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Romans 16:25-27 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Well, good morning. Please take your copy of God's Word and join me in Romans chapter 16.
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! Our text for today is Romans chapter 16, verses 25-27.
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! And today, by God's great grace, we finish our study of Paul's letter to the Romans, provided I don't fall over.
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Before I read these final three verses and work to turn our attention to its content, I want to first make two initial comments.
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First, a couple of weeks ago, I preached verses 1-16 and verses 21-24. These are kind of the greeting verses of chapter 16.
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And you likely noted that your Bible probably doesn't have a verse 24.
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In fact, at one point in my sermon, I faltered on my verse count because I had a momentary lapse in memory.
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I went three verses, and I want to correct that and also bring your attention to it because it's important.
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Now, your translation likely has a footnote that reads something like, so we typically preach here from the English Standard Version.
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I think many of you have this version. So you can see the footnote there that says,
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Some manuscripts, insert verse 24,
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
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Amen.
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Instances such as this give us opportunity to pause and consider the reliability of the Bible.
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Before we move on to verse 25, let's think about verse 24 or the lack thereof.
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Now, our Bibles, collected together, translated, bound,
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are the result of compiling lots and lots and lots of early copies of these writings.
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We have reason for confidence that these manuscripts are accurate because of how many there are and because of their great congruity.
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They agree there are so many copies and they are the same.
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However, from time to time, they do not.
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So in this case, verse 24 of chapter 16 is one such example.
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Now, you may think that this is a reason for concern, but I want you to know that the contrary should be true for you.
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The number of times these early manuscripts disagree are minor.
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On these minor little things, there's just a handful of them.
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And when they do, careful translators labor to make the discrepancies clear to us.
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So no one is trying to trick you.
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Here they're saying, look, there are some early manuscripts that also have this inserted verse 24.
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They could have just omitted verse 24 and renumbered the text.
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Would you have noticed?
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I wouldn't have.
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I wouldn't have even known that was the case.
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But rather, they are honest.
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And they are not honest with the goal of eroding your confidence, but with the goal of bolstering your confidence.
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Right?
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We can know that these are the very words.
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In addition, in none of the instances where the early manuscripts disagree,
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do they do so in any way that changes the meaning of the text at all.
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In this case, we just see an insertion of verse 24 compounding the well wishes of Paul's closing remarks.
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And so there you see an example of that.
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Okay.
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Secondly, I want you to know how very much I have enjoyed studying Romans with you.
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And in some ways, as we've spent quite a bit of time in this book together,
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and I start to put the commentaries back on the shelf,
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it feels like the closing of a chapter.
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I consider myself blessed beyond measure to have the opportunity to lead you week in and week out,
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to partner with other men in that work these past almost 16 years in the study of God's Word.
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So thank you for being a people of the book who desire to have it faithfully expounded each Sunday.
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Thank you for the healthy pressure to avoid innovation and to simply preach the text.
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I'm so glad that that's what you desire for me.
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I'm not pushing against your desires and opening up God's Word,
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but it's what you want me to do.
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And I am hopeful that the Lord will give us lots of future time together
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to behold Him from the Bible in future texts.
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Okay.
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That out of the way.
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Let's turn our attention to our final text in our study of Romans.
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Chapter 16, verses 25-27.
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Beloved, this is God's Word to us, written for His glory and our good.
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We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
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Paul writes,
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Amen.
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Paul ends this glorious letter with a doxology, with praise to God, which is befitting.
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He has spent the first 11 chapters of this letter doing theology proper.
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The first 11 chapters of Romans is Paul's magnum opus of Christian theology.
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It is the most extensive and clearest defense of justification by grace alone,
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through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.
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And I have labored to tell you that's why we have studied this book.
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It speaks to the Christ followers' adoption in Jesus and identification with Christ as our federal head.
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Paul tells us that we are no longer captives of grace.
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Paul tells us that we are no longer captives of grace.
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He speaks of the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit who intercedes for us,
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leads us in holiness, and helps us in all our affliction.
