Here is the manuscript of last Sunday's sermon from Romans 2:17-29. Feel free to post comments or questions. Your feedback is always important to me. Remember I am here to work together with you for your joy. Help me do that by sharing how the ministry of the Word at COG is helping or even not helping you.
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The Heart of The Matter Is The Heart
Romans 2:17-29
I have shared with you before that one of the most troubling passages of Scripture that I know is Matthew 7:21-23. When I read this passage I genuinely become concerned for my salvation and I’ll tell you why—because these people who were involved in ministry and in effective ministry had deceived themselves into thinking that they were OK with God when they really weren’t. In fact, they were utterly amazed and surprised that they were going to hell according to verse 22. And what’s really interesting about their response to God as they are being sentenced to eternal damnation is that they resort to what they had done for God and were doing in terms of ministry as their final excuse and reason to not be condemned. Look at verse 22 again. But the problem with them was that they had placed false assurance of their acceptance with God in their deeds, their ministries, and in their success in ministry rather than in the fact that they knew God and He knew them. You see, knowing God and being known by God really has very little to do with how successful a preacher you are or how religious you are or how many times you’ve been to church. But it has a great deal to do with the condition of your heart and its orientation toward God.
The Apostle Paul commanded us in 2 Corinthians 13:5 to test ourselves to see if we are really in the Faith and thus are saved or will be with those poor souls in Matthew 7 who thought they were saved and weren’t. And he makes the point that if Christ is in you it will be obvious unless of course He is not in you and thus you are not saved.
So, what is it we should be looking for to see if Christ is in us to make sure that we truly are OK with God? Well, let’s go to our text this morning, which is Romans 2:17-29 and we will see what we aren’t to be looking for and finally what we are to be looking for.
In Romans 2:17-29 we are going to see the Apostle Paul shatter the false security of seemingly religious people who think they are OK with God and have nothing to fear in the Judgment simply because of their religious heritage, their religious knowledge, and their religious traditions and ceremonies. And then once he is all done telling them that the only thing trusting in their spiritual heritage, spiritual understanding, and spiritual experiences will do is give them a false sense of spiritual security—he drives home the point that one’s security with God and one’s acceptance with God is a matter of the heart. So, let’s use what Paul has to say in this passage as the test guide to determine if we are truly OK with God or have been deceived and have a false sense of assurance that we are saved.
1. If all you have going for you is a religious and spiritual heritage you are not OK with God. (17a)
The Israelites of Jesus’ day took great pride in the name “Jew”. Whereas, in the Old Testament times they had been known as Hebrews because they spoke Hebrew and Israelites because of their connection with the land God had given them—the name they took the most pride in was that of being called a Jew. The word comes from Judah and means “one who is praised by God” It could also be expanded to mean “one who is accepted by God”. So, the Jewish person not only took great pride in the fact that he was a Jew and thus praised by God—he found great assurance in the title because in his mind it meant he was accepted by God as well—simply because he had been born a Jew.
Paul’s reason in raising this issue is to make the point that simply bearing the name “Jew” and being a “Jew” is not a guarantee that you are OK with God—let alone praised by Him or acceptable to Him. And this has great relevance for us today. There are countless millions of people who think that simply because they were born in a quote un quote Christian nation that they are OK with God. They think that being an American is synonymous with being a Christian. There are others who think that being born into and raised in a Christian home makes them a Christian and thus OK with God. Thousands believe that being a Catholic or a Baptist or a Methodist or a Presbyterian means they are OK with God. And Paul’s point is that regardless of what your religious or spiritual heritage is—it cannot make you right with God.
Listen no one here has become a hamburger simply because they spend hours in McDonalds.
And no one becomes a Christian by simply attending church.
2. If all you have going for you is your knowledge of God’s Word and ability to minister with it you are not OK with God. (17b-24)
Then Paul moves on to another false assurance of your acceptance with God and that is your relationship to His Word. Keep in mind and never forget that it is a relationship with Christ that saves you not a relationship with God’s Word. Now having said that, let me say that apart from the Bible you cannot have a relationship with God because faith comes by hearing the Word of God according to Romans 10:17. But it is not the Bible that saves you.
Look at John 5:39. You see the Jews problem was that they thought their love for and knowledge of the Scriptures would make them acceptable to God. But Jesus made it clear that the Scriptures can’t save anyone—their purpose is to point people to the One Who can save them—Jesus.
