It has been called the greatest document 00:00:03.26\00:00:05.07 in the history of humanity. 00:00:05.10\00:00:06.94 Whenever and wherever people have studied 00:00:06.97\00:00:09.10 and accepted its teachings, 00:00:09.14\00:00:10.81 they have discovered hope, 00:00:10.84\00:00:13.51 life, peace, 00:00:13.54\00:00:19.31 prosperity, and deliverance from tyranny. 00:00:19.35\00:00:25.52 Welcome to Romans. 00:00:25.55\00:00:27.82 Welcome back. 00:00:31.19\00:00:32.53 We're talking about what some scholars have said 00:00:32.56\00:00:35.56 is the greatest masterpiece ever written. 00:00:35.60\00:00:39.10 We're talking about the Book of Romans 00:00:39.13\00:00:41.07 written by the great Apostle Paul. 00:00:41.10\00:00:43.37 In the last program, we dealt with Romans chapter 1, 00:00:43.41\00:00:46.91 introduction. 00:00:46.94\00:00:48.28 It says that the world of the unchurch, 00:00:48.31\00:00:50.68 the gentile, the pagan world is lost. 00:00:50.71\00:00:54.78 Now, we turn to Romans 2. 00:00:54.82\00:00:57.19 And the theme of Romans 2, here it is. 00:00:57.22\00:00:59.82 Not only is the pagan world lost 00:00:59.85\00:01:02.86 but in Romans 2, it says, "So is the religious world." 00:01:02.89\00:01:07.86 Romans 1, the unchurched. Romans 2, the churched. 00:01:07.90\00:01:12.57 I want you to come 00:01:12.60\00:01:13.94 to Romans 2:1 and 17. 00:01:13.97\00:01:20.21 Romans 2:1. 00:01:20.24\00:01:21.91 "Therefore you are inexcusable, 00:01:21.94\00:01:24.21 O man, whoever you are who judge, 00:01:24.25\00:01:27.32 for whatever you judge another you condemn yourself, 00:01:27.35\00:01:31.72 for you who judge practice the same things." 00:01:31.75\00:01:34.32 Have you noticed that 00:01:34.36\00:01:35.69 the people who are the most critical 00:01:35.72\00:01:37.33 are usually the people who are the most guilty? 00:01:37.36\00:01:40.63 And then if you come down, verse 17, 00:01:40.66\00:01:45.23 "Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, 00:01:45.27\00:01:49.64 and make your boast in God." 00:01:49.67\00:01:52.74 And so when you study through Romans chapter 2, 00:01:52.77\00:01:57.01 it says something like this. 00:01:57.05\00:02:00.05 It says you think you're better than the pagans, 00:02:00.08\00:02:02.62 talking to the religious people, 00:02:02.65\00:02:06.32 talking to the religious, right? 00:02:06.35\00:02:09.06 You think you're better than the pagans? 00:02:09.09\00:02:11.13 Well, actually what the pagans do, 00:02:11.16\00:02:13.40 you do exactly the same. 00:02:13.43\00:02:15.73 And every time you point a finger at somebody, 00:02:15.76\00:02:18.23 every time you point a finger, have you ever noticed, 00:02:18.27\00:02:21.40 "Hey, you got three pointing back at you?" 00:02:21.44\00:02:26.57 Romans 2:23, 24, 00:02:26.61\00:02:30.41 Romans 2:23, 24. 00:02:30.45\00:02:33.82 "You who make your boast in the law, 00:02:33.85\00:02:37.05 do you dishonor God through breaking the law? 00:02:37.09\00:02:39.85 For the name of God has blasphemed 00:02:39.89\00:02:41.86 among the Gentiles because of you." 00:02:41.89\00:02:47.20 So the theme of Romans 2 is this. 00:02:47.23\00:02:51.53 The religious people who had the law of God, 00:02:51.57\00:02:53.64 that means basically the Bible. 00:02:53.67\00:02:57.01 The religious people had the Bible. 00:02:57.04\00:02:58.91 When it came down to reality, these people were no better. 00:02:58.94\00:03:05.78 So if you read this chapter, it says, you know, 00:03:05.81\00:03:08.48 you talk about people doing this, 00:03:08.52\00:03:10.92 the sins of Romans chapter 1. 00:03:10.95\00:03:12.62 Well, actually Paul says, 00:03:12.65\00:03:15.66 "You religious people do exactly the same thing." 00:03:15.69\00:03:19.06 And he says, 00:03:19.09\00:03:20.43 "The name of God is blasphemed 00:03:20.46\00:03:23.60 around the world 00:03:23.63\00:03:25.13 because of the religious people." 