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Romans 9:30-10:4 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

• 0:00
  Well, good morning. Please take your copy of God's Word and join me in Romans chapter 9.
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  It's very good to be here with you this morning, opening God's Word together as we continue our verse-by-verse exposition of Paul's letter to the Romans.
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  Good teachers build cases, laying one truth on top of the next, leading from point to point to aid their hearer's arrival at the truth they intend to present.
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  Paul, being carried along by the Holy Spirit, is a good teacher.
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  He has been building the case that we are justified by grace alone through faith alone in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ alone.
• 0:52
  In chapter 1, verse 16 and 17, he states his thesis for the entirety of this letter.
• 0:59
  There he says,
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  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
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  For in it, that is the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith.
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  As it is written, the righteous shall live by faith.
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  The rest of this letter is expounding on what is found in those two verses.
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  He goes on to explain that whether or not a person has God's standard in writing, they have it written on their hearts.
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  Which leaves all mankind guilty on the day of God's judgment, for we have all willingly transgressed the standard.
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  Paul states this most clearly in chapter 3, verse 10 and following as he cites the Old Testament.
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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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  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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  Beloved, this includes us.
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  Having established that all mankind is guilty before God, he then unpacks justification.
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  Justification is a declaration that one is righteous.
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  That is, never committed a sin and has perfectly kept all that's required of them.
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  And he unpacks that this is through faith alone.
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  Having been justified by faith, Paul teaches us that we continue by faith, having been set free from the enslaving power of sin.
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  He then roots comfort for our continued struggle with sin in this life in God's sovereign election, calling, justifying, and glorifying work.
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  We see this in chapter 8.
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  We find him in chapters 9 through 11 now, working out the implications of God's elective purposes for those who will not be saved.
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  Particularly, his concern is for the Jewish people.
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  Clay very helpfully worked us through the majority of chapter 9 over the past three weeks.
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  Which begins, this is chapter 9 and verse 1.
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  Paul says,
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  I am speaking the truth in Christ.
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  I am not lying.
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  My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
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  This is in response to all he has said about God's elective purpose.
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  Which is a comfort for those who are in Christ.
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  But then he turns quickly with this anguish and sorrow.
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  Verse 3 tells us why.
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  For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen, according to the flesh.
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  And he's talking there about the Jewish people who had largely rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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  We see a continuation of this sentiment in today's text.
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  Which is Romans chapter 9, verse 30, through chapter 10, and verse 4.
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  And in verse 1, he says this.
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  This is 1 of chapter 10.
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  Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.
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  While Paul loves deeply the doctrine of sovereign election, as he should and as we should,
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  this doctrine does not make him cold to those who will not repent and believe in Christ.
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  We will see this morning that God's choosing of a people for his praise does not exclude the responsibility of people
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  to respond in faith to the saving work of the gospel.
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  And this is where he turns his attention now.
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  Much of our consideration in the coming weeks will be concerning the nation of Israel.
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  But let us not merely think this morning that we are speaking of some distant others
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  and that the warnings here aren't also for us.
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  So, good teachers build cases.
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  Good teachers also anticipate and answer objections.
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  Paul being carried along by the Holy Spirit is a good teacher.
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  And he anticipates another objection at the end of chapter 9.
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  Let's read this text together.
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  Romans 9, verse 30, through 10, verse 4.
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  We remind you before we do, beloved, that 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 to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
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  Paul writes,
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  What shall we say then?
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  That Gentiles who do not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith?
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  But that Israel, who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness, did not succeed in reaching that law?
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  Why?
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  Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works.
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  They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written,
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  Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.
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  And whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.
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  Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.
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  For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
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  For being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own,
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  they did not submit to God's righteousness.
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  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
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  Now, in Romans chapter 9, verses 23 through 26,
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  Paul speaks of God making known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy,
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  which he has prepared beforehand for glory.
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  Even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles.
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  As indeed he says in Hosea,
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  Those who were not my people I will call my people,
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  and her who was not beloved I will call beloved.
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  And in the very place it was said to them,
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  You are not my people, there they will be called sons of the living God.
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  God, God, beforehand, in his sovereign election,
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  has called a people for his praise from every tribe, nation, and tongue.
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  All peoples, when you see this Jew and Gentile,
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  he's talking about the whole world.
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  It is to that declaration that Paul anticipates the objection found
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  in verse 30 through 32 right at the beginning.
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  Please know that both the chapter and verse breaks in a text are not inspired.
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  Sometimes I just disagree with where they put the breaks,
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  so I take the liberty to break it up myself.
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  So, see again, what shall we say then?
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  That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it.
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  That is a righteousness that is by faith.
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  So, those who didn't have the law and weren't seeking to obey God in any measure at all,
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  they have obtained righteousness.
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  But that Israel, verse 31,
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  who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness,
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  did not succeed in reaching that law.
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  And in the beginning of verse 32,
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  why?
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  How is this possible?
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  That Gentiles who did not pursue,
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  and Israel who did pursue,
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  are blessed differently.
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  This would have been a significant objection in the Jewish mind.
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  To show you just how deeply fixed the idea
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  that God only intended his saving work amongst Israelites,
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  I want to read to you an episode from the life of Christ,
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  which I think you'll do well to turn to with me,
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  found in Luke chapter 4.
