[Music]
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[Music]
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--At this juncture of our
conversation, there are two key
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passages that are representative
of Paul's theology, and we just
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wanna walk through them, we just
wanna break down, hopefully we
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can get through both of them
because they're deep, they're
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beautiful, but we just wanna
look at Romans chapter 4 and
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2 Corinthians chapter 5.
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So, who wants to begin?
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Let's go to Romans 4.
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--We're starting with Romans 4.
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--Who's gonna start
walking us through it?
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--I can start reading verse 1.
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--Yeah, let's just
kinda walk through it.
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--Verse 1, Jeffery.
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--Just read a few and
then see where it goes.
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What then...
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--Okay, stop right there, no
I'm just kidding, I'm kidding.
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--What then shall we say that
Abraham our father has found
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according to the flesh?
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For if Abraham was justified by
works, he has something to boast
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about, but not before God.
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For what does the scripture say?
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Abraham believed God and
it was accounted to him for
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righteousness.
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--Okay, that's a
good place, I think.
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--I love the tone already.
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--Well, it's so natural for him
to begin to talk about Abraham
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just to sort of start the larger
context here of Romans, 1, 2,
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and 3 is largely a, it's kind of
how we started the whole thing.
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We started our whole thing
looking at the darkness and
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bleakness and blackness of the
condition of humanity separated
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from God, and that's largely
Paul in 1, 2, and 3, that's a
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good simplification,
but that's what he's done.
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So, then, even for Paul, when it
comes time to start telling the
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good news, where does he go?
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He goes to Abraham.
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That's what we said.
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When we were in Genesis, we went
from 3 to 11 and we said, Moses,
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he's racing to get to what
he considers to be the point.
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And so Paul here, he's kind
of painted the darkness, you can
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see almost this would be a
simple way of saying it, that
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Paul's Genesis 3-11
is his Romans 1, 2, 3.
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The dark condition of man
separated from God and separated
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from one another.
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And so he says, okay, well, what
about Abraham, where's Abraham
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in this?
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And he immediately gravitates
right to the text that, for him,
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is absolutely central to
the whole story of scripture.
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And that is that God made
a covenant with Abraham and
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Abraham believed that God would
do what he said he would do.
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I'm gonna do that, I'm gonna
do that, I'm gonna do that,
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I'm gonna do that.
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Go ahead.
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--Which was based on Abraham
believing that God is the kind
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of God that God introduced
himself to be to Abraham, right?
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Not just God will do what he
says he will do, but God is a
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particular kind of God,
he's a covenant keeping God.
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He's faithful, he follows
through, he's consistent, he's
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reliable, this is the kind
of God Abraham is seeing and so
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this arouses
confidence, it arouses faith.
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His faith isn't something that
he manufactures, it's not an act
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of sheer willpower, he
sees something in this, God's
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interactions with him, as
Jeffery's been emphasizing, God
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responds, God
acts in a certain way.
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And that history gives a
premise for faith to build upon.
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--Do you guys, just really
quick, do you guys remember the
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statement where Paul says, in
Galatians 3:8 that God preached
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the gospel to Abraham.
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I love that.
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So, wait, wait, wait, the
gospel is in the New Testament.
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--Of course.
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When it says that Paul preached
the gospel of Abraham, I am very
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much of the mind that that took
place over the whole course of
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their interaction relationship.
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But largely during that very
moment, when he said, get the
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pieces, cut them in two, and
then he fell asleep and he had
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that nightmare, and we
think, well, wait a minute, the
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gospel's a nightmare?
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The gospel's good news.
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Well, yeah, it is for you.
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The gospel's great news, for
you, but it was a nightmare for
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Jesus in the
garden and on the cross.
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That's why it was a
horror in a great darkness.
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So, when you're saying it
was the kind of God that he was,
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Abraham understood full well
when those pieces were cut and
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he saw that smoking oven
and that burning torch passing
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through, he knew that God was
committing himself to the death,
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to this covenantal integrity,
to keeping his covenant.
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So, Paul says, what about
Abraham, what about this guy?
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If Abraham was recommended
to God, if Abraham was just a
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really special guy because
of what he did, then he could
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boast.
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He says, but that's not what
scripture says, what scripture
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says is that God made him a
bunch of promises and Abraham
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said, I think you're just
exactly the kind of being, the
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kind of God who will do
everything that you say you'll
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do.
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He believed it.
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--He can't really
take much credit for that.
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--Much?
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[Laughter]
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--All you're
doing is saying, okay.
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So, there's no
boasting in saying, okay.
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--Is it important to say okay?
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--Absolutely.
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--Of course.
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--He literally says that
boasting is excluded by virtue
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of the fact that God is good to
follow through with his promise
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and that's what constitutes the
righteousness that Abraham is
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experiencing.
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--What you just said.
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--That's where we're going.
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--It's exactly what he's saying.
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Then he would be able to
boast, but he can't boast.
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--Because it's the
equivalent of saying, duh.
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--Come along with us
Jeffery, come with us.
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--Okay, can I
read the next couple?
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--Of course, of course.
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I'm just gonna read from 5-8.
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I like being the reader.
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--And I like you being
the reader, too, you're a good
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reader.
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--Now, to him who works, the
wages are not counted as grace,
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but as dead.
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--Okay, don't read any
further than that right now.
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--We've got two things that are
being held in contrast to one
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another here, grace and debt.
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And so, if it was something that
God was obligated to respond to
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Abraham with favor, with
blessing, with promise, because
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there's something in Abraham
that solicits that response from
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God, then basically, it's
just an economic exchange.
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--That's right, it's wages.
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--And God is in debt to the man.
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But God's the one taking the
initiative, God's the one who's
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putting on display a faithful,
covenantal love that elicits the
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response from the
man, so it's grace.
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--Read on.
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--Verse 5, but to him who does
not work, but believes on him
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who justifies the ungodly,
his faith is accounted for
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righteousness.
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Just as David also describes the
blessedness of the man to whom
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God imputes
righteousness, apart from works.
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Then he quotes, blessed are
those whose lawless deeds are
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forgiven and
whose sins are covered.
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Blessed is the man to whom
the Lord shall not impute sin.
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--Okay, we come right up against
a term here that is central to
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Paul's understanding of what's
happening in the person of
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Jesus, and that is the word
justifies there in verse 5, he
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says, but to him who does not
work, but believes on him who
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justifies, the ungodly,
his faith is accounted for
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righteousness.
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It's important to recognize that
in the concept, in the picture
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of this covenant theme, and I've
mentioned this before, but I
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wanna say it again, that
implicit in all of scripture is
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a law court, that's a backdrop
for what's happening here.
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There is a legal dimension to
what's taking place, and in this
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particular instance, justifies,
or righteous, means that there
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is a standard, an agreed
to standard, and in this case,
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that's the covenantal agreement
between God and Abraham.
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And God has said, I will
be amenable to that standard.
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Right, so there's a line, I've
drawn a line here on my paper.
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God says, okay, I agree to that,
and then Abraham, on the other
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side says, okay, I
also agree to that, right?
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So, this is the
agreed to standard.
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If you and I, say Jeffery sues
me, okay, and he sues me because
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I've broken the law, whatever it
is, I stole something of yours,
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or I defrauded you or something,
and let's say James is the
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judge.
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Okay, so, here's what happens.
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We're going to go, and
we're gonna make our cases.
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You make your
case, I make my case.
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Okay, and let's just say
that James finds, in your favor.
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--Always.
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--Okay, so he
finds in Jeffery's favor.
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The language that would be used
there is that you are justified.
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In other words, you have been
declared in the right according
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to the legal conflict
that we're having here.
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--Declared innocent.
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--Declared innocent.
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Declared in harmony with, you
are found and I am not found.
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In other words, one of us, we
can't both be right if we're at
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a conflict, right?
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So, when the word justifies is
used here, it assumes within the
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very context that there is a
sense in which man not amenable
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to the standard of God's
covenant, that something has
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gone amiss, that
there's a conflict here.
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--There's a reason to
be in court, so to speak.
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There's a reason for a case.
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--Exactly, and that God
will make us amenable, he will
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declare us innocent to that
standard by virtue of something
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that he does.
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It says, he who justifies the
ungodly, but to him who does not
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work, but believes on him who
justifies the ungodly, his faith
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is accounted as righteous.
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And then he cites David
as a good instance of that.
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God does not impute or put
to you the guilt that is yours.
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--And we know that it's there if
you just loop back to chapter 3
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verse 19, we have the law court
language that is used here,
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verse 19, now we know that
whatever the law says, it says
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to those that are under the law,
that every mouth may be stopped
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and all the world, universal,
every man, woman, and child, may
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become guilty before God.
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So, that's the setting, Jeffery,
you were saying, so there's a
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reason to go to court.
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Well, verse 19 of chapter 3
is the reason to go to court.
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--Not just Abraham but us
as the offspring of Abraham.
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--But here's the scandal of the
thing, here's the amazing thing,
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in verse 19 of chapter 3, we're
guilty before God and then he
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turns around in chapter 4
and the very ones, that by all
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rights, should be condemned
are justified, it's astounding.
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--He's gonna develop his
argument as to how that's legal.
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How's that fair?
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How is God able to do that?
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Is there some mechanism by
which, in other words, I like
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the language that you've used
in the past, Ty, is this just a
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legal fiction?
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Is God saying, okay, we'll
just pretend you didn't do that,
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we'll pretend
that didn't happen.
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Or is there some greater
mechanism that allows God to be
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as scripture would say,
both just and the justifier.
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So, he's working toward that.
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--It's more than a mechanism,
it's an essential nature, it's
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an essential character, it
is the righteousness of God.
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It is who he is that makes it
possible for him to relate to us
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the way he relates to us.
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--I understand that, of course,
but what I was gonna say is that
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without the death of Jesus, this
is a tricky thing I'm gonna say
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here, but without the death
of Jesus, that's what I mean by
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mechanism, that God in Christ
does something that enables him
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to declare us both righteous,
to be just and the justifier.
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--Otherwise, he'd be lying.
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--That's my point.
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--He can't let us off the hook
as if nothing happened, that
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would be a lie.
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--That's where I was gonna go,
and the reason I was gonna go
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there, even though I said, well,
maybe we'll wait on this is
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because Paul has
already gone there.
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We are in Romans chapter 4, but
if you just go back to Romans 3,
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just a couple verses, really,
Romans 3, and if you look here,
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and I'm gonna read this from the
New International Version of the
00:12:36.43\00:12:40.30
bible.
