Sermon Cloud

True Christianity 

The further we get into Romans, the deeper we get.  What we discover are the questions that confronted the Early Church.  Deep questions.  Some misguided.  But all significant and, at least on the surface, challenging.

Thoughtful questions, asked by knowledgeable people.  Questions that -- to an amazing degree -- are still being asked today.  In fact, some of these questions aren’t even being asked any more.  People have answered them wrongly and are living them out.  Wrongly.

So these are important questions and we need to answer them correctly.  Let’s turn to Romans 3:3-8.

What is true Christianity?  I’ve heard that at the Treasury Department when government agents are trained to detect counterfeit money, they don’t study counterfeit.  It sounds strange.  But it’s true.  They study by looking carefully at real money.  The better they know the real thing, the more able they are to detect anything fake. 

Welcome to religion in the United States today. 

We are being buried in counterfeit religion.  Our problem is that there are fewer and fewer examples of the real thing for us to see.  Our nation is in trouble.  Real Christianity is getting hard to find.

For a good definition, let’s ask the Apostle Paul. 

Romans 3:3-8.  What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar.

As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge." But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? Someone might argue, "If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?" Why not say—as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say—"Let us do evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is deserved.

Paul was one of the sharpest – if not the sharpest – theological minds in church history. 

I like to think about how in the Book of Acts the Bible says that Paul would often go into the synagogues to “reason” with the Jews.  It was a form of debate.  The formal name was a “diatribe.” Now today, we think of it as a  kind of a one-sided tidal wave of information about the subject that you may not be interested it – a whole ocean full of opinion that you don’t want to hear. 

But.  But.  A REAL diatribe was something else.  Completely different.  It was something like I wish our presidential debates could be.  It was strictly constrained.  Only one debate topic.  Two men would square off without notes, in front of a learned audience of educated peers.  They would then debate logically for hours, even days.  Rules of logic were strictly enforced.  The audience was free – actually encouraged – to sternly correct any errors of fact or logic.  And the diatribe went on – hours, days, weeks -- until one of the contestants admitted that the other was right. 

Paul did that.  All the time.  Debating  points of the Jewish religion.  And its giving birth to Christianity.  Taking on the Jewish rabbis in one town after another.  Doing so well that they invariably kicked him out.  He was sharp.  Very, very sharp. 

So you have to look at these questions in Romans three from the perspective of a man who had heard them all before.  And had answered them all before.  Actually, in the original Greek, there are seven question marks in this passage.  But Paul was really addressing two basic questions. 

1. Has God been unfaithful to the Jews?

And 

2. Does it really matter if we are faithful?  In fact, wouldn’t it be better if we sinned even more so that God would gain even greater glory by extending His forgiveness even further?

Two good questions.  The first definitely tougher than the second.  But, OK.  Here we go.  Let’s see how one of the greatest minds in Christian history handled them. 

The first question goes something like this.  Paul, you just said the Jews are in the same boat as the Gentiles.  All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  Religion won’t save you. 

But, wait.  Didn’t God Himself make an eternal covenant with the Jewish people?  If Paul is correct in his argument, doesn’t that make God unfaithful? 

Or, if as we all believe, God is faithful, doesn’t that make Paul’s argument wrong? 

Unfortunately, we only get a short Reader’s Digest version of Paul’s answer here in Chapter 3.  As we did last week, we have to go on to Chapters 9 10 and 11 to get the full story. 

Chapter 9, verse 1-21.  In these verses, Paul presents his first point.  God is sovereign. God is completely and eternally just. He always does the right thing.  If that means passing over the Jewish people for a while, so be it.  In Chapter 9, Paul explains how God Abraham, Isaac and Jacob became the patriarchs of Israel.  God just made the choice.  He chose them.  And He didn’t choose Ishmael and Esau.  God always does the right thing because He always does the right thing.  There is never any injustice.  And never any excuse, either. 

