From Valley to Victory (Part 4)

For my personal experience that has taken me around the world at least 62 times I have seen how the world over the world over, regardless of cultural place that people long for security, while overly long for security Weatherby financial security and whether would be job security will be a health security OB national security or security in homes all people the world over. No matter how rich they may be.

No matter how famous they may be, no matter how powerful they may be, no matter how much they claim to be self-sufficient.

No one ever feels totally secure, and that is why we have alarm systems in our homes is why have police and army that will have professional financial advisors to help us guard against the pitfalls of life we we have not yet discovered the secret for feeling of totally secure, most people would not admit they would not admit it publicly, but most people long for eternal security. They do try to speak to enough of them to realize that this is the case.

Most important, there is a knowing feeling that God is going to judge them for their sin. If you talk to them and to be honest enough and open up the other will tell you and that is why they end up trying to form some coping mechanism with that knowing feeling coping mechanism. They convince themselves that they can escape the judgment of God.

They deal with that inner spiritual insecurity by devising countless countless false ideals and ideas and philosophies to help them think that they can escape the punishment that they internally know the going to face, and that they deserve. So they convince themselves that they're basically good because they good, they gonna make it in the end they tried to convince themselves that God is too good and loving to judge them, that somehow if they can do enough charity work that will outweigh all the bad that doing others say that God is too loving to send them to help. Still others insist that there is no God or when they die they just die because he loving told a lot of secular people. I asked a friend of mine recently. Why did he convince himself that when he dies, he dies and that's the end of it and is almost a moment. He said to me is that otherwise I would go crazy worrying about what's after death. And so when I offered to show him the way of salvation and joy and peace and forgiveness. He declined. He said the event is a life after death, alto God that I knew you as a new me. No one help you one red in the last message. The apostle Paul tells us that the moralists the moralists people who think they're good and they're better than others and they compare themselves with the worst of societies around others bad at least talk about this moralists both Jews and Gentiles. By the way, he said they will be brought before the courts of Justice of heaven before the heavenly judge it in times. He said neither of them have any basis or should have any basis for security any security that they might devise to convince themselves is a false sense of security. Any security that they devise other than being saved through the shed blood of Jesus Christ is a false sense of security and here beginning in this passage the apostle Paul turns from talking to the moralists, both Jews and Gentiles, and he focused exclusively upon the Jewish people of his day. The religionists those people of the covenant why he said because they have greater measure of light they have greater measure of God's knowledge. They have greater measure of God's blessings that have greater measure of privilege to know God and so with all of that he says comes as stricter judgment is going to, as stricter accountability and therefore he turns onto them like a laser beam in order to remind them that any security they have other than coming to the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ is a false sense of security and that is why James the half-brother of our Lord Jesus warns us not to be anxious to be teachers. Why, because those of us who take upon our lips, the teaching of the Word of God, we gotta be judged. We going to be held accountable in a far stricter way than the average person. Paul is basically shuttering shuttering their false sense of security in regard to the heritage and secondly he warns them of not shrinking the personal responsibility and then he highlights the only basis for their accountability and these are the three things going to look at today three things that we can see in this passage, false sense of security versus 17 to 29 personal responsibility. Chapter 3 verse 128 accountability of chapter 3 verse 9 to 18 first to say it is dangerous.

It is dangerous to have this false sense of security. In fact, if it is so dangerous to have a false sense of security about your job or about your finances, or about your future in fact not anywhere near as dangerous as having a false sense of spiritual security in regard please when it comes to salvation when it comes to eternal life when it comes to where you gonna spend your forever you cannot count on anyone or anything other than faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything else will be false sense of security. Baptism will not save you. Church affiliation will not save you going to mass and confession will not save you going to church once a month or even 10 times a day will not save you on their complete faith and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ will save you terminally. The Jews at the time of Paul had this false sense of security that stemmed from the fact that they know all about God that they know all about the law.

The denial about their history and the gods dealing with them that they know all about the Temple that they know all about what God has committed and what God has for bad.

