Rom 3:27 – 31.” JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH LEAVES NO ROOM FOR …..
PAUL WASN’T WITHOUT HIS CRITICS TO JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH ALONE SO HERE HE ADMINISTERS HIS MEDICINE TO ANSWERS THOSE CRITICS IN A FORM OF A DIATRIBE. AS HE HAD DONE EARLY TO SHOW THAT JEW AND GENTILE ARE ALL UNDER JUDGMENT OF GOD AND THE JEWS ARE NOT EXEMPT.
• HAVE YOU EVER HAD A BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW? AS A CHILD IT WAS THAT HORRIBLE DISGUSTING TREACLE LIKE MEDICINE. IT WAS BITTER AND IT WAS HORRIBLE BUT IT DID ME GOOD. AND SO IT IS WITH THIS NEWS FOR THE JEW “JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH ALONE” IF ACCEPTED AND BELIEVED IT WILL DO THEM GOOD.
I THINK THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE BITTEREST PILLS TO SWALLOW FOR A HUMAN BEING RELIGIOUS OR NOT THAT YOU’RE HEADING FOR A LOST ETERNITY IN HELL. UNABLE TO SAVE YOURSELF IN ANYWAY AND TO ADMIT THAT ALL OUR WORKS ARE LIKE FILTHY RAGS AND THAT WE NEED HELP.
1. JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH LEAVES NO ROOM FOR BOASTING V27 -28
ALL OF HUMANITY BY NATURE IS PROUD ITS ALL PART OF OUR FALLEN HERIATAGE WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT AND SO MOST OF US WILL FIND JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH ALONE AT FIRSTIS A BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW BECAUSE MOST OF US BELIEVE ABOUT OUR SELVES THAT WE ARE INTRINSICLY GOOD. AND WE WILL OFTEN BOAST ABOUT OUR ACHIEVEMENTS. THE BITTER PILL IS: WE ARE NOT MADE RIGHT WITH GOD THROUGH LAW AND WE ARE NOT GOOD.
A. THE LAW: MOST RELIGIONS POINT YOU IN THIS DIRECTION SADLY SOME PROFESSING CHRISTIANS BELIEVE IT TO. SAY: IF I DO THIS, AND DO THAT AND TRY MY BEST TO FOLLOW WHAT IS SAYS IN THE BIBLE AND FOLLOWS THESE RELIGIOUS OBSERVERANCES, I AM MADE RIGHT WITH GOD ITS REALLY BOASTING.
• DURING A BRITISH CONFERENCE ON COMPARATIVE RELIGIONS, EXPERTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD DEBATED WHAT, IF ANY, BELIEF WAS UNIQUE TO THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. THEY BEGAN ELIMINATING POSSIBILITIES. INCARNATION? OTHER RELIGIONS HAD DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF GODS APPEARING IN HUMAN FORM. RESURRECTION? AGAIN, OTHER RELIGIONS HAD ACCOUNTS OF RETURN FROM DEATH.
THE DEBATE WENT ON FOR SOME TIME UNTIL C. S. LEWIS WANDERED INTO THE ROOM. “WHAT’S THE [COMMOTION] ABOUT?” HE ASKED, AND HEARD IN REPLY THAT HIS COLLEAGUES WERE DISCUSSING CHRISTIANITY’S UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION AMONG WORLD RELIGIONS. LEWIS RESPONDED, “OH, THAT’S EASY. IT’S GRACE.”
THE NOTION OF GOD’S LOVE COMING TO US FREE OF CHARGE, NO STRINGS ATTACHED, SEEMS TO GO AGAINST EVERY INSTINCT OF HUMANITY. THE BUDDHIST EIGHT-FOLD PATH, THE HINDU DOCTRINE OF KARMA, THE JEWISH COVENANT, AND THE MUSLIM CODE OF LAW—EACH OF THESE OFFERS A WAY TO EARN APPROVAL. OFFERS AN AVENUE TO BOAST – BUT ONLY CHRISTIANITY DARES TO MAKE GOD’S LOVE UNCONDITIONAL
YET FOR THE JEW HIS RIGHTOUSNES WAS NOT OBTAINED EVEN BY CARRYING OUT THE LAW IT WAS DEEPER THAN THAT…..THE QUESTION: V27 WHERE, THEN, IS BOASTING? IT IS EXCLUDED, ON WHAT PRINCIPLE? PAUL HAD PULLED THEM UP ON THIS POINT BEFORE 2:17, 23 THIS WORD TO BRAG (KAUCHAOMAI ) IS TO BOAST V27 .
