Romans Part IV

1.3.10

Romans 4.18

God made a promise to Abraham
and Abraham believed that promise
and so it was given to him

this is the nature of faith
believing the promise God makes to us

“against all hope…”
against the hope based on the evidence of what he saw
“in hope” based on the promise of God

4.19-20
when he faced the facts about himself
he still believed the promise

4.21
he believed God would do in the future what he had promised

4.22
Abraham did not earn God’s reward by anything he did
he believed in God’s promise
and it was credited to him as righteousness
he had a righteous status before God

4.23-25
we relate to God in the same way
we are made right with God
when we put our faith in God and what he has promised to do through that Messiah

in the present we are justified, declared righteous, have a new status
but the promise concerns what he will do in the future when Christ returns

many things did not change when Jesus came
our situation was still bad
our salvation was still future

there were many things that could cause us to stop believing, to lose faith
(like Abraham could have lost faith)

1.we are still mortal
death is hanging over our heads
2.we are still suffering and therefore we are still feeling the wrath on this world
3.we are still sinning and being tempted by strong desires to do evil

BUT the promise is we will be saved from all those things when Christ returns

5.1-2: this is our hope
9-10: justified, reconciled now
saved in the future

sometimes we change the gospel of the promise for the future
to instant transformation here and now

some say that you can be healthy now
if you have faith and pray
some say that you can have success now if you have faith and pray and think positive thoughts
some say that you can be free of evil desires and do only good
some say that we can eradicate war if we pursue it now
some say that we can eradicate injustice and poverty, that we can make this world the kingdom of God

all of these things have been taught in the church
but I think they miss something important
that the promise is for the future
and we are not promised any of these things for now
we must not put our hope and faith in what we can do now
we must put our hope and faith in what Christ will do when he returns

*
hope is looking forward to something
we put our hope in something in this life that we are not promised and focus our hope on that– it can never save us

we put our hope and faith in people’s love for us
a single person, elderly person
but these things will fail us
we will not be loved by others fully until Christ returns

we put our faith and hope in success, in working hard and achievement and accomplishments
there are things you want to reach
and this is where you put your hope
we try to fill the emptiness with success and by our own efforts
when it can only be filled by grace
only in God can we be significant and have status that matters

we put our hope in what we can purchases, comforts we can acquire

we put our hope in our bodies
usually while we are still young
physical fitness, beauty, clothes, etc.

we put our hope in security
enough money in the bank
a retirement fund
a gun in the drawer by the bed
we try to secure and preserve our own lives by our own efforts

you can’t put your hope in anything can do
only in what Jesus will do and God has promised

let me mention three other things that Christians often want in this life
that we don’t always get and we are not promised

1. we want our theology and our understanding of the Bible and God to be perfect
when we don’t understand something or can’t make sense of something we feel like a failure and feel frustrated
but there is much we will not understand
until Jesus returns

2. we want our emotions to be strong
we want to be filled with emotions about God and Christ
we put our faith in our emotions
in how we feel about God
but we are emotional people who go up and down and we do not always feel good
and we don’t feel good we begin to lose faith
but we are not put our faith in ourselves or in what we see happening around us
but in what Christ will do

3. we want to get our lives straightened out
and get things fixed, our marriages, our families, our jobs, etc.
many Christians want sermons that give advice and tips on how to lead a good life
and how to have success in marriage or family or business
but success in the here and now is not the gospel

believe in Jesus Christ
look to Jesus Christ
believe in the promise of God in what he is going to do when he returns

Romans Part III

12.27.09

Romans 4.4

when a man works for an employer
he earns his wage
his wage is owed to him by the employer
it is not a gift

the employer has an obligation to pay that worker his wage, his money

4.5
“to the man who does not work”

this does not mean a Christian does not do good works or that God does not want a Christian to do good works

it means that his works have nothing to do with his salvation
his good works are not take into account at all (some of us don’t like that)
God justifies us as a gift (grace) and not in response to anything we do,
it is not payment for any work we do

what we do earns us nothing with God
he gives it freely, as a gift

“but trusts God”
We offer nothing to God to pay him
We trust God and God gives what he promises, to save us through our Christ

“God who justifies the wicked”
God (through the work of Jesus Christ) makes those who are wicked righteous
he cleanses them of the guilt of all they have done

we do not do good to get to God
we do evil to get to God
and God justifies the wicked

he does not make a judgment on us based on on an assessment what we have done, but based on what Christ has done for us

“his faith is credited as righteousness”

faith is not righteousness or good works

a man polluted with sin
looks in faith for rescue to Messiah
faith is despairing of self and putting all trust in God and his Messiah
but his faith is credited to him as righteousness

some think they must be spiritually fit
to be with God
the only fitness
is to despair of your spiritual fitness
and seek forgiveness

many of us started out with grace
but now we live by works
we think God started us out with a gift
he gave us a job

but we think the good deeds we are doing now are earning a paycheck with God
buying blessings from him
increasing our favor with him
you are not buying anything with them
they don’t advance you one whit

Martin Luther
“The one who does much work is not the righteous one, but the one who, without work, has much faith in Christ.”
“The law says “do this!”, and we can never do it. Grace says: “believe in this one!”; and afterward everything is done.”

