JOY "Fruits of Righteousness" October 26

October 26, 2011

Fruits of Righteousness

Romans 5:1-21

I         We Can Rejoice in the Hope of the Glory of God:  5:1-2

II        We Can Rejoice in Sufferings:     5:3-10

III       We Can Rejoice in God, Our Father:    5: 11-21

Rembrandt was one of the most famous artists in post-Reformation Europe. He was raised in Holland, in a devout, Reformed Protestant, home. And by the time he was 25, his portraits were among the most popular of the day. He painted secular subjects, as well biblical ones, just like all of his contemporaries did-----but his art, gradually, over time, became separated from other Protestant and Catholic painters, because they portrayed biblical and spiritual scenes from an unrealistic and mythological perspective-------while he painted the exact same scenes, like they were happening to somebody that he knew. 

Rembrandt's deep theological understanding, of the helplessness, of man, before a holy God, pushed him, to paint, realistically. His own wife and son, as well as street people and beggars became models, for his biblically-themed paintings.

He even painted himself into many of his works. He was one of the enemies of the Lord, in his painting of "The Raising of the Cross. You can see his face, as one of the soldiers, lifting the cross up------ Historians believe that Rembrandt must have understood, that his sin, made him guilty, of helping to crucify, his own Savior, or he wouldn't have been able to paint himself into the scene. 

Toward the end of his career, he was confronted, even more, with his own sinfulness.When his wealthy wife died------he was threatened by her Will-----that he would lose her estate, if he remarried------so, instead, he took his housekeeper, to be his common-law wife, and even had a child with her. His immoral actions brought him into conflict with the Reformed Protestant Church, in Amsterdam, and also, he eventually found himself in a terrible financial situation, which resulted in bankruptcy. But his paintings, have been evidence through the years, that he understood his sin and how far it separated him from God, and that he knew what Jesus had done for him on the cross and what he had been spared. 

When Rembrandt painted one of his last great works in 1662, "Return of the Prodigal Son", he painted his own confession of faith, to God the Father, in painting himself, as the prodigal son, kneeling at the feet, of his earthly father, resting his head, under the father's hand. He was illustrating Roman's 5:8, "God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 

We don't all have this skill, that Rembrandt did, to put paint on a canvas, and have it become a work of art------but God does, and our lives are His canvas, and He paints his message, of love and grace and peace and salvation and reconciliation, on our hearts, for all the world to see and His works will last for all eternity. 

Paul understood what Rembrandt understood and what, hopefully we understand-----that in our own strength, we will never be able to achieve peace and reconciliation with God, and forgiveness for our sins-----but, when we put our trust in God, He gives us those blessings and so much more!  

Last week, we learned, that Abraham's life, illustrated the truth, that faith sometimes requires our participation----like waiting and trusting God, to keep His promises---even if they seem impossible. And we learned, that a faith, like Abraham's, never requires blind trust, it requires us to trust, with our eyes wide open. 

In this week's lesson, Paul wants us to understand, that if we will just trust the faith, that God has given us, then He truly will help us, to experience a different kind of life, than the rest of the world. Paul doesn't promise that it will be easy, but he does promise, that it will be a life full of:  peace , joyful hope, spiritual growth, a deep realization of God's love and a daily reconciliation with Him. 

Paul introduces some difficult concepts in this passage. He demonstrates the truth of the Gospel, in ways, that are designed to stretch our thinking. Every commentary that I studied cautioned that verses 12-21, have been debated by theologians, down through the centuries, as the most difficult passage in scripture, to explain. I loved what John MacArthur said though--------"on one hand, as far as complete human comprehension is concerned, the truths of this passage are beyond reach. But on the other hand, the truths themselves, are wonderfully simple and clear, when accepted in humble faith as God's Word. Just as its possible to accept and live, in accordance with the law of gravity, without fully understanding it, so its possible for believers to accept and live according to God's truth, without fully understanding it.-------so, it isn't, that God's truths are unexplainable, it's that the explanations for many of them, are hard to understand and hard to put into words. Our responsibility, is to accept in faith, both what is clear and what is not, what is comprehensible and what remains a mystery."

In order for us to understand and embrace the truth of this------we have to keep in mind, the 2-sided reality of the Christian life. *******On one hand, we are complete in the Lord Jesus, our acceptance by Him, is secure forever, we can never be snatched out of His hand-------- and on the other hand, we may be saved by His grace, but we are still rehabilitated sinners, who have to grow to become more and more like Him, every day, as we walk through every heartbreak and every joy, that this life offers us. ******On one hand we have the status of being a child of the King; and on the other one, we have the duties of slaves. *****On one hand, we can feel the presence of the Lord, and on the other one, we feel the pressure of sin. *****On one hand, we enjoy the peace, that comes, from being made right with God and on the other hand, we still face the daily problems of a sin-sick world.-------If we can just remember the 2 sides, of the Christian life, it will help keep us, from getting discouraged when we face temptations and trouble. We can learn, instead, to depend on the power that's available to us by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in, our hearts. That's Paul's greatest desire, for his readers. And the word "rejoice" is key, to our walking successfully and victoriously, through the 2-sided reality of our lives, as Christians.

I.  We Can Rejoice in the Hope of the Glory of God: 5:1-2

If we really understand what it means to be Christians, we can rejoice even in the middle of suffering. I'm not talking about people who suffer from clinical depression or bipolar disorder or other medical conditions, that cause depression, because it isn't sinful to or unspiritual to be afflicted with a real, health disorder. I'm talking about most of us, who are quite capable of rejoicing, because of and in spite of, our circumstances. We need to learn how to choose to focus on, our hope in the Lord Jesus, rather than on our disappointments, or our self-pity, or our frustration, or our hurt feelings, or our loneliness, or our weariness, or our fears.

Salvation was designed by God, to create and produce a spirit in us, that can't help but rejoice. Christian joy is not artificial happiness. It doesn't mean putting on a plastic smile and pretending that everything is wonderful when it isn't. It doesn't mean that we shout, "O happy day! We're gonna be bankrupt! or Hallelujah! I've got cancer! Joy is made up of both happiness and sorrow-----joy is being convinced, as it says in Romans 8:38, " that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that we find in Christ Jesus, our Lord." Rejoicing is a deep sense of security in God, even when the circumstances of our lives are crumbling. (Sandra Martin, told us a story, in leaders meeting, last week, that I want to share with you. Her daughter Melanie's husband, passed away about a month ago, at the age of 54, after a relatively short fight with melanoma----It has been a heartbreakingly, painful loss for all them, as you can imagine. Last week, Sandra and her husband, Bill, stopped by, to check on Melanie and which of the 4 children, just might happen to be, at home------when they walked up to the door, they were startled by the praise music, that was turned up so loud, that nobody inside the house, could hear their attempt to ring the doorbell. So they walked on in, and they found Melanie and one of her girls singing and dancing with unabashed joy. Sandra said, that Melanie's explanation was, that heaven was going to be a wonderful place! You can see, that Melanie's joy, certainly doesn't come from her circumstances, they're too hard------her joy comes, from knowing that nothing can separate her from the love of God, which she he has in Christ Jesus.)

There are 3 reasons for us to rejoice, in the hope of the glory of God:

*Our first and most immediate cause for rejoicing, is that we've been justified through God's free gift of faith, which brings us peace with God. All the conflict between ourselves and God is over. We lose our fear of His wrath, but not our awe of His glory. (I remember when I was 14 years old-------I couldn't  go to sleep, every night, for a period of time, because I was scared that the world would come to an end and where would I be----I had asked Jesus into my heart when I was 7 years old, but I had never made a public profession, of my decision-----I was afraid, that that meant, that I wasn't really saved----- but I was also, too scared and too embarrassed to ask anybody, about it. I didn't want people to know that I hadn't claimed the Lord as my Savior, publicly, and that I hadn't been baptized. I will never forget the joy and the freedom and peace, that flooded my soul, when I finally walked the aisle, to the altar.) I lost my fear of God but not my awe of His glorious presence in my life and the peace that He gives, that is beyond, all human understanding.

*Our next cause for rejoicing, that Paul says we have, is that we have access, to a constant supply of grace, from the God, of all grace, which enables us to stand, in the midst of pressures and problems and trials. 

(The book of Esther, beautifully illustrates this: Esther was a lovely, Jewish woman, being held captive, in the land of Persia. The king of Persia was smitten with her and he made her his queen. After that, a plot was hatched, by the wicked prime minister, to destroy all the Jews in the land. The king was manipulated into signing a death decree, against the Jews. 

Queen Esther's godly uncle Mordecai, urged her to go to the king and tell him that the decree was wrong and would destroy her people. Esther knew that this could easily get her killed. it was the law of Persia that no one could come before the king, without being summoned by him----- not even the queen. Esther had only one hope of surviving------and that was for the king to extend his golden scepter toward her when she entered the throne room. If he didn't, she would be executed----- but she knew that if she didn't try, her people would be destroyed, for sure.

So, Queen Esther fasted for 3 days and nights, to prepare herself spiritually. Then she dressed herself in robes of beauty and glory. When she was ready, she went to the throne- room of the king, and appeared alone, before him. The king was shocked at her bold, death-defying entrance. But, thankfully, for her, as he looked at his beautiful queen----he loved her---- and so, he stretched out his scepter and----- with that, she was granted complete access into His presence.)

