And verses 17 to 29, which is on page 116, 1129, sorry, 1129, if you've got a church
Bible, Romans chapter 2, verse 17 to 29.
And before we look at that, we are going to pray.
So let's do that together.
Amen.
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at the outward appearance.
But the Lord looks at the heart.
Father, our prayer is that right now, you would look into our hearts.
And you would show us exactly what we are like.
And that this morning you would show us how you are going to change us.
How you can transform us.
And so we pray that by the power of your Holy Spirit, you would speak into our lives.
May none of us not miss any word.
But may we hear you through your word, speaking into our lives.
changing us, changing us to be more like Jesus.
May we never be content with the way we are.
But may you go on making us more like you.
Amen.
We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, imagine for a moment that you have entered the new X Factor show.
I know you all secretly watch it.
And I know you all love to perform on stage.
Well, if you were in the X Factor show, very soon you would discover that if your performance
is not up to scratch, you would not get through to the next round.
If you don't tick all the boxes, good voice, good looks, good style, I think I've got all
of them.
But I haven't got good rhythm.
It's going to be a simple fail.
The buzzer will sound and you will exit the stage.
Or suppose you've entered The Apprentice.
If you show good management skills, good leadership, good selling technique, good initiative, then
you will be rewarded with a place in the multi-million company of Alan Sugar.
And you will watch as those who didn't perform get fired.
You see, our culture and our society that we're in condition us into believing that if you
perform well, you will get rewarded.
If you look good, if you're successful, you're going to go places.
But if you don't perform, then you won't get rewarded.
You'll be looked down on.
Now, religion, I want to suggest this morning, is no different.
Religion is all outward performance.
It's all a show.
And we meet some very religious people in Romans chapter 2.
We looked at the first part last week.
And this week we follow in from verse 17.
And in chapter 2, we meet people who love their Bibles.
People who love going to church.
Similar to an awful lot of people that are here this morning.
Now, before we meet these people in detail, let's remind ourselves of the situation that we are in.
Back in chapter 1, verse 18, we read there that the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven.
Why?
Well, it's against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
Literally, they push it out.
They live as if God does not exist.
Pretend that he's not there.
And so God is rightly angry at the road rage incident that we heard about in Dublin this past week.
But he is also angry at the hurtful words that we speak to our spouse or to our friends.
So how is God going to respond to this?
Well, look at chapter 2, verse 6.
God says that he will give to each person according to what they have done.
Verse 16 of chapter 2.
This will take place on the day when God will judge everyone's secrets.
Nothing will be off limits.
There will be nowhere to hide.
God will judge everyone's secrets through Jesus Christ as my gospel declares.
So the hard truth that we're faced with in these first couple of chapters of Romans is that we are all under God's fair judgment and deserving of his wrath.
Now that's very hard.
And the question we need to ask is, is there any way we can escape it or avoid it?
Well, there's a very common belief that religion will somehow save you and protect you.
The religious people say something like this.
If I keep God's law, if I know my Bible really well, then God is going to save me from his judgment.
Or somebody else might say, well, if I follow my church's tradition, it's going to protect me from God's wrath.
Well, look at the answer that we get in chapter 2, verse 28.
We're going to come to this in a little minute, but let's just read verse 28.
I'm going to paraphrase it for you.
Verse 29.
No, a person is a Christian if he is one inwardly.
Now that sums up the difference between the gospel and religion.
The gospel is all concerned with inward heart change, about changing us on the inside.
While religion is all about outward style performance, what other people think of me.
And as we will see, religion can't protect you or save you.
It will only destroy you and break you.
Which leads us to one conclusion that we all need the gospel to change us on the inside.
To do that work that no one else can do.
Well, let's meet some of these religious people that we have in chapter 2.
In verses 17 to 24, we are introduced to, we're going to call him Mr. Law.
He's a very proud man.
Because in verse 17, we're told that he relies on the law and he writes about his relationship with God.
So Mr. Law is really saying, look guys, I'm accepted by God because I know all about the Bible.
I rely on the law.
Well, let's look at his life in more detail.
There's three things we know about him.
First, he's somebody who's been instructed by the Bible.
Look at verse 18.
If you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law.
So here's somebody who goes to church every week.
He reads his Bible regularly and he even downloads sermons off the internet.
He knows what God's will is because he spends his time reading upon it.
And he knows what a superior way of living is because he studied it.
Mr. Law is no fool.
He's very intelligent.
He's a very clever person.
In fact, he's more than being instructed by the Bible.
He is an instructor of the Bible.
Look at verse 19.
If you're convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth.
So he's not just a learner.
He's a teacher.