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  So, if you could join me there.
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  Again, how deeply fixed this idea was in the Jewish mind.
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  God only intended his saving work for them.
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  That was the idea that was prevalent in the day.
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  This is Luke 4, beginning in verse 16.
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  And Jesus came to Nazareth,
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  where he had been brought up, his hometown.
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  And as was his custom,
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  he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day,
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  and he stood up to read.
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  And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.
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  He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
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  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
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  because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
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  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
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  and recovering of sight to the blind,
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  to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
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  to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
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  And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.
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  And the eyes of all the synagogue were fixed on him.
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  And he began to say to them,
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  Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.
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  He's saying,
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  I'm that one.
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  And all spoke well of him
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  and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth.
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  And they said,
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  Is not this Joseph's son?
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  And he said to them,
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  anticipating the next things they'll say,
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  Doubtless you will quote me this proverb,
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  Physician, heal yourself.
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  What we have heard you did at Capernaum,
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  do here in your hometown as well.
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  They asked him to perform miracles.
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  And he said,
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  Truly I say to you,
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  no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.
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  But in truth I tell you,
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  there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah,
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  when the heavens were shut up three years and six months,
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  and a great famine came over all the land.
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  And Elijah was sent to none of them,
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  but only to Zarephath in the land of Sidon,
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  to a woman who was a widow.
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  And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha,
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  and none of them was cleansed,
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  but only Naaman the Syrian.
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  When they heard these things,
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  all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.
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  And they rose up and drove him out of the town
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  and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built,
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  so that they could throw him down the cliff.
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  But passing through their midst,
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  he went away.
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  Now, what happens between verse 22,
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  and all who spoke well of him
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  and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth,
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  and verse 28,
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  when they heard these things,
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  all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.
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  Simply this.
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  Jesus pointed out two times
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  that God's mercy passed over Israelites
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  and was extended to Gentiles.
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  A Sidonite widow named Zarephath
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  and a Syrian leper named Naaman.
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  This is from their own scripture.
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  The Jews of Jesus and Paul's day
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  were so conditioned that God's favor had to do
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  with their lineage and their law-keeping
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  that they couldn't even entertain the idea
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  from their own holy text
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  that God would be gracious outside ethnic boundaries
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  and they considered Jesus a heretic and worthy of death.
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  That's how deep-set this type of thinking was.
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  Paul answers this objection.
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  You can join me back in Romans.
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  By pointing out the error of Israel,
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  I, as Paul does here,
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  am speaking in generalities.
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  So praise God that many Jewish people
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  have and will place saving faith in Jesus Christ.
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  We're going to explore some of this in chapter 11.
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  But Paul's concern in this text
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  and our concern for today
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  is the broad rejection of justification
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  by grace alone,
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  through faith alone,
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  in the person and completed work
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  of Jesus Christ alone.
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  Paul in his day is seeing this broad...
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  And beloved, we live in a place
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  that people should know better.
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  God's word abounds in the place
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  in which we live.
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  And yet, there is a broad rejection
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  of justification by grace alone,
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  through faith alone,
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  in Christ alone.
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  So let's look at Paul's argument
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  by framing it with the following three points.
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  Number one, Israel's ignorance
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  of the purpose of the law.
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  Number two, Israel's ignorance
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  of the point of the scripture.
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  And number three, Israel's ignorance
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  of the person of God.
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  So number one, Israel's ignorance
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  of the purpose of the law.
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  And we see this in chapter 9
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  in the rest of verse 32.
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  He asks the question, why?
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  Why?
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  And he says,
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  because they did not pursue it,
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  that is the law,
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  pursue it by faith,
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  but as if it were based on works.
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  Notice Paul says that the law,
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  the righteousness contained within,
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  believing that somehow
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  the pursuit of it would be saving.
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  We live in a glorious day
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  that we understand how it is
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  that the law is fulfilled by faith.
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  They didn't quite understood,
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  saw things as a shadow,
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  as a glimpse of what would come,
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  but it was to be pursued,
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  nonetheless, by faith.
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  Paul has established already
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  that no one has kept God's law perfectly,
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  and that the righteous requirement
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  of the law is its perfect keeping.
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  So what was to be done
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  with an expectation
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  that could not be met?
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  The Jews of his day
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  seemed to think
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  that they were meeting
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  this expectation,
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  that it was not being met.
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  Paul asks and answers this question
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  for us in Galatians chapter 3.
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  Listen to what he says there,
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  beginning in verse 21.
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  He's spoken of grace,
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  and then he asks,
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  is the law then contrary
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  to the promises of God?
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  Certainly not.
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  For if a law had been given
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  that could give life,
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  then righteousness would indeed
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  be by the law.
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  But the Scripture imprisoned
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  everything under sin
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  so that the promise by faith
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  in Jesus Christ
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  might be given to those who believe.
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  Now before faith came,
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  we were held captive under the law,
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  imprisoned until the coming faith
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  would be revealed.
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  So then the law was our guardian
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  until Christ came
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  in order that we might be justified
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  by faith.