This is a picture of us, standing before the God, of all the earth; the all-powerful and glorious king of the universe. None of us could dare approach Him, without being granted access and standing. God's amazing promise to us, is that now that we are justified by faith, we have access to His presence, without limit. We don't have to be afraid of Him. He extends his golden scepter of love and mercy toward us. 

*Our 3rd cause for rejoicing, in the hope of the glory of God, is the hope that we have in our future resurrection. The hope, that we have, in the promises of the Lord, is not a wishful possibility; it is a well-founded certainty of something, that isn't yet visible. Jesus promised us in John 14:19, "Because I live, you will also live." That is the certain hope of everyone who has been justified through faith. We can't see the resurrection yet, but we can have a sure and  certain hope of it, because we have God's Word, promising it. 

(I read a story about a man who lived in the midwest who looked out his window of his farmhouse, one day.  It was the dead of winter,and he saw, across the snowdrifts that buried his front yard, the mailman, placing something in his mailbox. Eager for a letter to lift his weather-weary spirits, he hurried out to the mailbox. But the only thing there, was a seed-catalog. He was totally disappointed! He went back inside and was about to toss the catalog in the trash, when on a whim, he sat down and started thumbing through it. On page after page, he saw the brilliant colors of flowers and vegetables. He could almost taste the cool crunch of a cucumber and smell the perfume of the flowers. He could practically feel the sweet-tangy juice, of a ripe red tomato, on his tongue. For just a few minutes, in the dead of winter, the colors and tastes and fragrances of springtime, came alive in his heart.)

That's what our Christian hope is. In this world, life can be like a cold, snowy winter, but we can know that a brilliant and wonderful glory waits for us, beyond this life---------if we look beyond our circumstances, and focus on rejoicing, in what we know to be true, about God, and the future He's prepared for us.

II.  We Can Rejoice in Sufferings: 5:3-10

Suffering is something that all Christians experience, in one way or another. And one of the major blessings of being a believer, is that the Holy Spirit, in our hearts, gives us the ability to rejoice in the middle of our suffering. Non-believers don't understand this, and oftentimes, the way a believer weathers difficult times, will become a wonderful witness, to everybody around them. 

When we are saved, we can rejoice that our sins are covered, and that we are justified through faith, and that we have the certain hope, of an eternal home with the Lord-------but the rejoicing in suffering, that Paul is talking about here, is different-----it's one of the mysteries of God.-------That He can impart to us a supernatural peace, that defies any circumstance, is remarkable and is beyond our human comprehension  The more we trust the Lord, when we walk through trouble, and rejoice in Him, and not in the circumstances, the deeper our relationship with Him will grow, and the more He will mature us spiritually------ and then He can use us more fully, in serving and ministering to others. Sometimes, our hardest suffering becomes the greatest encouragement, to someone else. 

To say that a person is rejoicing in their suffering, doesn't mean that they are being stoic---it is not a "grin and bear it" attitude. It's not a spiritual contest, to see which one if us, can weather the worst trouble, and be the winner, and then be recognized as a spiritual superstar. Its not masochism----the Lord doesn't expect us to enjoy our pain----Paul isn't telling us that we should be glad when tragedy strikes. And rejoicing in suffering is not an act-------God doesn't expect us to pretend that were happy, in times of suffering------He doesn't want us to be phony or dishonest------when we suffer, its ok to say, "this is hard, it hurts and I wish it would stop!"

But Paul, wants his readers to understand, that even though we don't have to be stoics and we're certainly not supposed to be masochists and even though, we can be honest about the pain that we're going through, it is still possible, for us to experience, genuine rejoicing. We can honestly tell the people around us, "I am suffering and I hate to suffer-----but even through this pain, I'm experiencing the joyful presence, of our loving God, in a way that I never have before------I have peace and joy, in spite of my circumstances." 

But, one thing that we need to remember, is that we shouldn't feel bad or disappointed, if we don't immediately feel like rejoicing, when we get hard news-------when suffering strikes, it's normal to cry out in pain and bewilderment and even anger. We have to give ourselves time to adjust, to the experience that we're going through, and to reflect on it, and then as the Lord's peace gradually floods our souls, it will enable us, to listen to the truths and learn the lessons, that He wants to teach us, though our painful experience. That's the reason why sufferings are a good thing, in the life of a believer, and why we need to rejoice in them------the truth is---it's because they produce visible fruit, of God's righteousness, in our lives. 

Suffering produces perseverance and perseverance produces character and character produces hope--and that hope helps us to realize, that suffering is not the result of God's anger toward us, but it's the result of His love for us.

Perseverance----in the Greek, the word literally means, "to remain firm under pressure." Pressure is something we want to get our from under-------we don't like it------we call it stress------but suffering teaches us, to stand firm, under that pressure. Another way it can be described is steadiness-------God uses our trials and troubles to make us more mature and stable and steady, under pressure. Suffering steadies us and teaches us how not to panic. Perseverance, is developed through a process---------We go through a storm and we panic. Then the Lord calms the storm and we think, "I'm glad that's over! I've learned my lesson!" Time passes------and then suddenly, another storm comes! But this time we don't panic, as badly as we did the first time. We respond with greater steadiness and stronger faith. We discover, that we're not as strong as we thought we were, but that we're stronger than we used to be. This means that we've grown------and with each new storm, we learn and grow just a little more, than the time before----- our faith has become a little more resilient. Eventually, we find that we're able to handle challenges, that we never imagined, that we ever possibly could. That's how suffering produces perseverance.

Character: In the Greek, the word for character, means "to be put to the test and approved." Perseverance under pressure, produces proven, reliable character qualities. When Paul wrote about rejoicing in sufferings, he was speaking from experience, he was a tested veteran. He had been through unbelievably, difficult experiences, to the point where numerous times, he had given up hope, of even surviving, but God brought him safely through each storm, every time. Paul wasn't naive enough to think, that there weren't other ones, ahead of him-------but he never stopped trusting that God would always deliver him, one way or the other-----either to walk another day on the earth, or to take him home to heaven. Perseverance had produced character and faith in Paul's life-------and it will do the same thing for us.

Hope: Paul says that character produces hope and "that hope doesn't disappoint us"----we have the hope of a glorious future, with the Lord, beyond this life, but more than that, we have the hope, that we can share the character and the glory of God, right now! and we have the hope, that God is producing a Christlike character, within our hearts, right this very minute. 

Remember, for a Christian, hope is not a wish or a possibility-----its a certainty. Hope doesn't say that we might be changed and made more Christlike------it says that we are being changed, to become more like Jesus! Through our sufferings, God is doing the work He promised to do. He is growing us in Christlike love, maturity and patience. 

(Vance Havner, in his book, It Is Toward Evening, tells the story about a small town, that made its living, entirely, from growing cotton. It was not a great living, but it was a living. Calamity struck, when the boll weevil, invaded the community and threatened to ruin everyone. As it turns out, the farmers were forced to switch to peanuts and other crops which eventually brought them a greater return, than they would have made with cotton. Ultimately, that which had seemed a disaster, became the basis for undreamed-of prosperity. To register their appreciation, they erected a monument----to the boll weevil. To this very day, in that little Southern town, that monument still stands.)  We all have boll weevil experiences-----financial reversals, professional failures, relational disappointments, physiological or physical hurts and illnesses-------but those trials and storms, turn out to be blessings in disguise, because they  can bump us out of our old ways, and force us to find a new way to live. A way that is pleasing to God, because it makes us more like Jesus.

 Unfortunately, not all Christians who suffer, become, increasingly, more steady and reliable and confident in the Lord, in their suffering------tragically, there are many, who become, steadily, more bitter, resentful and angry---- some, even reach the point, of denying their faith.

What makes the difference between a Christian whose faith withers under suffering and the one whose faith grows through suffering? The difference, is in the way that we view God and His love. The simple truth is----if we see suffering, as evidence of God's love, we will rejoice in it, and if we see suffering, as evidence of God's wrath, we will become embittered and angry because of it.

In order to be able to rejoice in our suffering, we have to allow the Holy Spirit, to fill our hearts with the love of God----and when that happens, it is an experience, that is so rich and radiant and glorious, that we can't help but rejoice. We all associate love, with times of blessing and warmth and ease--------but when we suffer, way too often, we tend, to feel broken and empty and forgotten. So, when we are caught in a storm, we need to consciously make the choice, to go back to the place, where we know, that we first felt God's love for us-------and that place is at the cross----because it's there, that He proved to us, that God loves us, even though we're worthless and sin-ridden. It's at the cross, that we can clearly see ourselves and our sinfulness; and it's at the cross, that we can clearly see, God's amazing love for us------because, it was while we were broken and sinful---that Jesus died for you and me. (I told you that when I was 14, I couldn't sleep at night, because afraid that I wasn't saved and I told you, that I was scared to talk to anybody about it. Well, right before I turned 15, I moved in with my grandparents, because my daddy and my stepmother moved away from our hometown, and didn't want to uproot me-------they wanted me to finish high school, where my brother and sisters had. 

Not long after I moved in with them,  Billy Graham held a one-night, Youth Crusade, in our town, and our whole youth group was going. I will never forget, coming into the house from school, that afternoon----hurrying to change clothes, so that I wouldn't be late for my friend's parents, who were picking me up. My grandaddy was sitting in a chair by the window, when I came in, and he directed my attention, to a framed scripture passage, that was hanging on the wall------one that had been there, as long as I could remember, but one that I had never paid attention to, and it said, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans5:8. It hit me like a ton of bricks------and then, all that my wise grandaddy said, was, "I just want you to think about it." All of a sudden, I realized that I hadn't been fooling anybody, except myself. 

