Buying Heaven with Make-Believe Money

In other words, who's going to get the Messiah? Is he in the nether world? Is he in the spirit world? Is he down deep?

Is he up high? How can we ever hear from God? Paul wrote to the Colossians, because of the hope you have laid up in heaven of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel. This is not a religion of works. It isn't a religion that's waiting to hear from God. It isn't a religion that needs more rules. It isn't a religion that needs to create something they think God might be pleased with.

The Word has come. What would happen if you went to a store and tried to make a purchase with pretend money from a child's game? Well, clearly you wouldn't get far.

You might even get arrested for trying to steal. But that's essentially what people do when they place the hope of their salvation in a false religion. The truth has come in the person of Jesus Christ. And the only appropriate response is to believe in him. We're continuing through a series on salvation called how to get to heaven from earth.

Steven has a message for you today entitled buying heaven with make believe money. In 1929, the stock market crashed and you know that so many millions of people lost everything they had their homes, their houses, their jobs. Banks went out of business. It was a very, very uniquely difficult time in our history. The man by the name of Charles Darrow was among the many who lost his job as a salesman.

He also had had some experience in the field of heat engineering. He did anything he could do to help his family survive. He had a wife and one child and another one on the way. One night in 1930, Charles sat at his kitchen table and he drew a game out on the tablecloth that he had been inventing in his very creative mind. It was a real estate game. And because everyone had lost so much real estate, he decided that would be sort of the theme. And so he did.

He named streets after streets he knew in his hometown. He used wooden scraps for little houses and hotels, and he used buttons for tokens and free paint to eventually transfer it to a piece of wood. He created little pieces of money the players earned from other players who happened to land on spaces they owned. And above all, everyone earned a regular paycheck as they made their way around the board. Everyone got their paycheck of $200.

They all dreamed of having that, of course, again. If you haven't guessed by now, it's probably because you've never played the game of Monopoly. It wasn't long before word of mouth spread, and Charles Darrow was making two sets a day for his friends, selling them for $4 apiece. Even that didn't keep up, and a printer friend helped him produce eventually six games a day. So eventually he knew he had to either borrow money and begin this business, which would be very risky in that culture, or try to find a game maker or a corporation to buy it. So he mailed a game or two to the corporate headquarters of Parker Brothers. Maybe they would buy from him the rights and give him help in the Depression years. The Parker Brothers executives played the game for a week or so and then turned him down, citing 52 fundamental errors with the game. Among them, the rules were too hard to learn, and secondly, it took longer than 45 minutes to play.

I'll say it does. Dejected, he told his wife the devastating news. In order to fill the Christmas orders that had come in, his printer friend made 5,000 copies, and then it was going to be the end. One store in New York had ordered 200 sets. They'd heard about it, and people were interested. And if you can believe it, one of those sets ended up being purchased by friends of a Mr. Barton, who was the president of Parker Brothers. They invited him over to their home, and they all stayed up until 1 a.m. to finish a game that he was absolutely fascinated with, not knowing his VPs had turned it down. The next day he called his company, and after scolding his VPs when he learned the news, he wrote Charles Darrow and offered him a handsome price as well as royalties for every game that they would sell. In the first year alone, Parker Brothers sold 200,000 sets of Monopoly and made more than a million dollars. Back orders overflowed laundry baskets that were stacked down the hallways of corporate Parker Brothers business. And you can imagine what that must have been like, especially for those VPs to walk by those laundry baskets day after day. All this, though, during the Great Depression, imagine that, at a time when people had little money that they would spend it on a game. In fact, it would be several days' worth of their hard-earned labor. Why would poverty-stricken people in the middle of the Great Depression buy this game?

Well, if you know anything about the game and you understand a little about human nature, why not? For a little bit of money that you can scrape together, you can have the feeling for a few hours of owning it all. You can buy back that house. You can invest in property. You can get a paycheck. You can strut down Park Place. You can own a piece of Pennsylvania Avenue. But it's only a game, right?

The hotels are made of plastic, and the money is only make-believe. The success that you feel is only a passing feeling before the reality of life re-enters. The Israelite of Paul's day had the game mastered. They knew all the rules, and they were committed to spending whatever time necessary to follow the rules. They could strut around Jerusalem. As far as they were concerned, they owned a piece of heaven.

It was theirs. But Paul, in Romans chapter 10, verse 1, has declared that the nation Israel was unsaved, unredeemed. In verse 2, look there, he has effectively stated that their zeal for God was only a game, as it were, that heaven for them was only make-believe.

