Romans Chapter 3:27-31

Racers believe the theological term event on the moon (much they were saved by grace you about what you cares about. But here's the thing we've messed up who said he understandably wasn't for grace, your hope of ever doing anything good from God goes up to one welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee, God's grace doesn't simply just save us.

It also equips us for good works today. Pastor David encourages us to live out God recess.

He continues in the book of Romans 300 was going out to Pastor Dave Romans chapter 3 verse 27 ace is worth boasting that it is excluded. By what law of worship no about the law of faith said anything you know if you're saved by grace. How can you brag about your saved by grace.

How can you have spiritual pride about your saved by grace. How can you look down on everybody else in the world. It doesn't yet know Jesus as your Savior.

The dozen gimmicks to forgive your sins, but it doesn't give you the right to look down on the rest of the world, and Paul reminds us about this concept of grace must remember, grace is unearned unmerited favor of God. Each one of us has grace in God's sight and will talk about this morning. How do we come into the full inheritance of that grace. Part of that is were were told in Ephesians 2, chapter 2 verse eight nicest, for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Sometimes when I'm studying I study in the King James new King James go to the new living translation.

Sometimes I go into the Greek for the New Testament.

The Hebrew for Old Testament share that Ephesians passage bouncing of the new living translation. I think it's a pretty good translation because let's look at that Ephesians passage in their God saved you by special favor when you believe and you can't take credit for this. It is a gift from God. Salvation is not a award for the good things we've done, so none of us can boast about strong words.

I read a book a few years ago talking about grace written by Pastor Chuck Smith while grace changes everything. It was interesting as I read through this book had been raised in a religious home and very much account performance oriented Christianity pretty legalistic and unity as long as you are doing good. God loves you and you could be forgiven Lena when you messed up God and love anymore then you know you need to come back and get born again again again again again again and so as I was reading this book is interesting because I was disagreeing with. Now here's the problem I was disagreeing with what Pastor Chuck was it he was back everything up with Scripture talking about grace, passages like this one and Ephesians passages like the one we're looking at the book of Romans. What was it that angered me about that. Well, there was something in me and mine. I suggest there something in you that wants to take credit for this work of salvation, but it's not your work is the work of God is the gift of God. Now there is work involved in salvation, but that work is God's. It's a gift to you and over and over. The Bible talks about this and let me go and prepare your you're sitting here this morning and you you you got a little spiritually prideful or something in the Bible through this teaching is probably to strip some of that now the life lesson we should not have spiritual pride or brag about being forgiven. We should not have spiritual pride or brag about being forgiven. I want to encourage you to tell people about being forgiven, but we all understand there's a difference between telling people about being forgiven and bragging about being forgiven overage when you brag about having something you look down upon somebody else. It doesn't have it when you tell somebody about being forgiven. Your hope is is that they accept the Lord's. We want to tell people will want to brag to Haywood.

We have our we we've earned their stripes we join this club of do-gooders. It's a very elusive club. And if you're good enough or long enough, we might consider your application is not biblical Christianity was continuing to what Paul says in verse 20 ages. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law again see if the if you have a problem with adversity problem not with me.

It's with God and see if you've been raised in a religious legalistic homework church, then you may have picked up some things along the way, that are not biblical. Now that now you have a choice. You got stuff you picked up the it may have been a wonderful man or one woman of God that told you these things but there's scripturally inaccurate. Now you got the choice will do believe what they told me arguably what the Bible says we strongly encourage you to believe what the Bible says the big and let go of those things that you picked up along the way because rent all of us along the way have picked up things that were unscriptural and not really in the Bible and pick them up in church, being justified by grace is separate from being justified by works, so pastorally after saying we don't ever need to do good works. We don't ever need to do good deeds we don't ever need to do any of that stuff that's not what I'm saying but it's a matter of the order if you will the priorities the time on the sequence how everyone to phrase that the order the first business you have with God is not going out and doing good things.

The first-order business with God is coming to him and accepting his forgiveness. When you come to that knowledge. When you come to accept that then things begin to change in your life. But oftentimes we get confused and we think well in and often here's a pastor well you know after I work a few things out. Then I'm going to start coming to church when I when I straighten out my life a little bit more then I'm going to do that.

Getting safely if you don't think this is a common misconception, if ever, ask your family.

Ask your friends say what what is keeping you from coming to Jesus and asking him to forgive you of your sent know what you hear more often than not very common thing.

Well I would become a Christian, but I have to quit filling the blank. What happens a lot of times people are there leaning on something to get them through life. What there, leaning on is not healthy is going to disappoint him. Sometimes God heard him, but that's only God and we come along.

Hey, I just want to kick that crotch out that your leaning on before I prop you up and give you some better to hope it's interesting there's an interesting question people ask me, telling and it's it's where you are with the Lord tenant shows the question went when a believer once man's following Jesus comes to me and says hey can you be a Christian and do such and such do so and so that's a good question because really what they're saying is are going okay where's the line how close can I get to the line without going over and I'm safe.