00:12:40.30\00:12:41.56
Romans 3 verses 24 and 25, and
the reason is because it's so
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powerful, actually 25 and 26,
and here's what it says, talking
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about Christ, God presented
him, Christ, as a sacrifice of
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atonement through faith
and his blood, he did this to
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demonstrated his justice because
in his forbearance, he had left
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the sins committed
beforehand unpunished.
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He did it to demonstrate his
justice at the present time so
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as to be just and the one who
justifies those who have faith
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in Jesus.
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--Everything is good about that
except that justice is not the
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best word there.
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I mean, I've actually done quite
a little bit of reading on this,
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and everything else there is
great, but the NIV really almost
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universally, not completely, but
often translates righteousness
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as justice because
they're so inclined toward the
00:13:29.33\00:13:32.93
substitutionary perspective.
00:13:32.93\00:13:34.80
Where, the word is
righteousness, in other words,
00:13:34.80\00:13:37.63
if you just read it
like this, to demonstrate his
00:13:37.63\00:13:39.16
righteousness, and then in verse
26, to present at this time his
00:13:39.16\00:13:42.60
righteousness.
00:13:42.60\00:13:44.40
--King James.
00:13:44.40\00:13:45.40
--Exactly, in New
King James as well.
00:13:45.40\00:13:47.00
Not just his justice
in the sense of rule.
00:13:47.00\00:13:50.03
--Executing justice.
00:13:50.03\00:13:51.00
--But his goodness.
00:13:51.00\00:13:51.96
They're not antithetical.
00:13:51.96\00:13:55.36
--But it gives more meaning when
you put righteousness in there
00:13:55.36\00:13:58.00
than justice.
00:13:58.00\00:13:58.76
Gotcha.
00:13:58.76\00:13:59.53
--Okay.
00:13:59.53\00:14:00.40
--The point is there.
00:14:00.40\00:14:01.36
--Absolutely.
00:14:01.36\00:14:02.13
--You got the point.
00:14:02.13\00:14:03.40
So, you're saying it's the, and
that's implied when Paul quotes
00:14:03.40\00:14:06.30
in the verses here, Paul quotes
from David in Psalm 32, because
00:14:06.30\00:14:10.70
in Psalm 32, you have this word
blessed is the man whose sins
00:14:10.70\00:14:13.63
are forgiven, and that word
forgiven in Psalm 32 is nasa,
00:14:13.63\00:14:16.36
it's the same word that is
used in Isaiah 53, when it talks
00:14:16.36\00:14:20.86
about Christ has born
our sorrows, has born our...
00:14:20.86\00:14:25.03
--Carry away, to carry away.
00:14:25.03\00:14:26.43
--To carry up, to
take up, to carry away.
00:14:26.43\00:14:28.23
So, the reason why we, why
Abraham, why all of us have this
00:14:28.23\00:14:32.43
experience is because
of the event of Calvary.
00:14:32.43\00:14:36.16
--Because of what Christ did.
00:14:36.16\00:14:38.60
--What God has done in Christ.
00:14:38.60\00:14:39.86
And I love that your translation
says, there, blessed are those
00:14:39.86\00:14:41.63
whose...
00:14:41.63\00:14:42.80
--What does King James say?
00:14:42.80\00:14:44.03
--It says, blessed are they
whose iniquities are forgiven.
00:14:44.03\00:14:46.86
--Iniquities are forgiven.
00:14:46.86\00:14:48.10
I love New King James here,
whose lawless deeds, in other
00:14:48.10\00:14:50.96
words, violations
of God's covenant law.
00:14:50.96\00:14:54.03
--And what's the
next phrase, whose what?
00:14:54.03\00:14:55.63
--Whose sins are covered.
00:14:55.63\00:14:57.73
But just the idea that
there's a standard here.
00:14:57.73\00:15:00.80
God's covenant and the law
which is the outworking of that
00:15:00.80\00:15:05.10
covenantal connection that
God made with Abraham and his
00:15:05.10\00:15:07.26
descendants, and we
are in violation of that.
00:15:07.26\00:15:10.26
--So, he doesn't remove the
standard in order to save us, he
00:15:10.26\00:15:13.43
becomes the justifier while
still being just to his own.
00:15:13.43\00:15:18.20
--It's powerful,
and I think about this.
00:15:18.20\00:15:20.10
This is really something that
impacted me early in my teenage
00:15:20.10\00:15:23.70
years, again, I have a lot
of experiences from my teenage
00:15:23.70\00:15:26.90
years.
00:15:26.90\00:15:28.16
So, I was working in a hospital
and I had a boss, Scott , who,
00:15:28.16\00:15:29.80
he was, really wasn't
close to him in one sense, but
00:15:29.80\00:15:34.26
in another sense, you know,
he was someone I looked up to.
00:15:34.26\00:15:37.33
I respected him.
00:15:37.33\00:15:38.60
And one day, back in my partying
days, one day, I didn't come
00:15:38.60\00:15:42.70
into work.
00:15:42.70\00:15:43.96
You know, I was, and when you
don't come into work, you know,
00:15:43.96\00:15:45.83
call in to work,
guess what happens.
00:15:45.83\00:15:47.33
You get fired, you get fired.
00:15:47.33\00:15:49.46
So, I went in the next day
simply to be told I was fired
00:15:49.46\00:15:53.33
and get my stuff and leave,
and when I got in there, my
00:15:53.33\00:15:55.86
supervisor said, Scott
wants to see you in his office.
00:15:55.86\00:15:59.43
And I said, well, why?
00:15:59.43\00:16:00.93
I said, I know I'm fired,
I'm just gonna get my stuff.
00:16:00.93\00:16:03.43
So, I went ahead and went into
his office and it was really an
00:16:03.43\00:16:07.50
embarrassing moment, I really
didn't even wanna see him, I
00:16:07.50\00:16:09.03
didn't wanna, you know.
00:16:09.03\00:16:10.20
And I said, hey, you know,
and he said how's it going,
00:16:10.20\00:16:14.90
and basically just hung my
head, and didn't have anything
00:16:14.90\00:16:18.70
to say, and he said, you
know, why didn't you show up
00:16:18.70\00:16:22.73
yesterday, and I told him,
you know, I was partying, and I
00:16:22.73\00:16:24.60
didn't wake up, and I know
it's my bad and I understand the
00:16:24.60\00:16:27.93
situation, I just had a
friend who was fired for
00:16:27.93\00:16:29.60
that very same reason.
00:16:29.60\00:16:30.63
--From the same place?
00:16:30.63\00:16:32.63
--Yeah, that I had roomed with.
00:16:32.63\00:16:34.40
And he said to me, he said, Jim,
that's what I went by back then.
00:16:34.40\00:16:40.13
He said, Jim, he said,
we're not gonna fire you.
00:16:40.13\00:16:45.33
I was, it was incredulous to
me, we're not gonna count your
00:16:45.33\00:16:48.13
iniquities against you,
we're not gonna fire you.
00:16:48.13\00:16:50.43
And I'll tell you what, the
impact of that manifestation of
00:16:50.43\00:16:55.80
grace, I so respected Scott from
that day forward and so worked
00:16:55.80\00:17:02.70
and did my best and wanted to
just live up to that, you know
00:17:02.70\00:17:08.06
what I'm saying?
00:17:08.06\00:17:09.33
To the way that he treated me so
that I could become everything
00:17:09.33\00:17:12.16
that he seemed to be imposing
upon me, not imposing upon me.
00:17:12.16\00:17:16.83
--Did he basically say, I'm just
curious, like, you're a valuable
00:17:16.83\00:17:19.30
employee, we just really
want, did he give any reason?
00:17:19.30\00:17:21.23
Or did he just say,
we're not gonna do it?
00:17:21.23\00:17:22.50
--No, he just, there was this
unspoken, he knew where I was at
00:17:22.50\00:17:27.16
that time, he knew my
background, he knew that this
00:17:27.16\00:17:30.03
was it.
00:17:30.03\00:17:30.86
--You made a mistake.
00:17:30.86\00:17:32.10
--That I made a mistake, and
this was it for me, I was on my
00:17:32.10\00:17:33.33
own, I was a teenager, on my
own, this was all I had, there
00:17:33.33\00:17:35.63
was nothing else, who knows
where I could've gone, and I
00:17:35.63\00:17:38.40
remember, after I left, I
remember meeting him on the
00:17:38.40\00:17:41.76
street.
00:17:41.76\00:17:42.96
Even, he even talked to me
before I left and he said, there
00:17:42.96\00:17:44.83
was just this atmosphere around
him of I believe in you, that's
00:17:44.83\00:17:50.03
what it was, I believe in you.
00:17:50.03\00:17:51.16
--Those are powerful words.
00:17:51.16\00:17:52.66
--They're powerful.
00:17:52.66\00:17:53.76
And that atmosphere is a
powerful atmosphere, and it
00:17:53.76\00:17:56.36
impacted me.
00:17:56.36\00:17:57.60
--And we're getting to that,
right once we get to the second
00:17:57.60\00:17:59.50
half of this chapter, we
get into some of those concepts.
00:17:59.50\00:18:02.03
--And that's what we're seeing
here in the gospel, God is
00:18:02.03\00:18:04.73
exercising faith toward us.
00:18:04.73\00:18:06.73
He believes in us, he sees in us
something that we don't even see
00:18:06.73\00:18:10.20
in ourselves.
00:18:10.20\00:18:11.40
--Well, the potential that
he sees is a realized fact in
00:18:11.40\00:18:17.63
Christ.
00:18:17.63\00:18:18.86
So, the objective reality of
the holy history of Jesus Christ
00:18:18.86\00:18:24.63
that is fully complete, right
there for the whole universe to
00:18:24.63\00:18:28.90
see, God the Father looks at
Christ and says, yeah, that is
00:18:28.90\00:18:34.10
all of their potential
through association with Christ.
00:18:34.10\00:18:39.30
It's a powerful
vote of confidence.
00:18:39.30\00:18:42.26
We have to take a break, but
we'll continue through Romans 4
00:18:42.26\00:18:46.20
in just a moment.
00:18:46.20\00:18:48.30
[Music]
00:18:49.50\00:18:52.83
--Hi, I'm Ty Gibson,
welcome to digma.com.
00:18:54.43\00:18:57.63
I am so excited about this
website because you're about to
00:18:57.63\00:19:00.96
discover a powerful new way to
share life transforming messages
00:19:00.96\00:19:05.60
and videos with your family,
friends, and anybody else on the
00:19:05.60\00:19:09.10
planet who has
access to a computer.