Their bank accounts of religion, those shrines, you remember we talked about those monuments that they were building for themselves, they were really hollow. It would be like putting all the monopoly money you could find into a vault in the bank. But it would be worthless.

You could do nothing with it. Imagine today after church if I decided to go to Wendy's for lunch, and I pulled up and I got that 20, you know, of monopoly money, and I made my order. He would say a few things to me, I'm sure, but one of them would be something like, we don't take that here.

What are you thinking? We don't accept that kind of money at this establishment. And a few other things I'm sure as he sends me on my way. Well, the Israelite was taking his righteousness and trying to hand it to God, and God through Paul was in effect saying, we don't take that here. We don't accept that kind of currency at this establishment.

That doesn't work here. Well, the Israelite would ask, well, what kind of currency do you take to buy a piece of heaven? Paul answers in verse 3, in effect that heaven only negotiates in the currency of God's righteousness. That is in effect the only kind of money that the bank of heaven will accept. Everything else is monopoly money.

Everything else is plastic. Well, the question would be, well, then how do we get the currency of God's righteousness into the wallets of our souls? How do we do that? And Paul will answer in the place where we'll pick up our study again at verse 4, by saying Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Christ is the end of the law. Now he cannot mean that Christ is the termination of the law, right? He can't mean that since many aspects of God's law in the Old Testament are reiterated in the New Testament.

He means more than that. You could interpret this, I think, in the context of what he's saying in this text to say this, for Christ is the end of legalism. Now the best commentary on Paul here would be the words of Christ himself. He says this in Matthew 5.17. Listen, he says, do not think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets. I did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill the law. I came to fulfill the law. The word fulfill means to bring to its intended meaning.

It's a great text. Because of that, many commentators translate Romans 10, verse 4, Christ is the goal of the law. He is the culmination of the law. He is the intended meaning of the law.

It culminates in him. And I think that's so helpful that I have written into the margin of my Bible the little word goal, and I have drawn an arrow to the word end. Christ is the goal of the law. That is all the Old Testament ceremonies and types of the law pointed to his death and his sacrificial life. The Old Testament moral law pointed to Christ's perfect life. The Old Testament prophecies pointed the way to the one who would come to fulfill them in his incarnation and his crucifixion and his resurrection. That's why Jesus Christ could say, I didn't come to abolish it, to terminate it, to do away with it.

I came to fulfill it. I am bringing the law and the prophets to their intended meaning. Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers, Christ Jesus has become for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Now, does that mean that you have to be wise to be redeemed? Does that mean you have to be sanctified to be redeemed? Does that mean you have to be righteous to be redeemed? The Israelite would say yes. And the more you are of those things, the better off you are. The more you can collect around your game board of life.

That will be impressive. Paul says no. Christ Jesus has become for us the wisdom from God, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Romans chapter 10 verse 4 says virtually the same thing. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness.

Look at your text. To everyone who what? Who is holy? No. To everyone who is wise? No. To everyone who is sanctified?

No. To everyone who what? Who believes. And we will talk about more later of what that verb believes means. Now in this text Paul continues, in fact he begins to develop this contrast of two kinds of righteousness. In fact, if you have a pencil or pen you might circle the many times the word righteousness appears in the first six verses.

It appears six times. You find it in verse 3, God's righteousness. Again at the end of verse 3, the righteousness of God. Verse 4, the end of the law for righteousness. Verse 5, righteousness which is based on the law shall live by that righteousness. Verse 6, but the righteousness based on faith speaks thus. One kind of righteousness that he is talking about here is clay money. It's little plastic houses. It can give you the feeling of spiritual wealth.

It can give you the feeling of spiritual power or holiness. But it's only make believe. The other kind is real. It's authentic. It's genuine currency.

It is created by, it is backed by the divine reserve. Paul writes in verse 5, look there, for Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on the law shall live by that righteousness. Trouble is no one can live by that righteousness. You can render it that standard. You can try to keep the law. You can try to follow the rules, the standards. You can look good.

Paul wrote earlier you can even build that shrine and that monument of our righteousness by good deeds. But it's all a front. It's really just cosmetic. It might look good and we might deny we're doing it but you'd get turned away.

I thought this was kind of funny. In one survey I read about it was found that 38% of the ladies, just women were surveyed, tinted their hair. 15% sometimes wore a wig. 80% wore rouge. 98% wore eyeshadow. 22% wore false eyelashes. 93% wore nail polish. And 100% of the women surveyed voted in favor of condemning any kind of false packaging. You want to meet somebody who looked good?

By the way men do the same thing. We surround ourselves with things that will make people think we're good. You want to meet somebody who was good? Righteous. I mean holy.