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He gives us reason for patient hope as we stand in God's election,
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the certainty of coming glory,
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the confidence that nothing can separate us from the love of God,
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and total assurance in God's continued faithfulness.
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He then works out what all this means for unbelieving people and for missions.
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Condemnation, justification, adoption, soteriology, pneumatology, missiology.
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The final five chapters are applied theology.
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He answers the question,
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how should we live in response to these truths?
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These three final verses are doxology.
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And what is the aim of Paul's praise?
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It is God's glory.
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These three verses in English are only two sentences.
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That's a translation choice,
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but they are only two sentences in the ESV.
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The first sentence begins with now in verse 25
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and ends with Christ in verse 27.
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You'll notice there the second sentence is amen.
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So most of these three verses is just this one sentence.
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And if we take it and simplify it,
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that sentence could read,
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now to God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ.
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Now the idea of glory is not a simple idea to understand.
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Some words are simple and easily defined,
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like the word apple.
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If you had never heard this word and asked me to define it,
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I could explain to you what it looks like,
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its size and color and texture,
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give you some idea of what it tastes like.
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In fact, I could probably define the word well enough for you
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that if you then saw an apple for the first time,
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you could say,
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this is an apple.
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It was well explained to me.
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Think about the definition of apple
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in juxtaposition with the word awe.
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Apple and awe.
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It is much more difficult for me to define this word.
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After all, it's a bit of a feeling, isn't it?
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What moves me to awe
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may be different than what moves you to awe.
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We recently took a vacation to the beach,
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and I am not moved in awe at the beach.
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But I watch a lot of people do that,
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stare out at the horizon.
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It's amazing.
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But put me in the mountains,
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and I may experience some awe.
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Further, I have only ever felt my awe.
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I can only explain to you what it feels like to me.
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I have never felt yours.
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This word is much, much more difficult to define.
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Glory is more like the word awe
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than apple in this way.
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So, what is it?
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We can't just not define it.
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Here we have it in our scripture,
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and we have it in our scripture aplenty.
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So, what is it?
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Allow me to take you just to one other text
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to try to understand its meaning.
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Put some bearing on the word glory for us this morning.
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So, turn with me, if you will,
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to Isaiah chapter 6,
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in verse 3,
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where Isaiah has a vision of heaven
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and sees one seraphim,
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a heavenly being,
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calling out to another seraphim.
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And this is what he says.
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Isaiah 6, verse 3.
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You may even be familiar with this verse.
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The one seraphim calls out to the other seraphim,
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Holy, holy, holy
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is the Lord of hosts.
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Holy, holy, holy
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is the Lord of hosts.
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God's holiness
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is his eternal and infinite perfection
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and worth.
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We have been taught, rightly,
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that holiness
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can be understood as separation,
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as being set apart.
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God is unique
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in his perfection
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and worth.
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It is intrinsic to him.
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It belongs to his very nature
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and it is not granted to him.
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It is who he is.
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God is holy.
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The seraphim says
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that the Lord of hosts is holy,
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but not in Hebrew of saying
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that holy, holy, holy,
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which is a grammatical way
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in Hebrew of saying
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that he is completely holy,
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without any failure
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in his holiness
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and he is without compare.
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So what does this seraphim
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go on to say
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in the rest of the verse?
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You may note,
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I hope you have it in front of you,
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I only read the first half.
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Then what does he say?
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The whole earth
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is full of his glory.
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So, I take this to mean
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that God's glory
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is God's holiness
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put on display.
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That's the way it's tangible to us.
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It is holiness beheld,
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understood,
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experienced.
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God's glory
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is the radiance
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of God's infinite perfection
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and worth,
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like the sun's light and warmth
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is the radiance
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of its combustive power.
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power.
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When we behold
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God's holiness,
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the proper response
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is that God
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has glory.
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Like we understand
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that he is glorious
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because he is
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holy.
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So, glory,
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holiness on display,
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received,
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understood,
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experienced,
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appreciated,
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loved.
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So, with that definition
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in mind,
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let's go back
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to our text
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and my compounded sentence.
