Understanding God’s Standard of Righteousness
Romans 3:23
DATE:
1 July, 2001
PLACE: BBC Mallow
I.
Introduction (Romans 3:10, 23)
A.
No matter how you look at
it, we are caught
1.
According to God - We are
sinners – we fall short of God’s measure of rightness (Isa 64:6)
a.
It is permanently engraved
in the Bible
b.
We sin when we disobey
God’s word – do wrong
c.
And we sin when we don’t
do right – ignore God’s word – again, it is disobedience
2.
According to our own
hearts even – we are sinners
a.
We all have a sense of
guilt – we know how deadly it is – it is a sad thing today how people are
being numbed towards guilt and shame
b.
We have something engraved
in our hearts that tells us we, or someone else is doing wrong
B.
The world system attempts
to cope with this fact in various ways
1.
Creates new religions, and
new philosophies that teach
a.
There is no such thing as
sins, only mistakes
b.
Anything is as good as
another, as long as people don’t get hurt
c.
The only sin is to believe
in sin, and absolutes
2.
Creates diversions
a.
Entertainments like 50
channels on the TV, and videos galore, so that people sit and watch 30-40 hours
of TV a week
b.
Busyness – no time to
sit and reflect, or meditate on something good, and wholesome
c.
Drugs – they sell,
because there is a DEMAND – people want DIVERSIONS from reality!
C.
God’s got a better way -
Jesus –that is why He is called, THE WAY
1.
If you know the truth, you
are FREE from guilt and shame
2.
If you know Jesus, you end
up with more than all the world together could buy!
D.
So let’s take a moment
and look at how far we fall short of God’s glory, and how to bridge that gap,
so to speak!
II.
Message - Missing
the Mark (Romans
3:23)
A.
The Start of Sin
(Romans 5:12)
1.
Actually starts was with
Lucifer – truly the very start was in heaven
2.
But with us humans, it
started much closer – right in our own family
a.
Not even really on Eve -
tricked
b.
But on Adam – made a
wilful decision
3.
Adam invited sin into the
world – opened the door, the Pandora’s box
4.
Sin began in a perfect
Garden, with two people being lied to about God and reality. When they believed
the lie, they disobeyed, and sin began!
B.
The Source of Sin
(James 1:13-16)
1.
We can blame our
environment
2.
But the problem is, we
love sin
a.
When we are tempted, it is
our flesh being attracted to sin – God never draws anyone away from Himself
b.
To be enticed means to be
lured like fishing, or drawn like a trap
c.
Our lust is only the
beginning though – it conceives and brings forth something not beautiful, or
pure, or wonderful, but SIN
d.
And then SIN is not
finished until it KILLS the person
3.
Who is to blame for when a
drunken man knocks down and kills a baby with his car? The Council for not
putting up more speed bumps? Right!
4.
The source of sin is IN US
(Mk 7:14-23)
C.
The Sum of Sin
(Rom 3:23; 1John 1:8,10) – that pleasure of sin, is so deadly
1.
Who can quantify the
results of all sins ever committed?
2.
Remember David and
Bathsheba?
a.
One night – just ONE
fling
b.
Then, lie after lie to
cover it up
c.
Then the DEATH of her
husband Urijah
d.
Then the DEATH of the baby
e.
Then the trouble in
David’s home for years to come
f.
That ONE NIGHT cost David
dearly! That’s why this preacher is against DATING, and FLIRTING, and Discos,
and Pubs and drugs
g.
It costs everyone ever
born so, so much!
3.
And it all ends in
something called DEATH
4.
What is DEATH?
a.
Death is a curse from the
very first sin in the garden – “ye shall die”
b.
Death is FINAL (Heb 9:27)
c.
Death is TRIPLE in size
1)
Spiritual death –
everyone is born spiritually dead from Adam
2)
Physical death –
everyone is physically dying from the moment they are born – there is no
downhill after 40
3)
Soul death – all
eternity in hell, wishing you could finally be over with
5.
Truly death is enough of a
result of sin, but there is more
a.
It always reaps what it
has sown – spiritual law – disobedience reaps judgment of God
b.
It always reaps more than
was sown. 1 kernel of corn produces 3 ears
c.
It always affects more
than just the sower. See:
1)
Achan – and his family
2)
Koran, Nadab and Abihu –
250 people died
3)
Adam’s sin affected the
whole human race without exception
6.
It is time we realised
just how great the work of Christ was on the cross when He roiled back EVERY
aspect of sin’s curse
D.
The Slyness of Sin
(Heb 3:13) There is a great deal of deceitfulness in sin
1.
It appears fair, but is
filthy.
2.
It appears pleasant, but
is deadly.
3.
It promises much, but
performs nothing.
4.
This is what sin does:
a.
It makes you think you are
right – deceives people into thinking they are justified in the way they are:
1)
Acting – see the way
people drive, and talk, and treat each other
2)
Thinking – people think
their anger, bitterness, envy is justified
3)
In seeking to obtain what
only they want – fell deprived
b.
It makes you numb to
God’s HOLY Spirit – He can’t speak to you!
c.
It makes you a tool of the
devil, instead of to God – The devil takes and uses those who yield to him,
and then throws them away!
E.
The Strength of Sin
(1Cor 15:56) What is the power behind sin’s stronghold on my life? God’s Law
(Rom 6:16)
1.
Sin USES righteousness to
nail the lid on your coffin – what do I mean?
a.
Sin makes you feel filthy
– away from God
b.
Sin uses the righteousness
of the Law to make you feel you will never live up to what God expects
c.
Sin in my life is only
made stronger by God’s righteousness because I realise all the more just how
far away I am from God as a sinner
2.
But thank God that it
doesn’t end here – there is something stronger!
F.
The Solution to Sin
– The Remedy (Acts 20:21)
1.
Fear of God – had to be
there at salvation – has to be today as well!
a.
Not of sin’s
consequences – doesn’t faze people enough
b.
Not the affect on others
in our lives
c.
But a terror of God’s
righteous judgment
1)
The Flood
2)
Sodom and Gomorrah
2.
Repentance towards God –
the basis for any real prayer – constant!
a.
God can’t stand pride
– especially in prayer
b.
God expects us to come as
we are – real, honest
c.
God offers the remedy for
all bondage, if only we empty ourselves
3.
Faith towards our Lord
Jesus Christ (Rom 5:17,20,21; 10:4; Philp 3:9). Can you trust Him more and more,
or less and less – sin will dominate!