Knowing Good

A Public Faith PART V
Rev Leo Schuster
27 October 2013

Romans 2:12-29
12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law.  13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.  14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law.  15They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)  16This will take place on the day when God judges people's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

17Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed y the law; 19if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of litle children, becuase you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth--21you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?  You who preach against stealing, do you steal?  22You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?  You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?  23You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?  24As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

25Circumcision has value ff you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you have not been circumcised.  26So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?  27The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

28A person is not a Jew who is one only outward and physical.  29No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by written code.  Such a person's praise is not from other people, but from God.

FOUNDATION TO KNOWING GOOD
--Human goodness is derivative of God.
--God's law is found in Bible.
--Essence of the law is written in all of us.
--Implies that it comes from somewhere.
--Without God, there's no basis for good.
--Where's our moral outrage coming from?
--When do our boundaries come up?
--KNowing God's law is the beginning of knowing him.

IMPEDIMENT TO KNOWING GOOD
--v12 Sin
--v17 Self Righteousness; morally uptight.
--v24 God is blasphemed when we do this.
--Idolatry--What are our deepest loyalties?
--Internal life and thoughts are critical
-- Mark 7
--We can't just be good by keeeping God at a distance.

SECRET TO KNOWING GOOD
--v29 - Real change begins inside and goes out.
--Circumcision--Jesus Christ did it for us Col. 2:11

Approaching interior flaws - not in our performace, so no need to be defensive.
v.29 Praise not from others, but only from God--no need to seek other's approval.

Approaching flaws in others - Free to be compassionate.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the law, so we are free to struggle.