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Romans 3:9-20 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Let me invite you to take your copy of God's Word and join me in Romans chapter 3.
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Our text for today as we continue to make our journey through the book of Romans.
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!
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We find in this morning's text the doctrine of total depravity.
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Put simply, this is the teaching that mankind lacks any spiritual good
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and lacks the ability to do good before God.
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I haven't stated this doctrine by its name,
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but in our study of Romans, this has been the driving point that Paul has been making
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from chapter 1 and verse 18 where he states,
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For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.
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And it concludes at verse 20 of today's text.
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He wants to be so clear that anyone, whether of Jewish descent or otherwise,
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lives under the curse of sin.
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He wants us to be clear that this is true of us.
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Romans chapter 2 and verse 12.
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There he writes,
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For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law.
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And all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.
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And he's doing all of this because this is the reasonable starting point
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from which to prove his thesis for the entirety of this book,
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which we will do throughout the rest of the letter.
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And he states that thesis in chapter 1, verse 16 and 17,
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where there he says,
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For I am not ashamed of the gospel,
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for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,
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to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
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For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,
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as it is written,
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the righteous shall live by faith.
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Why might we care to pay attention to Paul's writing?
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He tells us in verse 18 of chapter 1,
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because of wrath.
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He's saying, listen to what I have to say.
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He's setting up the problem for us,
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the due penalty for our sin.
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All of mankind has a huge problem
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that only finds its remedy in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
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Now, I have a note hanging taped to the wall in my study above my desk that reads,
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and I picked this up somewhere.
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I can't tell you where,
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but I'm not going to take credit for it.
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But it says this,
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When preparing to preach,
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remember the weary,
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the wayward,
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the proud,
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the lazy,
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and the lost.
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Admittedly, I don't always remember,
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and when I do remember,
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I don't always do a good job
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of applying a text to each of these categories of individuals.
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So this morning,
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I want to tackle the task up front,
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and be sure.
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To address each of these categories of people
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in the hopes of preparing you for today's study.
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So first, this morning,
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you might find yourself weary.
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Do not allow a text like this to beat you down.
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If you are weary because you have been laboring to be accepted by our God,
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be reminded today that you cannot be accepted by God by your works.
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You are right to be worn out,
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if that is what you have been up to this past week.
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But you can be accepted by God through the works of another.
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Rest today in the truth of the gospel,
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even as we consider how wicked you once were.
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Maybe this morning you are fit in the category of the wayward.
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Perhaps God is already drawing you back to himself
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as you find yourself here in my listening.
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Maybe you have drifted in your faith.
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This text should remind you of the folly of sin.
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It can be so enticing on the front end,
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but it leads nowhere but to destruction.
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Return to your God.
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He knows how feeble and easily tempted you are,
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and stands ready to grant you grace in your repentance.
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Maybe this morning you are proud.
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Perhaps you have forgotten who you once were.
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Be humbled that God saved one such as you.
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Every one of us identifies with this text,
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either as who we once were or who we now are.
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Perhaps you think a text like this has nothing to teach you,
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that you are so familiar with the doctrine of total depravity
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that you need not hear it.
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Be grateful that God has led you into this truth,
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and rejoice in its declaration,
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because other people may need to hear it.
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Perhaps you find yourself lazy this morning.
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Ty articulated well for us last week
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that we are not saved by our works,
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rather that we are saved by our faith,
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but that faith is a faith that works.
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Do not use God's grace towards you
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as an excuse for licentious living.
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If you are in Christ,
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you should not presently identify
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with the people described in our text.
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They should feel like an other to you
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if you are in Christ.
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Labor by grace to live a life
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that is honorable to our God.
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And this morning,
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if you are lost,
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you have no hope apart
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from the saving work of Christ.
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Your soul is in a desperate state,
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and you know that eternity
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somewhere awaits you.
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You know this because God has put
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eternity into man's heart.
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We learn this from Ecclesiastes chapter 3
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and verse 11.
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You know there is a something beyond.
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You can spend eternity
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in the loving presence of God
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because he has made a way for you
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to be declared innocent
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and to be declared righteous.
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Repent and believe in the gospel
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of Jesus Christ.
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So our text for today is Romans chapter 3,
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and I'll begin reading in verse 9.
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Before I read,
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let me remind you, beloved,
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this is God's word to us,
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written for his glory and our good.
