As we've gone through the first chapter of Jonah,
as it stood out to you
how it seems everyone on the ship but Jonah
have shown signs of spiritual interest,
even moral goodness,
except Jonah, more than Jonah.
For example, when the storm struck,
what did everybody on the ship besides Jonah do?
They prayed.
Jonah slept.
He never prayed.
They showed signs of a troubled conscience.
Those sailors, pagans,
they were worried they might have offended one of their gods
and we know they were not real but they thought they were
and when that storm struck,
they were afraid they might have offended one of their gods
and he was going to get them.
That's one of the reasons why they prayed.
But that didn't do any good so they cast lots
and God worked through that to single Jonah out.
My point here is they showed signs of a troubled conscience
but Jonah didn't.
Jonah showed signs of having a calloused conscience,
a hard heart.
He showed no interest in the one true God that he did know.
He's God's prophet.
He showed no interest,
at least recorded in chapter one,
about his own relationship with God.
The sailors even showed concern for Jonah,
a stranger,
that the lot revealed he was the cause of the trouble.
But they showed concern for Jonah
by trying to save his life
even when Jonah told him himself,
if you want the storm to stop,
throw me overboard.
But Jonah didn't show any concern
for anyone on the ship
until God revealed that he was the cause of the storm
and only then did Jonah tell them
they could save their lives by throwing him overboard.
Now, the contrast I'm trying to show is
these sailors,
if you just read chapter one of Jonah
and go by how their conduct,
well, there's a whole lot more to admire
in these sailors
than there is in Jonah.
Now, I want you to think with me for a minute.
What made these sailors show
such spiritual interest
and even moral goodness?
Well, two things,
two things on your outline in Roman numerals,
God's natural law and common grace.
I want us to think about these two things tonight
and I want us to see how they explain
why most people in this world are religious.
Most people in this world are religious.
And most people in this world have
what we'd call an innate sense of right and wrong.
We don't all, no one does everything
that we know to be right
and avoids, shuns doing everything
we know to be wrong,
but there is within people
this innate understanding
of basic right and wrong
or even what we might call morality.
Let's pray and let's look at it.
Dear God,
help us tonight
to see
your hand
everywhere in this world
as we look
at these concepts
of natural law
and how they're revealed in Scripture
and common grace
and how it's seen.
Help us, Father,
to open our eyes
to just the way you work
in every dimension
of our lives.
in the people around us,
in the things
that are happening.
And Lord,
help us to learn
to recognize the good
and be appreciative
to praise you
and thank you
and recognize
that a lot of things
come to us
through your common grace.
And Lord,
help us to be thankful
for people,
even unbelievers,
through whom you work
to bless our world
and bless our individual lives.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
I've been looking forward
to doing this
at some point
as we've been going through
Romans or
Jonah chapter 1.
So tonight's tonight.
Natural law.
Most Christian writers
who write about ethics
point to natural law
to explain
why most people
have a basic understanding
of right and wrong.
The sailors
on Jonah's ship
probably had never heard
of the Ten Commandments.
Things like
you shall not murder.
Yet they clearly
demonstrate
a commitment
to the sanctity
of human life
by not throwing
Jonah overboard
when they were told
he's the cause
of the storm
and he's the solution
to the storm,
to its ending.
Look at it.
From Jonah 1
verses 12 and 13.
He said to them,
Pick me up
and hurl me
into the sea
then the sea
will quiet down
for you
for I know
it's because of me
that this great tempest
has come upon you.
Nevertheless,
the men rode hard
to get back
to dry land
but they could not
for the sea
grew more
and more
tempestuous
against them.
It was only
when they saw
we've got no choice.
we either throw
him overboard
or die
that they did it
but
they demonstrate
a good understanding
of the sacredness
of human life.
Look at it.
Even in the prayer
even when they know
we've got to do this
look at it.
Therefore they called out
to the Lord,
O Lord,
let us not perish
for this man's life
lay not on us
innocent blood
for you, O Lord,
have done it
as done
as it pleased you.
As I said last Sunday,
this may indicate
that these men
were already
under conviction
by God
as he was working
to save them
as it turns out
at the end.
But even if that's true,
they still show
a God-given
natural awareness
that life
is sacred.
The reformer,
John Calvin,
explains the actions
of these sailors
as an example
of natural law.
Look at what he says there.
Now I haven't numbered
or anything
but you can follow along
when you're outlined
the scriptures
and the quotes.