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Now,
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to God
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be glory
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forevermore
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through Jesus
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Christ.
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And the implication
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here seems to be
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that Paul
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wants glory
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to be
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granted
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or given
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to God.
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God.
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But if glory
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is the radiance,
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the display
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of God's holiness,
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then how could
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he be
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given it?
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I think that
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what Paul
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is saying here,
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it's not that we
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add to the glory
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of God,
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but that we merely
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recognize
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the glory
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of God.
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We behold
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the glory
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of God.
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In the original text,
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the verb
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be
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is not
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in this
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verse
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at all.
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It certainly
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helps us
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understand it
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in English,
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but just
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says,
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now to
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God
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glory.
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Now to God
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be glory
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forevermore
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through Jesus
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Christ.
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And we
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began our
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study about
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this time
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of year
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two years
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ago.
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If I'm not
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mistaken,
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it was on
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October 9th
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of 2022
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that we
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picked up
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this text
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for the first
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time.
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We had some
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interruptions in
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there.
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We didn't
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stay with
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Romans the
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entire time,
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but it was
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about them.
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We believe
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that slow,
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careful study
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of God's
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word is
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of great
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benefit to
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us,
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but sometimes
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in the
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process,
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we can
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lose the
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forest for
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the trees.
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You may
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not realize
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that glory
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is a major
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through line
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of Paul's
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letter.
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I'm sure
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we talked
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about it.
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Some,
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we may
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not have
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dealt
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with it
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well enough,
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but almost
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every chapter
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of Paul's
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Roman letter
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contains the
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word.
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And I venture
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to say,
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with slight
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trepidation,
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that every
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chapter contains
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the idea.
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Don't test me
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on that.
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But at least
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the word is
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in almost
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most every
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chapter.
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In the most
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wonderful of
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ways,
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it would seem
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that Paul
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was riding
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his way
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to this
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doxological
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conclusion.
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Perhaps he
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was.
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I argue
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at verses
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25 and
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26 that
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these are
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Paul's
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summation
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that leads
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to such
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praise.
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He's pulling
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the ideas
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together for
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this glory
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that he
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wants God
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to be
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recognized
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as God's.
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So,
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join me.
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I know
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before I
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read large
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sections of
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Romans to
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you.
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We're not
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going to
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do that
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today,
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but join
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me in
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taking a
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brief tour
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back through
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the book
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with particular
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intention
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toward the
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thought of
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God's glory.
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I just want
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to show you
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this through
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line through
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the text
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and think
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about what
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Paul has
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taught us
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throughout
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this book
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together.
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So,
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I have a
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number of
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passages
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here.
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You're
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going to
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need to
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turn all
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the way
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back to
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Romans
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chapter 1.
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We're
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going to
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start with
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a verse
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that doesn't
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have the
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word glory
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in it,
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but the
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idea is
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there,
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and you'll
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understand
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why in
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just a
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moment.
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And my
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intention is
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just to make
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some comments
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about these
16:52
verses as
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I remember
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preaching them.
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I decided it
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would serve you
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for me not to
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go back through
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each of these
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sermons and
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copy and
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paste a bunch
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of text,
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because we
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don't have
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time for that
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this morning.
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But I
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thought I'd
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think,
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what did
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we learn
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as we
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looked at
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these verses
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and walk
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through a
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set of
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them together?
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We're
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thinking about
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God's glory
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throughout the
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book of
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Romans.
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So,
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chapter 1
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and verse
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5,
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Paul's
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talking about
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his
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apostleship
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being received
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through whom
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Christ,
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we have
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received
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grace
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and
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apostleship
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to bring
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about the
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obedience
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of faith.
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The bell
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should be
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going off.
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The obedience
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of faith,
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for the
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sake of
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his name
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among
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all
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the
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nations.
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So,
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there's the
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idea,
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for the
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sake of
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his name
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among
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all
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the
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nations,
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that all
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peoples,
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this is the
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goal of
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his
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apostleship,
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that all
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peoples
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would know
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the glory
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of God.