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And so we would all do well
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to listen to it in order to believe
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its promises and to obey its commands.
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Paul writes,
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Their throat is an open grave.
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They use their tongues to deceive.
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The venom of asps is under their lips.
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Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.
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Their feet are swift to shed blood.
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In their paths are ruin and misery,
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and the way of peace they have not known.
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There is no fear of God before their eyes.
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Now we know that whatever the law says,
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it speaks to those who are under the law
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so that every mouth may be stopped,
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and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
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For by works of the law,
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no human being will be justified in his sight,
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since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
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Now at the end of chapter 2,
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Paul has stated,
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verse 28 and 29,
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For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly,
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nor is circumcision outward and physical,
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but a Jew is one inwardly,
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and circumcision is a matter of the heart,
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by the spirit,
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not by the letter.
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His praise is not for man,
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but from God.
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So he's saying that belonging to God's people
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is a matter of the inner life,
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not the outer.
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It's not about being circumcised.
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It's not about being of Jewish descent.
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And he's going to continue to work this argument out
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throughout the letter.
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But then he asks a question.
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He's meeting objections all the time.
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He's anticipating them,
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and meeting them in chapter 3 and verse 1,
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where he says,
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Then, what advantage has the Jew?
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Or, what is the value of circumcision?
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And the answer is that it is of great value
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because Israel was the nation
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to whom came God's word.
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That the law itself was of benefit to them.
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Which leads him to ask the question
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at the beginning of today's text.
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What then, he says?
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Beginning of verse 9,
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Are we Jews any better off?
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And he means any better off
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in the sense of standing before God.
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And we can see that by his answer.
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He's saying,
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Yes, yes to the Jews came the oracles of God.
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You see this at the beginning of chapter 3.
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However, in our standing before God,
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does that change anything?
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And in verse 9, he says,
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No, not at all.
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Why?
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Because we have already charged
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all throughout the past half of chapter 1
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and through chapter 2,
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that all, both Jews and Greeks,
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are under sin.
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And this is the point of today's text.
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Right?
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All, Jews and Greeks,
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under sin.
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This is the doctrine of total depravity.
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In fact,
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if you've been here with us,
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you know that I've used this text
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to proof and speak to
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all that Paul has been trying to say
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in the last of chapter 1
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and into chapter 2.
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So for today,
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as we look at this text,
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just a brief outline for us.
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we're going to see first Paul make an accusation
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and second Paul deliver a verdict.
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Paul makes an accusation
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and Paul delivers a verdict.
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So we said in the last half of verse 9
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in this accusation,
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we have already charged all.
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Jews and Greeks are under sin.
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And at the beginning of verse 10,
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we see,
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As it is written.
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Paul launches into his accusation of mankind
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by citing 9 times
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from the Old Testament.
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It's a good, proper Bible preacher.
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So I'm going to tell them to you.
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You can probably see these in your footnotes.
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But Psalm 14, verses 1-3.
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Psalm 53, verses 1-3.
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Psalm 5, 9.
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Jeremiah 5, 16.
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Psalm 140, verse 3.
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Psalm 10, verse 7.
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Proverbs 1, verse 16.
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Isaiah 59, verses 7 and 8.
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And Psalm 36, and verse 1.
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He's bringing the Bible to bear.
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Paul understood
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that the Scripture of his day
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was inspired by God.
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And he's bringing it to bear
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in the lives of his hearers.
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And Paul makes 13 charges
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in the following verses.
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And he divides these charges
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into three categories.
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So the first charges
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have to do with
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the character
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of fallen mankind.
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And this is verses 10-12.
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This is the classic
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we're all familiar with.
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None is righteous.
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No, not one.
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No one understands.
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No one seeks for God.
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All have turned aside.
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Together they have become worthless.
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No one does good.
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Not even one.
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Because of their fallen state,
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mankind is universally evil,
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spiritually ignorant,
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misguided,
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wandering,
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spiritually useless.
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This is where we derive
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the term totally depraved.
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And morally corrupt.
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Altogether in character
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set against God.
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Biblical Christians
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believe in the doctrine
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of total depravity.
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That we have
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nothing good
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of ourselves
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to offer
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to the equation
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of our salvation.
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But biblical Christians
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also believe
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in the doctrine
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of common grace.
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This means that
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people aren't always
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as bad as they could be
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because God grants
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mankind
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some measure of grace
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to be loving,
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gentle,
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kind,
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just,
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honest,
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and so on.