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  The law was, and is,
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  meant to point us to the one
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  who kept the law on our behalf.
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  We're supposed to see our failure in it,
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  to recognize that we have transgressed it.
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  Every one of us
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  has not kept God's law.
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  And a single transgression of it
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  deserves the curse of death.
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  The sinless life of Jesus Christ
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  is called his active obedience,
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  and it is a vitally important part
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  of the offer of the gospel
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  for our salvation.
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  He grants to us
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  his perfect law-keeping
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  through faith.
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  Unique in all the world
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  is the grace and mercy of our God
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  who makes a requirement
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  of all who will be saved
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  and then provides
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  for all that he commands.
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  The gospel declares
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  that we must be perfect
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  to be saved
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  and then grants us perfection
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  through faith in Christ.
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  This is so incredibly important
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  to understand.
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  So important
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  that I will not grow tired
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  of saying that one is justified
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  by grace alone,
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  through faith alone,
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  in the person
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  and completed work
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  of Jesus Christ alone.
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  But I will tell you,
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  even as I say that,
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  I need to say that.
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  I need to declare that
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  to the church.
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  I will not grow tired
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  of saying this
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  because sometimes
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  I am tempted
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  to grow tired
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  of saying it.
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  We need spines of steel
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  when it comes to declaring
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  these great truths.
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  The law is meant to show us
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  that we need God's grace
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  that's given to us
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  as a gift through faith
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  and that Christ accomplished
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  all that we need
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  that we might be saved.
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  We're confessional as a church.
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  We believe that it's important
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  to draw together
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  what the Bible teaches
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  about particular things
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  that we might put it
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  in our minds
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  and live accordingly.
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  And so we do things
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  like recite catechisms together.
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  Some of you may be familiar
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  with the New City Catechism.
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  It's one that we do
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  with our children quite often.
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  Question and answer 15 says this,
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  Since no one can keep the law,
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  what is its purpose?
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  And then very succinctly stated
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  that we may know
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  the holy nature of God
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  and the sinful nature
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  of our hearts
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  and thus our need of a Savior.
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  The law is meant
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  to have us looking
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  for some way
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  in which the law
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  will be fulfilled.
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  Now we live in a Western culture
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  and Western logic
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  is very linear.
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  I'm grateful for the New Testament.
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  The Greeks were very linear.
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  This is the heritage
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  that we receive
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  in the way that we logic
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  through things.
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  But Eastern logic
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  is very circular
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  and I don't mean that
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  as a cut to Eastern logic.
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  The Old Testament
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  being written in Hebrew
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  has a much more
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  circular logic to it.
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  That is,
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  the Old Testament says,
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  not this,
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  not this,
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  not this,
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  not this,
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  not this.
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  And it's leading us to,
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  well then what?
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  Well then,
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  what?
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  And we're supposed
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  to arrive
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  at this realization
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  that the Messiah
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  is this one,
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  Jesus Christ.
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  And the New Testament
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  unfolds
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  all of that
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  for us.
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  Israel was
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  ignorant
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  ignorant
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  of the purpose
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  of the law.
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  They thought
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  that by keeping it,
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  by some measure,
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  they could gain
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  God's favor.
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  All kinds of people
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  think this way
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  today.
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  They want to put
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  their works
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  on a scale.
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  The good
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  versus the bad
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  and they hope
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  that the one
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  outweighs
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  the other.
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  If you ask
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  the average person
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  if they'll go to heaven,
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  they'll say,
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  well,
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  I think so
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  because I think
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  I'm a good
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  person.
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  And the gospel
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  says,
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  Romans says,
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  no,
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  you're not.
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  You do not
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  deserve heaven.
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  You do not
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  deserve restored
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  relationship
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  with God.
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  But,
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  and that's such
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  an important
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  conjunction,
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  God,
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  because He's
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  gracious
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  and He is
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  merciful,
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  has made a way
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  by grace alone
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  through faith alone
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  in the person
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  and completed
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  work of Jesus
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  Christ alone.
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  It could be said
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  we are saved
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  by works,
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  but not our own,
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  the works
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  of another,
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  the work of Christ.
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  Secondly,
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  notice Israel's
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  ignorance
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  of the point
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  of the Scripture.
• 21:52
  Notice this
• 21:52
  in chapter 9,
• 21:53
  the very end
• 21:53
  of verse 32
• 21:54
  and into verse 33.
• 21:57
  There Paul says,
• 21:57
  they have stumbled
• 21:58
  over the stumbling stone.
• 22:00
  As it is written,
• 22:01
  behold,
• 22:01
  I am laying in Zion
• 22:02
  a stone of stumbling
• 22:04
  and a rock of offense
• 22:05
  and whoever believes
• 22:06
  in Him
• 22:07
  will not
• 22:08
  be put to shame.
• 22:10
  Now,
• 22:10
  what he's explaining
• 22:12
  is what he has
• 22:13
  just said.
• 22:14
  Right?
• 22:14
  He's helping us
• 22:15
  to understand
• 22:17
  this is according
• 22:17
  to the Scripture.
• 22:19
  Right?
• 22:20
  And we see
• 22:20
  God's elective purpose
• 22:22
  in this.
• 22:22
  They've stumbled
• 22:23
  over Christ.
