Paul asks question number one,
verse one, what advantage then have the Jew? He's talking about
the Old Testament people of Israel. What advantage do they have over
the Gentile, the pagans? What profit is there in circumcision? And he answers it in verse 2,
much every way. Chiefly, here's the chief reason
the Jew has an advantage over the Gentile, and has an advantage
in bearing the token of circumcision. Here's the chief reason, because
under them, under them were committed the
oracles of God, the word of God, the tabernacle. The priesthood,
the sacrifices, the prophets. Turn to Romans chapter 9 and
listen to these words. Paul talking about Israel, people,
the Jews. He said in verse 4, there are
Israelites to whom pertaineth the adoption. The glory of God was over the
camp of Israel. The cloud by day and the pillar
of fire by night. The Shekinah glory of God was
over the mercy seat in their tabernacle. The covenants, the
covenant of Abraham, David, giving of the law, the service of God,
the promises, whose are the fathers, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph,
David were all Jews. The prophets Elijah, Ezekiel,
Daniel, Isaiah, as concerning, listen, whose
are the fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came. Our Lord was born of the seed
of David, tribe of Judah, household of Jesse, house and lineage,
right back through the whole Jewish people back to Abraham, who is overall God blessed forever. So what advantage Does the Jew
have over the Gentile much and every way cheaply because unto
them were given the word of God, the promises, the gospel. The gospel was preached to them.
He didn't profit them not being mixed with faith as preached
to them. And I ask this question in application. What advantage
do our children and you have over the pagans, the people of
this world. What advantage do these young
people have here who are children and grandchildren of believers
brought up in a home where the Bible is not just an object of
religion but really believed. Brought into a place where the
gospel has been preached for ever since the first brick was
laid on this lot. The gospel had been preached
over and over and over and over again. The word of God has been
committed to this congregation. God is worship. Every song is
a song that exalts and magnifies the grace of God in Christ Jesus.
Every prayer is gospel oriented. Every message is gospel from
one end to the other. What advantage do they have? Much every way. Chiefly because
committed to them is the gospel That's what Paul said to Timothy
he said from a child From a child you have known the holy scriptures
That are able to make you wise unto salvation from a child that
this little girl here knows the gospel Knows the Word of God
been committed to her and she's known this from a child Known
the gospel is able to save your soul, put away your sin, give
you a new heart, make you a child of God, give you entrance and
hope of eternal glory. You've known that. But the second question, verse
3, what if some didn't believe? And they didn't. Unto the Jews, to whom God gave
the prophets and the fathers and the word and the gospel. The gospel was preached to them,
but they didn't believe it. They came to the very threshold
of the promised land and looked over there and turned back. They did not believe. They could
not enter in because of unbelief. All right, here's the question.
What if some did not believe? Does their unbelief make the
faithfulness of God without effect? What if some of them, and some
of us, and some of you, and some of our children, do not believe
this gospel? Do not believe it in our hearts.
Do not receive it. Do not bow to Christ the Lord.
Do not receive His Son, His Word. Does that mean that God's a failure? Does that mean all these promises
are of no effect? Does that mean Christ won't have
a people? Does that mean heaven won't be populated? If I don't
believe the gospel, or you don't believe it, or those to whom
it was originally given do not believe it, does that mean God's
failed? Verse 4 is the answer. God forbid. What a foolish, vain
conclusion. God forbid. By no means. By no means. God will have a
people out of every tribe and kindred and nation and tongue
unto heaven. Let God be true, let his promise be true, his
word be true, his son be true, his gospel be true. The truth
of the gospel doesn't depend upon my believing it. My hope depends on my believing
it. My part in the kingdom of God
depends on my believing it. But the kingdom of God depends
on God's promises and God's word. Let God be true and every man
a liar. Let God be true and just and
righteous and faithful. And let every one of us, no matter
who it is, be a liar. Unjust, unrighteous, left to
ourselves, we'd all refuse his way. Except for His grace, none
of us would enter in. Paul quotes David here. He says,
as it is written. Written by whom? David. David
wrote these words. That thou mightest be justified
in thy sayings, and you might overcome when you judge. What's
David saying here? Well, turn back to Psalm 51,
and here's Here's where the quote is taken
from. Now here's the question. If I
don't believe, and you don't believe, and our children don't
believe, or some of us don't believe, does that make God's
promises ineffectual? God forbid. God forbid. For even David said, if God judges
and condemns me, he's righteous. Now listen. Psalm 51, verse 1. Have mercy upon me, O God. According
to your loving kindness, according to the multitude of your tender
mercies, blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
cleanse me from my sin. I acknowledge my transgression.
