WEBVTT 00:00:01.359 --> 00:00:09.460 Alright, so, did anybody read Romans this week? 00:00:13.419 --> 00:00:18.839 Alright, so if you read Romans, that's good. 00:00:19.739 --> 00:00:24.539 If you didn't, you're going to be behind. So, 00:00:24.760 --> 00:00:27.500 we're in Romans chapter 1 is where we're going 00:00:27.500 --> 00:00:35.299 to begin. And so what I want to do tonight is 00:00:35.299 --> 00:00:39.060 just to kind of give us just kind of a brief 00:00:39.060 --> 00:00:44.219 synopsis, a brief kind of go through these first 00:00:44.219 --> 00:00:48.679 four chapters. In a couple weeks when I start 00:00:48.679 --> 00:00:51.140 to preach on Sunday, we are going to begin in 00:00:51.140 --> 00:00:55.020 chapter 5. And so chapter 5 is a breaking point 00:00:55.020 --> 00:00:59.939 or a division there in Romans. So it does start 00:00:59.939 --> 00:01:02.500 its own theme, so to speak, right there and go 00:01:02.500 --> 00:01:07.359 on. If you started there, it makes sense. But 00:01:07.359 --> 00:01:09.400 it's helpful to have an understanding of what 00:01:09.400 --> 00:01:17.439 Paul's been saying beforehand. So, what is the 00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:21.599 theme of chapter 1? Or one of the themes, the 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:24.859 first theme, perhaps, of chapter 1? Does anybody 00:01:24.859 --> 00:01:28.379 have a comment or... Did anybody notice anything? 00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:37.659 The gospel. Okay, the gospel. Chris says the 00:01:37.659 --> 00:01:43.480 gospel. Remember your name, Chris. Alright, so 00:01:43.480 --> 00:01:47.739 where do we get that? Well, we get that in verse 00:01:47.739 --> 00:01:51.620 16. So chapter 1, verse 16, Paul says, For I 00:01:51.620 --> 00:01:54.000 am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:57.030 of God. for salvation to everyone who believes, 00:01:57.150 --> 00:02:00.549 to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in 00:02:00.549 --> 00:02:03.489 it the righteousness of God is revealed from 00:02:03.489 --> 00:02:06.310 faith to faith, as it is written, the righteous 00:02:06.310 --> 00:02:09.789 shall live by faith. So that's a quote there. 00:02:11.849 --> 00:02:15.849 The righteous shall live by faith. From the Old 00:02:15.849 --> 00:02:19.650 Testament. So that's what Paul says there in 00:02:19.650 --> 00:02:23.110 verse 16. 16 and 17. What does he say before 00:02:23.110 --> 00:02:28.199 16 and 17? Anybody notice anything there? What 00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:31.860 will we say? I guess he's saying one thing is 00:02:31.860 --> 00:02:38.620 he's the apostle to the Gentiles, right? He talks 00:02:38.620 --> 00:02:42.479 about his apostleship and his desire there to 00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:45.300 go to the Gentiles there in Rome and to have 00:02:45.300 --> 00:02:48.439 some fruit among them and to share there with 00:02:48.439 --> 00:02:51.860 them. I would say in the first 15 verses there 00:02:51.860 --> 00:02:54.680 is just kind of an introduction. An introduction 00:02:54.680 --> 00:02:59.180 there of who Paul is, his desire for them, and 00:02:59.180 --> 00:03:01.879 he's going to write this letter to them. And 00:03:01.879 --> 00:03:04.639 then we get to 16 and 17, and he begins then 00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:06.780 to give us the theme of what he's going to write. 00:03:07.319 --> 00:03:12.560 And so he's beginning here the gospel. What comes 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:16.539 after that? What comes after that in chapter 00:03:16.539 --> 00:03:24.729 1? Okay, condemnation. Alright, so let's read 00:03:24.729 --> 00:03:28.810 a little bit here. He says in verse 18, For the 00:03:28.810 --> 00:03:32.729 wrath of God is revealed from heaven against 00:03:32.729 --> 00:03:35.930 all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who 00:03:35.930 --> 00:03:38.969 suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Because 00:03:38.969 --> 00:03:41.750 that which is known about God is evident with 00:03:41.750 --> 00:03:46.030 them, for God made it evident to them. For since 00:03:46.030 --> 00:03:48.750 the creation of the world, His invisible attributes 00:03:49.719 --> 00:03:52.520 His eternal power and divine nature have been 00:03:52.520 --> 00:03:56.740 clearly seen, being understood through what he 00:03:56.740 --> 00:03:59.680 has made, so that they are without excuse. So, 00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:03.659 what is he saying there? What's the point? Put 00:04:03.659 --> 00:04:11.659 it in your own words. All men should know that 00:04:11.659 --> 00:04:14.639 there is a God. Yeah, that's what he says there. 00:04:15.099 --> 00:04:19.860 He says it's evident. Did you hear that? What 00:04:19.860 --> 00:04:26.600 does he say? What verse was that? Verse 19. Because 00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:29.639 that which is known about God is evident within 00:04:29.639 --> 00:04:33.980 them. For God made it evident to them. So there 00:04:33.980 --> 00:04:36.579 is something in men that they know there is a 00:04:36.579 --> 00:04:40.180 God. And then he goes on there and he talks about 00:04:40.180 --> 00:04:43.620 creation. Talks about the world. His attributes. 00:04:43.740 --> 00:04:45.879 And all of these other things there. And he says. 00:04:46.519 --> 00:04:50.399 He says. That they are without excuse. That's 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:52.500 the whole point. That all men know there's a 00:04:52.500 --> 00:04:56.300 God and the wrath of God is revealed toward them. 00:04:56.680 --> 00:04:59.040 And he goes on then and he talks about their 00:04:59.040 --> 00:05:02.360 suppression of their consciences, their suppression 00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:05.860 that there is a God. Goes on to talk about all 00:05:05.860 --> 00:05:11.860 their sin, right? There at the end, verse 26, 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:20.199 really in 24. And then in 26, he talks about 00:05:20.199 --> 00:05:25.120 their passions, giving in to them, women with 00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:27.639 women, men with men, doing those unnatural things. 00:05:28.180 --> 00:05:32.040 And then he goes on there and he says, in 28, 00:05:32.199 --> 00:05:34.540 and just as they did not see fit to acknowledge 00:05:34.540 --> 00:05:37.540 God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved 00:05:37.540 --> 00:05:40.839 mind. And then he lists all these things that 00:05:40.839 --> 00:05:44.060 they're involved in, filled with all unrighteousness, 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:47.959 wickedness, greed. Evil, full of envy, murder, 00:05:48.120 --> 00:05:51.139 strife, deceit, malice. All of these sins, it 00:05:51.139 --> 00:05:57.800 goes on there. What's his point? Condemnation, 00:05:57.860 --> 00:06:02.560 right? He's revealing here, he's saying, you 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:06.560 are without excuse and you are under, verse 18, 00:06:06.839 --> 00:06:11.500 the wrath of God. Okay? Now who's he talking 00:06:11.500 --> 00:06:15.120 to here? Who's he mentioning? Who specifically 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:23.920 can we say? Is there a specific group? Does he 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:30.980 give us a specific group? Okay. Brian says it 00:06:30.980 --> 00:06:34.920 seems like he's not talking about the Jews. Okay, 00:06:34.920 --> 00:06:41.339 