We'll look at this in three groups
of scripture. And verses one through five,
we have Paul expressing his heart's desire, his sincere love and
concern for the Jews in their ignorance of the righteousness
of God. And we know that's what he's
talking about when he says, I have great heaviness and continual
sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself
were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according
to the flesh. Well, what's wrong with them?
Why are you so heavy hearted over them, Paul? Chapter 10,
right across the page. Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Their problem
is not that they disagree on points of doctrine. The problem
is they're lost. They don't know God. For I bear them record, and here's
why they don't know God, because they have a zeal of God. They know their ancestry very well. They trust it, like Paul did
before he called it dung. that he might win Christ. They
trusted their heritage and their ancestry. And because of that,
because God appeared under their fathers and God gave them all
those outward advantages and God saved them as a nation, protected
them, they had a zeal of God because of that, but not according
to knowledge. It was a national pride to them
rather than the glory of God in saving his people. rather
than, it was something to be proud of rather than something
to fall on their face before God and praise His holy name
for. And here it is, he gets more
and more specific, doesn't he? This is not complicated, it's
not hard to understand the problem here. For they, I bear them record
they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge for they
being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish
their own righteousness. Let's think about that for a
minute. If you're going about as every free will church in
this world does, to establish your own righteousness before
God. You can't sit there and claim
you have a free will and everything's up to you without trusting you. And the problem with that is
you don't understand the righteousness of God. If you knew what God
truly required of you, you wouldn't try to come up with that yourself.
Those of you that would be under the law, Paul asked in another
place, don't you hear the law? You've got to be perfect. You've
got to be God holy in thought, word, and deed. If you don't
prove to yourself every minute of every day that that's impossible,
then God hasn't turned the light on yet. And that's where they
were. Not having any clue as to the
righteousness of God and what that is and the righteousness
that He requires, they went about to establish their own righteousness. and have not submitted themselves
unto the righteousness of God for Christ. What's the righteousness
of God? Christ. To confess your own wretchedness, for your tongue to be stopped
and for you to become guilty before God is a submission When
you go in that baptistry right there and you're laid under the
water and you're raised again, you're saying, this is what it
took. This is what my savior did for
me. The only way this wretch could ever see God is if his
only begotten son took my sin in my place and rose for my justification. And every day we confess that
by our very life. We confess that by our choices.
We confess that with our mouth all the time. By everything we do, everything
we say, everything we think. It is a submission. And here's
why we must submit to God's righteousness for Christ. The whole purpose
of the law to begin with was not so that we would know what
to do, do it, and God would be happy with us. Christ is the
goal of the law. The law was a schoolmaster to
bring us to Christ. If you're ever gonna stand righteous
in the sight of God, you must be in Christ. He must be your
actual righteousness. And that's what happens to those
that believe on Him. If He gives you faith in Him,
that faith unites you to the Son of God. And of God are we
in Christ who is made unto us everything we need, wisdom to
know God Himself, righteousness to stand in His presence, sanctification,
our worthiness as Christ, and redemption. bought by His precious
blood. This is what caused the heaviness
and sorrow of Paul's heart in chapter 9, specifically, that
being ignorant of the righteousness of God, they went about to establish
their own. All of the law, all of the ordinances,
all of the Old Testament tabernacle, all the stuff that he talked
about there in Romans 9, where we read that the Jews had all
these advantages. All of those things, the law
itself, the ordinances, the Old Testament tabernacle and the
sacrifices, all were given by God to point sinners to Christ. But the Jews trusted their keeping
of these things and would not come to Christ, who is himself
the righteousness of God. And as I said, to stop trusting
your own works for righteousness, to come to the place where you
never ever think of anything that you've ever thought, done,
or said as being acceptable in the sight of God is a submission. When you look to Christ for every
bit, for your whole righteousness before God, that's bowing to
Him. That's submitting to Him as your
righteousness because that's repugnant unto us by nature. We are too proud to confess before
God by nature that even all of our righteousnesses are as filthy
rags in the sight of God. You go tell a free will Baptist
that his decision and his walking down an aisle and getting saved
is worthless. And if that's all he has to recommend
him to God, he's going straight to hell. And you see how he feels
about that. So it was when Paul saw their
self-righteousness that his heart broke for them. When he saw what Christ said
about them in John 5.39, this is the Lord Jesus dealing with
this same problem, the same issue, which by the way, the Jews epitomize
here, but this is all of mankind's problem. You search the scriptures. The Jews had that advantage,
didn't they? They had the scriptures. They, in some earthly way, valued
the scriptures. They read these religious Jews.
