The Problem With Religion

Romans 2:17-29

    [17] Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, [18] and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, [19] and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, [20] an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. [21] You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? [22] You who say, "Do not commit adultery," do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? [23] You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? [24] For "the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you," as it is written.

    [25] For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. [26] Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? [27] And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? [28] For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; [29] but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

What is the Law?:

            1.  There is the natural law

                        Romans 1:18-21

                        For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness

                        of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, [19] because that which is known about

                        God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. [20] For since the creation of

                        the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly

                        seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. [21]

                        For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they

                        became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

                        Romans 2:14-15

                        For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these,

                        not having the Law, are a law to themselves, [15] in that they show the work of the Law

                        written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately

                        accusing or else defending them,

2.      There is the judicial law: how man is to be governed.

3.      There is the ceremonial law: these were the sacrificial customs prescribed by God to remind the Jews that they were sinners.

4.      There is the moral law: that governs how man is to live in relationship with others

5.      The law was really a standard of holiness…it was a reflection of who God is and what we lost when we sinned.

The only real problem with living in accordance with the Law (religion) or laws-in-general is that they do not have the power to change the heart of man or give him the power to live in accordance with them.  How many of us have ever taken something that did not belong to us?  Have ever exceeded the speed limit?  Have ever told a lie?  Have ever wanted what someone else had?  Sometimes our conscience tells us what is right (you should allow the other person to have the larger portion); sometimes there are specific laws (you should declare all of you income).  So what is that keeps us from obeying every conscious, specific or moral law?

We are all law breakers.

            The tendency is for each of us to consider that we are personally ok; everyone else is the problem             (this is the condition of personal judgment, vs. 17-24).

We are all condemned (Romans 3:23)

            Jesus made it perfectly clear that the law does not justify.

                        Galatians 2:16

                                knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ,

                                even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not

                                by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

                        Galatians 3:10-12

                                For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is

                                everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do

                                them." [11] But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the

                                just shall live by faith." [12] Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall

                                live by them.

            Rather, the law confines us

                        Romans 7:5-6

                        For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at

                        work in our members to bear fruit to death. [6] But now we have been delivered from the

                        law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the

                        Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

            Paul said that the law was our accuser.

                        Romans 7: 7-9

                        [7] What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not

                        have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless

                        the law had said, "You shall not covet." [8] But sin, taking opportunity by the

                        commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was

                        dead. [9] I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived

                        and I died.

            Paul also said that the law was our tutor to lead us to Christ.

                        Galatians 3:24

                        Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

There is hope.

                        Romans 8:2

                                For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and

                                death.

Hope does not lie in my ability to perform to some standard.

            Have you ever driven the speed limit and then condemned all those who go speeding by you and you

            think to yourself, “well, how good I am…how pleased God must be with me”; you see everyone else

            packing up their gear at 4:45 and you think to yourself, “I work right up to the time I am supposed to…I

            hope someone is watching what a good worker I am.”  On and on we could go looking at things we do,

            and yet is our slapping ourselves on our backs just a matter of pride…I have done something that others

            didn’t…see me God…see what a good boy or girl I am!  God resists the proud, but give grace to the

            humble.           

            Proverbs 22:4

                The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, honor and life.

Hope lies in the change of the heart.

                        Romans 8:3-4

                                 [3] For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by

                                sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in

                                the flesh, [4] that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not

                                walk according to the flesh but according to the Spi

                        I cannot perform the law without a change of heart (rich young ruler)

                        The change of one’s heart is an internal action, rather than the fulfillment of some external

                        command.  This change produces a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving to the One who is

                        changing me…not for my glory, but for His.