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We're not
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all together
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in the expression
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of our sinful nature
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as terrible
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as we might
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be
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because God
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is kind
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even to those
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who aren't His.
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However,
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no matter how good
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someone might be,
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no matter how
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altruistic
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one might show themselves,
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they will never
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be perfect.
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and this
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is righteousness.
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We've already proven
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that we're not
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perfect.
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Likely this morning,
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you and I,
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whether known
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or unknown,
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have proven
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that we are not
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perfect.
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You and I,
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by our strongest
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of labors,
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cannot even measure
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up to the standard
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of perfect law-keeping
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because,
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apart from Christ,
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our very character,
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our very nature
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was corrupted.
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Jesus says
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in Matthew 5
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and verse 48,
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you,
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therefore,
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must be perfect
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as your heavenly
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Father
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is
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perfect.
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If you do not
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measure up
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to the perfection
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of God,
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then you
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cannot be
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accepted
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by
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God.
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This
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is bad
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news.
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but it's
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bad news
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meant to
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press us
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to the
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good news
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that the
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Lord Jesus
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Christ
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is the
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perfect
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law-keeper.
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We need an
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alien righteousness.
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Chapter 1
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and verse 17,
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the righteousness
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of God
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to be granted
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to us.
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A second
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category of
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charges
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have to do
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with
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mankind's
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words.
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And we see
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these in
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verses 13
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and 14.
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There Paul
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says,
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their throat
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is an
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open grave.
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They use
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their tongues
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to deceive.
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The venom
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of asps
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is under
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their lips.
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Their mouth
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is full
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of curses
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and bitterness.
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Jesus
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says in
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Matthew 12
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that out of
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the abundance
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of the heart,
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the mouth
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speaks.
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And we
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are so
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very
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expressively
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wicked
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in the way
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that we
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speak.
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Paul is
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presenting
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that same
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principle here
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that out of
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the abundance
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of the heart,
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the mouth
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speaks.
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Because of
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your character,
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your words
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are evil
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and your
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evil words
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give evidence
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of your
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evil
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character.
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It's the
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fruit that
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comes out
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of a
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corrupted
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nature.
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Fallen
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man is
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deceptive.
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They use
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their tongues
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to deceive.
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Seats
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the destruction
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of,
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is publicly
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critical of,
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and expresses
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hostility
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towards
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others.
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The venom
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of asps,
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destructive,
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mouthful
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of curses
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and bitterness,
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critical
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and hostile
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towards others.
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take a
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ride with
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somebody
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who claims
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to be a
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Christian
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in the
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car
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and you'll
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see some
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of this
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come out
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of them.
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Ought
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not be
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so.
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He states
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at the
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beginning
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of verse
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13 that
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their throat
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is an
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open
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grave,
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which is
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to say
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you can
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look into
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their mouths
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and see
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the dead
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man
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inside.
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Third
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category.
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we see
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in verses
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15-17
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which is
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that their
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actions,
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their feet
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are swift
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to shed
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blood,
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in their
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paths
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are ruin
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and misery,
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and the
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way of
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peace
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they have
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not known.
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In the
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same manner
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that Paul
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makes charges
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concerning
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mankind's
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words,
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he also
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does so
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with their
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actions.
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The
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things they
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do,
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the fruit
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you can't
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observe,
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speaks to
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who they
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are.
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Once again,
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Jesus says,
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Matthew chapter
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7,
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verse 17
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and following,
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so every
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healthy tree
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bears good
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fruit,
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but the
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diseased
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tree bears
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bad
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fruit.
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A healthy
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tree cannot
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bear bad
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fruit,
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nor can a
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diseased
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tree bear
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good
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fruit.
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Every
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tree that
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does not
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bear good
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fruit is
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cut down
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and is
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thrown
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into the
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fire.
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Now,
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these actions
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are fairly
18:26
self-explanatory,
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swift to
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shed blood,
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murderous,
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and their
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paths are
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ruin and
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misery,
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injustice,
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and the
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way of
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peace.
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Here,
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I don't
18:38
think Paul
18:39
is referring
18:39
to the
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sense of
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peace,
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or a
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peace with
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God,
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but rather
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a peace
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amongst
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mankind.
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It
18:45
categorically
18:46
fits
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together.
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Mankind
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is inherently
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violent,
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destructive,
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and unjust.
