WEBVTT 00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:11.599 Paul's using Abraham here in his argument, right? 00:00:11.679 --> 00:00:26.480 And this is this argument that he's gone through the first three chapters and still continues, uh, because not only is Abraham a clear picture of faith apart from works, but Abraham is the patriarchal identifier of the Jewish people for their chosen state. 00:00:26.559 --> 00:00:29.679 Let's look at John chapter 8, verses 34 through 39. 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:30.480 Jesus says this. 00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:36.479 Jesus answered them, Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:40.079 The slave does not remain in the house forever, the son remains forever. 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:43.520 So if the son sets you free, you'll be free indeed. 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:49.439 I know that you are offspring of Abraham, yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. 00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:54.719 I speak of what I have seen with my father, and you do what you have heard from your father. 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:58.079 They answered him, Abraham is our father. 00:00:58.320 --> 00:01:04.000 Jesus said to them, If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did. 00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:19.439 So here Jesus finds his conflict with the religious leaders of his day, again, at identity and understanding why he's there and the gospel message that he's preaching and how they've strayed from what God had always intended for his people to live. 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:22.799 And he's pointing out that you're practicing sin. 00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:29.120 You're not connected to the Father through the Son, which is me, Jesus is still kind of working to reveal who he is. 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:36.959 And even in John 8, that same chapter, verse 56, Jesus alludes to that that Abraham actually heard the gospel message. 00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:42.959 He says, Abraham rejoiced in my day, in the coming of my day, and he has surely seen it. 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:51.439 And so this illusion that Abraham believed the gospel of God is there and given. 00:01:51.599 --> 00:01:53.920 But they want to tout Abraham's our father. 00:01:54.079 --> 00:01:55.040 How is Abraham our father? 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:56.640 Well, through circumcision. 00:01:56.799 --> 00:02:00.319 This is what makes us identified with God's people. 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:09.599 But here Paul brings back the point that if we are to be justified by our works, we would have something to boast about, but not before God. 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:10.080 Why? 00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:17.360 Because before a holy God, no man can stand, yet alone boast of his accomplishments. 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:17.840 Right? 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:37.680 When we look at the presence of God and his holiness, when we see this through an Old Testament perspective, they have this place within the temple called the Holy of Holies, and that they could only enter into that at a certain period of the calendar where they had to do all these rituals and all these rites, and only the high priest could go in there. 00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:42.479 And if they did one thing wrong, he would die in the presence of God. 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:47.520 And so they would actually tie bells around their ankles and a rope that they could yank them out on it. 00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:50.960 So if they hear, you know, jing, I don't, how do you make a bell noise? 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:51.599 Not like that. 00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:52.400 Not prrrr. 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:53.520 That's not how you make a bell. 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:55.919 But if they heard that, they're like, all right, tug them out. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:57.120 The dude's dead, right? 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:00.400 So we can't stand before holy God. 00:03:00.800 --> 00:03:08.560 Uh God is so holy that man cannot stand, let alone boast of his accomplishments before him. 00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:12.400 You see, holy means this total otherness. 00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:19.280 Not something just simply set apart, but transcendent beyond all created things. 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:30.960 God is so totally other, so holy that we can't even begin to comprehend the majesty and glory of which he embodies in himself. 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:36.159 And so when we try to bring something of our own works, of our own boasting, this is what Paul says. 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:42.240 He says, if he was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:49.280 Paul continues to point us to the sufficiency of Scripture for life, truth, and understanding. 00:03:49.520 --> 00:03:52.240 And this is a vital thing that Paul does constantly. 00:03:52.400 --> 00:03:54.960 He points us to the sufficiency of the scriptures. 00:03:55.280 --> 00:03:56.719 He's not creating something new. 00:03:56.960 --> 00:03:58.240 This isn't a new idea. 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:00.080 This isn't a new philosophy. 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:03.840 This isn't something birthed out of emotion or critical theory. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:11.520 This is something that is birthed out of the sufficiency of the scriptures for all of life and faith. 