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Now,
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I said that
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your bell
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should be
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going off.
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Why?
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Because at
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the end
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of verse
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26,
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there he
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talks about
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bringing
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about
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the
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obedience
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of
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faith.
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That very
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same phrase
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found there
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in Romans
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chapter 1
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and verse
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5.
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So,
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notice what
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Paul is
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saying in
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our text,
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verses 25
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and 26.
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This God
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we're going to
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ascribe glory
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to,
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recognize the
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glory of,
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is able to
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strengthen you
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according to
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my gospel,
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Paul's gospel,
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the gospel of
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Jesus Christ.
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According to
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the revelation
18:34
of the
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mystery that
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was kept
18:36
secret,
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Old Testament,
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but now
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has been
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disclosed,
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and through
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the prophetic
18:42
writings has
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been made
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known to
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all nations,
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according to
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the command
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of the
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eternal God
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to bring
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about the
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obedience of
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faith.
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He's just
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saying there,
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right?
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God begins
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us and he
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keeps us by
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the gospel of
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Jesus Christ.
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And it was
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the thing
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that we
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did not
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fully understand
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Old Testament,
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but we
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now do
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New Testament.
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God's glory
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would be
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known through
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Jesus Christ.
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It's not
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too many
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verses later
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that Paul
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says in
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Romans chapter
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1,
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verse 16
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and 17,
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two verses
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that we
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spent three
19:20
weeks on.
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There he
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says,
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for I am
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not ashamed
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of the
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gospel,
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or you
19:25
could read
19:25
it in the
19:25
positive,
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I am
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proud of
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the gospel.
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Why?
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Because it
19:30
is the
19:30
power of
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God for
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salvation to
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everyone who
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believes, to
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the Jew first
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and also to
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the Greek.
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For in it
19:38
the righteousness
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of God is
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revealed from
19:40
faith for
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faith, as it
19:42
is written,
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the righteous
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shall live by
19:46
faith.
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We are justified
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by grace alone
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through faith
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alone in the
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person and
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worth of
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Jesus Christ
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alone.
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And this is
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the summary of
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what Paul is
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trying to
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teach us
19:57
theologically
19:57
throughout the
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entirety of
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this letter.
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And so,
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he launches
20:03
shortly after
20:04
those two
20:05
verses into
20:06
helping us
20:07
understand why
20:07
this matters.
20:09
Why is it
20:10
important that
20:11
we hear this
20:12
good news of
20:12
the gospel,
20:13
that we care
20:14
that it's the
20:15
power of God
20:15
for salvation?
20:17
Why does it
20:17
matter?
20:18
Why do we need
20:18
the righteousness
20:19
of God?
20:20
And he tells
20:21
us it's because
20:21
we are not
20:23
righteous.
20:24
in and of
20:26
ourselves.
20:27
We are not
20:28
righteous.
20:29
And he treats
20:30
two groups of
20:31
people, the
20:32
Gentiles and
20:34
the Jews.
20:35
First, he
20:36
addresses the
20:37
Gentiles, which
20:37
certainly includes
20:38
the Jewish
20:39
people through
20:39
23.
20:40
Supplicitly, the
20:41
Gentiles.
20:43
Notice Romans
20:43
1, verse 21
20:44
through 23.
20:46
He says,
20:47
therefore, although
20:48
they knew
20:49
God, they
20:50
did not honor,
20:52
and this is
20:52
the very same
20:53
Greek word,
20:54
it could be
20:55
translated, they
20:56
did not glorify
20:57
him as God
20:59
or give thanks
21:01
to him, but
21:02
they became
21:02
futile in their
21:04
thinking and
21:04
their foolish
21:05
hearts were
21:06
darkened.
21:08
Claiming to be
21:08
wise, they
21:10
became fools
21:11
and exchanged
21:12
the glory of
21:14
the immortal
21:15
God for
21:16
images resembling
21:17
mortal man and
21:18
birds and
21:19
animals and
21:20
creeping things.