My sin is ever before me. Against thee and thee only have
I sinned. I have done this evil in thy
sight. Listen, that you might be just when you speak and clear
when you judge. If you condemn me, If I hear
you say, depart from me, I never knew you. If I hear you say,
depart from me into everlasting condemnation, you'll be just.
Let God be true. Every man a liar, even David,
even Moses, even me. That's right. That's right. But God's merciful. Thank God
he's merciful, he's gracious. Our Lord delights to show mercy.
I was reading over here a while ago Psalm 130. Listen, this is
David again. He says God's just now to condemn
any of us. But God is gracious and loving
and he's going to save some of us. That's right, by his grace. And he says here in Psalm 130,
out of the depths of sin, guilt, darkness of a depraved heart,
I cried unto Thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice. Let Thine
ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. Lord, if
our Lord shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who would stand? Who
could stand? Name one man. There is not a just man on the
earth that doeth good and sinneth not. Who would stand? But, thank
God, there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul
does wait in His Word, in His promise, in His Savior, in His
incarnate Word. Do I hope? My soul waits for
the Lord more than they that watch for the morning. I say
more than they that watch for the morning. So let Israel hope
in the Lord. Let the Lord, there's mercy,
there's mercy, there's mercy. With Him there's plenty of redemption.
There's enough for you, enough for me. To the deepest, darkest,
most depraved heart is mercy. But you've got to come to it.
That's right. I know where mercy is found at
the cross. I know how mercy is found when
men approach Christ with a broken heart. I know how it's found. God save us such as be of a broken
and a contrite heart. Now that boy That prodigal son, he had a bad heart. He had a
covetous heart. He came to his father. Had two
sons. Came to his father. He said,
Father, you're going to die someday, and you made a will out, and
I get so much. I want it now. You want it now. I want it now. He divided to them his living.
And the young man took it and he went into a far country. And
he lived a wicked, wicked life. Wicked life. He wasted everything
he had. He blew everything he had. On
harlots and drugs and drink and filth and gambling and all. Just
broke his old daddy's heart. Just broke his heart. Just talked
under his feet. Everybody loved him and cared
for him. Didn't give a damn for anybody. Went down there and that's the
way he lived. But he didn't stay that way. He didn't stay down
there. He came to himself. He started
doing a little spiritual thinking by God's grace. He was broke
and bankrupt and in the gutter and lost everything and even
his friends didn't want anything to do with it. Even those people
he'd run with, they didn't want anything to do with it. He said,
my daddy, my father's house, servants are better off than
I am. People that are servants are better off than I am. I'm
going to go home. And I'm not going to demand like
I did the first time. I'm going to go home and I'm
going Say to my dad, I'm not fit to be called a son. I've
sinned against God and I've sinned against you. I've sinned against
everything that's righteous and holy. And if you just let me
be a servant in your house, let me slop the hogs, let me sweep
the floors, let me clean the windows, let me weigh the tables,
I'll do anything in the world. That's how mercy is found. I
don't deserve anything. But if you just let me come home, I'll be willing to be a servant.