The prophet Isaiah. And yet his personal testimony just sort of swipes all those little houses and all that little money off our game board and says we are all unclean. Our righteousness is as filthy what?

Rags. You see the issue is the object of your comparison. Creates all kinds of problems for us doesn't it? We might look at someone that we think we're better than and that'll create a sense of false pride. We're better than they are. We can find a believer that seems to be better than we are and that creates a false sense of insecurity. Well we can't live up.

We're unwise in both pursuits. Here's who you compare yourself with. A holy God and we're all on level ground aren't we? All our righteousness is as filthy rags. In other words we might seem good and feel right and measure ourselves against the purity of God and we'll do exactly what Isaiah did in his personal testimony. We saw that vision of the Lord high and lifted up with the train of his robe filling the temple. The seraphim flying about him with six wings each of them with two covered their faces and with two they covered their feet and with two they flew and they sang back and forth with this incredible cacophony of sound holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts.

The whole earth is full of his glory. And I said Isaiah after seeing that vision and I said I am ruined for I am a man of unclean lips. You you're a prophet. Your lips speak forth the words of God. Oh but Isaiah said when in the presence of a holy God even the lips of a prophet are filthy and unclean. See it has to do with who the object of comparison is. When you compare yourself to the righteousness of the law you cannot even compare to that and certainly the righteousness of Christ you cannot even come close.

I read a news article recently they illustrated this truth of trying to look good within our own minds in our own imagination an armed robber named Dennis Curtis was arrested in 1992 in Rapid City South Dakota when the authorities searched through his belongings in his wallet and things. They found a sheet of paper in his wallet on which he had written some rules his code of conduct for stealing. He had seven rules.

Here they are. Number one I will not kill anyone unless I have to. That's reassuring. Number two I will take cash no checks.

That's brilliant. Three I will rob only at night. Four I will never wear a mask. Five I will not rob mini-marts or 7-eleven stores. Six if I get chased by cops on foot I will get away. If chased by vehicle I will not put the lives of innocent civilians on the line. And seven I will only rob seven months out of the year. That's too good. A thief with a sense of honor and morality. He's got his homemade standards but they're flawed. You might ask him you know what's your life like?

Oh I'm keeping all seven of them. I have never worn a mask. I've never robbed anybody in daylight but when he was brought before the court you remember? You could remember maybe you've gone before the court at some point in time.

You remember how it was? He was not judged according to that sheet of paper. The judge didn't say look get the sheet out now let's just check it out. Did you ever rob anybody in the daylight? Did you mess up and go past seven months and into the eighth month? No.

He was judged by the high law of this state of South Dakota. And we do the same thing. We can. We can make up our own little list.

We'll keep the rules and we'll follow them. We are committed to them and maybe by them we will gain heaven. Heaven is not the prize of some gain. It is a personal gift from Christ to us who believe. But Paul now contrasts in verse six but the righteousness based on faith speaks thus.

Do not say in your heart who will ascend to heaven that is to bring Christ down or who will descend into the abyss that is to bring Christ back up from the dead. What does it say? The word is near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart. Now if you're wondering like I did the first 30 minutes I looked at these verses you're probably asking what do these mean.

Don't panic. Paul is actually quoting an Old Testament passage. In fact as you study the word of God yourself if you ever see a word italicized it was added to give commentary from the translation to us as English readers. If you ever see anything capitalized with all capital letters it means he's quoting from some other passage of scripture.

That's what's happening here. He's quoting from the words of Moses in Deuteronomy Chapter 30 verse 11 to 14. Don't turn there. In fact I want you to look at Romans Chapter 10 and follow along in verses 6 to 8 while I go back and read in my notes from Deuteronomy 30 verses 11 to 14. Moses says to the people he's trying to get them to follow after God's word for this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult nor out of reach. It is not in heaven that you should say who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it that we may observe it. In other words who is going to go to heaven to get the word from God so we can obey it. Verse 13 of this text nor is it beyond the sea that you should say who will cross the sea for us to get it for us so that we can hear it and observe it. In other words do we have to send somebody into the depths of the sea to find the word of God. Moses says the word is near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart that you may observe it.

Did you see the similarity. Now what Paul does as he loosely quotes Moses he adds an application to the New Testament believer after each major contrast. Look at verse 6 of Romans 10. Do not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven.

Here's Paul's application. That is to bring Christ down. In other words if we want the Messiah who's going to go to heaven to get them. How can we go find them.

Keep going. Who will descend into the abyss. Hebrew the sea that is literally the deep. That's where they believe the spirits went after in death. Literally the place of the dead.