00:19:09.10\00:19:12.10
Digma is a Greek word.
00:19:12.73\00:19:14.36
It basically means, to show or
to reveal something by means of
00:19:14.36\00:19:18.03
a pattern or an
example of some kind.
00:19:18.03\00:19:20.66
It's the second half of the
word, paradigma, from which we
00:19:20.66\00:19:24.50
get the English word,
paradigm, as in paradigm shift.
00:19:24.50\00:19:29.03
And so, what you're going to
find at digma.com is a growing
00:19:29.03\00:19:31.93
library of short videos
and transcripts dealing with
00:19:31.93\00:19:35.10
paradigms and
fundamental questions.
00:19:35.10\00:19:38.60
What's the meaning of life?
00:19:38.60\00:19:40.70
What is our origin and
destiny as human beings?
00:19:40.70\00:19:44.40
What happens when we die?
00:19:44.40\00:19:46.96
Does God exist or are we
alone in this vast universe?
00:19:46.96\00:19:51.10
Why is there so much evil
and suffering in our world?
00:19:51.10\00:19:55.40
An estimated 70% of Americans
have a computer right in their
00:19:55.40\00:20:00.23
home and stay in touch
with their family and friends by
00:20:00.23\00:20:03.06
email, and more than 400 million
people are active on Facebook,
00:20:03.06\00:20:08.86
and 5 million new users
are signing up every week.
00:20:08.86\00:20:13.56
We are literally in the midst of
a communications revolution of
00:20:13.56\00:20:18.40
massive proportion.
00:20:18.40\00:20:20.40
This is granting the
gospel direct and easy access to
00:20:20.40\00:20:25.10
millions upon millions of homes
and hearts, and that's what
00:20:25.10\00:20:30.56
digma.com is all about.
00:20:30.56\00:20:33.26
It's a tool for leading
our family and friends on an
00:20:33.26\00:20:36.63
exciting paradigm shift by
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00:20:36.63\00:20:40.83
creating power and his
incredibly beautiful character
00:20:40.83\00:20:45.13
in contrast to our world's
popular misconceptions about who
00:20:45.13\00:20:50.86
God is.
00:20:50.86\00:20:52.56
[Music]
00:20:52.56\00:21:04.23
--Alright, here we go,
boys, straight through Romans
00:21:04.23\00:21:05.80
chapter 4.
00:21:05.80\00:21:06.80
We left off before the
break at verse 8, was it?
00:21:06.80\00:21:09.63
--We finished 7 and 8.
00:21:09.63\00:21:10.90
--Alright, and Jeffery,
you're walking us through.
00:21:10.90\00:21:12.66
--Verse 9, does this blessedness
then come upon the circumcised
00:21:12.66\00:21:17.56
only, or upon the
uncircumcised also?
00:21:17.56\00:21:21.73
For we say that faith
was accounted to Abraham for
00:21:21.73\00:21:25.13
righteousness.
00:21:25.13\00:21:26.30
Well, how then was it accounted?
00:21:26.30\00:21:28.90
While he was
circumcised or uncircumcised?
00:21:28.90\00:21:32.06
Not while circumcised,
but while uncircumcised.
00:21:32.06\00:21:35.90
--Maybe we should just stop
there for just a moment, because
00:21:35.90\00:21:38.50
verse 11's gonna
get a little technical.
00:21:38.50\00:21:39.96
You can summarize what
he's saying in 9 and 10 fairly
00:21:39.96\00:21:42.86
simply.
00:21:42.86\00:21:44.13
He's using circumcision here as
a, he's just talking about the
00:21:44.13\00:21:48.13
Jews.
00:21:48.13\00:21:49.26
In other words, does the
blessedness of the forgiveness
00:21:49.26\00:21:52.60
of sins and being in a right
relationship with God come only
00:21:52.60\00:21:54.90
to those who have, what he's
gonna call in a moment, the sign
00:21:54.90\00:21:58.13
of the covenant?
00:21:58.13\00:21:59.50
Right, he's
asking that question.
00:21:59.50\00:22:01.23
--And the
uncircumcised would be gentiles.
00:22:01.23\00:22:03.50
--And so, he's gonna ask the
question, we said, we just said
00:22:03.50\00:22:07.20
a moment ago that
Abraham believed God and it was
00:22:07.20\00:22:09.43
accounted to him
for righteousness.
00:22:09.43\00:22:10.83
He says, so here's my
question, when was it accounted?
00:22:10.83\00:22:14.66
How then was it accounted?
00:22:14.66\00:22:15.83
Before or after he had
the sign of the covenant?
00:22:15.83\00:22:18.33
--That's good reasoning.
00:22:18.33\00:22:19.63
--It's beautiful logic.
00:22:19.63\00:22:20.83
It's gonna pop right here
in a second, because if it was
00:22:20.83\00:22:23.33
before, it was before he
anything about it, therefore, it
00:22:23.33\00:22:26.60
must have been, it must have had
nothing to do with him doing it.
00:22:26.60\00:22:30.83
--We should say, too, especially
with the case of Romans, these
00:22:30.83\00:22:34.83
are undoubtedly the sermons that
Paul preached dozens or probably
00:22:34.83\00:22:38.60
hundreds of times in the various
cities that he was travelling
00:22:38.60\00:22:41.63
to, and so, when Paul is writing
here, or having his friend write
00:22:41.63\00:22:46.33
for him, whatever the case may
have been, he anticipates, he
00:22:46.33\00:22:49.46
knows what the objections are
gonna be, he knows the Jewish
00:22:49.46\00:22:52.76
way of thinking, and so, he
is so methodical and careful and
00:22:52.76\00:22:56.63
intentional, he's just walking
through, you can feel, as it
00:22:56.63\00:22:59.03
were, the noose tightening, or
the, you can just feel it on an
00:22:59.03\00:23:04.30
old way of thinking,
say, I got a question for you.
00:23:04.30\00:23:06.76
We said that Abraham
was, because a Jew would
00:23:06.76\00:23:09.06
automatically wanna say, a first
century Jew would say, well,
00:23:09.06\00:23:11.26
let's talk about Abraham, what
about Abraham, say, okay, let's
00:23:11.26\00:23:13.40
talk about Abraham.
00:23:13.40\00:23:14.60
What should we say about Abraham
our father, concerning the
00:23:14.60\00:23:16.06
flesh?
00:23:16.06\00:23:17.06
And then he just
starts to tighten the knot.
00:23:17.06\00:23:19.76
--But what, to me, what's
fascinating is that he doesn't
00:23:19.76\00:23:22.63
base his gospel message on
any new thing as you're saying.
00:23:22.63\00:23:27.06
He says, okay, let's
go look at the scripture.
00:23:27.06\00:23:29.13
Let's look at your scriptures.
00:23:29.13\00:23:31.13
--Abraham was accounted
righteous before he was
00:23:31.13\00:23:33.96
circumcised, and while the noose
is tightening for those who are
00:23:33.96\00:23:38.40
parochial as Jews and elitist,
at the same time, imagine how
00:23:38.40\00:23:43.13
the gentiles are hearing this.
00:23:43.13\00:23:44.60
If Paul is preaching this from
city to city and gentiles are
00:23:44.60\00:23:47.20
hearing him preach, this
is opening a door to them.
00:23:47.20\00:23:51.26
What in the world?
00:23:51.26\00:23:53.26
Because all we've known is
rejection and marginalized,
00:23:53.26\00:23:57.56
we're pushed to the edges,
there's no way God is for them
00:23:57.56\00:24:01.80
and not for us, that's
the message that's been coming
00:24:01.80\00:24:04.20
through, and then suddenly,
wait, this guy is saying that
00:24:04.20\00:24:08.03
it's for us, too?
00:24:08.03\00:24:09.33
--And like you said of Jesus, no
wonder they tried to kill him.
00:24:09.33\00:24:12.26
He was saying some
revolutionary things.
00:24:12.26\00:24:14.76
--Okay, so now, 11, you should
probably read just 11 and 12,
00:24:14.76\00:24:18.93
because that then is
gonna take some unpacking.
00:24:18.93\00:24:21.26
--And he received the sign
of circumcision, a seal of the
00:24:21.26\00:24:26.46
righteousness of the
faith which he had while still
00:24:26.46\00:24:29.90
uncircumcised, that he might
be the father of all those who
00:24:29.90\00:24:35.33
believe, though they
are uncircumcised, that
00:24:35.33\00:24:39.16
righteousness might
be imputed to them also.
00:24:39.16\00:24:42.70
And the father of circumcision
to those who not only are of the
00:24:42.70\00:24:46.80
circumcision, but who also walk
in the steps of the faith which
00:24:46.80\00:24:53.96
our father Abraham had
while still uncircumcised.
00:24:53.96\00:24:57.66
That is, I love the fact here
that before the sign was given,
00:24:59.40\00:25:05.73
so in other words, they took the
sign, they replaced the reality
00:25:05.73\00:25:11.50
of the thing with the sign, not
realizing that the circumcision
00:25:11.50\00:25:15.90
was just a sign of the thing.
00:25:15.90\00:25:18.26
--One pointed to the other.
00:25:18.26\00:25:20.70
--And they flipped it.
00:25:20.70\00:25:21.70
--Circumcision was
indicative of something else.
00:25:21.70\00:25:24.46
It wasn't in
itself a means to the end.
00:25:24.46\00:25:28.70
--It was a sign.
00:25:28.70\00:25:29.93
--It was a sign of something
that he says, Abraham already
00:25:29.93\00:25:32.80
had before the thing, the
physical thing took place.
00:25:32.80\00:25:37.00
--And this is just, just think
about the chronology of Genesis.
00:25:37.00\00:25:40.03
God appears to Abram, says,
get out of your country, makes a
00:25:40.03\00:25:43.23
covenant with him in 12, 13, 14,
and 15, okay, so that's just, we
00:25:43.23\00:25:47.66
can do the math, 12, 13, 14,
15, 16 is the experience with
00:25:47.66\00:25:52.50
Ishmael and Hagar,
17 is circumcision.
00:25:52.50\00:25:56.13
So, what comes first?
00:25:56.13\00:25:57.26
Circumcision or covenant?
00:25:57.26\00:25:58.60
That's Paul's whole
point, what comes first?
00:25:58.60\00:26:01.43
Was he circumcised?
00:26:01.43\00:26:03.56
And God said, now that you
are ready, well done, I will
00:26:03.56\00:26:07.50
establish my covenant with you.
