Boasting Excluded

Good morning. My name is Matthew Capone and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church.

And it's my joy to bring God's word to you today. A special welcome if you are new or visiting with us.

We're glad that you're here. And we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats,

but because we're following Jesus together as one community.

And as we follow Jesus together, we become convinced that there's no one so good.

They don't need God's grace and no one so bad that they can't have it,

which is why we come back week after week to hear what God has to say to us in his word.

This morning, we are continuing our series in the book of Romans, but we're also finishing it in one sense.

I warned you last week that we are going to make it to the end of chapter three and then we're going to pause.

Okay, so we will not return to chapter four of Romans until perhaps summer or fall of 2025.

And so I'm about to tell you for the last time this year about the letter to Romans.

Romans is a letter written by the Apostle Paul in the 50s AD.

It is called Romans for a very simple reason, which is that it is written to the churches in the city of Rome.

This letter to the Romans is about the gospel.

It is about the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection.

Paul's hope in writing this letter is that these people in these churches would be established in the gospel.

And as he does that, Paul makes many applications and explores many things,

but he constantly returns to and is focused on the mission and the unity of the church.

And while there are many spokes in the book of Romans,

they always return back to the hub of the gospel.

Last week, we took a look at verses 25 and 26,

understanding the wrath of God and his goodness as our Father,

how he is bringing evil once and for all to an end.

And now we look at the very last verses of chapter three of Romans,

the point that in a sense Paul has been driving to

after his explanation of the gospel in verses 23 and 24,

which is that if it is true what he's told us in chapter one and chapter two and chapter three,

that's true,

then what we need to do,

what we must do is rely and trust on God alone.

That's how Paul ends this chapter.

And so with that, I invite you to turn with me to Romans chapter three.

You can turn in your Bible.

You can turn on your phone.

You can turn in your worship guide.

No matter where you turn, remember that this is God's word.

And Proverbs chapter 30, verse five tells us,

Proverbs 30 · chapter mention

every word of God proves true.

He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

And so that's why we read now Romans chapter three,

starting at verse 27.

Then what becomes of our boasting?

It is excluded.

By what kind of law?

By a law of works?

No, but by the law of faith.

For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Or is God the God of Jews only?

Is he not the God of Gentiles also?

Yes, of Gentiles also.

Since God is one who will justify the circumcised by faith

and the uncircumcised through faith,

do we then overthrow the law by this faith?

By no means.

On the contrary, we uphold the law.

I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word.

Our Father in heaven, we do praise you and we thank you as we do every week

that you have called us to worship you

and you've spoken to us in your word.

We confess this morning that we are easily distracted,

that our hearts are attracted to many things,

that often we lose the plot and forget what you've told us in your word,

the hope that you've set out for us in the gospel.

And so we ask for your help again.

We ask that you would pour out your Holy Spirit in a special way among us now

to open our ears and our eyes and our hearts,

that you would help us to see and understand clearly what you have for us

in Romans chapter 3.

Romans 3 · chapter mention

And we ask that you would use it to transform us,

to make us more and more into the image of your Son.

And we ask these things in his mighty name.

Amen.

In 2009, Jeanette Walls came out with her book called Half Broke Horses,

in which she tells the story of her grandmother named Lily,

Lily Casey Smith, who grew up in West Texas in the early 1900s.

And her book opens with a story from Lily's childhood,

when Lily was 10 years old.

So this is around 1910 or 1911.

And there is a flash flood in the month of August.

And so they're in West Texas.

This flash flood happens.

And Lily realizes that her and her two younger siblings

will not be able to outrun the flood.

And so they're stuck in this cow pasture.

The water is coming too fast.

Lily is the oldest, takes responsibility for her younger siblings.

They find a cottonwood tree,

and they climb up into it just in time.

As they make it onto the branch of the cottonwood tree,

this six-foot wall of water hits the tree.

And so they realize they've just made it in the nick of time.

Now, that's just the first step, right,

to make it up into the tree.

They have something that's actually more challenging,

which is that night is coming.

And for them to survive, they must stay awake.

Because what happens if you're sitting on the limb of a tree and you fall asleep?

You're going to head into the water, right?

The six-foot wall.

And so Lily, as the oldest, takes responsibility for her two younger siblings and goes to work.