I don't remember responding to him, but I'm sure I said something. And then I went off to the crusade------------I have no recollection of the message that night-----but I have a searing memory, of what it felt like, to know, that if I didn't run down that aisle, when the invitation was given, I might never get another chance------and so I ran, and I know that Jesus met me there, with His arms wide open----- and He poured Hid love into my heart---and all my fear and embarrassment and uncertainty, was left there, at the cross.)

Paul wants us to understand, that if we clearly experience God's love, when we give our hearts to Jesus; when we're nothing more than God's enemies; helpless and powerless and sin- sick-------how much more can we count on His love, when we're His children. Even when we suffer, we can trust the fact, that God loves us. And that He is using our time of suffering, to produce character qualities, that will enable us to to become the people, that He created us to be. 

III. We Can Rejoice in God, Our Father: 5: 11-21

Paul concludes this passage, in Romans, with the assurance that we can rejoice in God, Himself. In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus, is the way to God. He has reconciled us to God, so that we can have a personal relationship with Him. When we understand the greatness of Jesus, we can understand the greatness of God. When we know the love of Jesus, we can know the heart of God. 

We can rejoice in God, because His plan, for Jesus to take our sins upon Himself and pay the price for them, with His own death, worked, and we don't have to be punished, with the death, that we deserve. 

Paul makes us aware of 2 indisputable facts: 1.)sin and death are universal to the whole world and 2.) life and forgiveness, are offered, universally, to the whole world. Sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and along with his sin, came death, so from the moment we're born, we begin to die. But life and forgiveness, came through one man, Jesus, and along with His free gift, comes eternal life, so from the moment we are reborn, we begin to live. In each case, our entire existence has been altered, by one of these men, either Adam or Jesus. 

We sin and die, because we are the descendants of Adam. Before we're even old enough, to know what sin is, we are subject to death. Even babies, who have never sinned, sometimes die, because the sin of Adam, overshadows us all. Death is the punishment for breaking God's command. God told Adam, in the Garden of Eden, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or he would die. But Adam disobeyed God's command, and he ate the fruit, that Eve offered him. He chose to rebel against God, and as a result, sin and death became his reality, and they became the legacy, that he passed down to all of his descendants. (Beverly Choquette gave me the best explanation of this concept-----she said you can have a beaker of cool, crystal clear, pristine, pure water, and then you can add, just one drop, of dirty sewer water to it, and you will contaminate the entire beaker of water, and it can't be taken back and it can't be reversed. She said that's the way Adam's sin was --------once he was contaminated-------there was no way it could be taken back and there's was no way that any child or children that would be born from him, could be raised free, from his contaminated self.) 

When Adam disobeyed God, sin entered into his life, and it, supernaturally, in a way that we can't explain, changed his nature, from an innocent one, to a sinful one. It was an innate sinfulness (like he was born with it) that would be passed on to every one of his descendants. His sin was not a particular act of unrighteousness-----because there would be many sinful acts, that Adam would commit over the rest of his life----it was a sin nature or the propensity to sin, that lodged itself, in his heart and changed it, and changed mankind's for all time. A person doesn't become a sinner, because he commits sins-------a person sins, because he's, by nature, a sinner. A person doesn't become a liar, when he tells a lie; he tells a lie because his heart's already deceitful. A person doesn't become a murderer, when he kills someone; he kills, because his heart's already full, of hatred and evil desire.A person doesn't become a gossip, when he whispers his first secret; he gossips because his heart's already full of jealousy and vindictiveness. 

Paul said, that death is the result, of breaking a command, and we know, that there has to be a law, in order for a command to be broken. (I don't know how many of you drive down Honeycutt Rd.----but I do, every time I come to church-------up until a few years ago, there were not any stop signs at the intersection of Brassfield and Honeycutt------but shortly after they put them up--I was sailing down the road, like I had done 100 times before, and without even thinking, sped right through, the newly sanctioned 4-way stop------in about 2 seconds, a policeman and his blue light were right behind me------ I told him I was on my way to church-----and I think that's what inspired him to be benevolent, and not give me a ticket-----otherwise he was a grouch. I'd never had to stop at that intersection before-----but a law had been established, and whether I had known about it or not, it was still a law. And I was breaking it, by not stopping. And, from that point forward, if I ever go through that stop sign again, without stopping, I'll deliberately, be breaking the law.)

Adam deliberately broke the law--------God had only given him one restriction and Adam chose to disobey it. And when he did, not only was sin born into him, as a man, and born, into the entire human race----but the penalty for sin, death, became a reality, just like God said that it would. John MacArthur says that there are 3 kinds of death that sin brought with it-------

1.) spiritual death: earthly separation from God.

2.) physical death:  earthly separation from other people.

3.) eternal death: eternal separation from God and eternal torment in hell.

The unbeliever, should fear all three kinds of death. Spiritual death will prevent his earthly joy; physical death will bring an end to his opportunity for salvation; and eternal death will bring everlasting punishment. But Praise God, believers, don't have to fear any kind of death. Jesus has saved us permanently, from spiritual and eternal death, and when we do die, physically, because these mortal bodies will wear out (thanks Adam), or when we're raptured, we will be ushered into His divine presence, to live forever. Jesus, has removed all fear of any kind of death for us. 

Skeptics make the comment, that it isn't fair for God, to condemn the whole world, just because of one man's disobedience. But my answer to that, is the same thing that I told my children, when they were growing up and pulled the "not fair card"------"the word unfair, doesn't belong in a Christian's vocabulary, because the only thing that's unfair in this world, is the fact that Jesus died on a cross to pay the price, for your's and my sin." Human beings are all connected to each other. It's a fact, that Adam's sin contaminated all of mankind-----there's no way that it couldn't have! It's a mistake to think that we stand alone-----the choices that we make, have consequences that affect others----and it started with Adam. So, the answer to the question, "Was it fair for God to condemn the whole world because of one man's disobedience? is yes! In fact, it is not only fair, it's also wise and gracious. To begin with, if God had chosen to test each one of us, individually, the result would have still been the same---we would have disobeyed-------what would have made us, any better, than Adam and Eve. But even more important-----by condemning the human race, through one man, Adam, God was then able, to save the human race, through one man, Jesus. If we can accept the universality of Adam's sin, then, we can accept the universality of Jesus's sacrifice and His free gift of salvation. (not everybody will choose to receive it)

Adam's one act, determined the character of the world, but Jesus' one act determined the character of eternity. Adam's sin brought death and punishment, but Jesus' sacrifice brought forgiveness and life. The death that we inherit from Adam is a one time deal-------but the life that we're given from Jesus, can be renewed, a thousand times a day. Adam's single sin brought guilt and judgment. on the entire human race, but the Lord's single gift of obedience, brought forgiveness and justification, to every individual, who will trust and receive Him, for their collective sin, and for their individual sins. This shows us that God hates sin so much, that it only took one sin, to condemn the entire world and to separate it from God. It wasn't that Adam's sin was worse, than others that he committed later, or worse than we have committed since-----its just that his sin was the first sin. 

But the wonderful thing for us is, that God's love for the sinner is greater than His hatred of sin. The truth that we need to recognize here: is that no matter how many times we sin, God's forgiveness is bigger than our deepest sin.

I mentioned the 3 types of death that sin brought into the world----well, I think there's a 4th one that reigns over mankind just as surely as the other 3-------and I would call it, the death of our rejoicing--------Life, is grace, love, joy, peace, vitality, acceptance, worth and fulfillment------death, is emptiness, loneliness, depression, restlessness and dissatisfaction. How often do we allow ourselves to be robbed of the abundance of life, that God has given us, in the Lord Jesus, by choosing to focus on what don't have or what we've done wrong---- instead of focusing on the immeasurable blessings that we do have and on what the Lord has done right?

At the end of this passage, Paul reminds his readers, of the role, that the Law plays, between sin and grace. We know that the 10 Commandments were were never given to make people do right-----they were given, to spotlight the sin, that they were already participating in. Paul makes it clear, that wherever sin increases, grace increases even more. As the law makes man's sins increase, by revealing them, for what they are, God's grace abounds even more. God's grace is more than adequate to deal with man's sins. Even though sin and death are still reigning in the world, God's grace is also reigning through the righteousness of Jesus.

(As special counsel  to the president, Charles Colson was known as Richard Nixon's "hatchet man". He pleaded guilty to crimes that were connected to the Watergate Scandal and served 7 months in a federal prison in 1974. Shortly before he entered the prison, Colson made a decision to receive Jesus, as his Lord and Savior. While he was in prison, Colson found another Christian brother and they began praying together for their fellow inmates. Soon, they saw God begin to work. One by one, they saw hardened, violent, brutal men-----men who had spent their lives in rebellion against God and man-----begin to break down and to seek God's grace.) If there is one place, where there is no doubt, that sin abounds, it would be prison! And Charles Colson, saw first hand, that where sin was exposed and recognized, that it was increased, and that God's grace was there, to increase even more. 

Jesus breaks through sin, with power and grace. Adam ruined our earthly lives and made us slaves, to sin and death and Jesus set us free. He came to live in our hearts and to infuse us with His strength, purity, wisdom and power----- so that we could be reconciled to God and be able to rejoice in Him, and to be able to walk and talk with him, today, tomorrow and forever.

