ROM-32-140810 - length: 70:13 - taught on Aug, 10 2014
Class Outline:
Welcome To
BARAH MINISTRIES
a Christian Church
Rory Clark
Pastor-Teacher
Welcome to Barah Ministries…a worldwide Christian Church based in Mesa, AZ…my name is Pastor Rory Clark, and I’m proud to be the Pastor of Barah Ministries. I am committed to helping you see the Lord Jesus Christ as He for whom He truly is and to helping you see His Word from His point of view.
Much of our study of Romans, which is now leading us to a study of the last few verses in Romans, Chapter Three, have forced us to look to a place we don’t enjoy looking…in the mirror. James, Chapter 1, Verses 23 and 24…
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, and all of us are, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
We must never forget about the wretchedness of self, still very much a part of our lives as Christians. Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verse 1…
And you were spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins…
The practices of the spiritually dead life are detailed in Galatians, Chapter 5, Verses 19 to 21…
Now the “deeds of the flesh” are evident (the things which believers do), which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things (unbelievers practice these things) will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Romans, Chapter 7, Verses 18 and 19…
For I (Paul) know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not present in me (in my flesh).
For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but instead I practice the very evil that I do not want to do.
When we get clear, as believers in Christ, of the worthlessness of self, we have nowhere to turn but to Christ. That is a delightful moment in the life of every Christian. When we cease striving to gain God’s approval and realize we already have it, we relax in Him. Galatians, Chapter 2, Verse 20…
“I (and the self life) have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer (the) I (and the self life) who live(s), but Christ lives indwelling me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me unconditionally and gave Himself up for me.”
Not the “I” life…the Christ life. The Lord both encourages us and allows us to get to know ourselves before we get to know Him. When we do finally get to know Him, we see even more clearly how much He loves us…from the way He lets us decide what we want to do with our lives. As we get to know ourselves, He allows us to discover that our vision for ourselves is miniscule compared to what God has in mind for us. Isaiah, Chapter 55, Verse 9…
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Welcome to the mind expansion place, where you can see who you are and what kind of future you have through the eyes of the Sovereign God of the Universe, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION
Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ
Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
WE FALL DOWN
We begin our worship service today by worshipping the Lord in song. Please stand and join June Murphy in singing the opening song…WE FALL DOWN.
WE FALL DOWN
We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus
The greatness of, mercy and love, at the feet of Jesus
And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy
We cry Holy, Holy, Holy
And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lamb
WE FALL DOWN
We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus
The greatness of, mercy and love, at the feet of Jesus
And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy
We cry Holy, Holy, Holy
And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lamb
Music Break
WE FALL DOWN
We fall down, we lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus
The greatness of, mercy and love, at the feet of Jesus
And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy
And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy
And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lamb
WE FALL DOWN
And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy
And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy
And we cry Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lamb
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray...
We’re grateful Heavenly Father for the privilege of studying the absolute truth...the Word of God…
Open our eyes to the truth Father…help us see the path You have laid out for us…help us to stop striving…help us to stop controlling…help us to wait patiently for your help on all things…
Make the things we learn today a revelation in our souls so we can see you more clearly and love you more dearly…day by day…
We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit...in Christ’s name...
Amen.
TODAY’S STUDY
Romans 3
You Can’t Have Your Law and Righteousness, Too!
To the resident and non-resident members of Barah Ministries,to our guests who join us from time to time, and to all believers in Christ…Grace to you and peace.
THE BOOK OF ROMANS
Righteousness:
Your Justification is ONLY by Faith
Romans 3:21 to Romans 4:25
We continue our study of Romans, Chapter 3, beginning at Verse 21…
But now apart from law, another principle entirely, the righteousness from God, which has been made clearly visible, being witnessed to by the Mosaic Law in the sacrificial offerings and being witnessed to by the Old Testament Prophets in direct statements…
But NOW…pay attention…in this age…the Church Age…another principle entirely.
