It's certainly a blessing to be here this morning. I was telling Chris earlier that I usually feel pretty good about my sermons until everybody starts showing up and I suddenly start to feel the inadequacy of them.
But it's also very nice to see you guys. It also makes a little bit of joy spring up in my heart to see God's people gather together to sing praises to his name and to study his word.
We're going to finish the third chapter of Romans. If you'll turn there with me, Romans chapter 3.
We're going to read together verses 27 through 31.
I started a couple of weeks preaching from this snazzy iPad, kind of out of necessity the first week, but with this light solo, I'm very thankful that I've been doing that because I can actually see what I'm reading.
I can't quite see my Bible, so I'm glad I copied the text here. Let's read together.
Verses 27 through 31.
Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded.
By what kind of law? By a law of works? No.
By what kind of law?
It's a law of works.
A bit of a work in progress.
You'll see there an introductory statement to what we believe as a church.
It links you to a complete statement of faith, but that introductory statement, primarily written by Wes, speaks of the five tenets that came out of the Protestant Reformation.
Many of us know them as the five solas, which is Latin, meaning only.
The five solos.
And this is the phrase.
I want to read it to you quickly.
We believe, Christ's family church believes,
that the Bible alone, sola scriptura,
tells the truth about God's plan for the redemption of his people
and that he eternally saves us by his grace alone, sola gratia,
through faith alone, sola fide,
in Christ alone, solo Christo or solus Christus,
to the glory of God alone, soli Deo gloria.
It's a beautiful, beautiful phrase.
I'd encourage you to memorize it, memorize those solos in that fashion.
And so the thing I kind of want you to draw your attention to
is that sola fide, by faith alone,
which we discussed last week in the previous verses,
verses 21 through 26.
We saw Paul, who's still addressing a primarily Jewish audience,
say that we've all sinned.
None of us are escaping the wrath of God
because we have all sinned, Jew, Gentile.
And if we are Christians,
we are in fact Christians,
that we're justified not by works,
but by our faith in Jesus Christ.
And so we come to this place
where he begins to work out some of the objections.
He goes ahead and addresses them
so that people can't excuse his argument,
but so that he can move on beyond this.
So it's kind of a works versus faith argument,
addressing of these objections.
So I'm going to say this morning that genuine faith is what makes us Christian.
It's what brings salvation to our souls.
Genuine faith placed in Christ.
So let me give you a very probably silly and simplistic analogy for this.
I have a favorite Saturday shirt.
I'm sure many of you have that shirt.
My Saturday shirt's my favorite color.
It's navy blue.
It's a size too big for me.
I've had it for over a decade,
so it's been washed a lot.
You know, it's that nice,
but it's getting kind of thin.
And it kind of has a silly saying on it,
which I just find to be fun.
It has a really simplistic picture of a quilt on it,
and it says,
quilters make better comforters.
I get a kick out of that.
Quilters make better comforters.
Well, yesterday,
I was running errands,
and I have a bit of an idea for a project
I'd like to do here for our building,
a bit of an art project that I've got going on in my brain,
and I need fabrics for that.
And so now in Gainesville,
there's a new Joanne Fabrics.
And so I decided to go to Joanne Fabrics
and look at some of the things they had there
to see if I could make this project work.
And I walked in the store,
and walking in,
I saw the quilting section
and realized what shirt I had on.
I thought,
wow,
people are really going to think I'm into quilting,
being in a store,
looking at fabrics.
And it made me think of this.
If I actually were a man into quilting,
and wanted to feel accepted in Joanne Fabrics,
I think I was the only male there,
I might have actually put a shirt like that on.
I might have wanted to say,
if I actually was a quilter,
I might have wanted to say to that world,
that subculture,
I like quilting.
Look at my shirt.
Of course,
it was entirely an accident.
But we do that,
both as non-Christians and Christians,
in order to fit into the place,
be known for what we want to be known for.
We tend to put on certain airs.
Sociologists call it front stage and back stage.
Everybody has a front stage.
We come out and we perform for the world,
and in the back stage,
we're totally different.
So,
genuine faith
is who we actually are.
What do we actually believe?
Certainly,
what we believe affects the front stage
and ought to be coming out of who we actually are.
