LBC Sermons & Messages

Romans 3:1-8

When reading Romans, one must remember that the Jews are God’s chosen people. In Genesis 17, we have the Abrahamic Covenant in which God makes a promise to Abraham to bless his offspring and make a holy nation. This nation is the Hebrew nation. They are God’s chosen people and the nation that He has chosen to work through and bless the world. We, the gentiles, are simply benefiting from God’s covenant with Israel. The promises of the Bible were to the Jews and now we are able to partake of God’s grace because He is a loving God. We are adopted into the family, hence; receive the blessings purely through God’s goodness. In addition, God is not done with His people.

Romans 3 starts off by dealing with the pride issue. The Jews were very proud in that God chose them. However, Paul quickly reminds them that with great advantage comes great responsibility. God chose to give His oracles to the world through the Jews but there in is great responsibility. They are God’s mouthpiece to the world.

Secondly, Paul deals with the fallacy that man’s disbelief nullifies God’s faith. Paul reminds them that man is a liar and God, and only God, is truth. God’s character is impervious to man’s disbelief.

Verses 5 and 6 deal with our unrighteousness commending God’s righteousness. There are a surprising number of people who feel they can learn from sin and God will turn around and bless it. That philosophy goes directly against this passage. If God is going to use sin to promote His glory, how can he turn around and judge sin. God hates sin. He is sovereign enough, and gracious enough to be able to use our downfalls but his delight is in obedience not sacrifice.

This flows into Paul’s next point. In the words of my friend Mack Taunton, “It’s never right to do wrong to do right so do what’s right to do.” Doing evil just to try to accomplish good does not change the fact that evil is inherently evil. Just do right.

A perfect example of this is King Saul. They are going to battle and the foe is all around and Saul is scared and impatient I Samuel 13. Samuel tells Saul to wait for him to offer the sacrifices to God as a blessing before the battle. Saul then takes it upon himself to offer the sacrifice because Samuel is not there. As soon as he offers the sacrifice, Samuel comes and God deals with Saul’s disobedience. Saul had the right motives but it was disobedience and it cost him the kingdom. He does not learn the lesson because only a few chapters later, he does it again. He keeps the sheep and oxen to “offer” to God and keeps King Amalek alive and Samuel has to slay him. God is pleased with obedience not sacrifice. So, what will you do? As always, the choice is yours. Let us turn this wicked world upside down for the cause of Christ through die-hard obedience.

Romans 2:12-f.f.

The law is a necessity in having an eternal home in heaven. Verses 12 and 13 tell us that those who die without the law still die, and the law will judge those who have the law. It is not the law that gives us life but rather obedience to the law. Verses 14-16 go on to say that the law of God is written on the hearts of man. Everyone has a conscience and are therefore without excuse before a perfect and holy God and it is He who will judge us all personally in the end according to His standard.

Paul then tells us that our lives should line up with what we are teaching verses 17-24. When our lives are contrary to what we speak, we dishonor God and give the world opportunity to blaspheme Him. How dare us? He ends the chapter by discussing the difference between circumcision of the body and circumcision of the heart. God can see our hearts and wants our hearts to be pure, which can only happen through a continual cleansing of His Spirit and Word. Our relationship with God is based on an obedient heart that is derived from our belief in action. So, where is your heart?

With that said, the law has many functions. First, Hebrews 10:1 tells us that it foreshadows good things to come. We have the law to teach us that a Savior is coming and that He is holy and righteous. Secondly, the law condemns us all according to Galatians 3:16-19. No one has kept the law and therefore we are all guilty of the breaking the law and deserve to spend eternity in Hell. I am glad the law does not stop there because it also brings us to Christ. When we see that we are guilty of breaking God’s law, we see that we need a Savior. We need one who can take the whole wrath of God and pay for our sins. This Savior is in the person of Christ and Christ alone.