• 22:25
  Rather than
• 22:25
  laying Him
• 22:26
  as the foundation
• 22:27
  for their hope
• 22:28
  of the future,
• 22:29
  they have stumbled
• 22:30
  over Him.
• 22:32
  But,
• 22:33
  I say this,
• 22:34
  Israel's ignorant
• 22:35
  of the point
• 22:36
  of Scripture
• 22:37
  because the Jewish
• 22:39
  people had the Bible
• 22:40
  of their day,
• 22:41
  the Old Testament,
• 22:42
  and would have known
• 22:43
  what God had said
• 22:44
  to the prophet Isaiah,
• 22:46
  which is the citation
• 22:47
  found here
• 22:48
  in verse 33.
• 22:49
  It's a bringing together
• 22:50
  of a number of texts
• 22:52
  from Isaiah.
• 22:54
  Isaiah.
• 22:55
  All of the Scripture
• 22:56
  is meant to lead us
• 22:57
  to Christ.
• 22:59
  And you will not
• 23:00
  be able to plead
• 23:01
  ignorance
• 23:02
  on the day of judgment.
• 23:05
  We can read
• 23:06
  of another episode
• 23:06
  in Jesus' life,
• 23:08
  this time
• 23:09
  after His resurrection
• 23:11
  in Luke chapter 24.
• 23:14
  There we see recorded
• 23:15
  that very day
• 23:16
  two disciples
• 23:17
  were going to a village
• 23:19
  named Emmaus,
• 23:20
  about seven miles
• 23:22
  from Jerusalem.
• 23:23
  And they were talking
• 23:24
  with each other
• 23:24
  about all these things
• 23:25
  that had happened
• 23:26
  while they were talking
• 23:27
  and discussing together.
• 23:28
  Jesus Himself drew near
• 23:29
  and went with Him,
• 23:30
  but their eyes were kept
• 23:32
  from recognizing Him.
• 23:34
  And He said to them,
• 23:35
  What is this conversation
• 23:36
  that you are holding
• 23:37
  with each other
• 23:37
  as you walk?
• 23:39
  And they stood still
• 23:40
  looking sad.
• 23:43
  Then one of them,
• 23:43
  named Cleopas,
• 23:44
  answered Him,
• 23:46
  Are you the only visitor
• 23:47
  to Jerusalem
• 23:47
  who does not know
• 23:48
  the things that have
• 23:48
  happened there
• 23:49
  in these days?
• 23:51
  And He said to them,
• 23:52
  What things?
• 23:54
  And they said to Him,
• 23:55
  concerning Jesus of Nazareth,
• 23:56
  a man who was a prophet,
• 23:58
  mighty in deed
• 23:58
  and word before God
• 24:00
  and all the people,
• 24:01
  and how our chief priests
• 24:03
  and rulers delivered Him
• 24:04
  up to be condemned to death
• 24:05
  and crucified Him.
• 24:07
  But we had hoped
• 24:08
  that He was the one
• 24:09
  to redeem Israel.
• 24:11
  Yes, and besides all this,
• 24:12
  it is now the third day
• 24:13
  since these things happened.
• 24:16
  Moreover,
• 24:16
  some women of our company
• 24:17
  amazed us.
• 24:18
  They were at the tomb
• 24:19
  early in the morning,
• 24:20
  and when they did not
• 24:21
  find His body,
• 24:21
  they came back saying
• 24:22
  that they had even seen
• 24:23
  a vision of angels
• 24:24
  who said that He was alive.
• 24:27
  Some of those
• 24:28
  who were with us
• 24:29
  went to the tomb
• 24:29
  and found it just
• 24:30
  as the women had said,
• 24:32
  but Him they did not see.
• 24:35
  And He said to them,
• 24:37
  O foolish ones,
• 24:38
  and slow of heart
• 24:39
  to believe all
• 24:40
  that the prophets
• 24:41
  have spoken.
• 24:43
  Was it not necessary
• 24:45
  that the Christ
• 24:45
  should suffer these things
• 24:47
  and enter into His glory?
• 24:50
  And before I read
• 24:51
  the last verse
• 24:51
  I intend to read
• 24:52
  from Luke 24,
• 24:53
  I just want to say
• 24:54
  between this episode
• 24:56
  and the transfiguration,
• 24:58
  there's debate in my mind
• 24:59
  which I would have
• 25:00
  rather been at.
• 25:02
  Verse 27 says,
• 25:03
  And beginning with Moses
• 25:05
  and all the prophets,
• 25:07
  He interpreted to them
• 25:08
  in all the scriptures
• 25:10
  the things concerning Himself.
• 25:14
  Notice that they are
• 25:15
  weak of heart.
• 25:17
  They stood,
• 25:18
  they are sad,
• 25:19
  they are not so sure
• 25:21
  about the resurrection.
• 25:23
  He calls them foolish
• 25:24
  and slow of heart
• 25:26
  to believe
• 25:27
  and then He takes them
• 25:28
  to the text
• 25:29
  and He walks them
• 25:31
  through the Old Testament
• 25:33
  showing them
• 25:34
  that He is in fact
• 25:36
  the Christ.
