What An Apostle Can Say That We Cannot
(Sermon 3 on Paul’s Letter to the Christians in Rome)
Readings Psalm 37:23-40; Mark 10:17-27; Romans 1:18 - 2:16
2:2 “But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.
2:3 And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?
2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
2:5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,
2:6 who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds’:
2:7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;
2:8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness-indignation and wrath,
2:9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;
2:10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
2:11 For there is no partiality with God.
2:12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law
2:13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified;
2:14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,
2:15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)
2:16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.”
Introduction
We saw in the first 17 verses of this letter to the Romans the Apostle’s main point:
“we are justified by faith through the mercy of God alone…that the righteousness which is based on faith depends wholly on the mercy of God.”
(Calvin’s Commentaries: The Epistles of Paul to the Romans and to the Thessalonians; (Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh,) 1961. Romans 1:17, page 29)
Today we come to: The Revealed Gospel (Ch 1:17-18)
“For in it (i.e. the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…”
It was a hot summer day. People had waited a long time for Mr. Whippy (the ice-cream man) to come. When he did arrive, 8 year old Russell was there first. But when they saw what he got, some people thought that Russell’s ice-cream cone was a bit over the top.
It consisted of two cones, the double-headed kind, with three different flavours: strawberry, chocolate and hokey pokey.
Not only did it boast two chocolate flakes with hundreds and thousands, but it was also choc-dipped!
The more people looked at it dripping onto his chin, the broad smile on Russell’s face as ice-cream dropped onto his T-shirt, some onto the path as he slurped while wending his way home…the more they looked, the more they wanted it.
Yes, big children, little children, and even some adults thought Russell’s ice-cream was well over the top!
But no matter what they said, it made no difference to Russell, because when he was asked who paid for it, he told them:
“My Dad gave it to me. He’s Mr Whippy, you know!”
And off he went, slurping his ice-cream!
Some people think we are arrogant to say there is one way to heaven and that it is through the Lord Jesus Christ.
If God had not given Paul the gospel, Paul would have been presumptive and arrogant to call the gospel: “my gospel.” As he says in Romans 2:16 “...in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.” and again in Romans 16:25 “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began…” and in writing to Timothy he says: 2 Tim 2:8 “Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel…”
Paul can say ‘my gospel’ because his Dad, his Father God revealed it to him.
God the Father gave it to him in order to reveal Christ to the nations: the non-Jews the Bible calls Gentiles. We looked at some of that in the second sermon in this series. (Acts 13:46-48; Acts 22:17-21)
The Apostle says: “According to my gospel…”
This is a phrase we can never say of ourselves.
It is something an Apostle can say that we cannot.
Jesus and His Opponents
I am sure that the religious authorities of Jesus’ time and place thought that He had a cheek telling them the way of salvation. We only have to look at what Jesus predicted would happen to Him and the threats of the religious authorities that are recorded in the Gospels. (Matthew 12:14 and 20:17-18; Mark 3: 6).
After Matthew tells us: “the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him,” (Mt 12:14) we are told: “great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all. Yet He warned them not to make Him known...” (Matt 20:15-16)
In Mark at chapter 3:6 it says: “Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.”
Paul writes to Timothy and tells him that God committed the gospel to him for safe-keeping: “According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.” (I Tim 1:11)
That is surely what Paul means when he calls the gospel: ‘my gospel’ in these verses in Romans.
Threat or Warning?
The book of Proverbs warns us that:
“There is a way that seems right to a man but the end of it is the way of death.” (Webster Bible)
(http://bible.crosswalk.com/OnlineStudyBible/bible.cgi?word=Proverbs+14%3A12§ion=5&version=wbt&new=1&oq=&NavBook=pr&NavGo=14&NavCurrentChapter=14)
Julie Ackerman Link in Our Daily Bread writes:
‘God never threatens; the devil never warns,’ declared Oswald Chambers. We sometimes use the words threat and warning interchangeably, but Chambers saw a principle that suggests a distinction.
Threats are used to get people to do what is in our best interest. Warnings are issued to get people to do what is in their best interest.
In other words, threats seek to preserve power, whereas warnings serve to protect people from danger.”
(Our Daily Bread: 20 Feb 2008, http://www.rbc.org/devotions.aspx?id=52848 )
This could not be more meaningful than when we are speaking about the gospel.
God cares about us and if you care about someone, you offer them warnings about any dangers they may face.
Jesus Himself told His listeners that without repentance they would be lost:
Luke 13:3 "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” (Cf. John 3:14-15; 10:28; Rom 2:4)
John 3:14-15 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 10:27-28 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”
Paul’s message is in complete harmony with this teaching. Look at chapter 2:3-4: “And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
We do not naturally want to repent of our sins.
We have always tried to avoid the Holy Spirit’s accusation of guilt.
We have tried to avoid humbling ourselves before God.
We have always tried to avoid having to make changes in our hearts and in our behaviour.
John Calvin says: “the flesh will not willingly humble itself to the point of ascribing…salvation to the grace of God alone…”
Because of this, he says: “Paul shows that the whole world is guilty of eternal death.” So he says, “we must recover life by some other means, since in ourselves we are all lost.”
(Calvin’s Commentaries: The Epistles of Paul to the Romans and to the Thessalonians; (Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh,) 1961. Romans 1:17, page 30)
Adam blamed Eve; Eve blamed the serpent.
Abraham told lies to foreigners to cover up the truth that Sarai was his wife.