00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:14.800 And so this is vital for us as the church today. 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:21.040 The number one thing that's going to be attacked in our culture is are the scriptures sufficient? 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:25.519 And secondarily, that that's not even the total total of it. 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:29.120 Are the scriptures the authoritative word of God? 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:34.959 So now you have these two questions that our culture is going to hold us in contempt against. 00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:37.600 Is God's word actually the Bible? 00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:39.279 Is the Bible actually God's word? 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:42.240 And two, is that word sufficient? 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:48.240 And it's creeping into culture, but it's or it's flooding into culture, but then creeping into the church. 00:04:48.480 --> 00:04:54.879 That God's word is not authoritative, but even so not sufficient. 00:04:55.199 --> 00:05:01.199 Paul uses the scriptures in a way that upholds its sufficiency. 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:04.000 He points back to Genesis 15 6. 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:08.639 He says, this is something that the Lord has given to us and shown to us from the very beginning. 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:14.079 The scriptures say Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:16.399 Again, that's Genesis 15, 6. 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:24.079 We're not pointed to opinion, philosophy, emotion, but to the sufficient word of God. 00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:31.199 Then we're brought into this illustrative lesson that helps us further grasp the concept of grace. 00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:36.319 He talks about this one who he works, and so then you pay him for what is due to him. 00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:37.920 He earns his wages. 00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:45.839 And he contradicts that to someone who doesn't work but trusts God, and therefore he receives grace. 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:50.000 He's able to be counted as righteousness because he believed God. 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:58.399 You see, since our wages for unrighteousness is death, we must be extended grace to have life. 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:02.639 At the end of the day, you and I don't want to get paid for what we deserve. 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:05.279 And we have to realize that. 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:27.439 When Paul worked through two and three to set up that everything we do apart from the Spirit of God, everything we do apart from the saving grace of Jesus is a work of unrighteousness, we have to come to the conclusion at the end of our life, we don't want to get paid the wages that we deserve. 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:29.759 You and I want grace. 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:40.319 If we were to get what we deserve, if we were to be paid what we were owed, then we would only be paid in wrath and judgment. 00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:46.240 Romans 6 23 says this for the wages of sin is death. 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:52.319 But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:57.040 And so Paul's trying to help us understand. 00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:04.560 Look, if you really wanted to be paid for your works, realize that wrath and judgment are your due. 00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:17.040 But if you wanted life, you need grace because your works will never accomplish or earn for yourself the gift or the eternal life you seek after. 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:21.759 That's only given to us by grace through faith. 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:33.600 You see, when we approach God through faith, belief, and not through our works, Paul says that our righteousness, that the righteousness of Jesus, righteousness is credited to us. 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:37.600 Now let's talk about these two things faith and credit. 00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:38.800 Faith and credit. 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:42.319 So faith is trust in God and his promises. 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:43.839 What happened was this. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:51.439 So Abraham, God called Abraham, he chased him down, he made him uh to be one of his own, right? 00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:56.800 He called him out, he said, Abraham, through you I'm going to make you the father of many nations. 00:07:56.879 --> 00:07:57.839 I'm gonna bless you. 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:03.680 And then there's a seed that's gonna come forward, who's gonna be the Messiah, the salvation of my people. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:05.360 And so what did Abraham do? 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:09.439 Abraham heard the promises of God and he trusted him. 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:17.759 He believed him, and that faith counted toward Abraham as righteousness before he ever did any work. 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:21.360 Faith in some ways is like, let me try to do it through an analogy, right? 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:23.279 Through, think about a stunt man. 