Jan. 22, 2017 Striving For Righteousness by Pastor Josh Sheldon

Self-Reliance Cannot Bring Salvation

We continue in Romans this morning's text chapter 2 verses 17 and 29 were read to you a moment ago, and I have a Goal which God willing is the goal the purpose that the Holy Spirit had when he had Paul penned these words understand that this is Not my thought but the thought of God in his scripture by the gospel.

From me his servant this morning to you. And before we delve into these words from the Apostle Paul verses 17 to 29 of the second chapter I need to give you just right up front my goal in this preaching.

What I would have you as a takeaway take away from here, and it's simply this. Do not be self-reliant. It's simply that do not trust yourself to bring yourself to God. You have no effort. You can make that's going to impress God.

It is not how you were born is not where you're educated. It's not how much salary you make or the wonderful home you live in or anything in you or about you or because of you. That can bring you to salvation.

This gospel that is the theme the point the goal the purpose of this entire book of Romans. If I can break down anything this morning and Lord willing I will break it down if you have it. I will break it down if I have it is self-reliance.

Self-reliance has to go and this is what Paul is arguing for here as We've been going through this book of Romans. You've noticed I've been very careful to stay mostly not completely exclusively. But the vast majority of the time right on the verses before us not giving you the answer that comes later and that's because I need us to wrestle with the Problem or the question or the issue or the controversy that Paul has.

For those original readers right there now. We've all read the book of Romans so many times we can jump ahead and We know that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. We can't get there yet. That's several chapters up.

We need to focus and wrestle with what is before us. The hymn, we just sang Christ has regarded my helpless a state. Christ speaking of the gospel him on the cross where I spoke of this morning before we prayed.

He's regarded my helpless a state. Let that word. Stick in your mind as we go through these verses as Lord willing we unpack Chapter 2 verses 17 and 29 of Romans. It is simply this. We're helpless. Except by the Spirit of God all our effort.

All self-reliance simply has to go. It's abolished. It is demolished by this gospel. As we continue in Romans this morning. It's important for us to remember the Apostle Paul is writing to a believing Church.

He's writing to a believing Church one whose faith was proclaimed throughout the world. It's like they're famous for just the way they came together the way they believed the way they lived out understood and acted out their faith.

Spoken of throughout the world. This is a believing Church. He describes him as loved by God and called to be Saints. A Loved by God called to be Saints we have to put those together. He's preaching to a church loved by God and called by God to be Saints.

We must remember as we go through these verses. That's who he's written this to the original first century audience. Rome loved by God called to be Saints. And As we work through this letter We're going to see and I think I mentioned it when we first began preaching this series some weeks ago.

We'll remember we'll see that there was no particular problem. There's no great issue or controversy in the church that he needed to correct. Now they weren't a perfect church. There is no perfect church except for the one will inhabit in heaven if that could be called a church.

But like the letter to the Ephesians because they didn't have this one overriding issue that needed correction Paul is able to simply Set forth the gospel itself the doctrine the theology behind it the gospel of what God has done for man in Jesus Christ.

Now I mentioned this because the verses that have our attention this morning can too easily be cast with a polemic tone as. Though Paul were castigating the Jewish members of the church in Rome. I Don't believe this to be the case.

Remember that the motive is argument is that of a diatribe a style of rhetoric where a hypothetical dialogue partners questions are answered. And we know what the questions are by the answers that are given.

Not by them being explicitly laid out for us, but that's the method that Paul is using here. It's an effective way of argumentation. So long as the questions that are embedded or assumed in the answers are meaningful.

Now he's answering questions that people might have in their minds. God willing you have on your mind this morning. But as we go through the verses 17 and 29 of chapter 2 Remember this a diatribe, which is what Paul is doing here is not a polemic.

It's not a negative argument against someone. Though it is an argument against something. These verses are kind of a demolition derby against the Jewish tendency to trust in just having the law. The Jews the Israelite nation the first people known as the people of the book meaning the Bible.

