The Road to Faith
Last week, we saw that even though the ten commandment law (and the
ceremonial laws) was given to Moses and the Israelites at Mt. Sinai, the
basis of acceptance before God was always through faith in the promise that
God made to Abraham to save his descendants.
Genesis 17:6,7
6
I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and
kings shall come from you. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me
and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an
everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.
Today, we will look at how this law works in our lives to lead us to the
Savior. There is a road or path that the Christian takes to get there. And we
will see today where on that path the law and the promise belong.
Memory Text: “Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by
faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe” (Galatians 3:22,
NKJV).
The bible says “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” We are
all doomed and destined to be lost were it not for Jesus.
Have you ever been lost?
HOMING PIGEONS are trained to fly home from a great distance. They can
fly hundreds of miles a day and arrive at the end of their journey with great
skill. But even the best homing pigeons have gotten lost and not returned
home. The worst known case happened in England when about 55,000 birds
never came back to their lofts.
Romans (the clearest gospel of all) begins with showing us just how evil the
human race is and how far from God we are.
Romans 3:10-18
10
As it is written:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;
11
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12
They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”[b]
13
“Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; [c]
“The poison of asps is under their lips”; [d]
14
“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”[e]
15
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16
Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17
And the way of peace they have not known.”[f]
18
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g]
Romans 1:29-32
29
being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, [c]wickedness,
covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-
mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent,
proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to
parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving,
[d]
unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those
who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but
also approve of those who practice them.
How does this make you feel when you think about Jesus sacrifice and how
you really appear before God?
When I really think about it prayerfully, I realize that even though I may not
be a murderer in the eyes of the world, I am all these things in God’s eyes
because my heart is evil. When I compare my evil character with Jesus pure
character, I am driven to despair. I can’t imagine being accepted before Him
because I am very filthy.
This is what the law does in the life of a Christian. It reveals the deepest sins
and evil desires of the heart.
Why is this important?
The solution to a problem is best appreciated and more readily accepted
when we understand how serious the problem is.
Before coming to America, I had always seen on TV how wonderful a place it
was and how it was the land of milk and honey. But I was able to appreciate
it more because I had lived in a third-world country and had seen the
struggles and tough conditions people live in.
After my parents found me, I was so happy and relieved and I appreciated
the privilege of having a mom and dad who look after me and provide for
and protect me.
The law achieves these objective in the Christian:
1. It shows us how evil and sinful we are.
2. It shows us how perfect and pure God’s character is (Thou shall not…/
God does not…)
3. It keeps us from being prideful and self-confident.
4. It leads us to the only Savior, Jesus Christ.
Read Galatians 3:19-24
19
What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of
transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was
made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a
mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.
21
Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there
had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would
have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that
the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who
believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept
for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our
tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after
faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
What benefits does law provide us?
It keeps us from going to prison. It helps us maintain good relations with our
fellow man.
How is the law of God (ten commandments) different?
It condemns us. It separates us from our fellow man.
What they have in common is that they punish. It’s sort of like the
description of a schoolmaster.
The word translated as “schoolmaster” (KJV) comes from the Greek word
paidagogos. Some versions translate it as “disciplinarian” (NRSV), “tutor”
(NKJV), or even “guardian” (ESV), but no single word fully can encompass
its meaning. The paidagogos was a slave in Roman society who was placed
in a position of authority over his master’s sons from the time they turned
six or seven until they reached maturity. In addition to providing for his
charges’ physical needs, such as drawing their bath, providing them with
food and clothes, and protecting them from any danger, the paidagogos also
was responsible for making sure the master’s sons went to school and did
their homework. In addition, he was expected not only to teach and practice
moral virtues but also to ensure that the boys learned and practiced the
virtues themselves. Though some pedagogues must certainly have been kind
as well as loved by their wards, the dominant description of them in ancient
literature is as strict disciplinarians. They ensured obedience not only
through harsh threats and rebukes but also by whipping and caning.
The good news is God never reveals a problem without providing the
solution. (The gospel)
Romans 8:1-4
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,
[a]
who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of
sin and death. 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 Spirit.
What does it mean?
First, we are no longer under the law’s condemnation (Rom. 8:3). As
believers, we are in Christ and enjoying the privilege of being under grace
(Rom. 6:14, 15). This gives us the liberty of serving Christ wholeheartedly,
without fear of being condemned for mistakes we might make in the
process. This is what true freedom in the gospel is.
The gospel not only saves us from our sins, it also recreates us to become
new people in Christ.
The love that Jesus revealed on the cross melts the sinner’s heart and
makes it soft enough for God to write his law upon it.
Jeremiah 31:33
"This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,"
declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their
hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
This makes it possible for the righteous requirement of the law to be fulfilled
in us.
Illustration of driver who went beyond the speed limit/ slave who gave his
life to the master.
In John 10:10, Jesus says “I am come that they might have life, and that
they might have it more abundantly.”
He offers a deeper and more complete solution that we can ever come up
with.
I am tired of faliing and stumbling everyday. The guilt is sometimes too
much. Jesus offers to change me from within. To change not only my deeds,
but also my desires and my tendencies, and even my inclinations of thought.
Basically, he makes me a new man.
So what is the road to faith?
1. We see the law of God and are convicted of our sinful and hopeless
condition.
2. We cry out to God for help.
3. God reveals the gospel in Christ and we choose whether to accept it or
reject it.
4. We surrender our lives to the Savior.
5. He creates is us a clean heart and writes his law in our hearts.
6. Through the power of His Spirit dwelling within us, we keep the law
and honor him in all that we do.
7. We share how His love changed our lives to the people around us,
helping prepare the world for the soon return of our Savior and King.
God has provided the perfect path to salvation, one every human being can
walk on. He has promised to be with us the entire way and bring us safely to
the Kingdom
Phil. 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good
work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”