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:30.879 So you have a stunt man on set, he's filming a movie, and they say, Hey, look, uh, for this scene, we you have to jump off this 20-story building. 00:08:31.040 --> 00:08:34.960 And the stunt man says, Okay, all right, well, let me see, what am I jumping into, right? 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:45.440 And so they go, well, here's here's the here's the bag, and he's looking at the bag, the stunt bag, he's seeing like the brand name, like it's not a bunch of consonants that he can't spell, it's like a maiden US, a good bag, right? 00:08:45.600 --> 00:08:48.159 Uh uh and he's like, Okay, this is a good bag. 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:51.279 It seems sturdy, it seems like it's going to do serve its purpose, right? 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:57.440 It what the bag does is promises that if he jumps off this building, he's gonna land safely and alive. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:02.720 So the guy gets up to the top of the 20-story building and he hurls himself off. 00:09:02.879 --> 00:09:05.919 Now, where did faith come into play? 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:16.720 Faith came into play when he saw that the promises that this bag was giving to him were sufficient, that they were something that could be counted on. 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:24.159 The faith wasn't in the hurling of his uh off the building, the faith was in trusting that the bag was going to do what it said it was going to do. 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:28.720 Faith, trust came before the action of him jumping off the building. 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:39.679 And then so much so that it was nothing about the stunt man, but it was everything about the bag doing what it said it would do as he hurled himself off and landed safely to the ground. 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:41.919 This is what faith looks like in us. 00:09:42.080 --> 00:09:43.120 We, God speaks. 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:44.480 He says, This is what I promise. 00:09:44.639 --> 00:09:53.519 If you if you live this life, if you make the jump to live this life that I've called you to live, these are the promises that I'm gonna make towards you. 00:09:53.679 --> 00:10:01.440 That that I will be for your good, that I will never leave you or forsake you, that I will bring you into eternal life with me. 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:03.200 All these promises, right? 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:06.559 And so so we then have to trust God. 00:10:07.120 --> 00:10:09.919 And that trust, that faith is counted to us as righteous. 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:12.000 Nothing about what we do afterward. 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:23.279 It's not about hurling ourselves off the building because even as we walk in faith and obedience, God's promises is what sustains us and keeps us in this life. 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:27.600 But what about counted or credited? 00:10:28.159 --> 00:10:32.000 Credited is seen six times throughout this passage. 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:38.080 And what it means is that having been transferred to our account for total payment. 00:10:38.559 --> 00:10:41.440 Imagine yourself when you were like in your 20s, right? 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:47.600 Or or or you you had you had a you just opened up debit card reality to your world, right? 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:54.799 And and you're constantly just buying stuff because you don't have really many responsibilities, but you do have like a car payment or a cell phone bill or something like that. 00:10:54.879 --> 00:10:56.159 And here's what happens, right? 00:10:56.240 --> 00:11:07.519 Uh we've probably all experienced this to some measure, at least I have several times uh when I was younger, uh, that uh that the payments due, and I look at my account and I'm I'm already negative. 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:10.000 Like it's just done for, and I can't pay this bill. 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:10.879 So what do I do? 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:11.279 Right? 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:19.279 I I crawl, I crawl out of the dark hole of the basement I have slumbered in for the last week, and I go, Mom, I can't pay my bill. 00:11:19.519 --> 00:11:22.000 And she goes, Okay, I'll pay it for you. 00:11:22.080 --> 00:11:23.840 Uh what a wonderful mother, right? 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:31.120 But what what what this is what this is saying is that you have this negative account. 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:37.679 Your unrighteousness cannot pay what is owed to be made right with God. 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:42.080 And so you need something credited to you so that it would be paid in full. 00:11:42.240 --> 00:11:50.960 And God says that that faith will actually credit or count righteousness towards you that is then paid in full. 00:11:51.279 --> 00:12:01.919 Paul, writing to a friend named Philemon, he wrote a letter because he had encountered a slave on the run, a slave named Onisimus. 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:07.120 He had fled Philemon and he encountered Paul on his journey of escape. 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:10.720 And Paul preaches the gospel to him and he becomes saved. 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:13.440 And then what he tells Onesimus is that you need to go back. 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:15.200 You need to go back to Philemon. 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:17.519 And so he writes this letter and he sends him back. 00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:29.039 And in the letter, Paul says this in Philemon verses uh chapter 1, verse 18 through 19, he says, If he has wronged you at all or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:31.200 I, Paul, write this with my own hand. 