Who needs the Gospel?

Good morning everyone. We're going to be reading from Romans chapter 2 from verse 1 all the way through the end of the chapter and then we'll read Romans chapter 3 up to verse 8.

Romans 2 · chapter mention Romans 3 · chapter mention

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.

We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man, you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

But because of your hard and impenitent heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

He will render to each one according to his works.

To those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek.

But glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek.

For God shows no partiality.

For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law.

And all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.

For when Gentiles who do not have the law by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.

They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness,

and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent,

because you are instructed from the law, and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind,

a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children,

having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth, you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself?

While you preach against stealing, do you steal?

You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?

You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

You who boast in the law, dishonor God by breaking the law.

For as it is written, the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.

For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.

So if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision, but break the law.

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical.

But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the spirit, not by the letter.

His praise is not from man, but from God.

Then what advantage has the Jew?

Or what is the value of circumcision?

Much in every way.

To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.

What if some were unfaithful?

Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?

By no means.

Let God be true, though everyone were a liar.

As it is written, that you may be justified in your words and prevail when you are judged.

But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God,

what shall we say?

That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us?

I speak in a human way.

By no means.

For then how could God judge the world?

But if through my lie, God's truth abounds to his glory,

why am I still being condemned as a sinner?

And why not do evil that good may come?

As some people slanderously charge us with saying,

their condemnation is just.

Well, my one-year-old boy, Samuel,

he was starting to say his first words,

mama, dada, blue-blue for blueberries.

I probably shouldn't have said that.

He's now going to be craving that.

Last time I said cheese in a sermon,

apparently the rest of the sermon he's just going,

cheese.

Enjoy that, Emma.

So I thought it's about time he learned some good solid doctrine.

So he's already got one or two words.

So as a bit of fun,

I asked him the first question in the New City Catechism.

So here's the first question.

I asked Samuel,

what is our only hope in life and death?

And I was shocked by the answer.

Me.

Me.

Once I got over the wave of fear

that my boy had already determined

that the rest of his life he would get rid of God,

Emma and I thought,

oh, that's kind of funny.

It's quite an ironic response.

It's rather cute for a one-year-old to answer that way

because he has no idea what I was saying.

But it's a little less cute

when a young person or adult

who knows what that question means says,

me.

It's a bit less cute, isn't it?

Considering yourself the absolute master of your life,

my own wisdom in making choices,

it's what I do, what I can achieve

that will give me the good life,

the blessed life now,

and I'll handle the crisis of death later.

Me is the hope in life and death.

That's declaring autonomy from God.

God, you're not going to be God over my life.

My hope is in me.

And we've already seen in Romans chapter 1

Romans 1 · chapter mention

that such human autonomy

that looks at all that God has made,

don't you just get blown away by the stars

every time you look up.

Every person who looks at that and goes,

I'm not going to treat you as God.

I can be master of my own life.

That willful failing to thank God

and treat him as God,

God says there will be punishment for that.

He will hand that person over.

You want to rule your own life?

Okay, see how that goes for you.

At the end of the chapter,

just relationships are destroyed

when we try and rule our own life.

Look at the fruit of that.

It doesn't work.

And one day there will be a permanent cutting off

from God's blessings.

So at this point,

some of us might be cheering Paul on.

Preach it, brother.

Yeah, those immoral people, preach it.

They deserve what's coming to them.

But the question we need to be asking,

and it's the question that Paul is answering

in these chapters, one to three,

who needs the gospel to be saved?

Who's in danger of experiencing the anger of God

on that final day of judgment?

And why?

Is the gospel only for those

who are flagrantly immoral?

Just obviously everyone counts them as immoral,

even themselves.

What about the morally sensitive person?

What about the religiously privileged person?

Surely they're safe.

Surely we are safe.

Surely we deserve life now

and any afterlife to come.

How could we be in danger of the wrath of God?

And besides,

isn't holding yourself morally accountable a good thing?

I am in charge of my life and my choices.

I'm responsible.