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Christ.
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We can
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access
18:55
examples
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from history
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and from
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the local
18:57
news of
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yesterday.
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There's
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just
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evidence
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of this
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everywhere.
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A quick
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glimpse at
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what's going
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on in
19:05
France right
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now,
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and you
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could say,
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oh,
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look at
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how swift
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to shed
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blood.
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Look at
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the path
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of ruin
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and misery,
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literal
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paths
19:12
of ruin
19:13
and misery
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and the
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lack
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of peace.
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But let
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us not
19:18
allow
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ourselves
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off the
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hook
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from
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these
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charges.
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It's
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very easy
19:24
to say,
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well,
19:25
but not
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like
19:26
them.
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And
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perhaps,
19:30
in
19:30
Jesus
19:31
in
19:31
Matthew
19:31
chapter
19:31
5,
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verse
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21,
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there
19:34
says,
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you have
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heard that
19:35
it was
19:36
said to
19:36
those of
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old,
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you shall
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not
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murder,
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and whoever
19:39
murders will
19:40
be liable
19:40
to judgment.
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If you
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murder,
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you will
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be judged.
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And
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Jesus
19:46
raises the
19:46
bar and
19:47
says,
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but I
19:47
say to
19:47
you that
19:48
everyone who
19:48
is angry
19:48
with his
19:49
brother will
19:49
be liable
19:50
to judgment.
19:52
Whoever
19:52
insults his
19:53
brother will
19:53
be liable
19:53
to the
19:54
council,
19:54
and whoever
19:55
says,
19:55
you fool,
19:56
will be
19:57
liable to
19:58
the hell
19:58
of fire.
20:00
You could
20:01
sum that
20:02
up to say,
20:03
if you do
20:03
these things,
20:04
you also
20:05
are guilty
20:05
of murder.
20:08
Quick
20:09
to shed
20:10
blood
20:11
in the
20:12
way
20:12
that we
20:13
act.
20:15
After
20:16
lobbing all
20:17
these charges
20:17
and making
20:18
his accusation,
20:19
Paul tells
20:20
us the
20:21
motive of
20:22
it all.
20:23
Verse
20:24
18,
20:25
there is
20:26
no fear
20:27
of God
20:28
before their
20:29
eyes.
20:31
They do
20:32
not fear
20:34
God.
20:37
Robert
20:37
Haldane,
20:38
a Scottish
20:40
theologian,
20:41
wrote a
20:42
really wonderful
20:42
commentary on
20:44
the book of
20:45
Romans called
20:46
Exposition of
20:47
Romans.
20:48
He wrote
20:49
this,
20:49
it is
20:51
astonishing
20:52
that men,
20:53
while they
20:54
acknowledge that
20:54
there is a
20:55
God,
20:55
should act
20:56
without any
20:56
fear of
20:57
his
20:58
displeasure.
21:00
Yet this
21:00
is their
21:00
character.
21:02
They fear
21:02
a worm of
21:03
the dust
21:03
like themselves,
21:04
but disregard
21:05
the most
21:06
high.
21:07
They are
21:08
more afraid
21:08
of man
21:09
than of
21:10
God,
21:11
of his
21:11
anger,
21:12
his contempt,
21:13
or ridicule.
21:14
The fear
21:15
of man
21:15
prevents them
21:16
from doing
21:16
many things
21:17
from which
21:17
they are
21:17
not restrained
21:19
by the
21:19
fear of
21:20
God.
21:21
They love
21:22
not his
21:22
character,
21:24
not rendering
21:24
to it
21:25
veneration,
21:26
which is
21:26
due.
21:27
They respect
21:28
not his
21:29
authority.
21:30
Such is
21:31
the state
21:32
of human
21:32
nature
21:33
while the
21:33
heart
21:34
is
21:35
unchanged.
21:37
There is
21:38
the bad
21:39
news,
21:40
right?
21:41
By very
21:42
nature
21:43
turned away
21:44
from a
21:45
fear
21:45
of God.
21:47
And this
21:48
is a
21:48
puzzling
21:48
thing.
21:50
Beloved,
21:50
we have
21:50
been
21:50
created.
21:52
Chapter
21:52
1,
21:53
Paul says
21:53
that it's
21:54
evidenced
21:54
that this
21:55
is the
21:55
case.