Moses ran away into the desert when he was accused of being a murderer.
Jonah ran in the opposite direction when called by God. Later he even tried to hide in a shelter away from God. But God confronted him anyway and held him to account.
King David managed to hide his sins and guilt from men but not from God; and had to repent when the prophet Nathan told him the truth.
(http://www.sermoncentral.com/article.asp?article=a-Ron_Forseth_02_25_08&ac=true)
What the Apostle Paul sets out in these verses in Romans is that no one has any excuse before the bar of God’s judgment. When sin came into the world, it polluted everyone and it has affected everyone ever since, so we cannot possibly excuse ourselves before God.
No Excuses
a. No excuses before the law of God.
Rom 2:12 “For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law…”
The first five books of the Bible, Genesis to Deuteronomy, given by God to Moses are the standard for human behaviour.
Ignorance of them is not an excuse. You can be a Jew or not, the same standard is used for everyone.
Illustration: Think of it this way:
Ignorance of the traffic laws of NZ is no excuse. Every time you break the speed limit while driving and you would like to make an excuse when you are pulled over by the traffic officer and held to account, no excuses are permitted. The traffic officer has sworn to apply the law of the land. It does not matter if you do not come from that area of NZ or that you do not know the speed limit in that area. You will be ticketed and you will have to pay a fine.
It is the same with the law of God, says Paul.
There are no excuses for not obeying it.
b. No excuses before our own consciences. (2:14-15)
Paul says: 2:14 “…for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them.”
While in your conscience you may have a debate about right and wrong, you have no excuse in the end. If you want to say that you felt it was right or that your thoughts and behaviour was right according to your conscience, that you believe your conscience is clear…
Please remember this:
Your conscience is a flawed thing, not perfect. So you cannot rely on your conscience to acquit you before God.
c. No excuse before God
Since God is represented by the law given to Moses and by the gospel given by Jesus and through Paul (‘my gospel’), there is no excuse before God for the things we think, do, and say.
“There are none who are righteous, not one.” says Paul in Chapter 3:10 while quoting Psalm 5:9 and Psalm 140:3.
Paul concludes in Chap 3 by saying 3:19 “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.”
Consequences for our Actions (Romans 1: 24, 26, 28)
Paul goes on to say that there are consequences for our behaviour.
Three times Paul says God ‘gave them up’ or ‘gave them over’ i.e. God gives up those who hold down the truth in their unrighteousness and suppress the truth of what is really going on.
God gave them up / over: Rom 1: 24, 26, 28
God allows us to continue doing what we are doing and to suffer the consequences of our own actions, if we refuse to come to Him in repentance.
He will not force people to obey or to love Him.
Love is not real love if it is forced.
Faith is not true faith if it is not planted by God in the heart.
Hope is misplaced if it is not in God.
According to Truth
Ch. 2:2 “…the judgment of God is according to truth…”
How does God measure justice?
How does He know faith when He sees it? Or love or hope?
Well, because He is God, He cannot change His holy character. He cannot change His holy nature, so He cannot change His standard of righteousness. This is the way Romans says it in Ch. 2:2 “…the judgment of God is according to truth…”
As Tom Houston says: “The gospel begins and ends with what God is, not with what we want or think we need.”
(Tom Houston in Gathered Gold, John Blanchard, Evangelical Press, 1984, 127.)
It is not based on emotion or the outward appearance: i.e. what a man or woman, boy or girl portrays of themselves outwardly.
The judgment of God is according to truth…
Contrary to what you have been told, there is such a thing as absolute truth and it’s in God.
It is part of God’s nature and it is reflected in His word here.
Men judge by what is seen: “For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (I Sam 16:7)
When God sees us holding down the truth in our unrighteousness (ch 1:18), and He does see everything…the only remedy offered to us is in Paul’s message, the gospel:
“For in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…” (1:17-18)
As Paul said to the Christians of Corinth:
I Cor 1:18 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.’
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”
An illustration of how we act against nature was given to us last week:
Tricia Scott told us last week that some mothers do indeed forget their children and do not love them.
Isa 49:15 “So the LORD answers, ‘Can a woman forget her own baby and not love the child she bore? (Good News Bible)
Here is another illustration of sinful neglect by a mother:
A newspaper (The Chicago Tribune) reported the story of a mother who let her nine children, aged 8 months to 11 years, fend for themselves in a gritty apartment filled with trash and excrement. Public officials, responding to a neighbor's call, entered the apartment at 2am and took the children into custody. The mother, said the owner of the apartment building, was more interested in partying late than in caring for her children. The public was outraged by this maternal malfeasance.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/areas/biblestudies/articles/080213.html
If a mother can treat her children like this, what hope is there?
Isa 49:15 “So the LORD answers, ‘Can a woman forget her own baby and not love the child she bore? Even if a mother should forget her child, I will never forget you.’ ”
And so while the wrath of God, God’s holy anger, has been revealed through the preaching of the gospel, God tells us to warn us not to condemn us.
Rom 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
“The thunders of the law and the terrors of judgment are all used to bring us to Christ; but the final victory is effected by lovingkindness. The prodigal set out to his father’s house from a sense of need; but his father saw him a great way off, and ran to meet him; so that the last steps he took towards his father’s house were with the kiss still warm upon his cheek, and the welcome still musical in his ears.”
(Charles Haddon Spurgeon: Morning and Evening: Morning, February 29 in e-Sword Bible)
Thanks to God through Christ. Amen.
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