00:03:25.17\00:03:28.70 So this is the theme of Romans 2. 00:03:28.74\00:03:30.44 It's pretty hard to stomach. 00:03:30.47\00:03:32.81 He says, "The religious people are no better. 00:03:32.84\00:03:36.34 All are under the wrath of God." 00:03:36.38\00:03:39.05 We're talking good news, are we? 00:03:39.08\00:03:40.92 So far, there's no good news at all 00:03:40.95\00:03:43.99 because Romans 1, Romans 2 says, 00:03:44.02\00:03:47.36 "Everybody is under the wrath of almighty God, 00:03:47.39\00:03:52.86 a righteous God." 00:03:52.89\00:03:55.30 Then you come to Romans 3 that many scholars say 00:03:55.33\00:03:57.90 is the most important chapter in the most important book. 00:03:57.93\00:04:02.30 I want you to notice it with me please. 00:04:02.34\00:04:04.77 Romans 3. 00:04:04.81\00:04:06.14 This is the theme, 00:04:06.17\00:04:07.51 "All men and women are in a state of sin, 00:04:07.54\00:04:11.71 both Jews and Gentiles, 00:04:11.75\00:04:14.55 but God has provided a way of escape. 00:04:14.58\00:04:17.95 His solution is the great and the wonderful good news." 00:04:17.99\00:04:23.86 And it's not good advice. 00:04:23.89\00:04:26.26 Look at Romans 3:10. Now this is not real good news. 00:04:26.29\00:04:30.87 He's starting to make a summary now. 00:04:30.90\00:04:32.77 Romans 1, Romans 2, Romans 3 00:04:32.80\00:04:35.50 gives you the summary. 00:04:35.54\00:04:36.87 This book is written like a lawyer's brief. 00:04:36.91\00:04:41.01 It's full of great arguments. It's logical. 00:04:41.04\00:04:44.91 And it's not for superficial people, 00:04:44.95\00:04:47.65 it's for people who got hearts for God 00:04:47.68\00:04:50.42 and people who really want to get home 00:04:50.45\00:04:52.25 to the kingdom of God. 00:04:52.29\00:04:54.02 So Romans 3:10, 00:04:54.06\00:04:57.36 he says, "As it is written, 00:04:57.39\00:05:00.60 there is none righteous, 00:05:00.63\00:05:04.17 no, not one, not a single person." 00:05:04.20\00:05:06.50 And then verse 13, he describes the human race, 00:05:06.53\00:05:10.37 it says, "Their throat is an open tomb, 00:05:10.41\00:05:15.64 with their tongues they have practiced deceit, 00:05:15.68\00:05:19.31 the poison of asps, snakes, vipers, 00:05:19.35\00:05:23.42 is under their lips, 00:05:23.45\00:05:25.25 whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." 00:05:25.29\00:05:30.93 And goes on and talks about the rest of the sins 00:05:30.96\00:05:34.40 of the human race. 00:05:34.43\00:05:37.30 Folks, it's almost too much to take in. 00:05:37.33\00:05:42.47 Romans 1, the world of the pagans 00:05:42.50\00:05:46.74 stands under the wrath of God. 00:05:46.78\00:05:48.44 "I don't believe in the wrath of God," 00:05:48.48\00:05:49.81 people say. 00:05:49.84\00:05:51.18 Well, the Bible does. 00:05:51.21\00:05:54.22 Romans 1, the Gentiles are under the wrath of God. 00:05:54.25\00:05:57.59 And then it talks about the people 00:05:57.62\00:05:59.32 who've got the scriptures, 00:05:59.35\00:06:00.96 the people who are keeping the commandments of God. 00:06:00.99\00:06:03.22 At least, they think they are. 00:06:03.26\00:06:05.46 But it's all just a sham. 00:06:05.49\00:06:07.20 And the Bible talks about the human race 00:06:07.23\00:06:09.63 and it talks about people opening their mouths 00:06:09.66\00:06:13.34 and out comes the sewer, 00:06:13.37\00:06:15.50 the filth, the lies, the name calling. 00:06:15.54\00:06:18.77 Does this resonate with anybody here? 00:06:18.81\00:06:21.84 Does this sound like our society, 00:06:21.88\00:06:25.31 when people talk in politics? 00:06:25.35\00:06:28.25 You say, "You're getting too close, 00:06:28.28\00:06:29.85 now you're starting to meddle." 00:06:29.88\00:06:32.45 You turn on the television, 00:06:32.49\00:06:34.52 you hear a politician name calling, 00:06:34.56\00:06:36.83 lies, filth... 