Baptist Christian Church

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Romans 3:1-8

We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” each day on AM 1230 WSAL or on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM just after 8am. Paul closes his summary of the human race in this section. The question here is: since being born a Jew and circumcision do not make a person a real Jew, we might say today, what is the big deal about being a Jew? How does being able to trace one’s lineage to Abraham offer any benefit? Now, to you and me, these questions seem incidental, but to a Jew they are paramount! Have you ever thought that being a Christian seems to be, at times, unbeneficial to you? As a Christian, Scripture promises God’s blessings and innumerable other benefits. However, in the trenches of our daily living it seems Satan attacks us more after we are saved, and we experience more adversity, trial, temptation, and ridicule than we ever did before! In truth, really does happen more!!! That’s the bad news; here is the good news – our enemy has already been defeated, and is just waiting to be cast into the bottomless pit of hell forever! The good news is, we are already more than conquerors in Christ, and we have the upper hand and all the benefits of being the children of an Almighty Eternal God! Notice what Paul tells his audience, and remember all this applies to us as Christians.

1. JEWISH ADVANTAGE. If you understand the significance of Israel, you begin to see how world history and events yet future become so important. Understanding Israel’s existence and importance also help us understand to a greater degree our own responsibility and accountability to God as Christians. First and foremost Israel was the only nation to which the OT Scriptures were given! In our focal passage today Paul states that Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. That would extend to all the NT writings as well. The highest and most holy advantage of Israel was The Messiah. One author says it like this: “Of all the nations on earth God had chosen the Jews to be the custodians of His redemptive plan for the human race.” Can there be a higher national calling? Notice Israel’s response to her advantage is revealed by:
2. GOD’S ALLEGIANCE – 3:3, 4. Here is a fundamental truth about God that will help you come to the right answer in many areas of your Christian life. Always remember God cannot violate His own character and nature. In these verses Paul is telling us no matter how unfaithful any of the Jewish nation becomes, God will always be faithful. To be unfaithful would contradict Who God is in His Person. To contradict Himself would make Him an imperfect God. Now notice Paul deals with humanism using a:
3. HUMAN ARGUMENT – 5-8. In v. 5 Paul says, If we Jews, who are God’s chosen people, disobey and disregard God and His Law, then as long as He doesn’t zap us into extinction, He looks really good! Paul goes on to say, on the other hand if God does inflict His wrath on us He is the unrighteous one. He punished us even though we made Him look good, and even though He knew we couldn’t be perfect, He got mad and let us have it. How can He be a loving God and do that? Do you see how Paul is reasoning in his argument? That kind of reasoning opens the door to the current heresy of easy believism, and feel-good theology. Feel-good theology says God loves everybody so much He won’t really send any one to hell as long as they give it their best shot! The only punishment we experience is the trouble this world sends us, nothing more. When we die we go to heaven! It sounds good, it is totally UNbiblical! V. 6 – God tells us there is no possible way for God to be remotely unrighteous, or unjust to punish all sin whether Jewish or Gentile. By no means = it is as impossible for God to be unrighteous. In v. 7, 8 Paul is saying “if I am preaching and teaching lies about God, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? His second question could be restated to say, if evil makes God look good, then let’s go be as evil as possible to make God look as good as possible! There was a group of people called the antinomians in that day who taught that “good will come out of evil.” They were known as God-slanderers by Christians, and what they said was completely repulsive to true believers! Paul was indicating that they would receive the condemnation that they deserved at their judgment. So will all other people!

If we can help you with your spiritual questions, call us at 574-643-9419.

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Ex. 2:1-10

We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” each day on AM 1230 WSAL or on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM just after 8am. Anyone who thinks motherhood is easy has never been a mother! I don’t know of another profession where there is never any time off, vacation, or personal days! It is true that moms once in a blue moon get some time to themselves, but it is rare at best, and they probably worked hardest to make any down time happen. The truth is if it weren’t for mothers, there would be no such thing as dads! Rearing children today to be moral and upright is extremely hard by any measure. To raise them to be Godly is even harder! But as hard as it is, how would it have been as an Israelite to even think about having children during the reign of terror under this Pharaoh? Perhaps Jochebed was already expecting when the decree was issued. No matter, child birth would have been terrifying. Jochebed displayed a mother’s heart when she made the basket and sent Moses on his 1^st cruise! Notice a Biblical principle here. What we give up to God, He often returns to us in greater measure. Jochebed nursed Moses for only 3 months then gave him up trusting God to care for him. God returned Moses to her until he was weaned, which at that time would have been 3-4 years. In that time Jochebed was able to influence Moses even as a child. She did it by:

1. Educating In Scriptural Knowledge – 2 Tim. 3:15 = “from childhood you have been acquainted with the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Most everyone is familiar with Prov. 22:6 = “Train a child…” Moms have a responsibility to God, to teach their children The Bible. Moms, the easiest way to teach your children and grand children the truths of Scripture is to show them with your own life. Mom has another privilege in her:
2. Employment of Parental Discipline – Prov. 13:24. In our culture and society true Biblical discipline is a rarity! Read Heb. 12:5, 6. You learn how God disciplines by learning the character of God’s heart. When God disciplines, He never does it in uncontrolled rage or with a desire to “damage” His children. The best “instrument” to use when disciplining your children is a broken heart! They will get the message and respond appropriately! A mother also must:
3. Exercise A Consistent Christian Example – Ps. 1:1-3. I don’t think we are offending God or His Word if we read this using Mother or her in place of He in this passage. I think that whole concept there might be much the same character given to the Prov. 31 woman. One writer says, “We need mothers who can mold young lives with Christ at the center.  Mothers, our children are looking at your lives and using them as a pattern.” A 4^th privilege of motherhood is:
4. Encouragement of Faithful Attendance to the House of God – Read 1 Sam. 2:18-19, 21. Often it is Mom who takes the children to church. All you Dads who are here and come here every Sunday to worship are teaching the need for faithful attendance with your wife. You are making double the impact on your children! Keep it up! Finally, a Mom has the privilege of being:
5. An Example of A Praying Mother – Matt. 15:21-28. This mother’s persistence in prayer is a powerful testimony to how God responds to a mother who is committed to praying for her family. Someone might say, this is not a prayer, it is simply a conversation between Jesus and a Canaanite woman. Think about that! What is prayer? A conversation between a person and God. Isn’t it true Jesus is God? Are all your prayers on bended knee in your prayer closet, or do you sometimes pray “on the go?” If we really knew and understood the power that is available to us in prayer that originates in the heart of a true Christian prayed in pure faith to our Heavenly Father, we would be fearful to misuse it or take it lightly. It would be akin to walking around with glass jars of nitro glycerin! Add to that the power of influence of a Godly wife and mother, and you have more than nuclear power; you have prayer power!

If we can help you with your spiritual questions, call us at 574-643-9419.

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Romans 2:25-29

We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” each day on AM 1230 WSAL or on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM just after 8am. Last time Paul told the Jews, God is way more interested in obedience to the law, from the heart, than He is interested in us just knowing the Law and what it teaches. Just knowing the law without living it from one’s heart in daily life, is what James refers to as faith without works, and that kind of faith is dead, or not really faith at all! Let’s take a closer look at how The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to show is the truth revealed in the behavior of belief! 1^st notice

1. THE CONSISTENCY OF OUR BEHAVIOR – V. 25. As you know circumcision was the sign of the covenant God made with Abraham. You can read it in Gen. 17:1-14. God takes all His covenants seriously. This one was so serious to Him, He told Abe that any male who wasn’t circumcised was to be cut off from his people because that man had broken the covenant. So when Paul talks about circumcision becoming uncircumcision, it is in effect a death notice, because being cut off from God is death! To help us keep this closer to home and more in line with the way we think today, in place of the word “circumcision” use the words “salvation, and baptism.” Paul says the “value” of the covenant is in obedience! If people, saved or unsaved, read The Bible then watch you as you go about every day being you, is what they see in your behavior, consistent with what they read in Scripture? In our study, perhaps to make it easier to understand our adoption into God’s family, instead of using circumcision, let’s use salvation and baptism. It is discovered in:
2. THE CONSIDERATION OF OUR BEHAVIOR! 26. Here is an example of how a verse within a passage helps make the meaning of, not just the passage, but the whole concept of consistency in daily living so important. Paul’s point is that people who have no ties or background with – in this case – Judaism, or in our case, with Christianity, obey the requirements of the written Law of God, they would be thought of as Jews, or in our case, Christians because their lives were considered more Godly than those who claim to be saved, but don’t live like it. One author says, “It is one’s actions, not one’s physical features, that count. In the final analysis conduct prevails over doctrine. One Biblical commentator defines doctrine as “The body of teachings of the Christian faith concerning its central beliefs. Doctrine is grounded in Scripture and aims to maintain the integrity of Christianity by distinguishing it from non-Christian beliefs. Doctrine is of central importance in Christian preaching and teaching in that it equips the people of God for effective and faithful service in His world.” Paul doesn’t stop there, he continues with
3. THE CONDEMNATION OF OUR BEHAVIOR – V. 27. This is perhaps one of the most pointed statements Paul makes. Paul’s point here is rituals, memberships, and any other outward signs do not make a person who calls themselves a Jew, a Jew. Neither do baptism, communion, memberships and any other outward signs do not make a person who calls themselves a Christian, a Christian. The condemnation of our behavior is realized when people use these outward signs to say “because I do these things, or show these outward signs in my life, I am a true Jew or a true Christian. The condemnation of our behavior leads to a wrong interpretation of:
4. THE CONCEPT OF OUR BEHAVIOR – V. 28. Paul summarizes now what it really means to be a Jew. We can apply the same truth to us as Gentiles who are Christians. Scripture is teaching that one is not a true Jew, nor a true Christian, just because a person boasts of outward signs, or even birthright! One cannot say because they are born into the Jewish community they are a true Jew according to Scripture. Equally true, one cannot say, “because my parents were Christians, I am also a Christian.” Here is why such unrighteous thinking is so dangerous to the community. Paul ends the paragraph with the truth in:
5. THE COMPARISON OF OUR BEHAVIOR –V. 29, which is self-explanatory. Anyone who has a real understanding of what it means to be a real Jew, or a real Christian knows it is in the heart of the person. When a person comes to Scripture and reads it, The Holy Spirit immediately begins to work in the heart of the person prompting them to repent of their sin, by turning to Christ for salvation from their heart! Praise Him for His great work in our hearts, and we thank Him for His love to us!