21:56
There is
21:56
a God
21:56
who has
21:57
created,
21:58
and yet
21:59
the
22:00
unrighteousness
22:01
of man
22:01
suppresses
22:02
that truth,
22:04
and God
22:04
gives
22:05
mankind
22:05
over
22:06
to that
22:07
foolishness.
22:08
What a
22:09
tragic thing.
22:10
And if
22:11
you're in
22:11
Christ this
22:12
morning,
22:12
it's who
22:12
you once
22:13
were.
22:14
And so
22:15
we have
22:15
such reason
22:16
to praise
22:16
God for
22:17
the gospel
22:17
of Jesus.
22:19
If you
22:20
are not
22:20
now in
22:21
Christ,
22:21
it's who
22:22
you are.
22:24
I pray
22:24
that you
22:25
would listen
22:25
to the
22:26
words of
22:27
Paul.
22:28
So Paul
22:29
brings this
22:30
accusation,
22:31
and then he
22:31
delivers
22:33
a verdict.
22:35
Second
22:35
point.
22:37
First he
22:38
says,
22:38
now we
22:39
know that
22:40
whatever the
22:40
law says,
22:41
it speaks
22:41
to those
22:42
who are
22:42
under
22:42
the
22:42
law,
22:43
so that
22:43
every
22:43
mouth
22:44
may be
22:44
stopped.
22:46
So he's
22:47
talking again
22:47
to Jewish
22:49
people
22:49
specifically,
22:51
and I'm
22:51
always
22:52
tempted,
22:53
it's probably
22:54
proper to
22:54
draw it to
22:55
our context,
22:57
for people
22:57
who mostly
22:58
grew up
22:59
in church,
23:00
mostly grew
23:00
up being
23:01
taught
23:01
God's
23:02
word.
23:03
Not every
23:04
one of us
23:04
I know,
23:05
but for the
23:05
most part
23:06
we have.
23:08
So what
23:09
purpose does
23:10
it serve
23:10
us?
23:12
We would
23:12
know that
23:13
we're sinful,
23:13
right?
23:14
Every mouth
23:14
would be
23:14
stopped,
23:16
and the
23:16
whole world,
23:17
last part
23:17
of verse
23:17
19,
23:18
may be
23:18
held
23:19
accountable
23:19
to
23:20
God.
23:23
For by
23:23
works of
23:24
the law
23:24
no human
23:25
being will
23:25
be justified
23:26
in his
23:26
sight,
23:27
since through
23:28
the law
23:28
comes
23:29
knowledge
23:30
of sin.
23:32
To be
23:33
justified
23:33
before God
23:34
is to be
23:34
declared
23:35
righteous.
23:37
To be
23:37
declared
23:38
righteous.
23:39
And there
23:40
are two
23:40
parts to
23:41
the equation
23:43
of our
23:44
justification.
23:46
Firstly,
23:47
our sin
23:47
must be
23:48
forgiven.
23:50
If you
23:50
were to
23:50
stand before
23:51
a judge
23:52
and he
23:53
would declare
23:53
you justified,
23:55
he would
23:55
have to
23:56
first
23:56
forgive
23:57
your sin,
23:59
your sin
23:59
expunged
24:00
from
24:01
the record.
24:03
But for
24:03
God to
24:04
maintain
24:04
his justice
24:05
as a
24:06
judge,
24:06
he can't
24:07
simply dismiss
24:07
it altogether.
24:08
He must
24:09
punish it.
24:10
If he's
24:10
going to
24:10
be a
24:10
perfect
24:11
judge,
24:11
it must
24:12
be
24:13
punished.
24:15
And this
24:15
is why
24:15
the Lord
24:17
Jesus
24:17
Christ
24:17
came
24:18
and died
24:19
to bear
24:20
our
24:21
punishment
24:22
on our
24:23
behalf.
24:25
But if
24:26
we stop
24:26
there,
24:27
we are
24:27
only brought
24:28
up to
24:29
neutral.
24:29
The record
24:30
has been
24:31
canceled,
24:32
but now
24:32
we stand
24:33
with nothing.
24:35
We need
24:36
something
24:36
credited
24:36
to our
24:38
account
24:38
in order
24:39
to be
24:39
declared
24:40
righteous,
24:41
to be
24:42
justified.
24:43
What do
24:43
we need?
24:44
We need
24:45
perfect
24:45
law keeping.
24:47
We need
24:47
righteousness.
