A problem you can’t solve. Rom.1.2.3

John R. Wible, 2013 1

December 1 A Problem You Can’t Solve

Studies in Romans, Winter, 2013-14John R. Wible

12/01/13


The Point . . .You can’t meet God’s standard on your

own.

12/01/13


IntroitFind the right person to compare yourself

to, and you can come off looking really good. Set your standards low enough and you’ll come out on top.

12/01/13


But, what is God’s Standard?

How do you compare with it?

12/01/13


The Law

“It has been said that the law lays down what we must do, but the gospel lays down what God has done.” – Wm. Barclay

12/01/13

Not to be confused with William Barclay (Bat) MastersonWilliam Barclay


What is the Point of life?

The Westminster Catechism says, “Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy

him forever.”

12/01/13


Before you do that, What must you do?

• You must meet God.• Recognize your two relative positions

and be moved toward the subservient. • Give up self glorification by “dying to

self.”• Fill the vacuum with God.• Persist . . . persist.

12/01/13


Some ways to try to meet God?

12/01/13

Sacrificing virgins to the god of the volcano



Try hurting yourself or denying yourself pleasure

12/01/13


Try bringing sacrifices of your stuff.

12/01/13



Try

bein

g “g

ood.

”

12/01/13



Try the “Old Time Religion” that was “good enough for my Mother.”

12/01/13



Try walking a church aisle and joining a church.

12/01/13



Try being a regular attendee of a church

12/01/13



Try being baptized in the River Jordan

12/01/13



Try being a missionary.

12/01/13


John R. Wible, 2013 1712/01/13



An Uncomfortable Question . . .

Will any or all of these acts in and of themselves bring you close enough to meet God?

Why or why not?It can be said that these acts (except

sacrificing virgins to the god of the volcano) are results of a meeting with God, not the cause of a meeting with God.

12/01/13


So, Again . . .

• How do you first meet God? • Only on HIS terms

12/01/13


Outline of Romans(1) Chs. 1–8 deal with the

problem of righteousness (2) Chs. 9–11 deal with the

problem of the Jews, the chosen people.

(3) Chs. 12–15 deal with practical questions of life and living.

(4) Ch. 16 is a letter of introduction for Phoebe and final personal greetings.

12/01/13


Do-Over

• When have you recently wanted a ‘do over’?

12/01/13


The Point - Reiterated

• “You can’t meet God’s standard on your own.”• Remember, each of us is in need of salvation

and it can’t come from within us• Read Romans 1:16,17. Find some “Good News”– The gospel is nothing to be ashamed of; – God gives us power for salvation through the

gospel; – The gospel is for everyone; God’s righteousness is

revealed

12/01/13


Salvation

• It was salvation from physical illness (Matthew 9:21; Luke 8:36).

• It was salvation from danger (Matthew 8:25, 14:30). • It was salvation from life’s infection.• It was salvation from lostness (Matthew 18:11; Luke

19:10). • It was salvation from sin (Matthew 1:21).• It was salvation from the wrath of God

(Romans 5:9)• It was a salvation which is eschatological - Barclay

12/01/13


Demonstration

12/01/13


Righteousness

• When we try to fix ourselves, we end up, even at our best, looking like a poorly glued attempt at perfection.

• The good news is that Jesus Christ has made God’s righteousness available to us so we don’t have to fix ourselves.

• What is Righteousness?

12/01/13


What we can say about Righteousness

• This righteousness from God is available through Jesus Christ.

• This righteousness from God cannot be earned.

• This righteousness is received by faith.

12/01/13


So, What is Faith?

• At its simplest, it means loyalty. . . . Faith is the enduring devotion and loyalty which marks the real follower of Jesus Christ.

• Faith means belief. It means the conviction that something is true.

• Faith is sometimes practically equivalent to indestructible hope. ‘We walk’, writes Paul, ‘by faith, not by sight’ (2 Corinthians 5:7).

• Total acceptance and absolute trust. It means ‘betting your life that there is a God’

12/01/13


People Who Don’t Need a Savior

• In chapter 2, Paul focused on people who believed they did not need a Savior.

• We all know or have known people who fit into this category. They believe they are good people—moral people.

• Name some and tell us what has been your conversation with them?

• Read Romans 2:5 through 11.12/01/13


• How would you describe God’s “wrath?”• One of our oddities as human beings is our

tendency to point out the flaws in others while ignoring our own.”

• Why do you think that is?• Why is it tempting to compare ourselves?• We are all subject to God’s wrath unless . . .

12/01/13


The Referee

• Read Romans 3:9 through 12• Read the Referee story p. 15• God is entitled to call our “fouls”• Not one person has ever or will ever

measure up to God’s standard.• What would the world be like if there

were no standards? See Judges 21:23-25.• If we stop here, how do we find hope?

12/01/13


Hope!

• God’s standard of righteousness is impossible for us to meet.

• But in His love, God has provided a solution by grace though faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

12/01/13


So where does this leave you?

• Get honest with God. • Get serious about your faith in Christ. • Get concerned about the world. • Were you to consider the three points

listed above, what impact would they have on your life?

12/01/13


God’s Bema of Reward

• How honest are you with God? • How serious are your about

your faith in Christ? • How concerned are you about the

spiritual condition of those around you?

• Is God pleased with your rating? • If not, ask God to reveal what you can do

to improve your rating in each area? 12/01/13


Let’s Pray About it!

11/10/2013

Spiritual

A problem you can’t solve. Rom.1.2.3