But all that knowledge. Paul is saying only gave them a false sense of security, verse 19 you are confident that you yourselves are guides to the blind and the light to those in darkness.

He is the most fantastic thing in fantastic irony being light to the Gentiles or those in the darkness is what God wanted Israel to be called the grade to be a light to the nations to bring light to the Gentiles.

But instead of being light to the world. This realize that were being a Jew is sufficient is like a Christian, Islam saved and sanctified, I don't have to do anything and they resisted the sharing of God's knowledge with the others. In fact, many of them joined the darkness they enjoyed it too much to withdraw the Bible throughout the Old Testament beloved are so many professing Christians today who think that they can live any which way they want if they tip their hat the God once a week or whatever. Okay I have a conversation again. Not long ago with a professing Christian and I said and what only what basis would God let you and is heaven is it well I've been a member of such a such church for 40 years now. I know the judgment and focus on that as a flamingo.

I saw how often do you go is it well I got a few times a year, but I was baptized as a baby in the church and I give him a thousand bucks a year to just keep my name in the books for two reasons.

One, so they can do my funeral and to they may be able to help move the man upstairs that beloved, if you don't drive very much. This is more common than you realize you will be stunned by the number of people who think this way you be stunned. The apostle Paul having dealt with the moralists in Roman society, he turns his attention to the religionists of his day, instead of allowing what the prophets have been saying to them in their Bible about pride and guard against pride. They allow that very pride to possess them. You see, when Jesus said to the Jews in John chapter 8 verse 31 when he said to them, if you abide in my word, you will be truly my disciples and you shall know the truth and the truth will set you what three you know what happened. Most of you know they got up at the know I mean by that.

They got property they really will become angry and aggressive.

We are the descendents of Abraham were always free when of slaves visit. This is pure fantasy is really fantastic when you think about it. The double slaves. They were slaves to sin and also slaves to Rome, there was a free but Jesus went on to say to them. Verse 34 John chapter 834 everyone who keeps on committing sin is a slave to sin and everyone help you one bit. The last part is a use of thing the rug in the Bible is what Jesus is saying, which is exactly what Paul is saying here religious heritage, family connections, ethnic heritage, all of that blinded them to the real needs. It really did all of this created a false sense of security.

Why because having the Old Testament and being circumcised and practicing some religious rituals of being physically descendent of Abraham.

All of that will not help them escape from the judgment of God. Listen to me. In the same way today believing in the existence of God will not get you to heaven. The devil, the Bible said believes he only believes he trembles something we don't do these days being baptized as an infant is not going to get you to heaven being baptized as an adult just one water without the heart being circumcised, being born again will not get you to heaven going to confession and mass every week will not get you to heaven. Trying to be a an out and out religious person will not get you to heaven denying the power of God that changes lives and that can change your life denying the power of God to transform you wanting to live any which way you want to live and want God to give them to you and said okay this is the what you are to leave you alone you will find thinking that believe in Jesus Christ, just gives your license to live in sin against his word shopping around until you find a pastor who agrees with you none of that is going to help you.

None of us can help you only when you place all of your sins and guilt under the blood of Jesus Christ. What he deliver you healing now for all of eternity. Only when you acknowledge that you are helpless without his power only when you close yourself with this transforming power every moment of every day will you be set free as most of us who come to the Lord from sin and guilt can testify any earthly connection other than trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ will only give you a false sense of security. Secondly, nothing and no one will be able to absorb you from your personal responsibility.

Look at verses 1 to 8 of chapter 3 above, allowing to make something very clear at the outset before I get going here okay the Mosaic law in the Old Testament are important. Paul is not saying they not important. Listen to be very careful.