She has them switch places on the branch when their arms begin to get tired

so they can have new muscles holding themselves up.

She keeps her siblings awake by quizzing them with all the things that they know.

She quizzes them on their multiplication tables.

She runs through presidents and state capitals with them.

She runs through the definition of words,

anything that will help them make it through the night.

Her youngest sister, Helen, at one point says,

I can't hold on any longer.

And Lily says, yes, you can.

You can because you have to.

And so these three children miraculously make it through the night.

The next day, the water recedes, just in time for another conflict to begin.

They make it down the tree.

Lily and her siblings make it to their childhood home,

where their parents, as you can imagine, are worried sick to receive them.

Her mother comes running out of the house, and we're told this.

She sank to her knees, clasped her hands in front of her,

and started praying up to the heavens,

thanking the Lord for delivering her children from the flood.

It was she, the mom, who had saved us, she declared,

by staying up all night praying.

And so she says to her children,

you get down on your knees and thank your guardian angel,

and thank me too.

Now, Lily is completely put out by this.

She says this,

The way I saw it, I was the one who'd saved us,

not mom and not some guardian angel.

No one was up in that cottonwood tree except the three of us.

Then Lily goes to her talk to her dad and says,

There weren't no guardian angel, dad.

She explains how she had been the one who got them into the cottonwood tree.

She was the one who figured out how to have them switch places.

She was the one who ran them through what they knew to keep them awake.

Her mom wants credit for her prayers.

Lily wants credit for her work.

And is there any space or room for God in the midst of that?

Romans chapter 3, verses 27 through 31 asks one piercing and critical question.

Romans 3:27–31

Who do you give credit to for your life?

Who do you give credit to for your life?

For your success?

Who do you believe deserves the thanks?

Lily has a lot of clarity on who should be thanked.

Lily's mom has tremendous clarity on who should be thanked,

although they have different answers.

This passage raises even further a question,

not just who do you thank,

can you thank yourself?

That's what Lily and her mom are arguing about.

Okay, there was this flood.

Everyone was saved.

Who gets the credit?

I think if we're honest,

many of us feel that story,

even if we don't say it out loud.

Yes, I know as a good Christian,

I'm supposed to give thanks to God, right?

I'm supposed to recognize his sovereign work in the world

and that everything that I have comes from him.

And what about my credit?

What about what I did?

Sure, I'll thank God.

I want my due too.

That's what Paul's getting at here in verse 27.

He asks this question,

then what becomes of our boasting?

And he's asking this question

because of everything that's come before

in the book of Romans.

Remember, I've told you that chapters one through three

are driving in one direction.

Paul has been moving,

while it may not have seemed this way,

in a straight line.

So when he says what becomes of our boasting,

he means what becomes of our boasting

in light of everything that has come before?

What becomes of our boasting

in light of the fact that chapter one,

the Gentiles or the non-religious deserve God's wrath?

What becomes of our boasting in light of chapter two

that the Jews or religious people

also deserve God's wrath?

What becomes of our boasting in light of chapter three

that our only hope is in the gospel.

If the gospel is true,

can we congratulate ourselves?

That's what Paul's asking.

If the gospel is true,

can we pat ourselves on the back?

If the gospel is true,

can we take credit for our salvation?

If the gospel is true,

do we look down on people

who haven't made it as far as we have?

What becomes of our boasting?

And the answer,

the answer to the question,

can we pat ourselves on the back,

is this, no.

No.

Bet you didn't see that coming.

Verse 27,

it is excluded.

There is no room

for anyone but God and God alone

to receive the credit.

If you're rich,

or at least well off,

who do you thank for your wealth?

If you're successful,

or at least you've done good enough,

who do you thank for your accomplishments?

If you're healthy,

or at least healthy enough,

who gets the credit

for your lifestyle?

When the doors are closed,

and all hearts are exposed,

what do you really believe

is the foundation of your life?

when the truth comes out,

what will we see

as our real North Star?

And what do our hearts

and lives

and minds

reveal

about our anchor?

Remember,

I repeated this many times

in the book of Judges.

Psalm 127,

Unless the Lord

builds the house,

those who build it

labor in vain.

Unless the Lord

watches over the city,

the watchman

stays awake

in vain.

