Book of Romans - Ch. 2, Vs. 25-Ch. 3, Vs. 11 (12/05/1999)

Circumcision, the Law, and the Inward Jew

And the absence of your regular teacher I've been asked to fill in those Visitors that are here. I Don't know if you thought to bring your Bible or not good. So open it to Romans the third chapter, please.

I don't know Greg. Let me look. I knew if I announced someplace that somebody would correct me and I would. All right if you. If you insist we'll go back to 225. Now assuming everybody knows everything that took place before 25 We'll go right into that for circumcision.

Verily profiteth if thou keep the law. But if thou be a breaker of the law thy circumcisions have made is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law. Shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision.

All of this to simply say that If you are a Jew under the law, then you'll have to keep the law. If you are a Gentile Never having the law. Then the fact that you never had the law becomes a law to you.

You cannot mix the two and shall not uncircumcision which is by nature. If it fulfilled the law judge thee who by the letter and circumcision does transgress the law. In other words stop judging each other.

For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly. Neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh, but he is a Jew Which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter.

Whose praise is not of men but of God. Now, I want to ask you a simple question. How do we bring glory? To to the glory of God. What do we use? Well, how do we do it? How do you how can you you cannot?

Bring glory to God because you cannot increase his glory. But how do we bring glory to the glory of God? Great. All right. So you're saying we bring glory to his glory in the spirit? Only can't we use our beautiful church building?

Can we use our fine automobile? Why not? He gave us all of it. Well, this is a popcorn meeting if I ever saw one. Can we use our very body which is the temple. Turn to John 14 3, please Bail raid that to me 14 13, I don't know what I said.

All right bill. Does this give us?

The Privilege of asking anything and just signing Jesus his name to it. All right.

How do we know what things will advance his kingdom, how does he tell us all right. Then I think it would be safe to make this statement and if you disagree limit all. The only things that will bring glory to the glory of God or the father are those things that are not visible only the invisible substance.

Such as what but who's talking? Oh. All right. What else? The invisible substance is what? Diane. The spirit. All right. What about faith? What about prayer joy hope love peace. You can't see these things.

They're all invisible. It is by the invisible that we worship God that we bring glory to his glory bring praise to his glory. You cannot worship or praise God by or with anything material or physical.

Now, I hope you all understand that. Do you? Does anyone not understand that you cannot use things physical or material to worship God? Yes, well all that really bothers me is that it's not this church movement.

What do you what do you mean? So there once again. All right, why did that verse and John not say that you produce much fruit. So what does it is that what it means. In our. Okay, if we're the branches just hung on us.

Sure, absolutely. But we have a response, but we have a responsibility in it. Would someone turn that thermostat down a little bit, please? Now Greg, can we go to chapter 3? Okay, what advantage then hath the Jew?

Or what profit is there of circumcision? Well, let me phrase that just a little bit different for us. What advantage do we as Christians have? Above the heathen.

Any Bill. All right.

Okay, so we have a guide for not only The demonstration but also a guide for our faith. We have the assurance of our hope. We have a rule of our conduct and we should make use of these. Now I've forgotten is it Lawrence.

Oh boy write that down Lawrence. We should make use of all of these advantages that we have. Can you name one way in which we can make use? Yes, the advantages that we have. Being a Christian over the heathen.

Name one way in which we can make use of At least one of these advantages right. Exactly. We make use by the study of the scripture by confirming ourselves To them and to promote the knowledge of them in the world.

Each and every day we should be thankful to God for being born in this country at this time in this society. And knowing that we are his. Clarence did you ever? Think about what it would be like if you had not had the privilege of being born in this time.

But say 200 years ago in India, so you see how Advantageous it is. Right where we are. Dying he could put us anyplace. But in his wisdom he put me here. So you all will be subjected to my ignorance. All right, we must live.

Speak think talk study remember eat sleep. Sleep play meditate all for God's glory and not for our own the praise of God. Verse 2. So he had asked the question what advantage is there and he says? Very much every way chiefly because that under them were committed the oracles of God.