00:06:36.86\00:06:38.83 Under the wrath of Almighty God. 00:06:43.26\00:06:47.34 So Paul in Romans 3, says this. 00:06:47.37\00:06:50.17 Listen to this carefully. 00:06:50.21\00:06:52.27 We are all locked up in the prison house of sin. 00:06:52.31\00:06:56.91 The law of God is the jailer, 00:06:56.95\00:07:00.18 and He has turned the key. 00:07:00.22\00:07:03.25 In my work as a minister, I have met people who tell me, 00:07:06.35\00:07:09.76 "Oh, you don't understand. 00:07:09.79\00:07:11.73 I have never sinned. 00:07:11.76\00:07:14.30 I'm a perfect person. 00:07:14.33\00:07:16.90 I keep all of the commandments." 00:07:16.93\00:07:21.57 Such a person, the Bible says, 00:07:21.60\00:07:24.11 is totally spiritually deceived and deluded. 00:07:24.14\00:07:30.71 Romans 1, the Gentiles. 00:07:30.75\00:07:33.52 Romans 2, the people with the Bible. 00:07:33.55\00:07:37.25 Romans 3, everybody standing 00:07:37.29\00:07:41.69 under the wrath of almighty God. 00:07:41.72\00:07:44.89 Look at verse 19. 00:07:44.93\00:07:48.00 "Now we know that whatever the law says, 00:07:48.03\00:07:51.67 it says to those who are under the law, 00:07:51.70\00:07:55.04 that every mouth may be stopped." 00:07:55.07\00:07:56.94 Notice the words. 00:07:56.97\00:07:58.31 "And all the world may become guilty before God." 00:07:58.34\00:08:04.51 Have you noticed today? 00:08:04.55\00:08:05.88 I'm not talking about the prosperity gospel. 00:08:05.91\00:08:10.35 This is not just a little baby talk. 00:08:10.39\00:08:12.82 I'm not saying, 00:08:12.85\00:08:14.19 "Well, God just wants you to be wealthy. 00:08:14.22\00:08:17.09 God wants you to drive a Rolls Royce. 00:08:17.13\00:08:19.89 And if you send me money, 00:08:19.93\00:08:21.36 you're going to be tremendously wealthy." 00:08:21.40\00:08:23.67 That's not the religion of the Bible. 00:08:23.70\00:08:27.20 The Bible tells us that we are all locked up 00:08:27.24\00:08:31.34 under the wrath of God 00:08:31.37\00:08:35.34 because of sin. 00:08:35.38\00:08:37.91 Charles Wesley understood this. 00:08:37.95\00:08:41.25 The brother of John the great preacher, 00:08:41.28\00:08:43.32 Charles was a great hymn writer. 00:08:43.35\00:08:45.05 He wrote: "Long my imprisoned spirit lay 00:08:45.09\00:08:49.69 Fast bound in sin and nature's night 00:08:49.72\00:08:54.80 Thine eye diffused a quickening ray 00:08:54.83\00:08:57.63 I woke, the dungeon flamed with light 00:08:57.67\00:09:03.81 My chains fell off, 00:09:03.84\00:09:05.97 my heart was free 00:09:06.01\00:09:08.94 I rose, went forth, and followed Thee 00:09:08.98\00:09:12.41 My chains fell off, 00:09:12.45\00:09:13.78 my heart was free I rose, went forth and followed Thee" 00:09:13.82\00:09:17.15 I'm going to give to the audience 00:09:17.19\00:09:19.15 a little warning today. 00:09:19.19\00:09:22.82 There is a great danger 00:09:22.86\00:09:24.49 in coming to Christ too quickly. 00:09:24.53\00:09:28.76 In a superficial sense, well, people say, 00:09:28.80\00:09:31.33 "Hey, I'm saved, I've just come, and I'm saved." 00:09:31.37\00:09:37.01 And they have no sense of the righteousness of God 00:09:37.04\00:09:40.74 and their own defilement and their own sin. 00:09:40.78\00:09:46.38 It's only when we know that we are great sinners 00:09:46.41\00:09:50.35 that we will cry out for a great savior. 00:09:50.39\00:09:55.09 And the sin of our present age in America, Australia 00:09:55.12\00:09:58.79 and other places 00:09:58.83\00:10:00.23 is the utter superficiality of our religion 00:10:00.26\00:10:04.83 which is a mile wide and this deep. 00:10:04.87\00:10:10.71 The wrath of God. 00:10:10.74\00:10:13.21 I was the pastor of, at that time, 00:10:13.24\00:10:15.54 the largest Adventist Church in Australia, Wahroonga, 00:10:15.58\00:10:18.45 great church. 00:10:18.48\00:10:19.81 And hundreds of young people in that church. 