I'm a morally responsible person.

Isn't that attitude a good thing?

Isn't that what produces a good life

and makes you a good person?

What's wrong with that sort of autonomy?

I think Paul in chapter two and three

doesn't just say,

well, that's the way it is, accept it.

I think he actually meets us in our thinking.

He comes to us,

both the morally sensitive person

and the religiously privileged person

and goes,

okay, well, let's see how you go with that.

He doesn't just say,

accept it.

He says,

okay, let's take a look at how you live.

So we're about to jump into the detail.

So I hope you got your Bibles open

to Romans two and three.

Feel free to listen and check it later.

But I just want to start,

if you hear nothing else today,

I just want to give you

the overall main point of these chapters.

Here's the main point

of what God's saying through Paul here.

Who needs the gospel to be saved?

The answer is in chapter three, verse 23.

This is where he's leading to.

All have sinned

and fall short of the glory of God.

Everyone needs the gospel.

Everyone is in danger

of God's righteous judgment.

But no one will be held accountable

for what they don't know.

You will only be held accountable

for what you do know.

But equally true,

whatever you know,

whatever degree of knowledge

of what is right you do know,

none of us live up to what we know.

So God's righteous judgment is just.

It's deserved.

Okay, so let's take a look at it.

Moral person.

So chapter two.

There's two views

of who Paul is talking to here.

Either he's talking

to the Jewish person,

so he's jumping straight

to the religious,

or he's talking to

the average Roman of the day

who felt morally superior

to everyone who's not a Roman.

I've got a conscience.

I'm a good person.

I don't think it really matters too much.

There's a slight nuance

in argument there.

The main point is the same.

Okay, morally sensitive person.

You who have been sitting

in the jury,

looking at immoral people,

going,

yeah, I agree, Paul.

Those people do deserve

what's coming to them.

They deserve the fruit

of their deeds.

You've been sitting in the jury.

Okay, hop up.

Come sit in the dock.

You think your internal

moral compass means

you will escape

God's righteous judgment.

That's not so,

because God is righteous

in his judgment.

Because first,

look at verses one to five,

the first paragraph there.

You do the same things

as you condemn others for.

Chapter two, verse one.

Therefore, you have no excuse,

O person.

Every one of you who judges,

for in passing judgment

on another,

you condemn yourself.

Because the judge,

you the judge,

practice the very same things.

You claim to know

what is right

and what is wrong,

but do you live

according to what

you say is right and wrong?

That's what matters.

Just think of the past week.

Have you cast someone

in a negative light

as you've spoken about them

to someone else?

If someone did that to you,

wouldn't you be outraged

by that?

Did you keep your word

and were you honest?

Or did you fail

that other person

because it was just

more convenient

to not keep your word?

Are there secrets

in your life

that you really hope

that it never come

to the light of day?

That's true for all of us,

isn't it?

Whatever you're condemning

in others,

do you do the same things?

You hear what Paul's saying?

Your own voice

is like an advanced echo

of what God's voice

will be on that final day.

Your own voice

is condemning you

as you condemn others

for doing the very same things.

It's a pre-warning

of God's judgment.

God is righteous

in his judgment.

So why do we often

not feel like a bad person

if we can't even live up

to our own standards?

I think maybe that's what

verses four and five

are about.

Verse four,

we look at the good circumstances

in our life

and we conclude

that we deserve them.

Things are going well,

reasonably,

at least some of the things.

So what do you think?

When do people say

life isn't fair?

This isn't fair.

Is it when things

are going well

or when things

are going badly?

I'm not sure

I've heard many people go,

I'm having a really good day.

I don't deserve this.

I haven't heard that

too often.

I don't think that way

too often.

Even though we condemn

others to reap

the fruit of their ways,

we fail to see

what we deserve.

Our condemnation

of others

when we do

the very same thing

tells us

we don't deserve

the blessings

we have

today or tomorrow

and yet

we take

the riches

of God's

forgiveness,

not forgiveness

but his kindness,

his patience,

his forbearance

and we confuse

that for approval.