00:26:07.50\00:26:08.56
He says, actually, on
the contrary, he had already
00:26:08.56\00:26:10.80
established a covenant, and
circumcision was a sign that he
00:26:10.80\00:26:13.63
had tried to do for God what
God was going to do for him.
00:26:13.63\00:26:17.66
Remember, we talked about that,
it wasn't just randomly snipping
00:26:17.66\00:26:19.50
things off, it was cutting this
particular thing off because
00:26:19.50\00:26:22.63
that's the thing that
Abraham was trying to use.
00:26:22.63\00:26:24.76
--That's where he thought
his potency, his power resided.
00:26:24.76\00:26:27.40
--Exactly, and so, in the...
00:26:27.40\00:26:30.80
--It's simple
chronology, in other words.
00:26:30.80\00:26:32.63
--Here's a crucially important
point, not only for us here, but
00:26:32.63\00:26:35.60
especially for our viewers, when
Paul here says, this is a sign,
00:26:35.60\00:26:39.30
a seal of the righteousness that
he had, a sign of righteousness.
00:26:39.30\00:26:44.00
In Genesis 17, it's
called a sign of the covenant.
00:26:44.00\00:26:48.33
Paul's not playing fast and
loose here with language, he's
00:26:48.33\00:26:53.20
saying righteousness but it's
really covenant, he's saying
00:26:53.20\00:26:54.63
covenant, it's
really righteousness.
00:26:54.63\00:26:55.36
These are one in the same.
00:26:55.36\00:26:56.16
--One in the same thing.
00:26:56.16\00:26:57.26
--These are one in the
same thing, and he's gonna be
00:26:57.26\00:26:58.93
driving, driving, driving to
this point, which is crucial to
00:26:58.93\00:27:01.50
all of Romans, that is for the
Jew and the Greek, it's for the
00:27:01.50\00:27:04.96
Jew and the Greek, it's
for the Jew and the Greek.
00:27:04.96\00:27:06.23
And here, I think he's making
two major points, number one,
00:27:06.23\00:27:09.56
he's talking about access to God
on the basis of faith, faith in
00:27:09.56\00:27:12.33
the goodness of God
and what Christ has done.
00:27:12.33\00:27:14.20
But number 2, the universal
connectivity that God has with
00:27:14.20\00:27:18.33
not just the Jews that
are circumcised, but with the
00:27:18.33\00:27:21.83
gentiles as well.
00:27:21.83\00:27:23.83
He's driving at
these 2 major points.
00:27:23.83\00:27:25.50
--That's exactly what I was
gonna say, because it says, in
00:27:25.50\00:27:27.13
this way, verse 11, he might
be the father of all those who
00:27:27.13\00:27:29.83
believe, though
they are uncircumcised.
00:27:29.83\00:27:32.96
--The father of all who believe.
00:27:32.96\00:27:35.00
--Which is so bizarre because
the sign of circumcision became
00:27:35.00\00:27:39.26
this exclusive thing when the
whole point was to include, to
00:27:39.26\00:27:44.90
be a sign of those who
believe even though they're
00:27:44.90\00:27:47.46
uncircumcised.
00:27:47.46\00:27:48.66
--And at this point, it becomes
obsolete, it's completely
00:27:48.66\00:27:52.16
unnecessary now because
the thing that it indicated has
00:27:52.16\00:27:56.56
become reality in Christ.
00:27:56.56\00:27:58.86
--Yeah, that's right.
00:27:58.86\00:28:00.36
--So, where are we?
00:28:00.36\00:28:01.96
--We're in 13.
00:28:01.96\00:28:03.00
--We're in verse 13?
00:28:03.00\00:28:05.03
--Yeah, 4:13.
00:28:05.03\00:28:06.30
--For the promise that he would
be the heir of the world was not
00:28:06.30\00:28:09.86
to Abraham or to his
seed through the law.
00:28:09.86\00:28:13.00
--To his descendants.
00:28:13.00\00:28:14.23
--But through the
righteousness of faith.
00:28:14.23\00:28:16.90
--There it is, through the, this
is so important, the fact that
00:28:16.90\00:28:21.13
God would do in Abraham and
through Abraham something that
00:28:21.13\00:28:24.40
would bless all the nations of
the earth was not something that
00:28:24.40\00:28:27.76
he did by his works,
by something that he did.
00:28:27.76\00:28:32.73
It was the thing that
God called, God promised, God
00:28:32.73\00:28:35.76
covenanted and Abraham believed.
00:28:35.76\00:28:39.60
That's his point.
00:28:39.60\00:28:40.53
--And God fulfilled.
00:28:40.53\00:28:41.43
--And God fulfilled.
00:28:41.43\00:28:42.66
--The child, Isaac, was the
child of promise, and God, by
00:28:42.66\00:28:45.76
his own miraculous intervention,
yeah, so the point, again, is
00:28:45.76\00:28:54.23
that God is the active agent in
the entire process and Abraham's
00:28:54.23\00:29:00.73
role is to see God for who God
is for what God is doing and by
00:29:00.73\00:29:06.10
faith, to apprehend those facts.
00:29:06.10\00:29:08.13
--To believe it.
00:29:08.13\00:29:09.10
--It's the same
point over and over again.
00:29:09.10\00:29:10.33
Just different angles.
00:29:10.33\00:29:11.96
I'm gonna go, verse 14?
00:29:11.96\00:29:13.36
--Verse 14, yeah,
let's just go right through.
00:29:13.36\00:29:14.73
--For if those who are of
the law are heirs, faith is made
00:29:14.73\00:29:18.86
void, and the promise made of
no effect because the law brings
00:29:18.86\00:29:24.23
about wrath, for where
there is no law, there is no
00:29:24.23\00:29:27.86
transgression.
00:29:27.86\00:29:29.13
Therefore, it is of faith that
it might be according to grace
00:29:29.13\00:29:33.16
so that the promise might be
sure to all the seed, not only
00:29:33.16\00:29:38.86
to those who are of the law,
but also to those who are of the
00:29:38.86\00:29:43.46
faith of Abraham who
is the father of us all.
00:29:43.46\00:29:47.40
--He's used that word now,
father, at least twice in this
00:29:47.40\00:29:50.96
chapter.
00:29:50.96\00:29:52.20
The father of us all, and up
here in 11, he spoke about him
00:29:52.20\00:29:55.10
being, or in 12, the
father of the uncircumcised.
00:29:55.10\00:29:58.96
And he's using here those that
are of the law and those who
00:29:58.96\00:30:03.40
believe like Abraham, again,
that's just another distinction
00:30:03.40\00:30:06.30
in the same way that it was
circumcised, uncircumcised, for
00:30:06.30\00:30:09.06
the Jew who has access to God's
written law, codified law, and
00:30:09.06\00:30:15.10
the gentile who didn't.
00:30:15.10\00:30:16.96
And he's saying, you're it, for
the Jew, you're in because you
00:30:16.96\00:30:20.26
are connected to Abraham,
particularly if you have the
00:30:20.26\00:30:23.10
faith of Abraham.
00:30:23.10\00:30:25.73
And to the
non-Jew he says, same.
00:30:25.73\00:30:26.80
He's the father of us all.
00:30:26.80\00:30:28.33
--Because it's a matter of
relation to God, it's not a
00:30:28.33\00:30:33.93
matter of genetics.
00:30:33.93\00:30:36.20
--That's right.
00:30:36.20\00:30:37.46
--So, Abraham is the template,
if you will, of what it looks
00:30:37.46\00:30:42.23
like to relate to God as God
really is, and to put utter and
00:30:42.23\00:30:47.53
complete confidence in
God by virtue of who God is.
00:30:47.53\00:30:52.13
And that's
accessible to literally anyone.
00:30:52.13\00:30:56.06
--There's another thing that we
have to say here, and you quoted
00:30:56.06\00:30:58.86
not this session, James, but
in the past you took us, and I'm
00:30:58.86\00:31:01.66
sure we'll end up there again,
to Galatians 3 where Paul says
00:31:01.66\00:31:05.23
that if you're Abraham's seed
then you're Christ's and you're
00:31:05.23\00:31:10.06
heirs, and he goes on to
say there's not Jew or Greek,
00:31:10.06\00:31:11.96
there's not male or female,
there's not slave or free, for
00:31:11.96\00:31:14.00
Paul there was, the gospel
was not just about your personal
00:31:14.00\00:31:18.36
walk with God and your personal
walk with God as if something
00:31:18.36\00:31:20.90
this magnificent and awesome
could be internalized and
00:31:20.90\00:31:26.40
isolated from the larger reality
that God is connecting people to
00:31:26.40\00:31:29.73
people, not just individuals
in their own private, internal
00:31:29.73\00:31:32.56
relationship to God.
00:31:32.56\00:31:33.83
He's like, no, there's, he's the
father of us all, you just see
00:31:33.83\00:31:37.46
the pastoral, godly heart
of Paul longing to see, in this
00:31:37.46\00:31:42.30
particular case, in the
immediate context, the church at
00:31:42.30\00:31:44.80
Rome reconnected
both Jew and gentile.
00:31:44.80\00:31:49.10
There's a history there, there's
a context there that we don't
00:31:49.10\00:31:51.50
have to go into.
00:31:51.50\00:31:52.73
--Small clarification, I've
never taken you there, Jeffery's
00:31:52.73\00:31:54.46
the one who's taking us
to Galatians a couple times.
00:31:54.46\00:31:56.23
I can see why you thought it
was me, because we look so much
00:31:56.23\00:31:59.13
alike.
00:31:59.13\00:32:00.06
--So similar.
00:32:00.06\00:32:02.20
--Actually, it was myself, and I
don't look anything like either
00:32:02.20\00:32:08.66
one of them.
00:32:08.66\00:32:09.50
--It was somebody.
00:32:09.50\00:32:12.00
--It was both of you.
00:32:12.00\00:32:13.10
--The next verse.
00:32:13.10\00:32:14.46
--Verse 17.
00:32:14.46\00:32:15.20
--This is my favorite.
00:32:15.20\00:32:16.76
--No, no, no, this is my
favorite in this chapter.
00:32:16.76\00:32:19.06
--To me, this is the
part in the chapter, I think.
00:32:19.06\00:32:20.83
--I think you
should arm wrestle.
00:32:20.83\00:32:21.96
You're on
appropriate sides of the table.
00:32:21.96\00:32:23.83
--Verse 17 is your favorite?
00:32:23.83\00:32:25.40
--Verse 17.