But when I say genuine faith,
I'm not talking about the things we put on,
the trappings,
the denomination we're affiliated with,
or what labels we put on ourselves,
or how we dress,
or what buildings we show up to.
Even the good works that we do in the world,
I'm not talking about those things.
I'm talking about a genuine belief
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God,
and that He is the only way
to restore our relationship with Him,
and avoid eternal damnation.
That's what I mean
when I say genuine faith.
So,
I can put on my
quilter shirt,
all right?
I'm not a quilter.
The genuine faith
would be me actually being a quilter.
Going home and
sewing quilts
would be my genuine faith,
and my
rather lacking example there.
So,
I've got four points for you
out of this morning's text.
I'll read them to you quickly,
and we'll go back and repeat them.
And they are,
genuine faith
excludes boasting.
Number one,
genuine faith
excludes boasting.
Number two,
genuine faith
is liberating.
Number three,
genuine faith
promotes ethnic harmony
and missions
to the end of the earth.
I'll repeat that,
so don't worry about
copying that down, though.
And number four,
genuine faith
changes our hearts.
So,
number one,
genuine faith
excludes boasting.
Verse 27
says,
then what becomes
of boasting?
If righteousness
is by faith alone,
which we've seen
in the previous text,
which is a gift from God,
what becomes
of our boasting?
And Paul says,
very emphatically,
it is excluded.
We have no room
to boast
in our salvation.
By what kind of law?
By a law of works?
By the things we can do?
No.
But by the law
of faith.
By that which we cannot
accomplish.
So boasting is
entirely excluded.
Paul wrote in Ephesians 2,
8 and 9,
for by grace
you have been saved
through faith.
And this is not
your own doing.
This is not
your own doing.
It is the gift
of God,
not as a result of works,
so that no one
may boast.
He says that very plainly
for us,
doesn't he?
Your salvation
comes as a result
of faith.
faith.
But that faith
is not your own.
It was a gift
given to you
by Almighty God.
Why?
So that you didn't
do it.
So that you can't
boast in it.
Because God
is jealous
for his glory.
God is
God-centered.
For us to be
man-centered,
for Nathan to be
Nathan-centered,
would be sin.
It would be selfish
of me.
But God is
God-centered.
Because God
is completely
loving toward
the world.
If he were to do
anything else
but have us
focus on him,
he'd be unloving.
Let me say that
again for you
in different words.
God is
the best
thing
that any of us
could experience.
Any of us
could have
and hold for our own.
God is that thing.
He is the creator.
Therefore,
everything
is subservient
to him.
He is better
than all things
because all things
emanate from him.
So if God were to say,
no, no,
don't look at me.
It's cool.
Nathan's a good guy.
Nathan's a good preacher.
Nathan looks good
in his plaid shirts
on Sunday morning.
If he were to say
any of those things,
he would be
unloving toward you
because you would be
looking at me
and not at him.
So God is
entirely God-centered.
He is jealous
for his glory.
He wants us
to praise him
for all things.
Isaiah 41,
he says,
my glory
I will not give
to another.
He will not
give his glory
to another.
So even in our salvation,
it's his work,
it's his doing,
it's a gift
of faith
for us.
So we cannot boast
!
I think there's far
too much boasting.
I get this sense
that there's an air
of arrogance
amongst us
because we've figured
it out.
Right?
We've looked at the landscape
of philosophy
and religion
and we've picked
the right one.
We must be smarter
than everybody.
Right?
We've figured it out.
I'm brilliant.
I picked the right one.
No room
for boasting
in the gospel.
If you have a proper
soteriology
to understand
our salvation,
you will be
humble.
a lot of people
have false humility.
A lot of people
would say,
somebody said to me,
Nathan,
you preached a great
sermon this morning.
I go,
no, no.
It really wasn't
that great.
That's not humility.
But if I say,
thank you,
praise God,
because I'm really
bad at this.
I'm so feeble.
You have no idea
how desperate I feel
on a Sunday morning
for God to use me
to proclaim his truth.
That's the kind
of humility
that's birthed
out of a proper
understanding
of the gospel.
So,
genuine faith
excludes boasting
entirely.
Completely
excludes it.
Number two.
Genuine faith
is liberating.
The burden
of keeping the law
has been lifted
from our shoulders.
Verse 28.