Great Greg what does the word Oracle mean? So could Sears Roebuck catalog be an oracle. You're sure. Look the word up in John 20 and 31. We have this. Now you cannot sit on that side. You've got to come over here someplace.

Whoever you are in John 20 31, but these are written. That you might believe that Jesus is the Christ The Son of God and that believe in you might have life through his name. So Barbara, it seems like we need to believe this.

Can you tell me?

Why it is that? Everyone does not believe all right.

You're exactly right on one or two Phraseologies that you used he decided who was his and who wasn't. He didn't have to do that. In fact, he didn't decide as man does but all he had to do was. Will his own to be?

Meaning. And everybody else was not. But you're absolutely right. Third verse. For what if some did not believe just exactly what I had asked. Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect.

Bill you're teaching in school in the metropolis of Kearns, I believe. Some of your students and is it math you teach physics basketball or something. Do all of them understand math. Some do not. Does that make the fact that some of them do not.

Is that? Does that make the The teaching of math of no avail. So that's the answer we could give to this question. And Paul does he says God forbid such a thing. Yay, let God be true. But every man a liar.

Now Diane we've heard that statement nearly all of our life. Let God be true and every man a liar. What's that mean? Very good the only truth There is in the world is God. You may say well, it's true that two and twos.

For That's true. But even that truth come from God. As it is written that thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome. When thou art judged talking about the Christian now to be overcome.

When you are judged means to come out victor when brought to trial. So that's the reason for the writing of the word for the oracles of God. For Every man being a liar and we must look to the holy truth as it is given to us.

Faith of God and man's unbelief is the faith of God moved by Moral power. Is the faith of God moved by emotion. Does the faith of God remain steadfast. At all times everyone who disbelieves it will be damned.

Most of our Misapprehensions about God Are copied and transcribed and carried from our affections. Understand what I said. Most of our misunderstanding of God has come about because of our own emotions.

Salvation is not an emotional affair. Salvation is a fact. Just pure and simply a fact. Verse 5. But if our unrighteousness command or brings out The righteousness of God, what shall we say is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance?

Speak as a man. In other words, this is what a man would say that God is not fair or just. If he judges man, and he's ordained everything. How can that be fair? Well Lawrence in our eyes, we wouldn't be able to do that.

But there is a method by which God established that it is right. Paul makes the statement that if our unrighteousness Brings out the righteousness of God then why not be more unrighteous all the time.

If God uses sin to get glory to himself or praise for himself, excuse me. Then it follows Greg that he should not punish the sinner. Doesn't that make sense. Speaking of logic there is a Theological doctrine of logic and it goes like this if Cows eat grass and man eats cows the man eats grass.

If worms eat dirt fish eat worms man eats dirt. Be careful of theological doctrines. Well, if God uses sin to get praise and glory to himself then He should not punish the sinner. This is the argument of some people even in Paul's day.

We'll have the same thing prevailing today. But God forbid such a thing God forbid for then how shall God judge the world? David if that line of thinking was logically and theology theologically true Then God could not judge the world.

But he says over and over he's going to judge every individual. By way of explaining this question. Let me say this. Man does that which he wants to do? Think about it. Can you give me an instance of?

Man not doing what he wants to do. Think real hard. Greg zip back to your earliest life. It's so easy if you lose sight of the fact that to say. When I was a child, I did a lot of things. I didn't want to and you did too.

But You didn't want to do that what you were told to do, but you didn't want the consequences. More than not wanting to do what you did. So you really did what you did because you wanted to. Man does that which he wants to do not knowing that it was long ago ordained.

That he would do exactly that which he does. Therefore God is perfectly just and judging man. Now that's taking a big jump. I know and I want you to stay with me. Man does that which he wants to do. God made it that way.

That's the only way it can be and God still judges the world. Individuals. It's because we do what we want to. As sure as God liveth as sure as the Holy One of Israel is the Lord of Hosts the Almighty.

Right is might and ever was and ever shall be. Holiness is might. Meekness is might. Patience is might. Humility is might. Self-denial and self-sacrifice is might. Faith is might. Love is might. Every gift of the spirit is Might by might.