They read them, they memorized them. But you think you have eternal
life in your knowledge of the scriptures. And they are they which testify
of me. You can't even know what the
scriptures say without coming to Christ. But he said, you will
not come to me. You don't have life in your understanding
of the scripture, in your knowledge, in your doctrine. That's not
life. The doctrine points to me. The
only way you're gonna have life is come unto me and I'll give
you life. and you will not. There's man's free will. When
the Son of God was released to the will of sinners, they destroyed
him in the most humiliating way they could come up with. It's worth mentioning again how
that false free will religion loves to say that those who believe
in the God of election that is clearly revealed in our text
are cold and indifferent. towards sinners, just delivering
doctrinal facts and not caring for souls since the outcome is
already determined by God anyway. And so we don't really care.
We see in Paul's language here, the truth of that. It destroys that lie, doesn't
it? My heart is broken. I could wish myself a curse from
Christ for my brothers. according to the flesh And I would respond to those
that say That we who believe God as he reveals himself are
cold and indifferent I'll tell you who's cold and indifferent
to sinners It's those that would lie to them in order to succeed
and that will tell them of a false
god for money. That's what you call not giving
a hoot for a sinner right there. Money and earthly acclaim is what they desire, which they
have only because they tell sinners what sinners wanna hear rather
than what God said. Now God's promise to his people is to give preachers according
to his own heart to them. That's an ancient promise. And
that's fulfilled at least in part by God giving those whom
he calls to preach this heaviness and love that Paul had for those
who reject the Savior at the cost of their eternal soul. It
was a heavy burden, a heartbreaking anguish that they might know God, that
God would save them. Now in verses six through eight, Paul explains very clearly that
though God gave the law and the promises and the pictures and
types and every outward advantage to point his earthly people to
Christ, that they are now, in spite of all that, trusting themselves and not Christ. And he's saying here, let's read
it again. Not as though the word of God
had taken none effect, for they are not all Israel which are
of Israel. Neither because they are the
seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac shall
that seed be called. That is, they which are the children
of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children
of the promise are counted for the seed. You see how he stresses
in various different ways here. how that it's not the earthly
nation that the promises are made to, but the spiritual Israel
of God that was the remnant among that nation and among all nations
to this day. As Paul said in Romans 11, I
think it is, even now there's a remnant. Just like then, there's
a remnant according to the election of grace. The only reason there's
a handful that love God and believe on Christ and trust Him and worship and honor Him in
this world is because of something God did. His electing love and
grace for sinners. That's the only reason. But he
explains here that though they are in a terrible place, trusting
their own works of righteousness, that that doesn't mean that the
promises and the outward advantages that God gave them were in vain. Showing plainly here how that
God's true Israel is not the Jews, but God's Israel is those
to whom pertain the promise of the Redeemer. The remnant according
to God's election of grace. He uses that word seed He's talking
about the seed, the ones who are the seed are not the earthly
Jews. And remember that word, and turn with me to Galatians
3, if you would. Galatians chapter 3. This chapter, like this morning,
this is a chapter right here that is an exposition of all
of our text tonight. Galatians chapter three. Oh foolish
Galatians who have bewitched you that you should not obey
the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set
forth crucified among you. You still trust in the law like
Israel of old when Christ was set forth in every picture, every
type, every ordinance, every sacrifice, the tabernacle and
all aspects of it. How can you not Who have bewitched
you? Who's told you a lie? What kind
of witchcraft is this? This only what I learned of you
received you the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing
of faith. Are you going about to establish
your own righteousness? Where has that gotten you? Or is it by faith? Are you so
foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now made perfect
by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things
in vain, if it be? Yet in vain he still had hope
for them, but there needed to be exhortation, rebuke. He therefore that ministereth
to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you, doeth he
it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? even
as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
We are united to Christ as our righteousness by faith in him,
given by God. Know ye therefore that they which
are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. You see
how that's our text? Those who believe God. The Israelites
as a nation don't believe God. But those who do are the true
children of Abraham. And the scripture foreseeing,
verse eight, that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached
before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all the
nations of the earth, nations be blessed. He talking about
Christ. Christ is the gospel. That's how all of the nations
will be blessed, is that Christ is gonna be revealed to a remnant
out of every kindred, tribe, nation, and tongue under heaven.
