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Father in heaven, thank you for this time. Thank you that we get to gather together and Talk about you and talk about your glorious son. Who lived that perfect life that we could have never lived and went to the cross?
As a final act of obedience and Died for our sins was buried and rose from the dead and we thank you for that righteousness that only comes from you. That is imputed to us because we know that you made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf.
So so that we would be we would be the righteousness of you. And we thank you for the resurrection of Christ that someday he will come back to take us home and finally that day There'll be no more sin.
So we thank you for that time. We thank you for this book of Romans for the great doctrines that it's been placed in our hearts and through the hearts of the history of the church. And how much it has defended the Saints throughout the ages.
We thank you again for everything you do in our lives and we do all for the glory of you in Jesus name. Amen all right, so today we're gonna be looking at the book of Romans and The main point that I want to establish right now is What did Paul say to these Gentile believers to establish them?
What 2 ,000 years ago? And so One thing I want to start out with is kind of just getting I wanted to ask you guys a couple questions. I have two quotes here from a couple of well, they are spiritual legends, at least in my book and so I have two and so I'm gonna ask question if you guys can guess them and One of them is it's about the book of Romans.
And if we and it says if we have gained an understanding of this epistle. We have an open door to all the most profound treasures of Scripture. So can anybody guess who said that use? Use French, it's a French guy wrote a lot of commentaries.
The only book he didn't write was a revelations. Carson's not French. John Calvin nice. All right. And then here's another quote. Which I really love and actually starts out with both of them saying it's a prologue to the book of the book of Romans when they wrote it for 500 years ago and They start off with saying that this book is the most important book in the New Testament and.
So this is the rest of the quote where? Both these men say this I think it meet that every Christian man not only know it by rote and without the book but also exercise himself. They're in ever more continually as with the daily bread of the soul.
No man verily can read it too oft or study it too. Well for the more it is studied the easier it is the more it is chewed the pleasure the pleasanter It is and the more groundy to search the more precious sir thing are found in it.
So great treasure so great treasure of spiritual things laith hid therein so two men said this. Said the same thing one wrote it first and the other two was like, all right. I'm just putting my prologue to.
So can any get it anybody guess who these two men are one was German and one was English. No, this is before Spurgeon's time. This was during the Reformation this is right around the Luther yeah, yeah, that's right, and then who's who's the who's the Englishman?
He's pretty much the reason we have our English Bibles. Hmm no not Gutenberg not Gutenberg Tyndale that's right. Yeah, if there's anybody if there's anybody I wish everybody to know as a reformer. That's him like I keep a picture of him In the introduction of my Bible and him and Rogers actually to remind me.
So Paul's writing these believers and What are some of the things that Paul wants these believers to know what are the some of when you read the book of Romans? What are some of the big things that you guys take away from what are the key doctrines that you guys see?
Right yeah, it's how Luther got converted the righteousness of God Faith that's right. That's right. That's a huge one. It's like two more that I'm looking for. Yeah, that's yeah, that's one. That's one for sure and then we're missing one more.
It's not where there's a lot of stuff, but this is a big one. Yeah. Yeah by grace alone through faith alone Christ alone. Yeah, but I guess the one that I'm looking for is in Christ. Which is in Adam?
It's pretty big. It's it's the doctrine that Paul like Paul What associates himself not as like a Christian most in the New Testament. He says I'm in Christ, and that's a big thing at least for me. It was a big distinction of understanding my spiritual unity to Adam to Christ.
And so actually I want if anybody if you could open your Bibles actually to Romans 1. Because I want to make sense we didn't open to Romans. So can anybody Can anybody read Romans 1 Verses 1 to 11, please.
And I'm a Oh Mark. Thanks, dude. Okay. Thank you. So there it is some translations say established some say Strengthened but that's what I kind of want to keep repeating is what did Paul say to these baby believers because they weren't established yet, right?
He's he's writing to establish them, so I personally, I believe this books great for non-believers because Here's this Apostle saying okay, you guys are not established and I'm gonna write pretty much the greatest letter ever written so to Establish you guys so.
And to get a little bit of further context anybody know how many of these Saints perished. What was the context? I mean does anybody here know who Nero is there's a coffee shop named after him uh-huh.
So, I mean, I mean I was listening to some Martin Lloyd-Jones and he said not only do they believe but they knew what they believed and most of these most of these Saints died a pretty brutal death most of them Nero actually would Tie the mistakes and burn them alive and had them as lights for his garden.
