Bible Text: Romans 3:21-31 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Romans

Overview/Review of Romans 1-3:20: There are two groups of Christians being considered here: Jewish Christians, who have tried to follow the Law and Prophets for a very long time, remaining separate from the rest of the world and its practices; Gentile Christians – who don’t know anything about the Law and Prophets, or the traditions of the Jews, but they have believed in Jesus as Lord.
The problem being confronted by Paul, is that the Jewish Christians are demanding that the Gentile Christians conform to Jewish traditions and culture; while at the same time, the Gentile Christians are saying “no way,” because their hearts are right with God without practicing Jewish customs.
To be “good,” is to be declared righteous in the eyes of God, i.e., to be justified by God. You are righteous “if” you have fulfilled all the requirements of God; to not do so is to fall short, remaining unacceptable to God.
Those who fall short receive “God’s Wrath,” and God’s Wrath will come against all unrighteousness, falling upon all who are without a rightness in the eyes of God, who is perfect (1:18-32): false worship, sexual immorality (any sexual relationship outside of that between a husband and a wife), disobeying parents, gossiping, murder, lying, stealing, coveting, false testimony, and many, many more.
Paul has made it very clear (3:10-12) that everyone is a sinner, there is no one who is righteous, no one who does good, not even one; except the One Who came down from the Father’s side in heaven: God’s One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior.
And so, all people, those who practice Judaism (the Jews), and those who do not (the Gentiles, everybody else), are sinners who are deserving of God’s wrath.
No one can fulfill God’s righteous requirements, neither the Commandments given on stone, or those written upon our hearts (Romans 2:11-16) for one would have to be perfect, and only Jesus Christ was perfect, because He was fully God, as well as fully man.
Read Romans 3:21… Notice, God’s righteousness apart from the Law, has been made known [revealed], even so, the Law and the Prophets testify to this revelation of God’s righteousness that is apart from the law [rules of behavior, religious rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices, and offerings].
Genesis 49:10 proclaims that “from Judah’ will come one who will rule all the nations; and Deuteronomy 18:18 tells us God “will raise up a prophet” from among the Jews, and God “will put [His own] words in this special messenger, God’s Servant, and He will speak with the full authority of God.
Isaiah 7:14 declares that “the Lord Himself will give a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel,” Micah 5:2 tells us this special child will be born in Bethlehem, in Judea; Zechariah 9:9 says He will
come into Jerusalem as victorious King and Savior, yet “gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
The righteousness of God was manifested in the Person of Jesus Christ, and it is He who, “fulfilled the Law and Prophets.”
Jesus was born to a virgin, as the prophets foretold.
Jesus was the personal presence of God on earth, the Great & Almighty “I AM.” – “I am the bread of life” (John 6:48)
– “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12)
– “I am from above” (John 8:23)
– “I am not of this world” (John 8:23)
– “Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
– “I am the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11, 14)
– “I am the gate/Entry way” (John 10:7, 9)
– “I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me will live even
though he dies.” (John 11:25)
– “I am lifted up from the earth” (John 12:32)
– “I am your Teacher and your Lord” (John 13:13) – “I am He” (John 13:19)
– “I am the Truth” (John 14:6)
– “I am the Life” (John 14:6)
– “I am the Way” (John 14:6)
– “I and the Father are one.” (John 14:10)
– “I am in you” (John 14:20)
– “I am the true vine, remain in me” (John 15:1,5) – “I am a king” (John 18:37)
One of Jesus’ primary accomplishments was to “fulfill the Law” and thus fulfill all the demands of his righteous relationship with God.
Matthew 5:17-20, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness (as opposed to the righteousness from God) surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus fulfilled the Law by completing it.
Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you
that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” 27-28, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Read Romans 3:22-24… Righteousness does not come from our good works; it is a gift from God. That is why God says (Matthew 5:20), you will not enter the kingdom of God unless your righteousness surpasses that of the teachers of the Law.
Our self-righteousness is like filthy rags to God. We all have sinned and so, we all fall short, miss the mark.
Isaiah 64:6, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
If we could earn our righteousness, it would not be a gift, it would be a reward. We receive God’s gift by trusting in what Jesus accomplished on the cross, i.e., He alone “fulfills” God’s righteous requirements enabling us to personally come into His presence.
When we genuinely believe in Jesus, His righteousness is fully imputed [placed upon, transferred] to us as a gift, totally removing the penalty for our sin.
In Romans 1:21-32, Paul’s declares how people gave up their knowledge of God in exchange for worshiping false gods; they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and committed other sins, gratifying their sinful desires while approving those who engaged in perverted sin, resulting in the penalty of bringing the wrath of God upon themselves.
Jesus came to take away all our sins, while at the same time granting us His righteousness. He offered the exchange of our sinfulness for His righteousness; He did this by taking our sin upon Himself, therefore incurring the full wrath of God upon Himself on the cross.
Read Romans 3:25… Under the OT system, animals died as a substitute for the sin’s of the offender, i.e., the sinner was forgiven until the next time he/she sinned, after which, another sacrifice had to be made.
Jesus is the Lamb of God, paying everyone’s sin debt so God can show mercy on us by removing all our guilt and sin’s condemnation, permanently. You see, although the Old Testament sacrifices were put to death and offered on the alter, they never suffered the wrath of God.
Placing God’s wrath upon Jesus appeased God’s Righteousness, and as a result, the Lord is able to justify all who trust in His sacrificial death.
Isaiah 53:10-11, “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the LORD makes His life a guilt offering, He will see His offspring and
prolong His days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in His hand. After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by His knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.”
Read Romans 3:26… At the cross, God demonstrated His Love and Righteousness; He will punish sin and reward reward those whom He has justified.
It has been said, a loving God will not send everyone to hell; and a righteous God will not allow everyone into heaven. God remedies this “contradiction” by offering up Himself to receive the punishment due to us, so that we can enter heaven, the eternal home of the righteous. He is “the One who Justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
The marvelous truth is that everyone who comes to the Savior (repenting of sin and believing in Jesus) will be declared Righteous, having been Justified, fully forgiven, pronounced righteous, in the Courtroom of God.
Think about it, you and I are Justified through Christ – Just-if-ied never sinned, i.e., considered righteous!
Read Romans 3:27-31… No one is justified by keeping the Law; in fact, everyone breaks the law because everyone is a sinner. No one is righteous, and no one can become righteous, not by being good, doing good, or somehow acquiring anything good, we all fail.
God is not just a Loving God, He is a Just and Loving God; therefore, He must punish all unrighteousness. God requires perfection as the standard for those who will enter heaven, and so He demands perfection as the requirement therefore, a penalty must be rendered that is sufficient to punish the wrongdoer equal to their crime.
The penalty for sin (Romans 6:23a) is death, the good news is that Jesus took our punishment on Himself on the cross (Romans 5:8), so that we might receive the gift of God (Romans 6:23b) eternal life through Jesus Christ,
The Law of God condemns all of us as sinners, in desperate need of a Savior; whether Jews, given the Ten Commandments through Moses on Mount Sinai, or Gentiles who have God’s law written upon their hearts (Romans 2:11-16), apart from God’s mercy through Jesus Christ we are all doomed to an eternal hell.
Since Adam and Eve’s disobedience, which brought sin’s curse upon all of us, we have been responsible to do the right thing, to obey God and to honor Him, for God clearly declares that we all, everyone of us, has been given a knowledge of good from evil.
Genesis 3:22, “And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil.”
Romans 5:12-13, “sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned– for before the law was
given, sin was in the world.” 19-21, “For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man [Jesus] the many will be made righteous. The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We are all guilty of sin and therefore condemned to the death, if left to our own justification; but in Christ, we are completely and eternally justified, i.e., made righteous, both Jew and Gentile, by God alone; when we believe in and receive God’s Sovereign Gift, forgiveness for sins and eternal life through His One and Only Son.
Romans 10:9-10, 13, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Pastor Mike

