A Midterm Exam: Five Questions to Test Your Understanding - Part A

How are you and I respond to spiritual truth. That's a good question. How do you and I respond to spiritual truth. Obviously God wants a reaction.

Obviously he wants a positive reaction should release wire to our lives.

Worn by the believer to make a difference in the way we live. Many people read and study God's word prior to the life today on connect with skip-Skip reveals demonstrate the right response to difficult truth in your life. Before we begin. Here's a great resource to help the kids in your life engage God's word like never before. The most recent state of the Bible survey revealed that only 9% of millennial's with the Bible on a daily basis will skeptical generation I record is also uninformed about the word of God. Small water such lifestyle confusion about your own children or your grandchildren passenger faith to a younger generation so they don't become a statistic and stepped to help you encourage a young person in your life to get excited about God's word all he has for them. Swearing to the Bible by Skip Heitzig gives kids and twins. An overview of the entire Bible and exciting travel guide Florida illustrations fascinating facts to keep them engaged will send you your copy of this may produce resource you give a generous donation of $35 or more to help keep his Bible-based teachings on the air connecting more people like you to God's word. Call now to give them and receive your copy of sword to the Bible 892 1888 or securely connectwithskip.com/offer. Okay, we're in Romans chapter 8 today as we get into the teaching with skip-how many of you did not like to take test scores are. I love y'all but but no way. How many of you actually did like to take that. Yeah there's a few of you like that I'm trying to love you are well. Most students don't like exams because it requires extra effort, brainpower, preparation. I remember I had a physics teacher who loved pop quizzes. Every time is it. Remember pop quiz today. The whole class groaned. We hated it because we were not ready for a father was talking to his son and said why did you get such a low score on that exam boy said absence. The father said you were absent on the day of the exam.

He said no but the boy who sits next to me was one man even explained.

Exams are like girlfriends too many questions difficult to understand more explanation is needed. Result is always fail tests, exams have questions. Questions are written by the professor to see if the student has assimilated the information has accumulated the knowledge or if there's we carry is the student needs to bone up on work on so can I graduate the student to higher level or higher grade or higher level of knowledge a test will determine that one student said there's only one thing I hate more than taking tests in school and that's the grade I get after taking tests in school. Nobody likes them well. A few of you do right here in the middle of the book of Romans we have a series of questions that I'm calling a midterm exam questions begin in verse 31. They kinda continue to the end of chapter able to look at verses 31 through 34. But consider it a midterm exam because the book of Romans has 16 chapters were in the eighth chapter of sort of right in the middle and Paul gives a series of questions.

You will not be graded by your answers a lease for me these questions are simply put there to drive home the point. The author is making no leftist backup you've noted that Paul the apostle likes questions he asks a lot of them in this book, and that's noteworthy that part of his style in writing the book of Romans was an ancient literary method of question and answers in ancient style called the DR tree bow or the diatribe. It was a Socratic method taught by Socrates work there would be questions and answers given by the speaker by the author in this case a very specific reason. That is to challenge our assumptions to clarify notions and ideas and to lead a student from perhaps error into truth to clarify certain truths. So throughout the book of Romans. Paul has an imaginary conversation between a critic and himself and he asked questions and answers.

Here's a sampling.

In chapter 3, verse one, Paul asks what advantage then has the Jew. He answers it much in every way and he explained in chapter 3 verse nine what then are we better than they not at all, for it is written very similar chapter 3 verse 27 he asks where is boasting then is excluded. By what law of works know by the law of grace chapter 4 verse one what shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?

What does the Scripture say Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. So he follows that way of teaching throughout the letter, even in chapter 6, verse one.

Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God for bid. Now we get to a section right in the middle of the book of Romans were he does ask question after question of the question of the question of the question. Couple of them have comments for most of them are questions with the chapter 8 verse 31 what shall we say the end of these things. If God is for us who can be against us. He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things, who shall bring a charge against God's elect.

It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns it is Christ who died in furthermore is also red, risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. So here in this section that we just read.

It's a little bit different than what he is written before in terms of questions he sort of layering question. Upon question, upon question, as if to say, there's nothing more I can say to this. There's nothing left to add, so we just the crescendos. It with questions to make a point. Look at it like it's the icing on the cake of God's love for you know when you look at each of these five questions in these verses and were gonna look at it like a midterm exam or can answer these five questions. The first question is a question of reaction reaction. Look at verse 31 just the first part. What then shall we say to these things stop there. That's the first question, what then shall we say to these things. So the very first question. Paul asked is a question that should cause a reaction. Reason he's wondering what is your response to the truth so far, but it makes us ask a question when he asked this question we ask this question. He says what shall we say to these things we go.