He says,
there is by nature
implanted in all
an abhorrence
of cruelty.
Though these men
had never known
the doctrine of the law,
they were yet
so taught by nature
that they knew
that the blood of man
is dear and precious
in the sight of God.
Now I want you
to look on this,
on your sheet.
The Bible clearly
teaches this idea
of natural law
in many places.
Some of the clearest
statements are in
Romans chapter 1
and 2.
Look at Romans 2 first.
God has written
his law
on people's hearts.
Paul is writing,
he says,
for when the Gentiles
who do not have the law
by nature
do what the law requires,
they are a law
to themselves.
Even though they
do not have the law,
they show that the work
of the law
is written
on their hearts
while their conscience
also bears witness
and their conflicting
thoughts accuse
or even excuse them.
The point here is
God's put his law
on people's hearts.
They have a basic,
innate sense
of right and wrong
which at the end
of all this discussion,
Paul is saying,
which is another reason
why everybody
who sins
is condemned
in their sin
and rightly judged
by God
because we violate
our own conscience
when we do
what we know
is wrong
or don't do
what we know
is right.
The next one
in Romans 1,
19 and 20,
God has given people
a natural awareness
of himself
which is often
called natural revelation
or general revelation.
He says,
for what can be known
about God
is plain to them
because God
has shown it to them
for his invisible
attributes,
namely his eternal power
and divine nature
have been clearly
perceived
ever since the creation
of the world
and the things
that have been made
so that they are
without excuse.
God has made himself
known
through nature,
through his creation.
Everybody
has this sense
there is a creator.
Things just don't happen.
There had to be
a cause.
Wayne Grudem
does a good job
of explaining
the Bible's teaching
about natural law.
He says,
I must affirm
that people can indeed
know something
of God's moral laws
apart from the Bible.
Even without
the specific moral
teachings of the Bible,
human beings
have consciences
that give them
an inward sense
of right and wrong.
In addition,
people are able
to observe
the way many
other people act
and the way
everything functions
in the world
and then they can
reason
about those observations
and draw conclusions
about human nature
and about the right
and wrong actions
that are appropriate
to human nature.
The set of moral
conclusions resulting
from this type of study
is known as
natural law.
Things we see,
things we observe,
we can reason.
Now,
he's not saying
and certainly
the Bible doesn't talk
about our perceptions,
our reasonings
are infallible.
that sometimes
lead us to the wrong
conclusion.
But nonetheless,
there's some things
that we just observe,
we see how it works,
how it doesn't work,
we can figure things out.
That's a God-given ability.
Now,
what these scriptures
in Grudem describe
about natural law
and natural revelation
explain why
most unbelievers,
like the sailors
there in Jonah 1,
why most people
demonstrate
some kind of interest
in religion,
people are religious
and an ability
to act morally good
at times.
When unbelievers
act in such good ways,
we need to understand
and think about it
in a positive way,
they are following
their God-given
inclinations.
That's a God-given
gift to everyone,
including us.
What God has done
through natural law,
through our conscience,
through an awareness
of His presence
through nature,
that's what keeps people
from being any worse
than they are.
That gives order
to society.
Even in prisons.
People are not as bad
as they could possibly be.
You know,
what was it,
last year,
year before last,
the riots
at Bishopville
when about nine
or eleven men
were killed,
they just went wild.
Why doesn't that
happen every day?
God has put
restraints
within
most people,
even in the worst
environments.
that is God's
working,
that is God's
grace.
And we need
to be thankful
to God
and we need
to be thankful
for unbelievers
who treat us
like these sailors
treated Jonah.
They're blessings
to everyone.
But natural law
and natural revelation
are not sufficient
to save anyone.
It's as good
what God has done
in this world,
this general revelation.
this doing something
within people,
putting it on your heart,
putting it on your conscience
about right and wrong.
But it's not
what leads people
to salvation.
God's general
revelation of Himself
in nature
makes people aware
that He's real,
that He's there,
but people don't
naturally submit
to and worship
Him as their creator.
Look at Romans 1,
the next verse,
21 through 23.
Fallen sinful people
naturally choose
to worship
some aspect
of creation
rather than
the creator.
He says,
For although they knew God,
they did not honor Him
as God
or give thanks to Him,
but became futile
in their thinking
and their foolish hearts
were darkened.
Claiming to be wise,
they became fools
and exchanged
the glory
of the immortal God
for images
resembling mortal man
and birds
and animals
and creeping things.
And He's just,
that's just a representative list.