Point number 2.  Verse 22-23.  God came right out and foretold that the Jews would reject Christ.  That God would then offer salvation to the Gentiles.  The Jews wanted to claim salvation as a right. It isn’t.  It would be the same as someone demanding to be allowed into Heaven because he is an American.  And he believes that America is a Christian nation.  Which it isn’t.  But we have no such right with God.  God had foretold that the Jews would reject Jesus, so why would this come as a surprise?  Paul IS sharp.  I can’t imagine that a diatribe with him would have lasted very long. 

Point three.  Why did God offer salvation to the Gentiles?  He knew it would make the Jews angry.  True.  And Paul says that is precisely why He did it. 

It was a last resort.  Perhaps by offending them, He could cause some to be saved. 

Point four.  Despite all the complications.  The offer of salvation to the Gentiles. The anger on the part of the Jews.  A remnant of Judaism was still being saved.  The first verse of Chapter eleven.  Listen to Paul.  I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"? And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 

Five.  If you read the next couple dozen verses of Chapter eleven, what you discover is that, really, nothing had changed.  All the Jews were never saved.  It was always just a remnant.  Now granted.  Elijah thought he was all alone.  Seven thousand probably sounded like a huge number to him.  :”What right do I have being discouraged when 7,000 Jews still believe?”  But think about it.  Considering the huge size of the Jewish nation, 7,000 really isn’t that many.  Only a remnant.  See, Paul says, things are the same now. 

Six. Paul saves the best for last.  Romans 11:25-36.  A great day of blessing is still coming for the Jews.  That great day is certain.  All of God’s promises to Israel will come true. 

So Paul can confidently say, back in Romans chapter 3, verses 3 and 4.  What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar.

As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” 

What’s the point?  How is this relevant to us?  What is True Christianity? 

What we learn is this.  You can’t presume on God.  The Jews tried.  They said, if not out loud than in their hearts, God you have to save us because you promised.  We might be jerks, but we’re still Jews.  But God said no. 

All around us today, people say the same exact thing.

I’m OK.  I’m an American, and America must be Christian because we’re not Jewish.  Sounds logical.  Logical, but wrong.  Even Christians make the same mistake.  God will save me because my parents were saved.  Or I was baptized or confirmed.  Again.  It sounds like it ought to be true.  But it isn’t. 

You can’t presume on God.  Like CS Lewis wrote in the Chronicles of Narnia.  God is depicted as a lion.  One character says, “The lion is safe…but he’s not tame.” 

God isn’t a house pet or your servant.  All you can do is believe God’s promise that He will save all those He promised to save.  But not apart from faith.  Not because of anything religious or moral.  It’s on the basis of faith and faith alone. 

Romans 9:10-11.  That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” 

That’s so simple.  TOO simple for some people.  They want it to be more complicated.  A little more difficult.  So that they can take some pride in having accomplished salvation.  But the process is simple.  If you confess with your mouth – which is what men listen to – that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart – which is what God listens to – they you SHALL be saved. 

That’s it.  That’s all.  But that’s a lot. 

So.  God is faith.  Forever, eternally and magnificently faithful.  To the Jews and everybody else. 

Now, the second question.  The first one was, has God been unfaithful to Israel.  The second one, a little easier for Paul to hit out of the park, is this.   

Does it really matter if we are faithful?  In fact, wouldn’t it be better if we sinned even more so that God would gain even greater glory by extending His forgiveness even further? 

Here again, the diatribe wouldn’t have lasted too long. 

I imagine Paul heard the question before, perhaps wrapped up in more theological wording. 

Something like this.  “If our sin reveals God’s righteousness, forgiveness and mercy, then how can God judge us for something that results in His greater glory?” 

Now Paul COULD said simple that a good result doesn’t justify a bad means.  But he doesn’t.  He just says God is the judge!  If this weren’t an absolute certainty, then how could God judge the world?  Paul sees this question as so silly as to be not worth asking.

God will judge sin regardless of its result. 

This second question has another version.  If my sin makes God look good, how can He condemn me?  In other words, I’m right and God is wrong.  Paul simply says, “Their condemnation is deserved.”  God is going to judge you because you deserve judgment.  Period. 