So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works
of the law are under the curse, for it is written, cursed is
everyone that continueth not in all things which are written
in the book of the law to do them. but that no man is justified
by the law in the sight of God. It is evident for the just shall
live by faith. He's quoting Old Testament scripture.
That's what the Jews were doing. That's what Paul said in chapter
10 and what was causing his heart to break in chapter nine. They
thought they could be justified by their works of the law. going
about to establish their own righteousness. Verse 12, and
the law is not of faith, but the man that doeth them shall
live in them. Keeping the law has nothing to
do with believing on Christ. If you're on a footing before
God of law keeping, you gotta completely please him. Thought
word indeed. Verse 13, Christ hath redeemed
us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is
everyone that hangeth on a tree. By the way, notice it says he
was made a curse for us. He was made a curse. Does that
mean the Son of God was a curse? That don't even make sense, does
it? The reason he said that, the way in which he means that,
that Christ was made a curse for us is the scripture he quotes. Cursed is everyone that hangeth
on a tree. The Lord Jesus Christ was cursed
in our place for our sins. That the blessing of Abraham
might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ. If Christ dies
for a dog, dead dog Gentile, then that dead dog Gentile is
righteous before God. "'that we might receive the promise
of the Spirit "'through faith. "'Brethren, I speak after the
manner of men, "'though it be but a man's covenant, "'yet if
it be confirmed, no man disannulleth "'or addeth thereto. "'Now to
Abraham and his seed were the promises made. "'He saith not
into seeds as of many, but as of one, "'and to thy seed, which
is Christ.'" If you wanna get right down to it, the promises,
are made to Christ himself. Because think about it, the perfect
son of God is the only one that could ever live up to any term
of any covenant. Of course the covenant is with
Christ. If God makes a covenant with
us and everything hangs on that, In this I say that the covenant
that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law which
was 430 years after Caintas and all that, why would you think that your
keeping of the law has anything to do with it when the covenant
was made before you were ever born? And what you do or don't
do cannot have any effect on the terms of that covenant. Then it shouldn't make the promise
of none effect. You hear that, our text in that?
The promise is not of none effect, just because the Jews are sinners. For if the inheritance be of
the law, it is no more of promise, but God gave it to Abraham by
promise. Wherefore then serveth the law?
It was added because of transgressions. Till the seed should come to
whom the promise was made, You see who the promise was made
with, too? And it was ordained by angels
in the hand of a mediator. Now, a mediator is not a mediator
of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises
of God? God forbid, for if there had
been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness
should have been by the law. If there was a law you could
keep, If there was any way you could honor any covenant ever,
seems like to me the easiest one to have honored would have
been in the garden. Enjoy all of paradise and just don't eat
of that tree. It doesn't matter what the law
would have been, we would have broken it. Because our problem
was we like that kind of fruit more than that kind of fruit.
Our problem is we want to be God. That's what God has to knock
out of us. That's the me that has to die.
with Christ. But the scriptures hath concluded
all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ, by
what he does, might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were
kept under the law. shut up unto the faith which
should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster
to bring us to Christ. The Jews didn't listen well in
class, did they? Because they didn't get the lesson. And neither will we unless and
until God supernaturally reveals it to us. But after that faith has come,
we are no longer under a schoolmaster. Once God, by His law, reveals
Christ to you and drives you to Christ, you're not under the
law. For you're all children of God
by faith in Christ Jesus. That's how somebody becomes a
child of God, not by being born a Jew. But do you believe on the Son
of God? For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ
have put on Christ, and it doesn't matter what you are. You see,
it doesn't make any difference what you are. Jew nor Greek, bond nor free,
not even male, it doesn't matter. For all of us are one in Christ
Jesus, and if you be Christ, you remember how we've harped
on that apostrophe S so many times over the years? Oh, there's God's children, there's
his elect. That's how sinners are saved.
