THE BOOK OF ROMANS

THE BOOK OF ROMANS
“Rituals, Rules, Ordinances”
Romans 4:9-12
February 29, 2012

It is one thing to live by the rules that God has given. However, it’s a totally different story when people make up the rules for others to live by and that these rules are given in the name of God. Throughout history, man has come up with all kinds of rules that are erroneous. For example, the only way to God is to keep the traditions of the church. Or the only way to God is to pray in a certain posture i.e sitting, kneeling, bowing, etc. Or the only way to God is to be part of a certain denomination. Or the only way to God is to be a member of this church, or that church or whatever.

For many believers, traditionalism – doing that which is not biblical – has replaced a personal, vital, growing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. More often than not, mindless, robotic performance of habitual rituals make up or form the essence of man’s religion. These are habits which have absolutely nothing to do with being a born again Christian.

Over the years these rituals or habits cause people to believe that they are accepted by God because of their participation in these rituals, rules and ordinances. However, as we have been studying these past weeks, rituals, rules and ordinances do not make a person acceptable to God. They do not have anything to do with God’s righteousness or justification. So, as we look at these verses tonight we want to first look at:

WHO RECEIVES THE BLESSING OF FORGIVENESS – Romans 4:9a(NASB) “Is this blessing then upon the circumcised, or upon the uncircumcised also?”

The word “blessing” refers back to the “blessed man” in vs 6-8 that we talked about last week. By way of review, a blessed person is a person who is justified by faith, who is counted as being righteous without works, whose sins are forgiven and covered and whose sins are not counted against him.

But, Paul presents a critical question. Is the blessing of forgiveness intended for the Jew only or for the non-Jew as well? Is the blessing of forgiveness intended for just those who are religious or for the non-religious as well? Is the blessing of forgiveness just for those who belong to a church or a denomination or for those who don’t belong to a church or a denomination? Is the blessing of forgiveness – of being justified by faith alone – only for just a few people or for all people everywhere who seek for God? Abraham’s experience illustrates this truth for us. Abrahams was counted righteous:

WHEN HE BELIEVED – Romans 4:9b-10 “For we say, ‘FAITH WAS RECKONED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ How then was it reckoned? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;…”

He wasn’t justified by being religious, or by some good deed, or by being good or virtuous, or by submitting to some ritual like circumcision. Abraham was given righteousness because of his faith in God about 14 years or so BEFORE the rite of circumcision came into being that was a token of God’s covenant. Paul is pointing out that circumcision has nothing to do with salvation. Man is always trying to claim for his salvation through what he does.

Here again, we get back to the principle that Salvation has always been given only the basis of our faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only one who has paid the price for our redemption – not the Law of Moses, or rituals, or rules or ordinances or for the church as a whole for that matter.

The sacrifices required under the Mosaic Law always pointed to the coming of Christ. Jesus is the central figure for all time. That’s the message of the Bible.

Titus 3:5 reminds us that “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit…” Abraham:

RECEIVED CIRCUMCISION AS A SYMBOL ONLY -- Romans 4:11a “and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised….”

There are many today who still maintain that this great provision was for the Jews only who follow the rules and rituals. If a sign or a ceremony or a ritual is attached to faith, then it ceases to be faith and becomes works. I believe that many are not truly saved because they have equated water baptism, or communion, or church membership or a day of the week to worship or speaking in tongues or some other element with faith alone in Jesus Christ. They have added something to faith to attempt to make them acceptable to God when God clearly tells us that His acceptance of us is based SOLEY on faith alone in Jesus Christ. Everything else that is done by man is in the flesh and can destroy a person’s faith.

Now, that’s not to say that water baptism, communion etc are not important. They are very important because they are signs of a Christian’s faith. To neglect these is to be disobedient to God. If a person says that they truly believe in God, then they will want to OBEY God. So, being water baptized and participating in the Lord’s Supper are important. But the ritual itself has nothing to do with a person receiving salvation. Now, Abraham was chose by God for two reasons. First to be:

THE FATHER OF ALL BELIEVERS -- Romans 4:11b “…that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be reckoned to them,…”

Abraham was to be the father of faith to all who would repent of their sins, and put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. A person doesn’t have to go to church to get saved, or to do some religious work to be saved or to be baptized in water to be saved, etc. All a person needs to do is to DO is believe in God and His promises. When a person humbles themselves and believe in Christ they are counted as faithful and righteous. Then they need to begin to obey God’s Word and keep his commandments.

Romans 3:23-24 states, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;…” The second thing that Abraham was chosen for was to be:

THE FATHER OF THOSE FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE -- Romans 4:12 “…but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.”

It was Abraham’s faith in God that made him acceptable to God not his works. It wasn’t being circumcised or water baptized or being a good person or a moral person that got Abraham God’s righteousness. It was only through his faith and belief in God that God accepted him. That is true of us today. God counts us a being in right standing with Him i.e. righteous, not because of anything we do but because of our faith in Jesus Christ only. God declares that we are justified – not guilty – not because of any work or ritual or rule that we keep. But because we place our faith solely in Jesus Christ. As I’ve said before, when we put our faith in Jesus PLUS some ritual – water baptism, speaking in tongues, the A/G – we nullify God’s grace. The grace and mercy of God come to us ONLY when we place our faith in Jesus Christ and Him alone. There is no other way to be found acceptable by God.

Jesus said in John 14:6 "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.

Father, thank You for Calvary’s Cross and the work of Jesus Christ there that provides us the only way to be acceptable to You. Help us daily to live out the message of the Cross so that a lost and dying world will see Jesus in us and be drawn to Him. Holy Spirit, give us Your boldness to proclaim the gospel of Christ to those around us so that others will see the love of God and surrender their life to Him. Give us a fresh infilling of Your presence and anoint us each day with a fresh anointing to carry the gospel message to this community in an uncompromised way. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN.

GOD'S LOVE REVEALED

“GOD’S LOVE REVEALED”
1 John 3:1-3
February 26, 2012

Today is National Women’s Day in the Assemblies of God. The theme for this year is “Love Revealed.” John 3:16 makes it clear that wants us to experience His love that comes through Jesus Christ. Let’s read that together. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” Can any of you think of a time when God revealed His love to you in a special way?