A principleApart From the Law…separate…distinct…unmixable… a different principle entirely…righteousness from God, not human, self- righteousness, a righteousness that is manufactured through dead works…
The RIGHTEOUSNESS from God
Righteousness is the ONLY perfectly satisfactory admission ticket to heaven.
Has beenmade clearly visible as available to all… righteousness showed up in the Mosaic Law…it showed up before the Mosaic Law…it showed up all throughout the Old Testament…it was testified to by all the Old Testament Prophets…it is a free gift available to all… Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 22…
…a righteousness that comes to you as a free gift from God the Father through the principle of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and not through the principle of faith in yourselves for righteousness…and that free gift is available for whosoever believes; for there is no distinction between Jews and Greeks…
All you have to do to get the righteousness from God is to ask for it. You express your faith when you agree with what God has to say about righteousness, that it is only available as a free gift and that it is never available through our works in self-righteousness. Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23…
…for all have sinned in the past when Adam sinned and all keep on sinning…and all keep on falling short of the glory of God…
We fall short of the essence of God in the past by being the progeny of Adam. We are defective from the start by nature. We fall short of the essence of God every day by committing personal sins. God is allowing us to get to know ourselves…to get to know our very natures.
Yet God never gives us what we deserve. What we deserve for our sins is His wrath. But God the Father poured out His wrath on His own Son at the Cross so that He wouldn’t have to pour it out on us…because sin requires payment, and God’s wrath is ALWAYS directed toward sin, and never toward the sinner.
Adam, as the federal head of the human race, let us down. Have you ever complained about that? Kids…ever complain that your parents have let you down? Congratulations! It started with Adam as our federal parent letting us all down, and it continues with all parents letting children down this very day. And kids…you’ll get your turn in the barrel if you have children.
We all stand guilty before God. But now…apart from the law…a different principle entirely…what happened? Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 24…
…yet all keep on being justified by God the Father as a gift, free of charge, from His grace through the redemption which is a result of being in union with Christ Jesus…
If you are a believer in Christ, you have to ask yourself why you are so worried about right and wrong…what is the benefit of living the right and wrong life…the life of the law…when you can’t do it…why you are so worried about divine discipline…Proverbs, Chapter 3, Verse 12…
For whom the LORD loves unconditionally He reproves (corrects), even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
Of course the Lord disciplines us. What good parent doesn’t? What is divine discipline?
DIVINE DISCIPLINE
Training in a character pattern…correction when we are off the path…
Hebrews, Chapter 12, Verse 6…
“FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”
Divine discipline is an idea that Christians love using against themselves. It happens when the Christian doesn’t really know God’s character and nature. Immature children fear their parents. They do things out of false motivation. They don’t do things because they want to do them. They do things because they don’t want to be punished. That’s the way a lot of Christians look at God. They do what He says because they don’t want to be punished. It’s an immature viewpoint. It’s wasted talent. Matthew, Chapter 25, Verses 24 and 25 are at the end of the parable of the talents. Here’s how the wicked slave looks at His master…
“And the slave also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid of you, and I went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have back what is yours.’”
That’s the way a lot of Christians look at Christ and at discipline. They see Him as a harsh God, waiting to come down on them. Hardly. God wants us to be trained in the character pattern of righteousness, and He is not hard. It’s false to describe God as someone who is slapping us in the face, and zapping us, and coming down on us…that’s Satan’s description, and we all know him to be the wicked slave. Our God’s discipline is for our benefit. It is to win our hearts. God’s discipline is gentle and gracious. Proverbs, Chapter 12, Verse 1…
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof (correction) is stupid (slow to learn).
Back to Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 25…
…this Jesus whom God the Father displayed publicly as a propitiation, the ONLY perfectly satisfactory payment for sins, through the sacrifice of His blood, for the benefit of all who have faith. This was to demonstrate God the Father’s righteousness, because in the forbearance of God the Father, He passed over the sins previously committed…
Our Lord’s Supper Celebration today will cover this verse in detail by looking back at the blood sacrifices of the Old Testament that foreshadowed the Lord’s saving work with His blood at the Cross…the Lord’s blood covering all our sins…saving us from God the Father’s wrath…opening the pathway to eternal life in heaven, face-to-face with Him. Take a five-minute break.
