The Righteousness of God III

 

“The Righteousness of God III”

Romans 10:11-21

 

SUBJECT: ISRAEL’S PAST

THEME: The Principle for Receiving God’s Righteousness is Faith and not Works; This is why Israel is Presently Set Aside as a Nation—Unbelief.

RELEVANCE: God’s righteousness is received by faith in Jesus Christ. If God is fair in his dealings with Israel, then the rest of humanity can unreservedly entrust their eternal future with him. The truth is anyone can rest in God’s salvation because it is received by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. The Nation of Israel missed God’s salvation and blessings because of their lack of faith and not the unfairness or inconsistency of God.

INTRODUCTION:

We discover the ‘righteousness of God’ and Israel’s current rejection in Romans 10. Paul is confident the gospel as the dynamic, saving power of God is available to everyone who believes. Salvation is obtained through faith—not works—revealing God’s righteousness, which is consistent from beginning to end. Yes, the ‘righteousness of God’ is the theme of the book of Romans, and it is further discussed in these following verses.

MESSAGE:

V.  THE SCOPE OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS (Rom. 10:11-13).

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13).

While ‘scope’ may generally include things like opportunities, range, extent, leeway, freedom and even latitude, it is important to identify the focus here is on acceptability to God. There is a specific way to qualify for this ‘righteousness’ that God regards as acceptable. People may be impressed for multiple reasons and based on varying criteria, but God grants ‘righteousness’ exclusively to real believers.

So, the ‘righteousness of God’ is universally available to anyone who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, regardless of their background without even a remote possibility of disappointment (Rom. 10:11-13). This is the ‘extensive range’ of the gospel! Christ, “the same Lord over all,” bridges the divide between Jew and Gentile (worldwide), offering assurance through faith to every genuine believer. The promise of Joel 2:32, says to anyone—regardless of their past or heritage—if you genuinely call upon the name of the Lord you are guaranteed everlasting deliverance, eternal rescue, and forgiveness from God—salvation. 

Now we learn that there is no distinction as far as the availability of salvation is concerned. The Lord is not an exclusive God, but is Lord over all mankind. He is rich in grace and mercy to all who call upon Him.^[1]

Paul already demonstrated that everybody was indeed lost due to our inherent sinfulness; now he shows that everyone can be saved through faith in Christ. The “whosoever” (Rom. 10:13), mentioned here is encouraging, but the one in Revelation 20:15 is a warning of being “cast into the Lake of Fire” because of a sinful condition that rejects the gospel.

God’s glorious salvation is accessible to all people (anyone everywhere); there is no difference (vs. 12) or no distinction as far as the availability of salvation is concerned. Beloved, we are witnessing the universal scope of the grace of God. It is boundless towards you and me, and we are extremely grateful!    

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. To call on the Lord means to pray in faith for salvation.^[2]

God echoes this ‘whosoever believes’ standard repeatedly to welcome sinners like me and you to Himself.

Rom 9:33, As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

1 Pet 2:6, Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Acts 10:43, To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

John 5:24, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

1 John 2:1-2, My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: ² And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

APPLICATION: The scope of the gospel clearly includes all who will believe on Christ from a repentant heart; God’s saving grace is astoundingly available to “every creature” as He has repeatedly stated. Clearly these observations disprove the teaching of a limited atonement by the Calvinist, and it also contradicts the teaching of the Universalist who claims we all will be saved eventually but going about it differently. To the Calvinist God says “whosoever”!  And to the Universalist God says “whosever believeth!” 1 John 5:12-13, He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. ¹³ These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

Paul had already proved that “there is no difference” in condemnation (Rom. 3:20–23); now he affirms that “there is no difference” in salvation. Instead of the Jew having a special righteousness of his own through the Law, he was declared to be as much a sinner as the Gentile he condemned.

This entire section emphasizes the difference between “Law righteousness” and “faith righteousness.”^[3]

Eternal life is a gift both in the Old and New Testaments, and is never earned^[4]

May we who are save always be thankful to the Lord and never forget that we too are sinners save by the grace of God. Let’s refuse to be hypocritical judges (Matt. 7:1-5). We must never act like a ‘judge’ of others who have not believed or behaving as if we are superior because we have evidence of a few changes in our lifestyle (Rom. 2:15-16, 29; 3:19-26). We are not “judges” at all; that is never our role. While it is always healthy to agree with God regarding any of his standards or expectations even in matters of eternal condemnation, we must never behave like someone’s judge or be judgmental. God fills that role entirely and he requires no replacement (John 12:44-50; Heb. 12: 5-11; Rom. 14:10-12; Rev. 20:11-15).  

VI.   THE PREACHING OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS (Rom. 10:14-17).

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Rom. 10:14-15).