And this is the grace of God. If that can be found, if a man
can be found like that, if a woman can be found like that, God's
mercy is free and full and complete. Put his arm around him, kissed
him. and put a crown on his head, and shoes on his feet, and a
robe on his back, and a ring on his finger, and said, Lester,
my son's come home. He was lost and he's found. I know how to be reconciled to
God by Christ. Christ reconciled me to God. And I know how to be reconciled
in here to God, and that's come down. Lay down my shotgun, lay
down my pride, Lay down my sword, lay down my rebellion, lay down
my rights, lay down everything. Just say, I'm sorry, I'm a fool,
I'm a first-class jackass, I've sinned against God, Heaven, everything
else, and I want forgiveness. Can you do that? I'll sit on the front porch with
the dogs, but let me come home. That's fine. I'll sweep the floor,
but let me come home. I ain't worthy, don't deserve
to come home, but please, under God, let me come home." He'll bring you home. That's
right. With Christ's suffering to reconcile
me to God, we're going to come down too, if God lets us come
home. That's right. The third question, here's another
question. Well, if our unrighteousness
commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God
unrighteous, who taketh vengeance? He said this is what he's asking.
If God's mercy is to the chief of sinners, and such a wicked
fellow like that fellow, that prodigal son, can be forgiven
and cleansed and made whole, and exalted even, and back to
his original position, why is God angry with us? Verse 6, why
should God judge the world? Verse 7, if the truth of God
hath more abounded through my life, His glory, why am I judged
a sinner? That's what some folks seem to
think. If my sinfulness and wickedness gives glory to Christ, Then why
does he find fault with me? Why don't we just, verse 8, why
don't we just do good that evil, evil that good may come? Why
don't let us brag on what I've been and what I am? If God, if
the God's grace is magnified by saving my soul, forgiving
my sins, verse 6, God forbid. God forbid. Here's the answer. When you take a diamond, I've never seen one that big,
but a 10 or 12 or 20 carat diamond, if there's such a thing, maybe.
Cut by skillful hands, made perfect, glistens, glitters, gleams, glory. And you put it against a black
velvet background, just black, black, black, black, black, and
lay that diamond on that background. That black cloth does not give
beauty to that diamond. That black cloth does not make
that diamond any more excellent or any more beautiful. It just
shows the beauty of it in contrast. In contrast. And God's love was
beautiful and perfect and glorious before we sinned. That Father's
love He loved that boy from a baby. And that boy's sin did not make
that love any more glorious or beautiful or great. It just showed
it. You see what I'm saying, Jim?
It just showed it. It magnified it against the background
of evil in contrast. So when that boy boy don't you, he left there,
boy he left there big shot, he left there all dressed up, he's
rich, my goodness, alive, he had everything, he had his pockets
full, he had empty but his pockets were full, he went down there
in that country, he came back, he came back dragging, health gone, money gone, reputation
gone, everything gone, and that father, The love of the Father. It was the same then as it was
back then. But that love hugged that old
boy, that old filthy, been in the pig pen for months, and kissed
him. See, the love of God. Our sins
do not glorify God. Our sins don't make His, doesn't
make His grace glorious. His love and grace and mercy
in Christ is seen against the background of our sin. to be
what it really is. That's the only way you can see
His love is from down there. That's the only way you can appreciate
it. That boy, that father loved that boy just the same when he
came back as when he left, but he couldn't appreciate it. He
couldn't appreciate it. And so maybe, maybe like Onesimus. You went away so you could come
back the right way. Maybe. In other words, when we don't
know anything about sin and don't know anything about what we really
are by nature, we don't really appreciate the love of God. Our
Lord sent There's a fellow that owed a
man $100,000 and he forgave him. Another man owed him $10,000
and he forgave him. Which one is going to love him
most? Which one is going to know the most of his love? Which one
is going to appreciate his love most? Which one is going to appreciate
his forgiveness? The one to whom he forgave the
most. So it may be some of you folks,
us folks that have been so low down and no count and good for
nothing, maybe we can appreciate the love of God. Maybe we can. The more you see of your sins,
the more you appreciate His love. The more you realize what He's
done for you and for me, That doesn't make us say, well,
let's do evil that good may come. Oh, good gracious, no. It makes you hate sin a little
more. That's right. All right, the next question.