00:10:19.85\00:10:22.02 One morning 4:00 a.m., there was a banging on the door 00:10:22.05\00:10:25.12 and then a banging on the window. 00:10:25.15\00:10:27.92 There was a young man. 00:10:27.96\00:10:29.89 I've been preaching this sort of stuff, 00:10:29.92\00:10:32.53 and people were getting blessed 00:10:32.56\00:10:34.53 but it was causing a lot of people 00:10:34.56\00:10:36.26 to get uncomfortable. 00:10:36.30\00:10:38.23 And he said to me, 00:10:38.27\00:10:39.60 "I can't believe what you're saying." 00:10:39.63\00:10:41.27 He said, "I've got to be perfect." 00:10:41.30\00:10:42.67 He said, "I'm up at two in the morning, 00:10:42.70\00:10:45.14 I'm praying, I'm agonizing, 00:10:45.17\00:10:46.78 I'm reading, I'm studying, I'm doing this." 00:10:46.81\00:10:50.38 He said, "I've just got to become sinless. 00:10:50.41\00:10:52.51 And if I don't, I'm going to be damned." 00:10:52.55\00:10:56.32 So I explained to him the good news 00:10:56.35\00:10:58.19 that we're getting to. 00:10:58.22\00:10:59.79 He said, "I can't believe it." 00:10:59.82\00:11:03.76 And later on committed suicide. 00:11:03.79\00:11:08.53 So you better get this straight and ask God to lift us 00:11:08.56\00:11:11.97 out of the world of superficial religion 00:11:12.00\00:11:15.60 that we have fallen into. 00:11:15.64\00:11:18.91 Romans 3:20, 00:11:18.94\00:11:21.01 "Therefore by the deeds of the law 00:11:21.04\00:11:24.68 no flesh will be justified in His sight, 00:11:24.71\00:11:27.22 for by the law is the knowledge of sin." 00:11:27.25\00:11:30.55 We are not saved by the law. Oh, I am. 00:11:30.59\00:11:34.52 No, you're damned by the law. 00:11:34.56\00:11:37.56 You are not saved by your obedience 00:11:37.59\00:11:39.79 because your obedience and my obedience, 00:11:39.83\00:11:42.63 they are not just enough, not good enough. 00:11:42.66\00:11:46.33 There are no sinless people. 00:11:46.37\00:11:49.10 I work for a time in an area where they grew sugarcane. 00:11:49.14\00:11:53.01 The sugarcane farmers would come in, 00:11:53.04\00:11:54.98 covered with a thick syrup of the sugarcane. 00:11:55.01\00:11:58.91 Burn the sugarcane, 00:11:58.95\00:12:00.45 then they'd go out and cut it down. 00:12:00.48\00:12:02.02 When the farmers came in, 00:12:02.05\00:12:03.95 they had a little room outside the house, 00:12:03.99\00:12:06.32 most Queensland, where there was a bath, 00:12:06.35\00:12:09.09 and there was a mirror. 00:12:09.12\00:12:10.69 And the farmer would look at the mirror 00:12:10.73\00:12:12.56 but the mirror didn't make him clean. 00:12:12.59\00:12:15.96 The law does not make you clean, 00:12:16.00\00:12:19.10 the law tells you that you are a sinner 00:12:19.13\00:12:22.30 and you need a bath which is the blood of Jesus. 00:12:22.34\00:12:25.74 You see. 00:12:25.77\00:12:27.94 And the reason people think 00:12:27.98\00:12:29.44 they are sinless and better than others, 00:12:29.48\00:12:32.91 it is because they've never seen themselves 00:12:32.95\00:12:38.22 as God does and other people. 00:12:38.25\00:12:42.42 What I need is good news. 00:12:42.46\00:12:45.63 Romans 1, pagan world, Hollywood world is lost, 00:12:45.66\00:12:50.87 the world of Washington D.C. under the wrath of God. 00:12:50.90\00:12:56.30 Here again, the Bible talks about 00:12:56.34\00:12:58.04 the righteous wrath of God. 00:12:58.07\00:13:01.04 God is not of teddy bear, 00:13:01.08\00:13:04.88 God is a great awesome God, 00:13:04.91\00:13:08.75 and He is holy. 00:13:08.78\00:13:10.12 And because of His holiness, 00:13:10.15\00:13:13.32 He demands righteousness. 00:13:13.36\00:13:17.46 What a dilemma. 00:13:17.49\00:13:19.33 What I need is not more platitudes 00:13:19.36\00:13:23.23 and not more sugar-coated sermons, 00:13:23.26\00:13:27.87 what I need is good news. 00:13:27.90\00:13:31.61 Romans 3:21, "But now..." 00:13:31.64\00:13:35.01 Look at it. Read it. 00:13:35.04\00:13:37.61 Escape from spiritual laziness, read it. 00:13:37.65\00:13:41.78 "But now the righteousness of God apart 00:13:41.82\00:13:43.92 from the law is revealed, 00:13:43.95\00:13:46.22 being witnessed by the law and the prophets." 