This morning, I want to talk to you for a few minutes about how God reveals His love to us. The text verse this morning is found in 1 John 3:1-3. One commentator said of these verses, “Whole volumes might be written upon this …. without exhausting the extraordinary subject contained in them,…. the love of God to man. The apostle himself, though evidently filled with God, and walking in the fullness of his light, does not attempt to describe it; he calls on the world and the Church to behold it, to look upon it, to contemplate it, and wonder at it.”

All through the Word of God from Genesis through Revelation, there are many examples of God’s love being revealed. Let’s take a look at some of those ways. First of all God reveals His love:

THROUGH HIS PROVISION -- Philippians 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

In Genesis 21, we find the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar. God had told Abraham that he and Sarah would have a son. Well, as you remember, Abraham and Sarah got impatient and Hagar became the vessel through which they thought they would help God out. The result was that Hagar, the maidservant of Sarah, had a son named Ishmael. And, that’s the reason we’re paying $4.00 + per gallon of gasoline. But the point is that Sarah told Abraham to get rid of Hagar and her son. So, that’s what Abraham did by sending into the desert.

They were about to die and Hagar cried out that she didn’t want to see her son die. Scripture says in Genesis 21:17-18, And God heard the lad crying; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, "What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. "Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him by the hand; for I will make a great nation of him." And God did just what He said he would do for Ishmael. The Arab world takes their lineage from Ishmael.

There’s no indication that Hagar and her son prayed to God in their distress. So, God’s provision for them was due solely to His mercy. He showed His love for Hagar, Ishmael and Abraham through His provision. God’s is love revealed:

THROUGH OTHER PEOPLE -- Ruth 1:16 “But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.”

Naomi had lost her husband as did her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah. She was alone and facing a time without food or housing. But, God provided for Naomi with the love and devotion of Ruth. Ruth’s love and devotion for Naomi, in turn, would be honored by God. God brought her to Boaz who would become her husband. Through their marriage, would come the lineage of the Lord through King David. God reveals His love:

THROUGH HIS PEACE -- 2 Peter 2:4, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;”

In John 8:3-1 we find the story of a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. The law required that such a person should be stoned to death. But Jesus said to her accusers, “He who is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.” One by one, her accusers, dropped their stones and left. Jesus’ words to her that, not only was there no one left to condemn her, He said that He didn’t condemn her either. These were the sweetest words of peace that this woman could have heard. The message of the cross tells us that Jesus fulfilled the Law perfectly, and that the penalty for this woman was paid for with His own death. God reveals His love:

THROUGH HIS PRESENCE -- Hebrews 13:5 “He Himself has said, I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’” There are times when we Christians go through periods of feeling unworthy, unimportant of being unloved. Those feelings can bring us to a place of feeling loneliness and despair – even sensing that God has abandoned us. But God promises us that He will NEVER leave us or forsake us. Finally, God reveals His love:

THROUGH HIS PROMISES -- 2 Corinthians 1:20 “For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”

All the promises which God has made to mankind are true and are faithfully fulfilled to those who put their faith and trust in Christ Jesus. The promises are all made in reference to Christ; for it is only through the Gospel that we can have promises of grace; it is only in Jesus Christ that we can have mercy. Therefore, the promise of God’s love comes by Christ, and has its fulfillment through Christ, and is to the glory of God, through the preaching of the message of the Cross.

My friends, the promises of God will not disappoint you. They will not fail you. God cannot and will not lie, or steal from you. Satan will do that. You can take God at His Word. So, ask the Holy Spirit to help you lean on His promises.

CALL – The love of God for us is an everlasting love that is a reality to us only when we commit our lives to Jesus Christ. Will you place your faith and trust in Jesus today? Will you surrender your life to Him and receive His forgiveness for all of your sins? Will you invite Him to be your Lord and Savior? Raise your hand.

My friends, the love of God surrounds us totally and completely. His love for us is a wonderful and amazing gift. His Holy Spirit will help us to recognize that fact every day. We need the help of the Holy Spirit to help us to reflect God’s love to others so that they will be drawn to Him.

Father, we are so grateful for the love You reveal to us in so many ways – through Your provision, other people, Your peace, Your presence and Your promises. Thank You for your amazing love that has come to us through Jesus Christ and the shedding of His precious blood on Calvary’s cross. May we never take for granted the reality of that promised love. Help us to love others as You love them and to see them as You see them. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN

THE BOOK OF ROMANS

THE BOOK OF ROMANS
“ Faith Alone”
Romans 4:4-8
February 22, 2012

Last week we proved that Abraham’s justification was an act of God therefore, all of the glory belongs to God.

George Williams makes this statement. “Had the promise of heir-ship of the world been based on the principle of law, i.e. of merit (works), that would have set Abraham aside, for the inheritance was given to him by promise and, therefore, on the principle of faith. Faith doe not fulfill a promise made to it, but believes it; and that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. This principle consequently opened wide the door of grace to all men.” (George Williams) Now, Paul moves from the logic of how Abraham was justified to:

THE LOGIC OF A WORKER – Romans 4:4-5 “Now to the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness,…”

The word “works” in the Greek is “katergazomai” (kat-er-GAD-zom-ay) which means “to do works in order to earn something.” Keep in mind that Paul is still talking about salvation here. Two things here. First of all:

WORKS IMPOSE AN OBLIGATION -- If a person could work for righteousness, then God would owe that man righteousness. That, would mean that righteousness would not be a GIFT from God, but PAYMENT from God. But God cannot be in debt to man for anything. God cannot be forced to do anything. If Abraham had been justified by works, the blessings he received would have been given to him as a reward for those works, and consequently his believing could have had no part in his justification, and his faith would have been useless. Secondly, righteousness of God:

COMES FROM BELIEVING IN GOD – Notice in vs 5 that it is the “ungodly” that are counted as righteous. The man who admits he is wicked is the man who rejects self, and senses his need for godly help in spiritual matters. He is ready to give himself up and honor and glorify God alone. Therefore, he centers and wraps his whole life around God, and is totally dependent on God for righteousness.

Now, there are lots of people today who think that salvation by works is not something that is widely accepted or practiced. But, this salvation by works is the singular greatest problem in the church world today as it has also been in the past.