Bible Text: Romans 3:9-20 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Romans

Read Romans 3:9… I believe Paul is saying that just because the Jews had the Law of God (as we studied lat week), are no better off than the Gentiles. The truth is, all men are guilty of sin, deserving of God’s just punishment. We cannot obtain favoritism with God, or become more acceptable, by being religious or moral, or by our ancestral heritage, or by our acquisition of knowledge wealth, power, or fame. Read Romans 3:10-14… (Ecclesiastes 7:20) God is clear in His assessment, everyone who has reached the age of accountability, knowing good from evil, truth from error. Look: no one is righteous,not even one; no one understands; no one seeks God. All people have turned away from God’s righteousness and are therefore worthless. This is clearly expressed: no one, apart from God, is able to do anything pleasing to God, not one! God says, “no one is good, no one can do good.” And good is always defined as anything and everything that pleases God. Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” What is the first and foremost thing God wants for everyone (1Timothy 2:3-4), “God our Savior wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth,” (2Peter 3:9), “[God] is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God wants us to be saved sinners, for only then will we be “good,” as recipients of God’s grace, we are capable of doing that which pleases God. Please turn to Luke 18:18-22. Notice (v. 18), he calls Jesus “Good Teacher,” and (v. 19), “Why do you call me good? No one except God is good [morally upright].” Romans 3:13 says that apart from God, our “throats are open graves and our tongues practice deceit,” unsaved mankind is spiritually dead – lying and deceit are a natural part of life without God; in fact, “the poison of vipers” is on the lips of the unregenerate (see 1Peter 4:6). The speech of those who oppose God (Romans 3:14), “is full of cursing and bitterness. Matthew 3:7, “But when he (John) saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Matthew 12:34-35, “You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.”
Matthew 15:18, “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ “ Proverbs 15:2, “The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.” 28 “The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.” Read Romans 3:15-17… Godless men kill and bring misery, whereas, godly men seek peace and show love for others. Read Romans 3:18… Godless men have no fear of God (Psalm 14:1), “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” True believers revere God and try to honor Him, urging others to repent, to be reconciled to, and to serve God. Read Romans 3:19-20… Every unredeemed [unsaved] human in the whole world, who is capable of being conscious of sin, is accountable to God. Observing the Law will not justify anyone and knowing the Law only makes us conscious of sin. Paul says the Jew is accountable to God for the written Law (through Moses), just as the Gentile (everybody else) is accountable to God for the Law written upon their hearts (Romans 2:11-15). All mankind, apart from the saving grace of God, through Christ, is guilty of sin – this should result in total silence (Romans 3:19), “so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.” No man, woman, or child of accountable age has anything to boast about, for there is nothing to be said in our defense except Jesus Christ’s sacrificial payment for our sins; therefore as Paul proclaimed (2Corinthians 10:17), “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” One day there will be total silence in heaven, for Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, will open the Deed to the universe, breaking its Seals – unleashing judgement. See Revelation 5:1-14; 8:1. This incomprehensible scene in heaven is the beginning of the apocalyptic destruction of the heavens and the earth; which is unleashed as the Seven Seals are broken; the seventh seal unleashes the Seven Trumpet Judgements, and the seventh trumpet unleashes the Seven Bowl Judgments, of which the seventh bowl’s judgement is brought to an end by the very return of Jesus Christ to the earth (Revelation 19:11-16), leading to Christ’s reign on earth as King for 1000 years (20:1-6); after which, the final battle (20:7-10) and then the judgement of God (Revelation 20:11-15) will be carried out on all those who have rejected Him throughout history (White Throne Judgement) No one will be justified by their own works or by keeping the Law of God, for sinful man is incapable of obeying God perfectly and therefore, worthy the of the death sentence.
The only hope for men, women, and children of age, to be considered good, and therefore acceptable, to God, is to accept God’s gracious gift of forgiveness for sins and eternal life through God’s Son. Apart from Christ, no one is good and no one can do good, according to God’s judgement. Our message is an urgent message, a timely message of hope and love and forgiveness and redemption and eternal life – though Jesus Christ the Lord. 1John 5:10-12, “Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

Bible Text: Romans 3:1-8 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Romans

The first eight verses of chapter 3 are Paul’s continued treatment of the close of Romans 2, where Paul answers the question: What makes a true Jew?
Some say it is those who believe the Torah, the Law, and the Prophets; someone who keeps a kosher kitchen and adheres to strict dietary regulations, as well as observing all the traditions of Judaism. Others say, “if you were born of Jewish ancestry then you are a Jew.”
Paul answered the question in Chapter 2:28, saying a man is not a Jew who is only one outwardly, but (v. 29) is one inwardly, being born of God’s Spirit, for that is what constitutes a Jew, nothing else.
It is not knowing or possessing the Law that makes a man a Jew, i.e., a true son or daughter of Abraham is by faith, not by circumcision, nor by special relationship with God based upon human ancestry or religious practice. The only thing that makes a person a child of God is faith in God’s Son.
Read Romans 3:1-2… Paul’s Jewish opposers were saying to him, if circumcision, the Law, and birthright don’t mean anything, what is the benefit of being a Jew?
Paul says to them, that although they have been entrusted with the very Law of God, everyone is under law, for even savages in the deepest jungle with no knowledge of the Bible or the Ten Commandments, have a moral standard, God’s Law having been written upon their hearts (see Romans 2:14-15).
See Genesis 2:25… Before sin’s curse!
See Genesis 3:7-11… Consequences of sin!
See Genesis 3:21-22a… Adam and Eve knew good and evil, long before the Law was given, and the propensity to sin was passed from parent to child, beginning with them (see Romans 5:12-14).
In our culture today we see many forms of religious practice: Church of Christ- Scientist, Church of Latter Day Saints, Jehovah’s Witness, Muslim, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, Catholic, all of these seem convinced they are the ones who are right with God, just as the Jews claim to be God’s chosen people; all of these, to some degree, claim to have been given provision, position, purpose, power and wisdom through God’s Word.
The Jews were given the very first written revelation of God’s Word (on stone), expressing the mind, will, character and commands of God that no other people on earth possessed until that time. The Jews had greater responsibility than anyone else in that day, to know and to obey God’s decrees. And although this was a definite advantage, if they failed to make use of it, it did them no good at all, and they were no better off than if they had never received the Law of God.