00:13:46.25\00:13:49.62 Look at that word, the righteousness of God, 00:13:49.66\00:13:53.26 what does it mean? 00:13:53.29\00:13:55.66 I'll tell you what it means. 00:13:55.70\00:13:57.97 Look at me and I'll tell you if you dare. 00:13:58.00\00:14:02.74 God demands righteousness, complete holiness. 00:14:02.77\00:14:08.74 Twenty four hours of the day, seven days a week, 00:14:08.78\00:14:13.25 perfect love, perfect obedience. 00:14:13.28\00:14:17.92 Put up your hand if you are that sort of person. 00:14:17.95\00:14:23.43 Nobody is that sort of person. 00:14:23.46\00:14:25.53 When Martin Luther saw it, 00:14:25.56\00:14:28.13 read about the righteousness of God, 00:14:28.16\00:14:29.80 He said, "I hate it." 00:14:29.83\00:14:32.47 Now Luther had a brain. 00:14:32.50\00:14:35.97 He was a great theologian, he wasn't a superficial person, 00:14:36.00\00:14:40.24 and he didn't come to Christ in a flood of emotions. 00:14:40.28\00:14:43.11 He said, "I hate it." 00:14:43.14\00:14:44.81 And the old confessor said, "Martin, you can't hate God. 00:14:44.85\00:14:47.22 You can't hate His righteousness." 00:14:47.25\00:14:48.58 He said, 00:14:48.62\00:14:49.95 "God is righteousness, I am a sinner. 00:14:49.98\00:14:53.15 God hate sin, unrighteousness, therefore God hates me. 00:14:53.19\00:14:57.19 And if God hates me, then I hate Him too." 00:14:57.23\00:15:01.16 That's logic but not the gospel. 00:15:01.20\00:15:07.04 Perfect love, perfect faith, perfect obedience. 00:15:07.07\00:15:10.57 People say, I've met people... 00:15:10.61\00:15:13.11 When I pass the big churches, little churches, they say, 00:15:13.14\00:15:15.84 "Oh, but we're like that, we actually attained it." 00:15:15.88\00:15:19.21 Try not to spend a lot of time with people like that 00:15:22.25\00:15:25.82 because they'll be terribly critical 00:15:25.85\00:15:27.66 and self-righteous, very hard to live with. 00:15:27.69\00:15:32.29 And I tell them this, 00:15:32.33\00:15:33.70 "If you make the moon low enough, 00:15:33.73\00:15:37.13 any old cow, any old cow 00:15:37.17\00:15:41.44 can jump over it." 00:15:41.47\00:15:46.27 But we're not going to lower the moon, 00:15:46.31\00:15:48.24 you know what the moon is? 00:15:48.28\00:15:49.61 The righteousness of God. 00:15:49.64\00:15:53.78 God will accept nothing from you 00:15:53.82\00:15:57.32 than perfect righteousness. 00:15:57.35\00:16:02.99 But the gospel is apart from the law. 00:16:03.02\00:16:06.29 Good news, we don't need good advice today, 00:16:06.33\00:16:09.63 we don't need platitudes, 00:16:09.66\00:16:11.73 we don't need to be told how to do better 00:16:11.77\00:16:16.10 because none of us have done better. 00:16:16.14\00:16:19.87 And the religious people are the worst. 00:16:19.91\00:16:21.71 Romans 3:22, Romans 3:22. 00:16:21.74\00:16:26.61 Here it is. 00:16:26.65\00:16:27.98 "Even the righteousness of God," 00:16:28.02\00:16:31.12 this unblemished perfection, the righteousness of God, 00:16:31.15\00:16:34.76 "through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who," 00:16:34.79\00:16:39.96 work their hearts out, no. 00:16:40.00\00:16:41.76 "Who believe. For there is no difference." 00:16:41.80\00:16:46.70 The righteousness of God is not by attainment, 00:16:46.74\00:16:50.81 it is by atonement, His atonement. 00:16:50.84\00:16:56.54 Now this is good news. 00:16:56.58\00:16:57.91 At last, righteousness is God's gift. 00:16:57.95\00:17:01.95 I do not attain unto it. 00:17:01.98\00:17:05.75 Look at Romans 3:22 again. 00:17:05.79\00:17:07.99 It's so good. 00:17:08.02\00:17:09.36 "Even the righteousness of God," 00:17:09.39\00:17:10.99 this complete perfection, 00:17:11.03\00:17:13.43 "through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, 00:17:13.46\00:17:18.03 for there is no difference." 