I deserve this.

So sometimes

I'm in the park

or by the lake

at Lake Macquarie

and there's just

so much bustling life

and people enjoying life.

Sometimes I'm just

blown away.

Look how much

kindness

God gives people.

He gives me

so much

like I know

there's hard things

in our lives

but there's just

so much good

he gives people.

But that's not

evidence of his

approval.

That's evidence

of his kindness

wanting you to

turn to him.

He's giving you

time to turn.

He's righteous.

He's giving you

time.

In verse 5

we think

all this way

because we

willfully

just push

death out of

our minds

in our culture.

We try and

hide it.

We all know

one day

our bodies

will die.

We have to

face death.

Each one of us.

We know it

and yet we just

push it out of

our minds.

Death is just

this loud alarm

that

something is

not right.

that we all

must face

death and

we all must

face the

consequences

of our

wrongdoing.

We will

face God

one day.

God is so

righteous.

He is patient

and forbearing

giving us time

to turn towards

him but we

confuse that

patience with

us deserving

it and that

we must be a

good person.

We deserve

this.

The third

reason God

is righteous

in his

judgment is

because we

see in

verses 6

to 11.

He is

righteous because

he has one

standard for

all people.

All of us

there is one

standard.

What you

actually do.

It is based

on truth.

What you

do.

That is the

one standard.

I think we

can think in

terms of how

school assessments

work where

there is the

bell curve and

we think we

as long as

we are in

the majority

bit of the

bell curve.

We are not

at the

tail end.

We are

okay.

We may not

be at the

upper end.

The really

high moral

achievers.

As long as

we are in

the main

pack we are

okay.

That is

comparative

assessment.

Some medical

exams for

instance have

a percentage

cut off.

It does

really matter

how well

you do as

long as

you do

better than

others.

God won't

do that.

He is

righteous.

He will

judge you

according to

what you

do.

You alone.

He is not

like the

classroom teacher

who keeps

the whole

year in

because of

a few bad

eggs.

He is

righteous.

He looks

at your

deeds alone,

my deeds

alone.

Verse 6,

he will render

to each one

according to

his works.

So here is

the one

standard for

all people,

verses 7

to 11.

To those

who by

patience in

well-doing

seek for

glory and

honour and

immortality,

he will

give eternal

life.

But for

those who

are self-seeking

and do

not obey

the truth,

but obey

unrighteousness,

there will be

wrath and

fury.

Verse 11,

God is

righteous,

he shows

no

favouritism,

no

nepotism,

no

discrimination.

He is

so righteous,

he looks

at your

life alone.

So if

you're a

good person

who always

seeks to

do what

is right,

if you

don't settle

for short-term

gain but

you're always

seeking that

eternal glory

and reward,

if you're not

motivated by

selfishness,

God will

give you

the blessings

of eternal

life.

This begs

the question,

doesn't it?

Who's Paul

thinking of

here?

Who fits

this category?

Some

take this,

there's lots

of different

ideas but

if I just

can summarise

it quickly,

some take

this as

saying that

some people

will be

rewarded by

being Christian,

by faith in

Jesus and

then others,

if they don't

know about

Jesus,

if they're

sincere in

doing good,

then they

will live.

But it

doesn't fit

with the

flow of

Paul's

argument like

we've seen

in Romans

3.23

already.

The point

of his

argument is

that all

of us

are in

need of

the gospel.

He says

very clear

in the rest

of the

letter,

no one

is saved

by their

works.

So,

let's assume

that Paul

doesn't totally

contradict

himself here.

What's he

doing?

Who's he

thinking of?

I think

he's saying

God is

just.

He certainly

would reward

those who

are always

seeking good.

He will.

That is

true.

The question

is,

is that

you?

Is that

me?

Is that

anyone?

Like,

I'm sick

of the

phrase,

to be honest.

I'm not

perfect.

I'm sick

of it because

people use it

as an

excuse not

to own

what they've

done.