so Brian says the Gentiles. Some people think 00:06:41.339 --> 00:06:45.129 that. I don't necessarily think I think that. 00:06:45.769 --> 00:06:48.490 Because he doesn't say, he doesn't give us anything 00:06:48.490 --> 00:06:51.329 specific here. Now he does go on, and we're going 00:06:51.329 --> 00:06:53.649 to talk about it here in chapter 2, he does specifically 00:06:53.649 --> 00:06:59.470 call out the Jews with some things. And again, 00:06:59.629 --> 00:07:02.310 there are men who say just what Brian said, so 00:07:02.310 --> 00:07:05.769 I'm not disparaging Brian or saying he's crazy 00:07:05.769 --> 00:07:07.569 or anything like that. There are plenty of folks 00:07:07.569 --> 00:07:11.610 who say that. And that's fine. I don't see here 00:07:11.610 --> 00:07:14.730 a distinction between Jew and Gentile. I think 00:07:14.730 --> 00:07:18.050 he's just condemning all men. Showing that all 00:07:18.050 --> 00:07:23.209 men are condemned. All men are under the wrath 00:07:23.209 --> 00:07:27.110 of God as they reject God. And they follow their 00:07:27.110 --> 00:07:30.529 own path. And they do their own thing. And they 00:07:30.529 --> 00:07:37.610 suppress their conscience. All men. Okay? Now 00:07:37.610 --> 00:07:44.829 how does that fit in with the theme? Okay. All 00:07:44.829 --> 00:07:47.430 men need the gospel, right? What's Paul saying? 00:07:47.589 --> 00:07:49.910 I'm not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the 00:07:49.910 --> 00:07:54.350 power of God unto salvation. Who needs the gospel? 00:07:56.370 --> 00:08:01.410 All men, right? All men need the gospel. All 00:08:01.410 --> 00:08:04.970 men are condemned apart from the gospel. All 00:08:04.970 --> 00:08:29.019 right? Yes, ma 'am. to the worst kind of is above 00:08:29.019 --> 00:08:33.000 becoming like the worst kind of sinner like we 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:38.700 would all all men left to themselves sure have 00:08:38.700 --> 00:08:42.240 that potential have that potential this just 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:44.440 sort of seems like I've heard it described as 00:08:44.440 --> 00:08:47.919 like a downward spiral like it begins you don't 00:08:47.919 --> 00:08:50.679 even acknowledge God and then you're not thankful 00:08:50.679 --> 00:08:53.019 in your heart and then you're just doing things 00:08:53.019 --> 00:08:56.620 that are against him and you just And I've thought 00:08:56.620 --> 00:08:58.720 of that before. Like, I think some people think 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:03.980 that they could never be, you know, as bad as 00:09:03.980 --> 00:09:07.340 people on true crime shows or something. But 00:09:07.340 --> 00:09:11.100 it's like, maybe anybody could fall into that. 00:09:11.379 --> 00:09:15.519 Yeah. Yeah, I mean, all men are prone to the 00:09:15.519 --> 00:09:20.600 most vile sin. All men apart from God, right? 00:09:20.679 --> 00:09:24.289 I mean, again, as believers, a new heart, a new 00:09:24.289 --> 00:09:26.769 nature, and all of that. That's not our tendency. 00:09:27.529 --> 00:09:31.509 But all men, apart from God, why aren't men as 00:09:31.509 --> 00:09:33.289 bad as they could be? Why aren't we all just 00:09:33.289 --> 00:09:37.129 a bunch of Hitlers running around? The grace 00:09:37.129 --> 00:09:42.789 of God, right? But really, in our hearts, apart 00:09:42.789 --> 00:09:46.070 from God, is there much difference? We just don't 00:09:46.070 --> 00:09:49.309 put into practice the things that he did. We 00:09:49.309 --> 00:09:51.450 think of those things. I mean, men are evil. 00:09:51.590 --> 00:09:56.320 Men are wicked. So apart from God, yeah, we all 00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:00.659 can be way worse than we are. Society, again, 00:10:00.759 --> 00:10:03.639 we see it falling. We see it getting worse. And 00:10:03.639 --> 00:10:06.240 it's the grace of God that it's not worse than 00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:10.179 it is. That men are not acting more depraved 00:10:10.179 --> 00:10:14.700 than they already are. So yeah, we could, you 00:10:14.700 --> 00:10:20.360 know, it's within all men to be way worse than 00:10:20.360 --> 00:10:23.379 what they are. It's simply the grace of God. 00:10:26.259 --> 00:10:40.919 Okay. Chapter 2. Therefore, you have no excuse, 00:10:41.100 --> 00:10:43.600 every one of you who passes judgment. For in 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:45.679 that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. 00:10:46.379 --> 00:10:49.259 For you who judge practice the same thing. And 00:10:49.259 --> 00:10:52.220 we know that the judgment of God is according 00:10:52.220 --> 00:10:55.100 to truth against those who practice such things. 00:10:56.879 --> 00:10:59.460 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass 00:10:59.460 --> 00:11:01.799 judgment on those who practice such things and 00:11:01.799 --> 00:11:05.059 do the same yourself, that you will escape the 00:11:05.059 --> 00:11:08.139 judgment of God? Or do you think lightly of the 00:11:08.139 --> 00:11:10.419 riches of his kindness and tolerance and patience, 00:11:10.440 --> 00:11:12.940 not knowing that the kindness of God leads you 00:11:12.940 --> 00:11:16.159 to repentance? But because of your stubbornness 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:18.419 and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath 00:11:18.419 --> 00:11:21.200 for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:24.320 of the righteous judgment of God, who will render 00:11:24.320 --> 00:11:29.860 to each person according to his deeds. So again, 00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:33.019 we see there just more condemnation. And what 00:11:33.019 --> 00:11:37.620 is it that Paul says here? He says, you're storing 00:11:37.620 --> 00:11:41.980 this up. In other words, you're storing up what 00:11:41.980 --> 00:11:44.539 you have coming. You're earning every bit of 00:11:44.539 --> 00:11:47.539 it with your wickedness and your evil deeds. 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:51.919 All right. And so all are without excuse and 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:59.519 all are condemned. Now he goes on here. He calls 00:11:59.519 --> 00:12:03.299 out specifically at the end of that in verse 00:12:03.299 --> 00:12:06.600 nine there. I think it's verse nine. There will 00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:08.919 be tribulation and distress for every soul of 00:12:08.919 --> 00:12:13.700 man who does evil. Of the Jew first and also 00:12:13.700 --> 00:12:16.519 of the Greek. But glory, honor, and peace to 00:12:16.519 --> 00:12:19.139 everyone who does good. To the Jew first and 00:12:19.139 --> 00:12:22.500 also to the Greek. For there is no partiality 00:12:22.500 --> 00:12:26.879 with God. And then he brings in the law here. 00:12:26.940 --> 00:12:28.980 He says, for all who have sinned without the 00:12:28.980 --> 00:12:32.700 law will perish without the law. And all who 00:12:32.700 --> 00:12:36.159 have sinned under the law will be judged by the 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:42.399 law. So again, those are those two groups. Without 00:12:42.399 --> 00:12:45.340 the law and then with the law. The Jew and the 00:12:45.340 --> 00:12:50.500 Gentile. The Jew and the Greek. For it is not 00:12:50.500 --> 00:12:53.120 the hearers of the law who are just before God, 00:12:53.259 --> 00:12:56.299 but the doers of the law will be justified. For 00:12:56.299 --> 00:12:59.399 when Gentiles who do not have the law do instinctively 00:12:59.399 --> 00:13:02.320 the things of the law, these not having the law 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:05.059 are a law to themselves, in that they show the 00:13:05.059 --> 00:13:06.960 work of the law written in their hearts, their 00:13:06.960 --> 00:13:09.179 conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:12.620 alternately accusing or else defending them, 00:13:12.740 --> 00:13:15.539 on the day when, according to my gospel, God 00:13:15.539 --> 00:13:17.600 will judge the secrets of men through Christ 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:21.879 Jesus. So again, it's condemnation, more condemnation, 00:13:21.879 --> 00:13:25.940 with or without the law. Paul now brings in the 00:13:25.940 --> 00:13:28.919 law. He says, you'll not be justified by the 00:13:28.919 --> 00:13:32.840 works of the law. You're still going to be condemned 00:13:32.840 --> 00:13:39.740 if you're not following God. Jew or Gentile. 