The Dark Side - Part B

That's what the law is. It's a mirror for us to look in and go, oh, that's, oh, that's me? That's what I look like?

Those are the things that I struggle with? Oh, that's bad. And the mirror's like, yeah, it is bad. You should do something about it.

What can you do about it? We're going to find the answer in just a second. See, the law is a preparation for the gospel. The gospel is the provision. Once we accept our diagnosis as sinful, only then can we receive God's remedy. Today on Connect with Skip Heitzig, Skip's son Nate Heitzig shares about the freedom and hope you have in Christ alone.

Now we want to tell you about a resource that will encourage you to boldly live out your faith so you can make a difference for Christ. The desire to fit in, to be thought of as normal, is a basic human instinct. But would you believe that children as young as three years old already want to follow the crowd and fit in with the group? That's what researchers found in a Duke University study. Yet in the Bible, we learn that some of the people who've made the most impact have done so by defying normal.

Here's Skip Heitzig. I think the Bible calls us to a holy defiance of the status quo. Paul the Apostle said, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

So what does it take to go from conformed to transformed? Find out in Pastor Skip's book, Defying Normal. Our thanks to you when you give $35 or more to help expand this Bible teaching ministry. And when you give today, we'll also include the booklet, What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren.

Get your copies of these two bold resources when you call 800-922-1888 or give online securely at connectwithskip.com slash offer. Okay. We're in Romans chapter three as Nate Heitzig starts today's study. Paul carries it a step further and he says, none seek after God. So not only is there none righteous, there's none good. There's no one who even seeks after God.

Now you would think that with all the religious belief systems, this simply could not be true. Paul is not saying that man is not religious because unfortunately we are incurably so. Rather, Paul is saying that religion is man's search for God. Well, Christianity is God's search for man. See, a lot of us want to have this quest by which we find righteousness, by which we find God. We want to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps, pull ourselves out of the muck and the mire, and we want to be the ones to find God. And in doing so, believe that that will make us righteous. But Christianity is based on the fact that it's not until we humble ourselves and give up and say, I can't do this journey on my own. So I'm going to sit here in the muck and the mire until you find me.

And then when you find me, I will graciously give my life to you. And in doing so, that is where I'll find righteousness. See, God was never lost.

We are. And God is seeking to save that which was lost. See, the bottom line why many don't want to come to Jesus Christ is simply because they bristle at the thought that they are hopelessly sinful. They just can't take the step to admit that they're wrong, to admit that they are marred by the stain of sin, to admit that they don't have it all together, that they don't understand everything. They can't come to that place and admit that they need Jesus. They're unwilling to accept God's assessment as to the sinful nature of their being. And so they say, I don't like that diagnosis, God. I don't like that test.

That seems unfair. So I'm going to get a second opinion. I'm going to go into the world and see what the world has to say about how good I am. I'm going to go to self-help books and gurus and Hollywood and the gym. And I'm going to do drugs and alcohol and find women or men who can please me. And I'm going to find my self-worth and satisfaction there because I don't like your opinion. But understand this, there was no one else that you can go to who will tell you the truth besides Jesus. He's the only one who will tell you the truth about who you are.

Think of it this way. Let's say that you're going to the doctor for a routine checkup and in the midst of the checkup and doing all the tests, the doctor says that he found something that's concerning on a scan and he thinks that it might be cancer. He tells you that he wants to do a few more tests on you because potentially you could die of this cancer if you don't take it seriously. You have two options at that point. You can either trust the doctor and the medical experience and the knowledge that he has and submit yourself to him and say, all right, I'm all yours. Do what you got to do.

Let's take care of this. Or you can say, I don't like your opinion. I don't like that you told me that I'm sick or that I have cancer. So I'm going to go get a second opinion. You go out into the street and you find Joe Schmo and you say, hey, I'll give you $100 if you tell me that I'm okay.

Well, that's the easiest money that guy's ever made. It doesn't mean it's true. There's only one person you can go to who will tell you the truth and help you with your predicament.

That's the doctor. The same is true with our spiritual lives. Some of us don't like the opinion that God has given of our character. And we don't want to submit to his knowledge and his guidance and let him change us and transform us and help us grow. And so we say, I'm going to go to the world.