Anytime a person attempts to earn their salvation, the grace of God is nullified. And without God’s grace, salvation is not possible. And yet, many people attempt to achieve salvation through works of one sort or another – church membership, water baptism, baptism in the Holy Spirit, taking communion, saying penance, etc.

The Mormon Church has declared that they, the Mormon church, “….is God’s church; consequently, to be Saved, one has to be long to the Mormon church.” The Roman Catholic church has the same position. If you don’t belong to the RCC, you are anathema, accursed and you’re on your way to hell. The RCC is a religious system that is totally works oriented. But there are many fundamentalist churches that have their own brand of salvation by works – keeping the Sabbath day, speaking in tongues, being water baptized etc.

God will never turn away a person who senses their ungodliness, who confesses their sins and who recognizes Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of their life and who glorifies God.

The teaching of Scripture needs to be remembered and that is that the man who does not admit that he is ungodly, who will not reject self and who does not sense the need for their need for Jesus Christ – that person is declared to be guilty of their sin and they are rejected by God because they reject Him./

John 3:18 says, " He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Jesus tells us plainly in John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Being born again is to simply understand that you are a sinner in need of Jesus Christ and that you must confess your sin and repent. There’s nothing in any of God’s Word that even remotely states that to be born again you must DO anything. It is by faith and it is by your faith in Jesus Christ that you are declared to be justified and righteous. Now, let’s turn from the logic of the justification of the worker to:

DAVID’S LOGIC OF THE BLESSED MAN -- Romans 4:6-8 “….just as David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works: " Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered. " Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account." Note who the blessed man is. The blessed man is the man who is:

RIGHTEOUS WITHOUT WORKS -- The blessed man who is credited by God for being righteous without works and who places their belief in God alone.. No man is justified by works but only faith. The blessed man is the man whose:

SINS ARE FORGIVEN -- Sin continues to exist in spite of the works of man’s efforts to eliminate it. No matter how hard a person tries, sin continues to exist. If sin is to be done away with, it must be done away with by God. The Lord simply forgives man’s lawless deeds. Finally, the blessed man is the man whose:

SINS ARE NOT COUNTED AGAINST HIM -- No man can free himself from sin and force God to accept him – not by his own hand. Justification, or complete deliverance from sin and condemnation – come from God and God alone. It doesn’t come from some act of man. Isaiah 55:7 states, “Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.” 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Doing the best we can will never be good enough to make us acceptable to God. God requires your faith and not your works. God requires that we put our faith, not in what we can DO, but that our faith be in the proper object and that is Jesus Christ and Him alone. Nothing else will bring us into acceptance by God – only Jesus. Jesus said in John 14:6 "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”

Father, again we come to You in the name of Jesus to express our gratitude for the truth of Your Word and for the simplicity of salvation. Holy Spirit we ask that You help us to keep our focus exclusively on the person of Jesus Christ and not on any of our efforts to bring us salvation. May we understand that our acceptance by You is based solely on our faith in Christ and His righteousness. As we live out this understanding daily, may the unbelieving world see Jesus in us and be drawn to Him. In Jesus name I pray. AMEN

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
“The Essential Authority of Jesus Christ”
John 5:1-9
February 19, 2012

In this area of God’s Word, we see the revealing of the authority of Jesus Christ over all of life. He is due the same worship, obedience and service as God because He is equal with God. As God possesses life within Himself, so too, does Jesus possess life within Himself. As God has authority over all of life, so too does Jesus have authority over all of life. So, let’s read our text verses. There are various lessons that are pictured in these verses that we’ll consider over the next week or two. First,

1. The sick man -- pictures the needs of this world
2. Jesus meets the sick man-- pictures Jesus’ power to meet the needs of this
world.
3. The Jews and the sick man-- picture a dead, dry religion trying to meet the
needs of this world.
4. The man after being healed -- pictures the believer’s responsibility
5. The Jews and Jesus-- picture the world rejecting Christ. But let’s look at:

THE JEWISH FEAST -- John 5:1 “After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” What’s interesting to note is that these various Jewish feasts had been so corrupted, that they are no longer called “The Feasts of the Lord,” but rather “the feasts of the Jews.” They were just meaningless rituals that no longer had any impact on the Jews. Unfortunately, in the same way today, the modern church today has lost its true meaning and purpose which is to worship God. Communion and water baptism have become empty rituals to so many.

As a result, the meaning and purpose of church has been lost and people’s needs are not being met. Instead of the church focusing on worshiping and exalting Jesus Christ, they focus on exalting the skills of unbelieving, godless secular marketing gurus with slick ad campaigns about how to grow churches by taking down crosses, by showing how to improve sexual relationships, by allowing youth groups to be just one big pizza party, by refusing to talk about sin, by endorsing new age thought that God is in everyone, and embracing any and all religions regardless of their beliefs so that we can solve the social ills of a lost and dying world. The church isn’t called to do of that nonsense. The church is called to one thing -- preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. People who are desperate for help don’t need any of what the modern church of today offers. What do they need desperately?

What people are in desperate need of is the truth of God’s Word; they are in desperate need of the presence of God; they are in desperate need of a relationship with Jesus Christ; they are in desperate need of the moving power of the Holy Spirit. It was significant that Jesus attended this feast because it gave Him the opportunity:

TO REACH A LARGE CROWD -- Most of the people attending the feast would be God fearing people who would have their minds on God so they would be better prepared to hear the gospel. Second, it gave Jesus an opportunity to teach people to be:

FAITHFUL IN THEIR WORSHIP OF GOD – Jesus, Himself was faithful. If Jesus was faithful in worshiping God the Father, how much more should we be faithful in our worship of God? Now, let’s move on to the first picture here regarding the sick man who was a picture of:

THE NEEDS OF THIS WORLD -- John 5:2-4 “Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [ waiting for the moving of the waters; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]”

The people lying around this pool were the blind, the lame, the paralyzed, the deformed, and the beggars. These folks are a perfect description of all of humanity. They are spiritually blind and spiritually paralyzed. They were waiting for the water in that pool to be stirred. The belief was that, at times, an Angel would come to this pool and stir up the waters and the first person into the water would get healed. This is the condition of so many today. People are looking for anything to grab hold of to help them get through life whether it’s a telephone psychic, or an astrological chart. In their search, people look everywhere except to Jesus Christ. Proverbs 14:12 reminds us that “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” The next picture shows Jesus meeting this sick man and to see:

THE POWER OF JESUS TO MEET NEEDS -- John 5:5-9 “And a certain man was there, who had been thirty-eight years in his sickness. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, ‘Do you wish to get well?’ The sick man answered Him, ‘Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘ Arise, take up your pallet, and walk.’ And immediately the man became well, and took up his pallet and began to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.”