00:13:41.659 --> 00:13:45.480 Now then, in verse 17, he begins to deal more 00:13:45.480 --> 00:13:49.980 specifically here and deals with the Jews. What 00:13:49.980 --> 00:13:53.000 I would say is kind of a turning point here in 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:57.059 this chapter. And he says, if you bear the name 00:13:57.059 --> 00:14:01.080 Jew and rely upon the law and boast in God and 00:14:01.080 --> 00:14:03.679 know his will and approve the things that are 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:06.690 essential being instructed out of the law. and 00:14:06.690 --> 00:14:09.389 are confident that you are a guide to the blind, 00:14:09.629 --> 00:14:11.909 a light to those in darkness, a corrector of 00:14:11.909 --> 00:14:16.190 the foolish, and so on and so forth. And then 00:14:16.190 --> 00:14:22.450 he says, but we should just read it. A corrector 00:14:22.450 --> 00:14:24.950 of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having 00:14:24.950 --> 00:14:27.129 in the law the embodiment of knowledge and of 00:14:27.129 --> 00:14:30.190 truth, you therefore who teach another, do you 00:14:30.190 --> 00:14:32.929 not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall 00:14:32.929 --> 00:14:35.899 not steal, do you steal? You who say that one 00:14:35.899 --> 00:14:38.279 should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:42.080 You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You 00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:45.440 who boast in the law, through your breaking the 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:48.700 law, do you dishonor God? For the name of God 00:14:48.700 --> 00:14:51.360 is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you 00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:53.919 just as it is written. What's his point there? 00:14:54.539 --> 00:14:57.580 What's his point? Why is he calling attention 00:14:57.580 --> 00:15:20.460 to this? So it seems like the Jews feel self 00:15:20.460 --> 00:15:24.360 -righteous and proud and boastful because they 00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:27.460 have the law and they keep the law. And he's 00:15:27.460 --> 00:15:31.159 pointing out, do you really keep it? Like maybe 00:15:31.159 --> 00:15:33.940 just because you keep most things or some things, 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:37.080 you're breaking it here. And so it seems like 00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:40.039 he's saying they don't really keep it. That's 00:15:40.039 --> 00:15:41.639 what he's saying. He's saying you don't keep 00:15:41.639 --> 00:15:49.159 the law. Yeah. And so the big issue then is what? 00:15:49.940 --> 00:15:52.740 What was the Jews thinking? Why is he telling 00:15:52.740 --> 00:15:55.200 them this? What was their thinking? They have 00:15:55.200 --> 00:16:00.620 the law. They're good. Right? They're good to 00:16:00.620 --> 00:16:05.840 go. They're justified. Right? We're good. We 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:09.360 are the Jews. Who are the Jews? Chosen people 00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:12.600 of God, right? And so we are good. We have the 00:16:12.600 --> 00:16:16.000 law. We've got Moses. We come from Abraham. We 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:19.519 are good. Paul's telling them, no, you're not. 00:16:20.440 --> 00:16:24.159 What's he telling them? You're condemned. More 00:16:24.159 --> 00:16:28.340 condemnation. And pointing that out to them. 00:16:32.059 --> 00:16:35.299 Okay. I don't want to get ahead of myself here. 00:16:35.539 --> 00:16:38.980 And then he goes on here. And I want to point 00:16:38.980 --> 00:16:44.289 this out for us. So, Man, burn it up. Is anybody 00:16:44.289 --> 00:17:00.370 else hot? I mean, I get hot because I'm nervous 00:17:00.370 --> 00:17:06.730 sometimes, but this is just a hot. All right. 00:17:07.069 --> 00:17:10.009 So, he goes on here, and I want to read this. 00:17:10.829 --> 00:17:14.569 to you here so in verse 25 he says for indeed 00:17:14.569 --> 00:17:17.710 circumcision is of value if you practice the 00:17:17.710 --> 00:17:20.130 law but if you are a transgressor of the law 00:17:20.130 --> 00:17:23.589 your circumcision has become uncircumcision so 00:17:23.589 --> 00:17:27.329 if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements 00:17:27.329 --> 00:17:30.730 of the law will not his uncircumcision be regarded 00:17:30.730 --> 00:17:34.549 as circumcision and he who is physically uncircumcised 00:17:34.549 --> 00:17:37.990 if he keeps the law will will he not judge you 00:17:37.990 --> 00:17:41.960 who though having the The letter and circumcision 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:45.940 are a transgressor of the law. So what's he saying 00:17:45.940 --> 00:17:49.680 there? He's saying circumcised, uncircumcised. 00:17:49.720 --> 00:17:53.759 So he's talking Jew and Gentile, right? Circumcised, 00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:56.900 Jews were circumcised. Gentiles were not circumcised. 00:17:57.579 --> 00:18:00.980 What's he saying? He's saying just because you're 00:18:00.980 --> 00:18:04.279 circumcised means nothing if you're not obeying 00:18:04.279 --> 00:18:08.539 the law. The uncircumcised Gentiles can keep 00:18:08.539 --> 00:18:11.119 the law. can keep the law and are better off 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:13.660 than you are. Because they're obedient. They're 00:18:13.660 --> 00:18:18.400 obeying. And their circumcision or uncircumcision 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:22.900 doesn't matter. So he's again telling them, you're 00:18:22.900 --> 00:18:25.039 not better than anybody else just because you 00:18:25.039 --> 00:18:28.500 have the law. You're not on this other plane 00:18:28.500 --> 00:18:32.640 just because you're an Israelite or a Jew. And 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:34.700 then he makes that really, really clear, right? 00:18:34.819 --> 00:18:39.369 As he goes on here, he says in verse 28, For 00:18:39.369 --> 00:18:43.769 he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is 00:18:43.769 --> 00:18:46.190 circumcision that which is outward in the flesh, 00:18:46.430 --> 00:18:50.990 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly. And circumcision 00:18:50.990 --> 00:18:53.329 is that which is of the heart by the Spirit, 00:18:53.529 --> 00:18:57.089 not by the letter. And his praise is not from 00:18:57.089 --> 00:19:01.349 men, but from God. So what is he saying there? 