Expound: Romans 3-4 - Part B

Friend listen to my advice. Don't stand before God.

Apart from Jesus Christ you will have no rebuttal, nothing to say at all. You want to make sure you sure your lawyer your defense attorney.

So many people can stand before God on their own and today don't connect with Skip Skip shares about Jesus advocates for God the father want to let you know about a resource that will encourage even more trials, temptation, and the total those of the mega themes of three booklets from when you were making available this month@connectwithskip.com here's one with more of this bundle into Me. I handed the keys to unlock the thought stances and fears that can cause you to give into temptation and speak no evil. I encourage you to avoid setting fires with your word and instead use them to bring showers of blessing Linda height six booklets go to sleep, speak no evil unhappy trials provides help hope and encouragement in dealing with life's challenges. This bundle of three booklets or years for a gift of $20 or more to help keep this Bible teaching ministry on the year did yours when you get to the by calling 800-922-1888, or give online securely connect with script.com/offer that's connectwithskip.com/off okay since the start wants to prove once and for all that all groups are guilty before God for he gets to the grace of God before he pulled out the diamond you wanted to see how bad that black all so he pulls out several verses out of the book of Psalms and Isaiah quote after quote after quote a 14 count indictment and that he rests his case. These indictments can be divided into three categories. What a person is what a person says and what a person does so is making his concluding arguments to say the whole world is guilty before God. Verse 10 as it is written here comes the prosecutor as it is written, there is none righteous, no not one. There is none who understands, there is none who seeks after God.

They have all gone out of the way they have altogether become unprofitable. There is none who does good, no not one. Their throat is an open tomb with their tongues they practice deceit, the poison of asps is under their lips whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

Their feet are swift to shed blood destruction and misery are in their ways and the way of peace they have not known.

There is no fear of God before their eyes. It's not a pretty picture but this is an x-ray of my heart I'll say this again. It is a exotic trigger heart yes it is and yours. You look beautiful on the outside. Don't get me wrong, but this is this is the true you man, this is the real photograph. The x-ray of the human heart and noticed some repeated words to in particular look at the word, none verse 10 none righteous, verse 11. None who understands none who seek after God burst and then the other word is all verse nine. Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. Verse 12. They have all gone out of the way. Verse 19 we did read that yet. Let's read it now. Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be guilty before God. Okay, so we have a good picture, here's here's this point how many people are righteous. None. How many people are sinners. All that's his basic point in all of the Scriptures piled up in this 14 count indictment. Now we know. Again, verse 19. Let's read verse 19 to 20. We know that whatever the law says, it says to those who were under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified.

One of the most important tax in the Scripture by the deeds of the law shall no flesh, no person be made right before God be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

In verse 19. It's like Paul is saying at the end of his case. He rests his case and he says now, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, where does this leave the defendant and the answer is speechless. Can't say a word. I made it such an open and shut case. There's no word of defense. I remember one time when I was a teenager and unsaved teenager, a curious naughty unsaved teenager that I had done some things and I was in pretty deep trouble. That included the involvement of law enforcement and a court hearing and I remember standing in front of my father who found out everything that a gun and on the full scoop and he sort of read me the riot. I just but but very peacefully to said you done this and on this and in this and in that look straight at me.

I couldn't say a single word. I can see yeah but because it was perfectly accurate and I had absolutely no defense. Now I am just waiting for the sentence to come down.

I'm just waiting for the gavel or the web or something. You know sometimes people have said to me you know when I see God. I have a thing or two that I had to say to him. I have a bone to pick with the Almighty and those maybe mention a thing or two that they have considered unjust and they want to bring up at the judgment bar of God. I always cringe when people say I got a finger to him to tell God friend listen to my advice. Don't stand before God.

Apart from Jesus Christ you will have no rebuttal, nothing to say at all. You want to make sure he is your advocate, your lawyer, your defense attorney John call them that we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and it helps when your attorney is the best in town and happens to be related to the judge, therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight by the law is the knowledge of Sindelar reveals our our needy condition. Okay, so Paul has taken all of humanity.

Jew and Gentile into the interrogation room script. The naked now he takes them into the throne room and clothes them in the righteousness and grace of God. But now I've been waiting for that first three chapters now the righteousness of God. Apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.