He loves nothing more than to sit down with a group of people and to teach them all about what the Bible has to say.
He can't wait for Sunday mornings when he can stand in the pulpit and tell people how they should live.
Mr. Law is very sharp.
He'll pick up on anything that is not right because he knows all about it.
However, surprisingly, Mr. Law is incapable of obeying the Bible.
There's a question that is posed to him in verse 21.
He says,
Mr. Law is looking at a tea break when the boss wasn't looking.
Ever downloaded songs or films without adhering to copyright rules?
Stealing.
Ever collected the dole and done a little bit of extra work without declaring it?
Stealing.
Mr. Law is looking somewhat embarrassed.
And yet there's more for him.
Verse 22.
You who say that people should not commit adultery.
Do you commit adultery?
Well, I only have one wife and I've never even entertained the thought of having an affair.
Okay.
But have you ever looked at another woman lustfully?
And allowed your mind to imagine?
Mr. Law puts his head down.
He's become very, very silent.
And yet there's more.
Verse 22.
You who abhor idols.
Do you rob temples?
Well, no.
I don't have any idols or images in my homes.
And I would certainly not rob them from any other temple.
Because the first and second commandment says that we should never do that.
Okay.
But don't you have God's substitutes in your life?
Aren't there people and things that you put in place of God?
Don't you take all of this wonderful creation and all the good gifts that God has given you?
Don't you enjoy it and take pleasure in it?
But yet you ignore your creator?
Don't you enjoy it and take pleasure in your life?
Because of you.
Now, for the religious Jew who was listening to this, that was quite a slap in the face.
Because verse 24 is a direct quote from Isaiah where God reminds his people that they were taken off into exile because they had continually disobeyed.
All the other nations looked in on the nation of Israel.
And they saw their behavior and what they were doing.
And they were all thinking, what kind of God of you?
You just do whatever you like.
And when God saw that happening, he says, I'm not putting up with it any longer.
You're going to go into exile.
And it's no different for those who say, I read the Bible, I love the Bible.
But as they walk about town and as they go to work, they ignore it in their lifestyle.
Mr. Law, when people look at your life, they don't see a holy man.
They see a hypocrite.
Now, one day, we're all going to face God's judgment.
And we're all going to have to answer for our lives.
And what on earth are we going to say?
If we include any of these following things or anything similar, we're in deep trouble.
If we're to say to God, I went to Sunday school.
I learned my memory verses.
And I even did my Bible readings at night.
I taught at Crusaders, you know.
And I even led a quiet time at camp.
I attended church quite often.
Always paid attention to the sermons.
And I was always taking notes.
Now, they're all good things by themselves.
But they are absolutely useless before God.
They cannot save you.
Suppose you're coming down Cars Hill.
And you're stopped for speeding.
The guard comes along and he knocks on your window and he says,
Excuse me, you are doing 100 kilometres an hour in an 80 kilometre zone.
I'm going to have to find you.
Oh, it's alright.
I know what the zone is.
In fact, I know what all the speed limits are in Carrigaline.
I'm sorry, you're fined.
But I have the highway code.
I even have my very own copy.
I'm sorry, you're fined.
But don't you realise that I actually teach people?
I'm teaching my own son how to drive right now.
Now, to think that your knowledge or awareness of the rules of the road would somehow get you off the fine
is nothing but ridiculous, isn't it?
But that's how many people are going to face God's judgement.
They think that somehow their knowledge of their Bible,
their ability to teach it,
their love for it,
their devotion to it,
is somehow going to save them.
It's absolute rubbish.
It can never save you because we can never put into practice
everything that it tells us to do.
So Mr. Law, or Mrs. Law,
are in serious trouble.
Now, in verses 25 to 27,
we're introduced to another religious person.
We'll call him Mr. Tradition.
He's related to Mr. Law.
And Mr. Tradition is very proud because,
if you look in verses 25 to 27,
it's all about circumcision.
And he's very proud because he has been circumcised.
And boastfully, he tells all his friends,
I'm accepted by God.
God loves me because I follow the tradition of my church.
You see, circumcision for the Jew was this outward sign.
It was a mark physically on your life
that you are part of God's people.
And it was treated a little bit like a passport into heaven.
And so the Jew thought that if you had this sign,
if you had this mark,
you were accepted.
In fact, his tradition even taught him
that no person who was circumcised
would go to the place of death.
They believed that Abraham,
their great father of the past,
actually sat at the entrance of hell
and stopped every circumcised Jew from going there.
So it was most important that you were circumcised.
Now, we don't follow the tradition,
I don't think, of circumcision.
But we've all got our own traditions, haven't we?