Primarily in their thinking the Jewish thinking the Bible being the Pentateuch the core of it the first five books where we get the law. The Jew Paul discusses all this with is not the same as the Jews in the church though.

The Jews in the church are the Saints. They're loved by God. They are Christians. They're believers the when the assumed partner in Paul's dialogue In this diatribe is not he represents a Jewish nation and he's not a believer.

He has not succumbed to the gospel the hypothetical Participant in this argumentation or in this section needs to be shown his error and its solution in the gospel. The solution in the Gospels is why I began the way I did try to get rid of our self-reliance because the gospel demands No more self-reliance, but simply God Christ reliance.

Was Paul doing here? Remembering that he wrote this letter to Roman When it was first read in a Service, maybe much like what we're having here where they gathered together and somebody got before a stand laid out Paul's letter and read it to them.

Well the believing Jews here. This is written particularly to Jews who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ in these verses the believing Jews are confirmed for having broken free from their dependence on national origin and Most especially two of the hallmarks of being that people Possession of the law and Circumcision they're being confirmed that they have moved away from reliance on those things because of the gospel and Now relying on Christ and Christ alone in the gospel.

Their hope properly placed there. So remember as we go through this Paul speaking to a Presumed partner in this dialogue we begin with this idea of Jewish privilege. Chapter 2 verses 17 to 20 this idea that Jews have a special privilege with God for all the things that they had because of God.

We think of being chosen by God. You're the chosen people of God. We know that in Exodus. We know that in Deuteronomy God says I didn't choose you because you were greater in number than other nations.

You're the smallest you're the weakest. You're the least desirable of all nations. I chose you because. Well, I chose you because I did and yet that choosing that election of God Tend to swell the hearts with pride.

I Know as a young Jew when people would tell me about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it was simply my answer No, we're the chosen people. I don't need any of this. Y 'all go ahead and take care of that yourselves and go to church and believe this gospel and repent and do all these things you Do but my goodness, I'm Jewish God chose me.

I'm going all the way back to Abraham or whatever. It's an idea of Jewish privilege. It's an idea that this choosing of God was somehow because we're worthy to be chosen. If you call yourself a Jew, I want to read those verses again up to verse 20 I know Conley just read them to you and Rely on the law boasting God and know his will and approve what is excellent because you are instructed from the law.

Understand that these qualities that are being boasted of here are because of knowing the law from God 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 and of course we'll go on with the rest of the argument later.

Well, you know in the verses just before this 12 through 16 won't go through them again, but in those verses which were our last Topic Paul established all men as being equally guilty under this law. This law that's being discussed here.

It had been written on the hearts of Gentiles and so they know they knew its righteous Requirements as attested by the pricks of conscience and that same law though in greater detail with the inclusion of the civil in the ceremonial law Was given in writing to the Jewish nation.

Though as we argued before earlier in this preaching series People knew this law before it was given from Sinai. It was written on the hearts of that all nations. That says you rely on the law. That sounds like a good thing.

Doesn't it to rely on the law of God to count on it to put confidence in. I mean after All it is from God is it not let's rely on that. That sounds like a good thing. Psalm 19 says the law of the Lord is perfect.

Reviving the soul and he goes on to extend it extols many virtues. You see the law really does something. The law really can do something in us. Psalm 119 which Conley just read one stroke of it eight verses it goes off for 176 verses and it's an extended dissertation on the wonders and the glories and the goodness and The sheer can we say practicality? of God's law.

See reliance on the Word of God in the law is a good thing. The verse 18 speaks of knowing the will of God approving What is excellent and this because we know what we know what it's in that law therefore.

It's good therefore it's to be approved therefore it is excellent and In verses 19 to 20 it is put to use we do something with it. Or they did something with it. I could should say guide to the blind light to those in darkness instructor the foolish teacher of children in a word.

