Blue Rocks Chapel 5/16

Welcome, thank you for coming.

We are going to be looking at Romans chapter 2 today.

But before we get started, would someone open us up in a word of prayer.

Thank you.

Intro

In Romans chapter 1, we talked last Sunday on who Paul is, how he views himself

He’s an apostle, an ambassador, a man on a mission with a message.

His message is the gospel, what does the word Gospel mean?

The Good News about salvation, about Jesus, because it’s the power of God for salvation.

Salvation is an important word, I’ll talk about it in a minute.

Paul said in chapter 1 vs 16 that he’s not ashamed of this gospel, his mission in life is to preach it.

He then, in chapter 1 though, points out the godlessness that exists in his world, and exists in ours.

In verses 18-32, he speaks of how God has made himself known, He can be clearly seen in creation if we choose to see Him and acknowledge Him.

But Paul says people suppress this truth of His existence and the reason is the are determined to live life how they want, apart from Him

They want to pursue all kinds of pleasures, have all kinds of their own belief systems, their own personal fulfillment, apart from the One True God.

So God gives them over to pursue what they want, and this leads to a downward spiral morally and relationally.

And as we read his list of not only sexual practices but also the wickedness, sin, greed, hate envy, deception, insolent, proud, heartless and merciless, we realize that these are internal.

Yes, Paul also lists some external actions, but most of this list is internal thoughts and attitudes.

It’s reminiscent of Jesus Sermon on the mount, “You have heard it said, ‘don’t do some action, murder, adultery etc.’, but I say to you, if you have anger in your heart or lust in your heart” then you’ve already committed this sin.

This idea that it’s not only our actions but our thoughts, our attitudes that make us equally sinful. This is a problem

So, as Paul gets to chapter 2, he’s now not talking to the irreligious, the practicers of lawlessness, the “bad” people,

but now he’s addressing the religious, the practicers of the laws, the “good” people.

chapter 2 verse 1

New Living Translation Chapter 2

You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.

What? How am I just as bad? I don’t do those things!!

Paul says to them that they are equally guilty, why?

Not because they may outwardly do these things, maybe they do in secret, but because each of them no doubt does these things in their mind and heart.

We have to be aware of that, we have to pay attention to this.

They can rest on their own morality, that they do good things and don’t do bad things, but when they look deeper at their heart, at their motives, at their thoughts, man, they commit murder and adultery all the time.

He’s talking to us too

Right, so to say “I’m a good person” what are we basing that on? It has to be on the moral measuring stick that we’ve established.

Just by saying that we are revealing that we are not in touch with our true self, our thoughts, motives and attitudes, these betray us.

So if Paul was addressing Gentile, Non-Jew, pagans in chapter 1, he’s addressing religious Jews in chapter 2, those who look at the Gentiles and think “thank God I’m not like that, that I’m a good religious Jew.”

But Paul writes this in verse 16

New Living Translation Chapter 2

16 And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.

So, that’s a problem, it’s not just our actions, it’s all that internal stuff as well.

But let’s look more at what Paul is saying to the Jews here and realize he could very well be substituting the word “Christian”.

chapter 2 verses 17-24

New Living Translation Chapter 2

The Jews and the Law

17 You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. 18 You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. 19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. 20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth.

21 Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? 22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples? 23 You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. 24 No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.”

Paul is addressing legalism and moralism, a problem for the Jew, a problem for the non-Jew, Gentile, and a problem for the Christian, and a problem for the non-Christian individual.

This idea that we all have a “good” measuring stick, judge others by it, and at times fail to live up to it.

So for the Jew and Christian, we boast of our relationship to God, we claim we know what he wants, we claim we know what is right and good, we are convinced we are to show others the way, we can instruct those who don’t yet know, that’s verses 17-20

But in verses 21-23, if we teach then why don’t we learn, if tell others to stop doing wrong, why do we still do wrong, if we are so proud of our morality and rule following, why do we dishonor God by breaking it??

So, here what Paul is trying to communicate is this

It’s never bad to do good, to follow the rules, to try to help others know Jesus, but this is not what is going to make us right with God.

We can’t earn right standing with God, because we can just as easily do the wrong thing, break a rule, not help someone, etc.

Then what, we lose our right standing with Him??

At the end of this chapter Paul writes,

“It is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.”

A change of heart produced by the Spirit, this is a result of our giving our life to Jesus, becoming a dedicated follower of His.

He comes into our hearts and changes them, transforms us into new people.

We no longer are trying to earn praise and right standing with God, we realize that we have it, that He’s given it to us.

See, if we feel we have to earn our right standing with God, then we will have to continually earn it. It never stops, constantly trying to do good, and be good, so God is pleased.

How do we know if we’ve done enough, been good enough?? We can’t, we won’t.

Then what if we do something wrong, or bad, then what do we do?

We have to double our efforts to please God, that is once we get over the idea that He is really disappointed in us, mad at us.

Thinking He’s now going to punish us, right, strike out a couple of times, liner gets caught, or walk a bunch of dudes, give up a jack, like whatever.

So, now we gotta make it up to Him, what can I do to earn back His approval.

You see, this never stops, we can’t be good enough, do enough, always think right, do right, it’s not possible.

So what hope is there for us?

This brings us back to that word, salvation.

This is the humble realization that I’m not good, I can’t be good, not all the time, and I’ll never be “good” enough for God.

Not when His standard is perfection. No, this is a desperate situation and I need saving from it, I can’t save myself.

If I can’t be righteous, good all the time, then I need what one theologian calls “an alien righteousness” a righteousness that comes from outside of me.

That is the beauty of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ.

He is the righteous One. He is the ultimate “good” One.

When it comes to God’s ways, His standards, His laws, commands, His expectations on our outward actions, and our inward attitudes, Jesus nailed it.

He was perfect in every way.

1 Peter 2:22 ESV

He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

All the requirements of God, all the “do this” Jesus did

All the “don’t do this” Jesus didn’t do.

But that’s only half of the equation, It’s great that He was perfect, but we weren’t.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

This is the great exchange,

Jesus knew no sin, committed no sin, but we know sin, have committed sin, but God, on the cross made Jesus know sin, be the One who has committed the sin, so that we could be the one’s who could be declared as not knowing or committing sin.

This is incredible, on the cross Jesus took our unrighteousness, all our wrong thinking and doing, and gave to those who believe in Him His righteousness, all His right thinking and doing.

If we are truly in Christ, if we have committed our lives to following Him, we are forever righteous, right, in the eyes of God.

Jesus lived the life we were supposed to live, and then died the death we deserved for not living it.

This is the Gospel, this is why Jesus is called Savior

He saved us from a situation that we could never fix.

Let me pray