Getting defensive
Some back ground info
Gen 12:1-3 – The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and
your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. ‘‘I will make you into a great
nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will
bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
Bad thinking … “God’s special people” were untouchable
Romans so far
1) God is going to judge really bad people
2) God is going to judge the nice people.
3) God’s special people are also going to be judged by God.
SO …
1) What advantage is there being part of God’s special people? (Rom 3:1)
… they have the very words of God.
Deut 4:8, “What other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws
as this body of laws I am setting before you today?”
How does this affect us?
– We do not have a special exemption when we sin.
– rightly handle the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15)
2) When he judges … is God being unfaithful to his promises? (Rom 3:3-4)
“absolutely not”
Psalm 51:4
How does this affect us?
– We do not like to think of God being our judge.
– Do you question the character and integrity of God.
3) When he judges us … is God really being just? (Rom 3:5-8)
So where to from here…
1) Does God have a right to punish you for your sin?
2) How would you respond to the person who says, “It is all right to sin because
Jesus died for me”
3) Does God’s grace to you exempt you from having to worry about your sin?
The coming weeks
– the purpose of the OT law
– God’s wonderful solution to the problem