This is important because there are God-given. Therefore, they are important. In fact, I'm gonna make a startling statement I going to be struggling to some of you. You can be saved by keeping the law I told you going to startle you can be saved by keeping the law, right, of course I'm right. He did not mishear me at all. You heard me right, you can be saved by keeping the law 24 seven. All of your life. Hello even if you select so many people that I talked to his original I'm going to be in heaven because I keep the golden rule really do onto others with grown due to yourself number one. Nobody ever kept the golden rule perfectly. Anyway, it's wide open for abuse is just a red herring.

The law of God. Beloved is perfect. Can you say that with me.

The law of God is perfect and it is used by God to remind us of how sinful we are, and the commandment show us how desperately we need a perfect Savior to save us because we cannot save ourselves. The only Savior who kept all of the law. All of the time perfectly. Four 33 1/3 of the year.

Beloved, the task of the Lord is to tell us to turn to Jesus for forgiveness.

That's the task of the law to turn to God for salvation because we can do it to turn to God for mercy and grace to turn to God for true righteousness that is right standing with him.

The law should send us running through Christ, and that is why they do not want to see that 10 Commandments in public because they know if people see them.

They recognize are sinners and they need a Savior. I no longer Christ and they don't want over until parents that the reason we don't call infant baptism, christening is because the term means making a little Christian out of but that's not what government baptism is all about. In reality, infant baptism or as a household baptism which occurred in the book of acts again and again and again which we follow is giving the child the privilege of growing up, to know God's plan of salvation that is an incredible leg up from a person who totally unaware of anything about God. Yet that child.

Any child must at some point when they grow up to make their own profession of faith and here in chapter 3 of Romans, Paul anticipates his fellow Jews objections forward met a fantastic lawyer and he anticipated their objection and he said what advantages. Therefore, being a Jew.

What value is physical circumcision that this is not a frivolous objection. By the way on the part of those objecting to Paul listen carefully today would parcel the question this way, what value is growing up in the church. What value is church attendance.

What value is. Infant baptism artists participating at communion if they were not necessary for salvation and that is a valid question of eloquence for the Jew knowing the Old Testament gave them a tremendous advantage. Look how Paul had to really explain to me at first, the old covenant and the new covenant and how the New Testament fulfilling the old enough to do that with the Jews and in the same way in the Christian community, a child growing up in a Christian home is a tremendous advantage is a wonderful advantage for a Jew, and knowing the Old Testament he would have learned about the character of God, the love of God, the justice of God, the more importantly God's promise of the coming Messiah. All that was there something a gentle did not know and had to start from below zero. Tragically, the Jews have focused so much of their attention on their privileges very little attention to the responsibilities and that's what Paul is doing here. He is reminding them of their personal responsibility today. This is happening in the professing church all over the place. Yet no one can shrug off his or her personal responsibility for the need to know and believe and obey the truth of the gospel listen to me. We are thankful for Christian family upbringing.

We are thankful for Bible believing churches.

We are thankful for baptism and communion.

All remind us again and again and again that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone, but none of these none of these were replaceable. Take away the absolute necessity of each person's responsibility when they stand before a holy God on the great day every single for every individual will stand before the God of heaven. False sense of security, personal responsibility, furtively accountability. Look at verses 9 to 18 of chapter 3, Romans, and the last message I told you about the Roman moralist/philosopher Seneca is what Seneca said I wanted to listen very carefully because this is an amazing words coming from the lips of a mandated mother Jesus did not know God. He said every guilty person is his own hangman repeater every guilty person is his own hangman is a problem today. Guilt is quietly destroying millions of lives. Guilt is driving people to all forms of addictions, guilt is driving a lot of people into despair and even insanity. Guilt is leading more and more young people to suicide and beloved, listen to me. We can play all of the philosophical blame game.

All we want, but at the end of the day. No one no one no one escapes the inner feeling of guilt. Trust me when I tell you this, you can watch them partying hard, having fun and they look very happy, but I promise you when the lights are off and there all alone. There are guilt stricken.

They guilt stricken just was on the last message by virtue of the fact that the law of God written on the heart of his creation is what the Bible said, but also I hadn't seen it experientially.