But we

all admit

no one's

perfect and

yet somehow

we think

we fit

this

category.

It is

true that

God will

reward

someone who's

totally

righteous.

The problem

is,

who is

that?

There is

one standard.

He is so

righteous.

He doesn't

show

favouritism.

God is

righteous in

his

judgment.

judgment.

And the

fourth reason

God is

righteous in

his judgment,

which we

see in

12 to

16,

verses 12

to 16,

is that

he's given

you a

conscience.

You do

know what

is right

and wrong.

But if

you're a

religious person

right now,

if you know

what the

Bible says

fairly well,

don't think

that somehow

that gives

you an

advantage

because,

to some

degree,

God's law

is also

written on

every person's

heart.

We all

have a

conscience.

To some

degree,

God has

given

his idea

of what

is right

and wrong

to every

single

person.

And he

will assess

each person

according to

what they

know.

If you

just have

a moral

compass,

God will

assess you

according to

how you

live up to

that.

If you

have God's

law and

you know

it very

well,

he will

assess you

according to

how you

live up to

that.

I think

verse 15

is really

key here.

So have a

look at

verse 15

with me.

They show

that,

this is the

morally

sensitive

person,

they show

that the

work of

the law

is written

on their

hearts

while their

conscience

also bears

witness,

and their

conflicting

thoughts

accuse or

even excuse

them.

So if

you've

seen the

movie

Inside

Out,

where you

got these

emotions in

your mind,

metaphorical,

I think

picture a

courtroom in

our mind,

we each have

a conscience,

and we've

got a little

lawyer in

there trying

to get us

off the

hook all

the time.

That lawyer

is pretty

effective,

but we've

also got a

judge,

and that

judge can be

pretty harsh

sometimes,

can't it?

Even in

our society

at the

moment that

is so

adamant that

each person

can decide

what is

right and

wrong for

themselves,

we still

have this

conscience.

We can't

escape our

inner judge.

In fact,

if you want

a life of

loving

relationships,

then that

places a

moral demand

on you.

If you

want loving

relationships

in your

life,

that places

a moral

demand on

you.

I'm going

to quote

Jordan

Peterson

here,

a behavioural,

he's quite

popular,

I'm not sure

if you've

heard of him

before,

Canadian

behavioural

psychologist.

He said

this really

well,

and I'm

not sure

if I've

thought of

it this

way before,

so here's

what he

said.

If you

view someone

with love,

then it's

incumbent upon

you to

treat them

as if

they're

valuable.

And then

the more

you treat

other people

as valuable,

the better

person you

are.

That just

comes along

for the

ride.

So the

more love

you view

other people

with,

the higher

the moral

demand that's

placed on

you.

It requires

you to treat

them as

valuable.

Then I'd

say too,

well,

there's another

reason why

it's so

important to

be truthful

and in

some sense

to be good,

because it

isn't obvious

to me that

you can

withstand

that moral

load if

you're

compromised

by too

much sin.

It's just

too much.

So he's

not a

Christian.

He's

sympathetic

to

Christianity,

but he's

not a

Christian.

If I

can try

and reword

what he's

saying here,

or just

summarise,

the more

you love

someone,

you've

got to

treat them

as valuable.

And if

you treat

them as

valuable,

that places

a moral

obligation to

do that.

And the

question is,

do we

treat people

as valuable?

You can't

have love

in your

life and

no moral

accountability.

They go

hand in

hand.

So the

question is,

what does

your conscience

tell you?

When our

inner judge

approves of

what we do,

it shows

that we have

a moral

compass.

It says,

you are

right in

doing that.

But even

there,

there's a

problem.

It shows

we have

a moral

compass,

but we

don't

always do

that right

every single

time.

God is

righteous,

he gives

you his

moral compass,

and he is

aware of

your secret

thoughts.

He knows

each of our

conscience.

And again,

our conscience

is the

voice that

is an

echo of

what God

will say

on that

final day

to each

one of

us.

It's a

warning.