00:19:01.569 --> 00:19:04.630 It's not these outward things. It's not this 00:19:04.630 --> 00:19:07.069 keeping these outward things or doing these outward 00:19:07.069 --> 00:19:12.410 things. Or who you're born to. Right? What's 00:19:12.410 --> 00:19:17.029 the issue? The issue is obedience to God. Keeping 00:19:17.029 --> 00:19:22.349 the law. He'll go on to tell us what the real 00:19:22.349 --> 00:19:26.910 issue is here is being justified. Being justified 00:19:26.910 --> 00:19:29.930 by faith and so on. But it's important that we 00:19:29.930 --> 00:19:38.670 understand here, who is a Jew? One who is circumcised 00:19:38.670 --> 00:19:42.349 inwardly. In other words, he's got a new heart. 00:19:43.250 --> 00:19:47.589 That's what Paul says here. The Jews are not 00:19:47.589 --> 00:19:53.029 this nation over in Palestine. And he's telling 00:19:53.029 --> 00:19:56.950 these folks this right here in the old days. 00:19:57.529 --> 00:20:01.269 Right here, right after Jesus. When they're still 00:20:01.269 --> 00:20:04.390 living there in Jerusalem, they're still practicing 00:20:04.390 --> 00:20:09.200 all of it. sacrifices and the rituals and all 00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:12.319 these other things, he says the Jews, a true 00:20:12.319 --> 00:20:17.619 Jew, is one who is inwardly circumcised in his 00:20:17.619 --> 00:20:24.079 heart. And if you're not, you're not a Jew. That's 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:25.779 an important thing for us to remember because 00:20:25.779 --> 00:20:29.359 Paul is going to deal with that later on in Romans. 00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:32.059 And so we need to remember that now. He brings 00:20:32.059 --> 00:20:35.039 it up. He makes it clear to us. And then later 00:20:35.039 --> 00:20:38.240 on he's going to talk about it some more. Okay? 00:20:40.119 --> 00:20:47.299 Does that make sense? So who here is a Jew? I 00:20:47.299 --> 00:20:55.440 am. Okay? I am. And then whoever else has been 00:20:55.440 --> 00:20:59.180 saved, who's been circumcised inwardly. Okay? 00:20:59.740 --> 00:21:07.819 We are the Jews. In a spiritual sense. What is 00:21:07.819 --> 00:21:09.539 it? Galatians. We are the children of Abraham. 00:21:10.299 --> 00:21:14.980 Alright. And heirs of the promise. Alright. Now. 00:21:20.279 --> 00:21:25.319 Condemnation. Right. Chapter 1. Verse 18. To 00:21:25.319 --> 00:21:28.440 the end of chapter 2. Paul has been condemning 00:21:28.440 --> 00:21:33.259 all men. If you take some. You know, like Brian 00:21:33.259 --> 00:21:35.059 pointed out there, if he's speaking specifically 00:21:35.059 --> 00:21:37.319 to Gentiles there in that first chapter, and 00:21:37.319 --> 00:21:39.619 then specifically to the Jews in the second chapter, 00:21:40.140 --> 00:21:42.799 that's what the conclusion you come to find. 00:21:43.980 --> 00:21:46.660 What's the point, though? All men are condemned. 00:21:49.140 --> 00:21:53.279 All men, Jew and Gentile alike, are under the 00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:57.440 wrath of God. That's Paul's point. That's why 00:21:57.440 --> 00:21:59.859 all men need this gospel, and that's why Paul's 00:21:59.859 --> 00:22:03.400 proud of this gospel, This is a way for man to 00:22:03.400 --> 00:22:07.099 be made right with God. The gospel is the power 00:22:07.099 --> 00:22:10.339 of God unto salvation. It's the only way. And 00:22:10.339 --> 00:22:12.640 that's what he's going to start to talk about 00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:20.460 now. Well, eventually. Now, he begins chapter 00:22:20.460 --> 00:22:25.299 3. He says, then what advantage has the Jew? 00:22:26.299 --> 00:22:30.099 Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Now, 00:22:30.099 --> 00:22:40.809 why did he ask those questions? Jews had been 00:22:40.809 --> 00:22:43.029 given, which had always been considered a blessing 00:22:43.029 --> 00:22:47.769 to them, maybe. And this is, we'll have a couple 00:22:47.769 --> 00:22:53.910 of quick questions. Is this kind of news to the 00:22:53.910 --> 00:22:56.089 Jews and the Gentiles? Because like for years 00:22:56.089 --> 00:23:00.410 they were the chosen people. And they had privilege, 00:23:00.630 --> 00:23:03.630 would you say? And then in verse 11 of chapter 00:23:03.630 --> 00:23:07.690 2 when he says, for there is no respect of persons 00:23:07.690 --> 00:23:11.519 with God. I have written beside it, this is news 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:16.119 to the Jews. So is that how you... Sure. And 00:23:16.119 --> 00:23:20.440 my other question is, so the Romans, this is 00:23:20.440 --> 00:23:27.519 a dumb one, were they mostly Jews, mostly Gentiles, 00:23:27.539 --> 00:23:30.940 a mixture? I would think it was a mixture, right? 00:23:31.180 --> 00:23:34.700 Okay. I mean, we wouldn't... Well, I think it 00:23:34.700 --> 00:23:37.220 was a mixture, but I think the Romans were Gentiles. 00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:42.920 Okay. Yeah. Definitely not. Again, in all of 00:23:42.920 --> 00:23:44.660 these places, there would have been a mixture. 00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:49.059 Right. Okay. I was just curious about that. Okay. 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:53.880 I have a question a little bit. So, if there's 00:23:53.880 --> 00:23:56.720 no distinction anymore between you and Gentile, 00:23:56.720 --> 00:24:00.039 right? Is that kind of what's the case that's 00:24:00.039 --> 00:24:02.460 being made? Like, there's no difference? It's 00:24:02.460 --> 00:24:06.880 a heart issue? Well, that's not what Paul's... 00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:09.269 I wouldn't say that's what... What Paul's dealing 00:24:09.269 --> 00:24:12.630 with here. He's dealing here with all men being 00:24:12.630 --> 00:24:15.630 condemned. And there's only one way of salvation. 00:24:16.029 --> 00:24:21.390 And it has nothing to do with your birth. In 00:24:21.390 --> 00:24:33.470 verse 10 of chapter 2. Right. Okay. No, that's 00:24:33.470 --> 00:24:40.089 fine. That's fine. Right. Well, if you read over 00:24:40.089 --> 00:24:43.049 there, read on down there to chapter 12. Paul 00:24:43.049 --> 00:24:49.210 seems to give an idea here of a greater responsibility 00:24:49.210 --> 00:24:55.170 or a greater... I think you mean verse 12. Verse 00:24:55.170 --> 00:24:58.829 12. Did I say chapter 12? Verse 12. We're really 00:24:58.829 --> 00:25:02.730 jumping ahead. No, I'm sorry. Chapter 12. Verse 00:25:02.730 --> 00:25:09.400 12 of chapter 2. Verse 12. Verse 12. So in verse 00:25:09.400 --> 00:25:13.460 12 here, he says, for all who have sinned without 00:25:13.460 --> 00:25:19.099 the law will also perish without the law. And 00:25:19.099 --> 00:25:21.180 then those who have sinned under the law will 00:25:21.180 --> 00:25:26.700 be judged by the law. Okay. Martin O. Jones says 00:25:26.700 --> 00:25:30.960 that those two words, perish and judge, that 00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:33.240 they have to do with a greater degree of punishment 00:25:33.240 --> 00:25:38.099 or judgment or based on. the fact that the Gentiles 00:25:38.099 --> 00:25:40.700 didn't have the law, and so they're not held 00:25:40.700 --> 00:25:44.819 to the same standard as the Jews are. And so 00:25:44.819 --> 00:25:47.019 there's a degree here of punishment, a degree 00:25:47.019 --> 00:25:55.059 of responsibility. And so, does that help? Again, 00:25:55.619 --> 00:26:01.940 with more light comes more responsibility, right? 