Old School Faith (Part A)

They value experience over scripture. Remember the first clause, or the first question of verse 3. What does the scripture say? Well, there is that element that doesn't care what the scripture says, if it doesn't agree with what they want. And they give the silent treatment to the verses that condemn such behavior.

They cherry-pick the scripture. This is Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Romans.

Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about Cross-Reference Radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. But for now, let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Romans chapter 4 with today's edition of Cross-Reference Radio. Paul's letter to the Romans chapter 4 verses 2 and 3. For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say?

Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. It's a little tricky sometimes to choose what verses to select because sometimes the verses just create questions that might take some time to get to. But that sums up a large part of our faith, just those two verses.

For many, Romans, this letter, can be a little difficult to understand, and likely because it goes against natural reasoning. It appeals to spiritual reasoning, however. Spiritual insight, of course, is better, but for that we have to be dependent upon the Lord. Natural thinking will keep the beggar on the dung hill because he must have done something to deserve to be there. Where spiritual thinking looks for a way to get that beggar off that dung hill, and Hannah's words, he raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the dung hill to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory. The Christian is to be focused on solutions, spiritual solutions, according to the scripture, like Paul said in the verses we read. For what does the scripture say? It means everything to the born-again believer. Lazarus the beggar, the outlaw on the cross, human failures saved by Christ. Spiritual approaches according to the scripture, that's what we are to be about. And if God can find a way to save the outcast soul, may I learn to stay out of his way.

May I be useful to him. And his salvation, of course, manifested throughout the Bible, detailed for us in this Roman letter. He details salvation. And it's also difficult because he's, in this Roman letter, he's largely dealing with the complexities of Judaism and Gentiles coming into the church. Where does that line up with the Old Testament? There's a lot going on here to sort through.

And this also explains some of the difficulties. How unlike heaven it would be if people could buy their way in or earn their way into heaven. It wouldn't be heaven.

It'd be more of this stuff. Bribes, and it just wouldn't work. And God has made it clear that is not how it works because that doesn't work. The one whom Jesus saves is the one who comes to him and remains submitted to him.

Jesus emphasizes in John's Gospel in chapter 15, to bide with me. I'm not fooling around. Stay with me.

Is it too much to ask? Now, many claim to believe in salvation by faith, but not salvation by faith alone. This is big. We believe in salvation by faith alone, in Christ alone, through the scriptures alone. This is a big part of fundamental biblical Christianity.

The word alone is the divide which separates us from many other groups. And one in particular is Roman Catholicism. One of the great differences between the Protestants and the Roman Catholics is how we take that word alone. It was the watchword of the Reformation. Now, I'm not a Protestant. I did not protest and come out of Roman Catholicism, but I understand the history of it and how meaningful it is.

And you want to say, well, it took you long enough. You can't say that, but it is a very important part of understanding historical Christianity. Roman Catholicism, for example, believes in the salvation by faith, but as I said, not in faith alone. They believe in the value of the blood of Christ, but not in the value of the blood alone. There's got to be something else, and works as a large part of it.

Here's an example. They accept that Christ is the mediator between God and man, but not that Christ is the mediator alone. That's where Mary comes into their theology, unfortunately. But what does the scripture say? There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.

It can't make it any clearer. And so, what happens to those who read those words and dismiss it? Roman Catholicism acknowledges the authority of the scriptures. But not the authority alone.

There are subsequent authorities, alternate authorities. In Romans 4, that we're going to consider this morning, the portion I hope we get to, Paul demonstrates that salvation is by faith alone, apart from any deeds, apart from any rituals. By faith, by faith we come to Christ. I believe scripture alone is the rule of God for man.

All secondary authorities must come under that primary rule. For instance, the preaching from the pulpit. It is under the authority of the scripture. That's why we give cross-references, to validate the points that we make. And many times, they're lost on the audience because the audience doesn't know the scripture.