If God will save anyone who believes than we must be aggressive about preaching, proclamation, evangelizing, missions, and witnessing. 

But such a gospel presupposes a universal proclamation. Of what use is a salvation offered to Jews and Gentiles if they never hear about it? Here we have the heartbeat of Christian missions!^[5]

After proclaiming God’s gracious offer in Christ, Paul confronted the natural questions that arise, each additional question building on the key verb from the preceding question. God’s promise of salvation to “everyone who calls” on Him (v. 13) begins the process.^[6]

At this point it is imperative that we remind ourselves of the critical need to communicate the gospel generously and broadly.

• We are impressed with the importance of preaching the Gospel for salvation.
• We must emphasize the necessity of hearing the gospel message to believe in Christ.
• Our role as messengers is crucial; we must be sent to proclaim the good news.
• We are reminded that faith comes through hearing, and hearing through the word of God.
• Beloved, there is a chain of communication needed for real faith to develop in the heart.
• Most of all, we must stress the urgency of evangelism in spreading the gospel of God’s peace to everyone.

We are clearly confronted with an emerging pattern. Salvation is not based on adherence to the law but instead on faith in Jesus Christ. Remember Romans 10:9-10, teaches that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart, we are saved. Romans 10:14 is the bridge that connects salvation with hearing about Jesus. As a result, we connect the urgency for evangelism and preaching with our current mission.

(Since the Gr. word kēryssō, “preach,” means “to be a herald, to announce,” it is not limited to proclamation from a pulpit.) Carrying God’s gracious offer involves human beings whom God has brought to Himself and then uses as His heralds. They share God’s message of salvation because He will save everyone who calls on His name.^[7]

APPLICATION: Be certain we are frequently sharing Christ with others. How often do we present the gospel? I realize that some have greater opportunities than others but are we taking advantage of the opportunities we have? It is okay with God if we create new ways or another way to proclaim the gospel! Is there a chance at work during lunch? What about a gospel centered luncheon or dinner with the same gender? Can you change or add to your social media platforms witnessing opportunities? Maybe keeping some gospel tracks in your car is one workable approaches? Perhaps God is sending you out of your church with the message of hope in Christ. Be a witness!

Hodge points out that this is an argument founded on the principle that if God wills the end, He also wills the means to reach that end. This, as we have said, is the basis of the Christian missionary movement. Paul is here vindicating his preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, a policy which the unbelieving Jews considered inexcusable.^[8]

VII.  THE REJECTION OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS (Rom. 10:16-21).

The Jews rejected God’s righteousness and God rejected them! They did not feel they needed to be saved spiritually, they were zealous for God already, they were filled with pride and self righteousness, and they certainly misunderstood the purpose of their own law. As a result they rejected Christ and God rejected them!

But Paul’s ever-present grief is that the people of Israel did not all listen to the gospel.^[9]

    A.    ISAIAH HAD PREDICTED THIS REJECTION

"But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?... vs 20-21, But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people" (Rom.10:16,20-21).

Israel’s unbelief was not because of a lack of opportunity, but rather their own stubbornness—their perseverance in unbelief. Accordingly, God is extending His salvation to the Gentiles world, fulfilling ancient Old Testament prophecies.

Isaiah had prophesied as much when he asked, “Lord, who has believed our report?” (Isa. 53:1). The question calls for the answer, “Not many.” When the announcement of the Messiah’s First Advent was heralded, not many responded.^[10]

    B.    MOSES HAD PREDICTED THIS REJECTION

"But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you" (Rom. 10:19).

Did Israel simply misunderstand the Gentiles would be saved? Moses tells us (Deuteronomy 32:21) and Isaiah (Isaiah 65:1) that God planned to include “a foolish nation” in His salvation plan to provoke Israel to jealousy. Yet still (Isaiah 65:2), God is patiently reaching out with open arms, to reach a yet “disobedient and gainsaying” Israel.

Collectively, the Gentiles did not seek after God; they were wrongly and ignorantly satisfied with their pagan religious convictions and ideas. But many of them did respond when they heard the message of hope in Christ. Relatively speaking the Gentiles response far exceeded the Jews.  While the Gentiles were flocking to the Lord, Isaiah portrays God standing with outstretched hands, pleading with the Nation of Israel, and their only response is disobedience and stubborn refusal. God is still yearning for His earthly people and I believe He wants to use you and me, us Gentiles to reach them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We should not only appreciate the Jews, but we should love them for Jesus’ sake and send the gospel to them!