What are they saying in a word because I know this. I approve of what is excellent because it's God's law. And I have that law what I can help you. You say I can help you. You don't know God's law. You Gentiles is what this imaginary partner is sort of saying.

Absent God's law you're blind you're stumbling aimlessly from place to place. You have no purpose because you don't purpose because you don't know the God who alone can give you purpose. You're in darkness and God's light shines elsewhere than your current path.

Let me show you the way to go. The fool said in his heart there is no God. Let me help you. I'm an instructor of fools. The wisdom of God is my special heritage because I have in the law the very embodiment of truth.

So come child. Let me show you a better way, this is sort of what they're saying. With all those proclamations that Paul was saying. That you think that you're the instructor that you're the guide. Because you have these things that's sort of what they're saying.

Come on come to me. I'll help you. I'll show you the better way. And that's kind of a heady list isn't it. They they purport to be able to fix everything by guiding others into the wonders of God's Word.

What qualifies them for all this. What would qualify someone to take such a position? It sounds sort of presumptuous. Paul only mentions that they rely on The law and they boast in God. They rely on the law and we got to ask for a second rely on the law.

For what? For what is it to make me better? Rely on the law. We look to God's Word and the precepts it gives and the do's and the don'ts and the negatives and the positives and all that detail. Well I've been arguing we should rely on it because it's the Word of God.

It's from God. Want to be better? It can do that. I Freely proclaim to you the law can do that do what the law says and you'll do better. Do most of it? Sometimes or some of it most the time and. Just like all of us including myself you do better make better decisions if every time we had to turn left or right.

Choose our words make any sort of decision be a big or small if we stopped. Look to God's Word slash his law. Wouldn't most of our choices be better if not all of them every time be better. It can do it, but see Paul's not trying to make people better.

The gospel is not about you being better. He's trying to get people saved. One of the things we can be saved from. Is this constant effort to better ourselves? To make ourselves acceptable to God. Stop is what Paul is saying to this hypothetical dialogue partner.

Just stop. You're spinning your wheels. It can't be done. One of the first pillars pillars that needs to be knocked down. Is this idea of self-reliance? Self-reliance. They had the Word of God the law from God and yet they were Self-reliant.

I'll do it. I'll get it done. I'll try harder. I'll make myself better and I'll make myself gooder and I will just be more holy because I'm gonna take care of it. Now here's a great evangelism program, isn't it?

This is why we shy away from what we call legalism and what is legal is legalism simply preaching the law. No, that's not legalism. Legalism is preaching that you can do it that you just need to try harder.

You just need to make yourself better. That God's gonna be happier with you if you were just more consistent in this or that or the other that's what legalism Really is. Deadly. Deadly to the gospel. I want to talk about an evangelism program that this might lead to.

We're gonna go knocking on the doors here in Lakewood village. We're gonna have with us a brochure as Gavin blazoned on the top of it as we hand it to the person opens the door. And it could say something like the path to betterness.

Do you want to do better than you're doing? Well, sure you do want to want your life to work. Well, of course everyone does but you're wandering aimlessly like a blind man. You can't see because your way is all darkness.

You want to know how to stop making all those foolish mistakes how to stop acting like a child? I've got your answer and we need a drum roll now because we're evangelizing the answer is just do it. Just do it.

All of god's law is holy. And i'm a great expert in it and it boiled down to 613 precepts, which we can get you in a memorization program tomorrow. And how does it work? That's simple. Just try harder.

Just get to work at it right now get hold of your bootstraps give them a good yank and off you go the law yourself. Just do it. And say we have worship at 11 o 'clock. So come on by and we'll we'll teach you all about it.

That's sort of the only evangelism you're left with. That's the only thing you're calling people to. If this is the way we go if you're this dialogue partner this jew representing jewish thinking generally that paul is interacting with here.

The question is who can do that. Who can really do that. Paul is going to labor deep into this letter to prove that no one can. We flub up all the time. We can borrow from james he says if you want to get to god i'm paraphrasing here by keeping the law.