• DO YOU REMMBER AS A CHILD BRAGGING IN THE SCHOOL PLAYGROUND, MY DAD IS BETTER THAN YOUR DAD SCENARIO WELL AS WE GROW OLDER THINGS DON’T CHANGE MUCH.. WHEN IT CAME TO GOD THESE JEWS WERE BRAGGERS THEY WERE THE ELITE WHEN IT CAME TO THEM AND GOD.
B. EXTERNAL RITE’ THE JEWS ASSUMED THEY WERE RIGHT WITH GOD BECAUSE OF NATIONAL, CULTURAL, RELIGIOUS SUPERIORITY. AFTER ALL THEY WERE GODS CHOSEN PEOPLE. THIS THEY BELIEVED PUT THEM IN GOD’S GOOD BOOKS. LUKE 3:8 JESUS REFUTED THE JEWS HERE THAT RELIGION WAS NOT AN INHERITED RITE.
C. INTERNAL RITE : JEWS WERE PROUD ABOUT THEIR OWN PERSONAL RIGHTEOUSNESS CONSIDER PAUL’S PRE CONVERSION MINDSET WHERE HE SPEAKS OF HIS PHIL 3:3. JEWISH INHERITANCE AND JEWISH ATTAINMENT: LUKE 18:9 JESUS REFUTED THE SELF RIGHTOUS WITH THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN
V27 -28. PAUL IS SAYING THAT BOASTING IS EXCLUDED BECAUSE: JUSTIFICATION IS THROUGH FAITH ALONE . ITS NOT BY OBSERVING THE LAW , ITS NOT BY EXTERNAL OR INTERNAL RITES.
A BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW FOR THE JEW AND GENTILE ALIKE IN THOSE DAYS . AND NOTHING IS CHANGED WE BY HUMAN TRIAT FROM ADAM IS THAT WE ARE BOASTERS BY NATURE IN OURSELVES … THERE IS SOMETHING INAVERTLY WRONG ABOUT A JUSTIFIED CHRISTIAN WHO BOASTS ABOUT THEMSELVES…. A CHRISTIANS ONLY CAUSE FOR BOASTINGIS IN GOD 1COR 1:31.LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD… GIVE THE CREDIT TO GOD. GAL 6:14. MAY I NEVER BOAST EXCEPT IN THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
2. JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH LEAVES NO ROOM FOR DISCRIMINATION V29 -30.
THIS WAS ANOTHER ONE OF THIOSE SHOCKING NEWS FLASHES FOR THESE JEWISH BELIEVERS THAT GOD DOESN’T DISCRIMANTE BETWEEN JEW AND GENTILE THESE JEWS WERE ELITEST.THEY LOOKED DOWN UPON OTHERS AFTER ALL THEY HAD RECEIVED 3:2 THE VERY ORACLES OF GOD AND MUCH MORE TURN WITH ME TO ROM 9: 4- 5. ADOPTION AS SONS -.DIVINE GLORY – THE COVENANTS- THE LAW- THE TEMPLE WORSHIP- THE PROMISES –PATRIARCHS –TRACED FROM THEM THE HUMAN ANCESTRY OF CHRIST. WHAT PRIVALAGES….
WHAT THEY FORGOT WAS IT WASN’T ONLY GIVEN FOR THEM EXCLUSIVLY BUT IT WAS TO BE SHARED WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD . GEN. 12:2 -3.THEY WERE TO BE BLESSING TO ALL NATIONS.
IN CHRIST THIS COVENANT PROMISE IS BEING FULFILLED AND EVERYBODY WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WITHOUT ANY DISCRIMINATION WILL BE SAVED.
• WE ARE ALL APT TO DISCRIMINATE OFTEN IN OUR COMMENTS WETHER ITS SOMEONES SEXUAL ORIENTATION –GENDER - AGE- RACE- STATUS I AM SURE WE ALL HAVE DISCRIMINATED OTHERS..