Here's Paul's application. Who's going to bring Christ up from the grave. In other words who's going to get the Messiah is he in the netherworld is he in the spirit world is he down deep is he up high. How can we ever hear from God. Paul says it's here.

It's close to you. It's in the mouths of your prophets it's written in the law of your heart. You have all the word from God. You need the Messiah has come in his incarnation. He has descended and risen in his resurrection.

That's as close as it could get. He took our skin and he wore our sandals. The word has come for in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Then what happened the word became flesh and dwelt among us.

John Chapter 1. You don't need another word from God. He has spoken. The Muslim would say no we need another word from another prophet Paul writes here and says no you have the words of Moses.

That is enough. The Mormon would say well we need another gospel added to this one we need the words of Joseph Smith. Paul would say you have the words of Jesus Christ and they are entirely sufficient. Even Timothy as a young child was able to come to salvation by holy scripture. That was a reference to the Old Testament.

Second Timothy 3 15 Paul wrote to the Colossians because of the hope you have laid up in heaven of what you previously heard in the word of truth the gospel. This is not a religion of works. It is a religion that's waiting to hear from God.

It isn't a religion that needs more rules and isn't a religion that needs to create something they think God might be pleased with. The word has come. The gospel is here and in the gospel we discover that we are far worse off than we could have ever imagined.

And we are far more love than we could ever dream. It is not the righteousness of the law. You can't keep it anyway. It is the righteousness of Christ. It isn't a game.

It's a gift. One Bible college student wrote of an unforgettable experience that illustrated this issue of grace through Christ's righteousness. She writes these words in the spring of 2002. I wanted some uninterrupted study time before my final exam at Hannibal College in Missouri when I finally made it to class. Everybody was in there doing their last minute studying.

Ever been there. Of course you have. The teacher came and said he would review with us before the test. Most of his review came right from the study guide he had handed out. But there were some things he was reviewing that we hadn't studied. When questioned about it he said well they were in the book and we were responsible for everything in the book.

You ever heard that. We couldn't argue with that she wrote. Finally it was time to take the test. He handed them out and said leave them face down on the desk until everyone has one and I'll tell you when to start.

The professor was Dr. Thomas hufti when Dr. hufti said begin. We turned our exams over and to my astonishment every answer on the test was already filled in by hand. My name was even written on the front page of the exam in red. At the bottom of the last page Dr. hufti had written I quote this is the end of your exam. All the answers on your test are correct. You're going to receive an A plus on this final exam. The reason because the creator of the test took it for you. All the work you did in preparation may have been a great discipline for your study and life but it did not help you get this A plus.

She writes Dr. hufti then went around the room and asked each student individually with his roll book and what is your grade and they would all say a plus and he would write in a plus and then he would ask them did you deserve this grade and all of them would say of course no. Then he said to the whole class before dismissing them some things you learn from lectures some things you learn from research but some things you learn from experience and this is one you'll never forget. Ladies and gentlemen you have just experienced grace. This is the declaration of the righteousness of Christ deposited into the bankrupt account of the individual who's trying his best to win this game trying to get another plastic piece. Jesus Christ is the end of the exam. He has handwritten all the answers for you.

You had nothing to perform. You had no perfect score to earn in order to have your name entered and there it is in the record or roll book of eternal life your name. And as it were beside it would be this perfect score. It is this gift of Christ's righteousness to our account. Let me give you three closing thoughts that I believe summarize this section of verses a section by the way if you study it a little further you're going to pick up a lot more things but you might notice in verse 4 it begins with a reference to the living word and it ends in verse 8 with a reference to the spoken word this word of faith which we are preaching. Let me give you three thoughts about this message of faith and the gospel of grace. Number one the law was delivered from Mount Sinai.

Grace was delivered from Mount Calvary. One represents the effort of hands laboriously pursuing some way to be accepted by God. The other is the hand of a beggar who reaches out and simply accepts this gift. Number two the righteousness of the law leads to legalism but the righteousness of the Lord leads to liberty. Number three salvation is not the result of a faultless performance it is a relationship with a faultless person.

So we put away the game and we accept the righteousness of Christ and we can say nothing more than thank you to our amazing Savior for his amazing grace and this amazing love. This world is full of people who are trapped in false religions and false belief systems seeking the salvation their heart longs for but in the wrong place. God through Christ offers an invitation to believe and I hope that's true of you today. This is Wisdom for the Heart with Stephen Davey. Stephen calls this message buying heaven with make-believe money. To learn more about the gospel go to wisdomonline.org forward slash gospel. That resource will help you understand the free gift God offers you. Join us again for our next lesson in this series here on Wisdom for the Heart.