JOY "Abraham's Righteousness" October 19

October 19, 2011

Abraham's Righteousness

Romans 4:4:1-25

I.)       Abraham: The Forefather of Faith  4:1-8

II.)      Abraham: The Father of All Who Have Faith 4:9-17

III.)     Abraham: The Father of the "Fully Persuaded" 4:19-25

Kent Hughes tells the story about a preacher who had forgotten the truth of the Gospel. It seems that the faith, that the preacher taught from his pulpit, was one that would not have set very well with Paul. The preacher's story went like this: "one day, a frog fell into a pail of milk and even though he tried really, really hard, in every conceivable way, to jump out----he always failed. The sides were just too high----and because he was floating in the milk, he couldn't get enough leverage for the kind of leap that his legs had been made for. So, he did the only thing he could do-----he paddled and paddled and paddled-------after a while, his paddling had churned the milk into a pat of butter, from which he was able to launch himself to freedom. The message was, 'just keep on paddling, keep on working, keep on doing your best, and you will be able to make it.'"

At 1st glance, it's hard to see, what's wrong with this advice, until you realize that it leaves God out of the equation completely, and focuses, only on what mankind, can do for himself. 

It's an exaggerated simplification, but it actually describes the type of Christianity that is cropping up in every church and every denomination, in our country, and in the world. It's kind of a down-home-folk religion. We say that Amazing Grace is our favorite hymn and we sing those beautiful words with such emotion and heart------but I'm afraid, that most people are just giving lip-service to the words, because way deep-down inside-----they are convinced, that if they can just do the very best they can, they will somehow get to heaven. 

This isn't new, man has always had a problem with trusting in justification by faith, alone, through God's grace----it makes more sense, to us, to embrace the motto, "we get our salvation the old-fashioned way, we earn it!" It was the way the Jews thought in Paul's day and its the way too many people, in our day, think, too. 

Abraham was and is the prime example of a man, who, if anybody was going to be justified by his works, it would have been him. In every bit of Jewish literature, Abraham is believed to be perfect-------the literature claimed that he performed the whole law before it was written (which was 400 years after Abraham died); that he was perfect in all his deeds and that he had no need for repentance. Hogwash!!!!!!

Everybody, even Abraham, is in need of forgiveness and repentance.

Paul, the lawyer of grace, acknowledges, that Abraham was righteous, but he denies, that the Jews or anybody, has any right to present him, as an example of righteousness by his works, just because he was able to meet the standards of the law, because, the truth is, the scripture teaches us that, he never did!  In this passage, Paul disputes and completely deletes, the works-righteousness, from Abraham's legend, and sets him forth as an example of one who has been saved, not by works, but by faith alone. 

*******Bottom of whole lesson--Cannot be saved by anything that we can do----and Paul uses Abraham as an illustration of that fact.*******

I.) Abraham: The Forefather of Faith 4:1-8:

Abraham is one of the most honored people in human history. There are few names that are honored throughout the world, like Abraham's name is-----he is revered as a patriarch in 3 religions:  Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Abraham's story, with God, stands as a remarkable and  clear picture of God's grace, because he lived a couple of thousand years before Jesus was born, but he received the free gift of righteousness, from God, just like we do, a couple of thousand years, after he was born. 

Paul raised 2 important questions about Abraham, to his readers, so that he could start making his point: that righteousness comes only from grace, not ever, from good works. 

1.) When was Abraham made righteous? (when he believed God and His promise of the one who was going to come and die for the sins of the world) and 2.) Why was Abraham, made righteous? (Aside from his personal salvation-----Jesus, the Savior of the world was going to come through Abraham and so were multitudes of spiritual descendants.)

Abraham could have chosen, to gain his sense of worth and right standing, before God, by the good works, that the scripture clearly teaches he accomplished. He wasn't perfect, but we can see that he was a good man, in the way, that the world sees good. But he didn't.

Abraham was first introduced to us in Genesis 11-------at the time, his name was Abram and he was living in the city of Ur, in the Mesopotamian Valley. We believe that He was a very pious, idolatrously, religious man, who worshiped, the Chaldean Moon goddess. While Abram was in that condition of ignorance, God appeared and spoke to him. He told him to go to a new and strange land, and to take his family with him. Abram believed God and obeyed Him. That is our first clue, that Abraham was different, and that he was looking for something more than good works. Stepping out in simple trust, Abraham gathered his family and his possessions and he set out on a journey. into the unknown, trusting God to safely lead them all, to a land that he'd never seen before. 

Abraham appeared to be a man of good works-----and he could have patted himself on the back, for his obedient performance--------but God isn't impressed by the things that people think are impressive. God can see our hearts------He knows us------and He had a crystal-clear understanding, of what motivated Abraham's heart. God knows that grand performances are usually generated by selfishness and ego and greed. When we behave correctly and give the right performance and receive our applause and accolades, we will always experience a sense of worth. But sadly, it's only temporary------its not the true, lasting worth, that comes from possessing righteousness from God. It's a fleeting thing-------it evaporates as soon as the applause, is nothing more, than the memory of an echo, in our ears. It leaves us feeling empty and unfulfilled. Only God's righteousness can sustain us throughout our lifetimes and for all eternity. 

Genesis 15:6 says, "Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness." This statement comes from the story, where God took Abraham outside one night, and told him to look up and count the stars and to know that his descendants, would be as numerous, as those stars. Abraham looked at the stars, blazing in their glory, and somehow, he believed what God told him was true. God was so pleased with Abraham's faith, that He not only credited him with righteousness, but that night-------God appeared as a "smoking pot and a blazing torch" and passed between the pieces of a sacrifice of animals, which Abraham had prepared. 

This was an ancient practice between 2 men who were forging a covenant, which couldn't be broken. They would have walked through the sacrifice pieces, together. It basically meant, that if the promises weren't kept, then, the same spitting in-two, that had happened to the animals, should and would happen to the promise-breaker. This was a clear communication to Abraham, that the promises that God had made to him, were unconditional, from Abraham's perspective. That there was nothing he could do or not do, to change God's mind. God's promises would stand forever or God would have to separate and destroy himself, in the same way. It was all God-----there was no requirement, for Abraham, to walk through the sacrifice halves, too.

James, in 2:23, quotes Genesis 15:6, too, but he adds more to it, he says, ….and he was called God's friend." God didn't reward Abraham, with payment, for services rendered. He was his friend, He gave him a wonderful gift.  If a person works, then they earn wages. Wages are not a gift------they are an obligation that has to be paid for services rendered. A worker is entitled to get the credit for what he's earned, but he can't take credit for what he's been given as free gift. 

Its the same way in the spiritual realm. If we could earn our salvation by our good works, then we could take credit for our own salvation-------but our salvation is freely given to us, by the Lord God------so all the credit has to go to Him alone. When we place our faith in God, through the blood of Jesus, then our faith is credited to us as righteousness, not as wages earned. And we become the friends of God too. Faith is required for salvation, but it has no power, in itself, to save. Salvation is given by the power of God's grace, alone. Faith is the channel, that God works His redeeming grace through------Faith, is just simply, a convicted heart, reaching out to receive God's free and unmerited gift.

Paul confirms his belief by pointing to another OT forefather, King David------when David wrote the words of Psalm 32:1-5, he was expressing the same kind of faith. I told you last week, its truly remarkable, that David was given the gift of righteousness, from God, after his soul was stained by the murder, of Uriah the Hittite, and the adultery with Uriah's wife, Bathsheba. David had sinned grievously----but he came to God in faith and repentance, and God forgave his sins and it was credited to David, as righteousness. Samuel also, called David, a "man after God's own heart" and David, was anything, but perfect. Faith is not a virtue that has more power than other noble qualities, like honesty, kindness, humility and selflessness. And obeying God is a good thing-------its even necessary------but it isn't good deeds or wonderful, character qualities, that make us worthy of God's grace.

Nothing about us makes us worthy of God's grace-------only God, Himself, makes us worthy of His grace.  God dealt with the problem of sin, once and for all, when Jesus went to the cross. But our transformation is not instantaneous. It is a lifetime process. We will continue to struggle with sin and failure, until the day we die. So it's important, that we understand the difference between our standing, before God and our position, before God. When we receive God's grace through faith, we are considered righteous, and we are treated that way by God, regardless of our spiritually, immature behavior. Positionally, we are free, because we are saved once and for all time, but conditionally, we are still trapped in this sin-filled world in earthly bodies------we are saved sinners, in a lost world. Someday, though, our position and our condition will match and we will live perfectly forever, with the Lord, in glory.

II. Abraham: The Father of all Who Have Faith: 4:9-17

God chose circumcision as a symbol for His chosen people---and He gave it to them for a specific purpose. Paul makes 2 important points about circumcision, in this passage: the first is----- that rituals, like circumcision, have no power to save. Abraham was circumcised, years after God pronounced him righteous, by faith. 

Abraham was God's friend, long before he was circumcised. Clearly, the ritual had absolutely no saving value, whatsoever. Paul underscored this point, because some of his Jewish readers still believed that you had to be circumcised in order to be saved. He had to silence their reasoning, and help them to understand that circumcision is not what made them acceptable, to God. (When God commanded for Abraham and his male family members and servants, to be circumcised, as a symbol of their relationship with Him--------they had the choice to obey or disobey.  Submitting to circumcision, made a man, one of the chosen, with all the privileges and rights, of the Hebrew society. But, if a man refused to be circumcised, he was put out of the community, because, basically, he would have been rejecting God. With so much emphasis placed on circumcision, its easy to see why. over the years, the Jews enlarged its significance. Many of them reasoned that if refusing circumcision, condemned a man, then yielding to circumcision must save him. They totally forgot that circumcision was just an outward sign, of what was going on in their hearts! They came to believe that circumcision and observance of the Law were the exclusive path to salvation----so many of them, tried to make it a requirement for belonging to the church too.) 