24:49
A thing
24:50
that's clearly
24:50
being established
24:51
that we
24:51
cannot do.
24:53
If you have
24:54
any doubt
24:54
of that,
24:55
go back
24:55
to the
24:55
beginning
24:56
of chapter
24:56
1 and
24:57
read through
24:57
the end
24:58
of verse
24:58
20 of
24:59
chapter 3.
25:01
Paul is
25:02
being so
25:02
very clear.
25:03
You
25:03
cannot
25:04
do it.
25:05
You
25:05
have
25:05
failed
25:05
and you
25:06
will
25:06
always
25:07
fail
25:07
under
25:08
your
25:08
own
25:08
power
25:09
to
25:09
live
25:09
up
25:10
to
25:10
the
25:10
demands
25:11
of
25:12
the
25:12
law.
25:14
And so,
25:14
by faith,
25:16
not only does
25:16
Christ take
25:17
our punishment
25:17
from us,
25:18
but he
25:18
also gives
25:19
to us
25:20
his
25:21
righteousness.
25:24
The doctrine
25:25
is called
25:25
double
25:25
imputation.
25:27
He takes
25:27
away,
25:28
it's given
25:28
to him
25:29
our sin,
25:30
he gives
25:30
to us
25:31
his
25:32
righteousness.
25:33
this
25:34
will
25:34
not
25:35
happen
25:35
by
25:36
the
25:36
works
25:36
of
25:37
the
25:38
law.
25:39
And
25:39
the
25:39
whole
25:40
world
25:40
will
25:40
stand
25:41
before
25:41
God
25:42
in
25:43
judgment.
25:44
There he
25:44
says,
25:45
the whole
25:45
world
25:45
will be
25:46
held
25:46
accountable
25:47
to
25:48
God.
25:50
Remember
25:50
back in
25:51
chapter 1
25:51
in verse
25:52
18,
25:52
Paul says,
25:53
the wrath
25:53
of God
25:54
is revealed
25:54
from heaven
25:55
against
25:56
all
25:57
ungodliness
25:57
and
25:58
unrighteousness
25:59
of men.
26:01
On
26:01
that great
26:02
day of
26:02
judgment,
26:03
you will
26:03
not be
26:04
able to
26:04
stand
26:04
before
26:04
God
26:05
and
26:05
make
26:05
an
26:05
appeal
26:06
to
26:06
your
26:06
attempt
26:07
to
26:08
keep
26:08
his
26:08
law.
26:09
It
26:09
would
26:09
be
26:09
a
26:09
waste
26:10
of
26:11
breath.
26:12
I
26:13
believe
26:13
that
26:13
when
26:13
you
26:13
stand
26:13
before
26:14
him
26:14
on
26:14
that
26:14
day,
26:14
you
26:14
won't
26:15
try
26:15
to
26:15
make
26:16
an
26:16
appeal
26:16
to
26:16
your
26:17
attempt
26:17
to
26:18
keep
26:18
his
26:19
law.
26:20
For
26:20
by
26:20
works
26:21
of
26:21
the
26:21
law,
26:22
no
26:22
human
26:23
being
26:23
will
26:23
be
26:23
justified
26:24
in
26:25
his
26:25
sight.
26:26
The
26:26
law
26:26
makes
26:27
us
26:27
aware
26:28
of
26:28
our
26:28
failure,
26:29
of
26:30
our
26:30
sinfulness.
26:32
That's
26:32
the
26:33
bad
26:33
news.
26:36
On
26:37
that
26:37
great
26:37
day
26:37
of
26:37
judgment,
26:38
the
26:38
law
26:38
will
26:38
only
26:39
serve
26:39
to
26:39
show
26:39
you
26:40
guilty
26:40
for
26:41
your
26:41
failure
26:41
to
26:42
keep
26:42
it
26:42
perfectly.
26:44
So
26:44
we
26:44
must
26:45
make
26:45
our
26:45
appeal
26:46
elsewhere.
26:47
And
26:47
this
26:48
is
26:48
the
26:48
good
26:49
news
26:49
of
26:50
the
26:50
gospel.
26:51
And
26:51
we
26:51
will
26:52
be
26:52
unpacking
26:52
this
26:52
at
26:52
length
26:53
in
26:53
the
26:53
coming
26:54
months,
26:55
beginning
26:56
next
26:56
week.
