Romans Series – Part 1.

This 4 part series was taught at the first Sports Plus conference in October this year. Last term we turned our attention to the series and we’re half way through, so today we pick it up again with talk 3...

Talk 1 – The Truth Revealed… Rom 1v1-17
These verses explained that the truth of God has been revealed to men through the gospel message.

Talk 2 – The Truth Rejected… Rom 1v25 Key verse
This verse explained that every person has exchanged the truth of God for the lie of the world and now worships created things instead of the creator.

Today we focus our attention on Talk 3 – The Truth Redefined…Key Verse – Ch 3v20-21 – Therefore no-one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now righteousness from God apart from the law has been known…

Yesterday Kevin Keegan became the Newcastle Utd Manager. A reporter asked him "are you looking forward to your second spell here at Newcastle?" Kevin answered "this is the third spell here at Newcastle and it’s good to be home."

What is going on in the verse above?

So far we have seen that the truth has been revealed to all men through the good news of Jesus’ work on the cross. Yet we now know that all mankind has exchanged this truth for a lie and worships other things except what he should – God!

God, who is holy and right above all things, cannot look upon mankind as he stands before him because he has sinned with his back turned – punishment is the rightful consequence of his behaviour.

In the Old Testament God set some rules for his people for them to follow. He set them before his people having saved them from the hands of the Egyptians. So the rule giver, the one who has just delivered them from Egypt, says something like this:

"I have just saved you – you couldn’t save yourself, I had to do it. Now in response to that, I have given you some guidelines of how I expect you to live before me."

At the time when Paul is writing the letter of Romans, People had taken the law as a way of getting to God – the process of being saved. So Paul corrects them – "No-one will be declared righteous by observing the law" – you cannot be saved by following the guidelines. Paul goes on to say that the law proves that we need something else to save us. The law shows us how bad we really are because we cannot follow it!

So righteousness apart from the law has arrived. The law is not a bad thing, it just can't bring us before a Holy God. The only thing that can bring you and I in front of a holy God is Jesus.

The truth has been redefined – and people’s thinking would have been shaken to its core!

Do you believe that only Jesus can bring you to God? Do you believe that the law is a good thing, something that we should try to live by in response to being saved but it's only Jesus that can save us?

Kevin Keegan is now in his third spell at Newcastle. He is the same man, yet he’s coming back wiser, more tactical, more passionate and has even more desire. He is Kevin Keegan – Newcastle manager part 2; the truth has been redefined!

Some are even calling him the Messiah – but that’s going way too far! There’s only one person who can bring you righteous before a Holy God and that’s Jesus –praise Him today if you know him! And if you don’t…you must find out!

The Youth Department