This man’s plight was something that had plagued him for 38 years. And when Jesus saw him, He was moved with compassion. It’s a demonstration of how God wants to reach out to all who are hurting. This was Jesus reaching out to this man, not the other way around. Jesus sees and knows every person’s condition and He reaches out to everyone with compassion. He reaches out through His Word, through the witness of a friend or a family member, through the beauty of His creation, even through the thoughts of men about who He is and what He does and what He is like.

There wasn’t anyone there to help this man; no one to help him into the water. But there was Jesus, reaching out to him, offering this man His help. Then Jesus said to him, ‘ Arise, take up your pallet, and walk.’ If this man would just believe Christ and do what Jesus said to do, he would be healed. If he didn’t obey, then he wouldn’t be healed.

My friends, there are many times in the Christian life when we fail to receive God’s blessings because we fail to obey God. We want to rationalize things, to figure things out to see if they make any sense, we want to be sure that we are going to be secure and comfortable. We want everything to line up and if it all does, then we might obey God. When what we should be doing is obeying, trusting, believing and doing what God has said to do.

Job did that. He lost everything that he had in one day – his health, his wealth, and his 10 children. He was desperately in need. He was devastated. But hearing the God’s authoritative Word, Job came to this conclusion in Job 42:2 "I know that Thou canst do all things, And that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted.” In the midst of total devastation, Job believed God’s Word, he remained faithful to God and the Lord blessed him greatly. We are reminded in Luke 1:37, "For nothing will be impossible with God." There’s a song we sing that says, “Only believe, only believe, all things are possible, only believe. Only believe, only believe, all things are possible, only believe.”

CALL ---- If you have never invited Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, then understand that you are in a dangerous place. Jesus said in John 3:3, unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God. But know also that God loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. He wants to heal your life so that you can have His peace and joy. Will you come to Jesus today and leave here with a brand new life with all of your sins forgiven and live for Christ from now on?

My friends we can experience the power of God if we will just believe in the Word of God, believe in Jesus Christ, and then obey Him. Are you hungry for more of the presence of the Lord? Are you desperate for more of the power of the Holy Spirit? Are you ready to make a total surrender of your life for and to Jesus so that He can meet those needs? Are you prepared to say, “Lord, I want more of You and I surrender all to You – all that I have, all that I am, and all that I hope to be.” Let’s come together this morning around these altars and ask the Lord for more of His presence, for more of His Spirit. Ask for the baptism of the Holy Spirit if you haven’t received it.

(Carmen – I feel Jesus, I feel Jesus, I feel Jesus in this place. Yes, my soul doth, burn within me, I feel Jesus in this place.)

Father, thank You for Your truth. Thank You for Your healing power. Thank You for Your love, compassion, mercy and grace. May we leave here this morning with a greater hunger in our hearts for more of You and Your Word. Holy Spirit, help us to surrender to Your absolute authority, to be obedient, trusting and believing in Your leading in our daily walk And may our lives continually reflect Your presence to the world around us. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN.

THE BOOK OF ROMANS

THE BOOK OF ROMANS
“Faith Alone”
Romans 4:1-3
February 15, 2012

We’ve said before that many people over the eons of time have believed that they could be found as acceptable by God just by doing the best that they can or by being reasonably good; by being a good citizen or by helping others who are down and out. But the truth is that nothing that we DO can make us acceptable to God. We are told repeatedly in Scripture that we are guilty of sin; that we have a sin nature that does not allow us to be acceptable to God. Romans 3:23 declares that The only way that we are acceptable to God is through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Last week we talked about justification. What does that mean? It means to be found NOT GUILTY by God for our sins. As we look at this area of Scripture the Holy Spirit brings to the forefront, two men – Abraham in vs 1-5 and David in vs 6-8. These two men are examples of the truth that Paul has been talking about which is that God justifies the sinner on the principle of faith alone and not works.

Both of these men had a divine righteousness given to them, not because of anything they did in the way of works, but because they believed God and made Him their salvation. So, let’s first consider Abraham. First let’s look at:

THE LOGIC OF ABRAHAM’S JUSTIFICATION -- Romans 4:1-3 “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about; but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.’”

Abraham held a very special position in the Jewish nation because he was the founder of that nation. He was the man who God had challenged to be a witness to other nations of the world of the only living and true God.

God had come to Abraham and challenged him to leave his home, family, friends and country. Genesis 12:1-3 “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’”

God told Abraham that if he would obey God without any question, he would receive two great promises; he would become the father of many nations and all the nations of the earth would be blessed by his seed. Abraham did just that. He didn’t have any idea where God was taking him, but he went without question and just trusted God and His promise to do just what He said he would do. To put it simply, Abraham just believed God. From a logical point of view, what we see in Abraham’s life a few things. First we see that Abraham:

WAS NOT JUSTIFIED BY WORKS -- If he had been justified by his works, then he could boast before men of his efforts. But, if he had been justified by his works, then he would not qualify to boast of those efforts before God. Human efforts do not qualify any person to glory before God. No act or work or combination of acts and works could ever elevate a person to such a height that he could become qualified before God. Second, we see that Abraham: PP

WAS JUSTIFIED BY BELIEVING GOD -- Abraham believed God and God took Abraham’s belief and counted it to him as righteousness. It wasn’t anything that Abraham did, but rather his faith that God took as being acceptable. It was an act of God that made Abraham righteous, therefore, all of the glory belongs to God.

God is perfect. He is perfectly righteous and no man can achieve perfection so, no man can live in the presence of God. But, God is love. So what God does for us is to take our faith (any person’s faith who is truly sincere) and counts that faith as righteousness, or as perfection. Therefore, because of God’s act towards us, we can live in His presence because of our faith ALONE and not our works.

Galatians 2:16 says, “…nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.”

In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus Himself makes it clear that works alone will not bring us into His presence. " Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. " Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'” It’s not working miracles, or casting out demons or prophesying that makes us righteous before God; it’s our faith in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear regarding salvation: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.”