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:36.960 I will repay it to say nothing of your owing me, even your own self. 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:40.080 Paul says, He can't pay what he owes you. 00:12:40.320 --> 00:12:41.679 So charge it to me. 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:42.799 I'll pay it. 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:44.879 This is what Christ does for us. 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:59.440 When we put our faith in him and his finished work on his death, and his death, burial, and resurrection, then the righteousness that we need to have a good standing relationship with God the Father is credited to our account. 00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:01.919 Faith does this. 00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:11.039 So if we understand that we were to get what we what was owed to us, it would be a payment in wrath and judgment. 00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:18.399 Instead, by faith, we become the recipients of God's free gift of grace, Jesus' righteousness. 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:19.360 Why? 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:27.279 Paul summarizes at the end of verse 5 because God justifies the ungodly. 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:39.039 You see, God is the one who sovereignly brings those who are at warful disobedience with him into right relationship with him. 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:41.759 This is God's grace for us. 00:13:42.159 --> 00:13:50.720 He then goes on in verses six through nine, and he talks about King David and how he sees this in the psalm and how David pins some of this very same theme. 00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:55.840 And if we looked at six through nine, I say that the blessed life is a forgiven life. 00:13:56.080 --> 00:13:58.480 The blessed life is a forgiven life. 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:04.639 As if the example of Abraham wasn't enough, David, greatest king of Israel, is brought into view. 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:12.799 The blessing of God shown here is not something meritoriously earned, but of a forgiven life apart from our works. 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:18.639 You see, when we experience the blessing of God, it isn't his stuff, but his grace. 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:20.799 We're forgiven and covered. 00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:21.919 That's what the Bible says. 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:23.679 That's what David's saying here in the Psalm. 00:14:23.840 --> 00:14:29.039 When we experience a blessed life, it's one of grace and forgiveness. 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:33.759 And in his grace, he forgives and he covers. 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:42.720 You see, this forgiveness here means to not just have our sin not counted against us, but to have it sent away from us. 00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:48.879 The original language was actually understood when a man divorced a wife and he sent her away from her home. 00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:54.480 This separation, this removal of uh this is what God does when he forgives us. 00:14:54.559 --> 00:14:57.679 So it's not that it's not just like, I'm gonna remember. 00:14:57.840 --> 00:15:01.200 I'm not gonna make you pay for it, but you better know I'm gonna remember. 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:06.480 You ever have you ever get in a situation with that, maybe like your spouse, like, oh, I'm I'm gonna remember that. 00:15:06.879 --> 00:15:10.000 I'm not, you're not gonna get in trouble, but I'm gonna remember. 00:15:10.240 --> 00:15:11.600 No, that's not what God does. 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:12.879 God forgives us. 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:22.720 He doesn't just simply count it against us, but he removes it from us, and then covered is referring to God's inability to see our sin any longer to be reminded of it. 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:32.960 Imagine that, that God, the work of Jesus is so sufficient that it erases the very memory of your sin before God the Father. 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:36.399 That's that's miraculous. 00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:37.279 That's grace. 00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:39.440 Look at Jeremiah 31, 34. 00:15:39.840 --> 00:15:50.159 He says this, and no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. 00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:55.679 For I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sin no more. 00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:59.360 That's the power of the grace that we're talking about. 00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:05.200 Not one earned through works, but one given to us freely through faith. 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:09.440 This blessing is for all who believe. 00:16:09.759 --> 00:16:20.080 As Paul has previously said in this letter to the Jew first and to the Greek, there is no distinction because the blessed life is a forgiven life for all who believe. 00:16:20.399 --> 00:16:24.639 You see, our culture is the prodigal son who is yet to return. 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:30.240 One who looked at their father in his eyes and said, I'd rather have your stuff than have you. 00:16:30.879 --> 00:16:37.440 How foolish have we become to deceive ourselves that obtaining the things of this world equals the Father's blessing. 00:16:37.679 --> 00:16:39.679 And this is this is rampant in our culture. 00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:46.639 You'll see people who don't love God, who don't serve God, who don't obey God, uh call out the blessed life. 