Radio Broadcast Tuesday 10/22/2024

Classic Christianity – Book of Romans P11 (10-22-24)

Trust in Jesus, Not in Law Keeping

“Know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” Galatians 2:16

We are continuing where we left off in the previous radio broadcast. Note, because many of the original messages were nearly an hour long, and to fit it in to our current radio time slots we needed to edit it so that there will be some repeating of the message itself from one day to the next. However, these are all very important points that need to be covered today. Because there are indeed people spreading the lies of Satan, that salvation is all about some form of law keeping. You’ve got to do this, you’ve got to do that, you’ve got to perform for Jesus are some of the lies that are spread by false teachers. And with this type of false teaching, they cannot tell you how much of a performance is required to be saved. Which is no different than being a Catholic by the way, yet many Protestants teach this and believe it. They will say, “YOU MUST perform righteousness, YOU MUST do good works, YOU MUST have fruit production, YOU MUST endure till the end (and never defining what that means).” And they never put a how much of this stuff you MUST do. They will even say, “perfection is NOT required to be saved, but YOU’VE got to make sure you are doing” this or that. But God says the exact opposite, only PERFECTION will do. And how perfect? As perfect as our FATHER in heaven. So that right there puts a hammer down on everyone, for there is no person righteous, no not one. Only Jesus, God in flesh is the RIGHTEOUS ONE of God.

“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48

There is only one way to be perfect in the sight of God, and that is to be in Christ Jesus. If a person is not in Christ, they are standing in their own self-righteousness, which is as filthy rags according to God. “Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.” Isaiah 64:6 So the bottom line is, who are you going to believe, God or Man? The choice is yours, and there are ultimate consequences to who you listen to. If you trust in God, you have eternal Life. If you trust in Man, then the wrath of God remains on you, which is death. It’s truly a Life and Death decision.

Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?”
Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” John 6:28,29

~ "Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, each one who is judging. For in that which you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, for you, the one judging, do the same things. But we know that the judgment of God upon those practicing such things is according to truth. Now do you suppose this, O man, the one judging those practicing such things and doing them yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart, you are treasuring up to yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God, who “will give to each according to his works,” to those who indeed with endurance in good work are seeking glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those of self-interest and disobeying the truth, but being persuaded about unrighteousness, wrath and anger; tribulation and distress upon every soul of man working evil, both of Hebrew first, and also of Greek; but glory and honor and peace to everyone doing good, both to Hebrew first, and to Greek. For there is no partiality with God.

For as many as have sinned without the Law also will perish without the Law; and as many as have sinned in the Law will be judged by the Law, for not the hearers of the Law are righteous with God; but the doers of the Law will be justified.

For when Gentiles, not having the Law, do by nature the things of the Law, these not having the Law are a law to themselves, who show the work of the Law, written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and the thoughts between one another accusing or also defending them on that day when God will judge the secrets of men according to my gospel, by Christ Jesus.” Romans 2:1-16

Pray to God:

Do you really want to know the WHOLE Truth of what is going on today?

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

Lord Jesus, teach me the truth of the world today and give me the wisdom to know the truth and identify the lies of the devil. Thank you God.”

~ “Now turn over to Romans 3:20 and what I’m doing this for is so that you can see, don’t stop reading. Don’t read something like this and say, oh, there it is. Keep reading, and you’ll get an explanation of why it’s there, because it is there. And here’s a reason why it’s there, and we’re going to point out the reason. So go over to 3:20, verse, 3:20, what does that say? Therefore, now there’s the therefore, guys, what’s a therefore, therefore? It’s a conclusion. It’s the conclusion to all of this. Therefore, I’m going to put a conclusion and a period on this thing. Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in the sight, in God’s sight by observing the law. Rather, it’s through the law that we become what? Conscious of sin. What was the purpose of the law then? To make you what conscious of what? Sin. What was the purpose of making you conscious of sin? To let you know that you’re a sinner. Are we all together, all alive and well and awake? If I’m made conscious of sin, then it makes me conscious, then I then I must be a what? Sinner, and a sinner is dead. And what does a dead person need? Life. That’s the purpose of the law to show me I’m a sinner and that the consequence of sin is death. Death, and a dead person needs life, and there’s only one person that can give life to the dead, and that’s the resurrected Jesus. You think Buddha can bring you back to life? Mohammed, the Pope, Luther? Only Jesus can bring death to life. And that’s the purpose, that’s the therefore of this passage is to show us that no man will be declared righteous in the sight of God through obedience to the law. Well, then what’s he saying this for? It is not those who hear the law who are righteous, but it’s those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. What is he saying? Has anyone ever obeyed the law? Has anyone ever been declared righteous through obedience to the law? No. So what’s he saying that for? To show you, if you’re under the law, this is how you’re going to be declared righteous under the law, total obedience. James said it did he not, if you’ve kept the whole law and yet violated. And just what? One point you violate how much of it? All of it. What do you say to that? Well, watch my smoke. You say, I’ve had it. And God says, now you got it. When you know you’ve had it, you got it. Now you’re ready for the cross and the resurrection. So we read these things, folks, and many times you will find people who want to teach legalism. They’ll use these passages like this and try to bury people with it. Say, See there. It says right there, and that’s what? Right there, right there. You gotta obey the law.” ~ Bob George