Now, let me make a comment here regarding works and faith. There’s a great deal of teaching today in the church on the subject of faith that falls into the category of works. Take note of the word “gift” in Ephesians 2:8-9. Salvation and all of its attendant blessings that we receive from God is based on the principle of them being a “gift.” It becomes clear from God’s Word, that the moment a person offers their works to God as payment for His gifts, everything is nullified. Having said that, most modern Faith Teaching falls into this category and, as a result, nullifies itself.

Now, let me ask you a question. Why does God justify a person through faith? WAIT There two reasons. First, God loves everyone:

WITH A PERFECT LOVE -- It is the desire of our Lord for everyone to live with Him eternally. He is perfect, therefore, He alone can provide the only perfect way for us to live in His presence. Secondly, God: PP

LOVES HIS SON -- His love for His only Son, is a perfect love. Anyone who will honor Jesus Christ by believing in Him is accepted by God. That person receives the right to live in God’s presence in a perfect state of being.

God’s justification of a sinner is an action of His grace that is based upon the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. It is only because of Jesus and His sacrifice that God cannot only pardon sinners but He can declare that they are not guilty.

So, we’ve looked at the logic of Abraham’s justification that was his because of his belief in God. Next we’ll look at the logic of a worker in the kingdom of God and what the Holy Spirit has to say about works.

Father, once again we thank You for the comfort, counsel and guidance of Your Word. Help us to grasp the depth of these words that You spoke through Your Holy Spirit through Paul so that we can better understand the matter of our salvation as it comes through Jesus Christ. Help us to live with the understanding that our pardon from our sins comes only through You and our belief in Jesus Christ and His atoning work on Calvary’s Cross. Help us to live out our faith daily so that the lost around us will see Jesus and come to Him. In Jesus’ name. AMEN

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST -- "The Stages of Faith"

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
“Stages of Faith”
John 4:46-54
February 12, 2012

At the outset, let me say that people respond to Jesus because they have a need. As Jesus comes into Galilee, one of the officials approaches Him and begged Him to heal his son who was very near death. In this story we see, not only the need this man had, but also that there are 5 stages of faith that every person should experience. Let’s read our text verses. READ The first stage of faith we see:

IS A BEGINNING FAITH -- John 4:46-47 “He came therefore again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain royal official, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him, and was requesting Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.”

This officer, lived at Capernaum and when he heard that Jesus was at Cana, he left his hometown and went to ask Jesus to heal his child. The actions of this nobleman demonstrate exactly what is involved in this beginning faith. First:

THERE WAS A NEED -- Everybody has needs. You can be the President of the U.S. or a ditch digger in Bend. Everyone has needs. Secondly,

THERE WAS THE HEARING ABOUT JESUS -- This man heard about Jesus, listened to His message. He didn’t reject Jesus, he didn’t think that he was to important to pay attention or that he wasn’t important enough. Thirdly:

THERE WAS THE COMING TO JESUS -- Capernaum, was about 20 miles from Cana where Jesus was. This man had to tear himself away from his dying son. This shows that he was willing to sacrifice everything to have his need met. The fact that he persevered and kept his eyes on the hope of Jesus, shows the faith in his heart. He didn’t let his position keep or what others said or his pride keep him from getting to Christ. That’s a great lesson for us today. Finally,

THERE WAS THE ASKING OF JESUS -- This man didn’t just ask Jesus for help, he begged and kept on begging. The 2nd stage of faith is:

THE PERSISTENT FAITH -- John 4:48-49 “Jesus therefore said to him, ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.’ The royal official said to Him, ‘ Sir, come down before my child dies.’” There are 2 lessons here. First there is:

A LESSON IN FAITH -- The man said, “Come down and heal my son.” Jesus was effectively saying, “Are you saying that unless I come down and you see this sign and wonder you will not believe?” Jesus needed to teach this man that belief in His Word is enough to bring the healing. Belief is what comes BEFORE signs and wonders. That word “you” there is in the plural meaning that Jesus wasn’t just talking to this man but to the crowds that were there as well. He knew the unbelief that was in their hearts and He wanted them to get the message that signs and wonders are not as important as believing in Jesus Christ. May God help us to get that into our hearts and minds. Our focus is to be our faith in Jesus Christ and not in signs and wonders. Our intention must be to exalt Jesus Christ so that lost souls will be saved and not exalt signs and wonders. Secondly, there is:

A LESSON IN INSISTENCE -- This man wasn’t in any position to argue theology or take time to sit down and have a short Bible study on what Jesus had said. He was desperate and he wouldn’t allow the rebuke of Jesus to stop him. He kept on asking and begging for Christ’s help.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened.” Persistence in prayer shows that you recognize your need. Lack of persistence in prayer is believing that God WILL NOT answer. The third stage of faith:

IS TRUSTING, OBEDIENT, WORKING FAITH -- John 4:50 “Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way; your son lives.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he started off.’” Note a couple of things here. First, Jesus gives this man an order “Go your way.” Then Jesus gives this man a promise, “Your son lives.” Then it says that this man responded with belief and obedience. He acted on his faith immediately. He believed what Jesus said and that Christ had the power to heal his son. He didn’t say, “Your word isn’t good enough and my son isn’t healed. I live to far away for you to do any healing. Come to my house and physically touch my son.” If that would’ve been his position, he would have been pleading with God, but without any faith. It would have been dictating to God as to how He was to act. This man wouldn’t have been accepting and acting on the Word of God. Friends, apart from obedience to the Word of God, there is not faith. The fourth stage of faith:

IS A CONFIRMED FAITH -- John 4:51-53 “And as he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to him, ‘Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.’ So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, ‘Your son lives’; and he himself believed, and his whole household.”

He took Jesus at His Word and left Cana and headed for Capernaum. The act of going was saying that this man, not only believed Jesus, but that he obeyed Jesus. That is crucial to receiving the blessings of God. This man’s obedience brought a confirmation of his belief in the Word of God. The final stage of faith:

IS WITNESSING FAITH -- John 4:53-54 “So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, ‘Your son lives’; and he himself believed, and his whole household. This is again a second sign that Jesus performed, when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.”