Another question. Verse 9. Well, what then? Are
we better than they? The Jews who had the oracles
of God, the word of God, the preachers, the tabernacle, the
prophets, are they better than these Gentiles? Are we superior? Are we more
godly? You people here and this preacher,
we have stood for the gospel of God's grace. And don't make
any apologies for that or bones about that. We've stood for the
gospel. Are we better than anybody else?
Here's the answer, no and no-whys. You know, a lot of religious
people, they feel like they are better than other people. I kind
of get that tone in their television programs and all. They just feel
a little superior, a little more holy, a little more righteous,
a little more set apart, a little more God's blessed us and all
this sort of thing. You know, we're just so much
better than anybody else. But God forbid, that's not so. That's
just not so. Listen, verse 9. No, he said,
and no wise. But we both, we have before proved
both Jews and Gentiles, they're all, they're all under sin. Under sin. They're all under
sin. I described that boy like he
really was. But this sinner is no different.
That's right. That's what he said. We're no
different. There is no difference. There
is no difference. We're all under sin. How are
we under sin? Well, we're under the power of
sin. We're born in sin. In Adam, we all died. In sin,
my mother conceived me. We're all under the power of
sin. Secondly, we're all under the guilt of sin. There's not
a just man on the earth who doeth good and sinneth not. We're all
under the guilt of sin. If any man say he has no sin,
he's a liar and the truth's not in him. Thirdly, we're all under
the sentence of sin, under the curse of the law. The soul that
sinneth shall die. And then you look at these next
three verses, and these three verses are offensive to most
religious people. I'm glad they're not to me or
to you. Verse 10, it's written, there's none righteous, none
holy, none spiritual. No, not one, not by nature. We
are in Christ, but not by nature. Listen, there's none that understandeth.
There's none who are wise or knows God. None. The natural man receiveth not
the things of God. There's none that seeketh after
God, that worships God. None who truly seek God. In spirit and truth. None by
nature. None. Not even religious or the
irreligious. Verse 12. They're all gone out
of the way. They're all together become unprofitable. Not worth
anything. Christ is altogether lovely and
we're altogether wicked. Unprofitable. Useless. Except as branches fit for the
burning. We make a good fire. That's about
all we're worth. Make a good fire. There's none
that doeth good. None. None that doeth good. Only
God is good. Not one. No. Not one. Sin and
self is mixed with all they do. Nothing we do is acceptable.
And then these charges. Listen. Talks about our words. Their throat is an open sepulchre.
It stinks like a grave. The stone's been rolled away.
With their tongues they use deceit. The poison of ash is under their
lips. Their mouth is full of cursing
and bitterness. Look at their actions. Their
feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery in their
way. They crush people before them under their feet. Destruction. Misery. Their thoughts, the way
of peace they do not know. No fear of God before their eyes. Have we learned those things?
Have we learned those things? Well, if we have, here's my conclusion. And now we know. That what thingsoever God's law
says, it says to every one of us. That every mouth may be stopped. No alibis, no excuses. But now
it's your fault. No, it's not. It's my fault.
The whole thing is my problem, is my own problem. Can't blame
no somebody else. Let our mouths be stopped, no
alibi, no excuse, nothing. And all the world become guilty
before God. And realize this, that by the
deeds of the law, religion, confession, works, morality, I can't be justified. Not in his sight. I can in the
eyes of people. I can straighten up on the outside
for a week or two, or six months or so, and I might satisfy a
few people, but God looks on the heart. I'm not talking about
coming down only before men. I mean before God. I mean broken
heart before God. God looks on the heart. Don't
make any vows to God you don't plan to keep. Don't make any vows to God you
don't plan to keep, because God looks on the heart. And I'm going to be justified
in His sight by what we say and what we do, for by the law is
the knowledge of sin. But now thank God, look, we know
this, there is a righteousness, there is a holiness. There is
forgiveness. There is a perfect slate without
the law. And it's manifested, it's witnessed
by the Word of God, by the prophets. And what is it? It's the righteousness
of God which is by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. Our Lord came
into this world in the flesh and did everything God commanded
me to do and I didn't do. Kept every law God gave me that
I didn't keep. Thought perfect thoughts, perfectly
submissive to God. Every jot and tittle obeyed God,
which I didn't do. And He did that that I might
have a righteousness. Went to the cross and bore the
justice. The sin is it'll die, He died
in my place instead. And that righteousness, that
righteous standing, that forgiveness is by the faithfulness of Christ.