For we hold
that one is justified
by faith
apart from the works
of the law.
This is a restatement
of things that he's
been saying all along
in the book of Romans
so far.
And he says it again.
We hold
that this is
the truth.
That one is justified
by faith
apart from the works
of the law.
People can do
good things.
It's within our
capacity
as unbelievers
to do
good things.
It's possible
to be
philanthropic.
It's possible
to help
mend wounds.
To dig people
out of the mud
in land fights.
That is possible
to do
apart from
the work
of Christ.
But none
of that
is honoring
to him
if we're not
Christians.
It's self-serving.
You see?
So it's faith
that sets us
before God
as right.
Justifies us.
proclaims us
as righteous
before him.
It's our faith.
It's our belief
in him.
Paul writes
in Galatians 5.1
For freedom
Christ has set us free.
Stand firm
therefore
and do not
submit again
to a yoke
of slavery.
And what's he referring
to?
The great issue
that was going on
in the church
of Galatia
was the Judaizers
those Christian Jews
that were trying
to press people
to become circumcised.
to carry this
outward sign
of what they must do.
Do not
submit again
to a yoke of slavery.
We have been set free
by the grace of Christ.
I'm going to talk
a little bit more
about liberty
when we get
to our fourth point.
I want to give you
an example.
I went to a
missions conference
in Urbana, Illinois
and there
was a group
of Indians
Native Americans
from Canada
so Native Canadians
and they talked
about how
when the
white man came
when the Christians
came
to convert them
that they put them
in schools
and they took away
their names
and they wouldn't
allow them
to speak in their
native tongue
they actually would
beat them
if they did so
and what they
attempted to do
with these
young Indian boys
is turn them
into them.
Jesus
was not
a white
middle class
Republican
but yet
we press
at people
to become
us
take on
our culture
we could set
free
from that
they proceeded
to have a
drum circle
which I didn't
connect to at all
but the point was
we can use
the things
that are ours
as a Native
American people
to praise
the one true God
we've been set
free
from the burden
of the law
in John chapter 4
Jesus meets
with the woman
at the well
the Samaritan woman
and she
says to him
where is it
that we should
worship
she presents
this question
to him
because
my people
are saying
we should
do it
on this
mountain
and your
people say
it should
happen
in Jerusalem
in the city
there
where's the
proper place
for that to
happen
and Jesus
responds to her
the hour is
coming
and is now
here
when the true
worshipers
will worship
the father
in spirit
and truth
for the father
is seeking
such people
to worship
him
God is spirit
and those
who worship
him must
worship
in spirit
and truth
we've been
liberated
from the law
number three
genuine faith
promotes
ethnic harmony
and missions
to the ends
of the earth
verses 29
and 30
where is God
the God
of the Jews
only
is he not
the God
of the Gentiles
also
yes
of Gentiles
also
since God
is one
who would
justify
the circumcised
by faith
and the
uncircumcised
through faith
recall that he's
writing to a
primarily Jewish
audience
and they
would have
known
who God
was
who is this
God
that Paul
is talking
about
they were
very familiar
with Exodus
chapter 3
when Moses
is being sent
to the people
to be setting
them free
from Egypt
and he says
who should I
say has sent
me
I'm going to
sound like a
crazy guy
who should I
say has sent
me
and we see
then this
name for God
that the Hebrew
people held
very sacred
Yahweh
I am
who I am
is what he
responded
I am
who I am
that means
that God
is the source
of all things
he's the source
of all life
everything plugs
into him
he plugs
into nothing
to get his
power
all emanates
from his
being
so we
were all
then
created by
God
I don't
think any
Jewish people
are sitting
in this
room
with us
today
so we're
on the
Gentile
side
of Paul's
argument
but all
the different
ethnicities
out there
we were
all
created
by God
and that's
Paul's
argument
isn't God
the God
of everyone
is he just
the God
of the Jews
is there
another God
that created
the other
peoples
of the earth
no
because God
is I
am
who I
am
he is
the source
of all
things
that ought
to change
the way
we feel
about
other
ethnicities
and notice
I'm
using my
terms
carefully
I haven't
said race
once
have I
using the
term
ethnicity
there's
certainly