This man told his whole house what had taken place – the Word of promise and instructions from Jesus. The result of his witness was that his whole house believed and committed to Jesus Christ. His witness might not have been easy. His testimony would’ve subjected him to mockery, ridicule and persecution. Maybe even the loss of friends, position, power and maybe even his own life. But he had a witnessing faith. He told others and they believed.

CALL ---Had this man not obeyed Jesus, his home would be a place of grieving and mourning because of the funeral of his son instead of being a place of joy. Jesus changes everything and all for the better. He never leaves a place worse than He found it but rather takes the person to heights of joy and peace. Do you need joy and peace in your life today? You can have that need met by just asking Jesus Christ to come into your heart to be your Lord and Savior. You can leave here with a brand new life with all of your sins forgiven and forgotten by God. Will you do that?

My friends, does your faith honor Jesus? Does your faith diligently seek the presence of God? Does your faith cause you to want to worship the Lord? Does your faith cause you to want to have more of the Holy Spirit in your life? Do you have a need today? Have you been begging Jesus for help? Do you believe His Word and His promises as they are stated in His Word? Or are you dictating to God as to how He should meet your needs?

If your need hasn’t been met, maybe you need to check to see if you are being obedient. Has the Lord told you to do something but you’re waiting for Him to move first before you do? Don’t make deals with God. Just obey Him. Jesus wants to meet your needs, but He wants your commitment to Him to be deep and lasting and firm and unyielding.

Father, thank You for our time with You and Your Word this morning. Thank You for always being there to meet our needs as You promised that You would. Help us to be a people who have a persistent faith, a trusting and obedient faith, a confirmed faith and a witnessing faith. Help us to live out our faith in such a way that Jesus Christ will be exalted in our lives and our testimony so that the lost will be drawn to Him. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN

THE BOOK OF ROMANS

THE BOOK OF ROMANS
“The Faith Factor”
Romans 3:27-31
February 8, 2012

For many people, faith isn’t something that they think about in a conscious way for everyday things. However, many put their faith in the stability of the economy, the goodness of men, their own abilities and strength. Most don’t realize that their dependence on these things is actually a matter of their faith IN those things.

But for the believer in Jesus Christ, faith is the greatest tool that we can have. But as great as faith is, it often misguided. That happens when the object of your faith is not in Jesus Christ. There are lots of folks who CLAIM to have faith. But CLAIMING to have faith and HAVING faith are two entirely different matters. This passage of Scripture tonight talks about the power of true faith. It shows us 4 things about the power of true faith. First of all, true faith:

EXCLUDES BOASTING -- Romans 3:27 “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.”

Keep in mind that Paul was dealing with the Jews who felt that they were better than any Gentile. The Jews were boasting of their position as God’s chosen people because they had the Law of God that was given to them. Paul was showing them that the Law did not save anyone. In fact, Paul was showing the Jews that they hadn’t even lived up to the standard of the Gentiles which wasn’t very good either. Paul told the Jews that boasting was now excluded.

No man can boast in himself before God. No man can boast about their righteousness, or goodness, or their merit or their virtue. When you consider all that man has been able to do in science and technology, in medicine and health, in commerce and agriculture, in entertainment and recreation, it’s hard for many to grasp the idea that man cannot boast in themselves. I mean, what kind of law would keep men from doing that? It isn’t:

THE LAW OF WORKS -- In fact, the law of works promotes boasting. When man looks at all they have accomplished, they are led to boast in themselves. A law of works encourages man to be self centered, and self righteous. It causes man to stand before God and declare that he is more acceptable, more deserving, and more sufficient than others. So, a law of works doesn’t discourage boasting, rather it encourages boasting. So, if a law of works doesn’t keep men from boasting about themselves, then what law does? It is:

THE LAW OF FAITH -- Man has to boast in God when they believe what the Word of God declares; that God exists, that God is the creator of the universe and can be known by man, that God has provided a righteousness that makes them acceptable to God and that man is a sinner and falls short of the glory of God.

God is the one that has provided a way for man to be saved from sin, death and hell. So, man has to boast in God and not in themselves. So, it is the law of faith that eliminates man’s boasting. So, true faith excludes boasting. Secondly, true faith:

JUSTIFIES MAN -- Romans 3:28 “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”

A man is justified by faith and not by the deeds of the law. If a man created himself and saved himself from sin and death by his own works, then they would be able to glory in themselves. But what person can do that? We didn’t make ourselves and we didn’t save ourselves. So, man isn’t justified by the deeds of the law but he is justified by faith – by believing in God and His righteousness that He gave to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. It comes to us through our belief in the Cross of Calvary and the shedding of the blood of Christ.

Despite all of the remarkable achievements by man, mankind still can’t control things morally. What does that mean? They are unable to live in love, in joy or peace with others. Man can’t control the shame of selfishness and greed, or disease, accidents, sin and death. The only hope that man has is to come to God and place their trust and faith in Jesus Christ and the Cross. To have that hope means to humble ourselves before Christ and believe in the law of faith; to believe that only God can save us and justify use. Thirdly, true faith:

REVEALS THE EQUALITY OF GOD – Romans 3:29-30 “Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.”

There is only one God and He deals with everyone equally. There is only one God who created the universe and there is only one God who created all of mankind. 1 Corinthians 8:6 says, “…yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”

God is the only God so, everyone is justified in the same way – by faith. God doesn’t play favorites. He doesn’t make it more difficult for some to be saved. He is God and He is perfectly just and equitable in all of His dealings with mankind. God will always do the right thing, all of the time, in all circumstances. Finally, true faith:

UPHOLDS AND ESTABLISHES THE LAW -- Romans 3:31 “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.”

Paul is declaring here that Jesus Christ is the Subject of the Law in all of its rites and ceremonies. Christ was and is the end of the Law. Everything about the Law pointed to Christ. Jesus was everything that God said a man should be. He was the ideal of all that God wants us to be. Therefore, Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly. Jesus didn’t only fulfill the statutes of the law, He fulfilled the penalty of the law. He took the penalty and the punishment that man should have had and put it upon Himself and died for man. So, man is thereby absolved from the penalty and punishment that the Law required.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” Galatians 3:13 tells us “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us-- for it is written, " Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree…”

Under the Old Test. law, man had no strength to enable them to obey the law. Under the New Test. Christ Himself becomes our strength. Because He lives in us, we then have the strength through Him to live out God’s moral life. Your victory over sin doesn’t come through your trying to live a moral life on your own. You will fail every time. But your victory comes when you place your trust and faith in Jesus Christ who strengthens you to overcome temptation.

