Sermon Tone Analysis

Romans 2:17-29

As we have gone through the end of chapter 1 and the beginning of chapter two, we have talked about the wrath of God.

We’ve said that God will judge the outright sinner.

We saw last week that the first part of chapter 2 speaks to the moral man.

They are without excuse as well!

Today we are looking at the fact that there is no excuse for the religious.

Many feel that religion is the answer.

But there will be many religious people in hell, because thy rejected God’s truth that was given to them.

This section of scripture tells the religious man that it doesn’t matter what you do on the inside that matters, but what has happened to you on the inside.

Paul is speaking to the Jewish people here, but he could just as well be speaking to the Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran or even Baptists.

We are going to see why these religious people may end up lost for eternity if they do not change.

I. Spiritual Confidence

17-20

The Jews were confident in their Jewishness.

They would have looked at Paul’s condemnation of the wicked and absolutely agreed with him.

But now Paul turns the attention to them.

He coudl as well be looking at us, as well.

We hear about the condemnation of certain groups and become self-righteous and agree whole heartedly…nodding all along.

“They deserve it”, we think.

We need to be careful that we are not being deceived and trusting in our good works to separate us from the “wicked crowd.”

But these Jews that Paul were talking to...

A. Boasted in Their Lineage

17a

They could tell you what tribe they were from.

They could tell you all the way back to Abraham.

Because God covenanted with Abraham, they trusted in their father’s faith.

The covenant did not give them a guarantee of salvation!

We too can fall into this same trap.

My grandfather was a pastor,

My parents raised me in church

I live in a Christian nation, so I must be a Christian.

But this is the deception of the devil!

Only if you have personally trusted Christ through faith can you be assured of your home in heaven!

These Jews Boasted in their lineage, and they...

B. Boasted in Their Law

17b

The Law was given to the Jews.

God Himself spoke to Moses and gave him the Law.

Just possessing and studying the Law surely would put them in a right standing before God, right?

Paul is telling them, no…do not rest in the Law.

The law was to show you just how lost you really are!

Knowing the Bible is not enough to get you to Heaven.

There have been some that were raised in church and could quote many verses they learned in Sunday School, Awana, or Kids for Christ but are just as lost as they ever were.

What you know will be held against you in the day of judgment.

They Boasted in their lineage, they boasted in their Law and they...

C. Boasted in Their Lord

17c-18

They claimed a special relationship with God because they were His chosen people.

They were religious enough to please the Lord!

But religion does not please God.

Faith pleases God.

No matter how many good works you do, you will never be able to earn your way to heaven.

Even our good works are tainted with sin!

You can memorize the Bible and refrain from every sin of commission there is and still go to Hell.

If you missed one and only one thing in following the Law, you are lost in your sin.

Only faith in Christ can pay the penalty for our sin.

The fact is if you have not been saved by the blood of the Lamb you are lost…you are on your way to pay for your own sins in Hell.

But it is so easy to accept God’s way!

They boasted in their Lineage, in their Law, in their Lord and they...

D. Boasted in Their Leadership

19-20

They had the lineage, their father’s had taught them well.

They had the Law and studied it well.

They had their Lord, and a promise from Him.

And because of this they felt the responsibility to teach it to the next generation and those around them.

They were confident in being a guide of the blind.

It’s great to teach people the truth, but it needs to be the truth…not your interpretation of the truth!

They truly didn’t have a concept of God’s plan, all they accomplished was to teach others how to trust in the wrong thing.

Jesus said

It’s still true today!

Religious people are still trying to make everyone follow their path.

If you don’t act like him, dress like him, talk like him, then they are headed to hell.

Conforming to standards is not the way to please God!

We have to lead people to an inward change that will manifest itself in an outward change through God’s power…not through our pressure.

Only one thing will bring about this change!

Faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior, and then following His leading in your new life.

They had Spiritual Confidence

II.

Spiritual Contamination

21-24

I’ve often said, the best way to learn the Bible is to teach the Bible!

These men were teaching others, but they were not getting the truth!

Because they were not teaching the Bible, they were teaching tradition.

A. Guilty of Deception

21-22

They were busy teaching that the Law said stealing is wrong, adultery is wrong, but yet they were committing the same sins!

They were not practicing what they preached!

They were hypocrites!

The same is true today!

When someones focus is on how others should be like them, you better watch out!

Some of the men I have known in my past that were so hung up on dress standards, and saying a Christian has to wear this or not wear that…they were the ones that came out in the end as having moral problems they were not dealing with.

Sins of the heart are just as evil as the sins of the flesh!

Jesus knew the heart of these Pharisees, he knew they condemned adultery (as in the woman taken in adultery), but they let themselves by with lusting.

They were guilty of deception, but they were also...

B. Guilty of Desecration

23

They boasted in the law, yet their breaking the law dishonored God!

We try to excuse our sin, but we don’t realize that our sin dishonors God!

Joseph when he was tempted to sin responded to her taunts by saying...

Joseph realized to commit this sin, would be a sin against God himself!

David also realized this after he did sin with Bathsheba.

In his penitent Psalm he wrote...

Sin dishonors God!

It doesn’t matter how small we feel the sin is....it is still sin!

They were guilty of deception and desecration and therefore they were also ,,,,