man's wife.

I've been a lot had not approached her.

Very nice way of saying he had not had any sort of intimacy or sexual relations with her. Hadn't happened yet. We're going to find out in a moment. Probably why it had happened, but it hadn't happened yet. And so he says Lord, will you kill an innocent people?

The Lord he does not use the word. Yahweh God's covenant real name. He doesn't know that name. He says Adonai Lord. One of the God doesn't know which God is clearly a God is a really troubling stuff.

And understand contextually in the ancient near East we've all sorts of records from ancient near Eastern cultures and they consistently have laws against adultery. Victaulic the preservation of the family incredibly seriously and laws of adultery the penalty was death execution. That's how seriously they took that They took it absolutely seriously. There's also a provision with one ancient that hit type document the very clearly lays out. If you commit adultery you get put to death, but if you can prove that you did not know that the woman was married if you didn't know then you can be acquitted. And so this is the line of argumentation that have been like now going to take with God. He says Lord, I haven't touched her. I haven't touched her, but would you kill an innocent people?

Did he not himself? Say to me? She is my sister. Michael Abraham told David and she herself said because my brother. that's an important little bit of information I think because Sarah was a willing participant it is in this point, but we're going to see this in a moment here later to text sheet. She went along with this. Abraham said she was a sister Sarah said yeah, I'm a sister.

You're going to kill me. I haven't touched her and it was bam. Take you back anywhere. The man you gave me gave me the fruit. The woman you gave me gave me the fruit. Sorry.

Then God said to him in a dream. Yes. I know that you've done this. in the Integrity of your heart and it was I who kept you from sinning against me. Therefore I did not let you touch her. Abraham and Sarah just blow it. They blow it. They they they put God's covenant faithfulness in danger and in question by putting themselves in a scenario where when she gives birth. He could be in doubt who the father was. God's not going to let that happen. God is not going to let that happen. So God said I know you haven't touched her because I made it so that you couldn't touch her. And we can read behind between the lines here. God did something to abimelech and to all of his household. We learn that made it impossible for him to have intimate knowledge of Sarah. The implication is we keep reading for this text. Is that whatever God plagued them with was eventually going to take their life. You're already dead, man. I've already Afflicted you. That Affliction is made it impossible for you to go near Sarah.

Therefore I did not let you touch her. Now then return the man's wife. For he is a prophet. 20 * Abraham is called a prophet, but that's what he is. He speaks. He is a prop. And he will pray for you. And you shall live but if you do not return her know that you shall surely die. You and all who are your Gods not playing? God's not going to put Covenant faithfulness and his plan a trip to choose their course, but not to choose their consequence. And God will not allow his Covenant plan to be derailed even by the faithlessness of his people.

Give her back. So abimelech Rose early in the morning called on his servants and told them all these things and the men were very much afraid. You can't fight against God. Can't fight against this play. It's already happened. It is upon them.

So then I called Abraham and said to him.

read this sanitized and passively Abraham what it what's going on. Can can you imagine this meeting you just woken up from talking to God who's just told you that you and your entire family is going to die because of the lies of this man and his wife have perpetuated upon you. Abraham comes into his present. What have you done?

He's angry. He's afraid how have I sinned against you that you have brought on me and my kingdom a great sin. Is this your plan all along you're going to come in and make this happen if you knew that God was going to come against us and then we'd be out of the way. Is that what's going on?

You've done to me things that ought not to be done.

Demonic said to Abraham. What did you see that you did this thing? Explain it to me. Make a case laid out.

Abraham said Remember the context of this were just coming out of the Sodom and Gomorrah story. Would God judge the unrighteous Nations? And Abraham says I did it because I thought there's no fear of God at all in this place and they will kill me because of my wife.

Here comes the rationalization here comes with justification Here Comes.

the salability of Abraham once again I was afraid you take me for my wife. He's living in the past. What I'm not trying to be mean or anything, but nobody's looking at Sarah and going I want her that's not happening anymore used to happen, but it's not happening. No, we got to be careful to give Abraham a little bit of Grace in this because he lives in an incredibly dangerous world. We're just not used to thinking about life this way. Part of what we're going through culturally right now as we see riots and and in chaos and fire started and and and people being shot and looting and all of the things that were seen. It makes us incredibly uncomfortable because we've become accustomed and incense entitled to a life of peace and safety. No, that's not normal for anyone in the history of the world. The world's a dangerous play for Abraham. It was an incredibly dangerous place. He was a nomadic herdsmen. At any moment another rival no matter no matter Kingdom or a king or city decide that they wanted to take from him. What was his he lived in that world? In one sense is not a completely irrational fear. It's a very realistic fear. I'm afraid this is the world. I live in.

It's happened before.

I just saw there's no fear God here.