26:56
But
26:57
we
26:57
can't
26:57
just
26:58
in
26:58
there.
26:58
Can
26:58
we?
26:59
What
26:59
is
27:00
the
27:00
appeal
27:01
I've
27:01
mentioned
27:01
already?
27:02
It's
27:02
the
27:02
person
27:02
and
27:03
the
27:03
work
27:03
of
27:04
the
27:04
Lord
27:04
Jesus
27:05
Christ.
27:06
We
27:07
will
27:07
say,
27:08
look,
27:08
I
27:09
am
27:09
forgiven
27:09
and
27:10
clothed
27:11
in
27:11
the
27:11
righteousness
27:11
of
27:13
Christ.
27:14
Jesus
27:15
will
27:15
stand
27:15
there
27:16
in
27:16
approval
27:17
of
27:18
such
27:18
a
27:19
claim
27:19
if
27:19
we
27:20
are
27:20
in
27:20
fact
27:20
found
27:21
in
27:22
him.
27:24
And
27:24
so
27:24
let's
27:25
look
27:25
just
27:25
briefly
27:26
at
27:27
the
27:27
next
27:27
two
27:28
verses
27:28
beyond
27:29
today's
27:29
text.
27:31
Paul
27:32
has
27:32
completed
27:32
this
27:33
stage
27:34
in his
27:35
argument
27:35
and he's
27:36
moving on.
27:37
Remember,
27:38
still unpacking
27:39
this idea
27:40
of the
27:41
gospel
27:41
being the
27:42
righteousness
27:42
of God
27:43
for us.
27:43
A thing
27:44
that we
27:44
should be
27:45
proud of,
27:46
right?
27:46
That the
27:46
righteous
27:47
might live
27:47
by faith.
27:48
A faith
27:49
that's given
27:49
to us
27:49
as a
27:50
gift
27:50
in
27:51
Christ.
27:53
So he
27:53
says
27:53
in verse
27:54
21,
27:56
but now
27:57
the
27:58
righteousness
27:58
of
27:59
God,
28:01
it's
28:01
God's
28:02
righteousness,
28:03
has been
28:03
manifested
28:04
apart
28:05
from the
28:07
law.
28:08
The
28:09
righteousness
28:09
of God
28:10
has been
28:10
manifested
28:11
apart
28:12
from the
28:13
law.
28:13
He is
28:14
referring
28:14
to
28:15
Jesus
28:16
Christ's
28:17
perfect
28:17
law
28:17
keeping.
28:18
It has
28:19
been
28:19
made
28:19
manifested.
28:21
It has
28:21
been shown
28:22
in
28:23
Christ.
28:24
Although
28:24
the
28:25
law
28:25
and
28:25
the
28:25
prophets
28:25
bear
28:26
witness
28:27
to
28:27
it.
28:28
The
28:28
law
28:28
and
28:28
the
28:29
prophets,
28:29
the whole
28:30
New Testament,
28:31
point us
28:32
to
28:32
Christ
28:33
and His
28:34
righteousness,
28:34
the righteousness
28:35
of
28:35
God.
28:37
The
28:37
righteousness
28:38
of God
28:38
through
28:39
faith
28:40
in Jesus
28:40
Christ
28:41
for all
28:43
who
28:44
believe.
28:45
And this
28:46
is the
28:46
cost
28:47
of
28:48
justification
28:49
that we
28:50
would merely
28:51
turn from
28:51
our sin
28:52
and place
28:53
our faith
28:53
in the
28:54
Lord
28:55
Jesus
28:55
Christ.
28:56
That we
28:56
would
28:56
understand
28:57
that yes,
28:59
apart from
28:59
Him,
29:00
I am
29:00
altogether
29:01
unworthy.
29:02
I am
29:03
totally
29:04
depraved
29:04
apart
29:05
from
29:05
Christ.
29:06
I do
29:07
not
29:07
seek
29:08
good.
29:09
I am
29:09
part of
29:10
the no
29:10
one
29:10
that Paul
29:11
here
29:12
is talking
29:13
about.
29:14
But yet,
29:15
through
29:15
faith
29:16
in
29:16
Christ,
29:17
I can
29:18
be
29:18
declared
29:18
righteous
29:19
before
29:20
God,
29:21
accepted
29:21
into
29:22
His
29:23
loving
29:23
arms
29:23
forever.
29:25
Let's
29:25
pray
29:25
together.