Paul's argument, also cancels out any modern analogies to circumcision----like baptism or church membership, or observing communion. People are justified; made righteous and accepted in God's sight-----not by being baptized or by participating in the Lord's supper or by joining a church------ but by having faith in the sacrificial death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

The 2nd point that Paul makes about circumcision, is that is was to be seen, as no more and no less than, a sign, a symbol and a seal. There is a reason that the Lord chose this particular place on a man's body to place His sign-----and its obvious. God wanted them to remember what the the rite of circumcision stood for, so He placed the sign on an organ, that the man would see, several times a day. God made sure that His sign on human flesh, was impossible to overlook. 

It's also the place of procreation---------it was the symbol for the many, many generations of people that would come behind Abraham, who would inherit the legacy of God's promises, temporally and spiritually, as they were passed down from father to son. 

And it was a seal----Paul says that, "the sign of circumcision, is a seal of righteousness". A seal is a guarantee of permanency. Circumcision, the removal of the foreskin, of the male organ, is an unchangeable act------once its done, it cannot be undone. It's God's way of saying, in visible and indelible terms, "You have been accepted by me and that acceptance will never change"! 

It's the same way for us, as Christians-------when God cuts our salvation, into the flesh of our hearts, He is cutting, into it, His permanent seal of acceptance----- and once its done, it cannot be undone-----it will never change-------we can mess up and we can disappoint Him and we can fail to act like His children-----but that will never change the fact, that we are His, because He has carved His permanent seal there. Ideally, a believer's conduct will make our relationship with the Lord, plainly evident, to the watching world-------but even if it doesn't always, in our own strength-------that doesn't change the fact that from God's perspective------it is permanent-----for all time and for all eternity. 

God, also had another reason for making Abraham righteous, beyond Abraham's own need for personal salvation. The gift of being made acceptable before God, was given to Abraham, not only to save him, but to make him the father of many more to come. God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many spiritual descendants, more numerous than the stars in the heavens, and that promise is still in the process, of being fulfilled. 

This has been accomplished through Jesus, the child of promise, the Savior of the world, who though His earthly mother, is a descendant of Abraham.

When we receive righteousness from God, through our faith in Christ Jesus, we become spiritual descendants of Abraham too. And this is true whether a person is Jew or Gentile; circumcised or uncircumcised.

This is the great secret of life----the great truth-----we don't have to earn God's love and forgiveness! It's already ours everyday. There's no more liberating truth than that. We may have been Christians for a long time, and we may know, in our heads, that its true, but unfortunately, we get caught up in the pressures of our lives, and we forget, and try to take care of things, our way----- so, its important for us to hear what Paul is saying and be reminded of it, in our hearts! We don't have to live for the fleeting sense of worth that comes and goes, from the applause and praise of other people-----we have an eternal sense of worth, that comes from our right standing before God.

Paul, in exploring the nature of Abraham's faith, explained what authentic faith is and what it isn't. Faith is not trying to obey and fulfill a law. Faith is not, doing your best and living up to a moral standard. Faith is not, hoping against hope that something is true. Faith is not, closing your eyes and stepping out into the unknown. And Faith is not, taking a leap across the great divide, praying that you will make it to the other side. 

Faith, as the scripture presents it, is a very rational and logical entity and experience. Faith often transcends and supersedes anything, that can be proven with our sight, but, Faith doesn't call us to shut off our brains, and to ignore logic, and to blindly believe, what we hope is true. To make this clear for us to understand, we can substitute the word "trust" in place of faith. When we exercise the kind of faith, that is described in the Bible, we are making a choice to trust the something or someone. (We exercise faith every time we board an airplane or allow a doctor to perform a procedure on us, while we're under anesthesia. Having a reasonable expectation that the airplane is designed and built correctly and has enough fuel and that the crew is competent to operate it, we walk on board, with every expectation that we will land safely at our destination. And---- having the reasonable assurances that our doctor is both knowledgeable and experienced and has good credentials and a good reputation-----we submit our unconscious bodies to his or her care, expecting to be better off than before. No one can prove that our travel will end safely or that our medical condition will be healed.

But, what we can know to be true is, that, that which we've seen, has allowed us to trust what we can't see. And, in time, experience reinforces our decision to have trusted. Eventually, repeated experience will allow our faith in air travel or medicine to grow strong.) 

Faith----or trust----allows us to move beyond what we see, step by step, in order to experience, what we can't see. So you can clearly see that----faith is not a leap and it is never blind.

Abraham's life, was a journey in faith. His faith, started out, relatively small, when God chose him from among the idolatrous Chaldean nation, to be the father of his chosen people. No one knows why God selected Abraham, from all the people in the world, we just know, that He did. The Lord promised him a large parcel of land, millions of descendants and an everlasting blessing and Abraham set out in obedience.

Decades later, Abraham despaired of seeing the promises fulfilled. He was nearing the age of 100 and Sarah was almost 90; his promised land was sick with famine; his family was divided by greed; his peace had been shattered by bad kings in the land; he had been caught twice in a huge lie about his wife's identity, which sadly, had tarnished his reputation; and even though he had Ishmael, he was still waiting on the child, by Sarah, that had been promised by God. 

To encourage Abraham, the Lord appeared to him in a dream, and confirmed that all his promises were still true. Abraham couldn't suppress an incredulous laugh. And later when Sarah overheard the same information from the visiting, Angel of the Lord, she couldn't help but laugh too. Her limited, nature-bound, perspective, would be the same as ours----ninety year old women just cannot have babies! But God is not bound by the limitations of the natural world---He is supernatural----above nature-----both able and willing to accomplish what no one else can. 

So, we shouldn't be too hard on Sarah and Abraham about their laughter and their missteps!!!!!! We have the bible, so we already know that God is the all-powerful creator of the universe and can do anything that defies our human logic. But they knew almost nothing about Him, in the beginning. Then, as the Lord revealed more and more of His character and power, their faith grew in response. Far from a blind leap, theirs was a journey of faith, led by the Lord, where trust was required, in small measures. Each choice to trust, was rewarded with blessing and a greater understanding of God. 

When Paul used the term, "hope against hope" in 4:18 he was trying to explain how we have to separate natural hope from supernatural hope. Abraham placed his natural hope, in the supernatural power of God, to accomplish what is hopeless, by any other natural means. His hope though, was not a blind leap of faith. It was very reasonable for him to believe in God's supernatural power, because he had seen it in action before, and, God's faithfulness allowed Abraham to trust Him, without having to know, specifically, how the future would unfold. 

Abraham and Sarah experienced a long period of waiting, which might seem mean, from the world's point of view. But the Lord used the delay to accomplish two important objectives. 1st, He wanted Abraham and all of his descendants to understand that His covenant was divine in its origin and supernatural in its fulfillment. 2nd, He wanted---through their personal experience--to cultivate Sarah and Abraham's faith as they gained greater knowledge of His holy character and limitless power. 

As God proved faithful, time and time, again----their faith, grew and matured. It is no different for us as believers----our walk toward maturity, gets deeper and deeper, each time the Lord proves faithful to His word, and we experience it. 

III. Abraham: the Father of the Fully Persuaded: 4:19-25

Paul's divinely inspired commentary, on the faith of Abraham and Sarah, is encouraging to us------its encouraging to everybody who believes. As we read their story, we can see multiple examples off their wobbly-legged faith but we can also see how God didn't look at their slow and faltering growth, but that He looked at their ultimate destination and He saw that they arrived, regardless of the earthly hindrances. They may have laughed, but their laughter didn't mean that they didn't trust God. The elderly couple took their decaying bodies and waning sexual potency, into full account, as they chose, together, to believe God and His promises. Abraham's mind was undivided-------he might have been weak in understanding, and he might have tried to help God along, but he never stopped trusting that God would do, what He said that He would do. 

Gradually, Abraham's experience with God, gave him a greater ability to trust God, despite the seeming contradictions, which surrounded him, as he walked through his life. His trust, over his lifetime, was empowered to the point, that he was able to believe, without reservation that God would fulfill everything that He promised. The last trial that Abraham suffered-----that was his greatest test of faith; that proved his absolute trust in God's sovereignty, was when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac, the precious child of promise. Without hesitation and immediately, (although I have no doubt that his father's heart was filled with anguish) the scripture tells us that Abraham, obeyed. As the father and son approached the place of sacrifice, and Isaac asked his daddy, the obvious question, "where is the lamb…" ------you can hear in Abraham's words, a choice to trust, in the goodness of God, without having to understand when and how He would fulfill His promise-------"God will provide for Himself, the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." Abraham had seen God do supernatural things before--he knew that God could raise Isaac from the dead, if that is what He chose to do. Abraham acknowledged the impossibility of the circumstances, but he trusted in the greatness of his God.

 It that had been Abraham's first experience with God, his faith could have been considered a giant leap. Instead it was the culmination of a journey that had been initiated by God and completed by God------with Abraham's willing, but weak participation.  We think that Abraham's faith was an extraordinary one-----but it wasn't, it was an ordinary one, no different from yours or mine------- what made his faith so great, was his trust, in an extraordinary God.