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:52.320 And this is what they're associating: the acquiring of things equals blessing. 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:58.399 But the Bible says that you can gain the world and still lose your soul. 00:16:58.799 --> 00:17:03.120 Because the blessing is not his stuff, but him alone. 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:08.480 And we can only have him through a forgiven and reconciled life. 00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:16.400 Let us not be caught up in this fake gospel, this false claim that if we just have stuff, right? 00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:18.400 This equals the blessedness of God. 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:25.279 No, you can be utterly cursed under God's wrath and judgment and still acquire the things of this world. 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:36.000 It is forgiveness that constitutes our blessed state because it alone makes us right with the Father of whom we ran from in our sin. 00:17:36.799 --> 00:17:44.079 If we look at verses 10 through 12, then we see that righteousness is given to us before any righteous actions. 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:49.119 Righteousness is given to us before any righteous actions. 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:53.920 Abraham had righteousness accounted to him before he ever performed an action. 00:17:54.079 --> 00:17:59.680 And this is what Paul goes through when he just talks about circumcision, circumcision, circumcision, circumcision, right through this whole chapter. 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:12.640 He's saying this righteousness was counted to him before he ever did anything to even possibly earn such righteousness, simply because he believed. 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:18.400 In fact, Abraham believed God at his word at least 13 years before he was ever even circumcised. 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:31.519 So when we look back at the Genesis 15 narrative, when he was, when he believed the promises of God, that he would be the father of many nations, and then it says that his faith was counted to him as righteousness minimally. 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:36.400 That was 13 years before he was ever even circumcised. 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:45.920 Marked, Paul's putting into clear view the chasm our faith and works have toward one another in regards to our righteousness. 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:50.079 It's not this simultaneous thing that we can't really pinpoint. 00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:52.559 Did well did faith come first or did works come first? 00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:55.039 It seemed to be happened so simultaneously. 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:58.240 When did righteousness actually get credit to Abraham? 00:18:58.319 --> 00:19:05.920 No, Paul's saying, look, he believed, and then like years and years later, did he actually get circumcised? 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:14.319 The righteousness came through faith, and then there was a chasm that existed before works proved it to be evident. 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:18.880 He says, Then this circumcision was a seal. 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:28.720 You see, the sign of circumcision circumcision is a seal or was a seal that displayed for all he had received righteousness through faith. 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:31.599 That this word for seal is like a king's signet. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:39.359 Imagine a ring that a king would bear, and as he marked this letter or marked this proclamation that this was truly from him. 00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:48.559 It was a sign or a seal that the faith that they claimed to have was genuine, authentic. 00:19:50.079 --> 00:19:57.519 So works then are not producers of righteousness, but necessary evidence that righteousness exists. 00:19:57.839 --> 00:19:58.960 Let me say that again. 00:19:59.279 --> 00:20:05.200 Works in our Christian life and our understanding of what does works and righteousness have in common. 00:20:05.519 --> 00:20:08.319 Works don't produce righteousness for us. 00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:09.119 Faith. 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:13.359 Faith produces righteousness or credits righteousness on our behalf. 00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:18.640 Works then are an evidence that that righteousness actually exists within us. 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:22.160 We are supposed to be conformed to the image of Christ. 00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:27.759 We are supposed to be ones who mimic his character and personhood in our everyday life. 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:32.559 We are ones who are called to meet the standard of holiness of which he exists. 00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:36.799 Jesus said, Be holy, for I am holy. 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:50.319 If we are to be uh uh striving in anything, it's to be conformed to the already reality of our inward man who stands righteous before God through the faith that we have in his promises. 00:20:53.279 --> 00:20:57.359 You see, Martin Luther said this about faith. 00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:01.920 Truly, if faith is there, the believer cannot hold back. 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:04.480 He breaks out into good works. 00:21:05.359 --> 00:21:06.240 Think about that. 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:10.640 If faith is truly there, the believer can't hold back. 00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:16.720 He can't contain himself, he can't help it, but to break out into good works. 