So I'm going to give this book or this doctor, this person my money to tell me that I'm okay. But there's no one else who will tell you the truth except for Jesus. The very fact that men react against this teaching is simply one more proof of it.

They love the lie that they are good more than the truth that they are sinners. So now we've seen up to verse 17 that the charges have been leveled against us. Now let's move to our second point and that is the judgment is issued.

The charges have been leveled and now the judgment is issued. Let's look at verse 18 through 20 as we see our next point judged by his word. Now we know that whatever the law says it says to those who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God underline that word guilty. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin. In verse 18 just before that Paul says that there is none who fear God. No one has the fear of God. And in the first chapter of Romans this was mentioned as the reason for humanity falling into sin in the first place.

Romans 1 28 says and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them over to a debased mind to do those things that are not fitting. The fear of God is so important within a believer's life. I believe it's one of the crucial things that we have to understand and understand really what it is because there's a lot of misconceptions about what the fear of God is. The fear of God is not like Bruce Almighty talks about a giant bully with a magnifying glass burning ants and worthy ants. That's not what the fear of God is about. It's not some horror film type of fear when we see God we shriek and we're terrified of him. It's not the fear of discipline it's the fear of displeasing. Proverbs 16 6 says by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil. This is why during the tribulation period things get so spiritually dark because the church is raptured and man casts off all restraint or as we talked about a few weeks ago when we address the Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit is removed and the salt and light you and I are taken away the mystery of lawlessness will be revealed because there's no one on earth that has the fear of the Lord has the knowledge of God and as you read all the passages in the Bible concerning the fear of the Lord you quickly realize it's not about being frightened by God or what he will do to you rather it's a word that speaks of awe and reverence it is a wholesome dread of displeasing him because of what he's done for you this is why the scripture says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom if you can get to this place within your life everything else will fall into balance if you can have a healthy fear of God and if you can combine that with a love for God you will get to the place of understanding why we serve God why we do things for God why we read our Bible we don't read our Bible because it's like a test and if we don't read our Bible we're going to fail and the principle is going to slap our hands with a ruler we don't serve God out of fear that if we fail to do so we're going to get in trouble we do so because we love God we do so because we have a holy awe that we don't want to displease him 2 Corinthians 5 9 says so we make it our goal to please him whether we are at home in the body or away from it for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body whether good or bad since then we know what it is to fear the Lord we try to persuade men what we are is plain to God and I hope it also is plain for your conscience and then in 2 Corinthians 5 14 just five verses later he says the love of Christ constrains me the love of Christ constrains me let's read verse 19 again Paul says in Romans chapter 3 now we know that whatever the law says it says to those who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God there's an important realization that we come to here in this place and that is this the law was not given to make a person righteous as a matter of fact it's impossible for the law to make a person righteous Paul says we know that whatever the law says it says to those who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God the law was meant to show us beyond the shadow of a doubt that every single one of us is a sinner Galatians tells us it was like a schoolmaster driving us to Christ when we look at all the righteous requirements of the law it should drive us to Christ you know we like to think that it's there to make us righteous and and many people do believe that the law is there to make you righteous and they're like man it's just 10 things so if I do those 10 things then I'm good that's all I got to do but there's so much more than that because these 10 things grow as we talk about things of the heart things of the mind things of the mouth it's more than just not murdering somebody it's not hating somebody it's more than just not having sex with somebody it's not lusting after them with your eyes it's more than just not stealing from somebody it's having envy and jealousy about what that person has and wanting what that person has I mean that's instagram 101 right instagram should just be called jealousy gram it's like just what does that person have I want that I want what they have what they have it's hardwired into us it's not meant to make us righteous it's meant to show us that it's impossible for us to be righteous it's meant to show us how unrighteous we are because apart from Christ we are hopeless verse 20 Paul continues on he says by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight I want to point this out because we're going to come back to this in just a second it doesn't say that there's no possibility of being justified rather it says by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified by the law by keeping commandments by trying to be good there's no possibility of being justified see the law is just a moral mirror that's all the law is if you go look in the mirror this