This is one of the most pivotal verses in the book. It is a change in focus member. I said that Romans can be divided into four sections.

The wrath of God the grace of God.

The plan of God.

The will of God. Chapter 1, two and three to verse 20 is all about the wrath of God beginning in chapter 3 verse 21 all the way to chapter 8 verse 39 brings us to the second section the grace of God. That's the pivot, but now know what Paul is doing is returning to his theme.

I just wanted to see that theme. Since this is a Bible study. Let's study the Bible go back to chapter 1 verse 17 verse 16. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it that is in the gospel in the good news. The message about Christ in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written, the just shall live by faith. That's the theme the righteousness of God. But in verse 18.

The very next verse he plunges us into darkness until chapter 3 verse 21 is really really dark nipples of the black velvet. I get raunchy. Yep gnarly Yep guilty Yep speechless right now.

The window is open now the light comes flooding through now the day opens up and says, but now chapter 3 verse 21. The righteousness of God back to that theme apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets in the language of Narnia, the long dark winter is over and Aslan is on the move. But now, now the righteousness of God is revealed and is witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe.

For there is no difference for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be the propitiation by his blood through faith to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance. God is passed over the sins that were previously committed. Donald Ray Barnhouse, one of the greatest teachers and expositors of the last century drew a heart by these verses in his Bible and said that these were in his opinion the most important verses in all of Scripture, Leon Morris, a theologian that I've read and am familiar with, said he believes these are the most important verses in literature.

It is an incredible section of Scripture. All of sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I look in verse 24. There's an 25 there are three keywords I want to explain. You need to know them. Some of you do know them. If you been raising the church you know them by heart. And this is just a refresher course. Some of you need to be introduced to these words, the good Bible words you can take a modern translation get rid of them and translate them in a different way.

But I suggest you don't do that you learn these words and that one is in verse 24, justified or justification will use that a lot. The second word is also in verse 24 redemption so number one justification number two redemption number three verse 25 is propitiation go back to the verse where justified or justification. Paul uses the word 30×30 times in the New Testament 15. Half of those in the book of Romans alone is a legal term. It is a forensic term justified means to make a proclamation or a declaration. It means that God is willing to look at your sinful life in my sinful life and make a declaration that you are perfect and righteous. If you believe in Jesus, God will declare you are right before me, you are right, performing, and not only make the declaration in the proclamation that hence a legal forensic term but then to treat you. Based upon that proclamation and declaration give it treat you like you never sent. So it is often been explained to be justified is where God treats you just if I never sent justified never sent just as if I had never sent your justified.

That's the first term. The second term is redemption and that's a term from the slave market. Slaves were set free when somebody paid a price so that the word redemption means to grant someone freedom by paying a price intrinsic in the word redemption is the thought of value. Somebody goes to the slave market and the guy with the money.

The potential owner says I'm in a setback. I free. I'm in a pay the price because I see value in him and him and to put money down and secure his freedom because of the value that that I see in that life, so keep that in mind when it comes your salvation God sees value in you. You are worth the price that he paid. That's staggering right that's astonishing because we know the price he paid his own son sacrificed for us but to God.

You're worth it you the treasure in the field.

You're worth it.

He sees value for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son doesn't save for God so loved the world that he sent his son to beat you up know he so loved you because he sees value in you.

And the idea of redemption also comes in the book of Ruth we saw that whole kinsman redeemer played out in Boese. The third word is the most difficult word. It's the least understood word and it's the least used word by modern translations. It is the work propitiation notes a difficult word to understand. It's a difficult word to translate. It has an idea of appeasement is sometimes translated a number of different ways.

In modern translations including an appeasement including atonement or atoning sacrifice is a word that is used about four times in the New Testament but get this the word.

The Greek word is he lost stare on unexpected. Remember that even write that down. Forget that he lost area. Now here's what's interesting about the word if you are a Greek leader and you were reading the Old Testament, you would have to read a translation known as the Septuagint. You wouldn't be reading the Hebrew Masoretic text should be reading the Septuagint version because that's the language of the Hebrews translated into Greek and the Septuagint version. The Greek translation of the Old Testament the word mercies are the work he lost area on propitiation appears 20 times and it is used for a piece of furniture in the tabernacle called the mercy seat, the mercy seat was the lid on top of the box. That was the ark of the covenant was it was gold it a cherubim on top and it covered the ark of the covenant inside the ark of the covenant member. There were three items. There was Aaron's rod that budded. There was a pot of manna and there was the law, the 10 Commandments that Israel had broken so as long as those tablets were around.