Bible Study Booklets

Join Bob George in this chapter by chapter exposition of the letter to the Romans. Available for download the complete series on the Book of Romans. Romans has been described as the most dynamic, life changing document ever penned. It is a study in systematic theology, a defense of the Gospel, and a practical guide to Christian living all in one.

Announcer 0:12
Welcome to Classic Christianity Radio with Bob George Bob’s clear, timeless teachings on the complete forgiveness and unconditional love of Jesus Christ will transform your life as you learn about God’s amazing grace. Let’s join Bob as he teaches us from God’s Word.

Bob George 0:27

So he says, Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. When God judges, it’s based on truth, not on circumstances, on truth. So it says, when you a mere man, when God judges something, he judges it according to truth. But you a mere man, you pass judgment on something and yet do the same things, don’t you? Do you think you’ll escape God’s judgment? So in other words, God, when He judges something, he judges it because it’s true. He sees what’s in the heart and he judges it. We we don’t do it that way. We say you’re doing something and you haven’t caught me doing it. And so he says, Do you think you’re going to escape God because no one knows what you’re doing because you’re hiding what’s going on underneath the skin? Or do you show contempt? Now he says, Do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness? In other words, are you absolutely forgetting about his kindness? Because all you’re bragging about is you and yours? You’re telling people how kind. And here’s this word, folks, tolerance. You. Uh, tolerance, that’s a new word, and you think you’re so tolerant of everybody. And he said, Have you shown contempt for God’s tolerance and his kindness and his patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance. Friends, what leads you to repentance? The kindness of God in Titus, it tells us it’s the grace of God that teaches us to say no to unrighteousness and to lead self controlled, upright lives in this present generation, while we wait for the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. It’s Grace, it’s mercy, it’s kindness that draws a person to the heart of God. It also draws a person to each other. When you have a person that is kind to you, forgiving of you, tolerant, patient. You’re going to be drawn to them. When they’re not, you’re going to go away from them. It’s that simple. If you’re going to judge me, it’s going to be hard to be your friend. Is that true or not?

So he says, but because of your stubbornness, he says, this is a stubborn and unrepentant heart. In other words, you’re so judgmental about others, but you’re not looking at yourself. You’re not looking at what’s going on underneath the skin where you and I live. All you can do is to see the errors out there. That’s all you see is what people are doing wrong. You don’t ever look to see what you’re doing wrong, and if anyone does point out what you’re doing wrong. You’re mad as that wet hen. You can’t take it, because self righteous people can’t take criticism. And so he says that you’re stubborn. You got an unrepentant heart, and you know what he says, You’re storing up wrath for yourselves, for the day of God’s wrath, and his judgment is revealed. God knows what’s going on underneath the skin, folks, and we can pretend to be so good on the outside, but God sees the heart, and when he sees the heart, we realize that the only salvation and the only hope that I have is in him, because I sure don’t have it in myself. Do you?

God will give to each person according to what he’s done now to those who, by persistence in doing good, seek glory. God’s glory, God’s honor, God immortality, he said he’ll give eternal life. But for those who are self seeking, who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath of anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, first the Hebrew and then for the Gentile, but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good, first for the Hebrew and then the Gentile. For God is not show favoritism. Now folks, these are passages that you can look at, and unless you read the whole book, if you stop there, you could say, looks to me like God’s judging on what we’re doing. He says, Those who by persistence and doing good, seeking glory and honor and immortality, he’ll give eternal life. You know what the problem is, folks? Who’s seeking God’s glory, who’s seeking to honor God? We’re seeking to honor ourselves, and this is what he’s getting at. And we have to understand, we’ll see that in just a minute, those who are self seeking, who reject the truth, follow evil. There’ll be wrath and anger. So wouldn’t that lead you to believe that God is going to judge on what you’re doing? What kind of lead you to believe that? Wouldn’t it? Well, he says there will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil, first for the Hebrew and then for the Gentile, but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good for the Hebrew and then for the Gentile, God doesn’t show favoritism. What’s he saying here? I’m going to treat the Hebrew and the Gentile exactly alike. The gentile doesn’t have the law, the Hebrew has the law. I’m going to treat them exactly alike. No difference at all. How’d he treat us all alike? What’s the consequence of sin? Death. Who did death come to? All Gentiles and all Hebrews.