BREAK
You are Good
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Welcome back! Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 26…
…and God the Father passed over our sins for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that God the Father would be seen as just and so that He would be the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Christ.
In the Old Testament times, God the Father had the same attitude toward sin as He has today. He detests it. He directs His wrath toward it. Yet His treatment of sin before the Cross was described as “passed over the sins.” God the Father used ritual to teach the Old Testament believers about the coming Messiah…that He would be a lamb without spot or blemish who would, once and for all time, handle the sin problem for all creatures forever. God the Father sent His Son to do the job. Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 27…
Where then is there a place for Jewish boasting? It is excluded. Because by what kind of law is righteousness credited? Is righteousness credited based on the law (the principle) of works? No! Righteousness is credited based on the law (the principle) of faith.
The transition from the law of works to the law of faith makes boasting before God impossible for every creature. However, failure to keep the whole law makes boasting before God impossible as well. It did not faze the Jews. They boasted anyway, in self-righteousness. Paul was Jewish, and he always had the Jewish mindset in view as he wrote his letters…to address their rejection of their Messiah’s work in favor of their own. Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 28…why is boasting before God excluded? Paul says…
For we maintain that a man is justified (declared righteous) by faith, another principle entirely, apart from works of the Law.
Love it!
Or is God the God of Jews only (who were given the Mosaic Law)? Is God not the God who is God of the Jews also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, He is the God of the Gentiles also…
…since indeed the God who will justify the circumcised (the Jews) by faith (only) and the God who will justify the uncircumcised (the Gentiles) through faith (only) is the same God.
Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law through faith.
Those who oppose grace criticize it as license. We believers in Christ see it for what it is, we see it through God’s eyes…grace is a gift. What is grace?
GRACE
A free gift given to all mankind by the Creator, expressed by His actions of extending mercy, loving-kindness, salvation, and divine assets to His Creatures…a dimension of divine thought in which God meets human
indifference and rebellion with an inexhaustible capacity to forgive and to bless…a divine thought process that underlies God’s entire viewpoint of unconditional love for His Creatures.
Turn to First Corinthians. Chapter 15…as believers in Christ, the BUT NOW…APART FROM THE LAW means we stand on resurrection ground, not on the law…
Now I (Paul) make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand…
…by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…
…and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…
…and that He appeared to Cephas (Simon Peter), then to the twelve.
After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain alive until now, but some have fallen asleep (died physically)…
…then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles…
…and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
Christ is the end of the law! Acts, Chapter 13, Verses 38 and 39…
“Therefore let it be known to you, brethren , that through the Lord Jesus Christ forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes in Him is freed from responsibility for all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.”
We died to the law! Romans, Chapter 7, Verse 4…
Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to the Lord Jesus Christ who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God the Father.
You are divorced from the law. You are married to Christ. The veil of the temple was torn. The Shekinah Glory is now the risen Christ! Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 9…
Much more then, having now been justified by the Lord Jesus Christ’s blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God the Father through Him.
Romans, Chapter 4, Verse 25…we worship…
…the Lord Jesus Christ, who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised from the dead because of our justification.
You can’t have it both ways. You can’t have righteousness and the law. It’s righteousness OR the law…a no brainer choice if you think about it.
The Promises of the Lord Jesus Christ
Trust in the Lord and do good…
Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord…and He will do it.
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him…
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in (union with) Christ Jesus.
CLOSING SONG
You Don't Have to Beg
CLOSING PRAYER
Let us pray...
THANKS
INTERCESSION
PETITION
And we pray that You continue to shape the messages from this pulpit that are a reflection of Your unconditional love, Your Magnificent Person, Your perfect thinking, Your impeccable work, and Your indescribable essence... we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit, in Christ’s name, Amen.
Thanks for coming!
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for listening!
www.barahministries.com
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