Sermon from Sunday: To Inherit the World Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 March 16, 2014 Rick Marson Union UMC We are continuing today in the Book of Romans, Paul’s writing that notably shaped the face of Christian theology, although not necessarily in his lifetime. Paul’s letter to the Romans was deep and intense, and it often took years for his unconventional message of righteousness by faith, and not by observance of the Law, to sink in. It was so different! In the 4th century AD, there was a brilliant scholar/philosopher who spent much of his time in studying and contemplating the human condition and the quest for meaning and purpose in life. He was a follower of the teachings of Plato, and he was heavily involved in Manichaeism, an elaborate philosophy that sees the world as a struggle between good and evil, light and darkness—what philosophers call “dualism.” One day while walking through a garden, this man heard a childlike voice say, “Take up and read.” He had no idea where the voice came from, or what that meant; but it seemed to him an invitation to read the Bible, which was as a source for some of his philosophical thinking. He opened the Bible to the Book of Romans, and he began reading. His life was never the same! He ultimately became a Catholic bishop in the region of Hippo (in modern-day Algeria). He was a prolific writer, and a profound leader of the church. His views on faith, holiness and salvation set the course for the Christian church for more that 1,000 years. His name was Augustine of Hippo, or Saint Augustine. And he credited the Book of Romans for his inspiration. What was so different about the Paul’s letter to the Romans? What new twist on the understanding of God was contained in this rather complex letter? How did the advent of Jesus, the Christ, change the way that God viewed, and dealt with, humanity? Listen, once again, to Paul’s revolutionary words. Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 1What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor, according to the flesh? [In other words, how could Abraham have benefited by hammering his flesh into obedience to the Law of Moses; remember, there was no Law of Moses in Abraham’s time—Moses had not yet been born.] 2For if Abraham was justified by works [of the Law], he has something to boast about, . . . but not before God! 3For what does the scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned [or credited] to him as righteousness.’ 4Now, to one who works, wages are not reckoned [or considered] as a gift, but as something due. 5But to one who, without works, trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. ___ Wow! Those are mutinous words! Faith and trust . . . the basis of righteousness before God? . . . and not obedience to the Law of Moses? That’s fairly blasphemous; but that is what Paul wrote, and that is the gospel (or good news) that Jesus lived! 13 For the promise that he [Abraham] would inherit the world did not come to Abraham, or to his descendants, through the law, . . . but through the righteousness of faith. 14If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. 16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. ________ Martin Luther, the “so-called” father of the Protestant Reformation, was a Roman Catholic priest and Benedictine Monk at the University of Wittenberg, in Germany. He had devoted his life to the teachings of Christ, and made vows of poverty, silence, chastity, holiness, and of dedication to studying the Scriptures, and acts of service. He had given up everything in for the Lord. And yet Luther was consumed with his inability to root sin out of his life. He never felt holy enough! His “great sin” could not have been much by our standards—he had no possessions, no social life, no internet, no girlfriend. He spent every day in service, fasting and prayer. What could he have been doing that was so wrong? Maybe bitterness, anger, hatred, malice . . . unforgiveness? In repentance, he would crawl up and down the stone stairs of the Wittenberg chapel bell tower, on his knees, until they were bloody. And yet he could not muster up a feeling of righteousness, because the temptation to sin was still there. His life turned around one day while he was reading the Book of Romans. There he read about a positional relationship with God that was not based upon his qualifications under the Law of Moses, or the rules of the church. Luther knew that he was not qualified, and no attempt at beating sin out of his life was effective. Be honest, you know how that feels, don’t you! “I’ll just wait ‘till I get my act cleaned up a little before I go to church!” It will never happen! You cannot do it! Only God can make a person righteous and holy! Luther was startled to learn that the righteousness that God imparts to humanity was not based upon works of the flesh, or obedience to the Law, but only on the simple act of faith. How easy was that? This was too good to be true! Luther’s work changed the church for the next nearly 500 years. In the end, about 10 years ago, the Catholic and Lutheran churches reconciled their theological differences completely in favor of Luther’s understanding of faith and righteousness before God. Abraham had been promised to inherit the world by the grace-filled gift of God, and not by observance of the Law. His descendants had received the same promise, and all they would have to do is share the faith of Abraham—to believe God . . . and be credited with righteousness. After thousands of years, Abraham is finally the “Father of Many Nations” as was promised by God. We are Abraham’s “spiritual descendants”. We share in his righteousness . . . if only we believe and trust, like he did. Neither Augustine nor Luther found peace and holiness in their efforts justify themselves by scraping sin from their lives. No matter how they tried, something in their nature drifted them toward sin. They did not need a new mentality, attitude or sure-fire religious formula to make them holy. They needed a heart transplant—to believe and trust God with all their heart. They had been putting the cart before the horse. But, once set free from the stain of sin, they were free to walk in the newness of life. Then they began to respond by following Christ through the power of the Spirit, and not by the determinations of their own strong will. Their world was changed by a simple act of belief, not a work of the flesh They had received the promise of Abraham. Like him, they had inherited the world. So have we! You cannot earn your righteousness. It’s like family money; the best we can hope to do is bring honor to those who gave it to us. You have inherited the world! Don’t squander your inheritance. Live up to it! God will help! God desires to help!
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 16:16:34 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015