00:26:02.019 --> 00:26:06.140 I mean, we have been given, you know, just in 00:26:06.140 --> 00:26:09.839 this church, okay, we have greater responsibility 00:26:09.839 --> 00:26:13.460 than the guy down the street who's a Christian, 00:26:13.559 --> 00:26:17.480 but he's in this church that's barely preaching 00:26:17.480 --> 00:26:20.619 anything good. But he's trusting Jesus. He's 00:26:20.619 --> 00:26:24.039 saved just as much as we are. But he's just in 00:26:24.039 --> 00:26:27.579 a bad place there and he's not given the good 00:26:27.579 --> 00:26:30.359 teaching and he's not encouraged to do certain, 00:26:30.440 --> 00:26:32.640 you know. We are of a greater responsibility. 00:26:32.759 --> 00:26:36.539 We will be held to a higher standard. Just like 00:26:36.539 --> 00:26:39.019 the guy, the unconverted man who sits in the 00:26:39.019 --> 00:26:42.460 pew every week and hears the truth and is pleaded 00:26:42.460 --> 00:26:45.640 with to repent and to believe the gospel and 00:26:45.640 --> 00:26:48.579 never does, he will be held to a higher standard 00:26:48.579 --> 00:26:52.920 than the guy who is down in South America jungles 00:26:52.920 --> 00:26:56.279 and all he has is his conscience telling him 00:26:56.279 --> 00:27:06.259 that there is a God. Other questions? Oh, you 00:27:06.259 --> 00:27:11.000 had the question. So then in chapter 1, verse 00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:14.819 16, it also says about salvation to everyone 00:27:14.819 --> 00:27:17.980 who believes to the Jew first and also to the 00:27:17.980 --> 00:27:21.839 Greek. Is that just because they had an opportunity 00:27:21.839 --> 00:27:26.079 for salvation first? Well, yeah, they were given 00:27:26.079 --> 00:27:30.440 great blessings, which Paul says here, right? 00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:34.160 So back to my question, why does Paul ask these 00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:37.579 questions? Why does Paul say what advantage has 00:27:37.579 --> 00:27:40.519 the Jew or what is the benefit of circumcision? 00:27:49.740 --> 00:27:53.180 Okay, he was defending God. Why else does he 00:27:53.180 --> 00:27:56.940 ask the question? Here's what I'm getting at. 00:27:59.339 --> 00:28:03.640 Paul, throughout the book of Romans, Asks question 00:28:03.640 --> 00:28:08.240 after question after question. Alright. When 00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:11.099 you find that question. This one right here. 00:28:11.819 --> 00:28:14.980 You have to understand why he asks the question. 00:28:18.559 --> 00:28:22.920 What he said here was something outlandish. In 00:28:22.920 --> 00:28:26.579 chapter 2. That was totally foreign and crazy 00:28:26.579 --> 00:28:30.670 to the Jews. So the Jews are sitting there listening 00:28:30.670 --> 00:28:34.589 to Paul, and they're like, well, what benefit 00:28:34.589 --> 00:28:37.269 is it? If we're condemned just like everybody 00:28:37.269 --> 00:28:41.589 else, what good is it to be a Jew? What's the 00:28:41.589 --> 00:28:44.589 benefit to me? I'm going to hell just like the 00:28:44.589 --> 00:28:49.309 next guy. Right? And so that's why Paul says 00:28:49.309 --> 00:28:52.269 this. He's anticipating someone saying, Paul, 00:28:52.470 --> 00:28:56.069 hang on now. What about the fact that we are 00:28:56.069 --> 00:28:59.160 the chosen people? Isn't there benefit in that? 00:28:59.740 --> 00:29:02.140 Don't we get it? Isn't there some privilege there? 00:29:03.259 --> 00:29:06.619 Right? That's what you would expect someone to 00:29:06.619 --> 00:29:10.779 ask. And that's why Paul says it here. He goes 00:29:10.779 --> 00:29:12.660 on here, just like Dad said, he asks some other 00:29:12.660 --> 00:29:17.119 questions here, and he's defending God. Showing 00:29:17.119 --> 00:29:20.299 that God is just, that God is faithful. But you've 00:29:20.299 --> 00:29:23.660 got to ask yourself, why does Paul ask this question? 00:29:24.279 --> 00:29:26.460 And if you can't come to that understanding, 00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:29.259 then you've missed the point of what he's already 00:29:29.259 --> 00:29:33.599 said. Okay? So as we go through here, as you 00:29:33.599 --> 00:29:37.180 read through Romans, Romans is a unique book. 00:29:39.779 --> 00:29:43.039 All of this book is just theology, theology, 00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:46.440 theology. And then he talks about how we apply 00:29:46.440 --> 00:29:49.839 that in our lives. But it's a logical progression. 00:29:50.779 --> 00:29:54.359 You've got to understand his argument. It's not... 00:29:54.359 --> 00:29:56.799 Paul does that in different... different letters, 00:29:56.900 --> 00:30:01.200 but it's really a lot here. So you've got to 00:30:01.200 --> 00:30:03.720 understand the argument as you go along. When 00:30:03.720 --> 00:30:06.119 he asks a question, you have to ask yourself, 00:30:06.539 --> 00:30:11.000 why does he ask that question? What has he said 00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:13.759 before that's going to make somebody say, why 00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:17.799 this? And if you can't come to that, you've got 00:30:17.799 --> 00:30:20.539 to go back and say, I'm missing something. I'm 00:30:20.539 --> 00:30:22.640 missing the point of what he just got done saying, 00:30:22.859 --> 00:30:24.880 because I have no idea why he's just jumping 00:30:24.880 --> 00:30:27.880 to this question. Okay? Does that make sense? 00:30:29.940 --> 00:30:32.779 Okay, so he says, what advantage has the Jew? 00:30:33.019 --> 00:30:35.740 If we're all condemned, I've got the law, he 00:30:35.740 --> 00:30:37.359 doesn't have the law, we're all going to hell, 00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:40.000 what advantage has the Jew? Well, what is the 00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:45.980 advantage? Does anybody know? I think it does. 00:30:48.900 --> 00:30:53.180 Okay. So, what advantage is that? To have the 00:30:53.180 --> 00:30:56.930 written word of God, is that an advantage? Absolutely, 00:30:57.170 --> 00:31:03.049 right? Absolutely. Because in those oracles of 00:31:03.049 --> 00:31:08.170 God, in your Old Testament, the gospel was there. 00:31:08.549 --> 00:31:10.970 The gospel was there. Now, it wasn't as clear 00:31:10.970 --> 00:31:14.289 as Paul's going to make it for us here in the 00:31:14.289 --> 00:31:17.710 New Testament, but it was there. In fact, he's 00:31:17.710 --> 00:31:20.529 referred to it already. I didn't write it down. 00:31:20.549 --> 00:31:23.049 Is it Habakkuk or the just shall live by faith? 00:31:23.569 --> 00:31:28.289 Okay. It's right there. The just shall live by 00:31:28.289 --> 00:31:31.829 faith. Mine says the righteous. In Habakkuk it's 00:31:31.829 --> 00:31:35.089 the just. Does King James say just? So the just 00:31:35.089 --> 00:31:39.569 shall live by faith. In other words, we're justified 00:31:39.569 --> 00:31:44.789 by faith. Right there in the Old Testament. And 00:31:44.789 --> 00:31:47.430 we hear the same thing then here in the New Testament. 00:31:47.509 --> 00:31:49.069 Paul's going to tell us that time and again. 00:31:49.950 --> 00:31:58.099 Justified by faith. Okay? So, he goes on and 00:31:58.099 --> 00:32:03.460 he asks some other questions here. And real quick, 00:32:03.619 --> 00:32:05.339 the oracles of God. I'll just say this because 00:32:05.339 --> 00:32:07.019 we're probably not going to have time to get 00:32:07.019 --> 00:32:12.220 to it all. But maybe we will. In verse 21 of 00:32:12.220 --> 00:32:15.160 chapter 3, he also kind of answers this question. 