00:32:25.40\00:32:26.66
As it is written, I have made
you a father of many nations in
00:32:26.66\00:32:32.16
the presence of
him whom he believed.
00:32:32.16\00:32:36.30
God, who gives life to the dead
and calls those things which do
00:32:36.30\00:32:42.70
not exist as though they did.
00:32:42.70\00:32:46.46
To me, that's
the text right there.
00:32:46.46\00:32:49.30
--That's the phrase from which
we draw the title that we're
00:32:49.30\00:32:52.63
giving to this conversation.
00:32:52.63\00:32:54.70
And that is
righteous before the fact.
00:32:54.70\00:32:58.10
Now, one of two things is
happening here, when it says
00:32:58.10\00:33:01.43
that God calls those things
which do not exist as though
00:33:01.43\00:33:05.63
they do, either God's lying,
he's creating a fiction that
00:33:05.63\00:33:10.83
he's believing himself and
hoping we'll believe, or God is
00:33:10.83\00:33:16.13
relating in a way that
is consistent with covenant
00:33:16.13\00:33:22.73
faithfulness.
00:33:22.73\00:33:24.60
Do you see what I'm saying?
00:33:24.60\00:33:25.83
In what sense would God call
those things which do not exist
00:33:25.83\00:33:29.36
as though they do exist.
00:33:29.36\00:33:32.26
Well, the context, as we've
just read, is righteousness.
00:33:32.26\00:33:35.60
So, we can put it this way.
00:33:35.60\00:33:36.86
God is calling us righteous even
though we're not, but not for
00:33:36.86\00:33:43.30
the purpose of grounding us
in unrighteousness, not for the
00:33:43.30\00:33:47.56
purpose of justifying or
condoning unrighteousness, but
00:33:47.56\00:33:52.80
for the very purpose of arousing
in us a response to him that is
00:33:52.80\00:33:59.06
consistent with the
response we see in Abraham.
00:33:59.06\00:34:01.96
--Like what happened
with Scott on my job.
00:34:01.96\00:34:04.06
--Absolutely.
00:34:04.06\00:34:05.33
--I didn't deserve, there was no
way that I should've maintained
00:34:05.33\00:34:07.56
that job, but he treated me as
though there was nothing that I
00:34:07.56\00:34:12.03
did that I could just
continue to work there.
00:34:12.03\00:34:14.46
And that called me up to that,
caused me to want to live out.
00:34:14.46\00:34:19.36
--It's an act of faith.
00:34:19.36\00:34:22.30
--He spoke that
reality into you.
00:34:22.30\00:34:24.93
It's so powerful how the gospel
speaks a reality into us and
00:34:24.93\00:34:31.83
then we become that reality.
00:34:31.83\00:34:33.73
For example, do you remember the
proverb, I think it's Proverbs
00:34:33.73\00:34:38.03
chapter 27, as a man
thinks in his heart, so is he.
00:34:38.03\00:34:40.13
So, basically, your frame of
mind, who you perceive yourself
00:34:40.13\00:34:47.20
to be, that's
who you will become.
00:34:47.20\00:34:49.26
So, all of these beautiful
promises where God tells us what
00:34:49.26\00:34:53.76
we will be before we are, he is
speaking that reality into us.
00:34:53.76\00:34:57.83
Check this out, so, in my life,
there's been, in the last 2
00:34:57.83\00:35:00.96
years, my wife and I have been
ministering to this young lady
00:35:00.96\00:35:05.66
and it's young lady, a
young teenager who's struggling
00:35:05.66\00:35:09.40
through life, trying to figure
things out through rebellion and
00:35:09.40\00:35:12.33
so forth, and it's so profound
when somebody is struggling
00:35:12.33\00:35:16.76
academically, somebody is
struggling socially, somebody's
00:35:16.76\00:35:20.50
struggling just in and of
themselves to relate to their
00:35:20.50\00:35:23.23
family and everything.
00:35:23.23\00:35:24.63
And my wife told me, you
know what, instead of speaking
00:35:24.63\00:35:27.46
negativity, instead of always
speaking down, let's do the
00:35:27.46\00:35:31.96
opposite, let's just turn
the tables, let's confuse this
00:35:31.96\00:35:34.66
teenager, and let's speak up.
00:35:34.66\00:35:38.70
You can do this.
00:35:38.70\00:35:40.36
No, you can do this, no, you're
the type of person that can do
00:35:40.36\00:35:43.46
this, you have what it takes.
00:35:43.46\00:35:44.96
You see what I'm saying?
00:35:44.96\00:35:45.96
I'm telling you,
academically, it's just, ping.
00:35:45.96\00:35:48.53
--What you're describing,
Jeffery, is the identity shaping
00:35:48.53\00:35:53.23
power of
fatherhood or parenting.
00:35:53.23\00:35:56.66
The child that is raised by
a father or a mother that is
00:35:56.66\00:36:02.60
speaking to the child
of negativity and failure,
00:36:02.60\00:36:07.73
magnifying their failures,
you're stupid, you'll never
00:36:07.73\00:36:10.50
amount to anything, I can't
believe you would do that kind
00:36:10.50\00:36:12.80
of thing, the child begins to
have that vision of himself or
00:36:12.80\00:36:17.16
herself, and precipitously, that
person, that child's life begins
00:36:17.16\00:36:21.70
to reflect what the
parent has prophesied over them.
00:36:21.70\00:36:26.03
--They will
fulfill that prophecy.
00:36:26.03\00:36:27.83
--Yeah.
00:36:27.83\00:36:29.06
Reverse it, though, if you speak
success over a child, if you
00:36:29.06\00:36:31.40
prophecy, so to speak, I'm using
the word loosely there, if you
00:36:31.40\00:36:35.20
say to the child, you're
incredible, I love you, you're
00:36:35.20\00:36:38.13
gonna amount to something great,
you're the kind of person that
00:36:38.13\00:36:40.70
doesn't lie, I
expect from you the best.
00:36:40.70\00:36:44.13
Then the child begins to aspire
to the thing, to the vision, as
00:36:44.13\00:36:48.76
it were, so fatherhood,
motherhood is a scripting
00:36:48.76\00:36:52.13
process, so to speak.
00:36:52.13\00:36:53.93
And that's what we have
taking place in scripture.
00:36:53.93\00:36:55.73
A story is being
written, a new biography.
00:36:55.73\00:36:59.56
The Jews are thinking, biology.
00:36:59.56\00:37:02.43
Jesus is thinking biography.
00:37:02.43\00:37:04.60
That's the difference here.
00:37:04.60\00:37:06.26
--That's a great
way of saying it.
00:37:06.26\00:37:07.53
--Yeah, Jesus is rewriting
the history of Israel, and he's
00:37:07.53\00:37:11.76
inviting anybody to
identify with that history.
00:37:11.76\00:37:14.63
So, when the text says that God
calls those things which do not
00:37:14.63\00:37:18.73
exist as if they do, there's
a sense in which it's directly
00:37:18.73\00:37:22.70
parallel to back up in verse
7 and I exercise a great deal of
00:37:22.70\00:37:26.43
self-control not to mention this
back when we read verse 7, but
00:37:26.43\00:37:29.90
God covers our sins.
00:37:29.90\00:37:33.86
Covers?
00:37:33.86\00:37:34.96
Covers our sins?
00:37:34.96\00:37:36.43
Why would he cover our sins?
00:37:36.43\00:37:37.93
That sounds like a cover up.
00:37:37.93\00:37:40.00
No, he covers our sins in
the sense that love covers sin.
00:37:40.00\00:37:45.83
He's relating to us as if we're
innocent and righteous in order
00:37:45.83\00:37:50.73
to generate and produce
innocence and righteousness in
00:37:50.73\00:37:55.96
us.
00:37:55.96\00:37:57.23
--That is a significant gospel
truth, I think, and so much more
00:37:57.23\00:38:03.36
of that needs to be preached in
our churches, in our homes, this
00:38:03.36\00:38:07.43
idea that if the sinner would
simply believe what God says,
00:38:07.43\00:38:13.43
the sinner will become the
fulfillment of that prophecy.
00:38:13.43\00:38:15.96
--Follows right believing.
00:38:15.96\00:38:18.80
A later place in Romans, Paul
calls the scriptures, the Old
00:38:18.80\00:38:22.53
Testament
scriptures the word of faith.
00:38:22.53\00:38:24.80
Well, who's word is it?
00:38:24.80\00:38:27.86
It's God's word.
00:38:27.86\00:38:29.10
The bible, the Old Testament
specifically is a collection of
00:38:29.10\00:38:32.43
promises and declarations in the
form of songs and prophecies and
00:38:32.43\00:38:36.96
enacted history.
00:38:36.96\00:38:38.40
The Old Testament is a series of
promises and declarations that
00:38:38.40\00:38:43.16
God is speaking over us in order
to give us something to aspire
00:38:43.16\00:38:49.23
to.
00:38:49.23\00:38:50.16
It's an amazing thing.
00:38:50.16\00:38:51.36
He's faithing, as it were,
righteousness into existence.
00:38:51.36\00:38:54.36
--I gotta share this verse.
00:38:54.36\00:38:55.90
--Okay, go, because I got
something I wanna share, too.
00:38:55.90\00:38:57.86
--You share first.
00:38:57.86\00:38:58.73
--Mine will be very quick.
00:38:58.73\00:38:59.93
When the woman was caught
in adultery, we often quote and
00:38:59.93\00:39:02.66
say, go and sin no more.
00:39:02.66\00:39:05.60
But what Jesus said first
is, neither do I condemn you.
00:39:05.60\00:39:09.46
I think higher of you.
00:39:09.46\00:39:12.03
Now, go and live the belief that
I have in you, the expectation
00:39:12.03\00:39:17.83
that I have of you.
00:39:17.83\00:39:19.03
And that's the 10 commandments.
00:39:19.03\00:39:20.36
We often say, you will not, you
will not, you will not, you will
00:39:20.36\00:39:23.53
not, right, but what it's
actually, and we say shall not,
00:39:23.53\00:39:26.26
but it's
actually, it's you won't.
00:39:26.26\00:39:28.76
--It's a promise.
00:39:28.76\00:39:30.00
--You won't and you won't
and you won't and you won't, and
00:39:30.00\00:39:32.93
those 10 commandments in Exodus
20 were spoken to a delivered
00:39:32.93\00:39:36.56
people.
00:39:36.56\00:39:37.83
Not, you're on probation, let's
see how it works out and come
00:39:37.83\00:39:42.96
and talk to me, which is his
point here about circumcision.