00:17:18.07\00:17:19.90 If this is so, which it is, 00:17:23.67\00:17:27.31 I can be right with God right now 00:17:27.34\00:17:31.71 which is what the gospel is, good news. 00:17:31.75\00:17:34.55 And what you do with this will determine 00:17:37.92\00:17:39.62 how you're going to spend this life 00:17:39.65\00:17:41.76 and how you're going to spend eternity. 00:17:41.79\00:17:45.59 And don't think you know it 00:17:45.63\00:17:46.96 because you were brought up in the church. 00:17:47.00\00:17:50.90 Romans 3:23 to 25. 00:17:50.93\00:17:54.54 "How can God save me, a weak, trembling, unworthy sinner?" 00:17:54.57\00:17:59.97 Now these are some of the most amazing words. 00:18:00.01\00:18:03.75 Some people say this is the Everest experience 00:18:03.78\00:18:07.82 of all scripture. 00:18:07.85\00:18:09.55 Other people who are very superficial say, 00:18:09.58\00:18:11.65 "But I don't read it. 00:18:11.69\00:18:13.02 Too hard. 00:18:13.05\00:18:14.39 I just want to watch the Kadarshians. 00:18:14.42\00:18:16.73 I just want to..." 00:18:16.76\00:18:20.63 The tragedy of tragedy 00:18:20.66\00:18:22.00 that people are going to be lost 00:18:22.03\00:18:24.13 because they watch the Kadarshians 00:18:24.17\00:18:26.27 and didn't look to Christ. 00:18:26.30\00:18:29.20 Let it sink down into your ears. 00:18:29.24\00:18:31.97 Don't run away from it. 00:18:32.01\00:18:34.08 "For all have sinned," all of us, 00:18:34.11\00:18:37.28 "and fall short of the glory of God." 00:18:37.31\00:18:39.18 Notice that. It says, fall short. 00:18:39.21\00:18:41.85 The Greek says, "They continue to fall short." 00:18:41.88\00:18:45.52 None of us are good enough, 00:18:45.55\00:18:47.32 we fall short of the glory of God. 00:18:47.36\00:18:51.26 Every moment we're falling short of the... 00:18:51.29\00:18:53.29 "No, no, no," says the perfectionist, 00:18:53.33\00:18:55.33 "I am attaining." 00:18:55.36\00:18:56.77 No. You are falling short. 00:18:56.80\00:19:00.04 Your problem is, 00:19:00.07\00:19:01.40 you just don't see it but others can. 00:19:01.44\00:19:04.61 Ask your family. 00:19:04.64\00:19:07.31 "Fall short of the glory of God, being justified," 00:19:07.34\00:19:11.41 oh, "being justified freely by His grace 00:19:11.45\00:19:15.15 through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 00:19:15.18\00:19:17.65 whom God set forth as a," look at it, 00:19:17.69\00:19:20.66 "propitiation by His blood, through faith, 00:19:20.69\00:19:25.36 to demonstrate His righteousness, 00:19:25.39\00:19:27.53 because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins 00:19:27.56\00:19:31.37 that were previously committed." 00:19:31.40\00:19:33.23 Memorize that, take it to heart. 00:19:33.27\00:19:36.50 Learn it off by heart. 00:19:36.54\00:19:38.47 Say it over and over again until it sinks down. 00:19:38.51\00:19:41.34 What is it saying? 00:19:45.05\00:19:46.38 It's saying that Christ took my place. 00:19:46.41\00:19:50.15 God in Christ, Christ was God in the flesh. 00:19:50.19\00:19:55.06 God in Christ bore my sin. 00:19:55.09\00:19:58.13 He became my propitiation. What on earth does that mean? 00:19:58.16\00:20:02.76 Some translations have changed it 00:20:02.80\00:20:05.10 because it is too offensive to their delicate ears. 00:20:05.13\00:20:10.91 They substituted the word expiation. 00:20:10.94\00:20:14.11 I won't go into the Greek, put up argument, 00:20:14.14\00:20:17.21 but the correct rendering is propitiation. 00:20:17.25\00:20:21.35 He suffered my condemnation and judgment. 00:20:21.38\00:20:25.89 Let me talk about propitiation. 00:20:25.92\00:20:29.49 Ask God to give you now revelation. 00:20:29.52\00:20:34.56 It's hard to understand 00:20:34.60\00:20:36.10 except if you get a revelation from God. 00:20:36.13\00:20:38.07 God is righteous and holy, 00:20:41.87\00:20:44.44 and demands righteousness and holiness. 