What things you talking about. So let me try to answer that one. Maybe he means all the things I written about so far. Any chapters. The whole book of Romans. So the whole book of Mormon so far is about the wrath of God that is eclipsed by the grace of God. So the first few chapters were under the judgment of God. Every human being faces that by God's grace sent Jesus and justifies people based on faith.

He could mean that all of the eight chapters number two when he says what shall we say to these things. These things could simply be the truth is that he is written about in the eighth chapter alone. And what of those truths. While there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ we are adopted children of God we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. So we have a new power to live a new life and we have promised glory beside or possibility he could mean just the things I wrote about in the paragraph before this, what shall we say that these things. Things like all things work together for good to those who are in Christ Jesus that he foreknew you that he predestined view that ecology that he justified you and that one day he will glorify either way, take your pick of those truths from that paragraph to the whole chapter. The whole book. Here's the question, what shall we say to these things when you say that you, how about thank you Jesus hallelujah or at least wow it should evoke some response. These things should evoke the deepest gratitude the deepest humility in the deepest appreciation. The fact that he asked this question.

The first question in the midterm exam is this principle how you and I respond to spiritual truth. That's a good question. How do you and I respond to spiritual truth. Obviously God wants a reaction.

Obviously he wants a positive reaction, we should at least apply it to our lives. The truth should be worn by the believer should make a difference in the way we live.

So ask yourself this. When you hear truth.

Are you a enthusiastic about it. Be indifferent to it. See, are you open to it if it agrees with you, but if it doesn't agree with you are not open to it. Those are important lines of questions.

JI Packer wrote a great book. Every Christian should read in my opinion called knowing God, and in that book, he writes, whenever we embark on any line of study in God's holy book. We need to ask ourselves what is my ultimate aim and object in occupying my mind with these things.

What do I intend to do with my knowledge about God once I've got it for if we pursue theological knowledge for its own sake. It's bound to go bad on us will make us proud and conceited for the very greatness of the subject matter will intoxicate us so first question, how do you respond, react to spiritual truth. Why is that such an important question because I'm not just talking about any book or talk about God's book. This is a course you take to get into a higher degree program. This isn't just for a promotion at work were talking about eternal life stuff. How do you respond, react to truths about eternal life stuff and it makes sense that if God is your teacher. We best listen carefully and respond accordingly. Did you know that Jesus taught his disciples that they should be very careful how they listen to God. This reset, take heed how you hear not just what you hear.

Be very careful about how you listen for whoever has to him more will be given to him who has not even that which he seems to have will be taken away. So our reaction to spiritual truth determines our action with spiritual truth. Our reaction determines our action is an example. Psalm 27, David wrote when you said seek my face, my heart said to you, your face, Lord, will I seek.

As soon as you told me to do that I sent in doing that is a positive reaction is a question of reaction.

What then shall we say that these things so what that means is when we come to church. We say turn in your Bibles to first of all, it's good to have a Bible with you to be able to look at it because it spiritual truth number two how my gonna respond to what I hear should determine that before you, not just a church when you have quiet time or the small group discipleship group.

What am I going to do with what I hear again I underscore this because James gives us a warning in chapter 1 of his little epistle when he writes do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive your cell. Do what it says, or else he says you're like the man who goes to the mayor checks himself. The mayor and he walks away and he forgot what he looked so do what it says.

The question of reaction. The second question on the midterm exam is a question of opposition never gets really good second part of verse 31. If God is for us who can be against us. If God is for a stop there on that one.

Do you know the God is for you God in heaven is for you. If God is for us who can be against now. There were people even in the Bible who did not think that God was for them. Job was one of them. He suffered greatly. He lost lots of things Job in his prayer to God. At one point his lowest point. Perhaps said these words to God. Why do you hide your face and regard me as your enemy. There's a guy who does not think God is for that moment. Jeremiah even thought along those lines. He was the prophet who predicted the captivity, but when Jerusalem was surrounded by the Babylonian armies in the temple started burning and building started falling. Jeremiah and Lamentations that the Lord is like an enemy, he has swallowed up his room. The patriarch Jacob didn't think God was form we hinted at this last week was Jacob was that all things are against me and they may have been. He may have felt that way. But maybe everyone was against him.

Let's say everyone was against that means everyone except one God was form God is for you. I found an article from the New York Times and on the fascinating article that it was titled googling God googling God is an article that explores recent trends in the Google search data of people typing questions about God.

Here's the top three questions people Google about God questionable one who created God number two. Why does God allow evil to exist, or why does he allow suffering. That's pretty predictable as the third question most popular question people ask ready for this one is the question why does God hate me why does God hate me. People actually typing.

