Romans Week 9 September 11, 2022
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Introduction
Introduction
OK this morning Paul is going to shift from talking about justice to talking specifically to challenge his fellow Jews.
A word to the Jews
A word to the Jews
Paul starts off this section as a challenge to self righteous Jews and he knew what he was talking about. As we said as children, “It takes one to know one.”
pHil 3:4-6
4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:
5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
Paul knew what it was to be confident in his past and what he had done.
Paul also knew the danger of feeling too much confidence in His past and what he had done.
Paul starts on the positive side of things with the advantages of being a Jew
Eight advantages the Jews had.
Eight advantages the Jews had.
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—
They were “GODS CHOSEN PEOPLE”
They were “GODS CHOSEN PEOPLE”
8 For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye:
Can you imagine the privilege of being known as God’s people?!? Imagine being known as the “Apple of God’s eye!”
They could rely on the law.
They could rely on the law.
Think about it, to what other people did God meet with on a mountain and reveal his specific commands for how they should live and deal with the problem of sin in their lives? God was explicit and specific with the people of Israel in a way he has not been with any other people.
They could boast about their relationship with God.
They could boast about their relationship with God.
The fascinating thing about how the Israelites related to the God of the Old Testament as opposed to every other idol and ancient God was there family relationship. Now God definitely appears far more severe in the Old Testament than the image we get of Jesus holding little children. But God still saw himself as their father. And they could relate with this sense of family closeness to God. They had a relationship worthy of being proud of.
16 For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.
They knew God’s will
They knew God’s will
Do you remember a week or two ago? We talked about the problem with idolatry is that idols don't speak. The problem is when you worship something that doesn't speak you have to make up how you should act. On the other hand, when you worship a living and speaking God he can command morality and obedience. No other people on earth heard God speak explicitly to them. No other people on earth could truly say they knew the will of God. God might have revealed himself throughout nature in many different ways but he revealed himself explicitly and specifically to the nation of Israel.
They approved what was excellent
They approved what was excellent
The Jews live with dietary and lifestyle restrictions that they viewed as making them superior to those around them and honestly they lived with greater discipline than many of the people around them. They mistakenly saw themselves as superior to the world around them to the point of pride but they also lived with a great deal of excellence because of the discipline that the law imposed on them.
They were instructed by the law.
They were instructed by the law.
God gave his decrees to instruct mankind how to live. He showed us how to deal with the problem of sin. He showed us how to live in a right relationship with others. In fact you know the longest chapter in the Bible which is the book of psalms chapter 119 is all about how amazing the law of God is. You know today in a post cross world we see the law negatively in terms of legalism. But the reality is the law is God's instruction on how humankind could live in relationship with him. It was meant to be positive and to help. It was also meant to show humanity where they fell short and needed Jesus but it was also a blessing. It was a blessing the Jews enjoyed.
They played many roles as a blessing to the world around them.
They played many roles as a blessing to the world around them.
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—
God's plan from the beginning was for the nation of Jews to be a blessing to the world.
6 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,
6 he says: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
God’s Law embodied for them the essence of knowledge and truth
God’s Law embodied for them the essence of knowledge and truth
20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth—
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
In short the Jews had every reason to think of themselves as better than the rest of humanity at least in terms of what they had received and the privileges they enjoyed. But they certainly had no right to think of themselves as better in terms of the quality of their obedience in response to God's commands.
The downsides of being a Jew
The downsides of being a Jew
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.”
They taught others and failed to teach themselves.
They taught others and failed to teach themselves.
They preached against stealing and stole.
They preached against stealing and stole.
They taught against adultery and still committed adultery.
They taught against adultery and still committed adultery.
They hated idols and yet robbed temples.
They hated idols and yet robbed temples.
They boasted about the law and yet dishonored God by breaking it.
They boasted about the law and yet dishonored God by breaking it.
The greatest condemnation against them is this final verse that we read.
24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
Wow, what an indictment!
This last week I met with a young man to attempt to sell an iPhone. Unfortunately his mother instead of letting him take the money she agreed to let him use chose to completely ghost him and I instead of showing up to purchase or not purchase the phone. Her son was thoroughly embarrassed and I was really frustrated as I waited with her son for an hour to see if his mother would actually show up. Throughout the experience I was struck by the reality that I could choose to react in one of two ways. I could be indignant and upset about the big inconvenience on my time and self or I could focus instead on the witness that I had. Because regardless of how the situation went down I was responsible for living out my witness in front of this young man. I was responsible for living in a way that makes God famous. It's really tempting for me as a believer to get too caught up in what I think I deserve and become indignant or act in an unchristian way when I feel like my rights aren't being honored.
I was sharing with Ryan this last week about witnessing and trying to point an old friend to faith in Christ and he said this:
“Many non-Christians have a very Un-Christian version of Christians in their head when they think of Christians.”
“Many non-Christians have a very Un-Christian version of Christians in their head when they think of Christians.”
You just try to hang out with me and you never know when you will get quoted into a sermon. But I think Ryan makes a good point here. Many people find that Christians are their biggest barrier to becoming a follower of Jesus. That's kind of what Paul was talking about here with regards to the Jews as well. They had every reason to be blessed and to be a blessing to the world around them. And yet they were part of the reason that God's name got blasphemed. People were slamming God because of what they saw in the Jews. What do people say about God when they see you?
God’s name, His reputation, matters.
God’s name, His reputation, matters.