00:20:44.47\00:20:48.34 And the world, all of us are under His wrath 00:20:48.38\00:20:51.25 because we've broken His commandments. 00:20:51.28\00:20:53.92 If we die outside of Christ, we die under His wrath. 00:20:53.95\00:20:58.69 People say, "I hate this." "Well, I'm sorry. 00:20:58.72\00:21:00.46 I never wrote it." It's scripture. 00:21:00.49\00:21:07.00 But Christ, on the cross, took the sin of the world. 00:21:07.03\00:21:12.87 And Paul said in one place, 00:21:16.77\00:21:18.41 "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree." 00:21:18.44\00:21:20.64 He suffered the righteous judgment of God. 00:21:20.68\00:21:27.05 Romans 1 talks about the righteousness of God 00:21:27.08\00:21:30.72 upon the wicked. 00:21:30.75\00:21:32.09 He took the righteous judgment of God upon the wicked. 00:21:32.12\00:21:38.19 He, on the cross, 00:21:38.23\00:21:40.00 took the righteous judgment of God, 00:21:40.03\00:21:43.00 the vengeance of God upon the wicked. 00:21:43.03\00:21:49.60 Why do you think He died so quickly? 00:21:49.64\00:21:52.97 Why do you think He gasped out, "My God, My God, 00:21:53.01\00:21:55.41 why have You forsaken Me"? 00:21:55.44\00:21:56.85 The cross didn't kill Him. 00:21:56.88\00:22:00.82 You'd say, "Yes, I did." No! 00:22:00.85\00:22:05.52 It was the wrath of God 00:22:05.55\00:22:07.86 directed against His Son... 00:22:07.89\00:22:10.99 Who had the essence of God. 00:22:14.83\00:22:18.10 And sometimes, we use the illustration, 00:22:18.13\00:22:20.14 He took His own medicine. 00:22:20.17\00:22:22.60 A mother wants a child to take some medicine, 00:22:22.64\00:22:24.67 the child doesn't want to, 00:22:24.71\00:22:26.04 so the mother takes the medicine. 00:22:26.07\00:22:29.71 God didn't just push His Son out 00:22:29.74\00:22:31.45 into the arena and say, "Do it all. 00:22:31.48\00:22:33.82 I'm going to sit on My throne." 00:22:33.85\00:22:35.48 God, in Christ, became a man. 00:22:35.52\00:22:39.62 And on the cross, 00:22:39.65\00:22:42.66 God took His own medicine... 00:22:42.69\00:22:44.03 And suffered His own wrath 00:22:49.50\00:22:53.84 against His righteousness. 00:22:53.87\00:22:57.34 This word, justify, 00:22:57.37\00:22:58.74 you need to get into your heads. 00:22:58.77\00:23:00.81 It doesn't mean to make righteous 00:23:00.84\00:23:03.11 as been taught by our friends, the Catholics. 00:23:03.14\00:23:06.55 And many Protestants believe it, 00:23:06.58\00:23:08.85 even in my church. 00:23:08.88\00:23:10.22 It means, justify means to declare righteous 00:23:10.25\00:23:14.72 as opposed to making righteous. 00:23:14.76\00:23:17.46 Because of Christ's propitiation, 00:23:17.49\00:23:21.90 if I trust fully in Christ as a penitent sinner, 00:23:21.93\00:23:26.53 He declares that I'm righteous, 00:23:26.57\00:23:31.11 as righteous as Jesus is. 00:23:31.14\00:23:36.24 He says, "You can't believe that? 00:23:36.28\00:23:38.41 That's why it's called the gospel." 00:23:38.45\00:23:41.65 That's why it's called the gospel. 00:23:45.89\00:23:49.22 People say, "No, it's got to be a sham." 00:23:49.26\00:23:51.99 No, it's not a sham. The text says, 00:23:52.03\00:23:54.76 so that God Himself can be righteous, 00:23:54.80\00:23:57.37 God is righteous because the righteous God 00:23:57.40\00:24:00.74 goes through the wrath of hell to atone for my sins, 00:24:00.77\00:24:06.14 He becomes a propitiation, so that legally, 00:24:06.17\00:24:09.34 He can declare me a sinner righteous. 00:24:09.38\00:24:15.28 The moment I believe in true faith. 00:24:15.32\00:24:20.12 Who could have thought that up? 00:24:20.16\00:24:23.12 He also changes the life. 00:24:23.16\00:24:26.19 This is called regeneration. 