00:32:15.220 --> 00:32:20.599 He says, But now, apart from the law, a righteousness 00:32:20.599 --> 00:32:23.839 of God has been manifested, being witnessed by 00:32:23.839 --> 00:32:27.380 the law and the prophets. Alright? Same thing 00:32:27.380 --> 00:32:30.720 there. Same thing. What is the law and the prophets? 00:32:31.500 --> 00:32:34.579 It's the Old Testament Scriptures. And he's saying 00:32:34.579 --> 00:32:38.799 there, a righteousness apart from the law. In 00:32:38.799 --> 00:32:44.039 other words, by faith. This righteousness that 00:32:44.039 --> 00:32:49.450 is revealed. In the Old Testament. Again, another 00:32:49.450 --> 00:32:52.269 benefit of being a Jew. The Old Testament Scriptures 00:32:52.269 --> 00:32:58.490 pointed to Jesus Christ, the full embodiment 00:32:58.490 --> 00:33:12.670 of the Gospel. Okay. Alright. So then he asks 00:33:12.670 --> 00:33:16.990 another question. In verse 3, he says, what then? 00:33:17.529 --> 00:33:22.230 If some did not believe, their unbelief will 00:33:22.230 --> 00:33:25.109 not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 00:33:25.930 --> 00:33:29.730 Okay, so there's another question, right? He's 00:33:29.730 --> 00:33:33.150 got another question. Will, and if we put it 00:33:33.150 --> 00:33:36.369 in, I wrote it down here. I said, if God, is 00:33:36.369 --> 00:33:41.609 God unfaithful to his promise to Israel, if some 00:33:41.609 --> 00:33:45.759 are lost or unsaved? So the people of God, right? 00:33:45.839 --> 00:33:49.740 God made all sorts of promises. Is God unfaithful 00:33:49.740 --> 00:33:54.019 if some of the Jews are not saved? That's what 00:33:54.019 --> 00:33:57.559 Paul's asking there. Because again, why is he 00:33:57.559 --> 00:33:59.960 asking that? Because that's the accusation that's 00:33:59.960 --> 00:34:03.240 going to come against him. If all of us Jews 00:34:03.240 --> 00:34:07.460 aren't saved and we have the promises of God, 00:34:07.660 --> 00:34:12.530 isn't God unfaithful? Didn't God? fail in all 00:34:12.530 --> 00:34:16.230 that he promised us paul says what does he say 00:34:16.230 --> 00:34:21.269 may it never be rather let god be found true 00:34:21.269 --> 00:34:24.250 though every man be found a liar as it is written 00:34:24.250 --> 00:34:29.869 so again paul's there he's vindicating and he 00:34:29.869 --> 00:34:32.570 goes on here then to talk about the faithfulness 00:34:32.570 --> 00:34:38.130 of god that god is faithful despite the jews 00:34:38.130 --> 00:34:44.199 not all being saved all right But I want to point 00:34:44.199 --> 00:34:47.559 out there the questions, right? Paul, the questions 00:34:47.559 --> 00:34:50.300 that he's asking, the responses that he gives 00:34:50.300 --> 00:34:55.280 are all because of something that he said that 00:34:55.280 --> 00:34:57.360 has caused somebody to say, hang on a minute. 00:34:57.820 --> 00:35:01.260 If you're saying that, then this must be the 00:35:01.260 --> 00:35:04.980 case. And Paul says, no, God is faithful despite 00:35:04.980 --> 00:35:22.449 that. Okay. Again, I mean, we're going through 00:35:22.449 --> 00:35:27.590 it fast. Did you want to say something? I was 00:35:27.590 --> 00:35:29.329 just going to remind you that you don't have 00:35:29.329 --> 00:35:31.590 to finish tonight. We've got to do it next Wednesday 00:35:31.590 --> 00:35:34.630 also. Yeah, yeah. I think we'll be all right. 00:35:35.269 --> 00:35:39.489 Again, guys, there's so much here. There's so 00:35:39.489 --> 00:35:42.309 much that we're just kind of glossing over. And 00:35:42.309 --> 00:35:44.110 we're just kind of picking out the highlights 00:35:44.110 --> 00:35:47.170 here so that we all kind of know where we're 00:35:47.170 --> 00:35:50.849 headed. And hopefully then you can read through 00:35:50.849 --> 00:35:53.429 these first four chapters again this week and 00:35:53.429 --> 00:35:55.630 pick some of these things out for yourself. Maybe 00:35:55.630 --> 00:35:58.030 have some more questions and go find your answers. 00:35:58.949 --> 00:36:05.650 So, any questions about that little bit there? 00:36:23.480 --> 00:36:35.019 Sure. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, he goes on here. If 00:36:35.019 --> 00:36:38.619 we read verse 5, but if our righteousness demonstrates 00:36:38.619 --> 00:36:42.119 the righteousness, I'm sorry, if our unrighteousness, 00:36:42.119 --> 00:36:46.960 so our sin, demonstrates the righteousness of 00:36:46.960 --> 00:36:50.400 God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts 00:36:50.400 --> 00:36:53.320 wrath is not unrighteous, is he? And then he 00:36:53.320 --> 00:36:56.199 says, I'm speaking in human terms. May it never 00:36:56.199 --> 00:36:59.940 be. For otherwise, how will God judge the world? 00:37:00.780 --> 00:37:04.039 So in other words there, he says, well, again, 00:37:04.099 --> 00:37:08.179 what's the accusation? The accusation is, how 00:37:08.179 --> 00:37:13.219 can God be just? How can God be fair if my sin 00:37:13.219 --> 00:37:16.960 shows forth the righteousness of God? If God's 00:37:16.960 --> 00:37:22.349 glorified, how am I judged? How could God judge 00:37:22.349 --> 00:37:26.570 me? Isn't that a double standard? Isn't God unrighteous 00:37:26.570 --> 00:37:29.690 then? Isn't He an unfair judge? Paul, of course, 00:37:29.710 --> 00:37:35.230 says, may it never be. Of course not. He says, 00:37:35.369 --> 00:37:37.489 may it never be, for otherwise, how will God 00:37:37.489 --> 00:37:39.369 judge the world? And why does he say that? How 00:37:39.369 --> 00:37:44.349 will God judge the world? His point is, if God's 00:37:44.349 --> 00:37:47.449 unrighteous, if God's unjust, how could He ever 00:37:47.449 --> 00:37:50.429 be the one who's going to judge? And yet we know 00:37:50.429 --> 00:37:53.869 God is the judge. So we know God is righteous 00:37:53.869 --> 00:37:57.389 and we know He's fair. That's His reasoning there. 00:37:57.469 --> 00:37:59.909 He's vindicating God in all of this and saying 00:37:59.909 --> 00:38:05.070 God is just. And our sin and God's dealing with 00:38:05.070 --> 00:38:11.389 our sin in condemnation does not make God unjust 00:38:11.389 --> 00:38:19.539 or unrighteous in His dealings with us. Hang 00:38:19.539 --> 00:38:21.599 on. Because he goes on there and he says, right? 00:38:21.739 --> 00:38:25.440 At the very end there of 8, their condemnation 00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:29.559 is just. Those who think in that way, their condemnation 00:38:29.559 --> 00:38:35.179 is just. To think that God is unfair to judge 00:38:35.179 --> 00:38:39.880 me when my sin shows forth His righteousness. 00:38:40.940 --> 00:38:55.039 Chris. Is God unfaithful to his promise to Israel 00:38:55.039 --> 00:39:08.679 if some are lost or unsaved? Did we get to that 00:39:08.679 --> 00:39:12.699 already? I wasn't going to deal with it anymore. 00:39:12.780 --> 00:39:23.289 If you want to ask something, go ahead. Well, 00:39:24.889 --> 00:39:26.690 what did we say when we went through all the 00:39:26.690 --> 00:39:35.610 covenants? Who is the promise to? Who did God 00:39:35.610 --> 00:39:41.170 promise to save? All of Abraham's children, right? 00:39:43.570 --> 00:39:48.590 All his true children. We talked about Abraham's 00:39:48.590 --> 00:39:52.599 four seeds. It's physical seed, spiritual seed. 00:39:54.119 --> 00:39:59.139 I don't remember them all. Anyway, the promise 00:39:59.139 --> 00:40:03.539 was that those who had faith, those who believed, 00:40:03.840 --> 00:40:09.000 would be saved. Those are the ones who he promised 00:40:09.000 --> 00:40:13.539 to save. Those are Abraham's true seed and heirs 00:40:13.539 --> 00:40:21.880 of the promise, Galatians says. Again, they don't 00:40:21.880 --> 00:40:24.760 understand it. They don't understand this, right? 