00:39:42.96\00:39:44.20
He wasn't like, hey, go get
circumcised, then come talk to
00:39:44.20\00:39:45.70
me.
00:39:45.70\00:39:46.93
You do a little something,
I'll do a little something, it's
00:39:46.93\00:39:47.50
economic, as you said.
00:39:47.50\00:39:48.76
He says, no, you're delivered,
and you're not only delivered
00:39:48.76\00:39:51.30
from Egypt geographically,
you're delivered from that way
00:39:51.30\00:39:55.40
of living, and you won't and
you won't and you won't, and you
00:39:55.40\00:39:57.43
won't, and when that is
spoken over them, it creates.
00:39:57.43\00:40:02.30
--This is the gospel.
00:40:02.30\00:40:03.00
--They're prophetic figurations.
00:40:03.00\00:40:04.90
--The last thing I wanna say is,
if it's powerful when a father
00:40:04.90\00:40:07.26
speaks over a child, if that's
powerful, when a mother speaks
00:40:07.26\00:40:10.26
over a daughter, when a father
speaks over a son, if that's
00:40:10.26\00:40:12.33
powerful, when a friend speaks
to a friend and faiths them,
00:40:12.33\00:40:15.53
says, I know you can,
what is it when God speaks?
00:40:15.53\00:40:18.56
Because God's word
creates the thing that it says.
00:40:18.56\00:40:21.83
--It depends on your vision
of God and that's why the whole
00:40:21.83\00:40:23.73
storyline is set in Satan's
attempt to misrepresent and
00:40:23.73\00:40:30.46
distort our picture of God so
that our picture of God becomes
00:40:30.46\00:40:34.66
insignificant and even less than
perhaps the words that would
00:40:34.66\00:40:39.36
come from other human beings.
00:40:39.36\00:40:40.76
--I don't know if we have
enough time to unpack this.
00:40:40.76\00:40:42.70
--We have to take a break, we're
obligated to take a break, but
00:40:42.70\00:40:45.93
we're coming
right back into this.
00:40:45.93\00:40:47.20
Truth is not merely a list
of theological facts, but rather
00:40:47.20\00:40:52.03
the revelation of God's
beautiful love in Jesus Christ.
00:40:52.03\00:40:55.30
Truth Link is a series of bible
study guides that magnify God's
00:40:55.30\00:40:59.36
love as the center
of every bible doctrine.
00:40:59.36\00:41:02.60
To receive your free copy of
lesson one, call 877-585-1111,
00:41:02.60\00:41:10.66
or write to Light Bearers
37457 Jasper Lowell Road,
00:41:10.66\00:41:13.96
Jasper, Oregon 97438.
00:41:13.96\00:41:15.46
Once again, to receive your free
copy of Truth Link, lesson one,
00:41:15.46\00:41:20.93
call 877-585-1111, or
write to Light Bearers
00:41:20.93\00:41:26.43
37457 Jasper Lowell
Road, Jasper, Oregon 97438.
00:41:26.43\00:41:33.56
--A number of years ago, I
had an experience that really
00:41:33.96\00:41:37.46
illustrated to me the dynamics
of the gospel that we're just
00:41:37.46\00:41:41.20
fleshing out here
in Romans chapter 4.
00:41:41.20\00:41:43.53
I was away on a trip, actually,
Sue was with me, and we had a
00:41:43.53\00:41:47.70
new car, it was the first time
we had ever had a new car, we
00:41:47.70\00:41:52.10
were actually paying
monthly payments on it.
00:41:52.10\00:41:53.06
We owed most of
the money on this car.
00:41:53.06\00:41:55.70
--I hate having car payments.
00:41:55.70\00:41:56.90
--Yeah, so do I, and I don't
have one now, and I'm really
00:41:56.90\00:42:00.33
happy about that, but I'll tell
you what, I had one then and it
00:42:00.33\00:42:01.66
was really significant.
00:42:01.66\00:42:03.26
We're away on a trip and I get
a call from my secretary, she
00:42:03.26\00:42:08.73
says, I've got some
bad news for you, sit down.
00:42:08.73\00:42:12.10
Okay, what's the bad news?
00:42:12.10\00:42:15.13
I won't say the name, a young
man whom I love dearly, a young
00:42:15.13\00:42:19.73
man without a driver's license,
without insurance to cover him,
00:42:19.73\00:42:23.76
and without permission had taken
our new car that we owed most of
00:42:23.76\00:42:29.26
the money on for a drive up
our country road and totaled the
00:42:29.26\00:42:34.96
thing.
00:42:34.96\00:42:36.23
Bent the frame, the thing was
completely totaled and we still
00:42:36.23\00:42:40.03
owed.
00:42:40.03\00:42:40.93
--He was alright?
00:42:40.93\00:42:42.20
--Yeah, he was alright, and the
girl that he had with him was
00:42:42.20\00:42:44.60
alright.
00:42:44.60\00:42:45.43
--He was showing off.
00:42:45.43\00:42:46.66
--So, okay, well, all right,
thanks for telling me, we get
00:42:46.66\00:42:50.93
home, long story short, we're
at our house, the car's in the
00:42:50.93\00:42:54.33
driveway, they towed it there,
it's there in the driveway
00:42:54.33\00:42:58.86
completely wrecked and a day or
two after we get home, we hear
00:42:58.86\00:43:03.66
this weak, guilty knock on
the door, and I mean, we're
00:43:03.66\00:43:08.86
thinking, and I'm thinking, I'm
gonna have some fun with this.
00:43:08.86\00:43:11.13
So, I go to the door, and I
open, and there he's standing
00:43:11.13\00:43:13.50
there, and I say,
oh, how's it going?
00:43:13.50\00:43:15.73
He can't even get
eye contact with me.
00:43:15.73\00:43:19.43
His entire body language is
communicating a sense of guilt
00:43:19.43\00:43:22.60
and he's overwhelmed.
00:43:22.60\00:43:24.23
I invite him in, he sits down,
Sue and I are sitting across
00:43:24.23\00:43:27.43
from him and we're just silent.
00:43:27.43\00:43:28.80
So, what's up?
00:43:28.80\00:43:31.10
Well, I guess that you
know that, you've seen.
00:43:31.10\00:43:33.53
Oh, yeah, we've seen.
00:43:33.53\00:43:35.90
Well, I took your car, and I
know I didn't have permission
00:43:35.90\00:43:39.46
and I'm really sorry, and
there's just all this guilt and
00:43:39.46\00:43:45.43
he explains the whole
thing and then he's got a plan.
00:43:45.43\00:43:48.43
But I'm gonna quit school
and I'm gonna get a job and I'm
00:43:48.43\00:43:51.16
gonna sign all my paychecks over
to you for the rest of my life.
00:43:51.16\00:43:54.56
I'm so sorry.
00:43:54.56\00:43:55.83
He is so remorseful he doesn't
know what to do and we, in so
00:43:55.83\00:44:01.40
many words, say to him, listen,
we can deal with this, you
00:44:01.40\00:44:07.96
can't.
00:44:07.96\00:44:09.23
We can take care of this, you
can't take, we don't want you to
00:44:09.23\00:44:13.10
quit your job, we don't want you
to sign your paychecks over, we
00:44:13.10\00:44:17.86
can deal with this.
00:44:17.86\00:44:21.43
In so many words, without saying
the words, you're off the hook,
00:44:21.43\00:44:24.46
you're forgiven.
00:44:24.46\00:44:25.33
Your sin's covered.
00:44:25.33\00:44:26.60
We're regarding you as righteous
even though we know you're as
00:44:26.60\00:44:29.93
guilty as the day is long.
00:44:29.93\00:44:31.43
And I'm tempted, because I'm
carnal, and I'm thinking in my
00:44:31.43\00:44:34.10
mind, paychecks
signed over for life?
00:44:34.10\00:44:36.80
This actually sounds good.
00:44:36.80\00:44:38.86
I said, Sue, can we go for this?
00:44:38.86\00:44:41.26
She goes, no, she knows me.
00:44:41.26\00:44:42.76
And so, this kid goes from our
house and he doesn't know how to
00:44:42.76\00:44:48.63
process this.
00:44:48.63\00:44:50.43
Fast forward, we have a
beautiful relationship, a number
00:44:50.43\00:44:54.66
of years pass by, he has a
driver's license now, we have a
00:44:54.66\00:44:57.06
different car, and somebody
needs to go and make a Costco
00:44:57.06\00:45:00.50
run for the ministry for
an event that we're doing.
00:45:00.50\00:45:03.90
And it was so fun to just
take my car keys, because he was
00:45:03.90\00:45:07.56
gonna make the run, but he
didn't have a car that he could
00:45:07.56\00:45:09.80
take, and just dangled my keys
in front of him, take mine, take
00:45:09.80\00:45:14.03
my car.
00:45:14.03\00:45:14.96
No, no, no, I could
never drive your car.
00:45:14.96\00:45:18.50
This kid was radically
impacted just by the relational
00:45:18.50\00:45:25.80
interaction of not being held
accountable for what he did, but
00:45:25.80\00:45:30.16
here's the remarkable
thing, we didn't cover the sin.
00:45:30.16\00:45:34.93
--The car was still
totaled in your driveway.
00:45:34.93\00:45:36.66
--And we're still making the
payments, but we didn't cover
00:45:36.66\00:45:39.33
the sin in order, or with the
hope or with the desire or with
00:45:39.33\00:45:44.60
the aspiration
that he'd do it again.
00:45:44.60\00:45:47.33
There was power in relating to
him in that way that bonded us
00:45:47.33\00:45:53.30
on a level that was not
possible by any other means.
00:45:53.30\00:45:57.80
What's happening in the gospel,
remarkably, is God is not
00:45:57.80\00:46:02.80
calling us to account, not in
order to justify or to condone
00:46:02.80\00:46:09.90
ongoing sin, he's not covering
sin to perpetuate it, that's the
00:46:09.90\00:46:15.06
only way it can
actually be overcome.
00:46:15.06\00:46:17.83
He's vanquishing evil by love
and forgiveness, it's the most
00:46:17.83\00:46:23.00
powerful influence in
the universe, you guys.
00:46:23.00\00:46:26.16
--You reminded me of the whole
Romans 2:4, that the goodness of
00:46:26.16\00:46:30.63
God will lead you to repentance.
00:46:30.63\00:46:33.06
--That's awesome.