• WE OFTEN HERE ABOUT DISCRIMATION IN THE WORK PLACE WHERE MAYBE SOME FEMALE WORKER HAS FAILED TO GET THAT PROMOTION BECAUSE OF HER GENDER RATHER THAN HER ABILITIES.
• OFTEN PEOPLE DISCRIMINATE ON COLOUR OF SKIN UK PRONE TO RACIAL TENSION
• HITLAR DISCRIMATED AGAINST ALL JEWS
• ISLAMIC TERRORISTS STILL DO TODAY.
PAUL IS SAYING GOD DOESN’T SHOW DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN JEW AND GENTLE THAT MEANS HE CAN SAVE AND JUSTIFY A BLACK MAN , A WITE MAN, A JEW, A ARAB, HE DOESN’T DISCRIMANTE AGAINST HOMOMSEXUAL OR HETROSEXUAL THE DISABLED AND THE ABLE ALL CAN BE SAVED.
JOHN HOWARD GRIFFIN WAS A WHITE MAN WHO BELIEVED HE COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND THE PLIGHT OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS UNLESS HE BECAME LIKE ONE. IN 1959, HE DARKENED HIS SKIN WITH MEDICATION, SUN LAMPS, AND STAINS, AND THEN TRAVELED THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH.
HIS BOOK, BLACK LIKE ME, HELPED WHITES BETTER UNDERSTAND THE HUMILIATION AND DISCRIMINATION FACED DAILY BY PEOPLE OF COLOR.
ISNT THAT LIKE OUR SAVOUR WHO EXPERIENCED WHO BECAME LIKE US AND EXPEREIENCED DISCRIMINATION; THE INCARNATION IS EVIDENCE THAT GOD UNDERSTANDS OUR PLIGHT. “HE WAS DESPISED AND REJECTED BY MEN, A MAN OF SORROWS, AND FAMILIAR WITH SUFFERING” (ISA. 53:3).
MAYBE YOU FEEL DISCRIMINATED AGAINST THIS WEEK MAYBE EVEN BRUISED, GOD UNDERSTANDS: MAYBE YOUR STILL EVEN OUTSIDE THE BLESSINGS OF GOD, I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT CHRIST IDENTIFIED HIMSELF WITH YOU AND DIED FOR YOU THAT YOU MIGHT BE SAVED AND EXCEPTED INTO HIS FAMILY.
DON’T MISUNDERSTAND WHAT I AM SAYING HERE: I AM NOT SAYING THAT GOD IS GOING TO EXCEPT EVERYBODY NO MATTER WHAT A UNIVERSAL SALVATION. NO! BUT THAT EVERYBODY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE TO BE SAVED, THERE IS NO DISCRIMINATION THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST .GAL.3:26,28,29.
IMAGINE A PACKET OF CIGERETTES THERE IS A HEALTH WARNING THERE IS A SPIRITUAL WARNING FOR US ALSO. THE OLD DISTINCTIONS ARE DOWN NO LONGER ANY SEPERATION BETWEEN JEW AND GENTLE GOD IS THE GOD OF BOTH V 29-30 BUT THERE IS STILL ONE LINE OF DEMARCATION LINE THAT EXISTS AND THAT IS NOT BETWEEN JEW AND GENTLE BUT BETWEEN THOSE WHO ARE SAVED AND THOSE WHO ARE NOT.
3. JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH LEAVES NO ROOM FOR ANTINOMINISIM.V31
A. BY THE LAW WE MEAN THE TORAH THE FIIRST FIVE BOOKS FOUND IN THE BIBLE: GENESIS - EXODUS- LEVITICUS NUMBERS AND DEUTROMNY IT ALSO CAME TO MEAN THE BOOKS OF WISDOM AND THE PROPHETS. THE WHOLEOLD TESTAMENT JHN10:34. TORAH - DERIVED FROM THE VERB - TO INSTRUCT
IF THAT IS THE CASE HE IS SAYING THAT THE WHOLE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT INSTRUCTS THEM ABOUT JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH. ESPECIALLY IF WE CARRY ON FROM V31 TO ROM 4:1- 8. HE ACTUALLY SAYS TO THEM THAT ABRAHAM AND DAVID ACTUALLY WERE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH AND THE LAW INSTRUCTS US;
B. WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THE JEWS LOVED THE LAW, TO THEM IT WAS MORE THAN JUST A TO DO LIST, IT WAS A WAY OF LIFE. THE LAW WAS THEIR TREASURED POSSESSION. WHAT PAUL WAS SAYING SEEMED LIKE NONSENSE BEING JUSTIFIED BY FAITH MEANS ABOLISHNG THE LAW AND A PERSON WOULD BE FREE TO DO WHATEVER HE/SHE PLEASED.