00:40:25.219 --> 00:40:27.320 Because why are they asking these questions? 00:40:27.400 --> 00:40:29.880 Because they think they're good. They're Jews. 00:40:30.059 --> 00:40:33.519 They're okay. How can Paul say that they're condemned 00:40:33.519 --> 00:40:40.900 and they're just like everybody else? Well, I 00:40:40.900 --> 00:40:49.280 mean, again, if we were to... delve into here 00:40:49.280 --> 00:40:52.639 and just really go in, we would see all of these 00:40:52.639 --> 00:40:54.739 things that we're saying in greater detail. And 00:40:54.739 --> 00:40:57.559 the Jews understood. The Jews understood what 00:40:57.559 --> 00:41:00.559 was being said. That's why Paul is giving these 00:41:00.559 --> 00:41:03.340 rebuttals to these hypothetical questions that 00:41:03.340 --> 00:41:05.820 he's anticipating. Because he knew they would 00:41:05.820 --> 00:41:20.500 understand. and it's like the same thing. It's 00:41:20.500 --> 00:41:26.239 pretty interesting. Yeah. Like how are they thinking 00:41:26.239 --> 00:41:34.960 about Romans? Yeah, they're not. So what does 00:41:34.960 --> 00:41:39.119 this mean as far as our unrighteousness demonstrates 00:41:39.119 --> 00:42:02.860 the righteousness of God? That's their issue, 00:42:02.940 --> 00:42:06.019 right? How can God judge us if our righteousness 00:42:06.019 --> 00:42:10.460 unrighteousness shows his righteousness? How 00:42:10.460 --> 00:42:26.360 is that okay? Verse 9. What then? Another question. 00:42:26.579 --> 00:42:32.739 What then? Are we better than they? And again, 00:42:32.800 --> 00:42:37.159 Paul answers it. It says, not at all. For we 00:42:37.159 --> 00:42:41.280 have already charged that both Jews and Greeks 00:42:41.280 --> 00:42:45.059 are all under sin. As it is written, there is 00:42:45.059 --> 00:42:47.699 none righteous, no, not one. He quotes this whole 00:42:47.699 --> 00:42:51.599 scripture here. To show just the utter condemnation 00:42:51.599 --> 00:43:03.139 upon men and the corruption of man. Now, we're 00:43:03.139 --> 00:43:10.300 going to skip down to verse 21. Well, I guess 00:43:10.300 --> 00:43:15.659 we shouldn't. Verse 19. Now we know that whatever 00:43:15.659 --> 00:43:18.579 the law says, it speaks to those who are under 00:43:18.579 --> 00:43:21.420 the law. so that every mouth may be closed and 00:43:21.420 --> 00:43:23.699 all the world may become accountable to God. 00:43:24.380 --> 00:43:27.880 Because by the works of the law, no flesh will 00:43:27.880 --> 00:43:31.400 be justified in his sight. For through the law 00:43:31.400 --> 00:43:35.579 comes the knowledge of sin. Okay? That's a bold 00:43:35.579 --> 00:43:38.960 statement by Paul. A couple of bold statements, 00:43:39.059 --> 00:43:42.940 really. No flesh will be justified by the law, 00:43:43.099 --> 00:43:47.719 by the works of the law. Okay? Salvation does 00:43:47.719 --> 00:43:51.119 not come by the law. That's what Paul's telling 00:43:51.119 --> 00:43:54.380 them there. Again, would that have been a shocker 00:43:54.380 --> 00:43:59.820 to the Jews? Absolutely. Absolutely. But then 00:43:59.820 --> 00:44:03.420 he heaps upon that even more, right? What else 00:44:03.420 --> 00:44:08.940 does he say? For through the law comes the knowledge 00:44:08.940 --> 00:44:13.690 of sin. What? Now there's a statement. Okay, 00:44:13.750 --> 00:44:16.090 the Jews would have been all up in arms over 00:44:16.090 --> 00:44:18.809 that statement. We're not going to deal with 00:44:18.809 --> 00:44:22.050 that statement now. Paul deals with the law later 00:44:22.050 --> 00:44:25.010 on here. We will wind up dealing with that some 00:44:25.010 --> 00:44:29.750 in future weeks and months or whatever. But those 00:44:29.750 --> 00:44:33.889 are some very bold statements by Paul. That would 00:44:33.889 --> 00:44:38.829 have been very controversial. Now, again, he's 00:44:38.829 --> 00:44:41.289 been saying that very thing. I mean, he sums 00:44:41.289 --> 00:44:44.489 it up for us right there. sums up what he's just 00:44:44.489 --> 00:44:46.869 got done telling us in the first three chapters 00:44:46.869 --> 00:44:51.250 up to this point. No flesh will be justified 00:44:51.250 --> 00:44:55.309 by the works of the law, and through the law 00:44:55.309 --> 00:44:58.889 comes the knowledge of sin. He's going to deal 00:44:58.889 --> 00:45:05.309 with this first thing. By the works of the law, 00:45:05.369 --> 00:45:07.769 no flesh will be justified. So that's what he 00:45:07.769 --> 00:45:11.610 starts with here in verse 21. He says, But now, 00:45:11.750 --> 00:45:14.969 apart from the law, a righteousness of God has 00:45:14.969 --> 00:45:18.110 been manifested, being witnessed by the law and 00:45:18.110 --> 00:45:21.389 the prophets, even the righteousness of God through 00:45:21.389 --> 00:45:24.590 faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe. 00:45:25.070 --> 00:45:28.070 For there is no distinction, for all have sinned 00:45:28.070 --> 00:45:30.989 and fall short of the glory of God, being justified 00:45:30.989 --> 00:45:33.530 as a gift by His grace through the redemption 00:45:33.530 --> 00:45:37.369 which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed. 00:45:37.980 --> 00:45:40.900 publicly as a propitiation a wrath bearer in 00:45:40.900 --> 00:45:44.659 his blood through faith this was to demonstrate 00:45:44.659 --> 00:45:47.219 his righteousness because in the forbearance 00:45:47.219 --> 00:45:49.860 of god he passed over the sins previously committed 00:45:49.860 --> 00:45:52.820 for the demonstration i say of his righteousness 00:45:52.820 --> 00:45:55.599 at the present time so that he would be just 00:45:55.599 --> 00:45:58.679 and the justifier of the one who has faith in 00:45:58.679 --> 00:46:04.079 jesus so paul is telling us here what is the 00:46:04.079 --> 00:46:16.199 way how is a man justified By faith. By faith. 00:46:16.599 --> 00:46:19.360 That's what he's saying. Is he justified by the 00:46:19.360 --> 00:46:24.239 works of the law? No. He is justified by faith. 00:46:25.539 --> 00:46:28.860 This is what the law and the prophets have said. 00:46:29.679 --> 00:46:33.000 This is what has been revealed now. Where was 00:46:33.000 --> 00:46:39.119 it revealed? Revealed fully on the cross. In 00:46:39.119 --> 00:46:43.130 Jesus Christ being the sacrifice. The propitiation 00:46:43.130 --> 00:46:49.050 for our sins. Okay? God revealed it all right 00:46:49.050 --> 00:46:52.190 there. That's what Paul is telling us. That's 00:46:52.190 --> 00:46:53.789 what he's telling the Jews. That's what he's 00:46:53.789 --> 00:46:57.530 telling those Gentile Romans there. Here is the 00:46:57.530 --> 00:47:06.670 way to be right with God. By faith. Now, that's 00:47:06.670 --> 00:47:09.809 big. That's really big. And that was really big 00:47:09.809 --> 00:47:13.780 to the Jews. It's bigot to us. This is a huge 00:47:13.780 --> 00:47:18.280 truth. Okay? But the Jews would have been, they 00:47:18.280 --> 00:47:20.159 would have been blowing their minds, right? Because 00:47:20.159 --> 00:47:22.980 they had the law. That's what they wanted to 00:47:22.980 --> 00:47:26.480 keep. That's what they thought made them right 00:47:26.480 --> 00:47:30.300 with God. Paul's saying, no, it's faith. And 00:47:30.300 --> 00:47:33.960 it's faith in Jesus Christ. That is how a man 00:47:33.960 --> 00:47:40.059 is right with God. Now, he goes on here. He says, 00:47:40.239 --> 00:47:44.840 again, Where then is boasting? It is excluded. 