We have an abundance of Bible translations available to us today, by which we can know the very will of God. There are billions of people today who have been raised in Sunday school and church, people who have been exposed to, and have read, the Bible from Genesis to Revelation; and yet, the majority of these people are no better off than if they had never read it.
I believe Paul’s main point in this discussion is that, although the Jews had a tremendous advantage, having the Law, they failed to honor and obey it.
Joshua 1:8, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Read Romans 3:3-4… Those opposing Paul ask, “are you suggesting that if some of the Jews did not have faith [or belief], God would not be faithful, that He would forget or not fulfill His promises to all the Jews?”
In other words, “are you saying that just because some of us didn’t do what God required in His Law, all of Israel has lost out on God’s promises?” “Are you saying God is not impressed by the all rituals we have kept and the sacrifices we have offered, don’t these mean anything to God?” “Are you saying that because of the disobedience and lack of genuine faith among some of the Jews, God has canceled His promises to all of them?”
Paul’s uses the strongest words in the Greek language (apart from cursing) to answer them, “Not at all, by no means, may it never be said,” i.e., “God forbid!” For to suggest that God is the One who failed would suggest that God gave a promise and then did not keep His word; that He was not faithful just because “some” of the people failed to do what was right in His eyes.”
We often blame God when things go wrong, or when we fail to obey God’s requirements or honor Him; so, Paul says, in response to that kind of thinking, ”Let God be true, and every man a liar.”
God is going to keep His word no matter how many of us are unfaithful to Him, and He is therefore just in judging us, in fact (Psalm 51:4b), “[He] is proved right when [He] speaks and justified when [He] judges.”
A little background on Psalm 51: For 18 months David had tried to hide his murder of Uriah, and adultery with Bathsheba; but God used Nathan the prophet (2Samuel 12:1-13) to bring David to the point of repentance, and Psalm 51 is the result of that confession of guilt.
By quoting Psalm 51, here in Romans 3:4, “Let God be true and every man a liar,” Paul is saying that even if men and nations fail God, He will fulfill His promises, for God’s resources are without limit in reference to time and amount, and His faithfulness is without error or failing.
2Peter 1:3, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.”
Philippians 4:19, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Read Romans 3:5-6… To actually consider that the depth of our sin makes God look good, by giving Him more opportunity to love and forgive us, would bring into question His right to judge us for our sin, after all, if in our sinfulness we promote God’s holiness, how can He condemn us?
Perhaps we should sin more to expose more of God’s holiness! Paul says, if we are allowed to live that way, God would have to be removed as judge, for God could not condemn those who, by doing bad, cause Him to look good.
How ridiculous to say that sin somehow glorifies God!The truth is, sin never glorifies God and it never produces good, it only demonstrates our need for God’s mercy.
Galatians 6:7-8, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
Read Romans 3:7-8… The words “Someone might argue,” are not found in the Greek. This is important, because Paul is not talking about someone else, for he also is among those who are guilty of rationalizing God’s goodness as an excuse for their sinfulness.
Paul does not consider himself, even though an apostle of God, to be beyond the judgment of God; for he is just as capable of lying as anyone else, and as such, is subject to the judgement of God, the same as anyone else.
To say that our lying enhances God’s truthfulness, is to say, “let’s do evil so that good may come out of it.” Paul concludes this to be a ridiculous argument, for if bad results in good, then lies bring forth truth.
Today people often say “There’s no such thing as absolute truth, or for that matter, good and evil, for whatever they consider good, is good, whatever they don’t like, is evil. Do you see how utterly ridiculous that argument is. The logical conclusion to that kind of thinking is moral indifference, chaos and confusion, where nobody can judge right or wrong – everyone has their own fluctuating standard of, morality, religion, and conscience. Paul says, the condemnation on this kind of reasoning is well-deserved:
”Is there any manner by which a man or woman can please God apart from faith in Christ? Is there any way you can become good and acceptable to God?”
Paul’s clear answer is, “No one can make it on those terms, not the morally self- righteous, who pride themselves on their good conduct and clean living; not the unenlightened pagans in the jungles of the world, both concrete and green tropical ones, who go against their own consciences, unable to live up to their own standards, let alone God’s; nor the ultra religious who teach adherence to the Law, but themselves fail to obey it. They are all declared guilty before God.
We are living in a day when what men say is held up as the final word. The Scriptures are considered, but are not really taken as authoritative. But the apostles never treated Scripture that way. They listened to what men said, but when it came to the final authority, “they held up the Scriptures as Sovereign Truth!”
2Peter 1:4, “Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
God’s Word is the sovereign authority, not men, not governments, and not the Supreme Court. For it is God and His Word that is true and faithful. Men are sinners and in need of salvation, all humans who are of age. Praise God that He alone is faithful and merciful and just and loving, and He has offered up Himself as the once for all sacrifice for all sin, for all humankind, forever.
No one is so bad they cannot receive God’s Grace, whether Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female, heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual, transexual, transgender, or transracial, it doesn’t matter, God turns no one away who genuinely repents and believes.
And no one is so good they don’t need God’s Grace, which has come through Jesus Christ, for everyone who calls on Him, repenting of sins and confessing Him as Lord, believing in and receiving Him as Savior, will receive forgiveness for sins and eternal life, having been born of the Spirit of God for the purpose of knowing, obeying and proclaiming God’s Word, seeking to live in a manner that brings honor and glory to God.

Bible Text: Romans 2:25-29 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Romans

See Verses 25-27… Paul is clearly saying that the circumcision of the flesh, by itself, is useless in reference to making us acceptable to a holy and righteous God.
Circumcision was the physical sign of a people set apart to obey God, to honor God; therefore, for a man to be circumcised and yet to dishonor God, nullified his being set apart for the purpose of bringing glory to God.
So, where did the covenant of circumcision come from? Why was it instituted? See Genesis 17:1-14… Notice (v. 1) Abram was 99 years old when God covenanted with him. Abram [means high or exalted father]. Abram was to live an obedient life in response to the covenant God was making with him; and this covenant would affect generations to come; in fact, (v. 4) God changed Abram’s name to Abraham [meaning father of many nations], although, at that time, Abraham had no children.
Abraham is the ancestral father of all Jews (v. 5), for they came through one of the sons of Jacob [Israel], he being the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham.
But Abraham was more importantly the spiritual father of all who would believe and obey the LORD, not only Israel, but also Gentiles (Galatians 3:28-29), “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed [offspring, descendants], and heirs according to the promise.”
Notice in Genesis 17:7, this can’t just be talking about the covenant of circumcision that set the Jews apart from all the other nations on the earth; I believe this is also talking about the New Covenant through Christ’s shed blood, for it is through that covenant that eternal life is provided, making it an everlasting covenant.
Circumcision is the Old Covenant, established with Abraham, and therefore, Israel; Communion however is the New Covenant, established by Christ, with the Church, all who would believe, Jew and Gentile alike, people from every nation and language (1Corinthians 11:25), “This cup is the new covenant in My blood.”
The Old Covenant was one that declared biological ancestral affiliation with Abraham and later, with Jewish orthodoxy…
Last week I cited a passage from John 8:31-32, where Jesus said to some Jews, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” In verse 33 they answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
In other words, the Jews were saying they didn’t need to be set free from slavery or bondage, because they were Abraham’s children; but, the New Covenant (through Christ’s blood) is entered into by personal recognition and repentance of sin, both confessing and professing faith in Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior.
See Romans 2:28… There is no nation or individual who has been set apart eternally by God, through a covenant requiring the circumcision of one’s flesh.
But, a person can be a descendant of Abraham in one of several ways:
1. You can be a descendant by ancestral blood, through birth to one who is a blood related to Abraham.
2.You can be a descendant by spiritual birth ancestry, through the shed blood of Christ (Galatians 3:26-29), “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed [offspring], and heirs according to the promise.”
3.You can be a descendant by both ancestral blood and the blood of Christ, and there are many “Messianic” [born again, believing] Jews today.
God’s Word says (1Corinthians 15:50) “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus, speaking to Nicodemus (John 3:3) said, “unless [you] are born again [born of God], you will not see the kingdom of God,” (v. 4) in fact, “unless you are born of the Spirit [you] cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.”
A person is born again, born from above, born of God’s Spirit, when they believe, confess, and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, (John 1:12-13) “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
Hebrews 11:8-16, “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith Abraham, even though he was past age–and Sarah herself was barren–was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country–a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”
Revelation 21:1-4, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
See Romans 2:29… True Jews are not produced by anything resulting from human effort or construct.
Colossians 2:6-17, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”
Clearly, a true “Jew” is an offspring of Abraham through faith and belief in Jesus Christ. So, there are Jews and then there are Jews; but neither circumcision, blood ancestry, practice of religion, strict adherence to the Law, or any other human product, activity, or acquisition can produce acceptability to God or make anyone a child of God, a member of God’s family, part of God’s church, or a citizen of God’s eternal kingdom.
Colossians 3:1-4, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Colossians 3:16-17, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
So, who are true heavenly descendants of Abraham? Would that be the Jews, the blood ancestors of Abraham who are known as the nation of Israel today? No!
The eternal descendants of Abraham, the man who (Romans 4:3), “believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness,” are all the true believers and followers of Christ [Christians, the Family of God], (Galatians 3:29), “Abraham’s [descendants], and heirs according to the promise.” What promise? The promise of eternal life in heaven with God! Abraham is the patriarch of the true Family of God now, and forever.
It was never God’s plan to validate an orthodox Jew, or a moral Gentile, whether they be Latino, Asian, African, Caucasian, Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, or anything else. God’s plan is for us to be born-again by God’s Spirit, forgiven all our sins and granted eternal life, by confessing, believing in, and following Jesus Christ, God’s Son: crucified, resurrected, and coming again.