21:21
rather than
21:24
recognizing the
21:26
greatness of
21:27
God, they
21:28
instead said,
21:30
we have
21:31
instead said,
21:33
we want to
21:34
minimize God,
21:35
we want to
21:35
maximize other
21:37
things.
21:39
I don't know
21:40
that any of
21:40
you have ever
21:41
carved an
21:42
image and
21:43
bowed down to
21:44
it, but we
21:46
certainly worship
21:47
other things
21:48
than God.
21:50
Exchange the
21:51
glory of the
21:52
immortal God
21:52
for stuff
21:53
that's not
21:54
glorious and
21:55
not
21:55
immortal.
21:58
He goes on
21:59
to indict the
22:01
Jews in
22:01
Romans chapter
22:02
2 and
22:02
verse 24,
22:05
for as it
22:06
is written,
22:06
the name of
22:07
God is
22:08
blasphemed
22:09
among the
22:10
Gentiles
22:10
because of
22:12
you.
22:12
They, just
22:13
like the
22:14
Gentiles,
22:15
just like
22:15
us,
22:17
were idolaters,
22:18
believers.
22:18
And because
22:18
of that,
22:19
God's glory
22:20
was not
22:21
made known
22:21
amongst the
22:22
Gentiles the
22:23
way it was
22:24
meant to be
22:24
made known.
22:28
And then we
22:28
come to Romans
22:28
3 and
22:30
verse 23.
22:33
Paul's
22:33
bringing
22:34
together Jew
22:35
and Gentile.
22:36
Let's make
22:36
no qualms
22:38
about it.
22:40
Two categories
22:41
of people.
22:42
Those not
22:43
saved by Christ
22:44
and those
22:44
saved by
22:45
Christ.
22:46
There he
22:47
says,
22:47
for all
22:48
have sinned
22:49
and fall
22:50
short of
22:52
the glory
22:52
of God.
22:54
Do not
22:55
have,
22:55
cannot
22:56
possess.
22:57
We think
22:57
this verse
22:58
is speaking
22:58
of the
22:59
future glory
23:00
that will
23:00
be ours
23:01
in Christ,
23:02
but because
23:02
of our
23:02
sin,
23:03
we need
23:04
God's
23:04
intervention
23:05
to bring
23:05
this about
23:06
in our
23:07
lives.
23:09
So there's
23:10
a problem,
23:11
a great
23:12
problem,
23:13
and it's
23:13
a problem
23:14
that desperately
23:15
needs a
23:16
solution.
23:17
What is
23:17
that solution?
23:18
We saw it
23:18
back in
23:18
Romans 1
23:19
verse 16
23:20
and 17.
23:22
By grace,
23:24
through faith,
23:25
in the
23:25
person and
23:26
work of
23:27
Jesus Christ.
23:28
We can
23:29
have the
23:30
salvation of
23:30
our soul.
23:32
So in
23:32
Romans chapter
23:32
4, Paul's
23:33
making this
23:34
case and
23:34
he's using
23:34
Abraham as
23:36
the archetype
23:37
of believing
23:38
God by
23:39
faith.
23:40
And he
23:40
says there
23:41
in verse
23:41
20,
23:42
no unbelief
23:43
made him
23:44
waver
23:45
concerning
23:45
the promises
23:46
of God,
23:47
but he
23:47
grew strong
23:48
in his
23:49
faith as
23:50
he gave
23:51
glory to
23:53
God.
23:54
As he
23:55
recognized,
23:56
a scribe
23:57
understood the
23:59
greatness of
24:00
God and the
24:00
promises he
24:01
had made to
24:01
him, his
24:02
faith was
24:03
increased.
24:06
Now,
24:07
we go on,
24:09
chapter 5.
24:09
Many of
24:12
us walk in
24:13
this in-between
24:14
time.
24:14
We walk in
24:15
this time
24:15
where we
24:16
have been
24:16
set free
24:17
from the
24:18
bondage of
24:18
our sin.