Ireland is a very religious country
and whatever church background you come from,
you're full of tradition.
We can't escape it.
We love our membership and our baptism.
We adore communions and confirmations.
And somehow we believe that if I'm baptised
or if I'm confirmed,
I'm going to be accepted.
And we treat it like our passport into heaven.
You don't believe me?
Well, the next time you go to a funeral,
and I was at one recently,
listen to what the pastor or the priest might say.
Let's say something like this.
Because they were baptised
or marked with the sign of the cross,
they're going to be in heaven.
But it's all superstition.
And Paul has something to say
to Mr. Tradition, verse 25.
He says, circumcision,
baptism if you like,
it has value
if
you obey the Bible.
But if you break
or don't do what the Bible says,
you have become as though
you had never been circumcised
or baptised.
You see, what Mr. Tradition has forgotten
is that circumcision is only
an outward physical sign,
just like baptism and confirmation are.
It has no power.
It's not some mystical charm
that's going to protect you
from God's judgement.
The real or true sign
that you are part of God's family,
that you are accepted by God,
is a heart that is changed
and a heart that wants to
obey God's word.
That's how you know
who the true people of God are.
Look at verse 26.
If those who are not baptised
keep the law's requirements,
will they not be regarded
as though they were baptised?
You see, tradition looks great
on the outside.
It even provides us
with a sense of security
and assurance.
But it's all false.
It's all empty.
It's empty because
you're still the same person.
You've never changed.
Now we love getting together
for a confirmation.
We love getting together
for a baptism.
We love all of these things
and we invite all our friends
and all our families
and uncles and aunts
and everybody comes together
and we all have a great big party
and we think it's all wonderful.
The child or the person
is now okay.
And they can go and live
and do whatever they like.
It's absolute nonsense
because they're exactly
the same person
as they were
before the event.
The people that God accepts
are those whose lives
have been changed
on the inside out.
And sadly,
many people put their hope
in tradition.
And when their loved one
passes away,
they dig deep
for some kind of comfort
and they remind themselves,
well, it's okay.
Granny was christened
in this church.
She'll be alright.
She's in heaven now.
Don't worry,
Grandad was baptised.
He's in heaven too.
Baptised and buried
in the same church.
Imagine.
He's alright.
How's that?
It's all superstition.
Imagine the scene.
It's judgment day.
And Mr. Tradition
arrives feeling
very proud
with his church credentials.
He has a list
of all of his achievements.
Baptised in 1971.
First communion
in 78.
It was a beautiful summer
that year.
Confirmed when he was
a teenager.
Became involved
in his local church.
was on the parish team.
The list goes on
and on and on.
And besides him
stands an old friend
who never went to church.
Never even got baptised.
Never even had communion.
He doesn't have a list
to bring with him.
But his life
speaks for himself.
His life
is his written record.
Because he was obedient.
He did
what God's word said.
And not a word
is said
between Mr. Tradition
and his friend.
But very slowly
it all begins
to dawn
on Mr. Tradition.
His piece of paper
counts for nothing.
He stands judged
and condemned
by the person
he thought
was lost.
Look at verse 27.
the one
who is not
circumcised physically
and yet
obeys the law
will condemn you
who even though
you have the written code
even though
you know all about
the Bible
even though
you've been baptised
and confirmed
you're just a lawbreaker.
So if Bible knowledge
can't save you
and if church tradition
can't protect you
what on earth
is going to protect us
and save us
from God's wrath
and God's judgement?
It's most important
that we've got that right.
Well look at verse 28.
A man
is not a Jew
if he is one outwardly
nor is circumcision
merely outward
and physical.
He's saying there
that the real Jew
the true Jew
is not known
by the external
but by the internal.
In other words
the true Christian
is the one
who tries to keep
is not the one
who tries to keep
all the laws
and who follows
all the traditions.
The true Christian
is the person
who has been changed
on the inside.
Now there's two things here
we want to look at.
First it's all about
the internal
not the external.
Look at verse 29.
Now a person is a Jew
he is a Christian
if he is one inwardly
and circumcision
is circumcision
of the heart.
We don't want to think
about circumcision
too long
that's a bit painful
isn't it?
It involved
cutting away the skin
it was an external sign.
But the gospel says
what we really need
is a cutting away
of the heart.
Suppose I was to go
to my doctor
following a recent
check up
and as I wait
in the surgery
I'm presented
with this news
from the doctor.
She comes out
and she says
Johnny I have the results
and we see that
you've got some
heart disease
there's some speckles
on your heart
you've got disease there
and if you want
to live
we need to operate
we need to get in there
and cut away
the infection
and if you don't
you're going to die
we need to treat it.