They're going to kill me and make everything. besides creep Factor coming up Trigger warning she is indeed my sister the daughter of my father will not the daughter of my mother and she became my wife.

Well that makes it all better Abraham. All right for us and and and even in the ancient world that that kind of incestuous relationship was not encouraged but it was a reality was real. So he says so I didn't really lie.

Is what we do with our weakness, we rationalize and justify. Yeah, I said she was my sister and then she she's my half-sister.

That's not the important part the important part is that she is your wife. You left back really important detail out of a conversation and it probably should have come up with a bill I said hey, how about I marry your sister? most natural response in the world married to her

No.

So much iron in them.

When God caused me to wonder from my father's house. I'm going right back to Genesis 12 when God came to Abraham Abraham and said hey leave everything you've known and follow me. I will show you and I will give you and I will bless you. When God calls me to wander for my father's house I said to her this is the kindness you must do to me at every place of which we come save me. He is my brother and other words. This has been going on. the entire time entire time because he's in danger everywhere. They go so he conspires with their way back when they were still young. We back. Alright, here's the deal everywhere we go. Anybody asks say he is my brother.

She agreed to

so they Malak took sheep and oxen male servants and female servants and gave them to Abraham and returned Sarah his wife.

What we're seeing these Echoes these patterns these ripples this repetition over and over again. Just like the first just like the first time that we know of in the text when they were in Egypt Pharaoh comes gives them she'd give them awesome get some servants give him a gold send them on his way.

emelec Gibson these gifts and abimelech said behold, my land is before you dwell where it pleases you. anywhere you want

to sarahi set Holt this is interesting in what he says and what he doesn't say the whole day. I've given your brother.

I'm giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It's a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all who are with you and the for everyone you are Vindicated.

Then what's taking us seriously?

Did he know because God's made it very clear.

Then Abraham prayed to God. and God healed abimelech and also killed his wife and female slaves so that they for children interesting

the primary problem Abraham and Sarah been having is that they haven't been able to conceive. And we are not giving a time frame for how long they were there and how long Sarah was considered. One of them likes wise what part of his many wives certainly but it was a long enough. Of time that the women noticed that nobody was conceiving and nobody was able to have babies anymore.

Fascinating to me that Abraham and Sarah they can't conceive and whatever play God visited upon abimelech in his people. Involve their inability to reproduce and ultimately was going to take their lives. And this is fascinating Abraham prays for them. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around this what this event in this exchange must have been like then let calls and Abraham.

Abraham gives his weak excuse an event like sci-fi just load them up with well. Load them up and Lasting Abraham. You got to pray for us. God said that you have to pray for a and Abraham stands as this fallible Broken Man chosen by God.

In a situation that he created by his fear and cowardice. Now Abraham is called to Stan. and pray when he prays god news. amazing singers lutely, amazing Abraham prayed to God got healed abimelech and he loves his wife and female slaves. So that they for children?

I wonder if Sarah wasn't included in that.

Just remember she has been Barren her entire life and the very next thing that's going to happen in the next chapter is she's going to become pregnant with Isaac. Wouldn't it be just like God the Redeemer? Set to not only come in and rescue Abraham and Sarah from their stupidity. Let's call it what it is. from their dog vomit eating stupidity

not only come in and rescue them but use that as the very thing that is going to redeem them. When Abraham praise and the curse is broken and abimelech and his household are once again able to conceive the very next thing that happens as we get next week in the chapter 21. Is Sarah? becomes pregnant

what a moment. The Echoes In This are so powerful it closes its way for the Lord to close all the whims of the House of abimelech because of Sarah Abraham's wife.

There's something about the story that.

Move me deeply and quickly to Jesus. And it's what I just described. The God is the master of irony. the God loves to take The Brokenness and the sinfulness and the mess that we make and come and not only rescue us out of it, but flip it upside down and make it into the absolute thing that redeems us is that not what the cross is? I know in our world the cross has become this beautiful symbol a piece of jewelry a decoration for the walls of our houses with with tattoos of crosses and shirts with crosses and we love crosses. We put them up everywhere but understand the cross and it's ancient context was a symbol of death and despair. It was a symbol of Shame and hatred in our modern context. It might be a noose and I'm out of contact. It might be a gas chamber. It is signs of of something that is reserved for the worst of the worst. the publicly display and shame

God takes batfink switch. The very scripture says anyone who is put to death on a tree is cursed.

Depicts this very thing of shame in Brokenness and put his son on it to experience our curse for us. Dog comes into the mess we made and not only rescues us but uses that mess at the very Act of redemption when Jesus died on the cross all apparent purposes and in every human and even the eyes of the spiritual World, it looked like God had fail. It look like God's covenant plan and promise was broken.

but God never fails takes that instrument of death and despair. Takes the cross of defeat and turns it into the symbol of Victory. It is in the cross itself is defeated. Is atone for the cross is turned from an instrument of Shame? Into an emblem of Victory. This is what God.