I didn't quote

the second part,

though.

Same psalm.

It is in vain

that you rise up early

and go late to rest,

eating the bread

of anxious toil,

for he gives

to his beloved sleep.

Who gets credit

for your life?

During the book of Judges,

I also told you

about Psalm 20,

Psalms 20:7

verse 7.

Some trust in chariots

and some in horses,

but we trust

in the name

of the Lord,

our God.

And we just sang this

a few minutes ago,

right before the sermon.

To this I hold,

my hope is only Jesus.

All the glory

evermore to him.

When the race

is complete,

still my lips

shall repeat,

yet not I,

but through Christ

in me.

Then what

becomes

of our boasting?

It is

excluded.

of course,

Paul here

is ultimately

discussing more

than wealth

and accomplishments

and health.

Ultimately,

what he's discussing

is salvation.

Those who've been

redeemed by God,

who've been bought

by him,

who've been purchased

at a price.

You might ask this,

Christian,

why did God

redeem you?

Did God

redeem you

because you were

smart enough

or cunning enough?

Why did you end up

at Cheyenne Mountain

Presbyterian Church

worshiping God

with his people?

Was it because

you lined up

the right things

in the right way?

Was it because

you figured out

some secret

that other people

were just not

smart enough

to figure out?

Is it because

you made

the sacrifices

required to live

a holy life

before God?

No.

Paul tells us

it's this

and this alone

because

and only

because

God

had mercy

on you.

Then what

becomes of our

boasting?

It is

excluded.

Why though?

Why is it

that boasting

is excluded?

Paul goes on

to answer that.

He says,

By what kind

of law?

By a law

of works?

No,

but by the

law of faith.

And here

the word

law is used

differently

at different

times in the

book of Romans.

In this instance

he's using

law to mean

a principle.

And so we

could read

verse 27

in this way.

By a

principle

of works?

No,

by the

principle

of faith.

And so to

understand that

we have to

understand the

difference between

works and

faith.

Works

is a

life in

which you

rely on

what you

have done

and will

do.

If you live

a life of

works,

you rely on

what you

have done

and will

do.

By the

way,

if that's

your principle,

you can

boast.

If your

life rests

on what you

have done

and will

do,

boasting

should not

be excluded.

you should

be able to

boast in

whatever you

want to,

right?

Faith,

very different.

A life

relying on

what God

has done

and will

do.

Faith

is the

life relying

on what

God has

done

and will

do.

And of

course,

if that's

your principle,

you can't

boast

because God

is the

one who

has done

it.

You'll

see this

on page

eight of

your worship

guide,

clarifying

this contrast

for us

between faith

and works.

Faith is

self-renouncing.

Works are

self-congratulatory.

Faith looks

to what God

does.

Works have

respect to

what we

are.

These two

things could

not be

farther

apart.

Lower down

on the

same page.

Works earn,

but faith

only

receives.

Works earn,

but faith

only

receives.

You can

have one

or you

can have

the other.

You cannot

have them

both.

faith.

In fact,

we also

sang that

earlier this

morning.

Back on

page six.

I will

boast

ever only

in the

Lord my

God,

for I

know

his glory

is my

good.

Those are

the words

of faith,

not the

words

of works.

Paul goes

on to

explain this

for us

even more

in verse

28.

He says,

For we

hold that

one is

justified

by faith

apart from

works of

the law.

If you've

been with

us,

you remember

the concept

of justification

has two

parts to

it.

There's one

part where

justification

is the

theological

term that

means God

makes it

just as if

we never

sinned.

He removes

the record

of our

guilt.

It also

has another

side to

it.

Justification

doesn't only

make it

just as if

we'd never

sinned.

Justification

also means

that God

gives us

Jesus'

righteousness.

It's not

just that he

removes the

bad things

that we've

done.

He gives

us Jesus'

record of

the good

things.

One is

justified.

In other

words,

one is in

right standing,

right relationship

with God,

not based on

anything you

have done,

but on

Christ and

Christ alone.

Justification

restores our

relationship with

God, and

out of that

flows all our

other relationships.

Our relationship

with others,

our relationship

with ourself,

our relationship

with God's

word, God's

world, excuse

me.