Go right ahead. But you have to keep it all. Every jot every tittle every precept if you think it's a big one or a small one doesn't matter. You have to keep it all because you stumble at one point you stumbled in it all.

It can't be done. Now i've been very careful as we're going through this book. And we've barely gotten started to not borrow the answer from the chapters to come. I want paul's questions to hang upon us.

I'm gonna break that here. Just once. Well It's my manuscript. I'll do as much as I want but I'm trying not to borrow ahead because I really do want paul's issues to be your issue. I want you to wrestle with the question.

He's trying to get you to ask. For my works of the law no human being will be justified in god's sight since through the law comes knowledge of sin. The law was meant to be done. That's true. The law was meant to be done, but the doing of the law was never intended to bring righteousness before god.

Now it's the righteous law of god from a righteous god. But god in giving that law knows that no one can do it. No one but his son jesus christ who is tempted in all ways as we are yet without sin. Never violated this word of god.

Ever. In the smallest of the biggest things doesn't matter. God knows we can't do it. It was never meant by us to be done. We can't. What was its purpose? Through the law comes knowledge of sin. It was meant to prove the impossibility of it.

To make us despair of ourselves. To get us in that poor estate from the hymn christ has regarded my helpless estate. To force men to fall down before god say god. I know your word. I can read your word.

I know I need to do it and I try so hard. And yet I fail. God help me. That's what the law's supposed to do. Give you knowledge of sin. To show you that you simply cannot accomplish the righteousness.

That is needed to be able to stand with a free conscience before god. And to prove this thing that i'm i'm arguing for here to prove it. We only need to follow paul's assessment of their performance. Remember the theoretical participant is the jewish nation generally.

It's no polemic against jews or israel. It's no blanket condemnation against them. His heart for them is such that sorrow and anguish for him is almost unbearable. There's some borrowing from my head a little bit, but you know where i'm at there so in that vein then.

Listen again to what conley read to you just a few moments ago verse 21. You then who teach others do you not teach yourself while you preach against stealing? Do you still? 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. Stealing and adultery and robbing temples, you know. They generate a lot of opinions from the commentators and the scholars on just what was meant.

How about your original audience heard that especially that thing about robbing temples? That's a really tough one. And so. Mostly i'm gonna let you figure it out yourself. Read it in your bible see what he's saying get the background commentaries if you want.

And See what it meant 2100 years ago. I'm not going to do that this morning. I'm afraid it would distract from the main argument. See there's a simple route that makes this fairly easy to follow. And i've been saying it in several different ways, but if you rely on the law if god is your boast.

Why don't you just do it? If it's that good do it. The three examples he gives here just represent the overall problem. How can you tell me to follow a law that you don't obey yourself if it's impossible for you?

How can you expect me to do it? And if this accomplishes what you say it accomplishes, which is. A good standing before god. What about all the failures in it? How can you Tell me what to do when you yourself don't do it.

The hypocrisy is obvious. But he doesn't call him hypocrites here. He just lets it hang there. It's almost ridiculous. I don't mean in a ha ha funny sense. It doesn't work. It's illogical. And it's deadly.

No one wants to be lectured by someone who only criticizes but never does what they tell you to do. Now I want to take a little bit of an excursus for just a few moments and this is as this idea of People telling others to do something and saying that this is god's way.

This is the holy way. This is what you ought to do. This is what quote-unquote a christian should do and therefore you need to do. And then you who's been told this. You happen to know that that pastor steals.

Or that person sitting next to you in the pews has an adulterous heart or even action. And so, you know that they're just a bunch of hypocrites. And you say something and all of us have heard this. I don't want to go to church.

You know, why. Because they're all just a bunch of what do they say? Hypocrites. I'm not going to ask for a show of hands. I'm seeing the nods i'm seeing the affirmations. We've all heard this and it's an argument that I personally.