BB Warfield
“There is nothing in us or done by us, at any stage of our earthly development, because of which we are acceptable to God. We must always be accepted for Christ’s sake, or we cannot ever be accepted at all. . . . This is not true of us only when we believe. It is just as true after we have believed. It will continue to be true as long as we live. Our need of Christ does not cease with our believing; nor does the nature of our relation to Him or to God through Him ever alter, no matter what our attainments in Christian graces or our achievements in behavior may be. It is always on His blood and righteousness alone that we can rest.”

1. You don’t have to wear a mask anymore.

We try to look good to others.
We try to hide our sin.

some of us actually fool ourselves with our own masks
we think we are as good as the mask we wear
it causes us to be arrogant and condescending
we are not honest with ourselves
if you have a small view of your sin then you have a small view of Jesus

we also wear masks for others
so they will admire us and like us
we can’t let anyone know the truth about us

we think if we let the mask down it will hurt other Christians
we wear a mask to strengthen other Christians but it actually causes them to despair, it would help them

we wear a mask to win unbelievers into the church
as if we will impress them and deceive them and they will convert to Jesus
they need to know that we are sinners with real sins that God has justified through Christ

2. You don’t have to feel ashamed because you are not like heroes of the faith

Christians like to lift people up and honor them as heroes
We love to read spiritual biographies
And tell spiritual tall tales
these are really “puff pieces”

biographies that describe people that never really existed
there is a word for this: hagiography
they describe the good but not the bad
it is a lie
the accounts in the Bible show the good and evil

heroes who appear flawless make us feel guilty because we know that we still have great sin in our lives
don’t believe everything you hear in amazing testimonies

3. You don’t have to turn anyone away from the church

many people do not go to church because they don’t feel good enough
they think church people are good people

people who need Jesus we turn away because they don’t live up to our standards
it is like turning sick people away from the emergency room because they are too sick

4. You don’t have to demonize other people

we demonize other Christians who don’t think the same as us
or other Christians who don’t do what we think they should

we demonize unbelievers
because of their sins and their lack of faith in God

we do it because it makes us feel better about ourselves
but the sin in your life gives you no right
you are a wicked person who was justified
your status has nothing to do with anything you have done

5. You don’t have to be perfect

So many of us are killing ourselves to be perfect.
We are filled with guilt and shame about our failures and sins.

The older I get the bigger my sin gets
Sometimes I think God is not working in me, but I know he is
I see more and more of my sin than ever before

I could have a whole host of friends, family members and members of this church stand up here and testify one after another to my sins
list them one after another
and it would go on and on all afternoon
I would like a funeral like that
and then at the end someone just read Romans 4.4-8 and say “JR was justified because of Jesus who is Messiah and Lord”

“My faithful request and admonition is that you join our company and associate with us, who are real, great and hardboiled sinners… He must be a Savior and Redeemer from real, great, grievous and damnable transgressions and iniquities.” –Martin Luther

Romans 4.6-8

Romans Part II

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12.20.09

Romans 3.20-24

this is what we looked at last week
we are sinners due the punishment of death
and we are justified
we have a new status
not because of anything we have done
but because of the righteous act of Christ: dying on the cross

but this raises a question:
what about obedience?
are we just to accept that we are sinners
and that not much is going to change while we are sinners?
because we are forgiven for all future sins should we just sin and accept the grace?

many people criticized the gospel and Paul because they saw this as the result
Romans 6.1, 6.15
“by no mean”

but then where does that leave us?
were we justified on the first day
but every day since it is now up to us to obey?
Do we have to obey to keep our standing?
is our standing dependent on how good we do?

did we start with grace and Jesus Christ but now we must focus on the commandments and our efforts?