• 25:40
  God will hold you accountable
• 25:42
  to what can be seen
• 25:44
  of Him
• 25:44
  and His saving work
• 25:45
  through Christ
• 25:46
  in this precious text.
• 25:50
  You will be accountable
• 25:52
  on that day.
• 25:52
  He has spoken,
• 25:54
  you and I do well
• 25:56
  to listen.
• 25:59
  May Christ for us
• 26:00
  not be a rock
• 26:01
  that has stumbled over
• 26:02
  but the sure foundation
• 26:03
  of our deliverance.
• 26:06
  I am grateful
• 26:07
  to be part
• 26:07
  of a Christian tradition
• 26:08
  that takes
• 26:09
  the Bible seriously
• 26:10
  and to help
• 26:12
  pastor a church
• 26:13
  that takes
• 26:13
  the Bible seriously
• 26:15
  but we must know
• 26:17
  that a constant
• 26:18
  nagging temptation
• 26:20
  for those who reverence
• 26:21
  God's Word
• 26:22
  and see good
• 26:23
  in His commands
• 26:24
  is to drift off
• 26:25
  into legalism.
• 26:28
  To begin thinking
• 26:29
  once again
• 26:30
  that we could ever
• 26:31
  have that same purpose.
• 26:33
  We can lose sight
• 26:34
  that people are saved
• 26:36
  by grace alone
• 26:37
  through faith alone
• 26:37
  in Christ alone.
• 26:40
  Jesus condemns
• 26:41
  the Pharisees
• 26:42
  who were the legalists
• 26:44
  of His day
• 26:44
  for this very thing.
• 26:48
  Listen to the indictment
• 26:49
  of John chapter 5
• 26:50
  verse 39 and 40.
• 26:53
  There He says,
• 26:54
  You search the Scriptures
• 26:56
  because you think
• 26:58
  that in them
• 26:58
  you have eternal life
• 27:00
  and it is they
• 27:01
  that bear witness
• 27:02
  about Me
• 27:04
  that you refuse
• 27:06
  to come to Me
• 27:06
  that you may have life.
• 27:10
  You seek to follow
• 27:11
  the rules from the text
• 27:13
  and yet those rules
• 27:15
  are supposed to show you
• 27:16
  your need of Me
• 27:18
  that you would come
• 27:19
  and believe
• 27:20
  in the Gospel.
• 27:24
  Thirdly,
• 27:25
  notice Israel's
• 27:27
  ignorance
• 27:28
  of the person
• 27:29
  of God.
• 27:31
  So we jump down
• 27:31
  into chapter 10 now
• 27:33
  verses 2 through 4.
• 27:36
  I bear them witness.
• 27:39
  He desires
• 27:39
  that they would be saved
• 27:40
  because I bear witness
• 27:41
  they have a zeal
• 27:43
  for God.
• 27:45
  They're energetic
• 27:46
  toward God
• 27:48
  but not
• 27:50
  according to knowledge.
• 27:52
  The Jewish people
• 27:53
  had made a God
• 27:54
  of their own invention
• 27:55
  and they weren't
• 27:57
  coming to Him
• 27:57
  on His
• 27:58
  terms.
• 27:59
  For
• 28:01
  being ignorant
• 28:02
  of the righteousness
• 28:03
  of God
• 28:05
  or of
• 28:05
  God's righteousness
• 28:07
  and seeking
• 28:08
  to establish
• 28:09
  their own
• 28:10
  they did not
• 28:10
  submit
• 28:11
  to God's righteousness
• 28:12
  for Christ
• 28:14
  is the end
• 28:15
  of the law
• 28:16
  for righteousness
• 28:17
  to everyone
• 28:19
  who believes.
• 28:21
  They had failed
• 28:22
  to see
• 28:24
  that God
• 28:25
  is
• 28:26
  the standard
• 28:27
  that His
• 28:28
  righteousness
• 28:29
  has been
• 28:29
  explained to us
• 28:30
  in the law
• 28:32
  and therefore
• 28:33
  their zeal
• 28:35
  was not
• 28:36
  according
• 28:36
  to knowledge.
• 28:40
  Notice
• 28:40
  Isaiah chapter 6
• 28:42
  I'm thankful
• 28:43
  Ernie referenced
• 28:44
  this in his
• 28:44
  prayer of praise
• 28:46
  this morning.
• 28:47
  Isaiah
• 28:48
  sees a vision
• 28:49
  of holy God.
• 28:52
  In the year
• 28:52
  that King Uzziah
• 28:53
  died I saw
• 28:54
  the Lord
• 28:54
  sitting upon
• 28:55
  a throne
• 28:56
  high and lifted up
• 28:57
  and the train
• 28:58
  of His robe
• 28:59
  filled the temple.
• 29:01
  Above Him
• 29:02
  stood the seraphim
• 29:03
  each had six
• 29:04
  wings which two
• 29:05
  He covered His face
• 29:06
  and with two
• 29:06
  He covered His feet
• 29:07
  and with two
• 29:08
  He flew.