The Jews also believed that because of their relationship with the Scriptures that they were morally and spiritually superior to Gentiles and thus had the moral responsibility if you will of teaching them how to live like a Jew. (19-20) The problem was that even though they were experts in what the Word of God said and taught—they did not have the heart to obey it. (21-24)
Thus, they who taught people should not steal were stealing. They were also teaching that people should not commit adultery and yet they were doing the exact same thing.
They were hypocrites and Paul’s point in saying so is that their disobedience to the very Law they were teaching was the evidence that they did not have a heart for God that would obey His Word.
So, the fact that anyone has a high regard for the Bible and in fact quotes it from time to time and maybe even teaches it is no guarantee they’re saved. In fact, if they have no desire to obey it and are not growing in general obedience to the Word this is a sign they are not OK with God.
3. If all you have going for you is the fact that you have been involved in a special religious ceremony you are not OK with God. (25-28)
Circumcision was the outward sign of a spiritual reality. It was the sign that a person truly belonged to God and God’s people and thus should act like it. But the fact of the matter is that circumcision never saved anyone. Paul’s point in verse 25 is that the outward sign of circumcision has value only if there is a true spiritual reality behind it. In verses 26 & 27, he simply reiterates this point. Then in verse 28, he states that an external outward religious ritual or ceremony does not make anyone a Jew. Now remembering what the word “Jew” means—what Paul is insinuating is that external religious rituals and ceremonies do not make anyone acceptable to God.
So no matter what it is—external religious practices and special events won’t save you!
Circumcision
Baptism
Confirmation
A Profession of Faith
Walking An Aisle
Prayer A Prayer
Joining A Church
CONCLUSION
In verse 29, Paul tells us that the only guarantee that any person can have that he or she is OK with God is a new heart that loves Him and is captivated by Him as its greatest treasure and pleasure in life. The only person who is OK with God is the one who has come to God through Jesus Christ for salvation from the wrath of God for his or her sins. And that which will characterize this person is a new heart given to them by God the Holy Spirit. And this new heart will desire God and pursue God as the ultimate object of its affections.
If God is not the ultimate object of your heart’s affections it is because you are not a true believer or you have allowed sin to replace your Christ as the object of your affections. Only the person whose heart is right with God and whose heart desires God and finds its joy in God will receive praise and commendation from God.
Our acceptance with God is always a matter of the heart. So, what we need to look for to see if we are in the Faith and thus OK with God and therefore ready to die is—
What do we honestly enjoy more than anything—our sin or God?
When you realize you have sinned is your heart truly broken so that you must run to God with your sin so as to confess it and be free of it so as to have fellowship with God restored again?
What do we honestly pursue more than anything—disobedience or disobedience?
What is the most passionate and most consistent desire of our heart—God or someone or something else?
What is our heart oriented toward—God or the world?
Right now at this very moment is it the desire of your heart to pursue Jesus Christ as your greatest treasure and pleasure in life?
As I said in the beginning of the message—its not hard to see if you are truly OK with God—just look at your heart.
3 comments:
The following was sent to me by one of the teenagers in the church I pastor. I thought the questions may be helpful to others so I asked for permission to post them here for all of our benefit.
My answers to these questions will follow.
Hi. I just had a few questions about the sermon today. I didn't get the chance to talk to you after the service. It's not any questions that needs immediate answering, so please just feel free to reply whenever you have a moment.
I was wondering about the questions that you suggested we ask ourselves when we're doubting our salvation. And I wanted to know, how do you keep those questions from becoming things that make you doubt your faith, instead of ones that assure you of it? I mean, I know that if we answer the right way and are truthful about it, it's always assuring, but how do we keep from becoming chronic doubters who just have to keep asking themselves every day, am I saved, am I saved? I really did enjoy the sermon, I thought it was excellent, but I just had some questions about it.
My second question is: Is it possible for God to be our greatest Treasure and Pleasure while we're living here on earth? I know it's possible to want that, I certainly want it, but is it really possible to actually have it be true in our lives while we're living here on earth with our sin-permeated natures?
Thank you so much for being willing to challenge me in my faith. I'm sure it takes a lot of courage at times. I'm really enjoying your teaching through Romans. I'm working on memorizing it, and I was having some trouble understanding chapter 2, so I really like going through it. I really don't understand a lot of chapter 3, so I can't wait till we get there! Thank you again, so much, for all that you do for me; you've been a huge blessing in my life.