differences
amongst us
aren't there
there are
people from
different
countries
and cultural
backgrounds
race
is
socially
constructed
we invent
race
in order
to draw
lines
create
divisions
the big
genocide
in Rwanda
was a
fabricated
genocide
Denmark
was ruling
correct me if I get this
wrong
Denmark was ruling
and created by
measurements of
people's faces
by measurements
of their faces
divided them into
two groups
the Tutsis
and the Hujus
divided them into
two groups
of people
because they knew
that if they could
divide the people
they'd be less
likely to rise up
against them
they created
they invented
races
of people
and they
fabricated
they pushed
warring
between them
once a million
people
were hacked
with machetes
because of
the invention
of race
it's tragic
the gospel
speaks through
that
doesn't it
we gotta love
all kinds
of people
even the ones
we don't understand
there's no doubt
that there are
varying cultures
I don't get
all the peoples
of the world
what motivates them
why they like
certain foods
it's beyond my
understanding
but yet
I don't love
them the same
because their
God is the same
as my God
and he created
them
just like
he created
me
Matthew 28
18
we're commanded
to make
disciples of
all nations
not
just our own
or those who
we feel
most comfortable
with
but of all
nations
Revelation
chapter 7
verse 9
and 10
we see a
picture
of the throne
room
and if this
doesn't motivate
us to share
our faith
to the ends
of the earth
I don't know
what to do
for you
if this doesn't
get you excited
about world
missions
John writes
after this
I looked
and behold
a great multitude
that no one
could number
from every nation
from all the tribes
and peoples
and languages
standing before
the throne
and before the
Lamb
clothed in white
robes
with palm branches
in their hands
and crying out
with a loud
voice
salvation belongs
to our God
who sits on
the throne
and to the Lamb
genuine
faith
promotes
ethnic harmony
and missions
to the end
of the earth
number four
genuine faith
changes our
hearts
verse 31
do we then
overthrow the law
by this faith
so here he has
the people
who have
done their best
to live
by this law
do we then
overthrow the law
by our faith
by no means
if you were here
a couple of weeks ago
you'll remember
that that phrase
in Greek
is the strongest
negative term
he could have placed
in that place
absolutely no way
is what he's saying
by no means
on the contrary
we uphold
the law
the Jews thought
that their salvation
came to them
because they
did good things
because they
threw in the effort
they didn't understand
the sacrificial system
if that's what they believed
they didn't understand
that there was nothing
all their effort
there was nothing
they could do
they couldn't
uphold
the law
but here comes
Christ
he doesn't come
to abolish the law
but to what
fulfill it
what's he talking about
when he says that
I did not come
to abolish the law
but to fill it
that's in Matthew chapter 5
if you care
he didn't come
to abolish the law
but to fulfill it
when we place
our faith in Christ
we receive the spirit
of God
which moves in us
which creates in us
the ability
to have right motivation
and to live for him
changes our hearts
God says in Ezekiel
chapter 11
verse 19 and 20
and I will give them
one heart
he's talking about
the church
what he'll do
for his people
I will give them
one heart
and a new spirit
I will put within them
I will remove
the heart of stone
from their flesh
and give them
a heart of flesh
that they may walk
in my statutes
and keep my rules
and obey them
and they shall be
my people
and I will be
their God
and then later
chapter 36
verse 27
Ezekiel
God says
and I will put
my spirit
within you
and cause you
to walk
in my statutes
and be careful
to obey my rules
so we're given
then the ability
to live
righteously
we're declared
righteous
and given
the ability
to live
righteously
that means
something for our
life
doesn't it
I mean
in our
liberty
we have the ability
now
we don't
have to be
burdened
by this law
if I don't
keep this law
perfectly
then I'm cursed
there's no way
around that
and none of us
have been able
to do that
and that is a burden
on our shoulders
that burden
has been lifted
because of the grace
of Christ
but now
because we have
God's spirit
working within us
we love God
and the things
of God
we will want
to do
what he wants
us to do
that's why
the gospel
is so
vital
to our
daily