24:19
We've been
24:19
justified by
24:21
grace through
24:21
faith in
24:22
Christ, and
24:23
yet we find
24:23
ourselves still
24:24
with the
24:25
indwelling
24:25
sin, always
24:27
at our heels.
24:28
We struggle
24:28
in this life.
24:29
We are
24:30
pressured from
24:31
without.
24:34
Not an easy
24:34
thing to live
24:35
in this life.
24:37
life.
24:38
Paul does
24:38
some beautiful
24:39
things in
24:40
chapter 5 and
24:41
through the
24:42
end of
24:42
chapter 8.
24:44
Talk about
24:45
the way we're
24:46
freed from
24:46
sin, the way
24:47
we're empowered
24:47
by the
24:48
Spirit.
24:48
Look what he
24:49
does in
24:49
chapter 5,
24:50
verse 1 and
24:50
2.
24:51
He says,
24:51
Therefore,
24:51
since we
24:52
have been
24:52
justified by
24:53
faith, we
24:53
have peace
24:54
with God
24:55
through our
24:56
Lord Jesus
24:56
Christ.
24:57
Not only a
24:58
status peace
24:59
with God,
25:00
we're no
25:01
longer his
25:01
enemy, but
25:02
we also
25:02
experience peace
25:04
with God.
25:06
Through him,
25:07
verse 2,
25:07
says,
25:08
we have
25:08
also obtained
25:09
access by
25:10
faith into
25:11
this grace
25:12
in which we
25:13
stand, and
25:14
we rejoice
25:15
in hope of
25:17
the glory of
25:19
God.
25:21
One day,
25:22
on the other
25:23
side, forever.
25:25
The life, we're
25:26
going to behold
25:27
him forever.
25:30
The hope of
25:31
the glory of
25:34
God.
25:35
And he
25:35
elaborates on
25:36
this quite a
25:36
bit, and we'll
25:37
skip ahead to
25:37
Romans chapter
25:38
8 and
25:38
verse 18.
25:41
He says,
25:42
Therefore, I
25:42
consider that
25:43
the sufferings
25:44
of this
25:44
present time
25:45
are not
25:46
worth comparing
25:48
with the
25:49
glory that
25:50
is to be
25:50
revealed to
25:52
us.
25:54
Not even
25:54
worth setting
25:55
on the
25:56
scale the
25:57
glory so
25:58
outweighs
26:00
all of the
26:01
momentary
26:02
affliction we'll
26:04
experience in
26:05
this life.
26:06
And Paul
26:07
had a place
26:07
to speak
26:08
to this.
26:10
Things in
26:11
the Bible are
26:11
true.
26:12
Whether or not
26:12
you think
26:13
they're true,
26:13
they're there,
26:14
and so we
26:14
should believe
26:15
them.
26:16
But I know
26:16
often we
26:17
think, well,
26:17
you couldn't
26:18
possibly understand
26:19
what I've
26:19
experienced.
26:21
I think Paul
26:22
has suffered
26:22
more than
26:23
you or I.
26:25
2 Corinthians
26:26
chapter 11.
26:28
He says,
26:28
five times I
26:29
received at
26:29
the hands of
26:29
the Jews
26:30
forty lashes
26:30
less one.
26:32
Three times I
26:32
was beaten
26:33
with rods.
26:33
Once I was
26:34
stoned.
26:35
Three times I
26:36
was shipwrecked
26:36
a night and
26:37
a day.
26:37
I was adrift
26:38
at sea on
26:39
frequent journeys
26:40
in danger from
26:40
rivers, danger
26:41
from robbers,
26:42
danger from
26:42
my own people,
26:44
danger from
26:44
Gentiles, danger
26:45
in the city,
26:46
danger in the
26:46
wilderness, danger
26:48
at sea, danger
26:49
from false
26:49
brothers, in
26:50
toil and
26:51
hardship, through
26:52
many a sleepless
26:53
night, in hunger
26:54
and thirst, often
26:55
without food, in
26:56
cold and
26:57
exposure.
26:59
And apart from
26:59
these things,
27:00
there's the daily
27:01
pressure on me
27:02
of my anxiety
27:03
for all the
27:05
churches.
