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Title: Law, Sin, and Standard
Today we have the privilege of dealing with a particularly important and wonderful passage in scripture. Paul’s dialogue in v.12-16 is a reference point of scripture for all believers who understand its full meaning and implication.
I. The Issue is not the Law, it’s the sin.
V12 (read) The question that Paul is answering here is this, “What role does the Law play in judgement?” Most likely this question is being asked by the Jewish Christians who have accepted Christ as the Messiah, but are struggling to understand by what standard God can rightly judge the Gentiles, since they have lived for generations without the Law.
It’s a legitimate question.
The issue for Paul though, isn’t one of the Law or the lack of Law, but rather one of sin!
Remember about two months ago, when we were considering the modern debate of homosexuality as it related to Romans chapter one? The conclusion that I hope I brought all of you to is this: It doesn’t matter if you are born homosexual or chose to be homosexual. The issue is that, either way, it’s sin!
The same lesson applies here in regards to the Law. Paul says, “If you sin without the Law, you’ll die without the Law. But if you sin knowing the Law, you’ll be judged by that Law.” Either way, you in a world of trouble because you’ve sinned!
I’m going to get to the application of this for us today as we move to a close on the entire message, so bear with me.
II. How can one do if they do not know?
V13 (read) Is seems that Paul is suggesting here that one can “do” the Law without knowing the Law, is this possible? We hear the world claim all the time: “How can the Christian God judge us if he will not reveal Himself to us so that we may know what were are to do?”
The answer to both of these quandaries lies in verses 13/14.
The doers of the Law, not just the hearers of the Law, are the ones justified! And how does one do the Law if they do not know it? Verse 14, “by nature.”
In their nature, the works of the Law are written on their hearts!
And remember, when we are talking of the Law, we are speaking specifically of the Mosaic Law and how the Gentile Christians could understand it’s meaning.
V.15 (read)
So Paul goes on to say that this person’s conscience bears a witness of them either being righteous and excusing them, or selfish and condemning them.
III. By what standard?
Now, I flew through all of that to get to this glorious point this morning. This passage, if verse 16 is left out can be the most misunderstood, misused, misquoted piece of scripture in the Bible.
If I were to stop today’s sermon right here at verse 15 I could then say to you: “You see, because it is God who will judge the intent of a person’s heart, we just have to be sure we are all good people. We don’t have convert others to our religion, we don’t have to cram the name of Jesus down people’s throats, we just have to make sure they are good people. God will judge the true intentions of their heart.
I agree. But by what standard will God judge us?
It’s obviously not by the keeping of the Law.
So what is it?
V 16 (read) Three simple words that changed the course of human history. “By Jesus Christ” Either we are partakers in fellowship of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection in His conquering sin and death, or we are not. The truest intentions of the heart that does not share fellowship with the son has NO HOPE of being accepted by the Father. NONE.
Close:
The issue for us today is this: All will be judged by Christ. Specifically, do we know him. Not do we know him and are we Southern Baptist, or do we know him and have perfect Sunday School attendance, or do we know him and have tithed properly, but DO WE KNOW HIM. And, more poignantly, does he KNOW us?