So after

looking at

those

paragraphs,

I wanted

to speak to

Christians for

a moment.

Do you see

the principle

Paul is

using here?

I think

we can

sometimes

condemn

unbelievers

for the

law.

It's

because they

don't live

up to what

we know

is right,

but if we

know the

Bible,

that standard

is for

us.

I don't

think it's

always appropriate

to demand

of unbelievers,

family or

friends,

what they

don't yet

know.

But they

still need

the gospel.

Just ask

them, do

they live

up to what

they do

know, their

moral compass,

what they

condemn others

for?

And if they

don't live up

to that, how

do they reconcile

that?

Okay, so

Christian,

religious person,

religiously

privileged person,

claiming you

have more

knowledge of

God, of

God's law,

God's ways,

it gives you

an advantage,

doesn't it?

Well, it

doesn't,

actually.

And Paul's

about to

explain why.

So the

Jew or the

person who

grows up in

the church,

who knows

their Bible,

they do

know more.

There are

real privileges

that come

along with

that.

But you

too, me

too, I

am in

danger of

the wrath

of God.

Pre-Jesus.

We can

often think

that the

privilege means

advantage,

like the

child of a

rich and

powerful parent

who, they're

just accepted

into university

by virtue of

who their

dad is, who

their parent

is, who

their mum

is, or

they get

the job

just because

of that

privilege.

We can

think that

privilege means

advantage, but

that's not the

case with God

because he is

righteous.

God is

righteous, he

has one

standard, what

you actually

do in light of

the knowledge

you have.

God is

a

religious

person.

If you

count yourself

as a

religious

person, hop

out of the

jury box, it's

your turn to

be in the

dock.

Let's have a

look.

Why is there

no advantage?

Why are you

in danger of

the wrath of

God?

So verse

17 and

following.

So

Paul's speaking

to the Jewish

people, but I

think there's a

lot of parallels

for Christians

today.

If you

call yourself

a Jew and

rely on the

law and

boast in God

and know his

will, that

boasting is good

by the way, and

approve what is

excellent, how

could God's

people, God's

special chosen

people experience

God's wrath?

Surely we're

safe, says the

Jew.

But God is

righteous in his

judgment because

firstly, you

don't practice

what you

preach.

I don't

think the

criticism is

in verses

19 and

20, claiming

to be a

guide to the

blind, a

light to

those who

are in

darkness.

I don't

think it's

wrong to

think of

yourself that

way, that

you have

more knowledge

of God's

ways than

others.

If that's

true, that's

okay.

I don't

think the

criticism is

there.

The

criticism comes

in verse

21.

You then who

teach others,

do not teach

yourself, while

you preach

against stealing,

do you

steal?

You who

say that one

must not

commit adultery,

do you

commit adultery?

You who

abhor idols,

do you rob

temples?

So these

three examples,

they confuse

me a bit

because it's

not clear how

every Jew would

be convicted of

this.

So either

we've got to

take these

three accusations

that you've

committed adultery,

either we've got

to take them a

bit less

literally as

lust, that

everyone's

committed lust.

So that's one

option that's

possible.

I slightly

prefer a second

option, which is

that Paul is

establishing the

point that it's

not by virtue of

being one of God's

people that

guarantees that

you're saved.

And he points

out a few

people that

that's not

true for, and

if it's not

true for a few,

then it's not

true for all.

So I think it

works like this.

In our day, if

we consider the

royal commission

into the sex

scandals and the

cover-ups, and

from leadership in

the church, no

less, hasn't that

blasphemed the

name of Jesus?

In our society.

So on the one

hand, these

leaders are

boasting in

knowing God, and

then by their

behaviour, they've

just, the

reputation of God

is in the mud

now, isn't it, in

society?

I think Paul's

point here is

that clearly for

some Jewish

people back

then, and the

principle still

applies today,

that they might

claim it all they

want, but

clearly they're

showing by their

behaviour, they

don't actually

believe it, and

they're under the

condemnation of

God, they're in

danger of the

wrath of God.