In order to understand this passage better we’re going to take another quick journey into the old testament to the story of yet another prophet. This was a dark time in the nation of Israel. This was a time when God had gotten so fed up with her actions that he exiles them. God kicks the nation of Israel out of their land and allows them to be conquered by another nation and one of the prophets that speaks to the nation of Israel during this time is Ezekiel.
22 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.
God prophesies to Israel that He is getting ready to act. And God gives a reason. It’s not for their sake, it’s for the sake of the name of God that He acts.
23 And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.
God is powerfully interested in His Holiness and his name being honored throughout the world. He's willing to do acts of great judgment to lead to humility and the turning of people to him. Ezekiel recognized the necessary aspect of God's name remaining holy among the nations. Paul realized that if they were going to reach the nations they had to defend the holiness of the name of God.
The greatest benefit of being a Jew
The greatest benefit of being a Jew
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.
The most blessed Jew was someone who had the law and kept it.
God gave circumcision as a sign to the Jews of their relationship with God.
11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.
And yet from the time of the old testament prophets through the time of Jesus and beyond circumcision has always been a heart issue and not just about sking.
25 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh—
26 Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab, and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair, for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart.”
Circumcision is valuable if you keep the whole law.
But if you don’t keep the whole law you might as well not be circumcised.
God calls for true obedience to Him; not just motions of obedience.
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.
God always looks differently than men and women look. God doesn’t look at what you look like on the outside. God considers your heart.
Remember when God sent the prophet Samuel to annoint “one of the sons of Jesse to be king? When David’s big, older brother Eliab stood before Samuel, Samuel said,
6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.”
And yet God immediately responds
I sam 16:7
7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
God called through Jesus and prophets before Jesus for the jews to live rightly from the inside out.
The four marks of a true Jew
The four marks of a true Jew
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.
He doesn’t emphasize outward signs.
He doesn’t emphasize outward signs.
His heart has been circumcised before God.
His heart has been circumcised before God.
The Holy Spirit is the One who performed the operation on His heart.
The Holy Spirit is the One who performed the operation on His heart.
He looks more for praise from God than men.
He looks more for praise from God than men.
Then what advantage has the Jew?
Then what advantage has the Jew?
OK to recap what's just going on in this passage Paul has just listed the many benefits of being a Jew. He has listed the drawbacks of being a Jew because of the choices they've made. And then he has wrapped up the whole passage with both an indictment on how the Jews lived but also he is said that the most important thing is not the outward sign of faith but it's a is a circumcision of the heart. It's a heart matter. So if what matters most is what the spirit does and not your genetics and not your obedience to the law then what advantage is there to being a Jew.?
I mean really, sitting in that audience as someone who is of Jewish heritage who has worked to obey the law and is listening to Paul you have to ask this question is there actually still an advantage to being a Jew? Paul needs to land this argument and when this person over if he wants the Jews to help him launch the gospel further throughout the whole world.
Paul raises and answers several objections
Paul raises and answers several objections
1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?
2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
OK first of all God has entrusted his words to the Jews. They were the reason that we have much of the Bible today. Regardless of how much the Jews disobeyed God they still had a privileged position of carrying the words of God to the world around them. This is an incredible privilege that they did not surrender by their choices.
What’s the value of being a Jew—>God has entrusted you with His words!
What’s the value of being a Jew—>God has entrusted you with His words!
3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?
4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”
OK the argument here is simply does the fact that the Jews failed to live out their obedience to God invalidate God's ability to keep them faithful? Does the Jewish faith lessness make God faithless? Paul answers that enthusiastically in this passage... by no means! God proves himself faithful by pronouncing judgment on those who are faithless. In fact the covenant that God made with his people predicted and showed that he would judge sin. So in that he is faithful.
Does the Unfaithfulness of the Jews Nullify God’s Faithfulness?
Does the Unfaithfulness of the Jews Nullify God’s Faithfulness?
NO! God shows His faithfulness by judging as He said He would.
NO! God shows His faithfulness by judging as He said He would.
5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)
6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world?
This is the age-old argument that if sin demonstrates the righteousness of God by contrast then why does God judge us in fact the whole point of Paul's letter up to this point is all about the judgment of God. And if in fact if in fact God is proven righteous through unrighteousness in the world then why does he judge it if it makes him look righteous?
Paul reminds us at the end of verse 6 that this argument comes out of a corrupt mindset.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.
The illogical line of thought continues in these next verses:
7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?
8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.
The ends do not justify the means.
Why not sin to show God’s righteousness?
Why not sin to show God’s righteousness?
No, the end of God’s glory never justifies sin the the process.
No, the end of God’s glory never justifies sin the the process.
The flaw of this whole line of thinking is that you can get to the end goal of God being glorified through the path of sin. That logic never flies with God. As Paul finishes this passage he says their condemnation is just.
Conclusion
Conclusion
So today we've seen Paul's word in part to the Jews. He's encouraged them showing them the many advantaged they enjoy. He is reminded them of the downsides that they suffer from. And he has reminded them how God's name is dishonored because of their actions. And each of us should take this to heart so that we do not allow ourselves to be people that bring God's name down. Paul finished with four or so objections that people might raise to what he has just said. He reminds us that the ends never justify the means in the pursuit of honoring God.
There is a lot packed in this passage today So what you come away with is between you and God. Maybe you come away reminded that circumcision or rather being set apart to honor God as a matter of the heart and it was never just a physical action. Or maybe you're reminded that God's name is to be honored. And people see God through each and every one of us. Whatever the lesson you learn leave here encouraged the gospel that we share continues to change lives as it has done for thousands of years.