00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:19.279 And this is what we see throughout our society, right? 00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:23.440 Is uh I claim to be a Christian, but there's no fruit that it's real. 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:26.319 And we're too soft to make judgment calls. 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:32.079 Look, the Bible's all about making judgment calls, and the Bible actually equips you to make good judgment. 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:34.960 It says, look, if you're gonna make judgment, just do this first. 00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:41.519 Get the plank out of your own eye so that you can see clearer to remove the speck of dust out of your brother's eye. 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:45.200 It's not telling you not to judge, it's telling you to judge properly. 00:21:45.359 --> 00:21:52.559 First, judge yourself so that you can be a clear examiner of what's wrong with your brother as you go to judge them. 00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:59.759 But we have to be honest that works is evidence of faith that actually is supposed to be. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.200 To be present. 00:22:01.359 --> 00:22:08.319 If works are not there, then we should have great concern and worry that faith never was either. 00:22:10.079 --> 00:22:19.599 You see, righteousness was given to Abraham before any righteous actions, so that he could be the Father through faith, not flesh. 00:22:20.319 --> 00:22:28.319 No matter your upbringing, your heritage, or the marks that you bear in your body, you are only brought into God's family through faith. 00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:36.319 The cutting of the flesh is a work by the hands of men, but the cutting of the heart is God's work in us by the Spirit. 00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:45.359 Romans 2 29 says this but a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart by the Spirit, not by the letter. 00:22:45.599 --> 00:22:48.079 His praise is not from man, but from God. 00:22:48.640 --> 00:23:00.480 God is the one who circumcises our hearts, that enables us to be able to believe, to have faith, so that righteousness can be credited to our account. 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:03.599 This is only a work by the Spirit. 00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:05.839 We need new hearts to trust God. 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:11.599 Hearts that trust Him and joyously desire to do the good works that He's called us to. 00:23:12.160 --> 00:23:18.640 And so our main idea this morning is this: that it's Father Abraham by faith, not flesh. 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:22.240 Father Abraham by faith, not flesh. 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:28.240 We are the descendants of the promise through faith, not through flesh. 00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:38.960 And this is a battle Paul had to fight several times throughout his ministry because people could not get beyond trying to be saved or identified by their works. 00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:41.200 This is a problem with the human condition. 00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:44.559 We want to be saved by our own works. 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:48.079 And God on the other side says, No, this is a free gift. 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:49.519 I'll give it to you. 00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:54.240 All you have to do is trust in my promises and we still contend against him. 00:23:54.559 --> 00:23:56.079 No, I have to earn this. 00:23:56.240 --> 00:24:00.480 I have to be the one who works and achieves it in my own striving. 00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:05.039 One of the major ways Paul battled this is in the whole letter to Galatians. 00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:18.319 The whole letter to Galatians is about a group of people who were coming in and teaching these new Christians that they had to not just have faith in Jesus, but they had to be circumcised also, or else they were not truly saved. 00:24:19.599 --> 00:24:28.160 The letter's all about people coming in with false teaching to add works to faith so that they might actually see the salvation promised to them. 00:24:28.559 --> 00:24:30.720 Paul writes this about such people. 00:24:30.960 --> 00:24:34.960 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves. 00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:39.759 If salvation came through works, why just stop with the foreskin? 00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:41.599 That's what he's saying. 00:24:41.759 --> 00:24:43.039 I like Paul. 00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:49.200 You gotta imagine, like that, that's that's the kind of dude you want to you want to follow, right? 00:24:49.519 --> 00:24:50.720 And this is what he's saying. 00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:52.240 Why are you stopping there? 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:57.279 If works truly saves you, then why are you settling for that? 00:24:57.599 --> 00:25:02.079 If you were truly saved by works, would you not cut the whole thing off? 00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:12.079 Also in 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Paul confronts the premise of salvation by works through circumcision. 00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:17.519 Let's observe where the matter was settled from the leadership of the church at the Jerusalem Council. 00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:24.079 In Acts 15, 1 through 2 and 6 through 11, we see where they put this teaching to rest. 00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:33.119 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. 