I love Genesis chapter 20 because it reminds us of a the reality. Is that what we're all fallible? Even even in moments where we've had great faithfulness and success. We're still fallible and we still need God. And it reminds me and I hope it reminds you of a very important truth. The best indicator of future performance is past performance.

Outside of the grace of God we tend to repeat things over and over and over again. I'm upset. If you've been an HR done any hiring I've sat in hundreds of behavioral assessment based on that simple principle, the best indicator of what what you're going to do in the future is what you've done in the past. Don't give me a textbook answers tell me what you actually done because what you actually done is more most likely what you're actually going to do.

You see this neighbor? He's got a flop. An Achilles heel. He's got a weakness of fear a place that's been in his heart. And in his mind for whatever reason he's not sure that God is able.

you got Not able to trust God fully.

So that's that that's feeder keep coming over and over and over again in his life.

You and I aren't that much different. Are we?

I know I've wept. In Repentance before the Lord over and over and over again over the same sense.

I've said to myself like you up. I'm never going to do that again.

This is the last time I'm done.

You've been there, right?

You know the agony of Abraham and Sarah.

salability the Brokenness of Being Human the reality that

we get stuck in our sense. far too often

until and unless we Embrace that reality. The beauty and Glory of Jesus is diminished.

When we when we acknowledge and own it when we own it.

I'm a mess. I'm not just the victim. I'm the victimizer. I'm not just in need of being rescued. I'm the rebel until we own that the good news of Jesus is a really that good of new with the moment. We own it. It becomes the best news will ever hear. I want to in this sermon by reading through an entire chapter in in what is arguably Paul's greatest letter in the New Testament The Book of Romans. And I want to read through the entire chapter the third chapter of Romans because I think in some ways it almost serves as a midrash of Genesis chapter 20. I want you to just listen. I'll give it a little bit of explanation, but I want to just read it. I want you to listen. I want I want you to hear what the spirit might say.

It starts out this way. What advantage has the Jew? What is the value of circumcision? It's unfair to pick up in chapter 3 because Paul's in the middle of this really Nuance detailed beautiful logical argument about what it is that brings about righteousness. And and and he's arguing against the line of thought that says well being a physical descendant of Abraham and following the law is what makes somebody right. And so that that's the argumentation that he picks up to what advantage has the Jews the descendants of Abraham. What it what a vantage has. What what value is circumcision. That was the sign of the Covenant that God gave to Abraham.

Much in every way to begin with the Jews were entrusted with the Oracles of God. What if somewhere Unfaithful? I thought some of them they were all unfaithful. But what if some of them are Unfaithful does their faithfulness faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? The definition of 20 will Abraham and Sarah's son and failure nullify the faithfulness of God sand and maybe more importantly for you and me today when my face was this was your facelessness.

nullify the faithfulness of God

by no means may I never be so let God be true though. Everyone were a liar as it is written. So you may be justified in your words and Prevail when you are judged but if our unrighteousness the show the righteousness of God what shall we say that God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us. I speak in a human way. He's giving the argument that faithfulness is demonstrated in our unfaithfulness, then isn't God unfair to judge us. or to judge anyone binomi for then. How could God judge the world? But if Through My Life by God's truth abounds to his glory why am I still being condemned as a sinner? And why not do evil that? Good may come. This is the absolute extreme of the argument. Okay. If this is what God does have God likes to come into a mess and and fix it up. Why don't we all go send as much as we can write the tell got out? I don't need your help.

That's the argument as some people slanderously charge us with saying their condemnation is just what then are we Jews any better off to at the end of it all are we the physical descendants of Abraham the ones who have received the sign of circumcision the Covenant are we any better off? No, not at all. or we have already charged that all Both Jews and Greeks are under sin.

As it is written. No one is righteous. No, not one. No one understands. No one seeks.

All it turned aside together. They become worthless. No one does good. Not even one their throat is an open grave. They use their tongues to deceive the Venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness their feet are Swift to shed blood in their pads are ruin and misery in the way of peace. They have not known there is no fear of God before their eye. Let's be clear. He's quoting from a host of Old Testament passages from the Hebrew scriptures and he's and he's going to listen the very scriptures that were entrusted to Abraham's descendants 2, the Jews put them under condemnation just as much as anyone else. The reality is no one's got it, right. Abraham himself failed over and over and over again. No one's living the righteous life that God requires.

Read books with the central problem of the entire Hebrew scriptures the Old Testament God chooses Abraham and his descendants to be his vehicle of rescue.

for everyone else and they needed to be rescued just as much as everyone.

Because everyone's owners. No one's got it, right.