A third variation. “Let us do evil so good will result.”  Paul must have heard this before.  He refers to the recent past when he was accused of advocating this very thing.  This third question is the worst.  The first question asks if God’s judgment is wrong.  The second one asks if sin can be excused if it results in glory to God. But this third one actually encourages sin.  Go ahead folks.  Sin even more, so God looks even better when He forgives even that. 

If salvation is by faith, then do whatever you want.  Just have faith.  God will forgive you no matter what.  Party on, dude! 

Could it possibly be true that the Gospel of grace actually leads to more sin?  Or that the Gospel of grace is actually an excuse for more sin? 

Is it acceptable to sin – do whatever you want – then just sit there – all glib – and say, “I’m forgiven!”  No genuine repentance.   No rejection of evil.  Just come out of the mud for a forgiveness bath, and then jump right back in. 

It sounds ridiculous.  Because it is.  Paul rightly says that it deserves condemnation.  But then would come the follow-up question.  If we insist that Christians do the right thing, lead righteous lives, aren’t we then adding works?  Aren’t we adding human effort and merit to the Gospel of grace? 

Those of you who’ve come out of the Catholic faith will recognize echoes here.  Catholic theology brings works into salvation.  It says that God justifies us by producing good works in us.  We are thus saved by grace…and those good works. 

Follow me now.  They say Faith plus good works equals justification. 

Protestants reject this.  We say that the just are saved by grace alone.  But we also believe the Bible that clearly says faith must be expressed in good works, or it is dead.  Read the book of James.  If we are justified by faith, then good works must follow. 

Our formula is this.  Faith equals justification plus good works. 

If you think any other way, the only other option you have is what Paul would have called antinomianism.  Paul referred to this in Romans 6:1.  “Let us go on sinning so that grace may increase.”

In other words, faith equals justification minus good works.   

That is not true Christianity.  What you do – every day – regardless of circumstances – matters.  It has eternal consequences.  If, as a church, we cannot influence conduct, then we as a religion are irrelevant.  You don’t have faith if you don’t act like you have faith. 

Think how Jesus emphasized conduct.  You all know the parable of the house built upon sand. 

What WAS that house?  Luke 6:46-49.  "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete." 

The person who hears the commands of Jesus and ignores them is building his life on sand.  You must not do it.  Throughout the history of the Christian church, there was always a strong expectation that a new believer would undergo a significant change in behavior.  The life devoid of righteousness is a life devoid of faith. 

God never regenerates a person without converting him or her.  The bottom line is this.  The person who is saved is – at that very moment – given a new identity.  He or she will hate sin and try to be righteousness in every way possible. 

When we are saved, we are joined with Christ.  Christ lives in us.  Therefore, we become more like Him. We want what He wants.  For us and for everyone else. 

If that’s not the case, then that person is not a true Christian. 

Does this sound strange?  Somehow, Pastor John is off base on this?  Then reread the first two Chapters of Romans.    Read again the description of the extent of our sin.  The sin of all mankind.   

Therefore, all people, left to themselves will generate only evil, not good.  The only source of good in our world will be the only source of good that there has ever been. 

God.  And God alone. 

If there is good anywhere, it is from God.  And from all those in whom He dwells. 

That’s you and me.  The only source of good – other than God – in this world.  What a calling!  What a destiny! 

That’s the exciting reality of our faith.  That’s the exciting prospect that awaits each of us as we walk out of those doors.  Each of us, a source of good to all we meet. 

Listen again to the responses of Paul. 

“Do evil that good may result?”  If you think that way, you are no true Christian.  There grace that is greater than all my sins. That is a source of liberty, not license. 

Evil in yourself -- or in others -- is no problem?  If you think that way, you are not a true Christian.  The wages of sin is death.  Don’t do anything to earn it. 

It’s no big deal to disobey God’s laws because God is going to forgive everybody anyway?  Again, no true Christian would think that way.  Jesus said that those who love Him are those who obey Him. 

If you are a Christian, you will hate sin.  You’ll fight against it.  Avoid it whenever possible.  Persuade everyone you know to avoid it, using all means possible. 

If you are a Christian, you will forever – and in all ways – strive for righteousness.  You will be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only.  Because as James has rightfully said, “Faith without works is dead.” 

That true – forever true – Christianity. 

Let’s pray.