Bible Text: Romans 2:17-24 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Romans

Last week we looked at verses 12-16 of Chapter two of Romans; the priority of
that lesson was no one will be justified by being a Jew or knowing the Law of God, but by being Christ-centered in both thoughts and actions, and doing that which pleases God; for God has placed His Law in the hearts of all people, Jew and Gentile alike.
The Jews took great pride in being the chosen people of God. In the ancient past they were called Hebrews because of the language they spoke. We know the Jews collectively as Israel, the nation that came through Jacob (whose name was changed by God to Israel = wrestled with God), Jacob was the son of Isaac, who was born to Abraham (to whom God gave the Covenant and Promise), and from Jacob came the twelve tribes of Israel.
Judah was the son of Jacob through whom the Messiah would come, and Jew is a shortened form of Judah, which means praised.
The nation of Israel, or the Jews, had been set apart by God and through them (Genesis 12:3), “all the families of the earth would be blessed.”
The problem being, the Jews didn’t want to share their God, and in fact, they boasted more about their own self-imposed greatness then they did the God who wanted to make them a great nation that would honor Him.
As heirs of God’s promise through Abraham, the Jews actually believed they would not stand in judgement, based solely upon their ancestry, they believed they would automatically go to heaven.
In John 8:31-32 Jesus said to some Jews, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” In verse 33 they answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
They didn’t get it! In John 8:56-59 Jesus said, “ ‘Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.’ ‘You are not yet fifty years old,’ the Jews said to him, ‘and you have seen Abraham!’ ‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.”
The statement-name “I am” (in verse 58) has the root meaning of Jehovah, or Yahweh (see Exodus 3:14). Jesus was clearly saying two things here: 1) He existed before Abraham (some 2000 years before the current time He was speaking), and 2) that He, Jesus, was God’s Son.
Read Romans 2:17-20… Paul says, you call yourself a Jew, saying that you trust and obey God’s Word; but more than that, you are boasting that you have been specially set apart and blessed by God.
You say you have God’s wisdom and therefore you are a leader, a teacher, a guide; in fact, you instruct those who are foolish, and you teach infants, for you say you have all the wisdom and truth of God in the Law, and therefore you do not need anything else, or anyone else!
Read Romans 2:21-22… Paul says to them, you seem to not pay any attention to your own instruction. You proclaim God’s truth to others, but it seems not to apply to you. You tell others it is wrong to steal, but you yourselves are stealing from God.
Malachi 3:8-9, “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ ‘In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse–the whole nation of you– because you are robbing Me.’ ”
Matthew 21:12-13, Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers.’ ”
Notice also, in Romans 2:22a Paul says, you teach against adultery, but you also commit adultery.
Matthew 5:27-28, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” 31, “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ “
Matthew 19:9, “I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Notice in Romans 2:22b, Paul basically is saying that although they hate idols, they rob temples of idols for their own gain, taking that which they abhor. Deuteronomy 7:25, “The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them, and do not take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it, for it is detestable to the LORD your God.”
It would seem that there were some Jews who, under the guise of destroying pagan idols, were actually gaining wealth for themselves by acquiring and selling these idols, many of which were made of gold, silver, and ivory, perhaps inlaid with valuable stones.
Read Romans 2:23… Although they claimed to be God’s people, even servants of God, they continued to sin, even to the point of becoming desensitized to it.
Over and over again, throughout their long history of war, bondage, exile, and occupation, Israel would turn from, and then cry out to God for help, only to again turn away from God and defile themselves, bringing dishonor and disrespect upon God.
Read Romans 2:24… Paul quotes Isaiah 52:5, as a rebuke on the hypocrisy of the Jews, for they should be bringing praise and honor to God as they worship Him; but instead they bring ridicule and disdain upon God’s name, for they bear His name yet live like it makes no difference; this makes a horrible witness to those who don’t know God, causing them to think even less of this God whose people live in such sin and rebellion.
This is even more true for us as Christians, for we bear the name of Christ and we are to live in such a manner that God is honored, obeyed, praised and worshipped.
We are to live in a manner that aligns with what we say we believe, which is also what we are to be teaching.
The hypocrisy of saying one thing and doing another is damning to the witness of those who profess to have repented of their sins, confessed Christ as Lord, and are seeking to know and to do that which pleases and honors God (cf. Romans 12:1-2; 2Timothy 3:16-17).
When those who call themselves by God’s name are openly godless and sinful: lying , stealing, dishonoring God and showing disdain for His Word — it would be better if they never mentioned any connection with God’s Word, God’s Son, or God’s Church.
Truth be told, the “church” today is full of false converts, unbelievers, and disobedient Christians. If the majority of those who claim to be Christians were genuine believers and followers of Christ, we could set the laws of the land and the moral direction of this once great nation (77% of Americans claim to be Christians).
I believe the best polls show Christians to be more like 25% +/- 5% of our population, atheists, agnostics, and the unbelieving majority, are aggressively trying to marginalize, minimize, and eventually silence, us.
If 77% of US citizens were born-again believers:
Would abortion be allowed to be legal?
Would homosexuality and lesbianism be allowed to be considered as viable
sexual orientations?
Would the sexual union of two men or two women be allowed to even be
considered as a marriage?
NO! NO! and NO!
Christians are exhorted (Galatians 5:25) to “live by the Spirit,” (Ephesians
5:15-18) to, “Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil… do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is… be filled with the Spirit,” (Philippians 2:11) says, your “attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus,” and you are (Colossians 3:16) to, “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”
These are different ways of stating the very same truth: Christians are to live under the control of the Spirit of God; in direct harmony with the Word of God; following the example set by the Son of God; for we are dearly loved children of God the Father, and we exist to honor, obey, and proclaim His Gift of forgiveness and eternal life.
The Bible commands us to be in fellowship together (Hebrews 10:24-25), “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more as you see the Day approaching,”
Coming together on a regular basis with other Christians forces accountability, which can apply pressure on us to live a godly lives.
The Bible tells us (Proverbs 27:17), “as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” You see, as we rub hearts and minds with other Christians, we may find it to be soothing, stimulating, even stretching, as we are prepared to be tools fit for the Master’s use.
We need to make biblical principles our own. The truths we understand best are usually the ones we have studied because of personal need or to teach to others..
We are much less likely to violate a biblical principle that we have told others they should obey.
The more we speak about what we believe, the more accountable we become to fulfill God’s plan and purpose:
Ephesians 4:12-16, “so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work,” (verses 28-32), “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Pastor Mike

Bible Text: Romans 2:12-16 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Romans

Technical Problem resulted in no Audio for this sermon.