I think he's just

making the simple

point, by virtue of

being a Jew, that

doesn't mean you're

safe.

God is righteous, he

will judge you

according to what

you do.

And then in

verses 25 to 29, he

goes broader to

challenge every

Jew.

Everyone who

claims to be one

of God's people and

therefore automatically

safe from God's

wrath.

Talking about

circumcision and

having the law.

Those were the two

marks of being a

Jew.

Do you belong to

God's people?

Then you've got the

law and you're

circumcised if you're

a male.

They were the two

marks of belonging

to God's people.

But as God has

always said, even in

his law, Deuteronomy

10, says,

circumcise the

foreskin of your

heart and be no

longer stubborn.

Fear the Lord your

God, walk in all

his ways, love him

and serve the Lord

your God with all

your heart and with

all your soul and

keep the commandments.

It's what's on the

inside that matters.

The external marks

of circumcision and

the law are just

meant to be symbolic

of what's true on

the inside.

So much so that

even if you don't

have those marks,

so if you're not a

Jew but you keep

the law and you

confess your sin to

God, God will count

you as the true

Jew.

You are really part

of God's people.

It's what's on the

inside that matters

is the point.

So Christians in the

room on Zoom, what

external marks of

being a Christian, of

being one of God's

people are you relying

on to be sure that

you are saved?

It could be as

simple as owning a

Bible or the number

of Christian books in

your library.

It could be as your

general knowledge of

the Bible.

You take pride in

knowing which chapter

and verse a quote is

from.

It could be the badge

that you identify as.

I'm Catholic, I'm

Anglican, I'm

Baptist, or maybe it's

I'm not just a

Christian, I'm

Reformed.

Is it the badge that

you're relying on?

Do you put store in

your baptism?

I was baptized or I

prayed that prayer.

I must be born again

because of those

things.

Is it some spiritual

mystical encounter with

God?

I had a spiritual

experience with God

surely.

I'm one of his

people.

Is it the role or

status that you have

in this church?

I teach at Fresh.

I teach Grace Kids.

I'm a small group

leader.

I'm a preacher.

Do you think by

virtue of preaching

this sermon that

makes me acceptable to

God?

Is it the role or

status you have?

Is it the Christian

upbringing you've

had?

your parents cannot

answer for you when

you face God in

judgment?

There's probably more

marks that we can rely

on but if we rely on

any of these things to

have confidence that we

are safe from the

wrath of God, Paul's

point is it's what's on

the inside that counts.

Do you have love for

God?

God's wrath will land on

you if there's no love

on the inside.

And verse 29 gives us a

hint for what we need to

get our inside in order.

We don't need laws to

obey, we need the

spirit.

Okay, we have one more

paragraph.

Chapter 3, 1 to 8.

And I was kind of

comforted to read in a

commentary that this is

one of the most

perplexing paragraphs in

the book because...

but I can't skip it.

And I often find the

harder bits in a text

often serve to make the

point clearer if you

wrestle with it.

So let's wrestle with it.

If what I say isn't

satisfying, there's a good

chance of that, that's

probably because Romans

Romans 9 · chapter mention

chapter 9 to 11 unpacks it

even more.

So feel free to go read

that later.

So, Paul anticipates the

objection from the Jew,

from the religious person.

What advantage is there

then?

There's no advantage if

you're right, Paul.

Put as simply as I can, I

think there's two final

attempts from the religious

person to claim that I'm

safe from the wrath of God.

Verses 1 to 4.

If what you're saying is

right, Paul, if we, along

with Gentile sinners, are

equally guilty before God,

then you're saying there's

no advantage to being a

Jew, which can't be right

because we are God's

special people.

To which Paul responds,

I'm not saying there's no

Jewish privileges.

You have all the

privileges.

You have the word of God

to know him and love him

and obey him.

You have all the

privileges.

But I am saying that

privilege doesn't

automatically mean you're

accepted by God.

You don't live up to what

you know is right.