Genuine faith is strengthened, when we have to wait on God's promises to be fulfilled. When we have to wait to receive something that the Lord has promised, we will gradually turn our eyes off of our circumstances, and turn them on God, and then, we are able to see God' great faithfulness, and our trust will increase exponentially.  Genuine faith can be measured in direct proportion to our knowledge of God-----as we understand more and more his nature, our faith cannot help but grow and mature.  

Abraham is the father of the Jews, but he is also the father of anyone who will receive God's grace though faith and are declared righteous, through no merit, of their own. He is thought of as the father of all Jews and the father of all Muslims----but the truth is---Abraham was a Gentile, when God first called him, to be a believer and counted his obedience as righteousness, so he is also the father of all Christians. So, if we believe, it doesn't matter who we are or where we come from-----all that matters is that we have received grace in the way that God has ordained for us to receive it.     

Just as wages are obtained through work and failure to obey the law reaps God's wrath--grace, is received though faith. Grace and faith have to go together because grace is utterly alien to our world. It's a supernatural, miraculous act of God-----like parting the red Sea and raining down bread from heaven and raising His son from the dead. 

Faith grasps the promises---- Faith lays hold of what God offers---- and Faith leads anyone who will believe, to cross over from death to life.

"Faith"

"What you gonna do, when the river overflows?"

I'm gonna sit on the porch and watch her go.

"What you gonna do, when the hogs all drown?"

I'm gonna wish I lived on higher ground.

"What you gonna do, when the cow floats away?"

I'm gonna throw in, after her, a bale of hay.

"What you gonna do, with the water in the room?"

I'm gonna sweep it out with a sedge-straw broom.

"What you gonna do, when the cabin leaves?"

I'm gonna climb on the roof and straddle the eaves.

"What you gonna do when your hold gives way?"

I'm gonna say, "Howdy Lord, its judgment day!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

JOY "Bad News/Good News" October 12

October 12, 2011

Bad News/Good News

Romans 3:1-31

I.)        The Religious Advantage: 3:1-8

II.)       The Disadvantage 3:9-20

III.)      The gift of Grace 3:21-31

(Hans Christian Anderson's famous fairy tale, "The Emperor's New Clothes" has always been a favorite one, for people, because of its humor and because of the clear expression of human nature that it reveals. The gist of the story is that a certain Emperor was very fond of his appearance and of stylish clothing. It was common knowledge to everybody in the kingdom-----so when 3 con men breezed into town, pretending to be wise and clever philosophers-----they saw the perfect opportunity to cash in on some loot for themselves. 

They offered to weave the Emperor, a rare and costly garment, that would be beyond his wildest imaginings------and he was more than receptive! He especially liked their promise that the garment would be invisible to everyone but those who were wise and pure in heart. The delighted emperor commissioned his new clothes, even though it was a huge expense. He allowed the con men to set up their empty looms in one of the finest rooms in the palace. Day after day, they sat there and pretended to be weaving-----while all the time, all they were doing was availing themselves of the Emperor's generous hospitality. 

It wasn't long before the Emperor's curiosity got the best of him and he sent his chief minister in to see how things were going. The official could not see a thing on the looms, but he didn't want to be accused of being foolish and impure in his heart------so he went back to the emperor and gave a glowing report about the beauty of the cloth. It wasn't long before the weavers asked for some more money, even though the clothes went finished. This made the   Emperor impatient to see his new clothes----- so he sent his 2nd minister in to check on them-----he was embarrassed to tell him that he couldn't see anything, so he gave an even more enthusiastic report! 

And the fake weavers continued their fake weaving--------when the Emperor couldn't stand it anymore-he went to see his new clothes for himself-------He couldn't see anything either-------but he pretended like he could and proclaimed the clothing excellent and beautiful--so his people wouldn't think he was stupid!  He even gave the weavers medals, to thank them for their incredible work and their dedication to pleasing him. 

The emperor scheduled a grand parade and invited all the kingdom to come, so that he could show off his new clothes. As the emperor paraded before his people, "au natural", the whole town joined each other in praising his beautiful new clothes-----nobody wanted to be accused of being unwise or impure in their hearts. The absurd parade lasted only long enough for there to be a moment of quietness, and for a child's clear little voice to be heard saying, "The Emperor has no clothes!" All at once, everybody knew the truth, including the Emperor. One innocent, honest remark by a small child, who didn't  know enough to keep his mouth shut, stripped away the hypocritical pretense of the entire kingdom.)

The story of the Emperor's new clothes is a great story, because it illustrates  a common tendency that we all have, which is, that many, many times, we don't say a say word, while a lie is being promoted, by everybody around us, because we don't want to be thought of as fools. We're too proud! 

That's what was happening with the religious Jews, of Paul's day. Just like the Emperor, they imagined themselves to be clothed with a righteousness that was actually non-existent. They were blinded by a misleading, prideful, religious, self-confidence. So, Paul, like the little boy, in the story, stripped away all the layers of delusion, that made them feel comfortable about their eternal security. They believed that they were extraordinary, because they possessed the Word of God. They saw themselves as guides to the blind, correctors of the foolish and teachers of the immature. But Paul undressed them and proved that neither God's Word nor circumcision, is a guarantee for life on earth, or for life in eternity. 

And just like he undressed his fellow Jews, he undresses us too----he strips away our false confidence in "knowing God's Word", in "our doing our good works", in "our church affiliations" and in our "baptismal methods and experiences." For all mankind, Jew and Gentile, true righteousness has always has been and always will be, a matter of the heart. 

We know that the central theme of Paul's letter to the Romans is the Gospel------but before we can embrace it-----we have to be stripped down to our very souls and recognise that we are nothing but sinners in need of a Savior. 

To prove that the rule applies to everyone, Paul systematically turned from one person to the next, peeling off whatever mask they might be wearing-----in Chap.1 it was the "willfully ignorant"------he stripped the upright, intellectual Gentile of his disguise to reveal him for what he was, a fool, who professed to be wise, but who worshiped the creation instead of the Creator and exchanged God's natural law of order, for the unnatural.

In Chap. 2 it was the "self-righteous"-----he cut the armor of the self-satisfied crusader in- two-----to reveal that that person, is a self-righteous, judgmental, moralist, who thinks that they're above judgment, because of their rituals and traditions and good works------they're people who cover themselves with religion, but who don't have a clue, what loving God, really means.

And then, in Chap. 3, Paul undressed the super-religious, his fellow Jews. God clearly chose the Hebrew people to receive his Word and to share it with the world--------but just because they have a unique relationship with God doesn't mean that they are exempt from divine judgment--in fact, they deserve a greater portion of it-------Gentiles sin in ignorance-----but Jews have a greater knowledge of what and who they are sinning against-----so Paul leaves them standing, shivering in the cold, as he forces them to see their own nakedness.

I.) The Advantage: 3:1-8

It was a common practice, in Greek rhetoric, to have a Question and Answer dialogue between 2 people, as a teaching method. So, in his letter to the Romans, Paul created an imaginary dialogue between himself and a typical, religious Jew, of his day. He asks the  question and then he gives the answer, immediately, so that he can make the point of how far humanity has fallen, before a holy and righteous God. 

Paul had taught the truth of the Gospel in synagogues, all over the known world and had undoubtedly encountered every argument and objection that there was. So, in anticipation of the questions, that he knew the Romans would ask, he restated 4 of the most common objections, that he had come up against, and he established, very succinctly, the truth, that nothing but God's grace, can save a person, while at the same time, proving, that there are definitely substantial advantages, in being raised as a Jew and in being raised under the teaching of the church.

1st Question: "If God's covenant with the Jews and (the Gentiles, who entered the same covenant, by choice) doesn't make them righteous----what advantage does the Jew have?"

1st Answer: Paul explained that God's covenant doesn't exempt anybody from judgment; but it does grant them unequaled privilege. The Jews were given the advantage of the Scriptures. With the written word of God, they had more truth, than any other group of people on the earth! They were entrusted with a knowledge of the mind, will and character, of God! They had a greater opportunity to know and obey God, than anyone else! And it is the same thing for Christians today-----The mind and heart of God, is available to us, through His written word. It teaches us that God is the all-powerful Creator and that He completely sustains the universe. It reveals that He is perfect in His holiness, His righteousness, His love and His justice. Through it, we learn that there is a gulf between Him and us-----the God of the Scriptures is majestic and transcendent and glorious and good and totally beyond human comprehension. Having this written word about Him, is an unbelievably huge privilege and is a start, on being able to understand, just a little bit, of who He is! Our natural minds can't comprehend all that God is, no matter how intelligent or intellectual or well-read, we are-----and, mistakenly, we always try and close the gap between God and man-----either by bringing God down or raising man up. (story of Griff as a 4th grade king….)

God's written word, also gives us a description of the nature and purpose of man. This is tied up closely, with God's revelation of Himself---because if we can grasp, just a fraction, of the majesty of God, then we can see ourselves as the lost, corrupt sinners that we really are. Then, we can know and understand the only way that we can be saved! In God's mercy and in His love for us, He gives us the written directions, to be able to have a relationship with Him-----which, in a nutshell, is to love Him with all our hearts, to obey Him with all our strength, and to trust Him with all our souls.What an unbelievable privilege! 