Paul’s obvious answer to his question is that Israel had ample opportunity by both general and special revelation to respond to God. Certainly she heard.^[11]

And yet concerning Israel, God has been gracious in spite of her disobedience (a quotation of Isa. 65:2). Israel’s continuing rebellious and unbelieving disobedience was judged by God’s turning to the Gentiles (Rom. 10:20; cf. Acts 8:1–8, 10). At the same time God has not withheld salvation from Jews. He has held out His hands, imploring them to return to Him.^[12]

CONCLUSION: The principle for receiving God’s righteousness is faith and not works; this is why Israel is presently set aside as a nation—unbelief. The truth in this passage is that we can rest in God’s salvation because it is received by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Israel missed God’s salvation and blessings because of their lack of faith and not the unfairness or inconsistency of God. God still holds people (everyone) accountable for their actions; He is not embracing the modern trend of renaming sin and offenses to please people or to remain popular. No, God will finally deal with the unrepentant heart; if anyone wants an eternity without Him, He will finally grant such desires. God is not being harsh; He is being consistent! 

1. Do you have the “righteousness of God” made available through the gospel?    

2. Are you attempting to establish your own righteousness while ignoring God’s?

3. Are you praying for someone or a specific group to be saved?

4. Are we evangelizing and witnessing to ‘whosoever’?

5. Are you making the mistake of ‘judging’ instead of ‘witnessing’?

6. Are you taking and creating opportunities to present the gospel regularly?

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^[1] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1722.

^[2] John A. Witmer, “Romans,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 481.

^[3] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 547–548.

^[4] Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 2 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 175.

^[5] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1722.

^[6] John A. Witmer, “Romans,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 481.

^[7] John A. Witmer, “Romans,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 481.

^[8] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1722.

^[9] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1722.

^[10] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1722–1723.

^[11] John A. Witmer, “Romans,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 482.

^[12] John A. Witmer, “Romans,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 482.

Repentance in the Bible

 

“Repentance in the Bible”

Luke 24:47 & 2 Pet. 3:9

SUBJECT: REPENTANCE

THEME: An Appreciation of the Doctrine of Repentance Help to Ensure a Genuine Salvation Presentation, and Provides a Vital Step in Christ-centered Living!

RELEVANCE: the neglect of a biblical teaching does not eliminate its significance. Repentance has become a lost doctrine in fundamental circles in this positive thinking, high self-esteem generation. Unfortunately, churches and Christians have adopted a weak gospel presentation to avoid offending people. Not even the average preacher has a sound biblical understanding of this great doctrine anymore. 

INTRODUCTION:   

SO, HOW PROMINENT IS REPENTANCE IN THE BIBLE?

The prominence given to the Doctrine of Repentance in the Scriptures can hardly be overestimated and we downplay this teaching to our own determent.

The Word correctly conveys the just nature of God issuing in His holy decision to hold mankind accountable for their failures to live up to His standards and man’s unrepentant sinfulness. The justice of God can be seen in his judgment of Noah’s Flood, the destruction of the Sodom communities, and the removal of Israel from the Land of Promise. He is a just God who holds people accountable for their unrepentant hearts.

Repentance is witnessed as God changed his direction with mankind deeply pained in his heart for the destruction he must visit upon them (Gen. 6:5-7). There was God’s deeply felt grief over king Saul’s failures and incomplete obedience to the requirement to kill all the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:11, 35). We also witness God’s repentance in David’s sin of pridefully numbering the armies of Israel and God stopping His angel from plaguing and destroying Jerusalem (2Sam. 24:15-17). In all these instances we see God repenting which involved a change of mind, heart, and will! Repentance, biblically speaking, should be the same for us except in our case we are guilty!

 MESSAGE:

John the Baptist began his public ministry preaching a message of repentance. Jesus Christ was also a preacher of repentance and He sent out His Apostles to preach repentance not only to Israel but to every nation. Luke 24:47, And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Some have the idea that the preaching of repentance ended with the Jews, but it was preached throughout the Apostolic Age, and the same message was to be preached around the world!

The genuine burden of the heart of God is that all men come to repentance; he does not cherish the idea of anyone being lost to the Lake of Fire. 2 Pet 3:9, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. This is significant because a sinner can never be saved without repentance. And more generally speaking, a believer can never please God by experiencing victory in their life without repentance.

A. GOD PLACED ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE UPON REPENTANCE IN THE SCRIPTURES

Acts 17:29-31, Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. ³⁰ And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: ³¹ Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the appointed day of judgment is coming, all people in every part of the planet must repent or face these consequences. God previously tolerated humanity’s ignorance but now firmly commands everyone to repent because of their sins. Jesus Christ provides the proof of this because God has raised him from among the dead. We can only be saved by trusting Christ while abandoning a lifestyle of sin and rebellion against God choosing a life of submission and cooperation with God’s plan. It is true some people don’t understand the holy and just nature of God, accountability to anyone is foreign to them, and owning up to one’s sins seems strange, but none of this changes God’s just expectations. People must repent or face a holy God with their sin.