afternoon and you don't like what you see you can't blame the mirror it's not the mirror's fault and also the mirror can't change you the mirror's not there to change you you can't look in the mirror and say I don't like that let's try another one and then it will change you no the mirror is simply there to show you to challenge you to tell you hey if you don't like what you see do something about it go to the gym start eating better go to bed earlier it's just meant to show you what's there not to change what's there it condemns it doesn't convert it challenges it doesn't change it points the finger it doesn't show mercy that's what the law is it's a mirror for us to look in and go oh that's who that's me that's what I look like those are the things that I struggle with oh that's bad and the mirror's like yeah it is bad you should do something about it what can you do about it we're going to find we're going to find the answer in just a second see the law is a preparation for the gospel the gospel is the provision the law is just a preparation for the gospel the gospel is the provision of the law paul is saying that mankind has no defense and is guilty of all charges but just in case there's a few exceptionally self-righteous religious people in the room that think that they're perfect paul kind of closes out by saying there's no salvation through keeping the law even if you want to try even if you want to give it your good college effort there's no salvation there's no justification through keeping the law because we're unable to no one no matter how holy can obey god perfectly and under the law there can be only one sentence and that sentence is death so if you want to give it a go go for it if you want to try and get to heaven by being a good person go ahead but I want to let you know it's a battle you've already lost before you've even begun you are already sentenced to death because it's impossible all are guilty the ignorant pagan the religious person the moralist all are guilty if you're watching law and order this would be the point in the show where everyone gasps this is the moment in the show when judge jesus says all right can the accused stand and everyone stands and some people are sitting there thinking man this guy is definitely guilty but I'm okay you know I'm pretty good I go to church twice a week I read my bible I sing those songs you should hear me sing oceans oh it's good we're thinking we're okay we're thinking that the the the judgment is going to be set free and then all of a sudden jesus says guilty that guy no everyone you're all guilty all of humanity are guilty of having a sinful nature and all of us go verse 19 says every mouth might be stopped absolute silence is the only possible response as we realize the sin that we're guilty of and the punishment of that sin see before god our best defense is useless our protests are ceased before they're even said and here we are without defense because of the one who is leveling the charges now I know this all sounds pretty hopeless you're like man I came to church to be encouraged today nate it's 2020 this message sucks come on give me something that will help me get through tuesday something it all sounds hopeless and I'll be honest in one sense it is we've all sinned we can't help ourselves that's the reality and it might cause us like joe to ask the question how can a man be right before god well the holy spirit through the apostle paul has revealed these sins in our character our conduct and our conversation to show us some simple truths and that is that we must stop looking within ourselves for the resources and answers that we need and instead in absolute weakness and helplessness we need to turn to god this all sounds hopeless this all sounds bleak but there's some good news romans 5 8 says well we were yet sinners christ died for us first john 1 9 says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness so there's no one righteous there's no one good we need to understand there's somebody who will impart his good and his righteousness to you so that when you stand before judge jesus you can be declared set free because of what he did not because of what you did and that leads us to our final point as we close and that is that we are pardoned by his compassion we are charged by our conduct we are judged by his word but we are pardoned by his compassion let's read verses 21 through 26 as we come to a close but now the righteousness of god apart from the law is revealed being witnessed by the law and the prophets even the righteousness of god through faith in jesus christ to all and on all who believe for there is no difference for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of god being justified freely by his grace grace underline that word justified through the redemption underline that word that is in christ jesus whom set forth as a propitiation by his blood through faith to demonstrate his righteousness because in his forbearance god has passed over the sins that were previously committed to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness that he might be just in the justifier of the one who has faith in jesus scripture makes it clear there is indeed a way to god but that way is not based on anything we can do to achieve it or to merit it john macarthur put it this way as far as the way of salvation is concerned there are only two religions that the world has ever or will ever know the religion of divine accomplishment which is biblical christianity and the religion of human accomplishment which includes all other kinds of religion by whatever names they might go under paul up to this point in romans has showed us the hopelessness of our situation up till this point but chapter 3 verse 21 paul shifts gears see he's been sharing with you the severity of your situation because you won't accept god's remedy for your sin if you don't first accept his diagnosis again it's like being at a doctor and them telling you have cancer