Unfortunately, too many Jews have failed to make good use of their God-given advantage and are no better off, than someone who's never known the Law at all-----

And for believers---we may be saved and that privilege is beyond precious to us----but are we squandering the advantage we've been given? Do we put our biblical knowledge to good use? Do we study the scripture, so that we can understand what it says, and so that we can know our Great God, and so that we can obey Him, and serve each other, better?

2nd Question: Does the failure of the Jews to keep their end of the bargain, prevent God from accomplishing His plan, to save the world?

2nd Answer: The answer is obvious! No, Never!  The unbelief of the entire Jewish race will never, in any way, prevent God from accomplishing His will. He keeps His promises and will always be faithful, no matter how bad mankind fails Him. To suggest that God will go back on His promises is like saying that God is a liar. Then Paul quotes from Psalm 51:4, which is King David's beautiful prayer of repentance, after his sin of murder and adultery. David recognized that his sin was not just against Bathsheba and Uriah the Hittite; he recognized that it was first and foremost, against Almighty God and that God had every right to judge him and to punish him. Paul used, the great King David's, prayer of repentance, as a way to prove that God will remain faithful and true, no matter how bad individuals may sin--------He never changes-----He is God and He is good and just, all the time, whether people are or not!

3rd Question: Because God has made His moral demands, knowing that humanity would fail, does that make His wrath justified? Doesn't that mean that God had doomed mankind to failure from the beginning? 

3rd Answer: Paul explained that the giving of God's Law, didn't suddenly make humans guilty of wrongdoing. God didn't just arbitrarily paint a target in a different place, from where it had always been and then shoot his arrow and say, "oops, I missed-----let's try that again!" The target has always been present. God's utterly, righteous character is and always has been, the standard! The Law just illuminates and magnifies the target, leaving humankind, with an even less excuse, for missing it. The Lord didn't give the Law to humanity just to justify His wrath------He gave the Law, to establish clear lines, between right and wrong, as a means of grace for us. He wanted to confront us with our sin, so that we would recognize our helpless lostness, would turn away from our sin, would repent of it and then, would seek God alone for our salvation. The giving of the Law, was the first step, in His plan, to redeem us. (our family rules…)

4th Question: "If our sin makes God look good, because it gives Him a chance to show His love and forgiveness, then how can He condemn us? If we've given God a chance to reveal Himself and that's what He wants-----then shouldn't we, in fact, sin more and make Him look even better!"

4th Answer: That is ridiculous thinking!-----but that's the crazy, messed-up, twisted logic, that we reason with sometimes! It fails to take in to account, the destructive nature of sin----of how it destroys everyone and everything that it touches. That kind of logic is no better than saying, "If fires and disasters give rescue workers an opportunity to display their skills and bravery, then why don't we just set more fires and cause more disasters, so that there will be a greater opportunity for them to show their courage, with no regard, for who might get hurt in the process." Ridiculous, right? If everybody lived by that rule----then nobody could be judged and God would be useless as the Judge of the world. 

That kind of reasoning is demeaning and disrespectful, to say the least, to God. If He had arranged the world, so that people would and could sin, so that it would glorify Him, then He would have no right to condemn sin and He would have no right to judge us for it. 

The truth is-------sin never glorifies God, sin separates us from God. God hates sin! It's in direct opposition to His nature---He would never create someone for a lifestyle of sin and then condemn them for it. 

Unfortunately, people, in our world today, honestly believe, that the only difference between good and evil is what you like and what you don't like-------they believe that it's up to us to decide what's good and what's bad in our world-----that's why, even Christians will tolerate and justify in our minds: x-rated shows, on prime-time TV----we say, "there's nothing else on…"; same-sex marriages---we say, "but they need insurance and death benefits…"; unmarried coupes, living like husband and wife----we say "its more cost-effective…"; and abortion---we say "but it's her body, a woman has the right to choose…". But we're  wrong, were dead wrong!  God's standards are God's standards, and they never change---- whether we choose to acknowledge them or not. 

The truth is--our advantage is great in every way! ------we have the written revelation of God and we know what His standard is and we know how helpless we are too meet his standard and we know what we have to do in order to have a relationship with Him. We should thank God every day, for the immeasurable advantage, He has given us, with His written Word.

II.) The Disadvantage: 3:9-20

Paul says that we have the advantage in this world, but he says that when we don't use it, it become a disadvantage.

He introduced another question to his readers-----"Do we have any standing at all then? Is there any way that a human being can please God, apart from faith in the Lord Jesus? He answered himself almost with the same breath------"None at all-----it doesn't matter whether we are Jews or Gentiles, Christians or not-----any situation is hopeless, in our own strength."

(Just suppose a multi-billionaire were to visit our home with a proposition: " I want to give my money to the most needy people in the world and I want to funnel those funds through your personal bank account. As I make the deposits, you write the checks." Now, imagine that 10 years have gone by and no one is better off than they were before. None of the recipients cashed their checks, they just tore them up or stuck them in a drawer somewhere--- and even you failed to make a withdrawal for yourself. Did you have an advantage? Absolutely! You had complete access to the billionaire's wealth! Did you waste your advantage? Yes! You didn't gain anything, because you didn't withdraw any money for yourself----you are no better off than the people, who, mindlessly, tore up their checks!)

Paul seals his argument with the iron-clad authority of scripture. He gathered up a compilation of passages from the Psalms and Isaiah to show that he was not introducing new doctrine. He was just stating what God had already said in His Word. He wanted his readers to clearly see why God gave the Law, so that we could understand how desperately we needed the Gospel and how privileged we are to have it! 

Romans 3:10-18 is the most explicit description of the total depravity of mankind in all of the scripture-----Dr. Addison Leitch said, "that if the color of sin were blue, then every aspect, of every human being, would be some shade of blue!" The Russian poet, Turgenev, said it perfectly, when he said, "I don't know what the heart of a bad man looks like, but I do know what the heart of a good man looks like, and its terrible." 

Romans 3:10 (Psalm 14:1) "there is none righteous, not even one…" The standard that our righteousness is measured by, is not the goodness, of another very good person----but it's lined up against, the unblemished, perfect character of God. Our goodness is placed on the scale opposite God's goodness and no one-----not even the best among us----has ever been or will ever be-----good enough. 

Romans 3:11 (Psalm 14:2) "there is none who understands; there is none who seeks God…" 

There is no one, who by nature, wants to seek God. We actually, want to run away from Him and hide------because, in our sinful natures, we're like Adam and Eve were when they sinned in the Garden, we can't stand up, under His perfect gaze. We need the Holy Spirit, working in our hearts, to give us the desire to seek God. 

All over the world, in secular universities and religious temples, people are searching for the answer, to the mystery of life (I think of that book, Eat, Pray, Love and how sad it is that Julia Roberts, when she did the movie, became a Buddhist, as a result; and Steve Jobs, the Apple Electronics founder, who just passed away, was a Zen Buddhist, so sad). God says, that there's not even one, who understands---that there's not even one who truly seeks Him. The world is full of religious people, streaming into houses of worship, observing all kinds of rituals and rites--but they're not looking for God. God says that they may be looking for peace or answers to their prayers or for feelings of religious emotion, but God says that no one is truly seeking Him. We have to have the Holy Spirit living inside of us to enable us to truly seek God. (tell about my friend Ann and her experience in Wyoming…thought she was a religious person…until…she could reach up and touch His face…now she is a person who has faith…there's a difference…).

Romans 3:12 (Psalm 14:3) "all have turned aside, together they have become useless, there's no one who does good, not even one…"

The Lord designed us with certain needs that only He can satisfy-----but instead of coming to Him so that he can fulfill our longings, mankind pursues fleeting, temporal and even destructive substitutes. Invariably, even is these substitutes initially fill us up----they quickly disappear and leave us more empty than we were before. And as far as being good-----on the outside, we may think that we're moral and decent people and other people may think it too-------but God knows our innermost thoughts and if He were to broadcast them for the whole world to hear------would we still look moral and decent and good? God says no! Its impossible to hide our souls from God-----and without Him, our souls are not good.

Romans 3:13-14 (Psalm 5:9; 140:3; 10:7) "there throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of the asp is under their lips, their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness…"

These OT scripture passages give us God's perspective on why there is no one who does good. Our speech is rotten to the core. The sins we engage in, with our words, come from our hearts and then they overflow out of our mouths. When God looks at our sinful speech----He sees an open grave, with a rotting corpse, with a horrible stench, billowing forth-----scripture could not be any more graphic that that!

What are the sins of speech? 

Sins of offensive and vulgar language----filthy words that make people feel violated and repulsed; sins of scorn and insult----treating people with disrespect, abuse and cruelty---trying to wound them; sins of hypocrisy and lying; sins of slander and gossip that can destroy reputations; sins of bitterness and cursing God--------cursing is not just profanity and taking God's name in vain------its also elevating ourselves into God's place by verbally condemning another human being. Bitterness is blaming God for the difficult circumstances, that we, 

9 times out of 10, have created for ourselves. It is also forgetting God when things are going good and crying out to Him, only, when things are bad, expecting Him, to fix our problems, by meeting our spoiled-rotten demands. 

Romans 3:15-17 (Isaiah 59:7-8)  "their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths and the path of peace, they have not known…"

Human nature has a thin veil that separates a person from being savage or civil and it can turn, from one, to the other, in-a-flat-jack-rabbit-minute. The veil is only as thick as our sincere belief is, that our behavior will have consequences. ( that's why the prisons in this country are full of people------most of them didn't care enough about the consequences of their law-breaking, to keep them from doing it.)