B. A REVIEW OF GOD’S HOLINESS IS APPROPRIATE

Revelation 15:4, says, “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”

Leviticus 19:1-2, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ² Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.^[a]

Isaiah 6:2-3, Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. ³ And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. ^[b]

God is utterly pure, morally perfect, and completely set apart from sin and creation, distinct in His being and worthy of awe and inspiring our worship. This holiness encompasses His intrinsic nature—His absolute separation from evil—and His moral guiltlessness, establishing a foundation that fills all His properties and demands a distinct astonishment from us. 

John 20:27-28, Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. ²⁸ And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

This declaration of the Apostle Thomas affirms the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah, and his belief in Jesus’ divinity and resurrection. This exclamation is a profound confession of faith, acknowledging Jesus as both his sovereign Lord and his personal God, signifying submission and worship. 

Repeatedly God is portrayed as sacred, holy, the holy One, and set apart! Then the Lord Jesus is clearly revealed to be that same God, not a denial of the Trinity. God is holy in His very essence/nature and so is the Lord Jesus and this fact demands a unique reverence for Him! It helps us to remember this fundamental concept of God when declaring the gospel. Essentially, “God is holy” His unparalleled nature and absolute moral integrity set Him apart from everything else. 

C.  THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS REQUIRED REPENTANCE

The book of Judges records a pattern of disobedience, rebellion, and repentance of the Nation of Israel. We have a record of Israel’s failures to live up to God’s high moral standards delineated by Moses. After each phase of spiritual apostacy, idolatry, and finally repentance, God would mercifully answer their cries for deliverance through a judge. A call to repentance was often issued by God’s prophets.

       1. The Preaching of Jonah Brought About Genuine Repentance in Nineveh - Jonah 3.

Luke 11:32, The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

Our Lord’s generation, despite witnessing His power and ministry, was more accountable than the Ninevites who repented at Jonah's preaching. They will therefore face more severe judgment for rejecting the Savior, “a greater than Jonah,” who was literally in their presence. This condemnation of those who demand signs but reject God’s message can be contrasted with Israel’s greater privileges and greater condemnation with those who received less revelation.  But please do not miss the fact that “they repented at the preaching of Jonah”!

       2. The Preaching of Jeremiah Leveled this Requirement to Repent.

Jeremiah 18:8, If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

The prophet required Israel to change their minds about sin evidenced by a change in their activities. God’s willingness to withhold judgment and offer forgiveness when a nation repents from its evil actions, illustrates that true repentance can change a divinely planned outcome. God’s power to judge and his future for a nation are dependent upon their actions of repentance.

       3. The Preaching of Ezekiel Called the Jews to Repentance During the Captivity.

Ezek 14:6, Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

Ezekiel’s message from the Lord to the elders was God commanding the people of Israel to abandon their false gods and detestable practices, which were a stumbling block separating them from Him. God instructed them to actively turn away from all their idolatrous practices. God was again calling Israel to make a choice: to either continue in their rebelliousness or to fully return their allegiance to Him. 

These hypocritical elders came to the true God for answers while having another “god” in their hearts. God asked Ezekiel, Should I let them inquire of Me at all? God was not obligated to answer them when they refused to acknowledge His sovereignty. So instead of giving these elders the information they desired, God instructed Ezekiel to give them the information they needed—God’s attitude toward their idolatry.

God informed the elders that when any Israelite came to God while harboring idolatry in his heart, God would deal with the idolatry. God would do this for the ultimate benefit of the nation, to recapture the hearts of the people. The message Israel needed to hear was not some oracle about Jerusalem or the Captivity. The urgent message was, Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!^[c]

Beloved, this emphasizes how genuine faith and repentance requires a wholehearted (concerning our love, worship, and service), internal shift away from anything that occupies the place of God in our hearts and lives. True repentance, not just outward actions, requires separation from destructive idolatry seeking a sincere relationship with God. Are there unchecked desires occupying our hearts in the form of pleasures, power, or worldly success? Are we approaching God with divided hearts or loyalties like a mere fortune teller? God is still calling individuals, households, churches, cultures, and nations to identify and renounce counterfeit gods that can take the form of materialism, careers, or other pursuits, and to find life and security in Him alone. 

D.  REPENTANCE IS A PART OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE

Lk. 13:3, 5, I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Again, it may be necessary to spell out exactly what repentance is for some, but generally when we are confronted with the guilty weight of our sin, we naturally repent of our sin to trust Christ as our personal Savior. Sometimes people don’t feel guilt for their sin, they may be ignorant of God’s requirements in the 10 Commandments, they may have never accepted accountability for their actions, or they may have a twisted way of perceiving repentance. May God help us to know enough about the subject of repentance so we can help them repent of their sin and live victoriously after trusting Christ as Savior.