I look at the doctor
as if she's got
two heads.
Don't be so silly
I'm actually quite fine
I've walked here
I'm alright
I just ran a marathon
there's nothing wrong
with me.
Well I think we all
know that the external
signs count for nothing.
We need to deal
with the internal
and it's the same
with our own hearts
and our own lives.
the centre of our lives
the core of our being
need operated on.
We need to cut away
the rotten disease
of sin
which religion
can never deal with.
And how's that
going to happen?
Well it's all about
the spiritual
and not the physical.
Look at the rest
of verse 29.
It says
circumcision of the heart
by the spirit
not the written code.
By the spirit
not by religion.
Now suppose
with that news
from the doctor
I go home
and I go into
the kitchen
and I take out
the sharpest knife
in the drawer
and I take off
my shirt
and I begin
to make an incision
into my heart.
and just as I am
about to cut
into my heart
Kirstie rushes in.
She doesn't push it
don't worry.
She says
what are you doing?
Well the doctor
said
that I've got
heart disease
and I need
to cut it out.
Now that would be
absolutely stupid
wouldn't it
on our part.
We'd kill ourselves.
We need the surgeon
to do it.
The expert
the one who knows.
and anything else
and we'll be
as good as dead.
Now see what it says
here in verse 29
that this work
the circumcision
the cutting away
of the heart
is done by the spirit
not by religion.
In other words
God by his Holy Spirit
must dig deep
into our hearts.
He's the only one
who can change us
and transform us.
He's the one
who sees us
exactly what we're like.
We can put on
that great appearance
on the outside.
We can walk in here
this morning.
We can look beautiful.
We can go to work
tomorrow
and nobody knows
what's inside.
But God sees
and he knows
the change
that needs to go on.
And look what happens
when the spirit
goes to work
in our lives.
Have a look at
Romans chapter 8
verses 6 to 9.
because that theme
of the spirit
working in our lives
is picked up
in chapter 8.
Chapter 8
verse 6.
It talks about here
the sinful man.
we can think of that
as being the religious
person.
Chapter 8 verse 6.
The mind of the sinful
man is death.
But the mind
controlled by the spirit
is life and peace.
The sinful mind
is hostile to God.
It does not submit
to God's law
nor can it do so.
It doesn't want anything
to do with God's word.
Those controlled
by the sinful nature
they cannot
please God.
You however
are controlled
not by the sinful nature
but by the spirit
if the spirit
of God lives in you.
And if anyone
who does not
have the spirit
of Christ
he does not
belong to Christ.
You see
we do have to
come clean
before God.
We need to ask
that he would
come into our lives
by the power
of his spirit.
Change us.
And that gift
is available
to us now
through Jesus Christ.
He died
for all of our sin.
He took the judgment
that we deserve.
He paid the price.
And if we trust him
he enters
into our life
and he will
change us
so that we
want to
obey God's word.
That we will
love him.
That we will
want to meet
with one another
in community
as an expression
as our response
to everything
that God
has done for us.
So when we
come to church
it's not because
we want to put
on a performance.
We want to come
to give thanks
to encourage
one another
to help
each other.
And when we
open up our
Bibles and read
it it's not
just for head
knowledge.
It's because
we want God
to change us
to make us
more like him.
Back in Romans
chapter 2
the very last
line of that
section in
chapter 9
says such a
man's praise
is not from
men
but from God.
Now that's
the test
to see
whether we
are living
a gospel
life
or a
religious
life.
If we're
always looking
for praise
from other
people
if we're
always wanting
to be
noted by
other people
as people
who do
well
people who
read their
Bibles
oh aren't
they good
they always
go to
church.
If we're
looking for
praise from
men
we're in
serious danger.
but if
we are
people of
the gospel
then God
will look
at us
and our
praise will
come from
God
because we
are saying
we want
you to
change us.
Any effort
on our
part
keeping any
law or any
traditions
is going to
leave me in
danger of
God's
judgment.
What we
need is
inward heart
change
not outward
styled
performance.
let's pray.
Our
Father God
we ask
that you
would
go on
changing
us.
We pray
that your
Holy Spirit
would enter
deep into
our lives.
Show us
the things
that we
need to
get right
trusting
that in
your
goodness
and in
your
kindness
you
will
make us
more
like you.
Thank you
that you
are a
kind
God
that you
deal with
us
gently
that you
are
patient
with us
that you
are
kind
towards
us
that you
are
forgiving
that you
do not
treat us
as our
sins
deserve
and we
pray that
you would
do that
work in
us today
in Jesus
name
Amen
A
Amen
to
happy
good
happy
people
whole
over