oftentimes they're going to let you know the worst case scenario they're going to let you know what that cancer could do to your body and what it could ultimately lead to which might be death and they're going to share with you the severity of the diagnosis so that you're ready and willing to accept the remedy for the diagnosis and that's what god has done here he wants you to take the remedy for sin but he realizes you won't unless you fully understand and accept the diagnosis the first 20 verses were the diagnosis and here is the cure scripture makes it clear there is a way to god mark twain was asked what the two greatest words in the english language were you want to know what his response was not guilty aren't those great words especially when you know you're guilty especially when you know you've done something wrong hearing those words not guilty this is what happens in romans at this point that judge who is holy whose righteous requirements we can't possibly satisfy in essence takes off his robes puts down his gavel and comes down to us who are guilty and welcomes us in love verse 24 tells us how verse 24 look at it with me it says it is by his grace and now we come and we're going to close with three often used words in the christian vocabulary and that is justification redemption and propitiation verse 24 says that we are justified we are justified we are justified this means to declare the rightness of something not symbolically or potentially but actually just as if it never happened we like to say that we are justified it is just as if i'd never sinned when we come to jesus christ through his grace and we accept what he has given it is just as if we had never sinned and why is it that we are viewed in that way it's because of the redemption that jesus christ has paid upon our behalf this is the second word redemption it carries the idea of delivering something especially by the means of paying a price it was commonly used of paying a ransom to free a prisoner from his captors or paying a price to free a slave from their master now this is something that we should all readily understand because it's a popular theme in movies and tv shows it's the hostage situation right hostages are taken by somebody and somebody else has to pay a price for the hostage captor to release those people into freedom imagine how amazed you'd be if say in one of those tv shows the president of the united states offered to trade himself for the hostages being held it'd be such a great sacrifice right redemption but god did far more than that when he offered himself in our place to take the wrath that we deserved he took it upon himself we were guilty we weren't free we weren't innocent he paid the price of himself he traded himself so that we guilty sinners could be set free this is redemption it is by that redemption that we are justified in verse 25 our last word that i want to point out is the word propitiation it's a beautiful word it's a word that carries the idea of total complete appeasement or satisfaction 100 paid for you need to understand this it doesn't matter what you've done in this world doesn't matter how unrighteous or how not good you are doesn't matter what your past looks like you need to understand that god is satisfied with what jesus did at calvary he might not be satisfied with what we've done but he is satisfied with what jesus has done at calvary the righteous requirements of the law were met through the person of jesus christ it is completely satisfied and we can be redeemed the price can be paid for us to experience that same justification that jesus christ gives if we freely accept it by the grace in which he gives it that's what paul is saying there's none righteous there's no one good we're all charged by our conduct we're all judged by his word but if you'll let him he will pardon you based on his compassion right now this morning you might be trapped in some kind of a sin right now your situation might be helpless it might look hopeless to you but remember this falling into sin doesn't condemn anybody staying in it does edwin lewis cole said you don't drown by falling in the water you drown by staying there every one of us has fallen into the water we're all born into sin born with the sin nature the dark side you don't have a say in that you can't control that it's a decision that adam made but also you don't have to face its penalty or its consequences if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us cleanse us of all unrighteousness so there is no one righteous but there is a god who loves you who is righteous and who will impart that righteousness to you and forgive you and cleanse you if you ask them to that concludes nate heitzig's message from the series 2020 now here's Skip with an important message for you we love sharing how your support is bringing others closer to jesus than ever before listen to this note a listener sent in dear Skip i've been listening to your archived messages during my long commute over the last five years in the process of stuffing myself with the word i've become so motivated to share all the wonderful promises and truths i've been learning and have been unable to keep them to myself it had taken me almost 30 years to find your teachings messages i could actually understand and relate to you know letters like this are possible because of friends like you who give so we can get god's word out to more people if you're interested in helping encourage more people with god's word keep listening to hear how you can do that through your gift of support today visit connectwithskip.com slash donate to give a gift that's connectwithskip.com slash donate or call 800-922-1888 800-922-1888 thank you for your generosity come back tomorrow as Skip Heitzigen lays out god's plan of salvation for the world and for you make the connection connect with Skip Heitzigen is a presentation of connection communications connecting you to god's never changing truth in ever-changing times