00:24:26.23\00:24:28.80 Simultaneously, it happens with justification, 00:24:28.83\00:24:32.07 He puts a new life in the soul, 00:24:32.10\00:24:35.87 and I become a born-again person. 00:24:35.90\00:24:40.68 It is this teaching that liberates men and women 00:24:40.71\00:24:45.75 and makes them joyful 00:24:45.78\00:24:47.82 and takes away from sour church members 00:24:47.85\00:24:50.75 the sourness. 00:24:50.79\00:24:53.12 And takes away from harsh people, 00:24:53.15\00:24:55.16 critical people, 00:24:55.19\00:24:56.52 legalistic people, takes it all away. 00:24:56.56\00:24:58.66 It breaks the heart. 00:25:02.36\00:25:06.00 Listen: He left His Father's throne above 00:25:06.03\00:25:11.94 So free, 00:25:11.97\00:25:13.88 so infinite His grace Emptied Himself of all but love 00:25:13.91\00:25:19.48 And bled for Adam's helpless race 00:25:19.51\00:25:23.42 'Tis mercy all, immense and free 00:25:23.45\00:25:25.92 For, O my God, it found out of me 00:25:25.95\00:25:30.39 'Tis mercy all, immense and free 00:25:30.43\00:25:33.70 O my God, it found out of me. 00:25:33.73\00:25:35.83 What love! What mercy! Oh, what a God! 00:25:35.86\00:25:41.27 Oh, what a God! 00:25:41.30\00:25:44.67 Long my imprisoned spirit lay Fast bound in sin 00:25:44.71\00:25:49.01 and nature's night 00:25:49.04\00:25:51.78 Thine eye diffused a quickening ray 00:25:51.81\00:25:54.38 I woke, the dungeon flamed with light 00:25:54.42\00:25:59.12 My chains fell off, 00:25:59.15\00:26:01.32 my heart was free 00:26:01.36\00:26:03.56 I rose, went forth and followed Thee" 00:26:03.59\00:26:08.30 This is the true gospel. 00:26:08.33\00:26:12.03 In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 00:26:12.07\00:26:15.87 Amen and amen. 00:26:15.90\00:26:18.47 Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me 00:26:23.51\00:26:26.61 in heaven and on earth. 00:26:26.65\00:26:28.98 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, 00:26:29.02\00:26:33.36 baptizing them in the name of the Father, 00:26:33.39\00:26:35.89 and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." 00:26:35.92\00:26:41.16 John Carter reports, 00:26:41.20\00:26:42.96 "We have seen God's power as the gospel of Christ 00:26:43.00\00:26:46.13 has been proclaimed in Africa, 00:26:46.17\00:26:50.01 India, Russia, 00:26:50.04\00:26:55.11 Ukraine, Cuba, 00:26:55.14\00:27:00.98 El Salvador, and many other places. 00:27:01.02\00:27:04.62 We invite you to partner with us 00:27:04.65\00:27:07.66 in proclaiming Jesus Christ." 00:27:07.69\00:27:09.72 To God be the glory. 00:27:13.29\00:27:16.50 Great things He has done. 00:27:16.53\00:27:20.97 Write today 00:27:21.00\00:27:22.44 to the Carter Report, P.O. Box 1900, 00:27:22.47\00:27:26.47 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 00:27:26.51\00:27:31.35 That's the Carter Report, P.O. Box 1900, 00:27:31.38\00:27:35.95 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 00:27:35.98\00:27:40.59 In Australia, 00:27:40.62\00:27:42.06 write to the Carter Report, P.O. Box 861, 00:27:42.09\00:27:46.66 Terrigal, New South Wales 2260. 00:27:46.70\00:27:51.17 That's the Carter Report, P.O. Box 861, 00:27:51.20\00:27:55.74 Terrigal, New South Wales 2260. 00:27:55.77\00:28:00.51 Thank you for your generous support. 00:28:00.54\00:28:02.88 We look forward to hearing from you soon. 00:28:02.91\00:28:05.38 May God richly bless you. 00:28:05.41\00:28:07.25 For a copy of today's program, 00:28:24.10\00:28:26.10 please contact us at P.O. Box 1900, 00:28:26.13\00:28:29.67 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 00:28:29.70\00:28:33.74 Or in Australia contact us at P.O. Box 861, 00:28:33.78\00:28:38.98 Terrigal, New South Wales 2260. 00:28:39.01\00:28:43.22 This program is made possible 00:28:43.25\00:28:45.09 through the generous support of viewers like you. 00:28:45.12\00:28:47.89 We thank you for your continued support. 00:28:47.92\00:28:51.06 May God richly bless you. 00:28:51.09\00:28:52.83