I mean mighty powerful and in God. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but no pure Holy deed or word or thought ever will. Turn to 2nd Peter 3 10. Heaven and earth shall pass away. But no pure holy deed or word or thought ever will pass away.

Greg read 310 to us now David. It says that the The end of the world will come as a thief in the night. What's that mean? So It does not mean that it will come as a thief to his people because we're looking for.

But to the world it will. Seven for if or since. The truth of God hath more abounded meaning increased. Through my lie unto this glory. Why yet am I also judged a sinner. Now let's talk for a little about about how God can judge the human race since all things are ordained of God.

Now, I know most of you have heard all this before. But also know that most of you forgot. I want you to come with me to the Garden of Eden. Can you make that jump. Way back to the Garden of Eden. We come on the scene as the Lord is instructing Adam.

That he can eat of every tree. Fruit tree in Garden except one and he says in the day that you eat of that tree you shall die. So by the fact that Adam has a choice proves to us that he was free. Freedom demands choice.

You cannot be free without having a choice. So Adam was free. He was innocently free. He knew good and evil. He knew that to eat of one tree was evil and to not eat of it was good. But that was the extent of his knowledge of good and evil.

Death he said in the day that you disobey me you will die. What is one word that describes death? Separation. In Adams case it was separation of what? All right body soul and spirit. The body and soul was separated from the spirit.

The image of God put on every human being. I must caution you again to always Have a practice of looking for what is not said As well as what is said. We know what God told Adam. There is no record of what he did not tell Adam, but we can come to the right conclusion.

Because Lawrence what he did not tell Adam was but you shall eat of that tree. He didn't tell him that. So Adam didn't know that. If he had told Adam that and Adam could have eaten of it freely without any responsibility whatsoever.

So we learned from the very first sin in the human race. That Adam ate of the tree. Why. Because he wanted to do you really understand that. Now if you get that fixed in your little computer, oh mercy what I've been learning about computers.

Within five years. Let me just digress for a moment within five years There will be clothing with computers embedded in it in them. Unseen undetected and right now. Today at this time There is a governmental organization That can and does track every email every Facts every letter everything that everybody is doing.

And they know what you're thinking all over the world. There will be computers that will fly. That will be smaller than a house fly. Undetectable that can keep track of everybody in the world. Sounds like Flash Gordon or somebody but it's true.

They'll be the computers embedded in the body. Of course everything has a good and bad side to it. But those are some of the things that are coming. All right back to our discussion. Man has always done things because he wanted to not knowing That what he did was God's ordained will for him.

And in fact, he could do nothing else, but what he did. Please if you have questions, let's stop because it's important you understand this. We do exactly the same thing today. All that we do is done simply because we want to do it.

Believe it or not. Why are you here this morning. Clarence wanted to be here? Did God have anything to do with it? All right. It's his will. You were here if it was not his will. If you were here, would you be here?

No. If you give your child an apple. And you instruct him not to eat it because if he does there will be bad Consequences and at the same time, you know that he will eat it. Would you be wrong in punishing him for eating it?

Did anybody hear me? All right. Even though you knew what he was going to do. But you told him not to do it. Same way with God and us. Verse 8. And not rather as we be slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say Let us do evil that good may come.

Whose damnation is just. Now the phrase whose damnation is just refers to those that are slanderously reporting about Paul. Their damnation is just for what they do now all of this is the doctrine of and I practiced that word for a week and Antinomian ism and it simply means that the doctrine or belief that the gospel frees Christians from required obedience to any law.

Civil moral or spiritual. The doctrine says the salvation is attained solely through faith and a gift of divine. But after that. Then you're free to do anything you want to do. Surprisingly as it may seem.

In this town in another church in which I was teaching at the time years ago. There was a man told me. After he learned the truth. That he really thought and believed that when he become a Christian. Everything would be roses.

He'd have no problem. He could do whatever he wanted to do with no consequences whatsoever. Fortunately, he learned different than that. But There's people today that believe that. Does the end? Justify the means.

Bill never. Well, this is a Catholic belief and it's beginning to be taught by the Baptist. But whatever means we can accomplish the correct end while let's do it. I'm here to tell you that the method by which the end is accomplished is more important perhaps than the end itself.