00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:34.559 Stop right there. 00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:39.200 You can't be saved unless you perform some work. 00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:49.519 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, I could just imagine what Paul said, right, in that argument. 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:51.119 Uh it was it was probably great. 00:25:51.279 --> 00:25:57.440 Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. 00:25:57.680 --> 00:26:01.759 Moving on, the apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:13.200 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, Brothers, you know that in early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:19.599 And God who knows the heart bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us. 00:26:19.839 --> 00:26:26.079 And he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 00:26:26.319 --> 00:26:30.880 Now therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke? 00:26:31.039 --> 00:26:39.599 Look, this is key, placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear. 00:26:40.319 --> 00:26:45.519 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus just as they will. 00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:49.200 The following line says, and then they fell silent. 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:51.839 That was the end of the discussion. 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:55.920 Peter acknowledges that he never could keep the whole law. 00:26:56.160 --> 00:27:00.240 And the problem is that circumcision demanded that you keep the whole law. 00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:08.799 If you were going to mark yourself by such works, then you were then obligated to keep the entirety of the law for your righteousness. 00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:10.799 And Peter says, I could never have done it. 00:27:10.960 --> 00:27:13.119 Our fathers couldn't have done it, we couldn't have done it. 00:27:13.279 --> 00:27:16.240 Why would we place such a yoke on someone else? 00:27:16.799 --> 00:27:19.519 We're saved by grace through faith. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:24.640 This shapes and forms our understanding of a Jesus plus theology. 00:27:24.880 --> 00:27:28.640 You see, Jesus plus anything equals nothing. 00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:32.079 But Jesus plus nothing equals everything. 00:27:32.319 --> 00:27:37.839 We're not saved by any works of our own hands, but by grace alone, through faith alone. 00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:48.880 If we were saved by faith plus, we would only demonstrate the grace of God to be insufficient in the need of our assistance to produce a truly salvific outcome. 00:27:49.759 --> 00:27:52.079 Think about this in our life, in our Christian life. 00:27:52.240 --> 00:27:56.400 And this comes through theological teaching, this comes through folk misunderstanding. 00:27:56.480 --> 00:28:02.480 But we have this function and form where we believe that our works somehow save us. 00:28:02.720 --> 00:28:14.000 And when we have that mentality, whether it be subconscious or conscious, when we act in such ways, all we're communicating is that the sacrifice of Christ was insufficient. 00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:17.519 And he needs our help to make up the gap. 00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:20.240 That's heresy. 00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:24.640 That's an empty gospel that has no power to save. 00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:29.839 You see, many of us, we believe that God owes us something. 00:28:30.559 --> 00:28:32.079 We believe God owes us something. 00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:37.920 This is the posture of misunderstanding our sin and its consequences. 00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:45.200 We misunderstand that our sin demands the wrath and judgment of a holy God. 00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:54.000 You see, we often don't see sin and its effects in relationship to both our desire and ability to serve God and be in relationship with Him. 00:28:54.319 --> 00:29:07.440 We simply see our deficiencies of character or behavior as something that can be changed by our own strength, making us more appealing and attractive for God to desire to be in relationship with us. 00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:11.519 We act like we're kind of on this courtship with God, right? 00:29:11.599 --> 00:29:17.440 Or we or there's like this harem of people, and God's gonna come out and pick ones that he's gonna be in relationship with us. 00:29:17.519 --> 00:29:18.079 So what do we do? 00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:22.960 Our good works beautify us, but it's like putting lipstick on a pig. 00:29:23.759 --> 00:29:29.839 We're not beautifying ourselves to make ourselves more attractive to God to be in dis to have him have a desire to be in relationship with us. 00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:31.759 It's not what our good works accomplish. 00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:33.440 They accomplish the exact opposite. 00:29:33.599 --> 00:29:36.720 It makes us more disgusting in his sight. 00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:51.039 We have to understand that it is God, unprovoked and driven by steadfast love, who pursues and chases us down with his grace to bring us into right relationship with him. 00:29:51.680 --> 00:29:58.799 In our state of unrighteousness, we we neither desire or are able to be in relationship with God as he is. 00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:13.839 Any attempts to be in relationship with God will either be rooted in self-righteousness, a futile effort to make us more relationally attractive to him, or in changing the very person of God to have him simply accept us as we are. 00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:17.359 But our self-righteousness is disgusting to God. 00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:20.960 And he never accepts us just as we are. 00:30:21.519 --> 00:30:26.960 He only accepts us because our sin ugliness is covered by the blood of his son. 00:30:28.720 --> 00:30:31.039 This is something that we have to wrestle with. 00:30:31.599 --> 00:30:33.039 We have these false notions. 