      1. Repentance is the heart of the Great Commission (Lk 24:47). 

Luke 24:46-48, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: ⁴⁷ And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ And ye are witnesses of these things.

Christ’s suffering and resurrection coupled with the message of repentance and forgiveness in His name are to be preached to all nations. We are commissioned to be witnesses to these truths. The gospel message cannot be complete without a call for genuine repentance. This is implied when it is not explicitly stated in the text. It makes no sense to call people to God without those individuals first acknowledging their sin, failures, guilt, responsibility, or faults. God has never changed, and he does hold people accountable for their sin against Him. In the modern ‘easy-believism’ movement there is little if any stress on this aspect or even respect for the holy nature of God. Thus, we end up with so called casual ‘Christians’ whose lives never really change and who treat God extremely nonchalantly. 

      2. Many Preachers and Evangelistic Programs Carefully Avoid Dealing with the Fact That Men Are Sinners Who Must Turn from Their Sin of Unbelief to a holy God.

ILLUSTRATION: During our pre-field ministry years ago, we visited a ‘church’ in Gary, Indiana who held to and taught ‘easy believism.’ The ‘pastor’ showed me his method of soul winning, and since I received his name and location from a ‘reliable’ publication, I tried to pay close attention. What was described to me was nothing more than easy believism’ salvation on steroids. I even went out in the community with the pastor as he demonstrated his method and message. I was shocked, appalled, surprised, disappointed, and confused! “You just simply have them repeat a prayer, don’t deal with man’s sin problem, just simply ask Jesus to come into your heart” …without the heart of the sinner being prepared to truly receive Him as Savior. The idea was “don’t worry about informing the sinner that he has greatly offended and extremely holy God. Just have them repeat a prayer and ask Jesus into their heart.” Beloved, this is a spiritual lie! This is not the Gospel of Christ, the good news of the grace of God proclaimed in our New Testament.

                a. John the Baptist Preached Repentance—Matt. 3:1, 2, and 8.

                b. Jesus Christ Preached Repentance—Matt. 4:17

                c. The Apostles preached Repentance—Mk 6:12, Acts 2:38; 26:20

         3.  From Theses Verses We Understand That Repentance Belongs to the Human Side of Salvation and That it Is Man’s Response to the Preaching of the Word of God.  Repentance is the negative aspect of that response while faith is the positive response!

In our day we don’t like it when the preacher deals with the negative, we want him to accent the positive!  But God has always used negative messages to bring about positive results just ask the people of Nineveh and the 3,000 Believers on the Day of Pentecost. The Ten Commandments are filled with “Thou Shalt Nots” but they work a positive work in the heart of the sinner showing him he is a sinner that he may be saved by Jesus Christ! 

QUOTE: “There are some people who do not like the negative. “Give us positive doctrines!” they say.  “Forget about negative warnings and admonitions!” But the negative warnings and commands grow out of positive truths of Christian doctrine. No amount of positive talk about health will cure a ruptured appendix.  The doctor will have to ‘get negative’ and take out the appendix. No amount of lecturing on beauty will produce a garden. The gardener has to pull weeds! The positive and the negative go together, and one without the other leads to imbalance.” -W. W. Wiersbe

We need to balance our teaching of Faith in Christ’s finish work on the cross for salvation with the truth concerning repentance from sin. We need to get back to addressing our sinfulness.

CONCLUSION:

Mark 1:14-15, Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, [15] And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

For a person to be saved they must repent of their sin and turn unto God in faith for salvation. In the life of the believer, there should be a healthy understanding of the Doctrine of Repentance and when sin is in our lives God expects us to turn from it and have victory over it. If believers refuse to repent, then we have automatically invited the chastening of God upon our lives to correct such folly.                                                                                                          

If John the Baptist preached a message of repentance, then we should be also. Easy Believism has no place in God’s economy. We need to get back to real Biblical teaching and Biblical living if we are going to have God’s blessings on our lives!

“GIVING UP FOLLIES”

“Well, Jack, old fellow” said a man to his recently converted friend.  “I hear you have given up all your pleasures.”  “No! No!” said the friend, “the fact lies all the other way.  I have just found all my pleasures and have given up all my follies.”

1) Are you saved? Really? How do you know for sure?  

2) Has your life changed since you professed Christ? In what ways?

3) Is your life consistently changing and becoming more pleasing to God?

4) Is God trying to correct you?  Are you being chastened by God?

5) Is repentance a part of your everyday life?

6) Do you by the power of Jesus Christ forsake sin and refuse to live in it anymore?

7) Are you comfortable doing your own thing?

8) Are you accountable to God? To his Word?

9) Do you treasure executing God’s will for you?

