You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3 So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done. 12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. The Jews and the Law 17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” 25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? The Redemption Story sermon series deals with three main questions: What's wrong with the human race? What has God done through Jesus to solve the problem? What is our final destiny? The three main question we are asking now is: Why Does Our Moral and Spiritual Attempt Ultimately Fail? How Come The Law is Both Glorious and Rigid? Why is the New Heart Our Solution? 1. Why Does Our Moral & Spiritual Attempt Ultimately Fail? “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” Who is Paul's audience? Christians of bacground Christians of background Paul's argument: Pagans and Christians ‘do same things’. What are the same things Paul is talking about? He gives the whole list of them: Homosexuality, evil, covetousness, malice, envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness, gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless (1:26-31) While he spoke about pagans in chapter one, now Paul is addressing gentile and Jewish Christians. “… you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?” (religious people) Paul is emphatically saying, ‘you do the (thing).’ However, he develops the argument and observes the following: Externally 'you are ' Internally ‘you are no different’ (your 'unrepentant heart') The Teaching of Jesus about two prodigal sons confirms this: 2. How Come the Law is Both Glorious and Rigid? The judgement comes according to the law and no one stands a chance. Why? Because of: The internal reality of the law The instinctive reality of the law 1. The Internal Reality of the Law “You condemn all those Gentiles and those pagans out there for all those … But you do the same… (evil, greed and depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice, gossips, slanderers, insolent, arrogant and boastful, senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.)” Observe that the list is mainly about the internal attitude of heart rather than simply behaviour. We typically read the law at the (level). However, the law is about and Jesus always pointed to the inward state of the law. “You’ve heard it said, ‘Thou shalt not kill,’ but I say unto you anyone who looks at another person and says, ‘Raca,’ has broken this commandment.” What does ‘raca’ mean? "You " The law looks at both and 2. The Instinctive Reality of the Law Francis Schaeffer once said, Romans 2 talks about an invisible (recorder) On judgement God will say to all, ‘I am not going to judge you according to the law of Bible but by your own words, according to your own standard.’ This tape recorder has only recorded standards by which you judged people around you. Nobody in the history of the world will be able to stand in teh judgement and not because of God's standards (ten commandments) but because of our own standards and our own words. We are all lost. 3. The New Heart, Our Solution “Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, it has no value. If those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirement, they will be regarded as though they were circumcised, will they not? A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit … Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.” We need the new heart and we need the circumcision of heart. What was circumcision? It was a sign of the way baptism is a sign of discipleship. Circumcision was part of a covenant. Here is the content of a covenant: “You need to walk blamelessly before me, and if you do, I will bless you. But if enter into covenant with me and you go your own way, than you’ll be cut off from me.” When formally entering into covenant contract, a person would enact the . He would pick up some sand and put it on his head and say, ‘If I don't do everything I promise I would do, may I be as this dust.’ Why circumcision? "If you enter into relationship with me, you need to be circumcised. So, you admit that if you disobey the covenant, you will be cut off." Did Abraham really obey the covenant? Did Isaac? Did anyone? How can anyone be in a covenant relationship with God? "In Him you were all (Colossians 2:11) On the cross Jesus was cut off. “My God, my God why have you forsaken me.” “In Him you were circumcised, not a circumcision made with hands.” This gives us a new heart. What does it mean? When we are in Jesus: All our sin is transferred to Him. All of His beauty of law keeping is transferred to us. Our heart of stone becomes the heart of flesh.