Verses 29

through 30 go

on to expand

on that same

basic point,

and the basic

point of verses

29 and 30

is that grace

operates the

same for

every person.

Remember,

Paul has this

burden in

chapters 1 and

2 to say,

look, it's

religious and

non-religious

people who

deserve God's

wrath.

Here he's

simply saying

in these two

verses, 29

through 30,

religious and

non-religious

people, Gentile

and Jew,

they all receive

grace in the

same way.

it's not as

if Jewish

people are

able to

receive grace

by keeping

the law and

that the

Gentiles receive

grace by not

keeping the

law.

No, everyone

needs God's

grace, whether

they're circumcised,

that's the Jew,

or uncircumcised,

the Gentile.

That's why he

says in verse 30,

God is one.

He's saying you

can't split God

up and make him

operate in different

ways with different

people.

people.

No, his

grace is the

need of every

person.

And so in

those verses,

he's simply

expanding on what

he's already

said.

He's shown us

our need in

chapters 1 and

2.

He's told us the

gospel in chapter

3.

He's now saying,

okay, here's the

logical conclusion,

no boasting.

And no boasting

because you're

standing with God

is based on

grace, not

works.

And that

standing with

God based on

grace, not

works, is true

or necessary

for everyone.

I don't mean

that everyone's

received God's

grace.

I mean that is

the way in

which everyone

must.

If a person

is to be in

right standing

with God, it

must be by

grace, never

by works.

Now we've

discussed one

side.

of boasting,

of taking

credit.

I asked you

earlier, hey, if

you're wealthy

or successful

or healthy, who

do you give

credit to?

And you might

have thought in

that moment, well,

I don't need to

worry about that

because I'm not

wealthy, I'm not

successful, and I

don't have health.

So I guess this

doesn't apply to me.

I don't need to

worry, right?

Well, no, the

temptation, no

matter what our

situation is, the

temptation is still

present to have a

life based on

works.

One pastor points

out the other

side.

He says the

problem of

boasting is not

just when we

take credit for

the good things.

The problem of

boasting also

happens when we're

envious of what

other people have

but we don't.

Now that seems

counterintuitive,

but what he's

saying is this,

if we're mad at

God that others

have more than

we do, what

we're saying in a

sense is that the

world should work

based on works.

Hey, I don't

understand, I've

worked longer and

harder.

Why did that

person get it?

Shows our hearts,

right?

Reveals us.

We believe God

should give us

what we think

we deserve.

If we're jealous

and angry,

when we see God's

blessing in other

people's lives,

blessings that we

desperately want,

right?

Think of the

prophet Jonah.

He was mad that

God had showed

grace.

We revealed our

hearts.

We've shown that

we have abandoned

faith for works.

What I'm saying

simply is this.

sometimes God's

grace to other

people offends

us.

And when God's

grace to other

people offends

us, it shows we

do not have a

life of faith.

When we're filled

with resentment,

when other people

get what we think

we deserve,

that's the

language of

someone who

operates by

works.

Now remember,

I've been

telling you as

we've gone

through the

book of

Romans that

what Paul

teaches,

Jesus taught

first.

You may be

familiar with

the parable in

Matthew chapter

Matthew 20 · chapter mention

20 of the

workers in the

vineyard.

They're hired to

work in a

vineyard, but

some, here's the

catch, are hired

to work for part

of the day.

Some are hired to

work for the

whole day.

So they line up

at the end.

The people who've

only worked a

little bit get

paid first.

So they receive

their pay.

The people who've

worked all day

look and they see

what those people

are getting paid

and they say,

wow, you know,

if someone who

worked half a day

gets $2, then

obviously I'm

going to get $4.

They come to the

end and everyone

has been paid the

same.

The folks who

worked longer

complained that

look, this is not

fair.

How dare you,

referring to the

master in this

parable, but really

to God, how dare

you give us all

the same when

some of us have

worked more than

others?

The master replies

in this way,

am I not allowed

to do what I

choose with what

belongs to me?

Or do you

begrudge

my generosity?

So the last

will be first

and the first

last.

Do we

understand

God's grace

enough

to be okay

with that?

Or do we

think that what

we've done in

this life

has earned

something from

God or

proved something

to him?

If we

believe that,

we are still

in the grip

of boasting.

What becomes

of our boasting?