And maybe this is wrong of me and I stand to be corrected. Not right now. But i'm tired of it. I'm tired of it people coming, you know. You come to my church tell me there were a bunch of hypocrites and that's why you're not going to sing you turn around walk out.

Why'd you bother us for in the first place? It's a silly argument. It's a defense against something the gospel. You see. We know we're all hypocrites and we don't just say well. Yeah, but we're forgiven of our sins.

Therefore Paul's going to crush that kind of a thing. Later we're not going to borrow too much ahead, but here's the problem with that. Have you ever said that have you ever heard that. The problem with that is not well, you're right.

I'm a hypocrite and I need to repent of that again. The problem with that is. And this comes from what came before. Even if you know my every violation of the gospel that I beg you to believe. Even if you could prove that my faults against it are with my knowledge of it and my intention to violate it.

Even if you could probably positively prove all of that. But you wouldn't have to work very hard. I would be willing to admit much of this. But even if you could. You still have no excuse. Chapter 2 verse 6 we handled this a few weeks ago.

It says that god will render to each according to his own works. You will not be judged by what I have done or not done. You will stand before god on your own and pointing at me as a poor example of christ or a christian.

Pointing at me and say well if he had done better I would have believed so therefore lord. You don't get to condemn me. That's not going to fly. That's not going to go anywhere with god. Pointing at me will avail you nothing.

There's no excuse for you. There's no excuse for me. The heavens declare the glory of god. The wrath of god is being declared from heaven in this gospel. And pointing to anyone else. Even if you could prove every violation of the gospel that i've ever committed.

When you stand before god. You only get to point to yourself. And have you fallen victim to this gospel? Do you believe the gospel of jesus christ which has been declared by him in his word. That excursus this brief excursus.

Is only for you who in your heart know that you have not repented of your sin. And come to the lord jesus christ. And somewhere in your thinking. You think you're justified in that because all the christians, you know Are less than you think they ought to be.

I would gladly admit that we probably are and we all should be better. But I will authoritatively tell you because the bible tells you not me the scripture. That's no excuse. And god's not going to hear that argument for me.

He's not going to answer back and go back and forth with you on it. You will stand before god on your own works. Not mine. What's paul arguing here is he saying that all unconverted jews are hypocrites.

That they always and only violate the law that they say they love and say others should also know his conversations with this imaginary partner. Whose errors are intentionally exaggerated as a way of dramatizing the nation's misunderstanding as a whole perhaps your misunderstanding.

And we could all step into these shoes of this one that paul's arguing with if you have any self-reliance at all. That's where we're going with this. They are as chapter 2 verse 13 puts it hearers of the law not doers.

They know it the law, but how to do it. They cannot find they can judge others, but not themselves. They have a keen eye for your faults because they know the law which which exposes those faults. They can tell you just what to do about it because they know this law.

But they're inoculated themselves. Against seeing their own faults that that very law that exposes your fault exposes in them. They're defended against that. They stand opposed to jesus christ's demand that before the speck is removed from a brother that speck of violation of a Precept that you know that maybe they forgot you've got it and there it is.

But you don't see the log in yourself. All this from having a law in which they rely in a god in whom they boast. All the while disobeying the law on which they rely and so maligning the reputation of the god who they say they love and boast in.

You see how paul is arguing here? They say they rely on these things this knowledge of the law. And what we'll come to next any self-reliance. Anything we have in us we raised in a christian home. Your parents were christians perhaps you were christened or baptized as a child and you rely upon that.

That's self-reliance. Have you memorized? Lots and lots and lots of scripture can quote it in any given moment any given context any circumstance. You rely upon that. Your education your salary any prestige you have.

Paul's trying to knock those foundations out from under you. There's a final grade that they get here from paul. It's in the next verse verse 24 as it is written for as it is written. The name of god is blasphemed among the gentiles because of you now.

We mentioned before when paul uses the word for. He's answering something and something up above something that came before the four. Is therefore being answered in what follows? The name of god is blasphemed among the gentiles because of you why.