Now look what he’s saying here, all who sin apart from the law. Who’s that? The Gentiles, all who sin apart from the law, will also perish apart from the law. So was a Gentile ever given the law according to scripture? Well, what are we doing with it, then? Is that a good question? What are we doing with then, if we were never given it? And who are the strongest proponents of the law, the Gentiles, aren’t we? And like I said, we went over, stole the old, beat up clothes of Israel, put them over our new suit, and said, I’m looking good. We have to understand folks, the Gentiles, were apart from the law. We never had it. The law was given to the Hebrews to keep them out of chaos when they left Egypt into the desert, the dietary laws and the laws of the land, better known as the 10 Commandments, was to keep society out of chaos given to the Hebrews. Now he’s saying this, all who sin under the law going to be judged by the law. All who sin apart from the law are going to perish, in other words, both under the death sentence. For it is not those who hear the law that are righteous in God’s sight, but it’s those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. Now, what does that say to you, if you’re going to stop there, that where does righteousness come from? Where does it come from, according to this? Obedience to the law. Is that right or wrong? Is that right? But it says it, what’s he saying it for? To bury us.

You want to turn to Galatians two. Turn back to Galatians two. Galatians, 2:16, what does it say we? We who are Hebrews by birth and not Gentile sinners, know that a man is not justified by observing the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, so we too have put our faith in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law, no one will be justified. Now turn over to Galatians 2:21, down to 2:21. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing. Turn over to Galatians. 3:11, clearly, no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous shall live by faith, and the law is not based on faith. On the contrary, a man who does these things will live by them. You’re going to be under the law. You’re going to have to live under the law. And under the law, the wages of sin is death. So Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. And what was the curse of the law? Death. By becoming a curse, death for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith, we might receive the promised Holy Spirit. So what is Paul saying over here? No man is going to be justified through the law.

Now turn over to Romans 3:20 and what I’m doing this for is so that you can see, don’t stop reading. Don’t read something like this and say, oh, there it is. Keep reading, and you’ll get an explanation of why it’s there, because it is there. And here’s a reason why it’s there, and we’re going to point out the reason. So go over to 3:20, verse, 3:20, what does that say? Therefore, now there’s the therefore, guys, what’s a therefore, therefore? It’s a conclusion. It’s the conclusion to all of this. Therefore, I’m going to put a conclusion and a period on this thing. Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in the sight, in God’s sight by observing the law. Rather, it’s through the law that we become what? Conscious of sin. What was the purpose of the law then? To make you what conscious of what? Sin. What was the purpose of making you conscious of sin? To let you know that you’re a sinner. Are we all together, all alive and well and awake? If I’m made conscious of sin, then it makes me conscious, then I then I must be a what? Sinner, and a sinner is dead. And what does a dead person need? Life. That’s the purpose of the law to show me I’m a sinner and that the consequence of sin is death. Death, and a dead person needs life, and there’s only one person that can give life to the dead, and that’s the resurrected Jesus. You think Buddha can bring you back to life? Mohammed, the Pope, Luther? Only Jesus can bring death to life. And that’s the purpose, that’s the therefore of this passage is to show us that no man will be declared righteous in the sight of God through obedience to the law. Well, then what’s he saying this for? It is not those who hear the law who are righteous, but it’s those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. What is he saying? Has anyone ever obeyed the law? Has anyone ever been declared righteous through obedience to the law? No. So what’s he saying that for? To show you, if you’re under the law, this is how you’re going to be declared righteous under the law, total obedience. James said it did he not, if you’ve kept the whole law and yet violated. And just what? One point you violate how much of it? All of it. What do you say to that? Well, watch my smoke. You say, I’ve had it. And God says, now you got it. When you know you’ve had it, you got it. Now you’re ready for the cross and the resurrection. So we read these things, folks, and many times you will find people who want to teach legalism. They’ll use these passages like this and try to bury people with it. Say, See there. It says right there, and that’s what? Right there, right there. You gotta obey the law.

Click to Donate to Bob George Ministries

If you’re enjoying the Book of Galatians, check out our website, Shop.BobGeorge.net. There, you’ll find a whole collection of messages from the book of Galatians, as well as other DVDs, CDs and Bible studies available for purchase. That’s Shop.BobGeorge.net. Let’s join Bob. Now as he continues the radio program.