Matthew 5 tells us that Christ came not to destroy the law but to fulfill the law. According to James 2:10, Matthew 5:28 and I John 3:15 we learn that Christ fulfills the law in that He brings the full impact of the law to us. It is no longer a set of rules that we can try to follow on the outside, but is based upon our heart’s motives. Ephesians 2:11-15 tells us that He also brings full reconciliation to all who call upon Him.

So, let me leave you with a question, “should we still keep the law today?” According to James 1:25 and Romans 2:28, 29, yes. The law keeps order and keeping it pleases our God. The choice is ours, so, let’s serve our King with pure hearts.

Upon further study of this passage, we learn that God will one day judge our secret thoughts. We call them secret but they are not secret at all. Not only does God know our thoughts, but many around us also eventually find out.

We also see that teachers are held to a higher standard. If you are going to teach the Word, your life had better match up. Once again, we are all teachers in one way or another. When our lives do not line up with truth, we dishonor God. Can you imagine standing in the presence of God and saying no? Yet we do it all the time. This is disobedience and it dishonors God. It tells the world that we truly do not believe God.

It also gives this world opportunity to blaspheme the living God. The single greatest cause of atheism today is not world tragedy, or disease, or the crimes of man but Christians. The greatest cause is Christians who profess God with their lips and yet deny Him with their lives. It is hard, especially in the world today with leaders lying and living ungodly all around us. We must stand up and be truth livers all the time. It will cost you but stand anyways. When you think you are all spent, stand. When you have nothing left, stand. When all others forsake truth, stand. God will be blessed and in turn, He will bless you. Let us not be hearers of the law only but doers.

Verse 25 teaches us that if we keep the law, there is profit. Not only does the individual profit but also, God is honored. The church profits also because its members are witnessing to this world and purity and order reign in our lives. When we keep not the law, we are counted as uncircumcised. God is not honored with sacrifices but rather He is honored through obedience. Remember, God is not mocked. You might be able to fool others for a while, but God is never
fooled.

The last verse tells us to be circumcised in our hearts in the spirit. God does not want us to follow the law to be man pleasers, but rather to be God pleasers. Why do you minister? Is it for man’s eyes? The praise of God is eternal and the praise of man is temporal. Let us lay up treasures in heaven.

Romans 1:18-f.f.

Upon reading the passage in Romans along with I John 2:16, Matthew 4, and the temptation of Eve, we notice a couple of things about Satan, man, and sin. First, Satan tempts us all in one way. He first tempts us in our mind or our imaginations. Our imagination is affected by the thoughts we have and what we put into our minds. This is the main battlefield. Then he moves to our flesh. We act out our imaginations. Followed by our passions and ending at a very immoral lifestyle.

We also see that man is plagued with unrighteousness. This encompasses the entire world. All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. It affects the United States of America. Look at where we have come in the last 100 years. We have totally walked away from standing for any Christian principles and moved whole-heartedly toward the religion of humanism. This has happened because the plague also affects the church and through the years, we have become complacent and we let our guard down and now we refuse to stand.

We would all agree that Christ is the answer to a wayward world and country. My question to you is what will we do about it? Enough is enough. I am sick and tired of watching my rights being taken away. I am tired of being told to sit down and keep my mouth shut. I am tired of Christians being pansies. I am tired of the truth being pushed aside. We must declare all-out war!

We must declare war against sin and our selves I Cor. 15:56 & 57, Gal. 5:17, Rom. 8:7. We must declare war on fallacy John 17:17, I John 2:21, Psalms 25:25. We must also declare war on Satan himself Eph. 6:12, I Peter 5:8, Rev. 12:10. We cannot be dormant any longer. Time, truth and God demand our swift action.

Notice, war is never against people but against the error and immorality of humanism, that plagues us all. We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of wickedness in high places. Love your enemy and bless those who despitefully use you but despise the sin.

Keep in mind that there will be casualties whether it is your time, money, friends, plans or even your life. Satan will fight harder than ever but we will prevail I John 4:4, Psalms 121. Truth must prevail so, “will you fight or just sit by and let fallacy rule?”