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^[a] The Holy Bible: King James Version., electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. (Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995), Le 19:1–2.

^[b] The Holy Bible: King James Version., electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. (Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995), Is 6:2–3.

^[c] Charles H. Dyer, “Ezekiel,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1253.

Help for Evangelism

 

Help for Evangelism

John 16:5-16

Theme: Christ commissioned us to evangelize with the Help of the Holy Spirit promising geographical growth; He will convict the lost of the world as we present the gospel of Christ.

Introduction:

Have you ever felt alone and intimidated by the Christian responsibility to evangelize? Have you ever felt inadequate for evangelism? Perhaps you can recall times when you longed for supernatural help? If you have ever felt your personal need for such help, then I have good news.

The apostles were feeling overwhelmed by the reality of Jesus’ departure, the mounting opposition, and with the demanding responsibility of evangelizing without Christ’s immediate presence. They were feeling somewhat abandoned, confused, intimidated, and perhaps discouraged.  But the Lord Jesus promised them and us the Comforter to help in the grand task of evangelizing. 

Relevance: Christ did not commission us to evangelize alone; He sent His Spirit to reprove the world as we present the gospel. What is this help that we in the role of evangelists can expect today? The Spirit of God, also known as the Comforter, is indispensable to the conversion of the unsaved and the ministry of evangelism (Acts 1:8). His work in the human heart, upon hearing the Gospel, is so crucial there can be no imparting of new life without it. This is not merely my opinion; the Lord Jesus was roundly convinced of this spiritual reality.

Message:

In John 16:7-11, our Savior gave this richly informative declaration,

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. ⁸ And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ Of sin, because they believe not on me; ¹⁰ Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; ¹¹ Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”

Our Lord Jesus was highlighting the basic convicting/persuading ministry of the Comforter which is vital to the Christian conversion experience and gospel evangelism. The Spirit’s work in the soul of the unbelievers must precede a genuine new birth and be a part of any evangelism efforts.

 “It is expedient for you that I go away”

Jesus knew His departure was “expedient” for his disciples and every subsequent Christian witness. The Comforter would replace Him and represent Him in the world after the Lord Jesus’ returned to Heaven. As His disciples proclaim the gospel throughout the world, the Spirit would inhabit and execute through them. Jesus wanted His followers to know the convicting ministry of the Spirit would indwell them and work in concert with them. This was great assurance that the evangelism efforts would be geographically effective and fruitful to the glory of God and the salvation of man (Acts 1:8). Regarding this crucial endeavor, Christ specified a three-prone conviction strategy of the Holy Spirit during this age of God’s divine economy. It involves sin, righteousness, judgment and their central connection to Jesus Christ the Savior.

I.               The Comforter Will Convict the Lost of the Sin of Unbelief (Jn. 16:8, 9)

“Sin” refers to acting contrary to the will of God…to engage in wrongdoing. Unbelief is the opposite of belief! In this instance it is failing to believe on Christ who is completely worthy of all belief.  

A.    REPROVE.

1.     First, the Lord Jesus taught the Spirit would “reprove the world of sin.” From the outset it is important to recognize the fundamental nature of this reproof.  This is conviction as the Holy Spirit persuades the sinner of sin and condemnation before a righteous God.

2.     Then He convincingly points the unbeliever to Christ as the only viable solution to man’s sin problem.

3.     The active Agent of conviction is obviously the Holy Spirit Himself who is referred to as the “Comforter” by the Lord Jesus (Jn. 16:7). Thus, the Spirit helps the sinner perceive their existing guilt before God and the only remedy to this damning predicament.

B.    CONVICT.

1.     What exactly is this convicting work?  Well, to “reprove the world” means to confute, and admonish: convict, convince, tell a fault, or even rebuke. 

2.     The idea is to overwhelm with arguments for the purpose of persuading: to refute conclusively by proving wrong with evidences and arguments. The Holy Spirit in a sense takes the sinner to “court” and causes him to recognize his sinful nature/condition and the eternal consequences of his fallen state. The convicting work of the Spirit places the truth of the Gospel in a clear light before the unsaved person’s conscience so that he acknowledges it as truth whether or not he receives Christ as personal Savior.

3.     Conviction then is making the message transparently clear, not the saving of the soul—that’s regeneration.  The Spirit uses the gospel to reveal the “world’s” fault, and overwhelms the conscience with personal responsibility for unbelief and rejection of Christ—like a highly skilled prosecuting attorney the Spirit seeks a “conviction.”

4.     In other words, the witnessing Christian who testifies about the saving grace of God must utterly depend on the Spirit to even make that testimony understood clearly.

i.                 A. T. Robertson (1960, p. 267) astutely observed in Word Pictures in the New Testament, “Without this conviction by the Paraclete such men actually have a pride of intellectual superiority in refusing to believe on Jesus.”

ii.               Simply put, if there is not conviction in the soul of the sinner by the Holy Spirit, there cannot be a spiritual conversion! None whatsoever, not even a hint.