Christian
living
some people
feel like
we've moved
beyond that
I'm a Christian
now
I've heard
that story
heard it over
and over again
I get it
I was sinful
Jesus died for me
I placed my
faith in him
in that
is the motivation
for my
Christian living
the spirit
of God
stirs in me
when I hear
the gospel
presented
when I am
reminded of
who I was
and who I am
now
and what
happened
to get me
there
I am
moved
to praise
him
by living
a righteous
life
I wish
I could
pay somebody
to follow
me around
and just
preach the
gospel
we can put
it on the
radio
we can listen
to it
on our
headphones
great
I wish
I had
a person
just constantly
reminding me
consistently
what God
has done
for me
in Christ
so we
uphold
the law
we live
righteous
living
because
what he
has done
for us
it's a struggle
though isn't it
Paul speaks to that
in Romans
chapter 7
verse 15
he says
for I do not
do what I want
but I do the
very thing
I hate
and then in
verse 24
he says
wretched man
that I am
who will deliver
me from this
body of death
thanks be to
God
through Jesus
Christ
our Lord
and what
he's actually
talking about
in this case
was a Roman
punishment
when
somebody committed
murder
one of the ways
they could be
punished
was that the
person they
murdered
would actually
be tied
onto them
fastened
onto their
back
this is
fascinating
because that
person is going
to begin
to decay
no one's going
to want to be
around them
and what's going
to begin
happening to
their flesh
is going to
rot right
along with
it
that's what
Paul's talking
about
here
a little
culture for
you that
helps you
understand
what is it
that he's
saying
he looks
at his
own
flesh
the desires
of his
flesh
that way
as a
wretched
decaying
thing
rotting
away
on his
back
incredible
who will
deliver me
from this
body of
death
Jesus
Christ
our
Lord
so do
you find
in your
life
that you
are advancing
in your
love for
God
and his
statutes
and the
things he's
concerned about
or your
love for the
world
the lens
you ought to
hold up
constantly
how am I
doing today
versus
yesterday
have I
advanced in
holiness this
year
versus last
year
which way
am I
waning
do you
love God's
people
do you
love the
lost
do you
love sharing
the gospel
or do you
love the
things of
this world
do you
care more
for your
clothing
and your
car
and your
TV
shows
entertainment
comfort
do you
care more
about
test your
faith
by that
simple
example
of this
we come
together
on Sunday
mornings
to meet
with the
church
which is
precious
to Christ
understand
that this
is his
bride
and all
over the
place this
morning
people are
meeting
together
to learn
about God
to be
motivated
to Christian
living
to encourage
one another
support one
another
this is
special
time
many of
us
don't
prepare for
it at
all
it's
another
thing
we
do
what
do
you
do
on
Saturday
evening
what
are you
up to
preparing
yourself
for Sunday
morning
not many
of us
are about
that
business
do we
look
forward
to the
things
of God
to what
he's going
to do
with his
people
on Sunday
morning
enough
that we
prep
ourselves
for it
young
people
how late
do you
stay up
on Saturday
night
Saturday
night
another
party
night
for you
playing
video
games
got your
halo
going
until
3 o'clock
in the
morning
some
of you
walk in
here
looking
miserable
we
ought to
prep
ourselves
for this
we
love
the
things
of
God
we
ought
to
be
excited
about
Sunday
morning
we
ought
to
come
expecting
that
God
is
going
to
speak
to
us
because
he
does
that
the
proclamation
of his
word
is the
primary
way
in which
God
speaks
to
his
people
did
you
know
that
we
get
awfully
wrapped
up
in this
personal
relationship
with
Jesus
Christ
bit
which
we
all
have
right
go to
many
churches
this
morning
and
there
is
no
light
in
the
room
right
because
they
want
you
to
have
your
personal
relationship
with
Jesus
Christ
if
you
can
see
or
hear
the
person
next
to
you
you're
not
worshiping
God
saved
a
people
on
the
cross
which
includes
persons
but
a
people
we
ought
to
come
prepared
for
this
morning
that's
just
one
example
one
that's
been
burning
in me
for
a
while
so
we
see
then
in
this
text
some
tests
of
genuine
faith
excludes
boasting
liberates
us
from the
burden
of
the
law
promotes
ethnic
harmony
and
missions
to the
ends
of
the
earth
and
it
changes
our
hearts
and
I
say
thanks be to
God
through
Christ
Jesus
our
Lord
as we
fail in
these
things
and strive
to do
better
all praise
belongs to
him
when we
pull it
off
let's
pray
God