Not know we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law so that every mouth may be stopped in the whole world may be held accountable to God. The law wasn't given as a road map of if you do these things, then you're going to work your way into heaven. The law was given as a demonstration that nobody is able to fulfill the law. Nobody Abraham Bush David the man after God's Own Heart kill the dude so we can sleep with his wife.

We have are a great moments and an even great moments of face.

And yet they're often and always repeated with great moments of failure.

But this is his argument. This is for by works of the law. No human being will be justified in his sight since through the law comes knowledge. send but now the righteousness of God the Covenant faithfulness of God has been manifested apart from the law and the prophets.

the righteousness of God Through faith in Jesus Christ, Jesus the king for all who believe takes us back to Abram who believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.

Now here comes Jesus and in the same way, the righteousness of God has been revealed through faith in Jesus the king for all who believe there is no distinction for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Everyone everywhere has failed in some way.

We are justified by his grace as a gift. through the Redemption that is in King Jesus whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by.

Got enters into the Mets got comes to rescue us from our mess the mess that we made the mess that we keep returning to over and over and over again, The Rescuers need to be rescued himself comes as one of us. And Jesus the king, Endo tempted in every way like we were and are Was without sin finally one has come a direct descendants of Abraham. The lineage of David Thompson, who knows? No sin will never fail who always got it, right? And that one who didn't deserve death, that one wasn't under condemnation that one who only deserve accolades and Glory submitted himself not just to the humility of wearing human flesh, but to the humility of the cross.

Because of that God has exalted him. Above all the weather. You are a Jew or a gentile.

adjust different ethnicities of sinners whether you are a Jew or a gentile Jesus.

Stan at The Rescuer you can save us all.

Who has saved us all? This was to show God's righteousness. Because in his Divine forbearance he had passed over former sin.

To bring judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah and in and allow lot and his family to escape. Why was it why did God bring judgment upon some but allow for forgiveness? For others, even though the price has been paid.

An Impulse argument is that all the time that that's been building all the time that God gave Grace and forbearance that God gave forgiveness. It was all looking forward to that point in time where Jesus would take it upon himself on the cross. We stand on the other side and it's just as true for all of our sins past present and future are taken and swallowed up in the Cross of Christ.

he was to show his righteousness at the present time so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith. in Jesus then What Becomes of our boasting? So what grounds do we have to boast in our human cell? It is excluded. There's no room for boasting. How ridiculous would it be to boast about our sinfulness and our need to be rescued? nobody boast about their stupidity

It don't matter what flavor of stupidity it is.

It's excluded by what kind of law by love works? No. by The Loft did work if we're saved by r&f ethnicity if we're saved by a morality for saved by a performance if we're saved or declared righteous because of our adherence to The Loft then there's room for boasting.

I got a better granddaddy than you do.

I'm I'm I'm I'm less of a sooner than you are. I keep these seven laws better than you do. If that's the way it works, there's all sorts of room for boasting for comparison and judgment self-righteousness to feel. Really good about ourselves, but that there's no room for that in the gospel because in the gospel, there's no one righteous. But Jesus all have failed but Jesus there's no place to boast about who your granddaddy was what you do last week how much you put in the offering plate doesn't matter.

The only thing that matters is Jesus.

for we hold That one is justified by faith.

Apart from the works of the law is evil at its place, but the place of the law was not to justify people. The only thing that has ever Justified people and the only thing that ever will justify people is faith. In the one who got sent. There's one name under Heaven and Earth by which men and women might be safe the name of Jesus our King.

We let anyone. and everyone can be justified by faith. Apart from the works of a lot or is God the god of Jews only is he not the god of Gentiles also and for 98% of us in this room. We saying that.

Lance you can be happy to yes of Gentiles. Also since God is one who will justify the circumcised by faith. and the uncircumcised through

do we then overthrow the law by this Faith by no means on the country. We have pulled a lot. Dismiss chapter chapter 3 rooms. What what an amazing? articulation Apollo God brings salvation two kids creation salvation was never just for the Jews. It was always for the war.

We got had to start somewhere. So we chose and started with Abraham and Sarah really messed up jacked up broken dysfunctional fallible people. And in spite of them. God was true. Who is Covenant promises? And brought about Redemption not only through them. but to them through their promised air and see Jesus.

It's our hope is not in our ethnic lineage and our hope is not in our religious performance our hope lies in one place and one person only in Jesus the King Jesus the great high priest Jesus the great prophet who did what none of us could do and paid what all of us owed by taking our sin and death upon himself. He gives us his life and righteousness no longer are we closed in the shame of sin and despair? We are now closed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus our King that happens not because of how often you go to church or where you served or what kind of Bible you have or being better than the person down the street that happens only.

by faith Allegiance obedient except

to The Sovereign and rightful rule Jesus not just our King. but the King of Kings and the Lord of lords, may he receive all the glory forever and ever amen and a