C.    UNBELIEF/REJECTION.

1.     What truth is it that the Holy Spirit makes clear during conviction? According to the Lord Jesus, it is the truth about “sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8).  First the proof that men are in a state of sin is “they believe not on me” (John 16:9), said the Lord Jesus.

2.     Pfeiffer and Harrison (1962, p. 1109) accurately said in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, “The sin of the world came to sharp focus in the rejection of Jesus when there should have been acceptance of Him, the Spirit makes this the important issue.”

3.     Jamieson, Fausset and Brown (1983, p. 641) in The Bethany Parallel Commentary on the New Testaments echoed this very same idea stating, “As all sin has its root in unbelief, so the most aggravated form of unbelief is the rejection of Christ. The Spirit, however, in fastening this truth upon the conscience, does not extinguish, but, on the contrary, does consummate and intensify, the sense of all other sins.”

4.     The Holy Spirit condemns the world by the very fact that He is here. He should not be here, because the Lord Jesus should be here, reigning over the world. But the world rejected Him, and He went back to heaven. The Holy Spirit is here in place of a rejected Christ, and this demonstrates the world’s guilt.^[1]

5.     The rejection of Jesus Christ—unbelief—is the chief sin of condemnation for “the world” of sinners without Christ. Does this not signal how serious unbelief is from God’s perspective?

i.                 John 3:18, He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

ii.               John 3:36, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

iii.             1 John 5:10-12, He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

 

II.           The Comforter Will Persuade the Unsaved of the Righteousness of Christ (Jn. 16:8, 10)

Secondly, the “righteousness” (Jn. 16:10) refers the execution of God’s requirements. The act of doing what God deems is right. The “righteousness” of Christ is proven because of His resurrection from the dead and ascension to the Father (John 16:10).

A.    CHRIST’S RESURRECTION.

1.     This is important because the Jewish nation rejected the Lord Jesus as their Messiah and Savior. The religious leaders thought Christ an impostor and fraud as they sought the means to kill Him. In spite of the overwhelming evidence the Lord Jesus presented through His words and works, His nation refused Him believing Him to be an offender of their Law.

2.     They questioned His authenticity, nativity, and rejected His honest claims. They did not view Christ Jesus as righteous!

B.    CHRIST’S ASCENSION.

1.     In contrast, the Father in Heaven obviously sees Jesus differently! He raised Him from the dead after His crucifixion, and upon Christ ascension, the Father gladly received Him into Heaven.

2.     Not only did the Father receive Him, but He honored and exalted Jesus Christ at His very right hand of power and authority. Jesus is not only righteous, He is Lord (God) and Christ (Anointed One)!

3.     These actions of God the Father fully venerated all the teachings, claims, actions, miracles, and lifestyle of the Lord Jesus Christ.  There is no fault in Him that He should be rejected as Savior and Lord.  No, Jesus is the spotless Lamb of God! 

i.                 Charles Ryrie (1995) in A Survey of Bible Doctrine said, “All of His righteous claims were fully vindicated when He returned to heaven.”

ii.               Pfeiffer and Harrison (1962, p. 1109) in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary concurs saying, “The Father is the true judge of righteousness. His readiness to receive the Son back into glory is the proof that he found in him no deficiency (Rom 1:4; 4:25; I Tim 3:16).”  

iii.             1 Tim 3:16, And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

iv.              1 John 2:1-2, My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

C.    CHRIST’S RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The verdict of God concerning the Lord Jesus’ righteousness is transparently clear—He is consummately righteous! Jesus only did what the Father required of Him and he did all the Father deemed appropriate. The Spirit will seek to bring the unbeliever to this same conclusion through conviction and persuasion. See Acts 2:29-40!

III.        The Comforter Will Convince the Lost of Final Judgment (Jn. 16:8, 11)

Thirdly, the proof of “judgment to come” is based on the past judgment of “the prince of this world”—Satan (John 16:11). The presence of the Holy Spirit also convicts the world of coming judgment. The fact that He is here means that the devil has already been condemned at the cross and that all who refuse the Savior will share his awful judgment in a day yet future.^[2]

A.    CHRIST’S TRIUMPH IS THE DEVIL’S CURRENT AND FUTURE JUDGMENT.

1.     God judged and condemned Satan through Christ’s cross and resurrection (Col. 2:15; 1Jn. 3:8).

i.                 Col 2:14-15, Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled [striped of power, authority, and disarmed] principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

ii.               1 John 3:8, He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy [annul, put an end to, render inoperative] the works of the devil.