That's not really following the Lord and in love and passion when something doesn't know the Lord assets in question. It's a very different question is are saying okay can you be a Christian and do this and what the really asking us. This is an issue in my life. This is a problem don't have to let go of this before I begin to follow. To be honest answers now grab hold of the Lord and watching begin the change your life. Any well but so often people who know that they're trying to figure out what what's in the way in the last can you be a quite a Christian and drink alcohol. Can you be a Christian and smoke cigarettes or whatever he may present smoke no and and you know the simple answer glider sitting down. The simple answer is yes. Now let me explain some of your judgment and I praise God this is those things don't keep you from accepting the forgiveness from Jesus Christ, that once you accept that forgiveness they can get in the way and they will get in the way and you'll need to start letting go of that doesn't keep you from coming to the Lord you come to the Lord and watch the Lord begin the change your life.

But so many people were convinced that they have to change their behavior before they change their Savior see their count on the world the same as I got it working and I think I got to work through this. I got worse is that I got to clean out my life before I come. The got you don't clean up your life before you come to God you come to God and God begins to change your life is analogy allotment. You don't get cleaned up to take a shower right right okay now once you come to God again. Your life begins a change in Paul points out this Ephesians passage will get back to that again. Ephesians 281 click verse 10. This time the grace you've been saved through faith and that not of yourselves is the gift of God not of works, lest anyone should boast. Verse 10 for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Talk before that that word workmanship in the Greek is the word Colima is where we get our word for polo God is saying here my whole and I want other people to read your life be a living epistle living letter written about what God can do with a life will go back to the new living translation rate against God saved you by special favor when you believe in, you can't take credit for this is a gift of God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things are done, so none of us can boast about numbers to for we hear God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. So Paul says here plainly. I mean, you think you can get more plainspoken the verse 28 is your justified by faith, not by deeds, not by works courses.

We immediately begin the attached suffix, but you gotta do this do that this time the other got hold your mouth right now you all this other stuff got to just believe what I'm telling's amazing promise. Thank you for listening to cross the bridge with David McGee will return to David's teaching in just a moment the tragedy in Benghazi.

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With the life-changing word of God to help support cross the bridge and receive your CD or DVD copy of know your future call 877-458-5508 or go online to cross the bridge.com and now let's return to pastor David's verse by verse teaching in the book of Romans. Look at verse 20 says or is he the God of the Jews only is he not also the God of the Gentiles. Yes of the Gentiles also sees a problem.

2000 years ago because they were with us. If you're saved by the law you're saved through works through the law, only the Jewish people knew the law handle. So in essence what you're saying is on Jewish people could be safe. And that's part of the misconception was happening here. We talked a little bit about how Claudius exiled all the Jewish people and also some of the Jewish Christians, and also some of the Christians. Then they were allowed to return in an the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians were having troubles getting along that and so, so, talking, talking, and ago.

I don't know the Gentile can be a Christian without being a Jew for Scott Anderson because now we flip that around with no can can a Jewish person be a Christian without walking away from the tenets of the Hebrew Scriptures and will talk more in depth about that in the in the book of Romans here but if you justified by law. Justified by works only the Jewish people would be say bosses will is the only the God of the Jews is no absolutely not. Is also God of the Gentile see this opens everything up because of God to the KGB safety law saved by works only Jewish people can be safe. But here Paul says not anybody can be say any anybody anybody wanted beautiful things about the always amazes me when somebody makes a statement well Christianity is such an exclusive religion and they mean by that that Jesus is the only way to God only way to heaven yet. You know what I would have to agree that in that definition is exclusive, but in the real definition of the word that some people are left out and unable to attain its nonexclusive it's inconclusive and that it's open to Emre by it doesn't matter from what you've done in your life you can be forgiven.

It doesn't matter. You've done this, done that hurt people kill people. You've only made little bitty mistakes whoever can come. The Lord whoever may remind you of the phrase in John 316 says for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son who were believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life may such a sweet verse when I came toward house 17 years old I was a big train wreck as you could possibly be at 70 going to the gory details, and I was just a trainer and when somebody described to me that you could come the Lord asking to forgive.

Ever since I did it but let me be honest with part of me when I said that prayer is like think is going to work for me because I done too much than things I will forever regret this is to work for me. I really thought when I came toward was missing what I'm forgiven.

Some people of some things, but you've gone too far for too long. I can't can't do for you. My heart was so filled with joy when I realized that I was going to whoever's and if you're here this morning and you think somehow you been counted out of God's plan of salvation or your list yet been counted out even counted in his everybody. Anybody is a whoever doesn't matter if you're rich and poor but does Maggie Martin do a great family or into a sorry family doesn't matter. Family was dysfunctional. Probably most of I don't know what you know what is a functional timeout on the email. As we been looking for one doesn't matter doesn't matter if you wanted for a couple minutes or for you, your whoever income the Lord it's open the anybody and everybody verse 30 since there is one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith, interesting verse in a way that is phrase that when the game really good new living translation reads like this. It says there is only one God and there is only one way of being accepted by he makes people write with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles, so doesn't matter. You Jewish you get saved by faith does not appear Gentile yet to get saved by faith.