So that's a little bit of the context of this book and Before we jump in to really I mean them nothing. Well, yeah, I know the meat of this book I just want to start off with a little bit of like the beginning.
So does anybody know I know this is probably like a everybody knows this but who's Paul? Who's the Apostle Paul what are some of what are some of his background Pharisee? Yeah, Pharisee turned disciple murderer turned disciple of Christ.
That's right. What else about Paul that is so crucial to this letter. And really this whole ministry. That's right. He was a Roman citizen. Yeah. Any does anybody know anything about his educational background?
Very high. That's right. Yeah, there's I think Yeah, that's right. Yeah, he knew the law there. I think there was Because I just listened to a lot of Martin Lloyd-Jones to get ready for this there was then there was like a during the Second World War or after the Second World War there was like a Context of smartest people to ever live and these were just non-christians who set this up and actually Paul was named among one of those big brains, so.
But one thing that I thought was really cool was Paul was actually edit like there were three in the ancient world there were three places called Tarsus Athens and Alexandria pretty much the Harvard Yale and Princeton of the day and We knew Paul was Paul.
Well, he was solved Tarsus. And so you had Paul who was Educated in Tarsus until the age of 13 where he probably shipped off to become a Pharisee where he's taught under Gamaliel who was nickname was called the doctor of the law, which is kind of intimidating but also pretty cool and so.
So here you have Paul he knew the Greek side. He knew the Jewish side you see the Greek side because in there in the Areopagus I think it's an act it is an axe. I'm forgetting the chapter I think it's 17 where he's talking to the Stokes and the philosophers and then you see throughout the rest of the book where he's defending the faith by showing Christ and They say it like that Christ suffered was buried and rose from the dead he would talk about that and defended it in the Old Testament and we even see that in Romans 1 where He says the gospel that which prepared before him by the prophets.
Okay, so we know about Paul and We know that he's writing from Corinth. It's the winter of 55 ad and I know I'm talking a lot but One thing that was really cool. I was listening to else s Lewis Johnson and you know like the intros to like some movies are like really strong voice like.
And I was listening. I was listening to s Lewis Johnson. It was just so epic. He was just like like winter 55 ad Paul and I just I just like it's I wish he did the intro to like every war movie possible, but like Um.
So, okay, so We know Paul is we know that he's writing the Saints, right? If anybody I mean, can anybody read verse 7? I think it is again Yeah. Yeah right. Yeah, so Paul's writing believers and Why is that important to us?
Yeah, we're believers that's right and he's right to establish them so what what greater book I think To go through and I mean right here we have examples from some of the greatest men I mean, we don't worship them, but we worship we revel their testimony.
But the thing that I want to talk about which someone said I think John and Mark said was justification by faith alone. Which is the most important doctrine in the whole Bible it is what Luther said what the church Stands or falls and Before I start asking some more questions just because I want to make sure you get the intro I was I took something from RC Sproul and he was actually explaining to some people my age.
Like what that like how important it was and he says The doctrine of justification by faith alone is the article upon which the church stands or falls. Repeating what Luther said the article that is so important that he said that if we lost if we lose it.
We lose Christianity if we don't have the doctrine of justification by faith alone. You don't have the gospel and if you don't have the gospel the church is no reason to exist The church itself ceases to be a church and falls into apostasy because it is the article that answers the question What must I do to be saved?
Okay, so then I have a few questions for you guys now. Which actually helped me understand this book a lot. So what is justification actually?
Yeah. Yep, yep.
Yeah, and yeah, we'll definitely get to that because I Like like the guilt grace and gratitude model that like the Heidelberg catechism does I think Paul like it's based from Romans. It's kind of like the way I kind of view it is like Paul slaps him in the face first and then Brings in the good news in a loving way, of course but um so The West the Westminster larger catechism question.
Question answer 70. What is justification? It says that justification is an act of God's free grace unto sinners in which he pardoned all their sins Accepted and accounted their persons righteous in his sight not for anything wrought in them or done by them but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ by God imputed to them and Received by faith alone.
And can anybody read? Romans 3 22 Jail. And can someone read Romans 4 or 5 or that's right. Yeah. So those those are just some scriptural examples and I kind of just wanted to get what a definition of justification was.
And so, okay, so the next question that I have Is how is justification an act of God's free grace? Said Mark, can you write he's a justifier? So the answer Like the definition I have here is Although Christ by his obedience and death did make a proper real and full satisfaction to God's justice in the behalf of them that are justified.