Bob George 13:49
Well, I’ll tell you something people who are preaching that are the biggest hypocrites in the world, because nobody can obey the law, and no one has ever obeyed the law except Jesus. Jesus fulfilled the law for us because we could not do it ourselves. He fulfilled it. How did he fulfill it? He walked in perfect love, and love is the fulfillment of the law. He didn’t fulfill the law by not doing something. He filled the law by doing something, and what he did was walk in love. And so these passages that many times people try to bury you with and and if you’ve been in a legalistic church, I guarantee you’ve been hit hard with these kind of passages. That’s not those who hear the law. So don’t be you gotta. Gotta obey it. Obedience. You notice how they always say obedient. They always hit that E in there. Real good. Who do you know that’s obedient all the time to Jesus? Anybody know anybody like that? Anybody know anybody ever knew anyone like that?

Now, in saying that. Is there a life that we, as children of God, should be living? What is that life that we should be living? A life of dependency. Jesus said, I don’t do anything unless the Father tells me to do it, and I don’t say anything unless the Father tells me to say it and how to say it. And as the Father sent me, so send I you. How are we to live our Christian life out being obedient to God if you’re if you know only one way to look at that? How is a branch obedient to the vine? By abiding. Is a branch obedient to the vine by out trying to grunt and grown out fruit go in an orchard, come on out, fruit, not there, trying to produce it in the energy of your flesh. Is that obedience? A branch obedient to the vine is one living in dependency upon the vine. And that’s why it’s our love of God, and not that we loved him, but that He loved us first that results then in dependency upon God, that then results in obedience to God. So the emphasis is not on obedience, the emphasis is on dependency, because dependency brings about obedience. And so he’s saying to us here that under the law, if you want to be righteous, you got to obey the whole law, and then when you do, you’ll be declared righteous. God will do that. And man saying, Hmm.

He said, On another occasion, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees, you’ll never see the kingdom of God. Isn’t that encouraging? Paul said there wasn’t a man alive that ever lived up to the law like I did. He said he was without blame. Now try to exceed that. And so he’s saying to them that this is the demands under the law, but no man can keep it. And he’s going to give another illustration, he said to the Gentiles that don’t have the law, if they do, by nature, the things required by the law, then they’re a law for themselves, even though they don’t have the law. And since they show that requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them. So in other words, if they’re doing what you’re not doing, are they not better shaped than you are? See, this annihilates the self righteous, whether it be the self righteous Hebrew or self righteous Christian today, it annihilates you. He’s saying, if you got these people out here who aren’t paying any attention all to this religious stuff, and they’re living lives of love, and you’re you got the law and you’re abiding and all that, and you’re not, aren’t they in better shape than what you are? He said, all of this stuff is going to take place when God will judge men secret through Christ, Jesus, as he says, My Gospel declares. And you’ll notice that the apostle Paul is referring to this as my gospel. This was a gospel that was revealed to the Apostle Paul by God by direct revelation. It was a gospel that came to Paul by direct revelation that he then shared with the apostles, and their hearts were opened up to what he shared. And this is the message that spread all over that part of the world in Paul’s day.

So he’s saying to us here that unless you’re a very unusual person, you are not living a perfect life. Any of you here think that you’re perfect? If you do, I’d like to interview your wife or your husband. Folks, when are we going to or when is the world ever going to get it into their heads that we who are judging one another, that he’s saying, look, take the log out of your eye before you try to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. And really, this is true. You just got people who are always judging, judging, judging, judging, and the only thing that you can conclude is they must think they’re perfect or they wouldn’t be judging. Because if you realize that, no, I’m not perfect, then what are we judging? What’s the imperfect doing judging the imperfect? So he’s saying to us, see yourself as I see you. Quit thinking of yourself more highly than you ought, which he teaches, because when you’re thinking of yourself more highly than you ought, you’re never going to see that apart from Jesus, you wouldn’t be any place. And some of the hardest people in the world to convince of this message are the ones who have really never done anything really bad, but what they think is bad, they’re the hardest ones. Some of the hardest places in the United States is where I came from, Indiana, Iowa. People just got nice people back there, we didn’t even have keys for a house. In a little town I grew up in, there never been a murder. 20,000 population never been a murder. That’s back in the old days, probably before guns, I’m not sure, but people were nice. Be basically honest. You. My dad was a lawyer. Most of the work he ever did was just word of mouth. When he said, I’ll do this, that was it. That was a contract. Nice people are the hardest ones in the world to convert, because they don’t need God. A person that doesn’t see themselves as a sinner doesn’t need God. Person says, Wait a minute, no, I’m basically a good person. How many times have you heard this? Basically a good person? They just beat up their wife and kicked the dog and murdered the cat, but basically, a good person.