Because you preach and proclaim this law you show it forth is coming from a god in whom you boast. And then you don't do it and that causes this assessment. This condemnation if you will the name of god the god.

You say you boast and the god who gave you this law that you know and that you love and you rely upon. The name of god is blasphemed among the gentiles because of you. Now, what is this? This is a rendering of chapter 52 and verse 5 of the prophet isaiah.

Let me read that to you. Now therefore what have I here declares the lord seeing that my people are taken away for nothing. Taken away speaking of the exile. When babylon came to jerusalem in 586 destroyed the temple and took the people captive.

My people are taken away for nothing. Their rulers wail declares the lord and continually all the day. My name is despised. Continually all the day. My name is despised. Now the lord through isaiah is here explaining why this captivity why this exile while this destruction of the temple actually happened.

They said they were his people they knew and they relied on his law. They boasted about the god who chose them. And they did not do as he said to do. And as the gentiles looked on they placed the same value on god and his word that israel's compliance implied which is to say.

They blasphemed god because even his people seemed to actually despise him. By not obeying this god they claimed to love. And that they would wish upon you that you should follow him as well. And then didn't do as he said it caused Blasphemy to be declared against god.

Isaiah goes on to say that one lesson of the exile would be that they would realize that god is actually god. Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that is I who speak.

Here am I? This is the result of the behavior detailed in chapter 2 verses 17 to 24 of romans. To represent god like this is to blaspheme his name a charge that can hardly be more grave. Can you imagine standing before god as one who lived a life declaring to be one of his people.

And god looks upon you and says no. You didn't represent me. You showed forth none of the image of my beloved son. Jesus christ. Because of you. My name was blasphemed. One of the worst charges we could have if not the worst all this.

This purported love of god in his word. It has consequences when it's not done. And paul goes on. Again speaking to this imaginary person as representative of the nation as a whole. There's another consequence to all this not just god's name being blasphemed if that's not serious enough.

But they are stripped of one of their most if not their most cherished symbol of national pride and inclusion in that nation. Circumcision. It's actually in a sense taken away from them because of all this.

For circumcision indeed is a value if you obey the law, but if you break the law your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. Becomes meaningless. The symbolism of it is completely negated. Circumcision had and it has a long and a cherished place in jewish history and we're not going to Go into much detail about it.

But I want us to understand and remember. Its first mention was in genesis 17. When god restates his covenant with abraham and he seals it with this very sign. I want to read to you when this occurred now.

Those of you who are familiar with the book of romans don't jump ahead about how this came before the law. Or we want paul's issues to hang with us for a while. With genesis 17. As for you god speaking to abraham you shall keep my covenant you and your offspring after you throughout all generations.

This is my covenant which you shall keep between me and you and your offspring after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.

He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised every male in your throughout your generations. Whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring.

Both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money shall be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people.

He has broken my covenant. And this of course was codified in leviticus chapter 12 verse 3 from sinai it was codified. Circumcision was a unique sign given to the unique people that signified their separateness from others.

And more than just being separate it signified that they're given over to the lord not just taken away from your company but given to gods. That's what circumcision was. It became a point of pride and if you read through the old testament Whenever they talk about these uncircumcised philistines.

If being a philistine a gentile a pagan wasn't bad enough. They were that but they were also uncircumcised. Becomes a national symbol, which of course it should have been but a symbol of pride and the separateness.

That it signified then became arrogance. Now something got forgotten. Something i've forgotten in all this and all this jewish history and tradition about this great sign that god gave them. The yoke that braced the sign with the covenant.

The yoke that got it was braced together with obedience to god god said before Walk before me and be blameless. Walk before me follow my word. Do what I give you to do. That's related to it's tied together with it's welded if you will with this outward sign.

They signify that they're given over to the lord and they are Members not just of a nation but a nation formed by covenant by the word of god. By the demands that god made upon the people of that nation.