Romans 3:18 (Psalm 36:1) "there is no fear of God before their eyes…" This fear of God can take 2 forms and they are both appropriate in the right context. 1.)Those who oppose the goodness of God, and find themselves trembling in terror, and fear of judgment, because of His great power. 2.) Those who embrace the goodness of God and are so awed by His great power, that it leads them to repentance and a restored relationship with Him. The bottom line is----people as a hole, have lost their fear of Almighty God.

Paul concludes the first major section of his letter with a clarification of the Law and why God gave it. The Lord didn't give the Law with the expectation that people would be able to obey it and keep it perfectly. He knew the outcome from the beginning because he knew, what mankind , way too often, refuses to see------that we are all lost in sin.

The principle point of the Law is that it makes people worse, not better. It was designed to show us our sin, so that we could be humbled, terrified, bruised and broken and then driven, to seek comfort and salvation, in and through the Lord Jesus. ( we should pray that our children get caught the first time) We should thank God for the Law! We should thank God for His relentless, loving confrontation, of the sin, in our lives. We should thank God that He loved us enough, to give us the Law and then He loved us enough to give us the solution to it.

There are many people today-------preachers and teachers, who don't want to talk about the negative side of Christianity----the sin problem----They prefer to focus only on the positive side----God's love---- which sounds wonderful on the surface----but that like going to a doctor who only wants to talk about pleasant things, never about what's really wrong. I don't know about you, but I don't go to my doctor, as sweet as he is, for smiles and pats on the back. I go because I want him to tell me the truth about my health. I want to know if there is something going on and I want to know if it can be treated and I want it to be treated.

God gave us the Law, because He knows, the bad news of our terminal condition, and He knows that once our "emperor's new clothes" of self-deceit are stripped away---- that our sin condition is treatable and that it's 100% curable and it's 100% free. Only when we are conscious of our sin are we willing to receive the solution for it. The Law, will lead us, to the Good News, of the Gospel.

III. ) The Gift of Grace:  3:21-31

(On June 23, 2000, a deaf couple stood before Judge Donald McDonough in a Fairfax, Va court and offered no rebuttal to their landlord's complaint that they were behind on rent. Their recent marriage had unfortunately resulted in the loss of disability benefits, most of which kept a leased roof over their heads. Now they were $250 behind and had no hope of making up the deficit.

Judge McDonough couldn't disagree. The Landlord was due his rent, the couple was indeed guilty of nonpayment, and justice couldn't be set aside. Nevertheless, the judge's compassion would not allow him to drop the gavel. Not just yet. Once the attorney for the plaintiff had closed his case, the judge suddenly left the courtroom. A few minutes later, he returned from his chambers with $250 in cash, handed it to the landlord's attorney and said, "consider it paid." With a transfer of funds for the just to the unjust, the debt was paid and the case was dismissed. The law had been satisfied. The defendants were justified in the eyes of the court.) 

In a similar way, when we are saved, there is a transfer of righteousness from God's account to ours. We were guilty and now we're not! He gave us His free gift of grace----

not because we're good, but because He is.

The word "righteousness" is widely misunderstood, these days, inside and outside Christian circles. People tend to associate it only with good works.-----but when we're talking about righteousness from God, it doesn't have anything to do with good works. Righteousness is not what we do, it is what we are in God's eyes. It has to do with the word "worth". 

Psychologists tell us that everyone is looking for a sense of worth and that we can't function if we see ourselves as worthless. The good news of the Gospel is, that God has given us the gift of "true worth" and He calls it righteousness. We can't earn it-----we can only reach out and accept it, trusting , by faith, in the Lord Jesus. The Gospel gives us a right standing, with God, at this very moment, and it gives us the hope and the promise and the assurance, of a life with God for all eternity. 

We are children of the King and He views us, as worthy, no matter how unworthy we view ourselves. Knowing this and understanding it, helps us to remember to never sell ourselves short, ever again, by choosing lifestyles of sin, that cheapen our value and worth, and bring us heartache and misery, because they separate us, from our heavenly Father. There is no better news, for a searching and aching heart, than this.

God's righteousness is not something that popped into existence the minute that Jesus was born. The righteousness of God was foretold down through the centuries, in the Law (first 5 books of the Bible) and in the writings, of the OT prophets. The saints who lived, before the birth of Jesus, who died looking for Him to come, experienced the wonder of this gift, just like we, who live on these side of the cross, do------- they just came to it, by a different process.

God knew that no human would be able to measure up to the Law's standards---so when he gave the Law to the Jews, He provided them with a sacrificial system, that was designed to teach them, His plan, for the salvation of mankind. The entire sacrificial system, pointed to the day that was coming, when Jesus would be offered, as the ultimate sacrifice, for sin, once and for all. On that side of the cross------Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah and countless others, experienced God's gift of righteousness, in their own lives, because they believed God, when He told them, that He would cover their sins someday, with the blood of Jesus.

In Psalm 32:1-2 , King David wrote hundreds of years, before the cross, "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered….whose sins the Lord does not count against him." The righteousness of God wasn't a new concept------but the source, of the righteousness from God, was a difficult concept to understand, until we could see it flowing to us, from the cross of Jesus. There is only one way to receive God's righteousness and that is through faith in Jesus. (There are many ways to Jesus, but there is only one way to the Father).

1st, we have to have a relationship with Jesus, personally, by believing in him and by trusting that He is who He says He is. 

and 2nd, There is no way to receive God's righteousness, His free gift of salvation, except, just to accept it. I can't say that enough. We just have to accept the free gift, that God wants desperately, to give us! Its that simple. Grace is the gift that God offers us and faith is the hand that accepts and receives the gift. We are justified and declared righteous, freely, by God's grace. We don't deserve it, we can't earn it and it cannot be substituted. This is the heart of the Gospel and it is the basis for our assurance, that we are really and truly saved. 

Many Christians struggle with the assurance of their salvation. They are scared, way deep down inside, that God isn't satisfied with them. They know that they've asked God to be their Lord and Savior, but they're sacred that they can still do something that would make themselves lost again. That's not true-------once you are saved you are always saved. In God's eyes you are not a sinner, you are His child, washed clean by the blood of Jesus, never to be snatched out of His hand (as it says in John 10:28). Now we do sin and we do need to confess it and get forgiveness from God----but that's because we aren't perfect yet-------we are being sanctified, and that takes from the time we accept Jesus, till the day we day---but as far as salvation goes----we were saved once and for all from eternal death, though Jesus' sacrifice on the cross---all mankind was--------we just have to reach out and accept the gift.

Paul says that God accomplished "a sacrifice of atonement", through faith, in Jesus' blood. In the original Greek, this can be translated into 2 words-----expiation---that which satisfies justice; and propitiation----that which gains favor or good will.

*Paul tells us that human sin has injured God and that His justice, demands, that we be punished for our sin. That punishment was accomplished, by the death of Jesus, on the cross. With His death, God's justice was satisfied, that is expiation.

*But thank goodness, the reality of the cross went much deeper, than mere expiation. The death of Jesus on the cross, also gained God's favor and His good will, toward us. That is propitiation. 

Jesus' death had to happen because God cannot let sin go unpunished. The truth is, that God has patiently, held back his hand of justice, so that the human race can continue to exist, so that everyone can have a chance to know and receive Jesus as their Savior. Humanity doesn't recognize God's long-suffering and patience and they don't show gratitude for God's restraining mercy. The last time, God poured out His wrath and holy justice, on mankind, the whole world except for 8 people and an ark full of animals, was destroyed by a flood. God promised that he would never do that again-------and He hasn't---------but He could not let mankind's sin go unpunished. So, because He loves us, beyond our comprehension, He sent Jesus to the cross. The cross is where the justice of God met the love of God. All the 

stored- up punishment that we have deserved, since the flood, was poured out on Jesus, at the cross. And God didn't spare Jesus, one smidgen of the wrath, that mankind deserves. Jesus' cry of abandonment proves the truth of that in Mark 15:34, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" That should have been my cross and my cry--but Jesus took care of it for me.

God laid a willing Jesus, on the altar, of the cross, as sacrifice of atonement, in order to satisfy His own justice, so that He could maintain the integrity, of His own justice, while still being free to extend love and mercy, to undeserving human beings. (Just like the judge did who had to make the deaf people pay their debt, because he had to uphold the law-------but in his mercy, he took it upon himself to pay the debt for them-----which satisfied the law and his mercy.) 

That's the amazing good news of the Gospel! God can act freely in love and mercy toward us and give us His righteousness. When we are saved, we are forgiven once and for all of the sin of unbelief and disobedience toward God, but His forgiveness goes further than that-----with our confession of sin, daily and even hourly, He forgives us from the muck and mire of this world that we are exposed to-------when we slip into self-righteousness and pride; when we treat others with sarcasm and criticism; when we indulge in evil speech, verbally or mentally; when we elevate ourselves and put others down; when we ignore the heartbreak or the plight,  of another person-----we can go the Lord in confession and repentance, and we will find that His love and mercy are still there and He will accept us, value us and restore us. He is our Father, we are His dearly loved children and He will never change. 

God's righteousness means that we are stripped naked in front of Him, our whole heart is exposed and we don't have to fear God or His judgement, because He has taken care of it for us. No one can boast because God has done it for all mankind----He fulfilled the Law's demands and He has forgiven us totally and completely.