Obedience
by Grace
Romans 7:18-19 (NIV)
For
I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do
not want to do—this I keep on doing.
Romans 10:5-6 (Msg)
Moses
wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before
God soon discovers it's not so easy—every detail of life regulated
by fine print…
1. Even those who believe they are
doing their best to obey are lost but don’t even know it
We can easily turn obedience
into idol as a means of obligating God to
owe us – we do not truly desire God but something else more
than God
If we doubt or do not
believe
that God is gracious and pleased with us, or if we presumptuously expect
to please Him through our works, then all [our compliance with the law]
is pure deception, outwardly honoring God, but inwardly setting up self
as a false savior. Note for yourself, then, how far apart these two
are: keeping the First Commandment with outward works only, and keeping
it with inward [justifying faith]. For this last makes true, living
children of God, the other only makes worse idolatry and the most
mischievous
hypocrites on earth... (Martin Luther)
2. Jesus obeyed the perfect laws
of God perfectly on our behalf
Romans 8:3-4 (NIV)
For
what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful
nature,[a] God did by sending his
own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.[b] And so he condemned sin
in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements
of the law might be fully met in us…
The more grace we
understand
and receive the more power and genuine transformation we will have to
obey God from the inside-out
Titus 2:11-12 (NIV)
For
the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly
passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this
present age…
Obedience comes by being
strengthened on the inside-out through the
hearing of the Gospel of Grace and
then receiving it by faith
Romans 16:25-26 (ESV)
Now
to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and
the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the
mystery
that was kept secret for long ages 26but has now been
disclosed
and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations,
according to the command of the eternal God,
to bring about the obedience of faith—
3. The two gifts of the
abundance of grace and the gift of
righteousness – approval leads to obedience, overcoming of
sin and abundant life!
Romans 5:17 (NLT)
For
the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even
greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for
all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this
one man, Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:17 (NIV)
For
if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man,
how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of
grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through
the one man, Jesus Christ.
The grace of God answers us in our
most undeserving moments – be Christ-conscious and approval
(righteousness)-conscious!
First, there is a
righteousness-approval
that comes from your obedience and from you trying to earn your way
to attain it. Second, there a righteousness-approval that comes
from faith in Jesus Christ!