• 29:10
  And one called
• 29:10
  to another
• 29:11
  and said
• 29:11
  holy
• 29:12
  holy
• 29:13
  holy
• 29:14
  holy
• 29:14
  that three
• 29:15
  time repetition
• 29:16
  means perfectly
• 29:17
  righteous
• 29:18
  righteous
• 29:18
  righteous
• 29:19
  is the Lord
• 29:19
  of hosts
• 29:20
  the whole
• 29:21
  earth
• 29:21
  is full
• 29:22
  of His glory
• 29:24
  and the foundations
• 29:25
  of the threshold
• 29:26
  shook at the voice
• 29:27
  of Him
• 29:28
  who called
• 29:29
  and the house
• 29:29
  was filled
• 29:31
  with smoke.
• 29:32
  And here is
• 29:33
  Isaiah's response.
• 29:35
  This is zeal for God
• 29:37
  according to
• 29:38
  knowledge.
• 29:40
  He says
• 29:41
  woe is me
• 29:43
  for I am lost
• 29:45
  for I am a man
• 29:46
  of unclean lips
• 29:48
  and I dwell
• 29:48
  in the midst
• 29:49
  of a people
• 29:50
  of unclean lips
• 29:52
  for my eyes
• 29:53
  have seen
• 29:54
  the King
• 29:55
  the Lord
• 29:56
  of hosts.
• 29:58
  What is
• 29:58
  wrought in Him
• 30:00
  by this vision
• 30:01
  of God's holiness
• 30:02
  is humility.
• 30:05
  Worship
• 30:06
  according
• 30:06
  to knowledge.
• 30:08
  He sees
• 30:08
  His need
• 30:10
  of cleanliness
• 30:11
  to be made
• 30:12
  clean.
• 30:14
  And if you read
• 30:14
  on in Isaiah
• 30:15
  He is
• 30:15
  and He is sent
• 30:16
  He is commissioned
• 30:17
  by God
• 30:17
  to be a messenger
• 30:18
  of the good news
• 30:20
  of Christ.
• 30:23
  Isaiah
• 30:23
  more than any other
• 30:24
  prophet speaks
• 30:25
  of the coming
• 30:26
  Messiah.
• 30:28
  So note that response
• 30:29
  right?
• 30:30
  A zeal for God
• 30:31
  begins
• 30:31
  with this
• 30:32
  humility.
• 30:35
  Another place
• 30:35
  that we can witness
• 30:36
  this
• 30:36
  is Luke
• 30:37
  chapter 18
• 30:38
  this is
• 30:38
  verse 9
• 30:39
  and following
• 30:40
  Jesus tells
• 30:40
  a parable
• 30:41
  to some
• 30:41
  who trusted
• 30:42
  in themselves
• 30:43
  that they were
• 30:44
  righteous
• 30:45
  and treated
• 30:45
  others
• 30:46
  with contempt.
• 30:49
  Two men
• 30:49
  went up
• 30:50
  into the temple
• 30:50
  to pray
• 30:51
  one a Pharisee
• 30:53
  and the other
• 30:54
  a tax collector.
• 30:56
  The Pharisee
• 30:56
  standing by
• 30:57
  himself
• 30:58
  prayed
• 30:58
  thus.
• 30:59
  Look how
• 30:59
  contradictory
• 30:59
  this is
• 31:00
  to the
• 31:00
  response
• 31:01
  of Isaiah.
• 31:02
  God I
• 31:03
  thank you
• 31:03
  that I
• 31:04
  am not
• 31:04
  like other
• 31:05
  men
• 31:05
  extortioners
• 31:06
  unjust
• 31:07
  adulterers
• 31:08
  or even
• 31:09
  like this
• 31:09
  tax collector.
• 31:11
  I fast
• 31:12
  twice a week
• 31:13
  I give
• 31:14
  tithes
• 31:14
  of all
• 31:15
  that I
• 31:16
  get.
• 31:17
  But the
• 31:17
  tax collector
• 31:18
  standing
• 31:18
  far off
• 31:19
  will not
• 31:19
  even lift
• 31:20
  up his
• 31:21
  eyes to
• 31:21
  heaven
• 31:22
  but beat
• 31:23
  his breast
• 31:23
  saying
• 31:24
  God
• 31:25
  be merciful
• 31:26
  to me
• 31:27
  a sinner.
• 31:29
  And then
• 31:29
  Jesus says
• 31:30
  I tell you
• 31:30
  this man
• 31:31
  went down
• 31:31
  to his
• 31:31
  house
• 31:32
  justified
• 31:32
  rather than
• 31:34
  the other.
• 31:36
  For everyone
• 31:36
  who exalts
• 31:37
  himself
• 31:37
  will be
• 31:37
  humbled
• 31:38
  but the
• 31:38
  one who
• 31:39
  humbles
• 31:39
  himself
• 31:40
  will be
• 31:40
  exalted.
• 31:42
  In this
• 31:43
  parable
• 31:43
  the tax
• 31:43
  selector
• 31:44
  comes
• 31:44
  by grace
• 31:45
  alone
• 31:46
  through
• 31:46
  faith
• 31:47
  alone
• 31:47
  in
• 31:48
  Christ
• 31:48
  alone.
• 31:49
  The
• 31:49
  Pharisee
• 31:50
  comes
• 31:50
  on his
• 31:51
  own
• 31:52
  merit
• 31:52
  and is
• 31:53
  not
• 31:53
  justified.