00:46:33.06\00:46:34.36
But so often when we hear, or
too often, when we hear sermons
00:46:34.36\00:46:37.16
on repentance, it's not
communicated that way, it's
00:46:37.16\00:46:42.03
communicated, hey, dude,
you gotta get your act together,
00:46:42.03\00:46:44.40
because if not,
you won't be saved.
00:46:44.40\00:46:46.10
You know, it's always, there's a
black cloud hanging over and you
00:46:46.10\00:46:48.70
gotta get out from underneath
that cloud rather than the way
00:46:48.70\00:46:50.90
that you're describing it, the
way that Paul is describing it,
00:46:50.90\00:46:54.53
the way that
Jesus articulated it.
00:46:54.53\00:46:56.26
I liked what you said in the
last session, speaking, faithing
00:46:56.26\00:46:59.40
the person.
00:46:59.40\00:47:00.43
You know, using faith as a verb.
00:47:00.43\00:47:02.23
God is faithing us, he is
saying, no, you're gonna do
00:47:02.23\00:47:06.20
this, I won't impute
your trespasses to you.
00:47:06.20\00:47:08.50
I will cover your sins
and you watch what happens.
00:47:08.50\00:47:12.00
--And that's empowering.
00:47:12.00\00:47:13.20
--Some people get nervous
with this, you know, I've been
00:47:13.20\00:47:15.40
nervous with this because the
tendency is to think that this
00:47:15.40\00:47:18.93
will automatically produce
license to sin, but the fact is,
00:47:18.93\00:47:22.66
as James described in his
experience with his employer
00:47:22.66\00:47:27.70
that didn't hold him accountable
for his sin, and as I've
00:47:27.70\00:47:29.73
described in my experience with
this young man, totaling in my
00:47:29.73\00:47:33.00
car, and as you've described
in your relationship with this
00:47:33.00\00:47:35.93
young lady, the fact is that the
grace of God is the only power
00:47:35.93\00:47:40.43
powerful enough to actually deal
effectively with the sin problem
00:47:40.43\00:47:46.36
in our lives.
00:47:46.36\00:47:47.66
--Because it
deals with the root.
00:47:47.66\00:47:48.86
The root is
relational, it's love.
00:47:48.86\00:47:50.00
All that we can do, at best,
is stop doing outwardly and
00:47:50.00\00:47:54.46
externally certain violations
of the letter of the law.
00:47:54.46\00:47:58.23
So, what do we end up
with when we have that?
00:47:58.23\00:48:00.10
We have the Pharisees in the New
Testament, who are whitewashed
00:48:00.10\00:48:02.96
tombs on the outside, who
are not outwardly, apparently
00:48:02.96\00:48:06.26
violating any legal code, but
their hearts are not drawn to a
00:48:06.26\00:48:10.60
God of love, a God of
goodness, a God of magnanimity.
00:48:10.60\00:48:13.56
It's the only, what you said
is exactly correct, Ty, it's the
00:48:13.56\00:48:16.80
only thing.
00:48:16.80\00:48:18.06
If people have a
nervousness about it, it's not a
00:48:18.06\00:48:20.20
scripturally rooted nervousness.
00:48:20.20\00:48:23.90
It's a carnal, worldly
nervousness that says, well, the
00:48:23.90\00:48:27.13
only way to extract right
behavior from somebody is to
00:48:27.13\00:48:29.70
threaten them.
00:48:29.70\00:48:30.96
I mean, really, that's what we
do, we say, if you disobey the
00:48:30.96\00:48:34.80
laws of the land, you go to
jail, and I'm not suggesting
00:48:34.80\00:48:37.16
that in a civil society, that's
not appropriate, but God's
00:48:37.16\00:48:39.70
operating on a
whole other level.
00:48:39.70\00:48:41.76
He's winning our hearts.
00:48:41.76\00:48:43.36
--And this is the very gospel
that Paul is preaching in 2
00:48:43.36\00:48:46.33
Corinthians to the church
in Corinth, and it's really
00:48:46.33\00:48:49.03
powerful, let's just look at
these verses in 2 Corinthians
00:48:49.03\00:48:51.50
chapter 5.
00:48:51.50\00:48:52.73
--I'm glad you're taking us
there, by the way, because we
00:48:52.73\00:48:54.00
said, at the beginning, there
are 2 passages we wanna look at,
00:48:54.00\00:48:55.73
Romans 4 and 2 Corinthians 5.
00:48:55.73\00:48:58.13
--And we said in the close of
the last program, James, we're
00:48:58.13\00:48:59.86
gonna come back to you and you
can read these verses, so here
00:48:59.86\00:49:02.76
we are.
00:49:02.76\00:49:04.03
We wanna look at these verses
because, not because it's new,
00:49:04.03\00:49:08.63
not because there's something
here that we haven't already
00:49:08.63\00:49:11.03
started to look at, but because
it's just reaffirming and
00:49:11.03\00:49:14.33
helping us to process more
clearly this powerful truth.
00:49:14.33\00:49:19.23
I'm gonna start in verse 14,
just because I'm not sure how
00:49:19.23\00:49:21.40
much time we're gonna have and
how many verses we're gonna be
00:49:21.40\00:49:24.36
able to cover, but I wanna make
a couple of points here as I go
00:49:24.36\00:49:27.13
through these verses.
00:49:27.13\00:49:28.53
2 Corinthians 5:14 and 15 and
then just, right into 16 and see
00:49:28.53\00:49:36.26
the way that that applies.
00:49:36.26\00:49:37.83
For the love of Christ
constrains us because this is
00:49:37.83\00:49:41.36
the way we judge, that if
one died for all, then all died.
00:49:41.36\00:49:46.86
Now, that's the
New King James Version.
00:49:46.86\00:49:49.66
In other words, Paul is saying
here in verse 14, if Jesus
00:49:49.66\00:49:52.63
Christ actually died for
everyone and if the reason he
00:49:52.63\00:49:57.06
died for everyone, and I'm just
ad libbing here, is because he
00:49:57.06\00:49:59.43
died for their sins, as it says
in Isaiah 53, he bore the sins
00:49:59.43\00:50:04.53
of the many, he
bore the sins of all.
00:50:04.53\00:50:06.73
Okay, if he died for the sins of
everyone, then everyone actually
00:50:06.73\00:50:10.53
died in Christ because all
of those who have sinned and
00:50:10.53\00:50:14.43
deserve the penalty of death
have had that penalty paid for
00:50:14.43\00:50:18.36
in Christ and therefore all of
them have been in a sense, all
00:50:18.36\00:50:23.20
of their penalties have been
taken care of in Jesus Christ.
00:50:23.20\00:50:26.40
Okay, now, he goes on, what that
means is this, that he died for
00:50:26.40\00:50:31.40
all that they which live
should not henceforth live for
00:50:31.40\00:50:36.60
themselves, but unto him which
died for them and rose again.
00:50:36.60\00:50:40.43
Therefore, and this is the key
for me, now, we can unpack this
00:50:40.43\00:50:43.90
more, we can go back to these
verses, you guys can talk about
00:50:43.90\00:50:46.03
them, but there's one point that
I wanna make, and I don't know
00:50:46.03\00:50:48.16
that I'll have an opportunity
to make this point any further,
00:50:48.16\00:50:51.06
because you guys are just filled
with all kinds of great stuff,
00:50:51.06\00:50:53.76
so I'm gonna take the
opportunity right now, yes.
00:50:53.76\00:50:55.43
--The enthusiasm
at the table is high.
00:50:55.43\00:50:58.00
--Henceforth, notice this,
we know no man after the flesh.
00:50:58.00\00:51:05.10
I wanna stop right there.
00:51:05.10\00:51:06.40
When I see a person who is
living according to the flesh
00:51:06.40\00:51:13.83
and acting according to the
flesh, and doing things that are
00:51:13.83\00:51:17.56
according to the flesh, and what
Paul means by that is they're
00:51:17.56\00:51:19.96
sinning, maybe they're sinning
against me, they're sinning
00:51:19.96\00:51:21.96
against others, they're taking
my car without permission and
00:51:21.96\00:51:24.56
they're wrecking it.
00:51:24.56\00:51:25.83
When I see a person like that,
I don't treat them according to
00:51:25.83\00:51:29.53
the flesh, I judge that Christ
has died for those sins that
00:51:29.53\00:51:34.56
they're committing,
whatever those sins are.
00:51:34.56\00:51:36.30
And so, I don't treat them
according to the flesh anymore.
00:51:36.30\00:51:39.10
Now, when he gets done saying
this, he says, Christ died for
00:51:39.10\00:51:42.86
everyone, he's paid the price
for everyone, so now, when I see
00:51:42.86\00:51:45.20
someone, I don't treat them
according to flesh, this is what
00:51:45.20\00:51:47.33
he says, and this
is just a new idea.
00:51:47.33\00:51:51.30
Verse 17, therefore, if any
man is in Christ, he is a new
00:51:51.30\00:51:56.20
creature.
00:51:56.20\00:51:57.43
Now, I apply that to myself,
first and foremost, if I'm in
00:51:57.43\00:52:00.53
Christ, I'm a new creature.
00:52:00.53\00:52:01.76
But the context of what he's
saying here is this, if you are
00:52:01.76\00:52:06.96
in Christ, you are a new
creature in the way that you
00:52:06.96\00:52:11.56
look at other people.
00:52:11.56\00:52:12.93
You don't look at other people
anymore according to the flesh,
00:52:12.93\00:52:15.03
you don't treat them according
to the flesh, and we're gonna
00:52:15.03\00:52:16.90
find that as he opens this up
in the following verses, that's
00:52:16.90\00:52:21.33
what he means, that's
the primary understanding.
00:52:21.33\00:52:23.73
He doesn't mean, when you become
a Christian, you are different,
00:52:23.73\00:52:27.20
he does mean
that, that's implied.
00:52:27.20\00:52:28.70
--But you're
different in a specific way.
00:52:28.70\00:52:30.26
--But the way that you're
different, primarily is the way
00:52:30.26\00:52:33.13
that you look at other people.
00:52:33.13\00:52:34.26
--I could not agree more.
00:52:34.26\00:52:37.70
That is Paul's whole
point in the entire passage of
00:52:37.70\00:52:38.70
2 Corinthians.
00:52:38.70\00:52:39.76
--Yes, that's the whole point.
00:52:39.76\00:52:40.56
And he summarizes that.
00:52:40.56\00:52:41.76
--We know that's the point
because, as he goes on, he says
00:52:41.76\00:52:45.26
specifically down in verses
18 and 19 for example, now all
00:52:45.26\00:52:52.13
things are of God, who has
reconciled us to himself through
00:52:52.13\00:52:55.73
Jesus Christ and has given us
the ministry of reconciliation,
00:52:55.73\00:52:59.03
that is that God was in
Christ reconciling the world to
00:52:59.03\00:53:04.00
himself, how?