In fact, the more we have sophisticated psychological services in society more guilt ridden society becomes my son Jonathan who is ministering in Sydney Australia was telling me the other day that even though I know the country with a kind of a fun loving people that come laissez-faire society that that they just like hell. I just like to have fun ever very laid-back. He was telling me that in the papers and in the news that depression among young people is now has become epidemic in the know know how to cope with it and how to deal with it. You know the truly heart wrenching, heart-wrenching situation is when people want to be rid of that gift and they don't know how to me this is a horrible nightmare horrible nightmare, the more they seek human solutions. The deeper they sink into despair. Beloved. Here's the truth.

Guilt is a mere symptom of the problem. The problem is sin, but I want to call it everything except that. But that is that's a disease and my beloved friends. All of the secular counseling in the world is not going to help alleviate that guilt. All sin, advanced secular counseling will offer temporary relief.

The best, but in the long run the blame game will intensify the guilt he said why because it adds dishonesty to the sin which is the cause of guilt.

From the first place is a fact all of us.

Your pastor included, have suffered from this dreadful pain of guilt we all have experienced in the past and all of us who have experienced the joy of the forgiveness of the Lord Jesus Christ return testify that until sin is dealt with permanent relief from guilt becomes impossible because impossible. That is why the word gospel means good news and we sitting on it, not sharing. It means good news. What is that good news is that not only sin but also guilt that stems from sin can be washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ, amen belongs here Barnhouse a wonderful preacher in Pennsylvania many years ago made the statement. He said our society is like a little boy who swears with tears that he has not been anywhere near the jar of jam here with an air of outrage. Innocence pleads the writers rightness of his position while at the same time he was totally oblivious to the fact that there is jam on his shirt jam on his chin and jamming his fingernails. That's what the apostle Paul to say he is aware of man's disposition to deny sin and try to deal with guilt of sin some other way to refuse to be held accountable for their actions, and so he says all of the denying in the world will not absorb you from accountability. Look at Romans 310 to 18, 20, and about what watch the last few verses. Here Paul introduces evidence.

Evidence presented before the courts of heaven evidence that says no matter how much people deny their accountability. They are guilty as charged.

All of the moralists among both Jews and Gentiles have 13 counts of indictment against him. Please look with me verse 10 particular verse 10. There is no one not even one, and he repeats that six times. There is no one not even one saved with there is no one, not even one. Those 13 charges and documents of parcels under three categories. Verses 10 to 12 indictment against our character. Verses 13 to 14 indictment against our speech, our words in verses 15, 16 indictment against our conduct and the verdict is this the person who is not redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross has no defense there guilty as charged. I want to tell you this, as I conclude many years ago in the city of Chicago. They held what was called the parliament on world religions and it was done to coincide with the world fair that was held in Chicago that year that Parliament of religions, all the major ethnic religions were represented such as Hinduism and Buddhism and Shintoism, all of the rest are all of the isms door over each representative of this religions got up one by one. One by one the confusion us. The Muslims and each one explained away the philosophy of life and the essence of the religion. Then came the turn of the man who was selected to speak on behalf of the Christian faith. A man by the name of Joseph Cook from the city of Boston. He was selected for that occasion is what he said I'm going to read it word for word because I don't want to miss it is said here is Lady Macbeth hand staying with the found murder of Duncan see her as she permeates through the holes in the Colonel's of her palatial home, stopping him crying out close to spot out that say will these hands ever be clean and return to those panel at the platform. Dr. Joseph Cook asked the question. Can any of you who are so anxious to propagate your religious systems offer any cleansing efficacy for sin and guilt for Lady Macbeth and oppressive silence was maintained by all and then he said only the blood of Jesus Christ can purge the conscious of sin and guilt for serving the living God. I want to make a statement.

I hope you memorize it to my final statement must understand that we are not saved by obedience to Christ.

We obey Christ because we are saved. I want to save it with. We are not saved by obedience to Christ. We are obedient to Christ because we are say by Christ. Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org that LTW.Ward