HERE ARE THE BEGININGS OF PAUL’S CHARGE AGAINST HIM OF TEACHING ANTINOMIANISM (CHAPTER 6 -8) (FROM THE
GREEK ÁÍÔÉ, "AGAINST" + ÍÏÌÏÓ, "LAW"), . IT’S THE IDEA THAT A PERSON IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO OBEY THE LAWS OF ETHICS OR MORALITY AS PRESENTED BY THE BIBLE.
MANY CHRISTIANS LIVE LIKE THIS TODAY IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT I DO, HOW I LIVE , I AM JUSTIFIED!
THAT’S UTTER NONSENSE BECAUSE A PERSON JUSTIFIED BY FAITH WILL ENGAGE IN FULFILLING THE LAW HIS/ HER DELIGHT WILL BE TO FULFILL THE LAW OF GOD. PSALM: 119: 16,24,47,70,77,92,143174,,
THEY THOUGHT PAUL WAS CONVEYING TO THEM ANYTHING GOES TYPE OF ATITTUDE JUST THE OPPOSITE IN REALITY “ DO WE THEN NULLIFY THE LAW BY THIS FAITH?” PAULS REPLY TO THIS QUITE FORTHRIGHT ‘NOT AT ALL’ GOD FORBID RATHER WE UPHOLD THE LAW.’
C. IN THE MORE RESTRICTED SENSE IF HE IS REFERRING TO THE MOSIAC LAW THE FIVE BOOKS HE IS POINTING TO THE LAWS FUNCTION: IT DOSNT WORK IN ISOLATION BUT IN PARTNERSHIP TO BRING PEOPLE TO A PLACE OF CONVICTION, THE LAW REVEALS OUR SIN.Gal 3:24.
DR MARTIN LLOYD JONES, WROTE THE TROUBLE WITH PEPOPLE WHO ARE NOT SEEKING FOR A SAVIOUR, AND FOR SALVATION, IS THAT THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF SIN. IT IS A PECULIAR FUNCTION OF THE LAW TO BRING SUCH AN UNDERSTANDING TO A MANS MIND AND CONSCIENCE. THAT IS WHY GREAT EVANGELICAL PREACHERS 300 YEARS AGO IN THE TIME OF THE PURTANS, AND 200 YEARSAGO IN THE TIIME OF WHITFIELD AND OTHERS, ALWAYS ENGAGED IN WHAT THEY CALLED A PRELIMINARY LAW WORK
THIS PRELIMINARY LAW WORK DOVETAILS WITH THE GOSPEL ITS FOUNDATIONAL , THE LAW CAUSES US TO SE OUR NEED AND ACCEPT GODS JUSTIFYING RIGHTOUSNESS IN CHRIST SO THE TWO ARE NEEDED.
C.H.SPURGEON SAID “THE LAW IS FOR THE SELF RIGHTEOUS TO HUMBLE THEIR PRIDE. THE GOSPEL IS FOR THE LOST TO REMOVE THEIR DESPAIR.”
BOTH LAW AND GOSPEL ARE NEEDED IF NOBODY WAS CONDEMNED, NOBODY WOULD NEED TO BE SAVED. IF THERE WAS NO LAW WE WOULD NOT NEED A GOSPEL.. BUT THERE IS A LAW AND WE NEED A GOSPEL.
SO TO RECAP: JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH LEAVES:
1.NO ROOM FOR BOASTING
2.LEAVES NO ROOM FOR DISCRIMINATION
3. JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH LEAVES NO ROOM FOR ANTINOMINISIM.