He could talk about
and exchange
the glory
of the immortal God
for images
resembling
technology
or whatever else
you want to
put in there
for today.
Paul's point
in Romans 1
is to show
that all people
reject the true God.
All people
live for themselves
and all people
deserve the harmful
effects of sin
that result
and Paul
talks about
a lot of that
if you read
the rest of
Romans chapter 1.
The sailors
on Jonah's ship
have many
positive qualities,
but they're still
sinners in need
of a Savior.
They have rejected
the true revelation
of God
that He gave
in nature.
And they're not
worshiping the Creator.
They're calling
on their false gods,
the many,
everything they've
heard of probably.
No doubt
in that storm
they were calling
on gods
of wind
and water
and all this
kind of stuff.
They,
they act,
give them their due,
they act better
than God's man
Jonah
in chapter 1.
But in spite
of all these
good things
I've said,
they are still
in need
of God's salvation
because they are
spiritually dead
in their spiritual,
in their sinful condition.
Now here's where
I want us to get
more personal.
That applies
to our morally
good family members
and friends
who do not have
a relationship
with Christ.
You may know
in your family,
in your immediate
family,
you may have
some good friends
that are not
Christians,
but they are
good moral people
in a general way.
Maybe better
than you.
I mean,
you're honest.
They're just
better than you.
And you think,
aren't they good
enough?
And the Bible
is real clear.
No,
they're not.
We're all
sinners by nature
and by choice.
Even the best
of people.
We all
come into this
world.
We don't,
nothing happens.
We come into this
world spiritually
dead and separated
from God.
Paul explains
the reality
of every person
born into this
world from Romans
1, 18 through
chapter 3,
verse 20.
I want you to
look at the
beginning part of
Romans 3,
verse 9.
He says,
For we have
already charged
that all,
both Jews and
Greeks,
are under sin.
That's what he's
been talking about
from 1, 18 to
that point.
As it is written,
none is righteous,
no, not one.
No one understands.
No one seeks for
God.
All have turned
aside.
Together they have
become worthless.
No one does good,
not even one.
Not your good
friend.
Not your family
member.
Not you.
Not me.
In and of
ourselves.
In terms of
fulfilling God's
commandments.
Then in verse 20,
For by works of the
law, no human being
will be justified in
his sight, since
through the law
comes knowledge of
sin.
There are many
benefits of natural
law, of what God
has done that we've
been looking at.
But it's not
sufficient to save
or control human
behavior.
Let's look now at
this idea of common
grace.
We can describe the
virtue of the sailors
on the ship with
Jonah as an example
of God's common
grace.
Look, here's two
definitions from
Wayne Grudem and
Timothy Keller.
Common grace is the
grace of God by which
he gives people
innumerable blessings
that are not a part
of salvation.
Keller says the
doctrine of common
grace is the
teaching that God
bestows gifts of
wisdom, moral
insight, goodness,
and beauty across
humanity regardless of
race or religious
belief.
And this is what,
this is found in
scripture in just
simple ways.
Look at what Jesus
said in the Sermon on
the Mount.
He said, but I say to
you, love your enemies
and pray for those who
persecute you so that
you may be sons of
your Father who is in
heaven for he makes
his son rise on the
evil and on the good
and sends rain on the
just and on the
unjust.
God shows his common
grace to all people,
the good and the bad
and those in between.
Paul said something
similar in a sermon to
Gentiles in Acts 14.
He said, in past
generations he allowed
all nations to walk in
their own ways.
Talking about God.
Yet he did not leave
himself without witness
for he did good by
giving you rains from
heaven and fruitful
seasons, satisfying your
hearts with food and
gladness.
God's common grace.
It's everywhere.
Tim Keller uses James
117 to elaborate on
this idea.
I think he does a
great job.
James 117 says, for
every good and perfect
gift is from above,
coming down from the
Father of the heavenly
lights.
He goes on to say,
that is, God is
ultimately enabling
every act, listen to
this, every act of
goodness, wisdom,
justice, and beauty,
no matter who does it.
Isaiah 45.1 speaks of
Cyrus, a pagan king
whom God anoints and
uses for world
leadership.
Isaiah 28.23-29 tells
us that when a farmer
is fruitful, it is God
who has been teaching
him to do so.
That means that all
good and great artistic
expressions, skillful
farming, effective
governments, and scientific
advances are God's
gifts to the human
race.
They are undeserved,
gifts of God's mercy
and grace that are also
common.