If we can help you with your spiritual questions, call us at 574-643-9419.

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Rom. 2:12-16

We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” each day on AM 1230 WSAL or on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM just after 8am. Having dealt with the truth that no person, Jew or Gentile has any excuse or escape that will justify them before God, Paul continues his thesis on the need for justification of all people. He is going to show now that the real meaning and intent of the Law is not that the Jews have and know the Law; but that because they have/know it, they are expected to obey it. Let’s let Paul continue to teach us our great need for God’s justification on our behalf. He continues with a:

1. Comparison of Two Nations– 2:12, 13. First consider the Jews who were directed by the law, v. 1. From a Biblical viewpoint there have been only 2 nations, since sometime around 1,900 BC when God called Abram, telling him God would make of him a great nation. We all know that great nation was, and still is, the Jewish nation. Everyone who is not a Jew is a Gentile. There are gobs of different brands of Gentiles, but Gentiles nevertheless. In Rom. 2:12 Paul makes a very simple statement that explains how God sees all humanity. There are those under the law, and those who aren’t. Paul also mentions the Gentiles were devoid of God’s laws, therefore, He could not judge them using His laws as the standard for their judgment. God could only judge Gentiles on the basis of the understanding and knowledge of God they had received. Ultimately, all people everywhere will be judged by God’s laws, because His laws are the only laws that are perfect! Now Paul addresses a:
2. Comparison of Two Natures– 13-16. Paul tells us in v. 13, Conformity Awards Righteousness. When reduced to the lowest common denominator, Paul is addressing the truth that the heart of a person is either dead in sin, or it is alive in Christ. If a person could expunge their guilt before God by simply reciting the Law, salvation would then be by works, not by grace. Paul also tells us a person’s Conduct Admits Recognition (of the law), v. 14. Paul quits preaching here and starts meddling! The charge of un-righteousness against the Jews is such that it eliminates all possible excuses for their disobedience to the Law. In general the unsaved don’t know what God’s law is or demands. Yet many unsaved live their lives without adultery, murder, and theft. In that respect they are “a law unto themselves,” or without knowing it, they are following some of what God’s law requires. Paul continues his indictment telling us a person’s: Conscience Acknowledges Reality. V. 15 16. A person’s conscience is an interesting thing. Perhaps the simplest definition of conscience is stated by one writer when he says conscience means: “I know, I am aware, I am clear about what I have done.” In v. 15 Paul is saying that even though the Gentiles were not given God’s Law as were the Jews, the Gentiles revealed they had an innate or inner awareness of right and wrong because, like the Jews, all people are created in God’s likeness and image. Sin first committed causes us to hide from God; but as we leave it unchecked, and allow its continued presence in our life, our conscience begins to tell us I know, I am aware, I am clear that I have sinned against God; but I am also aware that I have experienced no apparent negative repercussions or consequences for my sin, therefore I am in no danger. Notice there is no period at the end of v. 15, but the thought continues into 16. Paul is finishing his comment concerning the conscience of all people when he says, “you may think you are getting away with something now, but one day you will stand before God and He will judge your secrets! No person anywhere, at any time will ever be able to say to God, “I didn’t know!”

If we can help you with your spiritual questions, call us at 574-643-9419.