Who's it for? It's for you. unto all, if on
all, doesn't matter how old you are, if you're seventy or seven,
doesn't matter if you're a woman or a man, if you're black or
white, if you're wise or unwise, if you're a slave or a boss,
it doesn't matter. It's to everybody who will believe
Christ in here, really believe Him, really believe Him. Don't come down here and tell
me, tell Him. Don't come down here and make a profession to
the people. You make your profession to God. You fall like the thief
on the cross. God remember me. Like the public
in the temple, Lord be merciful to me. Like David, Lord according
to your loving kindness, be kind to me. Help this fool. Help this stupid fool. Help this
no good sinner. Give me a new heart and a new
nature. I believe. I believe. Help my
unbelief. I look to you, give me eyes to
see. I listen to you, give me ears
to hear. I love you, give me a heart to love you. I'm not
going to let you go, you bless me. I'm here to stay. I'm here to stay. Now you do
business with him like that, and there'll be a prodigal son
doesn't come home. I'm here to stay. I know what's
out there. I know what's here. I don't ever
intend to leave. Sink or swim, I go to Him. If
I go to hell, I go to hell believing on Christ. That's right. I seek the Lord with all my heart,
all my soul, and all my mind. And it's for you. There's no
difference. Verse 23, all of sin comes short of the glory
of God. What I say to you, I'm saying to me. What I say to me,
I'm saying to you. There ain't no difference. You've been such a good little
girl all your life. You're a wicked Jezebel, what
you are. You better come the same way
that boy came. I'm saying to you, I'm saying
to me. God saves sinners. He don't save good people. He
doesn't save righteous people. He doesn't take people into heaven
on what they did or didn't do. He takes people into glory based
on what Christ did. Sinners. Bankrupt. That's right. I'm talking to everybody here.
There ain't no difference. All is sin that comes short of the
glory of God. But by grace, we're justified freely by His grace
through the redemption of the sin of Christ Jesus. And God
set Him for it. God set him forth, undeniable,
indisputable. Set him forth. He set him forth
in the promises to Adam, to Abraham, to Moses, to David. He set him
forth in the pictures in the Old Testament. The brazen serpent
lifted up. Set him forth. He set him forth
in person. He came down here to this earth.
He set him forth on the cross. And he set him forth at his right
hand. To be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare
his righteousness for the remission of sins of the past, present,
and future. That's right, through the forbearance
of God. To declare one thing, how God can be just, and justify
the ungodly. Now, where's boasting? Who wants to stand there and
tell what you did for Jesus? Would somebody like to stand
and tell me how you were saved by walking down the aisle and
accepting Jesus? Come on, anybody want to do that?
I don't. Word boasting, it's excluded.
By what law? By the law of faith. That's what wiped me out when
I found out what Christ did. That's what did away with all
my works, and all my righteousness, and all my religion, is when
I found out that God didn't have any use for what I did, but He
was interested in what Christ did. That did away with all our
bragging. Here's one final question. Is
He the God of the Jews only? Is He the God of preachers only?
Is He the God of religious people only? Nah. He's a God of Gentiles. You know what? Gentiles are dogs.
That's what that woman said when the Lord Jesus said to her, He
said, it's not fit to give the children's bread to dogs. She
said, I'm a dog, but I'm your dog. So would you brush some crumbs
off for me? Dogs eat the crumbs that fall
to their master's table. He's a God of the Jew and the
Gentile. He's the God of all men. He's
God. He's God. I'm so glad salvation by grace,
aren't you? I'm so glad.