George Williams said this, “Justification is not a religious emotion felt by the repentant sinner, nor an experience and degree of sanctity reached by him, but it is the action of God declaring him to be a righteous person. We are justified, found not guilty, not by anything we do, but we are declared not guilty through Jesus Christ and our faith in Him. And when we put our faith exclusively in Jesus Christ, we obtain right standing with God through the righteousness of God Himself that is now within us.

Father, we come to You now in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ to express our gratitude for what You have made available to us through the work of Jesus on Calvary’s Cross. To remember that the only righteousness that will make us acceptable to You is found in the person of Jesus Christ and to live out that truth daily that we would exalt Jesus so that others will be drawn to Him. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST -- "Faith Factor"

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST
“Faith Factor”
John 4:43-45
February 5, 2012

Last week we finished talking about the work of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well and her evangelism of the people of her town. The end result is that there was great evangelistic success there. Let’s move on to John 4:43-45. (READ) The first thing we see is that the ministry of Jesus:

MOVES TO GALILEE -- John 4:43, “And after the two days He went forth from there into Galilee.” After two days, Jesus left Samaria and now enters Galilee which is where most of His ministry would take place. What’s interesting here is that Jesus:

PASSED BY HIS HOME TOWN -- John 4:44 “For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.” Why would Jesus make this statement of being dishonored? There are 2 reasons:

REJECTION -- Nazareth was His home town where He grew up as a child, He worked there, ate there, lived there, fellowshipped there, and was around the people there all of the time. But they rejected Him. The 2nd reason was:

PREPARATION -- Christ had to get His disciples prepared for the coming severe persecution and rejection at the hands of their own countrymen as did His own countrymen. Now, it’s interesting that in vs 44 Jesus mentions the rejection of the people of His home town in Nazareth. But then in vs 45, He refers to the acceptance of Him by the people of Galilee. There is within these 2 verses a statement made about the evidence of faith. The first evidence of a person’s faith is that:

JESUS IS HONORED -- Some would say, “Why should I honor Jesus?” First because:

HE IS THE SON OF GOD – John 1:1-2; 14 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. …. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jesus Christ brought the presence of God to us. Jesus should be honored because;

HE IS THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD -- Jesus came to make it possible from all men to have eternal life free from all pain, suffering, sin and death. John 3:16 states this clearly, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. Jesus should be honored because:

HE IS THE SON OF MAN -- He came to earth as a man to experience all of trials of life so that He might be touched by our infirmities and weaknesses so that we could find help in Him. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus understands everything we go through. He went through the same thing but never sinned. It’s important to remember that:

BELIEF HONORS HIM -- The word “honor” in the Greek is doxadzo which means to “value, to esteem, to respect.” This carries 2 ideas. First the idea:

OF WORSHIP -- When referring to Jesus, it speaks of great reverence. Philippians 2:9-11 “Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” The 2nd thing is that it carries the idea:

OF COUNTING SOMETHING OF EXTREME VALUE -- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” My friends, true honor of the Lord Jesus Christ means the giving of our entire life to Him. Jesus is due the payment of our lives. Not only is it important to understand that belief in Jesus honors Him, but also that:

UNBELIEF DISHONORS HIM -- This was seen in the people of Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus. Someone who does not believe in Jesus, does not worship or reverence Him. Finally, a person who does not believe in Jesus does not see Christ as being of any value. The 2nd evidence of a faith in Jesus:

IS RECEIVING HIM -- John 4:45 “So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.” The Galileans welcomed Jesus. If you want the blessings of God IN your life, you must welcome Jesus INTO your life. These Galileans received the blessings of Christ because:

THEY OPENED THEIR HEARTS TO CHRIST -- They were attracted to Jesus, not because of the miracles, but because they wanted to hear about repentance, forgiveness and receiving the Kingdom of God in their hearts. We hear lots about signs and wonders today. But souls reaching out to Jesus Christ for forgiveness of their sins and being reconciled to God is what’s important. Our faith must be in the PERSON of Jesus Christ and who He is – He’s our Lord and Savior. Jesus must be worshiped and loved because of the shedding of His innocent blood for our sins and not because of what He can do for us in a physical way.

The object of our faith is not signs and wonders – the object of our faith in Jesus Christ alone. No one can be led to believe in Jesus until they are open to Christ. There must be a willingness to HEAR the message of Christ not seeing the WORKS of Christ. Secondly,

THEY WERE SEEKING -- The people had gone to worship God at Passover and it cost them. But these folks were hungry for the presence of God. For that reason, their hearts were better prepared to hear and take in the message that Jesus Christ had for them. Anyone who sincerely and diligently seeks God will find Him. They are better prepared to receive His message. Thirdly,

THEY WELCOMED JESUS -- They wanted to experience Christ. They had heard about Him, they had seen His workings, and they wanted that for themselves.

My friends, let me close with this thought. When you welcome Jesus Christ into your life, you will receive Him and when you receive Christ into your life, you will experience Christ. John 1:12 reminds us “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,”

CALL---- Let me ask you a question. If you were to die today do you know for sure that you will go to heaven? If there’s any doubt, then will you ask Jesus into your heart today to be your Lord and Savior? Will you surrender your life to Him and receive forgiveness for all of your sins and know that heaven will be your eternal home? Just raise your hand.

Folks, welcoming Jesus, receiving Jesus and experiencing Jesus for yourself in is the greatest evidence of genuine faith in Christ. Are you demonstrating your faith in a real and genuine way? Can others see Jesus in you through the way you are living. Do you have a greater desire to be more in His presence? Are you totally surrendering your life to Him today and in so doing, bringing honor to Jesus? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way with you so that you are honoring Christ more and more? Let’s come and pray.

Father, we come to You in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son and our Lord and Savior. We want to bring greater honor to Jesus, we want to welcome His presence in our lives daily, we desire a greater hunger for Jesus. Holy Spirit, we invite You to work that hunger and desire in our hearts. Holy Spirit, stir our hearts to be open to Your moving in our lives so that others will see Jesus. While we want very much to see signs and wonders, help us to keep our focus on the person of Jesus Christ. As we do that, we know that You will honor our faith and manifest Your presence and Your power in our live and in this church. In Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN.