Romans 6.10
This verse is about Jesus and what his death meant for Jesus
Jesus is no longer under the rule of sin
even though he did not sin
he suffered death the punishment of sin
now set free from that punishment
and raised to live for God

6.11
“in the same way”: comparison
if Christ died to sin and came alive to God
and if by faith we have become united with him
then we have died to sin and been raised to live for God

“in Christ Jesus”
we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection

“count” or “consider”
this is a command to think
we have to think about ourselves the right way
this is not pretending or imagining something that is not real
or positive thinking

this is the fact, the truth about ourselves
and we must know and think it and believe it
we died and were raised with Christ
we are “dead to sin” and “alive to God”

but what does it mean?
you have a new ability you did not have before
an ability to live for God
sin does not hold you as a slave so you can do nothing but what your own desires tell you

we may not feel this or sense it
feel no power
feel like we are bound
like the evil desires are still so strong
the anger is still so strong

but we must believe the truth
this reality about you is an objective truth: this has happened to you

the first thing we must do is believe it
believe that you are justified, forgiven
and believe that you have been set free to live for God
Believe in what Christ has done for you

6.12
you are not a slave of sin
God says so

but the truth is that you can choose to act like you are a slave and serve sin

but Paul commands us here
do not let sin reign over you
because you do not have to

6.13
because we are dead to sin and alive to God
we are free to offer ourselves to God
every day, at every moment of the day we are commanded to offer ourselves to God as his instrument to be used by him

we have a freedom now to choose to do what pleases God
sin in its essence is choosing to do what you want and not what pleases God

you also have the freedom to choose to offer your body to sin to do evil
but Paul says emphatically: do not!
he says “we died to sin– how can we choose to live it any longer?” it is a foolish choice
going back to the death we knew before
going back to the slavery we knew before

this does not mean there will not still be desires from your flesh that rise in you and make you desire to choose what is wrong
what pleases you but not God
that is why the Christian life is a fight and a struggle, we fight those things

if you choose to do what is wrong
does it change you status before God?
it does not destroy your status
because your status was a gift by grace
you are not making your salvation by choosing right

if you choose to do what is right does that make God love you more or improve your standing before him? not at all

we must choose to please him out of freedom and a desire to honor him and please him,
it is a free act, an act of love
not an effort to work for salvation

can we stop sinning completely?
no, we will never be vigilant enough to always without fail choose for God

but Jesus has made us free to choose
so choose for God
give yourself to God again and again
every day

Romans Part I

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12.13.09

Romans 1.18-20
1.32
2.14-15

Paul is talking about Gentiles without the Bible
who have a sense of right and wrong in their hearts and consciences
they know generally what is right and wrong
and they sometimes do good
but still also do evil and go against their own consciences

they will be judged by this sense of right and wrong they have

in the church we love to talk about unbelievers and how evil they are
but consider this they will be judged according the their sense of right and wrong
but we will be judged according to the Bible

Romans 2.1

originally Paul wrote this about the Jews who had the Bible
but this applies to people like us, who have the Bible
know the commands what to do and not to do, know what is right and wrong

Paul says when you condemn the other people who don’t know the Bible
you condemn yourself
because you do the same things
(according to Jesus’ teaching, if you don’t murder but you hate and cut with your tongue, you do the same thing)

2.9-11
which one are you?
are you the first one who does evil?
or the second one who does good?

if you think you are one who does good
do you really think that you do good?
that if God looked at the secrets of your life and heart that you would pass and get flying colors, an A+?

or do you think you are the one who does evil
and does this scare you to death?
are you still struggling with sin and sad about disobedience in your life?

it is the same for all human beings
those with the Bible and those without
all will be judged

2.13
the only way you can be declared righteous
is by obeying the law

for Jews this would be the OT law
for Gentiles the law written on their hearts, they know in their conscience (2.14-15)
for Christians keeping the commands of Jesus

only doing the law perfectly can lead to salvation
having the Bible and reading it and listening to sermons does not cut it
doing the commands is the only way

3.20
no people anywhere will be declared righteous
by obeying the law
(either written or in their conscience)

why?
the law actually does not help anyone
the law instead acts like a mirror
when you look into it, it shows you your sin and disobedience

so here is our position
only by obeying the law can you pass God’s judgment
but no one can keep the law
in fact the commands only show us just how bad we are

3.21
“but now” now that Christ has come!
God has provided a righteousness that passes God’s judgment
that does not come by obeying the law

3.22
to anyone who believes in Jesus
despite who they are

3.23
everyone with no distinction
falls short of the glory
means falls short of the image of God

present tense includes Christians

3.24
justify is a verb and God is the subject
means: “to declare righteous”
“acquitted from all charges”

it is a standing, a status
the final verdict brought into the present
you don’t have to fear the last day because you have already been declared righteous

instead of obeying your life and hoping to be judged righteous at the end
you are judged righteous at the beginning
you are right with God, at peace with God

“by grace”: an unearned gift
“through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ”: a price paid for us
it cost Christ a great deal

we are all the same
in our standing as sinners under judgment
and in our need to be justified

1. those of who can’t get excited about Jesus because you were raised in the church and it is dull to you (teens, young adults)

only when you have tried to obey and failed and given up on yourself and said I can’t do this,
then Jesus makes sense for the first time

2. those of you who think you are doing well
and condemn those outside the church or those inside the church who don’t live up to the standard

you who condemn others: you condemn yourselves

Jesus can mean nothing to you until you
see through yourself and give up on yourself
your only hope is in the redemption that came through Jesus

3. those of you who are depressed about your sin and the failure and lack of progress

this faith is not about what you do
but about what Christ did
a historical event
cannot be reversed or undone

your status will never be higher than it is today
you are right with God!