Now I belong to Jesus. And Jesus belongs to me. If you be Christ's, then you
are a Jew. Is that what that says or am
I reading that wrong? You're Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. Boy,
you talk about an exposition of our text, especially those
verses six through eight. And this is the love. Notice
we said now that Christ has made a curse for us in this sense,
that he was accursed by God for our sin. It's the same in 2 Corinthians
5, 21. Christ was made to be sin for
us. It's not that he himself knew any sin. It says that right
in the verse. That's plainly stated. He was
made to be sin for us. Who knew no sin? In case somebody
got that crazy idea. Is Christ a sinner? Did his nature
change? He didn't know any sin. He experienced
my sin. That's the love that our text
is gonna talk about next, right there. That's the love. He took my sin. He was made to be a curse for
us in the sense that He was cursed in our place and He was made
to be sin for us in the sense that Scripture says over and
over, He bore my sins in His own body on the tree. We did esteem Him stricken, smitten
of God and afflicted. We thought God was punishing
this imposter, but we thought wrong. He was wounded for our
transgression. We were wrong about that. He was crushed for our iniquities. That's the love of Romans chapter
nine that we're about to see. Not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent
his son to be the sin offering. for our sins, for our sin. First
John 14, for our sin. He was the sin offering for our
sins. In verses nine through 13, we'll
just glimpse at this now. Because I don't want you to be
weary. I know your limitations because
mine are the worst ones here. But verses nine through 13, let's
just look at them now. Romans chapter nine. Verse nine, for this is the word of promise.
What's this covenant you're talking about, Paul? Oh, here it is. Here's how sinners are saved,
not by going about to establish your own righteousness. Here's
the word of promise, at this time I will come and Sarah shall
have a son. And not only this, but when Rebecca
also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac, for the
children being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God according to choice, that's
what that word election means, not of him that willeth, not
of him that striveth or worketh, but of God that showeth mercy. According to the election, according
to election might stand, not of works, But of him that calleth,
it was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it
is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Now what do verses nine through
12 have to do with verse 13? Let's think about it now. I hope
to look at this in more detail next time. But here's what we
see in verses nine through 13. Number one, God's people are
children born by the miraculous power of God, not by man's will
or works. Verse nine. Look at it. Why does
he mention Sarah? For this word of promise at this
time will I come and Sarah shall have a son. What does that have
to do with God loving somebody and hating somebody? Well, think
about this. He's talking about how sinners
are saved. He's talked about the tragedy of what the Jews
have fallen into, trying to establish a righteousness before God. And
with all these outward advantages, they used them as a matter of
pride rather than a matter of submission to the son whom they
all pointed to. But here's how the promise works.
God, miraculously gives birth, spiritual birth to sinners. You
know the story of Sarah. Isaac and Ishmael. Isaac is the
child of what? What are we talking about? The
promise, the covenant. Ishmael was their efforts, their
human efforts, to try to help God out with the covenant, you
see. It's the same thing as walking in an aisle. It's exactly the
same thing. Well, how's a sinner gonna be saved just sitting there
hearing? Well, faith comes by hearing. Well, no, you gotta
come down and make a spectacle and do this and that. We're gonna
help God. We're gonna make these rules, these things that you
have to attain to in order to be saved. Things that you have
to know. A decision you have to make.
You having to do anything for salvation is the problem. Sarah had a son when she couldn't
possibly have a son by the power of God and the promise of God.
God said you will. That's how sinners are saved.
Because a promise was made in eternity that you were gonna
be his. you're going to be born again.
Well, we're going to get into that hopefully more next time. But look at the second thing.
God saves His people without regard to anything about them. Verse 11. For the children being
not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but
of Him, Would that not include works
that he saw in the future? Maybe we should read the verse
again. Because a lot of people say that election is God seeing
what would happen and basing his election of sinners on what
they're going to do. Doesn't it say there deliberately
that God did this regardless of anything that they would ever
do before they had done anything good or bad. Twins born at the same time by
the same mother, but not even yet born. No good or evil. Remember
the words from Romans 3.22? We quote that so often. There is no difference. There is no difference. God makes the difference. And
there's nothing that the sinner in the sinner or that the sinner
has done or ever will do that causes God to choose one over
the other. Verse 12 simply indicates that
if there were any reason to favor one of these twins over the other,
And the Jews were probably thinking this when they read the verse
of that, well, yeah, we know all that, but you know, the elder has preeminence over
the younger. God reversed it deliberately. If there would ever be any reason,
maybe, just the most subtlest of reasons for God to favor one
of these twins over the other one, it might at least be that
the firstborn under Old Testament law was given preeminence. but
God deliberately went against that. He overruled even that to show
that he loves his elect freely, unconditionally. If that verse 12 there is not,
or verse 11, 12 together is not talking about unconditional love
that I don't know what it's talking about you No difference And lastly God's choosing of
his elect is an act of his love for them It's not arbitrary. And may God give us grace to
understand this. It's not a question of how God
can love one and hate the other. It's a question of how could
God ever love any sinner? That's a vital distinction. And
the answer to the question, of course, is Christ. And may he show us that all through
this. Let's pray.