27:06
That's where Paul
27:07
speaks from when
27:08
he says, I
27:09
consider the
27:09
sufferings of
27:10
this present
27:11
time not even
27:12
worth with the
27:14
glory that's
27:15
going to be
27:16
revealed to us.
27:19
And he goes
27:19
on, right, he
27:20
speaks about our
27:21
groaning and
27:22
longing for the
27:23
glory of God to
27:24
be revealed to
27:25
us.
27:26
In verse 21 of
27:27
chapter 11,
27:28
8, he says
27:29
that the
27:29
creation itself
27:31
will be set
27:32
free from its
27:33
bondage to
27:34
corruption and
27:34
obtain the
27:36
freedom of the
27:37
glory of the
27:38
children of
27:40
God.
27:41
That's an
27:42
amazing phrase
27:43
at the end of
27:44
verse 21.
27:46
One day we
27:47
will be set
27:48
free from
27:49
this flesh.
27:52
We no
27:53
longer have to
27:54
sin, but we
27:55
carry around this
27:55
baggage, sinful
27:57
flesh.
27:58
And one day it
27:58
will be gone.
28:00
And we will
28:00
only be able to
28:02
honor God with
28:03
everything that we
28:05
do.
28:06
I hope you
28:07
long for that
28:08
day the way I
28:09
long for that
28:10
day.
28:11
And Paul here
28:12
says, calls this
28:14
the glory of the
28:15
children of God.
28:17
We will become
28:18
more perfect
28:20
image bearers of
28:22
our God.
28:22
God.
28:22
We will be
28:23
clear reflections
28:24
of who he
28:26
is, having
28:28
redeemed us
28:29
from our sin.
28:32
Completely,
28:33
totally,
28:34
delivered
28:34
forever.
28:37
The creation
28:38
itself is
28:39
longing for
28:40
this day
28:41
to come.
28:44
And this
28:45
status is not a
28:46
thing that we
28:46
achieve on our
28:47
own.
28:47
It is a thing
28:48
that God
28:48
begins and it
28:49
is a thing that
28:49
he accomplishes.
28:51
Paul tells us
28:51
further in Romans
28:52
chapter 8
28:53
verse 30.
28:54
Those whom he
28:54
predestined he
28:55
also called.
28:56
And those whom
28:56
he called he
28:57
also justified.
28:58
And those whom
28:59
he justified he
29:01
also glorified.
29:04
Guaranteed,
29:05
future tense,
29:06
thing that
29:08
will happen.
29:11
Chapter 8 is
29:12
the very center
29:14
of this letter.
29:15
It is a
29:16
wonderful,
29:17
wonderful chapter.
29:18
Mull it over.
29:19
Read it through.
29:21
Memorize it.
29:22
I promise.
29:23
It will serve
29:24
your soul.
29:26
Long for the
29:26
glory that will
29:27
be revealed to
29:28
us.
29:28
To behold God
29:29
fully and to
29:31
reflect perfectly
29:32
that glory is
29:34
going to be the
29:35
great joy of
29:37
eternity.
29:39
And Paul begins
29:40
to wrestle after
29:41
that with the
29:43
state of lostness.
29:45
He's particularly
29:46
concerned about
29:47
Israelites,
29:49
his brethren in
29:50
the flesh.
29:50
He launches into
29:51
that in Romans
29:52
chapter 9 and
29:53
completes those
29:54
thoughts through
29:55
chapter 11.
29:58
In verse 22
29:59
and 23,
30:00
he says this of
30:01
chapter 9.
30:02
verse 23,
30:03
verse 23,
30:04
what if God,
30:06
desiring to
30:07
show his wrath
30:08
and to make
30:08
known his
30:09
power,
30:11
has endured
30:11
with much
30:12
patience
30:13
vessels of
30:13
wrath prepared
30:14
for destruction
30:16
in order to
30:18
make known
30:19
the riches
30:20
of his glory
30:21
for vessels
30:22
of mercy
30:23
which he
30:24
has prepared
30:25
beforehand
30:26
for glory.