• 31:57
  Again
• 31:57
  speaking of
• 31:58
  these
• 32:00
  Pharisees
• 32:01
  and I'm
• 32:02
  driving at
• 32:03
  this because
• 32:03
  I think
• 32:03
  there's
• 32:04
  such a
• 32:04
  danger
• 32:05
  of that
• 32:05
  for us.
• 32:07
  Matthew
• 32:07
  chapter
• 32:07
  23
• 32:08
  verse
• 32:09
  27
• 32:10
  and 28
• 32:10
  Jesus
• 32:10
  says
• 32:11
  woe
• 32:12
  to you
• 32:12
  scribes
• 32:14
  and
• 32:14
  Pharisees
• 32:15
  hypocrites
• 32:16
  for you
• 32:17
  are like
• 32:18
  whitewashed
• 32:19
  tombs
• 32:19
  which
• 32:19
  outwardly
• 32:20
  appear
• 32:21
  beautiful
• 32:21
  but within
• 32:22
  are full
• 32:23
  of dead
• 32:24
  people's
• 32:24
  bones
• 32:25
  and all
• 32:26
  uncluenliness
• 32:27
  so you
• 32:28
  also
• 32:29
  outwardly
• 32:29
  appear
• 32:29
  righteous
• 32:30
  to others
• 32:31
  but within
• 32:32
  you are
• 32:33
  full
• 32:33
  of hypocrisy
• 32:34
  and lawlessness
• 32:36
  so if we
• 32:38
  are to go
• 32:39
  to God
• 32:39
  if we
• 32:39
  have a
• 32:40
  zeal
• 32:40
  for God
• 32:40
  which I
• 32:41
  commend
• 32:41
  it must
• 32:42
  be
• 32:42
  according
• 32:43
  to knowledge
• 32:44
  we must
• 32:45
  come to
• 32:46
  him
• 32:46
  on his
• 32:47
  terms
• 32:48
  we must
• 32:48
  recognize
• 32:48
  that we
• 32:49
  have
• 32:49
  nothing
• 32:50
  to offer
• 32:50
  to our
• 32:50
  salvation
• 32:51
  but humility
• 32:52
  of heart
• 32:53
  and the
• 32:54
  faith
• 32:54
  that he
• 32:55
  gifts
• 32:56
  so an
• 32:59
  application
• 32:59
  for closing
• 33:00
  if you
• 33:01
  have yet
• 33:01
  to place
• 33:02
  saving
• 33:02
  faith
• 33:03
  in Jesus
• 33:04
  Christ
• 33:04
  maybe this
• 33:05
  morning you
• 33:05
  find yourself
• 33:05
  trusting in
• 33:06
  your own
• 33:07
  works
• 33:08
  it resonated
• 33:09
  with you
• 33:10
  when I said
• 33:10
  people put
• 33:10
  things on a
• 33:11
  scale and
• 33:11
  hope that
• 33:12
  they have
• 33:13
  been good
• 33:14
  enough
• 33:15
  this text
• 33:16
  teaches that
• 33:17
  if you will
• 33:17
  cease laboring
• 33:19
  to justify
• 33:19
  yourself
• 33:20
  and rather
• 33:21
  place all
• 33:22
  of your
• 33:22
  hope in
• 33:23
  the personal
• 33:23
  work of
• 33:24
  Jesus Christ
• 33:25
  then you
• 33:26
  will be
• 33:26
  saved from
• 33:27
  the eternal
• 33:28
  consequence
• 33:28
  of your
• 33:30
  sin
• 33:30
  you will
• 33:31
  not be
• 33:32
  put to
• 33:33
  shame
• 33:33
  if you
• 33:34
  trust
• 33:34
  in Christ
• 33:36
  if you
• 33:37
  have placed
• 33:38
  saving
• 33:39
  faith in
• 33:40
  Jesus Christ
• 33:40
  church
• 33:41
  this text
• 33:43
  teaches both
• 33:43
  the sovereignty
• 33:44
  of God
• 33:45
  and salvation
• 33:45
  and the
• 33:46
  human
• 33:47
  responsibility
• 33:47
  to believe
• 33:48
  the gospel
• 33:50
  both things
• 33:51
  are being
• 33:51
  taught right
• 33:52
  here in
• 33:52
  this text
• 33:53
  the sovereignty
• 33:54
  of God
• 33:54
  and salvation
• 33:55
  his eternal
• 33:56
  purpose of
• 33:56
  election
• 33:56
  and the
• 33:58
  human
• 33:58
  responsibility
• 33:58
  to believe
• 34:00
  the gospel
• 34:01
  both truths
• 34:02
  are to be
• 34:03
  believed
• 34:04
  they are
• 34:05
  important for
• 34:06
  us
• 34:06
  otherwise
• 34:07
  they would
• 34:07
  not be
• 34:08
  taught
• 34:09
  Charles
• 34:11
  Spurgeon
• 34:11
  once said
• 34:12
  this is on
• 34:12
  the back
• 34:12
  of your
• 34:13
  bulletin
• 34:13