It is

excluded.

all of this

talk about

different amounts

of work

receiving the

same pay,

though,

raises a fair

question, a

complication.

It's what Paul

gets to at the

end.

If we are

operating not on

the principle of

works, but on

the principle of

faith, does

that not mean

that it does

not matter

what I do?

If everyone

is getting paid

the same at

the end of

the day,

man, that's

good to know.

I guess I'll

sit on my

hands a little

bit.

I guess I'll

do what I

want when I

want.

I guess I'll

take not one

water break,

but ten

water breaks.

I'll disappear

to the bathroom

every hour.

If that's the

principle, I'll

take advantage

of it.

If we all get

the same wages,

then who

cares?

That's what

Paul is

addressing here

in verse 31.

Do we then

overthrow the

law by this

faith?

In other

words, if

we're not

based on

works, why

work?

Why obey

God?

It sounds

like we

don't need

to worry

about that.

And Paul

says, by

no means.

Absolutely

not.

And he

doesn't just

say absolutely

not.

He tells

us why.

On the

contrary, we

uphold the

law.

And Paul

is getting

at this

principle he

explains in

other parts of

scripture, which

is this, true

faith overflows

into obedience.

True faith

overflows into

obedience.

In fact, it

actually empowers

and allows the

only kind of

obedience that's

acceptable to

God.

If you

obey outside

of faith,

what trap

do you fall

into?

You fall

into the

trap of

boasting.

The only

way to

truly and

fully obey

God is to

obey out

of his

grace.

And so in

his letter to

the church

planter Titus,

Paul says

this,

the grace

of God

has appeared

bringing

salvation for

all people,

training us

to renounce

ungodliness

and worldly

passions,

and to live

self-controlled,

upright, and

godly lives

in the present

age.

Note what

Paul doesn't

say.

He doesn't

say self-control

and discipline

and following

the right

regimen

will teach

us to

renounce

ungodliness

and worldly

passions.

No, he

says the

grace of

God

training us

to renounce

ungodliness

and worldly

passion.

It is

God's grace

that allows

and enables

his people

to truly

obey.

True

faith

overflows

into

obedience.

And so

no,

believers do

obey.

They do

follow after

God and

his commands.

They do

it for a

different reason

and from a

different source.

Obedience,

not trying to

earn salvation,

that's the

obedience that

leads to

boasting.

That's the

obedience that

leads us to

believe we

have something

that God

owes us.

No,

obedience as

a fruit of

salvation,

something that

comes out of

God and his

work for us.

That is what

true obedience

is.

In fact,

that's the

only way

you can

truly obey

because any

other way

is an

attempt to

manipulate

God.

What is

boasting

except the

principle that

I can

somehow get

God to

owe me?

True obedience

comes out of

love for God,

gratitude for

what he has

done for

us.

what is

it that

God has

done for

us?

It's his

grace in

Jesus Christ.

It's that

justification

that Paul has

spoken about.

It is that

reconciliation

with God in

our relationship

to him.

It's peace

with God

because of

the work of

Jesus Christ.

That he's

done two

things for

us.

He's taken

the punishment

that we

deserve in

his death

on the

cross.

But not

just that,

he's also

given us

his obedience,

his correct

and right

and perfect

record.

That is the

grace that

leads us

to obedience.

That is what

takes us away

from boasting

and takes us

to praise.

Christ.

Christian,

who do you

give credit

to for

your life?

Who do you

thank for

your success?

Who deserves

all praise

and glory

for your

salvation?

salvation?

Verse 27

asks it

this way,

then what

becomes

of our

boasting?

The answer

is this.

What becomes

of our

boasting

is,

to God

be the

glory,

great things

he has

done,

so loved

you the

world

that he

gave us

his son.

Let's

pray.

God,

we

do

praise

you

and

thank

you

that

we

don't

live

on the

tightrope

of our

own

performance.

We don't

worry about

whether we've

done enough.

We don't

need to

worry about

what you've

given to

other people.

We know

that you

are a good

and gracious

father,

that you

operate on

a principle

not of

works,

but of

grace.

We ask

that you

would remind

us of that

this morning.

You drive

it deep

into our

hearts,

that it

would lead

us to

praise and

follow you.

We ask

these things

in Jesus'

name.

Amen.