We don’t see that apart from Christ, we are nothing but an empty barrel. Apart from Jesus, we’re just going through the motions, are we not? What were you doing before you were saved? Going through the motions. Were we not? There are no meaning and purpose to life. You’re just going through the motions practicing religion, and that’s about as empty as a pork barrel. And so Jesus, through the Apostle Paul is trying to get both the Hebrew and the Gentile to look at themselves. To the Gentile, he’s saying, Do you see how low you are capable of becoming? Because don’t sit there and judge it. You could do this too. Just give you the opportunity. You could do everything we talked about. And to the Hebrew, he’s saying, who you What are you doing judging people? What are you doing? Judging people? You’re doing the same thing. So he’s getting us to see yourselves. And he said, If you know His will and approve of what is superior, because you’re instructed by the law, and if you are convinced that you’re a guide for the blind, and there’s a lot of people that that’s what we think we are. I’m a guide to the blind. I am here to shape up the world. I am here to tell everybody what they’re doing wrong and shape them up. And we try to shape up our kids. We try to shape up her husbands. We try to shape up our wife. We want to shape up everybody. You know why? We’re a bunch of control freaks. The battle for control. We want to control everything. We want to be like God, who says I’m going to control. I want to control you so you’ll be like me, so you’ll be nice. That is funny. We want to control you. I want everybody to be the way I want them to be, so they’ll all treat me the way I want to be treated. And that’s man, that’s that to me. It’s a part of the indwelling sin that lives inside of us is that desire to control. I want to control the way you look. I want to control the way you drive. I want to control the way you do this. I want to control everything. Because basically, I’m, God, you just haven’t figured that out yet. He said, You’re convinced that you’re a guide to the blind. You think that you’ve got the answer to everything. You think you’re a light to those who are in dark. You think you’re a light.

You’re an instructor of the foolish. Everyone else is foolish except you. So you’re an instructor. You’re going to you’re going to instruct everybody on how to live, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth. And you know what? If you know the law, you do have the embodiment of knowledge and truth. The only problem is, you’re not putting it into practice. You, then he says, You. Then who teach others? Do you not teach yourself. You who preach against stealing, do you steal? Cheat on your income tax? I probably shouldn’t say it publicly, but I think I used to. Now IRS stay away from me. I But you know my feeling every time it was strangest thing, every time I got ready to do income tax, I think I’m just going to gig them for a little bit, not a lot, but just something. Finally say, This is foolishness. This is foolishness. A clear conscience is certain worth a lot more than a few bucks that you’ve saved. So he says on these, do you preach against stealing? Do you steal? You say that people should not commit adultery? Do you commit adultery? Now again, think about this for a minute folks. What did Jesus say about adultery? That if you look at a woman with lust in your heart, you’ve already committed it. Is that right or wrong? And he said, If your left eye causes you to lust, do what with it? Pluck it out. It’s okay to lust with your right eye, but not your left. And as I’ve said, Those who want to obey the law, if you really wanted to obey what Jesus said, you’d be sitting there with sockets in your head and I wouldn’t be able to see you. It’s now we read this and say, That’s the ACT. Jesus says, No, I go deeper than that. I’m talking about your heart. Sitting around looking at porno. You’re not sitting there thinking about library books, you’re lusting. He says, If you can do that same thing as committing adultery. And so, guys, what Jesus is saying here is, look, guys, I’m looking on the heart. Man looks on the outside. Man makes all these out rules for the outside. I’m looking underneath the skin where we live, and he’s saying those things will kill you sooner or later. And today, with the computer world that we have, porno can kill you. You can get involved in that stuff and get captivated by it. It can kill you. And so he’s saying about these things, if you’re if you’re going to talk about don’t commit adultery. And he says, do you do it? You who abhorred idols? Do you rob temples? You know, sometimes we can make our church our idol, and we’ll make all kinds of thing. Our money can be our idol. Whatever we think about the most, porno can be your idol. Whatever we think about the most, it’s become your idol.

Announcer 27:11
Thank you so much for tuning in to Classic Christianity with Bob George. We hope you’ve enjoyed today’s program. We truly hope that today’s message has inspired you to walk a life of faith in the Lord find more information online at BobGeorge.net. There you will also find available CDs, DVDs and Bible studies available for purchase. It’s through your help that we are able to spread the good word of Jesus Christ. Until next time, walk in faith be good to one another and praise the Lord. Amen.