Why does God hate me obviously by that research. There is a significant population base group of people who view God if there is one as judge metal caprices a tyrant. Why does God hate me. Paul says if God is for us who can be against us a look at the word if if God is for this is pretty conditional right like well maybe here's maybe he's not. If he is not a good thing he's not a pretty bad now. It is a conditional word but listen to this. It's a Greek conditional particle but it means a fulfilled condition, not a possibility. What that means is a better translation would be, since God is for us who can be against, or because God is for us who can be against us. It's a fact not an option because of the fact that God is for us who can be against us. I think some of you need to wake up tomorrow and here's the first thought that you need to put in your brain. God is for me either wake up with that some of you even need a save the lyrics to the song we find around here. I am chosen not forsaken. I am who you say I am you are for me not against me. I am who you say I am Vectra even sing it tomorrow if you want to know your husband or wife or your pets won't run away when you do millionaires want to sing that we here's the deal. If God is willing to put the gavel down and say there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. God is for you. If he is willing to look at your life and say you are justified.

That is if you believe in. My son, to treat you just as if you've never sin he for you. If he is willing to adopt you into his family. As we have previously read so you can call God, Abba, father, and he gives you the same benefits and inheritance as you would even Jesus. I would say God is for you, not against you know why it is, but there's a lot of people I meet that sort of thing. God is like Santa Claus is making a list checking it twice going to find out if your body is organized is the truth. God knows you're not nice. He knows are nodding and he still for you.

God is for you to look at the question, who can be against us. Truth is there are many people Oregon for their many entities were against you and give you few Satan is against us. All of the demons that work for him are against us, the world is against us this in the enemies of God and unbelievers in general are not for the Christian, I know you discovered that some of you but I want to reword the question if I make.

If God is for us, who cares his against who cares his against us.

If God is for since God is for us to they have to go together if if the God who created the heavens and the earth flying the Milky Way galaxy and other galaxies into existence put up their Orion's belt, believes all the other wonderful consolation if that God is for me who cares who's against right. Let me tell you the difference it makes me show you, knowing that God was for him.

David wrote in Psalm three I will not be afraid of 10,000s of people who have set themselves against me all around. The only people who could ever say that is number one in that case or somebody believes God is for knowing God was for him enabled Gideon with 300 soldiers to fight an army of Midianites that 135,000 either in that case, does that somebody who says you know with God.

One is a majority like Martin Luther taught. If God is going to be with us. Doesn't matter how many, by the way limit.

Let even make it more dramatic than that. When you know God is with you and you act like Jonathan. Jonathan said to his armor bearer went under the Philistines or camp over there. Jonathan and his armor bearer together. Jonathan comes up with a study to take.

How about if you and I just us two. Alone we attack that army of Phyllis distanced us pretty. Many damages you and me will go will attack the Army because it here's how I'm thinking he tells his armor bearer. Nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few. God is need a big army. He could use one but you need one and maybe got a be honest… Set up a little thing where there is a sign of God is what this is going to happen and it happened when my favorite preachers is a guy named G.

Campbell Morgan from last century. I love them because he was an expositor of the word. He taught the Bible.

It is an extraordinary life but one of my favorite stories about him as told by his daughter Jill in a biography about them is when G.

Campbell Morgan was a young seminary student just graduated hundred pastor a church and so he candidate in for a church position.

We had to go through doctrinal examination followed by a live preaching, which I think should be mandatory today. He passed the theological part of it. The written test, but then he had to give a message in a room that normally set a thousand people there were three professors and 75 onlookers. He froze a some know what that's like a bed, baby dedication that people parents are under how you stand in front of all his people use. It's an and he did that Morgan disorder froze up and did poorly and so he was rejected. He did make it.

He wired his father that one word rejected reject his father immediately wired back rejected on or accepted and have rejected under accepted and have you rejected under select accepted and have good data that's keep a text message for you today the series heart and soul right now you Skip to tell you how your support helps keep these messages coming away and how it connects more people to God's truth. Knowing God is the greatest knowledge that anyone could ever possess. That's why we want to make these biblical teachings available to more listeners like you so they can connect to the one true God, as well as his word. Please consider giving the gift today to help us do just that.

Here's how your vital support can connect even more people to the living God should connectwithskip.com/donate to give your gift today that's connectwithskip.com/donate or call 800-922-1888. Again, that's 800 922 coming up tomorrow Skip Heitzigs. It shows you what God's word says about how you are truly deeply left God's God is the one with the gavel down at the end of the court and says you're forgiven or you're not. He says it is God who justifies. So I care much more about God's declaration of me in Satan's position so Skip presentation of connection communications to God's unchanging truth