And if it's not done God's way. Then it makes no difference whether you ever get the end or not. Sure, that's right. And they better be the right ones. That's right. You can do that by osmosis. Put your Bible under your pillow at night.

Only that's not osmosis. No, Bill, what is it? It's a capillary type. Anyhow, you can't learn it that way. How do you learn it? How do you find out what God's method is? Study the word. Stay in the word.

Just camp out as close to the gate of heaven as you can. And you'll hear. Well the end does not justify the means. They are these some of the Baptists practice the doctrine of Salvation by forcificational Injection.

Now they are practicing the following. Quoting. We must get them in the church so they can hear and accept and be saved so that we can never know a larger church than all the rest and by the way. You can use any type of gimmick to accomplish this.

Now they may not say that word for word, but by their actions. That's what the religious world is doing. And all that I was telling you about the future computer points to one man control. God is as true in his threatenings as He is in his promises in 1st Corinthians.

And this was brought up in a class last week, and I'm glad it was. It caused me to do some research in 1st Corinthians 919. Let me start reading. For though I be free from all men yet. I have I made myself servant unto all.

That I may gain the more. And under the Jews I became as a Jew that I might gain the Jews. To them that are under the law and under as under the law that I might gain Them that are under the law to them that are without law as without law.

Being not without law to God, but under the law of Christ. That I might gain them that are without law to the weak means without strength of understanding became Means to become or to be made became I as weak.

So Lewis you're Discussing the Bible or salvation or any point of it with someone that Perhaps is a new Christian. They do not understand everything. What this means is that you come down to their level and talk to them about things that they do understand.

Bringing them along to understand more. You do not start talking to a brand-new Christian on Theological level brother Barney always told us that Always teach and preach to the youngest member in the congregation.

And if they can understand no one else has an excuse. I Became weak that I might gain and it means gain Christ's favor and fellowship to the weak. I Am made by some made I am made and this is passive imperative.

Has been made by someone else. I have been made all things to all men. That I might by all means save some so I might to all men that is In order that I might Keep safe and sound to rescue from danger.

By all means in any and every way save keep safe and sound some as I've been a Indefinite pronoun meaning anybody so Paul is simply saying That he stooped to make the gospel clear at the lower level of comprehension.

We should always do that. Anytime you do not you're doing one of two things. You either trying to impress somebody or you don't know what you're talking about in Romans 9 3 9. What then? Are we any better than they know?

And no wise. For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin. There it wasn't mean to be under sin. David Mitchell, I mean, okay, so they're under the domination of sin. All right, never the seed of Satan, but the servant of Satan.

As it is written or in other words, it has been written with the present results that it is on record. There is none righteous. No, not one. No man seeks God for man is totally depraved and I guess joy, this is one thing that I find a lot of Kind-hearted well-meaning Christians born again.

Cannot really believe that man is totally depraved. Total leaves out nothing totally depraved. Ephesians 2 1 and you Have he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins. Dead is dead and Greg told us earlier that that's separation.

You were totally separated from God. Spiritually. Lewis can a dead cow eat green grass. Say no say no. Lawrence well, there's people think they do 11. There is none that understandeth. There is none that seeketh after God.

There's no way now that you can refuse that which you do not seek. We need to stop here and we'll start up with verse 12 next week. Now it's so good to have visitors with us this morning. Especially since I know them.

Does anyone have any comments. Questions.

Arguments, I'm glad you did because that is a shocking truth. I.

Had a very small article.

I've lost it. I read an article somewhere called the article. Talked about the fact that they already had it injected into your circulatory system. And reprogrammed it to scrape the plaque off the wall of your arteries.

That's right. They're so small that they can enter through a pore of the skin. No incision. I tell you Clarence if we really knew and our knowledge was up-to-date. On what is in operation not just on the drawing board.

What's an operation right now?

It scares to death. I.

Would I do you see how easy is going to be then for some person to control what you? Receive yes. Or Strangers. As as true that ideas and as strange as it may sound. My Grandfather thought same thing and he was talking about the horse and bug in a steam engine.

Yes, yes.