2.     Once again, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Pfeiffer and Harrison 1962, p. 1109, 1110) states precisely the intent of this passage.

When those who crucified Jesus saw that God did not interfere, they imagined that the judgment of God was being pronounced on him. Actually, another was being judged there, even Satan, the prince of this world. Satan rules by means of sin and death. Christ’s triumph over sin at the cross and over death at the Resurrection heralded the fact that Satan had been judged. The execution of final judgment is only a matter of time.

B.    CHRIST’S VICTORY IS THE GUARANTEE OF A SINNER’S CONDEMNATION. 

1.     In his book, A Survey of Bible Doctrine, Ryrie (1995) explained, “In other words, if Satan, Christ’s archenemy, has been judged (John 12:31), what chance can any man hope to have of escaping judgment if he refuses the grace of God?”

2.     Acts 17:30-31, And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: [31] Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

3.     The blessed Spirit of the Living God takes “the world” to court and presents convincing evidence proving that it is guilty before God. Their refusal to accept liability for their impending judgment will be met with God’s condemnation, this fact is as certain as the North Pole is cold!

4.     It is certain because Satan, the god of this world, stands judged before God already. So, the Spirit of God convicts the sinner of the awfulness of unbelief and rejection of Jesus Christ, He shows that Christ is obviously righteous and no sinner measures up, and He persuades the sinner of the certainty of pending judgment for sin.  These are the basic truths the Spirit seeks to make expressly clear in the mind and conscience of the sinner under conviction.

5.     The believer’s responsibility is to be a “witness!” Our God-given aim is to testify to what we have experienced and know of Christ the Savior.  While it is our responsibility to convince, encourage, and even plead with the sinner, it is still the ministry of the Spirit to convict and then convert. See Acts 10:38-48!

C.    CHRIST CERTIFIED THE NEED FOR THE SPIRIT’S MINISTRY IN EVANGELISM!

Notice the Results:

1.     Acts 1:8, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

2.     Why is the Spirit’s ministry of conviction necessity?  Conviction could lead to conversion—genuine repentance from sin and faith in Christ (Acts 20:21).  There can be absolutely no conversion to Christ without the Spirit’s conviction. The awareness of wrong in the heart develops an eagerness to make things right with God. The Spirit creates a yearning for something different than continuous domination by sin.

3.     The Comforter is also necessary to real evangelism—sharing our faith in Christ. He works with and through a believer’s witness. Even when the Christian is not there the Spirit can still work in the sinner’s heart to persuade them of their need for Christ. Such conviction may be instantaneous, or it may take several years, but the gracious Holy Spirit is at work in the heart convicting and persuading. It may even be several witnesses later when the Comforter finally births that individual into the family of God. It is true however, that the Spirit of God will give up and not continue to wrestle with a sinner’s conscience.

4.     The Corinthian Christians thoroughly repented after Paul rebuked them for their sin and they evidenced these same motives and desires (2 Corinthians 7:10–13).  Their contrition serves as a brilliant example of this.  Also, conviction can result in a willingness and readiness to accept God’s salvation and answers as illustrated on the Day of Pentecost by the Jews who repented and believed the Word (Acts 2:37–38).  They eagerly submitted themselves to God’s plan and came to Him on His terms; they did not propose or craft their own means or terms of reconciliation. 

5.     Clearly the mighty Spirit of God must work in the sinner’s heart to bring about this condition in the soul and to enable sinners to arrive at this same place today. Yes, it is true. The Comforter actually makes it quite uncomfortable in the conscience until the sinner trusts the Lord Jesus as Savior and Lord. He remains indispensable to conversion and the work of evangelism.

Conclusion:

Beloved, the Spirit will help us as we witness of Christ. This is great assurance that the evangelism efforts would be geographically effective and fruitful to the glory of God and the salvation of man (Acts 1:8).

With the Spirit’s help, we can be effective gospel communicators. Our concerns, fears, feelings of inadequacy, and general intimidation with evangelism should subside. In fact, the more we adopt and believe this promise and the more we depend on the Spirit the less fear we should have. Beloved, we never need to present the gospel alone; you have immediate and substantial help in this important endeavor.

Therefore, go, evangelize, and depend on the Spirit to aid your witnessing efforts and make them fruitful. It is his job to convict, not yours. It is your job to tell. It is His job to regenerate and not yours. Your job is to tell. It is His job to prepare the heart of the sinner, and not yours. Your job is to trust Him to do His job.

Witnessing is a great privilege, but it is also a serious responsibility. It is a matter of life or death! How we need to depend on the Holy Spirit to guide us to the right persons, give us the right words, and enable us patiently to glorify Jesus Christ. –Wiersbe: The Bible Exposition Commentary

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^[1] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1553.

^[2] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1553.