That is, they are
distributed to any and
all.
There is no indication
that the monarch or the
farmer mentioned in
Isaiah embraced God by
faith.
Now, I want to emphasize
this next sentence.
Common grace does not
regenerate the heart,
save the soul, or create a
personal covenant
relationship with God.
Understand.
Yet, without it, the
world would be an
intolerable place to
live.
It is wonderful
expression of God's love
to all people.
The eyes of all look to
you, this is Psalm 145,
and you give them their
food in due season.
You open your hand, you
satisfy the desire of
every living thing.
All of our lives, we have
seen evidence of God's
common grace in big ways,
well-known ways, and in
more personal ways.
The New York City
firefighters and
policemen who raced up the
stairway of the Twin Towers
on September the 11th, 2001,
they raced up those stairways
to save countless lives,
knowing that in all
likelihood they would lose
their own in the process.
The dedicated men and women
in the emergency room,
at Cannon, Easley, St. Francis,
General, Greenville Memorial,
these people in the ER,
when we or our family
members are rushed there
with serious, life-threatening
emergencies, that's God's
grace, God's common grace
in action.
All the people in all these
emergency rooms are not
Christians.
All the people who went up
those steps at the World
Trade Center were not
Christians.
Maybe most of them were not,
but they did, and they do
today, much good that we
profit from.
We all have unbelieving
people in our lives that
we're thankful for.
We all have had unbelieving
doctors, teachers, coaches,
neighbors, maybe even parents
or grandparents, that God
used to bless us in countless
ways.
That was God's common grace.
Whenever we benefit from such
virtue, nobility, and
unbelievers, we need to thank God
because it's coming from Him.
It's a part of His common
grace.
And we also need to thank those
people.
We can make it even more
personal right now if we think
about it.
In this room, there's a lot of
people on medication,
keeping your blood pressure in
check, keeping your arteries
flowing.
We've got people on medication for
all kinds of things.
I'm talking about good things
right now.
Most likely, most of the people
involved in the research of
those drugs, the development of
those drugs, the distribution of
those drugs, were not Christians.
But you're reaping the benefits of
that stuff right now that flows
through your body.
That's God's common grace.
It's everywhere.
And we need to acknowledge it.
And we need to be thankful.
And we as Christians, we need to be
challenged to respond to what we
have received, God's special saving
grace in our own lives.
When we see this in everybody else,
we need to look at it as, well, I've
received God's special saving grace.
So I, of all people, need to be more
thankful and cooperate with God as
He works in our lives to enable us to
be more godly, more Christ-like, more
loving, need, meeting of other people.
What do you think?
Any thoughts on this stuff?
Yeah.
It's, I mean, it's just amazed me.
I've read Jonah.
I've heard the story all my life when I
was a kid like you did.
I've read it a bunch of times.
I preached through it one time a long
time ago.
But I've just read through Jonah 1 and
just thought about that.
The good guys in Jonah 1 are the
sailors, the pagans.
Everything about them shines brighter,
than anything about Jonah in chapter 1.
And all you can rack that up to, all you
can do is ask God's example of God's
natural law at work in them.
God's common grace.
But then when you start thinking about it, we
benefit from God's common grace every day of our lives.
And I think that's just another thing to thank Him for.
And I think it can help us be more appreciative of
unbelievers and the things they do for us.
I'll be real honest with you.
If I start having chest pains tonight and I go to the
emergency room, I'm not going to ask and I'm not going to
care if they're Christians.
I don't care if they're atheists or Muslims or Hindus or what
not, if they can do something to prevent me from having a
heart attack, I'm going to thank God and I'm going to thank
them.
Aren't you?
Everything.
Yeah.
We don't, we're going to have to have crooked sticks that we
hope draw some straight lines, aren't we?
And that's what common grace is.
In fact, I read something somebody said about some of the
things in Jonah.
That's just a good example of God using crooked sticks to draw
straight lines.
And we see it everywhere.
And we need to be thankful and we don't need to sit on the
sidelines like that.
I lost some respect for some Christian leaders who sat on the
sideline and said, well, we just weren't going to vote this
last time because they didn't like Trump or Hillary.
I didn't like either one of them, but I voted for the, what I
thought was the lesser of two evils because one of them is
going to be president.
So I think we just can't stick your head in the sand.
You got to recognize God's in control of it all.
And God works through awful people.
Always has, always will.
And just be thankful for what he does and look to him and pray
that he'll change people.
Pray that he'll work good from bad.
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