  it's the
• 34:14
  same historic
• 34:15
  quotation
• 34:15
  found there
• 34:16
  last week
• 34:16
  but Clay
• 34:17
  didn't reference
• 34:17
  it
• 34:17
  and so
• 34:18
  it's just
• 34:19
  too good
• 34:19
  not to
• 34:19
  read it
• 34:19
  so I
• 34:20
  left it
• 34:20
  in place
• 34:22
  he said
• 34:23
  this
• 34:23
  two truths
• 34:25
  cannot be
• 34:26
  contradictory
• 34:26
  to each
• 34:27
  other
• 34:27
  two truths
• 34:28
  cannot be
• 34:29
  contradictory
• 34:29
  to each
• 34:30
  other
• 34:30
  if then
• 34:31
  I find
• 34:32
  taught
• 34:32
  in one
• 34:32
  place
• 34:33
  that
• 34:33
  everything
• 34:33
  is
• 34:33
  foreordained
• 34:34
  that is
• 34:35
  true
• 34:36
  and if
• 34:37
  I find
• 34:37
  in another
• 34:38
  place
• 34:38
  that man
• 34:39
  is responsible
• 34:39
  for all
• 34:40
  his actions
• 34:41
  that
• 34:41
  is true
• 34:43
  both
• 34:44
  things are
• 34:44
  taught in
• 34:44
  scripture
• 34:45
  and it
• 34:46
  is my
• 34:47
  folly
• 34:47
  that leads
• 34:48
  me to
• 34:48
  imagine
• 34:49
  that two
• 34:49
  truths
• 34:50
  can ever
• 34:51
  contradict
• 34:51
  each other
• 34:53
  we sometimes
• 34:55
  feel that
• 34:56
  right
• 34:56
  it feels
• 34:57
  contradictory
• 34:57
  to me
• 34:58
  but that's
• 34:58
  my
• 34:59
  that's my
• 34:59
  folly
• 35:00
  not the
• 35:01
  truth
• 35:01
  proclaimed
• 35:01
  so both
• 35:02
  truths are
• 35:03
  to be
• 35:04
  believed
• 35:05
  and finally
• 35:07
  this text
• 35:08
  teaches
• 35:08
  that there
• 35:09
  is a
• 35:10
  way
• 35:10
  to be
• 35:11
  saved
• 35:11
  praise
• 35:12
  god
• 35:12
  we don't
• 35:14
  have to
• 35:14
  stay
• 35:16
  in our
• 35:16
  sin
• 35:16
  there's a
• 35:17
  way to
• 35:17
  be saved
• 35:18
  by grace
• 35:19
  alone
• 35:19
  through faith
• 35:21
  alone
• 35:21
  in the
• 35:21
  person
• 35:22
  and completed
• 35:22
  work of
• 35:23
  Jesus
• 35:23
  Christ
• 35:24
  alone
• 35:25
  so we
• 35:26
  must
• 35:27
  maintain
• 35:27
  this
• 35:28
  truth
• 35:28
  and we
• 35:29
  must
• 35:29
  proclaim
• 35:30
  it
• 35:30
  boldly
• 35:31
  I told
• 35:33
  you at
• 35:33
  the outset
• 35:34
  of our
• 35:34
  study of
• 35:34
  Romans
• 35:35
  that
• 35:35
  a
• 35:35
  reason
• 35:36
  we
• 35:36
  determined
• 35:36
  to
• 35:37
  study
• 35:37
  this
• 35:38
  text
• 35:38
  is to
• 35:38
  remind
• 35:39
  us
• 35:39
  of
• 35:39
  the
• 35:40
  hill
• 35:40
  that
• 35:40
  we
• 35:41
  are
• 35:41
  meant
• 35:41
  to
• 35:42
  die
• 35:42
  upon
• 35:43
  there
• 35:44
  seems
• 35:44
  to be
• 35:44
  so
• 35:45
  many
• 35:45
  lesser
• 35:46
  truths
• 35:46
  being
• 35:47
  challenged
• 35:47
  and
• 35:47
  debated
• 35:48
  as
• 35:48
  distractions
• 35:49
  from the
• 35:50
  gospel
• 35:50
  of
• 35:51
  Jesus
• 35:51
  Christ
• 35:52
  may we
• 35:53
  not get
• 35:54
  confused
• 35:54
  between
• 35:55
  the
• 35:55
  gospel
• 35:56
  and
• 35:57
  gospel
• 35:57
  implications
• 35:58
  we
• 36:00
  need
• 36:00
  to
• 36:00
  stand
• 36:01
  shoulder
• 36:01
  to
• 36:02
  shoulder
• 36:02
  arm
• 36:03
  in
• 36:03
  arm
• 36:03
  on the
• 36:03
  hill
• 36:04
  of
• 36:05
  justification
• 36:05
  by grace
• 36:06
  alone
• 36:06
  through faith
• 36:07
  alone
• 36:07
  in the
• 36:07
  person
• 36:08
  and
• 36:08
  completed
• 36:08
  work
• 36:09
  of
• 36:09
  Jesus
• 36:09
  Christ
• 36:10
  alone
• 36:11
  let's
• 36:13
  pray
• 36:13
  together
• 36:13
  as