Thank you for your questions. They are excellent and insightful.
I think the answer to your first question regarding how do you keep our heart's spiritual orientation from becoming the very thing which will make you doubt your salvation instead of confirm it is found in 2 Corinthians 13:5--the very text we were considering Sunday. If your heart is oriented to God so that it desires Him and finds its true joy in Him then you are saved and thus Paul's point that if Christ is in you it will be obvious because the unbeliever does not have a heart that desires God and finds its true joy in Him (Rom. 3). And whereas, when we sin--it is because in that moment we desired sin more than God--it is your flesh that is desiring sin not your new man.
Paul argues in Romans 7 that when he struggles with sin the issue is not that his inner man desires sin but rather his sinful flesh does. Thus, even when the true believer sins because in that moment he or she gave into their flesh so as to sin--their new man--the person they really are in Christ did not wish to sin but was overcome by their flesh which as Peter says is always waring against our soul (new man) [1 Pet. 2:11]. Paul makes the point in Romans 7:15-21 that when a true believer sins--it is because he or she gave into a sinful temptation that their new man or who they really are in Christ did not wish to pursue. Thus the battle described in Galatians 5:17 between the flesh and the Spirit which takes place in us everytime we are tempted to and give into temptation. Thus, Paul's instruction in Gal. 5:16 to continually be walking in the Spirit so that we do not do what our new man truly does not wish to do which is sin against God by "carrying out the desire of the flesh".
Now back to Paul's argument in Romans 7:22-25. Paul concludes that even when he gives into sin--his inner man--the new man--the real Him in Christ is "joyfully concurring and agreeing with God's Law". In other words, disobedience to God is not his true and real desire--it is not the disposition and orientation of his heart even when he does give into his flesh and sins.
Therefore, even when the believer sins--he can look at his heart and know if this is really what he desired over God or if in that moment of spiritual weakness he gave into sin. We are complex creatures who can truly desire God in our heart of hearts and yet still momentarily give into the desires of our sinful flesh.
To tie it back into your question--examining your heart to see what and who it desires most even in the midst of giving into temptation will show you whether you have a new heart or not. The old heart has no desire for God ever! Thus, examining our heart as Christians is not something that causes us to doubt but rather grants us the assurance we need every moment because we do sin on a regular basis as we continue to reside in this sinful flesh.
Paul's intent is not that we continually test ourselves so as to become chronic doubters of our faith but that as we continually take the test of faith and pass we become more and more assured of the great work God has accomplished in our hearts. Keep in mind, God's intent for true believers is not that through examining themselves they become discouraged but rather encouraged as they see more and more of Christ's likeness in them.
Re: your second question--Is it possible for God to be our greatest treasue and pleasure while still living in our sinful flesh on earth? Let's see what the Bible says about that excellent question.
Paul, in Philippians 1:21-23 made the point that "to live is Christ and to die is gain". He went on to say that his greatest desire was to be with Christ in v. 23 "for that is very much better." Paul was still living in his sinful flesh but able to say that Christ was better than anything on earth--thus his greatest treasure and pleasure on earth.
In Philippians 3:7-8, he makes the point that he is willing to suffer the loss of all things so that he may gain Christ--thus again, Christ is a greater treasure and pleasure than anything or anyone on earth. But then in Philippians 3:12-14, I see Paul also arguing that he is still pressing on to greater degrees of spiritual growth in which his desire for Christ grows. Thus here is what I think--"Yes", it is possible even while in our sinful flesh living on this sin permeated earth to desire and have Christ as our greatest treasure and pleasure in life--and this should be the experience of all believers. However, having said that--it is also true that He should be becoming an even greater treasure and pleasure to us everyday. So in this sense Jesus is a greater treasure to me today than He was yesterday but not as great a treasure as He will be tomorrow and on and on it goes. If indeed Christ is infinite--then even in heaven when our sinful flesh no longer exists to bother us and restrain us--He will become a greater treasure and pleasure to me everyday because I will experience Him anew everyday. We will never come to the limit of Christ's ability to amaze and fill us with joy even in Heaven--thus He will always and everyday even throughout eternity be a greater treasure and pleasure to us than He was the day before.
Well, I hope this helps--its alot to chew on.
Excellent sermon this Sunday. Thank you.
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