Romans 2:12-13… We will not be judged as to whether or not we have been exposed to God’s Law, but by what we have done with what we have been given, both Gentiles and Jews alike.

These verses tell us that those “without the law will also perish without the law.” Jews cannot escape judgment because they possess the Law, neither Gentiles who have not received the Law; for neither ancestral heritage, nationality, or religious practice make any difference to God.

God is clearly and sovereignly impartial, both Jew and Gentile are deserving of judgment because of their sin, notice, “all who have sinned will be judged, and all have sinned.” Judgment is not based upon possessing or hearing the Law, the truth is, only those who do the Law will be justified (James 1:22-25).

Romans 2:12 tells us all who have sinned, Jew and Gentile alike, will be judged; verse 13 implies that the only way to be made acceptable to God, i.e., to be declared righteous, is to be justified by Christ (Galatians 3:10-11). Our problem is that none of us is free from sin, because by nature we are sinners, and yet, there is no excuse, no exception, and no escape, for no one will be able to plead ignorance on judgment day, because God’s judgment accounts even for a man’s own conscience.
Romans 2:14-15… These verses declare that even Gentiles without the Law may do the works of the Law, at times. This has the effect of equalizing Jew and Gentile, in reference to personal responsibility, for the Law of God is written upon our hearts; and it is only after we are made new creations in Christ, that are we able to do the works of God (2Corinthians 5:17).
See Genesis 2:25… Before sin’s curse!
See Genesis 3:7-11… Consequences of sin!
See Genesis 3:21-22a… Adam and Eve now know good and evil, long before the Law is given; and the propensity to sin is passed from parent to child (Romans 5:12-14).

Consider this, predominantly the conscience stirs up accusing thoughts when the standard God put within us is violated, i.e., when we do what we know is wrong. Notice again in Romans 2:14-15, that the conscience bears witness, it has an obligation to do what is right and good.

Genesis 2:25, “The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” Genesis 3:8-11, “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he

was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’ He answered, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.’ And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

Clearly, what was without shame or guilt before they sinned, became shameful after they had sinned, now they were hiding from God. Why?

We all have a conscience that seeks to guide us, when we go against that conscience we feel guilt, it is our conscience that separates us from animals and makes us human. This strongly declares, even though we live in a society that seeks to silence our conscience, that we have a responsibility to know and do what is right and good; the more we deaden our conscience, the more we act like animals that are instinctually governed, instead of allowing our morality to guide us, the more our carnal nature rules.

Everyone has a conscience, but our conscience can be desensitized, even seared, no wonder Romans 1:18 says, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,” (see 1Timothy 4:1-2).

Honestly, I believe that the majority of psychological and emotional struggles we face as humans are caused by the cumulative effects of violating our own consciences; and this is exacerbated by our medical and mental health professionals offering a plethora of excuses, alibis, and escapes from our responsibility through medications or the justification of bad behaviors. Many in our society either deny or try to escape from any guilt for bad, destructive, and sometimes even illegal, behavior:

Guilt is often minimized or placated:

“A man who was shot and paralyzed while committing a burglary in New York recovered damages from the store owner who shot him. His attorney told a jury the man was first of all a victim of society, driven to crime by economic disadvantages. Now, the lawyer said, he is a victim of the insensitivity of the man who shot him. Because of that man’s callous disregard of the thief’s plight as a victim, the poor criminal will be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He deserves some redress. The jury agreed. The store owner paid a large settlement. Several months later, the same man, still in his wheelchair, was arrested while committing another armed robbery.”

“Rioting gang members in Los Angeles beat truck driver Reginald Denny almost to death before live television cameras. A jury acquitted them of all but the most minor charges, deciding that they were caught up in the mayhem of the moment and therefore not responsible for their actions.”

Another way our society tries to vanquish guilt is by viewing sin as a disease, a neurosis, a mental disorder.

“An FBI agent was fired after he embezzled two thousand dollars, then gambled it away in a single afternoon at a casino. Later, when he was caught, he sued the FBI, arguing that his gambling addiction was a disability, therefore, his being fired was an act of illegal discrimination. He won the case! Moreover his therapy for the gambling addiction had to be funded under his employer’s health-care insurance, just as if he had been suffering from a heart attack of an ulcer.”

That seems ridiculous, and yet The American Psychiatric Association publishes The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V, updated 2013) this is the authoritative guide to diagnoses of mental disorders, e.g.:
Conduct Disorder: “A persistent pattern of conduct in which the basic rights of others and major age-appropriate societal norms or rules are violated.”

Oppositional Defiant Disorder—“A pattern of negativistic, hostile, and defiant behavior.”
Antisocial Personality Disorder—“A pattern of irresponsible and antisocial behavior beginning in childhood or early adolescence.”

The therapy industry seeks to convince people that they are not responsible for their bad behavior, but that they are patients who are ill, instead of sinners who are sinning.

J.I. Packer writes (Rediscovering Holiness), “An educated, sensitive conscience is God’s monitor. It alerts us to the moral quality of what we do or plan to do, forbids lawlessness and irresponsibility, and makes us feel guilt, shame, and fear of the future retribution that it tells us we deserve, when we have allowed ourselves to defy its restraints. Satan’s strategy is to corrupt, desensitize, and if possible kill our consciences. The relativism, materialism, narcissism, secularism, and hedonism of today’s western world help him mightily toward his goal. His task is made yet simpler by the way in which the world’s moral weaknesses have been taken into the contemporary church.”

As we read in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve’s conscience made a note of their offense, they felt guilty, expecting some kind of punishment.
Romans 2:16… Truth be told, no one can escape the judgment of God, when it says, “on the day when God will Judge,” it is referring to what is said in (v. 5), “the day of God’s wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed” (see Hebrews 4:12-13).

Notice (v. 16), Paul says that God’s judgement will be through Jesus Christ, for this is the Gospel that Paul believed in and preached (1Corinthians 15:1-4), “Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

God will judge the world through Jesus Christ
John 5:22-27, “Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is

coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And He has given him authority to judge because He is the Son of Man.”

Even if you are the most compassionate, kind, honest, and moral person on this planet, you will not be saved apart from the sacrificial death and sovereign resurrection of Jesus Christ (John 14:6, The Way,Truth, Life).

If you have never repented of your sins, confessing Jesus Christ as Lord, and believing in Him as Savior, your conscience should be urging you to do so, to receive the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, for He paid God’s required debt for all sin.

Praise God! Christ died in our place, He was punished for our sin, and every sinful action, word, and thought has been forgiven, as Jesus said, “it is finished!”
1Peter 3:18, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.”

You are granted life with Christ when you repent and believe, having made (1Peter 3:21) ”the pledge of a good conscience toward God [being saved] by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that you might (Hebrews 10:22), “draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having [your heart] sprinkled to cleanse [you] from a guilty conscience.