30:28
So the sad
30:31
state of the
30:32
lostness of
30:33
this world,
30:34
we rightly
30:35
understand,
30:36
is also
30:37
for the
30:38
glory of
30:39
God.
30:40
God to
30:41
show himself
30:41
as just
30:43
but also
30:44
to show
30:45
himself as
30:46
merciful.
30:50
Then at the
30:51
end of Romans
30:51
11,
30:52
Paul works
30:53
through all
30:54
of those
30:54
implications for
30:55
the Gentiles
30:56
and the Jews
30:57
and we gave
30:58
much time
30:59
to all of
30:59
that.
31:00
He launches
31:01
there into
31:01
a doxology
31:03
and in
31:03
verse 36
31:04
he says,
31:05
for from
31:06
him,
31:06
God the
31:07
source of
31:07
all things
31:08
and through
31:09
him the
31:10
sustaining
31:11
power of
31:11
all things
31:12
and to
31:13
him the
31:14
goal of
31:15
all things.
31:17
To him
31:17
be glory
31:19
forever.
31:21
Amen.
31:22
Or to
31:22
him glory
31:23
forever.
31:26
Amen.
31:26
Sounds much
31:27
like the
31:27
end of
31:28
our text
31:29
today.
31:32
Then he
31:32
goes on in
31:33
chapter 12
31:33
to talk about
31:34
the Christian
31:34
life and
31:35
the way that
31:35
life is
31:35
supposed to
31:36
bear out in
31:36
light of
31:37
all of
31:38
this truth.
31:39
And there's
31:39
a particular
31:40
emphasis
31:41
which kind
31:42
of comes to
31:42
a head in
31:43
chapter 14
31:44
and then into
31:45
chapter 15
31:46
about Christian
31:47
unity.
31:48
Bearing with
31:49
one another
31:49
in love.
31:51
Expressing love
31:52
to one another.
31:53
Building the
31:54
church.
31:55
Why?
31:55
For the
31:56
glory of
31:57
God.
31:59
Paul writes
31:59
in Romans
32:00
15
32:00
and verse
32:00
7,
32:01
Therefore,
32:02
welcome one
32:03
another as
32:04
Christ has
32:05
welcomed you
32:06
for the
32:08
glory of
32:10
God.
32:11
God would
32:12
be made
32:13
known as
32:16
glorious.
32:16
glory of
32:26
glory of
32:27
Jesus Christ.
32:31
Through this
32:31
great work
32:32
that he's
32:32
doing,
32:33
showing himself
32:34
to be
32:34
merciful in
32:35
the person
32:36
and work
32:37
of Jesus
32:38
Christ.
32:40
How is it
32:40
that God's
32:41
holiness is
32:41
most readily
32:42
displayed?
32:42
in that,
32:45
his most
32:45
lovingly
32:46
expressed act,
32:47
the person
32:48
and work
32:48
of Jesus
32:49
Christ.
32:52
Theology,
32:53
beloved,
32:53
rightly done,
32:55
always leads
32:57
to doxology.
32:59
We are not
33:00
doing theology
33:01
well if it's
33:02
just facts
33:03
and figures,
33:04
things to
33:05
debate with
33:06
one another.
33:06
It should
33:07
bring us
33:09
to praise
33:10
every single
33:11
time.
33:12
It should
33:13
bring us
33:13
to humiliate
33:14
ourselves
33:15
and a
33:15
magnification
33:16
of our
33:17
God.
33:18
All that
33:18
he's done,
33:19
all that
33:19
he's promised
33:20
to do,
33:21
his very
33:21
person,
33:23
right,
33:23
to God
33:24
glory.
33:27
It should
33:28
be our
33:28
earnest
33:29
desire to
33:29
praise God
33:30
and to
33:30
see him
33:31
praised
33:32
amongst
33:33
all
33:34
peoples.
33:36
And Paul
33:36
says,
33:38
Amen.
33:38
May it
33:40
be.
33:42
Let's pray
33:43
together.