They may not care to, or just hasn't gotten there yet. So all secondary authority is derived from the authority of the scriptures and is therefore subject to the scriptures. The pulpit is subject to the Bible, as we Christians want to keep it that way. Sola Scriptura, scripture alone, establishes the spiritual and the moral behavior of our lives. It is our authority and we love it so. I love when Jesus said, he who believes in me, as the scriptures have said, out of his heart will flow torrents of living water. How can you improve upon that? How would somebody have the audacity to say, yeah but?

But they do. Whole doctrines, whole denominations, whole religions, whole millions of people, if not into the billions. God grants forgiveness of sinners, and they are received through faith alone, excluding good deeds. And that's what Paul's talking about here. And he's going to go old school on this. He's going to go all the way back to make his point to the Jewish people, as far back as he can go amongst the Hebrews. Because before Abraham was, there were others that were believers also, and they were not Hebrews. It was Abel, it was Enoch, Job. But for the Hebrew's sake, and that's who his audience is, we're going to find that out in the first verse, he goes to Abraham. Now looking at verse one, keeping all that I said in mind, or at least not understanding that we're building on the things I just said because of what Paul has in this section of scripture for us. What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? What about Abraham and how he lived?

The question and answer format. In anticipation of objections, that's why he's doing it this way. That's why he presents this with a question. Having already explained that man has nothing to boast from God. In chapter 3 in verses 20 and 21, he lays that out. He's reasoning from the scripture.

He's coming back around. He's hitting it again because it was that entrenched in their thinking, illustrating his point through the Bible, using the great Jewish hero of faith, Abraham. What about Abraham's deeds versus Abraham's faith? That's what he's saying here.

That's what it means, that first verse. He's addressing the ethnic Jewish people, and that's why he says, what about Abraham our father? He wouldn't say that to Gentiles. Proselytes could fit into that, those converts from Gentiles that converted to Judaism, but he's talking to the Jewish people.

And this is not a slam against any ethnic group. He's dealing with theology, the thinking of the people when it comes to God. He himself being Jewish, tracing the Jewish faith back to Abraham, who pleased God. How did he do that?

That's what he's asking. How did Abraham please God, class? By faith, not ritual, not deed.

You say, well, I get that. Yeah, but this was so important then, and it's alive and sick still. Today, there are many people who still think like this outside of Judaism, but before we get to that, this had to be dealt with. It would have stripped the church dry, and this is old school. The circumstances of Abraham's life teach a proper relationship with God. That's why we love Abraham.

If you were a private detective and you were hired to follow Abraham, he'd probably be the easiest character in scripture to follow. You just go from altar to altar, because he littered the landscape with them. He'd go somewhere, build an altar, leave that altar. The pagans wouldn't do that, but he did that, and he'd go on and make another altar, a man who loved to worship God. But with this relationship with God, God promised to make Abraham a great nation and to give him a land we know as the promised land, which Satan is determined to mess up if he can.

We're watching this go on. Remember to pray for Israel. God called Abraham to Canaan and promised him the land and a son.

Those were essential elements. If he was going to be a great nation, a blessing to all peoples, how is he going to do this without land, and how is he going to do this without a child? His wife Sarah was barren, and the only way that this could go forward with any degree of success was through faith. It's not a good faith. It's not something Abraham did to bring these things about.

It seemed impossible, yet he believed God. And for this reason, the Holy Spirit points to Abraham's faith as a template to all believers. I mean, just Galatians 3-6, Hebrews 11-8 and 11-17, they're worth reading about Abraham.

I'm not quoting them because of time. He says here, "...has been found according to the flesh." We're rereading verse 1. What then shall we say about Abraham, our father, has found according to the flesh? What has he found according to the flesh? Well, the flesh in the Scripture has a couple of meanings.

The context will give us that. Flesh and blood, for example, that's the physical body. 1 Corinthians 15 and 15, "...now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." There has to be a change, and this body won't make it into heaven, and we're all glad of that. But then the flesh, just the flesh, is spiritually that part of me that does not listen to God, doesn't even want to listen to God, cannot be redeemed, cannot be fixed.