There is only one relief from the guilt of sin, and only one release from sin’s penalty: Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior and Lord. He is the once for all, for all time, sacrifice for sin, His blood was shed so that you might be set free from from sin’s penalty (Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 8:1; 10:9-10, 13).
1John 1:8-9, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He [God’s Son] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
1John 5:11-13, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Pastor Mike <‘((((><

Bible Text: Romans 2:1-11 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Romans

Read Romans 2:1-3… Paul states (Romans 2:1), “You therefore have no excuse,” clearly (1:18-32) all men are without excuse and are judged guilty before a holy and righteous God.

Most of us would look at the depth of depravity that is expressed in chapter 1, and we would easily condemn those who commit such sins: (v. 24) “sexual impurity… degrading there bodies with one another,” (v. 25) “they worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator,” (v. 26) “women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones,” (v. 27) “men also abandoned natural relations with women… [and] committed indecent acts with other men… receiving in themselves the due penalty for the perversion.” These are all unholy acts.

But the truth is, we are all guilty of sin apart from Christ; and to judge others as being worthy of hell, thinking ourselves to be above accusation, is really to bring condemnation upon ourselves.

Paul is saying (Romans 2:3), that if we show that have enough knowledge to judge others, then we also ought to be judging ourselves; always remembering that the standard for judgement is the holiness of God, not our personal preferences or biases or convoluted measurements.

1Corinthians 4:3-4, “I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.”

Our own human judgement is always skewed and always falls short of God’s perfection. It is easy for us to maintain a hierarchy of sins, and to judge others’ sins to be worse then ours, for even though the majority of us are not murderers or rapists or homosexuals, we are still sinners and the only way to receive any pardon from God’s judgement is to receive God’s Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior, so that our penalty for sin is paid in full.
Romans 2:4-5… “Show contempt for” is translated from a word that means, “to think down on,” i.e., to devalue or put someone down to the point of despising them.

Every person who has ever lived on this earth has received God’s kindness, patience and goodness, for all people eat and drink from God’s creation. God’s grace is available to all, even those who reject His gift of Jesus Christ (2Peter 3:9), “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance,” (1Timothy 2:3-4), “God our Savior wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth,” Jesus is (John 14:6), the way, the truth, and the life; and no one goes to heaven except through Him.

People often ask, “How can a loving God allow good people, even little children, to suffer?” or How can a good God send people to an eternal hell?”

But the truth is, it is only because of God’s grace and mercy that all human life is not already extinguished; God gave mankind 120 years to repent before He brought the flood, saving only Noah and 7 others (2Peter 2:4-9).

The reason for God’s kindness (Romans 2:4) is to lead us to repentance so that we might willingly admit our need and receive His grace, freeing us from sin’s penalty.

Look again (Romans 2:5), unbelievers are “storing up wrath against [themselves] for the day of God’s wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed.”
Romans 2:6-11… Clearly (Romans 2:6), God is going to render judgement upon every person according to their deeds – this will occur at the White Throne Judgement described in Revelation 20:11-15.

Both Old & New Testaments speak to the coming judgement of God for either reward or punishment.

Isaiah 3:10-11, “Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them! They will be paid back for what their hands have done.”
2Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

Jew, Gentile, educated, ignorant, religious, irreligious, God will judge whether or not our life pleased Him.

Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.” Romans 14:12, “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

Salvation that is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone, based on Scripture alone, will produce external good works in a person’s life, giving evidence to the internal condition of having become God’s child and a servant of Christ.

John 1:12-13, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
Philippians 2:13, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.”

Notice (Romans 2:7) “those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality will receive eternal life.”

Colossians 3:4, “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Philippians 3:20-21, “our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”

Turn to Matthew 25:31-40. Back to Romans 2:8, notice those who do evil by rejecting God’s truth, will receive God’s wrath, for they are consumed with pleasing self, while remaining unwilling to acknowledge, let alone obey, God’s truth, and this leads them into all sorts of evil behavior that will ultimately meet with God’s wrath and anger [indignation – vehement and agitated anger].

This is a picture of God’s grace and mercy having been totally exhausted by their suppressing of the truth and living in such overt disobedience and perverse sin; their judgement is finalized (see Matthew 25:41-46).

Back to Romans 2:9-10. The Jews will be the first to be punished and the first

to be rewarded. Why is that? The Jews were first to receive God’s written Word

(OT); and Living Word (Jesus) Whom they rejected. The Holy Spirit came first to

the Jews (Pentecost) and through them, to all who would believe the message of

Christ.

Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

God is Gracious and Merciful and Loving and Kind; but He is also Holy and Righteous and Sovereign and Just; therefore, everyone, both Jew and Gentile, will receive God’s absolute and perfect judgement, resulting in eternal punishment or eternal reward.

In the final analysis, every person will hear one of the following judgements rendered upon them:

Matthew 25:34, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”
Matthew 25:41, “Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

What you hear God say at the end of your life, will be determined by what you believe, how you behave, and Whom you serve in this life.

1John 4:15-19,”If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in

Him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is

love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made

complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment,

because in this world we are like Him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love

drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not

made perfect in love. We love because He first loved us.

1John 5:11-13, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this

life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God

does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of

God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Christians, as God’s children and heirs of His eternal kingdom, have nothing to

fear, whether in this life or the next; only anticipation and expectation of hearing

God say (Matthew 25:21), “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share

your master’s happiness!”

Bible Text: Romans 1:22-32 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Romans

In Romans 1:22-32, three times (vv. 24, 26, 28), it says, “God gave them

over,” meaning, they were ”abandoned by God.” What does that mean exactly

Please turn with me to Proverbs 1:22-33.

All who turn their back on, i.e., reject, the wisdom and power and revelation of

God, are abandoned by God to the consequences of their own godless ways.

In Matthew 15:14, speaking about the Pharisees, Jesus says, “Leave them;

they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Those who oppose and reject God’s revelation force God’s abandonment, for

they purposefully turn away from, rejecting, His revelation, which has been made

plain and evident to them. God allows them to be given over to their own depravity

and destruction.

Romans 1:22-32 is probably the most graphic and comprehensive expression

in Scripture of people being abandoned by God.

We see the same symptoms of God’s abandonment in the society and culture of

the United States: moral chaos, gender confusion, spiritual darkness, depravity.

Three times it says, “God gave them over.” The meaning here is similar to that

of judgement being made upon a criminal prior to handing him over for punishment

or execution (Mark 15:15), “[Pilate] handed [Jesus] over to be crucified.” Man’s

willful rejection of God’s truth releases God’s wrath against both the people and the

society that fails to confront its sins.

Sin and rebellion toward God is increasing in our nation and it is being tolerated,

even protected, by our government.

God is allowing our nation to bring its own destruction – a nation founded and

built on it’s belief in God and adherence to His Word has turned against God,

becoming an enemy of God, where sinning people are allowed the freedom to sin

more and more blatantly and perversely.

Look again at verse 24: irreverence toward God, moral corruption, sexual

perversion, lewdness, pornography; these don’t just exist, but they are being

allowed to be practiced in our society. This should not be!

The sinful condition of man’s heart leads him to dishonor his body. Jesus says

(Matthew 15:18-19; Luke 6:45), it is a man’s heart that defiles him, “evil

thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander,” these

reflect a godless heart.

When the heart is wicked and unrestrained the body will seek to fulfill is

passions and desires without restraint.

Look at the second part of verse 26, ”For their women exchanged the natural

function for that which is unnatural.” Paul declares just how far unrestrained and

uncontrolled desires will go, gross affections, perverted and degenerate, will take

over and use the body, intended for God’s glory, for unthinkable, unnatural,

immoral godlessness – this is clearly talking about homosexuality.

Paul begins with a condemnation upon women, for they are a minority in

homosexuality, compared to the percentage of men who are engaged in this sin.