It's the same trusting in a sense, see were all kind of in that position of owner that we can't pay her story. This king was bad things going on in the in the kingdom and and he said will whoever's doing a penalty. Any came to find out that it was his son. So son stood before him, and the king said you know you're guilty and then you have to pay this huge penalty son said you know I can't pay the and the king stepped off of his throne when stood by his son and said I will pay the penalty message. A beautiful picture what the Lord is is done with the gospel and that you know what he stepped off of his throne. The company are penalty, he left heaven. Only thing we will understand or appreciate that until we get that to leave having to leave the awesome worship music cites the sounds of heavenly come down here is that story when Lazarus was in the tomb and everybody around this morning that the shortest person about Jesus wept, and often ask myself, what was he weeping for the pain of the people that were standing around their could be also wondered if since he knew he was getting ready call Lazarus back out nothing. Lazarus was in the presence of the Lord that he was calling Lazarus back out that it was actually weeping for Lazarus when he was calling back from heaven there will never lose a loved one.

What were saddened that our law will also represent that we understand theirs again and that the are now with the Lord. So were faced with this thing of you know you you can earn it, you can't pay for. You can't buy.

You can't law your your way and you can't you can do any of you are sitting there and you're kind of stuck in this example, a few years ago as well, who refused is like 15 years that I was in ministry and I had the health situation I was in the hospital and those in half over several days and that's a pretty expensive hotel dining out, and in the so after a few days or whatever they released me and in a couple weeks later, he sent me the bill I didn't have health insurance… Have enough but didn't have health insurance at that time and only one a ballplayer, but as early and so they sent me this letter will fusion up huge number of like man Mrs. this is not good. So I called him and said like this my situation try to do different things and new little grantor trust or whatever and then I didn't qualify result was wrong with it.

And then there were stuck with the bill couldn't pay, so start praying about you, Lord, get this bill didn't pay her one day and that still small voice Lord said call him and ask him to forgive the debt devil I rebuke you for the next few days.

Every time I went in prayer. I heard that still small voice man, Mrs. and I thought okay will Lord this is you and you keep your money on going to do it. This is probably one of those who exercise in obedience and I didn't really expect that call and talk to Gunnison's is you bill number reference whatever help you Mr. McGinnis and I'm calling to ask you to forgive the debt long socks in a civil Mr. McGee.

That's a very unusual request. I still remember the exact revisionist understand that but I felt like I needed that.

So he said okay so will you know what what I'll do is all I'll go to my superiors flat out just tell you no longer superiors. I'll give you call back in. That's okay. Funds are to be honest, I did look stupid, felt stupid, but I did two weeks later Guy calls back, take I wasn't yet. I went to my superiors asking to forgive the debt they said no were not going to do that can't do that but I was able to reduce your debt down the $99.

Can you pay that 90 day yeah and and you know, so I got all that was like I knew you'd come through okay.

I was hoping you'd come jealous stuck in a place noted that I couldn't pay my heavenly father said did forgive us the plan were stuck in a place we owing that we can't pay what we do we see God's guidance as you know I'll forget that that in and friend. If you think that number from the hospital was back to understand what that we have the God for the things that we've done wrong is true that God hated that that he did not owe because we noted that we could not pay gotten his goodness through faith.

So here's the thing you start here about saved by grace saved by faith. This is great this this means I just go out and do what ever I want to do.

I don't have to be worried about that whole right and wrong doing right. Verse 31 it says is do we then make void the law through faith.

Certainly not on the contrary, we establish the law to start on my grace is belief a theological term of antinomianism and much they were saved by grace and go do whatever doesn't matter what you do that, that's not right. That's heresy. What the Bible teaches. But here's the thing we've messed up.

We sent the understand if it wasn't for grace, your hope of ever doing anything good for God goes out the one because you messed up you can't get that back. You can be so good that it outweighs your bat and you know at that point it leaves you in a place of condemnation. Okay, nothing I can do once alerts as we know it by faith.

You can be forgiven. You can have a clean slate and give you the freedom to do what's right. You're not set free to do whatever you set free to do what's right to serve friend. You know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now own Legion. A short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I can have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again. Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness. Those who were sick, not the righteous. So congratulations you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you if this was your first time praying that prayer with Pastor David we would love to hear from you. You can call us toll-free at 877-458-5508 to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. Also, if you been blessed by cross the bridge ministries would you consider supporting us with a financial gift when you call with your gift. Make sure to ask them about this month's special offer entitled know your future be immune to terrorism. This insightful teaching will fill you with hope and also help you understand the truth about Islam donate today and will send you a CD or DVD copy right away as a way of saying thank you for your support. Our number is 877-458-5508 77458508 or go online to cross a bridge.com. While there, take a moment to sign up for David's free email devotional or browser large library of teaching again. Our website is cross a bridge.com. Thank you for listening and we hope will join us again next time. As we continue to cross the bridge