00:53:04.00\00:53:06.10
By what means?
00:53:06.10\00:53:06.80
By what mechanism, David?
00:53:06.80\00:53:08.50
By not imputing their trespasses
unto them and is committed to us
00:53:08.50\00:53:13.33
the word of reconciliation.
00:53:13.33\00:53:16.16
Now, then, because of
this reconciliation that has
00:53:16.16\00:53:18.70
occurred, we are ambassadors
for Christ as though God were
00:53:18.70\00:53:22.16
pleading through us, we implore
you on Christ's behalf, be
00:53:22.16\00:53:27.10
reconciled to God.
00:53:27.10\00:53:29.26
It's incredible.
00:53:29.26\00:53:30.76
So, the way that God is
relating, not only to us, but to
00:53:30.76\00:53:35.83
the whole world, is to not
impute trespasses unto us, that
00:53:35.83\00:53:42.06
is, the whole world.
00:53:42.06\00:53:43.40
From God's side of the equation,
he's reconciled, and so, he's
00:53:43.40\00:53:48.16
relating to us, back to Romans
chapter 4, same idea here, he's
00:53:48.16\00:53:52.10
relating to us as if we're
righteous ahead of the fact.
00:53:52.10\00:53:56.63
He's relating to us as if we're
innocent ahead of our innocence,
00:53:56.63\00:54:02.16
while we're guilty.
00:54:02.16\00:54:03.43
--And Ty, and in verse, we just
read it there, in verse 14 that
00:54:03.43\00:54:07.20
the love of Christ compels us,
going back to the same point,
00:54:07.20\00:54:10.50
what is it that energizes us
to action, the whole Romans 2:4
00:54:10.50\00:54:18.06
thing, the goodness of God leads
us to repentance, the love of
00:54:18.06\00:54:20.63
God compels us.
00:54:20.63\00:54:22.16
So, you have all these
themes that keep recurring.
00:54:22.16\00:54:24.83
--Let me show you something that
I think is really profound, I
00:54:24.83\00:54:27.30
can show you part of it, but
there is another part of it that
00:54:27.30\00:54:30.50
might be a little too much for
the time that we have left, so
00:54:30.50\00:54:32.86
I'll give you what we can do and
what we can't do, we might not
00:54:32.86\00:54:34.80
be able to.
00:54:34.80\00:54:36.23
But James's point, I think, is
exactly on point that what Paul
00:54:36.23\00:54:40.76
is talking about here is not
only a private, personal thing
00:54:40.76\00:54:42.96
that God is doing in my life,
it's this universal thing that
00:54:42.96\00:54:47.40
God has done and then the fact
that he is committed to us, the
00:54:47.40\00:54:50.90
word about that thing that he
has done, and you see that Paul
00:54:50.90\00:54:54.46
does this in what
I'll call the AB construct.
00:54:54.46\00:54:57.36
He first makes a statement of
the universality of what God has
00:54:57.36\00:55:00.60
done, and then he makes a
statement about what is now
00:55:00.60\00:55:03.13
given to you, and it's always
a ministry to communicate that
00:55:03.13\00:55:06.06
universality.
00:55:06.06\00:55:07.33
So, watch, in 15, the A part,
he died for all, which is just a
00:55:07.33\00:55:11.10
carryover from 14, he
died for all, now, watch this.
00:55:11.10\00:55:13.30
That those who live should no
longer live for themselves, but
00:55:13.30\00:55:17.93
for him who died
for them and rose again.
00:55:17.93\00:55:21.20
So, he did this,
so now we do this.
00:55:21.20\00:55:24.26
Okay, now look at 18.
00:55:24.26\00:55:25.63
All things are of God, who
had reconciled to us, to himself
00:55:25.63\00:55:28.96
through Jesus Christ.
00:55:28.96\00:55:30.23
That's the thing
that God has done.
00:55:30.23\00:55:31.73
Now watch, he has given to us
the ministry of reconciliation.
00:55:31.73\00:55:35.03
Now, 19, that is that God was in
Christ reconciling the world to
00:55:35.03\00:55:38.83
himself, not imputing their
trespasses to them, that's what
00:55:38.83\00:55:41.03
God has done, now this,
he's committed to us the word of
00:55:41.03\00:55:44.06
reconciliation.
00:55:44.06\00:55:44.96
Now, I know you
all can take that.
00:55:44.96\00:55:46.33
But I think he's doing the same
thing in verse 21, and I think
00:55:46.33\00:55:49.83
we sometimes misunderstand
verse 21, we oversimplify it.
00:55:49.83\00:55:54.26
And it's little technical,
but I want you to see the point.
00:55:54.26\00:55:57.33
Follow the same line of
reasoning, just do the AB thing
00:55:57.33\00:56:00.56
that he's been doing, something
that God does and then something
00:56:00.56\00:56:03.33
that we do, for he made him who
knew no sin to be sin for us,
00:56:03.33\00:56:08.60
that's the thing that God has
done, now watch the part that we
00:56:08.60\00:56:09.93
do, that we might become
the righteousness of God in him.
00:56:09.93\00:56:13.66
You say, what does that mean,
how is that the thing that we
00:56:13.66\00:56:15.20
do?
00:56:15.20\00:56:16.46
Well, watch this, for me, I have
to turn the page, look at the
00:56:16.46\00:56:20.76
very next thing that he says,
there's no chapter break here,
00:56:20.76\00:56:23.93
we then, as workers together
with him, also plead with you
00:56:23.93\00:56:28.06
not to receive the grace of
God in vain and watch what he
00:56:28.06\00:56:30.40
quotes, in an acceptable time,
I have heard you, in the day of
00:56:30.40\00:56:33.73
salvation, I have helped
you, behold, now is the accepted
00:56:33.73\00:56:36.36
time, behold now is
the day of salvation.
00:56:36.36\00:56:37.93
Guess where he's quoting.
00:56:37.93\00:56:39.23
He's quoting from Isaiah 49,
now, let me just read you the
00:56:39.23\00:56:42.63
passage from which he's quoting,
we were there already earlier,
00:56:42.63\00:56:46.43
--We were in Isaiah 42.
00:56:46.43\00:56:47.66
--Listen to this, Isaiah 49,
look at this, Isaiah 49 verse 9,
00:56:47.66\00:56:51.16
in an acceptable time, I
have heard you, in a day of
00:56:51.16\00:56:54.90
salvation, I've helped you,
that's what he just quoted, I
00:56:54.90\00:56:56.76
will preserve you and give you
as a covenant to the people to
00:56:56.76\00:57:03.23
restore the earth to cause
them to inherit the desolate
00:57:03.23\00:57:04.70
heritages.
00:57:04.70\00:57:05.53
So, the thing,
go back to verse 21.
00:57:05.53\00:57:07.16
--That's the
ministry of reconciliation.
00:57:07.16\00:57:08.13
--That's the
ministry of reconciliation.
00:57:08.13\00:57:09.60
--I see it.
00:57:09.60\00:57:10.26
--You see it, don't you?
00:57:10.26\00:57:11.53
So, when he says there in verse
21, he made him who knew no sin
00:57:11.53\00:57:14.90
to be sent for us, that's the
thing that God did, so that we
00:57:14.90\00:57:17.20
could become God's, look at
this, the righteousness of God,
00:57:17.20\00:57:20.33
we can become God's covenant
faithfulness to the earth.
00:57:20.33\00:57:24.93
--That's what an ambassador is.
00:57:24.93\00:57:28.86
An ambassador is the
highest representative from one
00:57:28.86\00:57:30.73
government to the next,
government of heaven to the
00:57:30.73\00:57:32.50
government of the earth.
00:57:32.50\00:57:33.66
We are to
represent what Christ is.
00:57:33.66\00:57:36.26
--What I love about what we're
saying here is that, again, and
00:57:36.26\00:57:38.40
I know I've said this before, I
wanna say it again, this is not
00:57:38.40\00:57:40.13
just some private,
personal, internal thing.
00:57:40.13\00:57:42.63
It is that, but
it's not only that.
00:57:42.63\00:57:45.03
It's something is happening on
this level, and I think you're
00:57:45.03\00:57:48.70
exactly right, James, what he's
saying is, what you see, that
00:57:48.70\00:57:51.70
person's not a black person,
it's not a white person, it's
00:57:51.70\00:57:53.86
not a tattooed person, it's not
a poor person, that's a person.
00:57:53.86\00:57:56.10
We don't regard anyone according
to the flesh anymore, we can't
00:57:56.10\00:58:00.90
because we know
what God has done for us.
00:58:00.90\00:58:02.76
--We relate to everybody
according to their potential in
00:58:02.76\00:58:05.33
Christ.
00:58:05.33\00:58:06.46
--Based on what you said
earlier, that the gospel is a
00:58:06.46\00:58:09.80
series of facts, historical
data about the man Jesus.
00:58:09.80\00:58:15.16
We don't create
that when we believe.
00:58:15.16\00:58:17.30
We access that and we say, hey,
that wasn't just for Ty, that
00:58:17.30\00:58:20.36
wasn't just for Jeffery, that
wasn't just for James, that was
00:58:20.36\00:58:22.26
for him and him and him and him
and her and her and her and her,
00:58:22.26\00:58:24.76
and we become billboards, not
just with our words, but with
00:58:24.76\00:58:29.90
our lives to communicate
this, the love of God.
00:58:29.90\00:58:34.13
--We're essentially saying that
the vertical downpour of God's
00:58:34.13\00:58:40.33
covenantal love upon us
bleeds over into a horizontal
00:58:40.33\00:58:46.66
application of an expression of
that same quality of covenantal
00:58:46.66\00:58:50.20
love in our
acceptance of others.
00:58:50.20\00:58:52.76
That is extremely good news.
00:58:52.76\00:58:57.83
--It's challenging
and it's good news.
00:58:57.83\00:58:59.90
--And it's good news.
00:58:59.90\00:59:01.23
--We have a new way of looking
according to verse 17, we have a
00:59:01.23\00:59:03.50
new way of looking at the world.
00:59:03.50\00:59:05.60
--Hallelujah,
that's what we need.
00:59:05.60\00:59:07.13
--Yes, we see people
as they are in Christ.
00:59:07.13\00:59:09.50
[Music]
00:59:09.50\00:59:10.50