Yet in as much as God accepted this accepted the satisfaction from a surety which he might have demanded of them and did provide this surety his only son imputing his righteousness to them and Requiring nothing of them for their justification, but faith which is also his gift and their justification is to them a free grace.
Okay, which yeah, we pretty much covered. So what is justifying faith. Yeah, what it yeah, what is justifying faith? Yeah, absolutely. Yeah the Heidelberg Catechism talks about that, too.
Sorry. Are you a faith is a chair some made-up Christ. Not just you know, the Christ of your own imagination. But the true Christ. And if the object of your faith is the Lord Jesus than anything else.
Then it's not right. Yeah. And Right, yeah, yeah, that's pretty good. I'm pretty good. That was really good. No, every all of it was really good. Anybody else want to add or. Nada. Oh, yeah. So the definition I have here, which is also from the larger catechism.
And I'll share the one from the Heidelberg because they're very similar. So justifying faith is a saving grace wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and the Word of God. Whereby he being convinced of his sin and misery and of the disability in himself and all other creatures to recover him.
Out of his lost condition. Not only a sentence to the truth of the promise of the gospel. Receiveth and rest resteth upon Christ and his righteousness therein held forth for pardon of sin and for accepting and accounting of his person of his person righteous in the sight of God for Salvation in the Heidelberg catechism is similar.
It says what is true faith? True faith is not only a sure knowledge, but which I hold is true. All that God has revealed to us in his word. It is also a wholehearted trust which the Holy Spirit works in me by the gospel that God is freely granted.
Not only to others but to me also forgiveness of sins eternal righteousness and salvation these gifts are purely of grace only because of Christ's merit and The Puritans kind of hammer at home and like earlier too and in the questions, but I'll save it.
So, okay, so yeah, I got some really good responses so. How does faith justify sinner in the sight of God? I think we talked about that but. Yeah, yeah. All right. Well, all right. So question number 73 because these all just go in order.
Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God not because of those other graces which do always accompany it or Of good works that are the fruit of it. Nor as if the grace of faith or any act thereof were imputed to him for his justification.
But only as it is an instrument by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and his righteousness and. Well, I'll say that Luther has a really good quote and I forgot my way of godliness by Horatius Bonar.
Luther has a really good quote pastor Steve. That's wrong. Okay, I didn't mean that to you pastor. Yeah, I mean you you know the answer you kind of taught me this already. Oh, yeah, and I think you were the first person to teach me it but I mean that's Piper and Schreiner, right?
It's fights final justifications. Whack theology. Yeah, yeah, that's a book yeah, it's below right. Yeah, it's like Catholicism. Catholicism light probably have to show God to read your Bible every day or something.
Hey try faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God not because oh. The question was how does faith justify a sinner in the sight of God? You're right, but it's the grasping on of Christ's righteousness.
That's what faith does. Yeah, I'll tell the Puritans to change that one. I'm just kidding. This it's the larger catechism, it's the question question answer number 73. Yeah, yeah, I'll call I'll call Thomas Goodwin we're good we're good friends, um.
Okay, so. No, yeah, no, no, that's good for me to know cuz I'm still like this has been so fruitful for me. Just to learn what this is. I Guess I didn't share this at the beginning. But like the reason this is so important to me was because when I was in Amherst, well, yeah I'm just still in college.
But like when I was at UMass Amherst and I got into whatever so-called Christianity, it's called up there and like the way to stay away from sin and everything was. Like my friends would sleep on hardwood floor my friends would sleep outside in the cold like dead of winter.
It was nuts and like I remember when I finally like it's recent that I've been sleeping in my bed because like I'm like I think it's is three months after I got I three months. I've been at BBC I've been sleeping on my bed cuz I was just sleeping on hardwood floor.
I just grabbed my blanket pillow and yonder so like oh What what why? What well, I mean like to stay away from sin with those sinful thoughts come or yeah, just to like stay like you focus on the pain rather than the Yeah Yeah bunkish you're right and also like you felt like everything I did felt like I needed to earn From God like the more pain the more I felt like God loved me.
It's Terrible is I mean not to like down-to-earth hell, but like it was hell on earth and it's like it's. That's why it's so nice to be here and understanding justification by faith like I was at a coffee shop and like like reading all this stuff and like getting so excited and jittery like my fingers felt like they were flying and then and also catching myself getting angry at the same time because I was remembering all my Dumb friends who taught me that and so.