00:47:45.739 --> 00:47:48.460 And he goes on and talks about some of those 00:47:48.460 --> 00:47:50.880 things. He brings in circumcision and uncircumcision 00:47:50.880 --> 00:47:54.039 again. And then he asks this big question in 00:47:54.039 --> 00:47:56.840 31. Do we then nullify the law through faith? 00:47:57.320 --> 00:48:00.139 Paul says, may it never be. On the contrary, 00:48:00.280 --> 00:48:03.400 we establish the law. So again, some other big 00:48:03.400 --> 00:48:09.510 statements there about the law and faith. Paul 00:48:09.510 --> 00:48:13.050 goes on in chapter 4 here to drive home the fact 00:48:13.050 --> 00:48:17.070 that we are justified by faith. Alright? And 00:48:17.070 --> 00:48:20.989 his point in chapter 4 is that this has always 00:48:20.989 --> 00:48:25.670 been the way of salvation. This isn't new. Okay? 00:48:26.110 --> 00:48:28.769 And who does he bring in to talk about that? 00:48:31.510 --> 00:48:36.670 Abraham. Right? Abraham. Father of the faithful. 00:48:39.340 --> 00:48:42.679 He brings in Abraham and he talks about how was 00:48:42.679 --> 00:48:50.199 Abraham justified? And when was Abraham justified? 00:48:55.039 --> 00:48:58.159 He says, what then, verse 1, what then shall 00:48:58.159 --> 00:49:00.820 we say that Abraham, our forefather, according 00:49:00.820 --> 00:49:04.780 to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified 00:49:04.780 --> 00:49:09.090 by works, he has something to boast about. but 00:49:09.090 --> 00:49:12.050 not before God. For what does the scripture say? 00:49:12.230 --> 00:49:15.469 Abraham believed God and it was credited to him 00:49:15.469 --> 00:49:21.329 as righteousness. Alright? And then it goes on 00:49:21.329 --> 00:49:31.429 here. In verse 10. How then was it credited? 00:49:31.670 --> 00:49:35.630 While he was circumcised or uncircumcised? Paul 00:49:35.630 --> 00:49:39.190 says, not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 00:49:39.369 --> 00:49:42.889 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal 00:49:42.889 --> 00:49:45.829 of the righteousness of the faith which he had 00:49:45.829 --> 00:49:49.190 while uncircumcised, so that he might be the 00:49:49.190 --> 00:49:52.849 father of all who believe without being circumcised, 00:49:53.050 --> 00:49:55.530 that righteousness might be credited to them 00:49:55.530 --> 00:49:59.030 and the father of circumcision to those who not 00:49:59.030 --> 00:50:02.170 only are of the circumcision, but who also follow 00:50:02.170 --> 00:50:04.409 in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham. 00:50:05.079 --> 00:50:07.699 which he had while uncircumcised. What's his 00:50:07.699 --> 00:50:10.800 point? His point is, when was Abraham saved? 00:50:12.699 --> 00:50:15.679 Before he was circumcised or after he was circumcised? 00:50:17.460 --> 00:50:20.719 Before, right? And so what's Paul's point? Your 00:50:20.719 --> 00:50:23.940 circumcision is no good. Abraham didn't need 00:50:23.940 --> 00:50:28.039 it. He didn't have to be circumcised to be saved. 00:50:28.460 --> 00:50:32.340 He was saved and then was circumcised as a seal 00:50:32.340 --> 00:50:36.820 or evidence. That here he is. A child of God. 00:50:37.159 --> 00:50:40.380 Okay. How else was Abraham? What else does he 00:50:40.380 --> 00:50:43.159 say about him? Did Abraham work for his salvation? 00:50:43.460 --> 00:50:51.480 No. No. How was he saved? He believed God. What 00:50:51.480 --> 00:50:57.179 is that? That's faith, right? Abraham believed 00:50:57.179 --> 00:51:02.440 God. He believed what God told him. He believed 00:51:02.440 --> 00:51:05.929 God. And it was credited to him as righteousness. 00:51:07.050 --> 00:51:13.230 Okay? Abraham was justified by faith. Way, way 00:51:13.230 --> 00:51:19.590 back. Before the law, right? When was the law 00:51:19.590 --> 00:51:22.929 given? You had Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob 00:51:22.929 --> 00:51:27.150 went into Egypt. And then he died there. And 00:51:27.150 --> 00:51:29.570 then all the Israelites were enslaved. They came 00:51:29.570 --> 00:51:32.690 out of Egypt. You had Moses leading them, right? 00:51:33.159 --> 00:51:35.860 And then we had the law. The law was given to 00:51:35.860 --> 00:51:40.340 Moses. Was it 490 years? Is that what it is? 00:51:40.420 --> 00:51:43.800 Or 400 years after Abraham? 430, I think is what 00:51:43.800 --> 00:51:47.440 it is. 430, okay. Either way, a long time after 00:51:47.440 --> 00:51:50.980 Abraham is when the law came in. The law had 00:51:50.980 --> 00:51:55.639 nothing to do with Abraham's salvation. Abraham 00:51:55.639 --> 00:51:58.820 was not saved or justified because he kept the 00:51:58.820 --> 00:52:01.989 law. And he wasn't saved or justified because 00:52:01.989 --> 00:52:05.750 he was circumcised. He was saved because he believed 00:52:05.750 --> 00:52:11.030 God. And then he was circumcised and 430 years 00:52:11.030 --> 00:52:15.190 later the law came. The law and circumcision 00:52:15.190 --> 00:52:21.889 are not salvific. They are not saving. It's faith. 00:52:22.309 --> 00:52:27.719 We are justified by faith. Okay? That's Paul's 00:52:27.719 --> 00:52:35.699 point in chapter 4. Driving home salvation, justification 00:52:35.699 --> 00:52:42.260 by faith. Believing God. Trusting in the work 00:52:42.260 --> 00:52:45.840 of Jesus Christ. That He accomplished what Paul 00:52:45.840 --> 00:52:49.659 said here. He was the sin bearer. He was our 00:52:49.659 --> 00:53:02.289 propitiation. Okay. And so again, I just want 00:53:02.289 --> 00:53:05.809 to stress this to us. Salvation has always been 00:53:05.809 --> 00:53:10.230 the same. I was talking to Dad the other day. 00:53:10.230 --> 00:53:14.869 He pointed this out to me. You know, there are 00:53:14.869 --> 00:53:17.309 other denominations and other places that teach 00:53:17.309 --> 00:53:19.809 that God saves people in different ways throughout 00:53:19.809 --> 00:53:24.820 the Old Testament. Different dispensations. God 00:53:24.820 --> 00:53:28.179 dealt with men differently. And yes, He maybe 00:53:28.179 --> 00:53:30.099 dealt with them differently, but He saved them 00:53:30.099 --> 00:53:35.780 in the same way. Okay? The same way. Salvation 00:53:35.780 --> 00:53:40.380 has always been by faith. We are justified by 00:53:40.380 --> 00:53:43.940 faith. And we are not justified because of our 00:53:43.940 --> 00:53:49.059 works. We don't do something. It's all the grace 00:53:49.059 --> 00:53:53.280 of God. It's all the grace of God. It's what 00:53:53.280 --> 00:53:57.420 He gives us. He gives us faith to believe. Okay? 00:53:57.920 --> 00:54:01.039 Again, it's not a work. It's not I work up some 00:54:01.039 --> 00:54:04.639 faith and so I can be saved. God gives me faith 00:54:04.639 --> 00:54:08.820 to believe and I believe. And I am made right. 00:54:09.659 --> 00:54:17.039 We're going to end there. Any questions? Okay. 00:54:17.260 --> 00:54:20.320 So, when I begin to preach, we will begin in 00:54:20.320 --> 00:54:24.150 chapter 5. I thought we might get further tonight, 00:54:24.329 --> 00:54:27.909 and so I thought we maybe would go over what 00:54:27.909 --> 00:54:30.530 is justification, right? We didn't answer that 00:54:30.530 --> 00:54:38.210 question. Salvation, basically. But what all 00:54:38.210 --> 00:54:43.050 does it mean? We'll talk about that when I begin 00:54:43.050 --> 00:54:46.449 to preach on chapter 5. So if you've got other 00:54:46.449 --> 00:54:50.630 questions over this, we can deal with them in 00:54:50.630 --> 00:54:56.670 the future. But we'll start chapter 5 when we 00:54:56.670 --> 00:54:59.429 get together and I'm preaching.