It has to be overcome through the spiritual nature, the spiritual man. So the flesh here, though, in verse 1, is his human effort. What about Abraham according to his human effort? He's trying to show the Jews that you can't earn favor with God. You can gain rewards with God, but not salvation.

And so verse 2, "...for if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God." Can you imagine getting to heaven and saying, well, you owe me? It is laughable, right?

I'm glad you're laughing. That's, it is laughable, and yet people live this way. Even many churchgoers still think this way.

I don't think they think this way here, because we get them. It's a joke. Even this hero has nothing to boast to God. No IOU markers on God. No contradiction exists between what Paul is saying here and what James is saying in chapter 2 of James' letter. James speaks about serving faith, the outcome of believing faith. There's the faith that you have when we trust God, you come to him and you receive salvation, and then the outcome of that is trusting God as you serve, as you do things for the Lord. Those of you who serve in the church, you, I hope you depend on God as you go about your duties. You're trusting God's going to bless you. You're going to get everything right.

You're going to protect you. That's serving faith. Paul speaks of saving faith, trusting the grace of Jesus Christ. That's what he's talking about here, through the cross of Christ. And if you claim that God justifies do-gooders, then you have to be asked on what grounds do you make that statement. You don't have to answer. I know what you, you just made it up.

You heard some, you're repeating what somebody else made up. Nowhere in scripture does it say that God justifies, in other words, saves the souls of do-gooders. In fact, Paul's going to go on to say that the ungodly are saved.

We'll get to that soon. Faith is the root. Deeds are the fruit. Nothing, I like the way this is in, under the circumstances of this life. I mean, in heaven things will change and fall for the better, but right now it's a bit rugged. There is this sacred fallacy.

When I say sacred, as you better not touch this, or else you're going to run into an argument, resistance, you'll be disliked. The faulty argument is this, that man has some amber, just even an amber of goodness, which all it needs is a little fanning for it to flame, for God to like him. That there's something good enough about us that God will like.

It's the other way around. We're sinners. And all our righteousness like filthy rags, that's what the Bible says. And I'm not even stressing the emphasis placed upon that scripture verse that the Hebrew places upon it. Suffice it to say, your righteousness won't impress God. Faith is what appeals to God, and for good reason. Go back to the Garden of Eden, had Eve just trusted God's word, things would have been different.

Snake would have been on the menu that day. Yeah, yeah, I know. Anyway, this cherished fallacy of depending on one's righteousness and one's religion is rebuked throughout the New Testament. And again, it wouldn't be heaven if men were allowed to earn their way in, to buy their way in. And the Bible in this fourth chapter obliterates this ruinous assumption, using Abraham and then David, biblical heroes, to show this truth. To show that no human being may earn their salvation. Verse three now, for what does the scripture say?

Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. And so there's the apostle added again. Shouldn't all Christians roll that way?

Shouldn't we all? What does the Bible say? What does the scripture say?

I don't want to hear about the latest fad or what everybody's doing. What does the Bible say? That's what I want to know. I cannot have fellowship with someone who claims to belong to Christ, but denies that the Bible is trustworthy. Now, I didn't say they're my enemy.

I didn't say that I could not be friendly with them. But I cannot enter into that sweet fellowship that we enter into with other Christians. Because these are carriers of a spiritual disease called doubt. Doubt is ruinous.

It's everywhere. Jesus said that his word would not pass away. Heaven and earth will pass away.

My word will not. So I choose to agree with Christ and disagree with those who disagree with Christ. And I really don't care too much what the consequences to that are. I would like the person to say, you know, I like your approach better. I'm going to also believe that.

That's what I would like. But if they say, well, we can't, you know, we can't be friends anymore. Well, then that would be the way it would be. So I happen to disagree with those who disagree with Christ. And I'm not ashamed of that. But there's no malice in this. It's not that I'm looking for their destruction.