It's just it's amazing. What it is and actually I have another one, which I really want to say because the Belgian confession, and I think The Dutch did a really was it really Dutch. I mean Belgic, but at the time They did a really good job of the definition.
I actually wanted a pastor Steve. Yeah Charlie yep. Yep, yeah, it's Yeah, no, it's hard like when I'm still struggling with asceticism now. It's not like it's gone. But pastor Steve sent me a really cool article which really helped and I'm still like trying to digest it.
But it's it's been really good and it's like I think the red light went on when I was here and one of my friends we call it and it was Like yeah, Dave. I did I do ministry with the Catholic and I was like oh, where's the red button no Bye, but um.
So. Yeah, good right yeah, yeah, that's what I did. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's funny about the rock music. I guess I just used pastor Steve a lot. It's just like we were at his house for dinner, and he started playing country music, and I was like you can do that like.
And literally like before that before this to calm me down. I was listening to Tom Petty. It was calming what? Why oh? It was a good song. But it's funny like before even this like I thought I'd only listen to Sovereign Grace music, which is not bad.
It's great, but I was like just listening to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers before this is soothing, but uh. So okay. And I actually wanted to open up the floor with Any of your stories you guys wanted any because this is such an important doctrine.
I know it affects people, so I don't know if anybody would want to share it if they don't that's okay I got plenty of quotes.
Like just how justification of by faith has affected your life. Yeah. All good things you should be doing As a homeschooling student. And they don't talk about. Great. They don't talk about. So there's a real danger.
Teaching my children to just be good because. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, it's one more.
And I think it was partially because my view of justification was Just the forgiveness of sin side of it. And so my sin carried with it this guilt and this feeling like there's division between me and God that It does change his care for me based on the quality of my life and when you Fully understand justification as Christ's righteousness being imputed to us that other half of it is that God's view of you.
He looks at me and he sees the perfect work of Christ. Yeah, and that is so free where you're all the obscenitism all of the the guilt all of the Feeling like. And yeah, you do want to repent of that sin.
But Christ God sees me exactly the same way when I'm sitting and what I am. Walking in the spirit, you know, and so that's fuller view of justification. I felt for me. Helped me overcome that roller coaster.
Recommitting my life to Christ. Took me from on the simple side took me back to like zero, right? Like okay good all the past up white clean. I'm back to zero. I can start over. Right, and it's not that you start over and now we're you know, good news.
You're the score got reset, but we're still keeping score, right? It's in fact that God roam you all the way to completely to the other side of the scorecard. Right by giving you Jesus's righteousness.
You've now gotten the alien righteousness of perfection and You know, and so there's no more scorekeeping. There's no more condom. You know, there's no condemnation out for those who are in Christ. Yeah one more and I gotta pray.
Fully discusses now, but so this is where this leads me though is I agree with everything. But like when I was a new believer and I was and I was saved by my by my work. And I kind of held that I was waking up and doing hours of devotions I was spending time with the Lord and I was doing all those things.
And then I heard this, you know I do have justification and I was like, oh, I'm not saved by this. And then I was like, so am I allowed to wake up and read the Bible? It's like I almost wrestled with the balance between our works that don't save us.
But then the discipline of our body because there are times. You know, there are times that those good works are good.
There are times where you don't be a. I Wanted to say the belch confession, but we don't have time. So if anybody remembers the number 22 11 plus 11 is 22 just remember that read that article, please.
It's so good. It's a righteousness of faith. They did a pretty good job. All right. Um Father thank you for this time. Thank you for all the Saints here who have helped me and encouraged me in my faith.
Who have taught me to live for you more correctly. To live for your son more correctly. We will fail in this life. We thank you again for that perfect righteousness of Christ has been imputed to us. We thank you for that.
Perfect life is Stated before which is so sweet that's given to our account. We thank you that your son said it as he was dying it is finished and he bowed his head and Died and we know that Christ Jesus did die for the sins of his people and thank you that we're justified right now.
We're being sanctified. And someday we'll be home. No more sin, and that'll be a good day. So we thank you again for this time. Thank you for the book of Romans and thank you for that wonderful doctrine of justification by faith.
Help us rest more in you because this place pastor Mike says the gospel is not written on our hearts the law is and so Help us remind ourselves of the gospel each day and as good brothers and sisters Remind us each other of that glorious good news.
Jesus name. Amen.