This diagnosis could as well be made concerning what is going in America, and

to say that in our society, women have become so debased that they engage in

lesbianism, is likened to the diagnosis of a malignant and terminal cancer that shall

most certainly end in death and destruction.

And then, verse 27, “In the same way the men also abandoned natural

relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed

indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their

perversion.” Did you see that? They received the due penalty for their perversion!

AIDS is a consequence and penalty for this profane behavior. God has

abandoned all who do such things to the consequences of their own sin.

God’s restraining grace is pulled away, those who do such things are destroyed

morally, mentally, emotionally, physically, ultimately and eternally, for they die in

their sin only to stand guilty before a holy and righteous God!

The downward spiral resulting from the rejection of God’s plan and purpose for

men and women plunges them deeper into the cesspool of all that is evil and

unholy. Look at verse 28, “Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to

retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what

ought not to be done.”

A depraved mind is void of conscience, it is immoral, irrational, unable to think

straight, crooked, broken, all ability to reason about life and moral choices is gone.

There are many people like this in leadership positions throughout our culture.

Look again, verses 29-31, “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness,

evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice.

They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they

invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless,

heartless, ruthless.”

Turn to 2Timothy 3:1-5, notice, the command? Have nothing to do with them!

The endgame is progression into darkness and corruption (vv. 12-13), “everyone

who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and

impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

This is an evaluation of our nation and culture, with a rise of persecution against

Bible believing and practicing Christians across the world.

In America we see God’s abandonment and the consequences of its depravity so

clearly expressed by its insolence, impudence, impertinence, and irreverence.

The epitome of godlessness and unrighteousness is expressed in verse 32,

“Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve

death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who

practice them.”

That should alarm you! No conscience! No fear of God! People without any

morals or ability to reason, lacking all understanding, becoming and acting like

animals, mindless and heartless beasts.

2Peter 2:12-13, “They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be

caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish. They will be paid back

with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in

broad daylight. They are blots and

blemishes, reveling in their pleasures.”

Wow! I think Peter hit it on the head here. Do you know what it means to

carouse? Webster says, it is to “drink plentiful amounts of alcohol and enjoy

oneself with others in a noisy, lively way.”

Those who live this way have no shame, they act in immoral, even depraved

ways, demanding that our nation accept and allow them to do so; and more than

that, they shove it in the face of the true Church of God, expecting us to just grin

and bear their perversion. When a society allows such a cesspool of moral

depravity to exist, this is a clear sign of God’s abandonment (see Jude 7).

Our once great nation, has abandoned God’s plan, purpose, precepts, provisions,

and protection.

Our society has become much more accepting of homosexuality, even same-sex

unions, and now before the Supreme Court is a mandate that homosexual [samesex]

unions will be considered marriages, equal with the God-ordained union or

marriage of a man and a woman, which is (Hebrews 13:4), is to be “honored by all,

and the marriage bed [is to be] kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all

the sexually immoral.” Any sexual relationship outside of a God defined marriage

between a man and a woman, is condemned as grievous immorality!

What we’re experiencing in our nation is God giving us over to our immoral,

irrational, sinful, and godless ways.

The people of this nation have repeatedly voted a godless and immoral man into

office of President; several of them, for a second term. I think God is clearly and

loudly saying, ”You want it, you got it, abandonment!”

Alice Cooper sang a song with these lyrics: “You want it, you got it… anything

can be arranged.”

The group Rancid Lyrics sings a song with these words: “You want it, We got it

This is the place, where everyone can belong. You want it, we got it!

The Detroit Emeralds sang, “You want it, you got it, just ask me, baby. Just tell

me what you want, say it loud, [say it] clear. I’m willing to bet my soul, what you

want, I got it here. If I ain’t got it, I’ll find it!”

Then there are all those McDonalds’ slogans over the years, like, “McDonald’s is

your kind of place.” “You deserve a break today.” “Nobody can do it like McDonald’s

can.” “We do it all for you.” But the longest running slogan is, you guessed it,

“What you want is what you get (March 17, 1992 – October 15, 1997).

America is getting just what it deserves, God’s abandonment (see Romans

1:18-32). Did you notice, verse 19, “since what may be known about God is plain

to them, because God has made it plain to them.” And verse 32, “Although they

know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not

only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”

The problem is not that mankind is ignorant of God’s existence, God’s nature or

God’s law, but that mankind continues to suppress and reject the revelation of

God’s law in their heart, the revelation of God in creation, and the revelation of God

in His Word: spoken, written, and living (Jesus Christ the Lord)!

Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are

corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”

But you know, there is hope for the people in our nation, and there is hope for

every living person on this earth. As Christians, we must be more prayerful and

more proactive in our faith and life – proclaiming the gospel of Christ, living as

witnesses of the resurrected Lord in obedience to God’s revealed Word.

If the tide of godlessness and unrighteousness is not turned back, the resulting

release of the wrath of God will consume our society, our nation, and our world.

Titus 2:11-15, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all

men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live selfcontrolled,

upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed

hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave

himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people

that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you

should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise

you.”

God’s Blessings,

Pastor Mike

<‘((((><

Bible Text: Romans 1:18-21 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Romans

Last week we spent most of our time emphasizing how God is justified in bringing His wrath against all those who suppress the truth of God’s revelation.

God’s judgement is against Jew and Gentile alike, but I have to say, Israel is even more guilty, because not only did they have God’s natural revelation through creation, but they also had God’s special revelation in His holy Scripture, given through the prophets.

Paul says (vv. 18-21) that knowledge of God has been made evident to all men externally by creation; but God has also given internal evidence (2:14-15).

Helen Keller, born in 1880, was a normal baby until about 18 months of age, when she contracted scarlet fever, leaving her blind, deaf and mute. Her family hired Ann Sullivan to be her teacher and care giver, through whom Helen learned how to communicate via touch, and eventually she learned to talk.

When Ann Sullivan first tried to tell Helen about God, the girl responded that she already knew about Him, but she did not know His name (The Story of My Life [New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1905], pp. 368-74).

Do you remember how God used Paul to introduce Himself to the pagan philosophers on Mars Hill in Athens (Acts 17:23-28)? Clearly, God controls the boundaries of all nations and all peoples, desiring that they seek Him, for God “is not far off from anyone.”

John 1:9 tells us that Jesus Christ, the true light of God has come into the world to give light to everyone. How we respond to the light of God is the issue.

Romans 1:19-20 tells us God’s general revelation of Himself can be clearly seen, we just need open our eyes and ears to that around us. Long before telescopes and microscopes God displayed Himself through nature.

Psalm 19:1-4, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work

of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display

knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their

voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.”

Robert Jastrow, an astrophysicist and the director of NASA’s Goddard Institute

for Space Studies, once said:

“Now we see how the astronomical evidence supports the biblical view of the

origin of the world… The essential elements in the astronomical and biblical

accounts of Genesis are the same. Consider the enormousness of the problem:

Science has proved that the universe exploded into being at a certain moment. It

asks what cause produced this effect? Who or what put the matter and energy into

the Universe? And science cannot answer these questions…”

“For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story

ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to

conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a

band of theologians who have been there for centuries” (God and the Astronomers

[New York: Norton, 1978], pp. 14, 114, 116).

Giant telescopes are able to view stars and galaxies billions of light years away – light travels at 186,000 miles per second, so, a light year, in distance, is 5.88 trillion

miles. How big is the universe? Only God knows.