It was a reminder that Israel had broken God's law over and over and they did from the very beginning. So God said, I'll only meet with you one place on the he lost stare on the mercy seat. The only time I will have fellowship with you is when you sprinkle blood atop that mercy seat and when you do, I will meet with you there, so Jesus Christ is God's meeting place mercy seat. God has mercy on us.

His blood covers our brokenness very very powerful term.

That's why I say learn these words, yes, you can get other translations, but propitiation is a rich term. He lost area mercy seat Bible says there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, so he's that you want to meet with God.

You gotta go to his mercy seat and his mercy seat is Jesus the propitiation by his blood, to demonstrate at present time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus next? Where is boasting then gave if justification and redemption and propitiation are all accomplished in Jesus where you come off bragging about anything at all. Where is boasting, then it is excluded.

By what law of works. No bye-bye the law, or literally the principle of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified, declared righteous in treated that way proclaimed right before God. Apart from the deeds of the law or is he the God of the Jews only. He is not the God of is you, not the God of the Gentiles.

Yes of the Gentiles also, since there is one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and uncircumcised through faith do we then make void the law through faith. Certainly not perish the thought, no way, José. However, you want to translate. On the contrary, we establish the law.

Note understand Paul's think, let me refresh go back to verse 21 and notice what he says but now the righteousness of God. Apart from the law. The law of Moses is revealed. Here's the phrase I want to see now being witnessed by the law and the prophets if you're a Jewish listener and you just hear the rabbi say you know God makes people right through faith in. That's a principle that goes all the way back to the Torah. It was all the way back to the law and the prophets, your immediate question is all really forgive me Paul but I didn't read that help me understand that where exactly is that so Paul brings two witnesses into the courtroom. One is Abraham who is justified by faith before the law and one is David King David.

So the two great persons from the Old Testament that every Jewish person looks up to father Abraham, or as my tour guides and is really like to call them grandpa bringing grandpa is the first witness bringing David so we get on the witness stand. Abraham in chapter 4 verse one what then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh.

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast up but not before God. For what does the Scriptures say Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. Now to him who works. Wages are encountered his grace but his debt you have an employer, you put in so many hours per week, and he gives you a paycheck and a go.

All you are so kind to give me that paycheck. Thank you.

What what what caused you to be so overwhelmingly sweet.

Nothing you earned it. You deserve it. That was the contract.

So to him who works the wages are encountered his grace but his debt but to him who does not work but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. What is Paul referring to Paul is referring to an incident in Abraham's life when one evening God took him stargazing Abraham come outside. Listen to the stars together. Abraham was 86 at the time so it was one of those dry and warm Middle Eastern skies were. He looked up and he saw that panoply of stars spread out like diamonds on velvet. He looked up he said Abraham is yellow start yet that's what your family is to be like man you have a whole bunch of kids offspring. Now when that happened. Abraham didn't go all whole.

Come on, that's so ridiculous. I'm 86 hello that's a little bit impossible. He said amen. That's the Hebrew he believed God.

He said main said right on. Amen.

It's good to God. I amen agree with that. Amen. And so God said that's all I need you. You believe that you said amen to it. I can account what you just did in your heart instead with their lives as being right before me got counted then to Abraham as righteousness conclude Skip a text message from the series expound use good to tell you about. You can keep encouraging messages like this coming your way as you help connect others to God's word God long ago and his son coming to earth to die on the cross for our sin he planned to bring you into his family. That's incredible news and we want to share with more friends all around the world and you can be a part of that work through your gift today. You not only keep these teachings on the air, but you'll help connect so many people to the love of God and the riches of his word. Here's how you can give a gift right now you can give online@connectwith.com/donate. That's connect with.com/donate or call 800-922-1888, 800-922-1888. Thank you tomorrow Skip Heitzigs of shares how you can face the trials and troubles with hope and confidence. Next time you're feeling overwhelmed go outside. Okay.

We live in a city there's somewhat like pollution here is better but it's still out there, but then take a drive somewhere.

Go to the mountains and our layout on the hood of the sky and realize your God