00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:36.160 God's just going to accept you just as we even have a song, just as you are. 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:38.319 I don't even know how the song goes, but it's horrible. 00:30:38.480 --> 00:30:41.200 If we ever sing it here, done. 00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:43.039 But we we have this thing. 00:30:43.279 --> 00:30:45.039 God just loves you just as you are. 00:30:45.519 --> 00:30:47.680 God loves you just as you are. 00:30:47.839 --> 00:30:49.200 No, He doesn't. 00:30:49.519 --> 00:30:52.640 There's nowhere in the scriptures that declare that to be true. 00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:54.880 God hates sin. 00:30:55.359 --> 00:31:00.880 God's wrath and judgment is poured out on the unrighteous because of their unrighteousness. 00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:03.359 God can only love us. 00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:11.680 God can only find us attractive to be in relationship with because our sin ugliness has been covered by the blood of his son. 00:31:13.119 --> 00:31:16.000 There are terms and conditions to God's love. 00:31:17.519 --> 00:31:20.799 Righteousness, forgiveness. 00:31:20.960 --> 00:31:24.319 These are terms and conditions, not just as we are. 00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:32.559 You see, we think so lightly of our sin and think so highly of ourselves that we fool ourselves into believing God owes us something. 00:31:32.960 --> 00:31:39.599 If we really understood our sin in God's holiness, we would realize that the only thing God would ever owe us is death. 00:31:40.160 --> 00:31:44.559 It's grace and grace alone that God doesn't give us what we truly deserve. 00:31:44.880 --> 00:31:47.599 Praise God, we are not given our wages. 00:31:47.920 --> 00:31:48.559 Amen. 00:31:49.440 --> 00:31:52.319 But some of us we try to add to the works of Jesus. 00:31:52.640 --> 00:31:54.400 We try to add to the works of Jesus. 00:31:54.480 --> 00:31:58.400 In faith and function, we live as though Jesus' work is insufficient. 00:31:58.640 --> 00:32:02.960 We have to add to it through obedience, works, ritual, tradition. 00:32:03.200 --> 00:32:11.279 We might believe we're brought into relationship with God by grace, but that relationship must be solidified and sustained by our works. 00:32:11.519 --> 00:32:23.039 Some of this is from theological teaching, some of it from a folk misunderstanding, but we have an intrinsic sense that we fall short and a gap exists that need to be made up. 00:32:23.359 --> 00:32:25.279 This is reality for humankind. 00:32:25.920 --> 00:32:36.400 We have this built into our DNA and our existence, that there's a gap between a holy God who created us and how we act in this life. 00:32:36.559 --> 00:32:38.640 And this gap needs to be made up. 00:32:38.720 --> 00:32:42.799 In every religion throughout the world, this is the premise. 00:32:43.359 --> 00:32:46.319 You aren't good enough to get into heaven. 00:32:46.640 --> 00:32:47.440 Paradise. 00:32:47.680 --> 00:32:57.279 So you have to do things to fill the gap, to fill the void, so that you can earn your way into that paradise. 00:32:57.519 --> 00:33:00.079 Every religion in the world has that message. 00:33:00.240 --> 00:33:05.039 The gospel alone is unique and that it contradicts every single one of those. 00:33:05.119 --> 00:33:09.759 And it says there's nothing you could ever do to make up the gap. 00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:12.240 So Jesus does it for you. 00:33:13.279 --> 00:33:23.680 It's the only message of grace and salvation through a free gift of the Maker, of which we seek to have relationship with. 00:33:25.279 --> 00:33:32.720 But we refuse or unable to accept that the gap is made up by the merits of another and not of ourselves. 00:33:33.200 --> 00:33:35.519 We want to boast, if we're honest. 00:33:35.759 --> 00:33:39.920 We want to step back and look through a prideful gaze at our accomplishments. 00:33:40.160 --> 00:33:46.480 Grace is so hard for us to accept because it strips us of our ability to say, look at what I have done. 00:33:47.440 --> 00:33:49.279 I'm so bad at this, right? 00:33:49.359 --> 00:33:56.559 If I do something and I think it's good, I will look at it like a hundred times and just dang. 00:33:57.839 --> 00:33:58.799 You're good. 00:33:59.039 --> 00:33:59.359 Right? 00:33:59.519 --> 00:34:00.640 I just tell myself that. 00:34:00.799 --> 00:34:03.440 So, so like so like I hung these lights, right? 00:34:03.599 --> 00:34:05.440 Uh, this is a little uh illustration. 00:34:05.599 --> 00:34:11.280 I hung these lights and I thought, dang, that looks good. 00:34:11.519 --> 00:34:13.760 And and so my office is upstairs. 00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:21.280 I I wish there was some type of camera or tracking method to see how many times I got up out of my, you know, I'm gonna go look at them lights again. 00:34:21.519 --> 00:34:27.840 And I walk downstairs and I'm like, whoo, Justin, look what you've done. 00:34:28.559 --> 00:34:31.679 You know, it's like and I I FaceTime Kate, look at these lights, baby. 00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:34.239 Then I start texting friends, because I don't have social media, right? 00:34:34.320 --> 00:34:36.159 So I use my friends as my Instagram. 00:34:36.239 --> 00:34:40.320 Uh so I just text them my stories, and I'm like, hey, hey, look at this. 00:34:40.400 --> 00:34:45.840 And they're like, oh, and then and then you know, the bummer thing is like they don't reply back for like days because they're the worst friends ever. 00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:49.199