It's quite the opposite. Present them with the truth. Looking for a solution to that dumbed down approach to Christianity. Well, the Bible, you know, is not trustworthy.

That was printed in hell. And if you're foolish enough to believe it, you may find yourself locked out of heaven, not careful. We are experiencing great influences in this country throughout the world by those, many of those who lead in churches and attend churches because they are under the sway of the world, the sway of the devil. And part of this is because they value experience over scripture. Remember the first clause or the first question of verse three. What does the scripture say? Well, there is that element that doesn't care what the scripture says if it doesn't agree with what they want. And they give the silent treatment to the verses that condemn such behavior. They cherry pick the scripture. Jude said, these are sensual persons who cause divisions, not having the spirit. Experience must always be tested by doctrine, and doctrine comes from scripture, not from what we feel.

This is old school. Jeremiah chapter 16. Jeremiah appealed to his own people.

So why don't we go with the Bible? In those days in Israel, before there were, you know, sidewalks and asphalted roads, the pathways were cut by the local people. When Jesus gave the parable of the sower, he said some of the seed fell by the wayside. Because if you had a big open field and you were a farmer, well folks aren't going to go walk all the way around your field.

They're going to cut through it. Well, it was customary that the people would stay on one path and wouldn't cut, you know, different paths trampling its crops. And so when the farmer goes to sow the seed in the parable, some of the seed fall on the wayside. That's one of those pathways cutting through his field.

And that was acceptable. And this is the case, you know, many places you want, if you stay on the beaten path, you're safer than if you try to trailblaze something as just a local person or a visitor. Jeremiah was using this as metaphor. And there in chapter 6, he says to his people who were off the path, thus says the Lord, stand in the ways and see and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it. Then you will find rest for your souls.

And then he adds this, the prophet does, because he doesn't want anybody to forget that this is what some of them did. But they said we will not walk in it. We don't want the old school. There are some things we don't want. I don't want an old school dentist.

I don't want any pain at all. But when it comes to the faith, I want to know what God has established and has declared immovable. And that is a bulk of the scripture. We are a different people because we have a different leader and a different pathway to that leader. And we're unashamed of this.

And we need to stay that way. In fact, we need to also recognize why. Why are we unashamed?

Well, because if we're ashamed of it, well, that's one problem that causes other problems. But one big thing is how will you ever be used as part of the solution to lost souls? If no one knows you're a believer, if no one knows or sees the passion you have for Christ, if maybe you're not very inspired as a Christian, maybe you've been slapped around enough in life that the passion is gone, you are not excused. You and I as believers are required to remain inspired no matter what happens in our lives, whether we're swallowed up by a big fish or not.

We are to remain passionate about Jesus Christ. This goes back to not feeling but believing. I don't have to feel this. Inspiration is not an emotional thing only.

I have to know it. I don't have to feel, boy, I'm not in the spirit today. Yeah, I am because I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. No matter what my mood might be, why would that be something that would be frowned upon by any believer? You know, there are many authors who are afraid of seeing the holiness of God, but they're not afraid to make up things about God, which is the opposite or an element of being opposite. We are to take our instructions from the Lord and not those who tamper with his word. In Leviticus 10, Moses told Aaron that there was a specific way to approach God and a way not to approach him. There in Leviticus 10, we read about that story, and Aaron lost two of his sons because they were disobedient.

And Moses, this is what I meant when God must be regarded as holy. The irreverent gives space again to those verses that they like and the silent treatment to the ones they dislike. Thanks for joining us for today's teaching on Cross-Reference Radio. This is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia.

We're currently going through the book of Romans. If you're in need of hearing this message again or want to listen to others like it, head over to crossreferenceradio.com. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast too, so you'll never miss another edition. Just go to your favorite podcast app to subscribe. On our website, you'll be able to learn a little more about the ministry of Cross-Reference Radio, so make a note of it, crossreferenceradio.com. That's all we have time for today, but thanks so much for listening. Pastor Rick will be back next time in the book of Romans here on Cross-Reference Radio.