The second and last

ditch effort to avoid the

wrath of God on your life

is in verses 5 to 8.

And it's last

ditch.

It is twisted

thinking.

It is distorted

thinking.

It's so foolish that

Paul, the response is

really simple.

But here's the thinking

for the Jew back then

and I think it still

exists among Christians

today.

The Jew might

understand God's word

so well, claiming the

promises of God on

themselves and therefore

thinking that their sin

even highlights the

faithfulness of God.

My wrongdoing shows how

patient God is and

forgiving and committed to

his promises God is.

my sin brings him

glory.

And here's the twisted

thinking of it.

There's some truth to it.

Here's where it goes

wrong.

The implication is

therefore my sin

doesn't matter.

I can't be judged

for it.

Because it shows how

good God is.

My sin doesn't matter.

It's just stupid

thinking.

Paul's simple

response is

where is it?

Verse 6

By no means

for then how

could God

judge the world?

If what you're

saying is right

that you are safe

because your sin

just shows how

great God is

God couldn't

judge anyone.

You're clearly

wrong in your

thinking.

because God

will judge

the world.

The presumption

fails to

appreciate the

seriousness of

sin.

It just

fails to

appreciate

that because

you're a Jew,

because you've

grown up in the

church,

that you have the

promises of

salvation.

You're claiming

that but you're

missing the fact

that God will

also keep his

word to judge

those who

don't obey

his word.

You're picking

and choosing

what God

has said.

He will be

faithful.

He'll be

faithful to

everything he

says.

Feel free to

come talk to me

later if that's

not clear.

that I've

have.

Okay.

We've come a

long way this

morning.

That's a lot to

take in.

And we've

really only

skimmed the

top of these

paragraphs.

I recognise

that.

So I just want

to step back

and let's

remember the

big picture of

what God is

saying here in

these chapters.

Who needs the

gospel of

Jesus?

Who is in

danger of the

righteous

judgement of

God?

The answer is

every single

one of us.

Whether the

flagrantly immoral

person, whether

the morally

sensitive person

or the

religiously

privileged

person, none

of us live up

to what we

know to be

right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

Right.

we don't live up to our privileges, what we know.

God shows no favouritism.

He is righteous.

These chapters strip us bare.

We have no leg to stand on.

They tell us that as the sun rises

and you enjoy blessing after blessing,

not a single one of us deserve it.

It is evidence of God's kindness and patience.

He wants you to turn to him for life.

And remember that these chapters might feel harsh,

but remember that a warning is not the same thing

as what the warning is pointing towards, the reality.

A truck hitting you head on is to be dreaded.

But if you enter the freeway on the wrong side of the road

and there's a big sign saying,

you better turn back,

that is a very loving thing.

God is not warning you today to condemn you.

He's warning you because he loves you.

None of us live up to the knowledge we have.

We have no excuse.

So what is our only hope in life and death

when God's righteousness in his judgement

just feels so scary?

Our only hope must come from outside ourselves.

It must come from outside of ourselves

if we've got no leg to stand on.

It must come from outside society

if we're all part of the problem.

Our only hope is perhaps in the last place we want to look

because God's righteousness is so terrifying.

Our only hope is that God himself

somehow clears my conscience.

My only hope is that somehow

knowing what I've done

declares me innocent

and deserving of life.

That somehow

God doesn't count my failures against me.

That somehow

he counts to my life

a righteous life

that has always sought what is good

and treated people

and treated God

with the value they have.

Our only hope is the righteousness of God

that he saves us

that he gives

righteousness

as a free gift

and that is the good news

of the gospel.

That is exactly what God has done.

It is in Jesus

that God shows

just how righteous he is.

He is righteous

almost beyond belief.

where he will count you

as innocent

and deserving of life

all because of what he has done.

Here's how the catechism puts it.

What is our only hope in life and death?

That we are not our own

but belong

body and soul

both in life and death.

to God

and to our saviour

Jesus Christ.

So what's your only hope

in life and death?

I'll leave you with that question.

the QUO

the necessity contar