Let me amaze you with some numbers that are closer to home: The earth is 25,000 miles in circumference, weighs 13 septillion pounds (13 with 24 zeros), and it just hangs in space, spinning at 1000 miles per hour, moving around the sun at 1000 miles per minute, in an orbit that is 580 million miles long. Think about that?

How can anyone possibly think that such mass, speed, and power can be so intricately and harmoniously held together. A Master Designer, Creator, and Sustainer is the only plausible answer to what we see!
Job 12:7-12, ”But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food? Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?”

There is a preponderance of evidence of God displayed in creation (general revelation), His once completed and delivered Word (special revelation), and the internal witness of our conscience, making us guilty of rejecting Him, even so, God mercifully and graciously reached out, sending His own Son to save us.
Ezekiel 33:11, “Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!’”
Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
1Timothy 2:3-4, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
2Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Remember the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8) who wanted to know about God but didn’t understand? God sent Philip to him to explain Isaiah 53, about Christ, so that he could hear and believe, and then he was baptized.

And there was Cornelius a Gentile centurion in the Roman army (Acts 10) who was, “a devout man, who feared God, along with his whole household,” God sent Peter to preach to them, they believed and were saved, all of them were “baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.”

In Romans 1:21 Paul says, although mankind is conscious of God’s existence, they wouldn’t glorify Him.

At the very least, it is God who alone is to be glorified, to receive praise and honor; and yet, the majority of the billions of people who have lived on this planet (which was made especially for them) have turned away from the gracious and merciful Creator, Savior and Sustainer.

Psalm 29:2, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
1Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

Revelation 4:11, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”

Man in his arrogance doesn’t thank God for all he has received (life, food, water); the majority of mankind doesn’t honor or glorify Him, this leads them to foolish thinking and their hearts become more and more darkened, leading to spiritual depravity.
Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”
2Peter 1:2-4, “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

The godless philosophies of the world ultimately lead to moral corruption and spiritual darkness – suppressing the knowledge of God exhibited in His creation, rejecting His Word, and not recognizing His glory, leaves a person utterly guilty, without excuse, deserving of God’s wrath.

John 3:16-20, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”

John 14:15-17, “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever– the Spirit of truth. … You know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” 26, “the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

John 15:26, “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.” John 16:7-9, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me.” 13, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.”

Ephesians 4:17-24, “I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as [unbelievers], in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

God is so merciful, He didn’t have to send His Son into the world to reveal Himself, (Romans 1:18-21) God displayed Himself plainly in creation; God put His law in our hearts (Romans 2:14-15) and we rejected it (Romans 3:10-12, 23; 6:23), and yet God came to earth, put on flesh, lived among us, took our punishment (Romans 5:8), freeing us from sin’s penalty (Romans 8:1) if we will trust in Him (Romans 10:9-10).

God is so gracious, those who come to Him by faith in Christ Jesus, are sent by Him into the world (Matthew 28:19-20) to share the message of forgiveness and eternal life through God’s One and Only Son.
Romans 10:13, ”Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Christians are in this world to serve God, our main purpose is to bear the image of Christ, as witnesses of God’s indescribable gift – forgiveness for sins on earth, eternal life in heaven with God – all of this made effectual through Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection from the grave, so that all might be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth; for God doesn’t want anyone to die in sin, but for everyone to repent that they might be saved.
1Peter 3:15-16, ”But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”
1Peter 2:12, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

God’s Blessings, Pastor Mike <‘))))><

Bible Text: Romans 1:18-21 | Preacher: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Romans

God’s wrath comes against all unrighteousness, the righteous will not receive God’s wrath. This is hard for many Christians to grasp, but as we will see, this is repeatedly taught in both Old and New Testaments.

First, what is “wrath” [orgé = God’s fixed, determined, controlled, settled indignation toward sin]. God loves righteousness with as much passion as He hates evil.

The prophets spoke repeatedly about God’s wrath:
Isaiah 9:19, “By the wrath of the LORD Almighty the land will be scorched and the people will be fuel for the fire; no one will spare his brother.”
Jeremiah 7:20, “Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘My anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground, and it will burn and not be quenched.’ ”
Ezekiel 7:19, “They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be an unclean thing. Their silver and gold will not be able to save them in the day of the LORD’s wrath. They will not satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it, for it has made them stumble into sin.”

Biblical history is replete with demonstrations of God’s wrath: (Genesis 6-7) God destroyed all humans except for eight people, because of their wickedness; (Genesis18-19) God destroyed all but one family,and the entire region of Sodom and Gomorrah, for sexual perversion. God used Gentiles (Romans, AD 70) to destroy Jerusalem and its Holy Temple, for Israel had rejected God’s Son, putting Him to death. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”

Colossians 3:5-6, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.”
2Thessalonians 1:7-8, “When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels,

He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the

gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

Because God is Holy, He hates sin, and must therefore punish sin; His wrath (v. 18) is

revealed from heaven, [meaning continually being revealed or made known].as stated

earlier: the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70.

God’s sovereign plan was to place His wrath upon His own Son, the Lamb of God, and

all those who believe in Him, repenting of their sins, will be saved to eternal life.

Look again (v. 18) “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all godlessness

and wickedness, i.e., all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.”

God’s wrath will come against all who reject Him, all who worship someone or

something else, resulting in unrighteous [wicked, evil, sinful] behavior.

Notice (vv. 18-19), Paul says the ungodly “suppress the truth by their

unrighteousness,

since what may be known about God is plain to them [i.e, is evident within them], because God has made it plain to them.”

See Romans 1:18-21, add verse 28, then 2:14-15.

Do you see the importance of what is declared in those verses? God says that

everyone, Jew or Gentile, no matter what country they live in, no matter what language

they speak, no matter what opportunities they have been given to know God’s Word and

to hear His gospel, they are accountable to God who has provided evidence, in their

hearts and minds, and in the created world around them: His existence and His nature

clearly displayed; and yet, mankind continually suppresses [seeks to restrain by

opposing] God’s revealed truth.

God sent His Son into the world; He is the Light and Life of God, providing forgiveness

for sin and eternal life; but He was, and still is, rejected by the majority.

John 1:1-5, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word

was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without

him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of

men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”

John 1:10-14, “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the

world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not

receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the

right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human

decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his

dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from

the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 3:19-20, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved

darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the

light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”

God has provided enough evidence for His existence and His nature, therefore, we are “without excuse.”

Romans 3:23 says, “We are all sinners,” (Romans 6:23) says what we deserve for our sin is death, but God, in His great mercy, has granted us “eternal life in Christ Jesus.” He did this (Romans 5:8), “While we were still sinners,” by dying on the cross, for He took our penalty, therefore (Romans 8:1), “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (See Romans 10:9-10)
Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved [only Jesus Christ].”
1Timothy 2:3-4, “God our Savior wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 2Peter 3:9, “The Lord… [doesn’t want] anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

No one goes to hell by accident, coincidence, misfortune, or by God’s unjust punishment. God is a Loving, Merciful, and Gracious God, but He is also a Holy, Righteous, and Just God; therefore, a day of reckoning must occur, where rewards are given to those who obeyed and honored God, and retribution is poured out on those who rejected God’s revealed truth, that which is displayed in creation, proclaimed and delivered by the prophets and apostles, exemplified through the life of Jesus Christ, and written upon our hearts.

It really is all about Jesus Christ, who is (John 14:6), the only way, the only truth, and the only life from God; and no one is saved to eternal life, apart from belief in and confession of God’s One and Only Son, Jesus Christ: Creator, Sustainer, Lord, Savior, and Judge over all.