What does Prayer accomplish?

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11.29.09

Does prayer accomplish anything?
Does prayer change anything?
What difference does it make?

When we pray for big things (like healing)
We usually don’t get the things we pray for.

Even when we pray for small things
we don’t always get what we pray for.

Children pray for protection at night,
and sometimes to our shame we lie to them and tell them if they pray they will be safe
or it is “more likely” they will be safe
but is this true?

So why even do it?
why teach our children to do it?
God’s going to do what he is going to do.

You will often hear Christians saying that we must pray.
they will say that all these good things will only happen if we do pray
but is that really true?

we ask for things that do not happen
so our prayer made no difference

Would it really make any difference if we did not pray?
wouldn’t things have been the same even
if we had not prayed
God did what he was going to do anyway

Does God really need our permission in prayer to do anything?
Does he really wait upon our prayer to do what he is going to do?
do you think that?

when God does something we like
we often say God is so good
and what we mean by that is God did what we liked so we call him good
but what if he didn’t do what we liked?
is he still good then?
how is God good to some prayers but not to others?

I prayed for Jack, my son, to get out of ICU and live and he did?
but what about the parents who also prayed and whose child died in the ICU ?
is God good to me but not to them?

the fact that he does seem to answer some prayers just makes it more unbearable for all the people he did not answer
Why him? why not the rest of us?

and did God really answer the prayers
or did the prayer just correspond with what he was going to do?
There is the rub

Give another example
we often ask for wisdom and insight
and don’t get it
and then do something stupid anyway

big question: when we ask for things
do we think we can change God’s will?
isn’t he going to do what he is going to do?
can you by prayer change God’s will and his plan?
Do you think so?

Are we not supposed to pray
“your will be done”?

and yet our prayers are “God: you do my will”
are we really submitting to his will if we are praying these kind of prayers?

what is the difference between praying “your will be done”
and praying nothing at all?

his will is going to be done anyway.

why do we have to ask it to be done when it is already going to be done?

why not simply say
“the lord will do what the Lord is going to do. so be it.”

I now want to turn to the book of Romans
you may be expecting me to now tell you how prayers do cause things to happen
and change things
and accomplish great things

but that is not what I am going to say
let me say this:
Nothing depends upon your prayer

or another way of saying it:
Prayer Accomplishes Nothing

Romans 8.34
this is the gospel: Christ prays for you

all the good will be done to us because Christ now prays for us

the grace is already there (before prayer)
the love is already pouring down
nothing depends upon your prayer
everything depends upon Jesus Christ

prayer accomplishes nothing
Christ accomplishes everything

Christ has been praying for us even when we did not pray
nothing depends upon our prayers

Romans 8.35
no matter what comes
it is not our prayers that save us from trouble
trouble will still come

what matters is that we are not separate from the love of Christ
Christ is still praying for us

8.26-27
We do not know what to pray
what is in accordance with God’s will
often we pray things that are against his will but we pray them because we want them

but the Spirit prays for us
according to God’s will
what the Spirit prays is always answered and always for our good

a wordless prayer, a groan of pain to God

8.28
this is not conditional: if you pray
this is God’s grace
not a silver lining in every cloud
but the good is “according to his purpose”
what purpose?

8.29-30
“conformed to the likeness of his son”
All this is God’s work done out of his love

*
so knowing this beautiful gospel truth
how does this change your future?

should we give up on prayer? stop praying?

no, the Jesus and Apostles told us to pray
but we should pray in a new way

pray with joy and thanksgiving knowing Christ and the Spirit pray for you

even when you did not pray, he prayed for you
knowing that your good and blessing does not depend upon your prayers

pray without anxiety
God will do good to you
it is not up to you and your prayer

think about the petitions in the Lord’s prayer
all of them are things God promised to do
when you pray you don’t cause them to happen

you recognize that this good comes from God, you rejoice and give thanks and honor God

God’s name will be hallowed, his kingdom will come, his will will be done
people will be fed, sins will be forgiven, the spirit will help us in facing temptation

Why do we pray for forgiveness?
Are we not justified already?
all of our sins are forgiven and we are right with God, righteous in his sight, no sin interferes with our standing with God.
so why are we praying for forgiveness?
will not God forgive us anyway?

but still Jesus told us to pray for them
so that we recognize that all comes from God

and pray in a way that does not demand God do our will,
but demands that we center on his will

our prayers that say
“God: you do my will”
such prayers should be rejected

rather we should pray
the name of you be hallowed
the kingdom of you come
the will of you be done