COMMUNION -- 1 Cor. 11.

THE BOOK OF ROMANS

THE BOOK OF ROMANS
“The Way To Be Right With God”
Romans 3:21-26
February 1, 2012

In every generation, men have assumed that God could be known by the wisdom of men. They have assumed that the way to gain God’s favor was by good behavior. They have assumed that despite sin, man could still become acceptable to God by doing good deeds. They have assumed that the way to get right with God was by acting religious. All too often, men put more trust in assumptions than they do the Word of God. God tells us what He requires from men who want to get right with Him. The term “righteousness from God” is used in 3 ways in God’s Word. First righteousness:

REFERS TO GOD’S CHARACTER – It means the righteousness, justice and perfection which God Himself possesses and shows. Secondly, righteousness:

REVEAL MAN’S LACK OF GODLY CHARACTER -- It refers to man’s sinful, unjust and imperfect nature. Thirdly, righteousness means the perfection that:

GOD PROVIDES IN JESUS CHRIST -- When a man allows Jesus Christ to take his sins, he then is given righteousness of God. So, let’s consider this righteousness and what it really means. First:

RIGHTEOUSNESS IS REVEALED -- Romans 3:21-22 “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;”

The word “now” points to a water shed moment in the history of mankind. It says two things. First it refers to God’s patience with man. God had put up with man trying to attain to righteousness through the law. But “NOW” the period of God’s righteousness has come and it’s found in His Son, Jesus Christ. Secondly, it refers to man’s inability to remove his sin. While man was under the law, they were continually reminded that it was impossible to secure God’s righteousness on his own. But NOW the righteousness of God is found in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. God’s righteousness:

IS APART FROM THE LAW -- It has to be that way for 2 reasons. First because,
the law:

DOESN’T ALLOW DISOBEDIENCE -- The law requires obedience. Anyone who breaks the law is a transgressor and is guilty and has to be punished. Second, the law:

CAN’T MAKE PEOPLE OBEY -- The law doesn’t have the power to keep people from disobedience. Instead, the law only shows a person’s inadequate strength to be obedient. Man is incapable of perfect obedience to the Law and, therefore, cannot attain to the righteousness of God. God, instead, displays His righteousness through His Son Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the righteousness of God. Romans 10:4 says, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Another point about this righteousness is that:

IT’S FOR EVERYONE -- Romans 3:22-23 “even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” God’s righteousness is for everyone who puts their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. This righteousness:

IS NEEDED BY EVERONE -- There are two reasons for this. What are they? First, God’s righteousness is needed by everyone because:

ALL MEN ARE SINNERS -- Everyone has the sinful nature. Everyone is a sinner. And no one can keep from sinning. Isaiah 64:6 reminds us “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” The 2nd reason that God’s righteousness is needed by everyone is:

ALL MEN FALL SHORT OF GOD’S GLORY -- In the Greek, the meaning is that all men are in a continual state of falling short of God’s glory. The glory of God is God’s standard for mankind. It means His excellence, splendor, dignity, majesty and grace. It means the absolute perfection of God. If man wants to be in peace with God and to live in His presence, we must respond to His standards. On our own, we can’t do that. So God makes it possible for us to meet His standards through our faith in Jesus Christ. Thirdly, this righteousness of God:

IS POSSIBLE THROUGH JUSTIFICATION -- Romans 3:24 “….being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;….” What does “justified” mean? Justification means to be declared “not guilty” and it is a free gift of God. Man cannot earn it. We justified by God’s grace alone. This comes by way of the cross of Calvary – the redemptive work of Jesus in the shedding of His innocent blood. This righteousness:

IS AN ACT OF GOD ALONE -- Romans 3:25 “whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;”

God is the One who set forth Jesus Christ to be the atonement for men’s sins. God ordained the cross of Calvary for His only Son, Jesus Christ. It wasn’t the teachings of Jesus, or the power of Jesus, or the example of Jesus or the life of Jesus that makes Christ the atonement for sins. What was it? It was His blood – His sacrifice, His death, His sufferings, His Cross that causes God to accept Jesus as the one and only atonement for men’s sins. God accepts the shed blood of Jesus as the satisfaction for our sins, the payment of the penalty for our sins, and the appeasement of His wrath for our sins.

Jesus Christ was willing to die and shed His blood for man. He was the supreme sacrifice for our sins. And He did that voluntarily. Colossians 1:14 says, "in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Righteousness has one purpose:

TO DECLARE GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE -- Romans 3:26 “…for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” God always does what is right. His righteousness is seen in that He forgives sin. It is seen in His patience with man’s sins and held back the punishment of sin. It is seen in His justice in that He accepted the death of Jesus Christ as the substitute for our sin. His righteousness is seen in His being the justifier of everyone who believes and puts their faith in Christ. All of these things show that God is righteous and just.

Let me close with this illustration. Someone said that it doesn’t matter what you believe; it’s how you live that counts. A. J. Gordon came across that thinking while riding on a train with another man. The man believed that he could get to heaven by his good works. So Gordon pointed toward the conductor that was walking through the train. So Gordon asked his friend, “Have you ever noticed that the conductor carefully inspects the ticket but doesn’t pay attention to inspecting the passenger.” Gordon continued by saying to his friend, “You see, the passenger and the ticket are accepted together. If the passenger doesn’t have a ticket or if he has the wrong one, he will be asked to get off of the train. It doesn’t matter how honest that man may look. Just as the ticket stand for the man, so does faith stand for you.”

Christ has already for our ticket. He has offered us a trip to eternity into God’s presence. The question for us is have we accepted His offer to us or are we still trying to achieve heaven and God’s righteousness on our own?

Father, thank You for reminding us tonight of the importance of accepting Your righteousness that comes to us through our faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ alone and not our works. May we always be mindful that the Cross of Calvary is the center of all human history and that it is only through the shed blood of Jesus that we are declared not guilty. We ask, in Jesus Name, that Your Holy Spirit would remind us daily that we must be in obedience to Your Word and live out our faith before the world and exalt Jesus Christ. In so doing, we believe that all men will be drawn to Him. And in so doing, You will build Your church in such a way that the gates of hell will not destroy it.” In Jesus’ Name I pray. AMEN.