"How Do We Get Right In God's Sight?"
Weekend of August 22, 1999
Sermon on Romans 9:30-10:4
Saint Mark's, Watertown
Pastor Karl Walther
Paul writes, early in the book of Romans: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. Amen.
God's Word for our special consideration this morning is also from the book of Romans-- chapter nine, verse thirty, through chapter ten, verse four. There the Apostle Paul writes:
What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith.
But Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.
Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
This is God's Spirit-inspired Word of Jesus Christ.
Introduction: What Are the Biggest Questions In Your Life Right Now?
Dear fellow Christians-- who make Christ your foundation stone:
"What is the biggest question in your life right now?" Consider that with me for a moment, won't you? What's the biggest question in your life right now?
Maybe you're a student.... The biggest question in your life right now might be: "How will school go this year? Will I keep up with the work? Will I get bored with it sometime?"
Or maybe you work outside the home.... What's the biggest question in your life right now? It might be: "Are we going to keep getting busier, month after month? Am I going to get along with my new boss or coworker? Will I ever get a raise?
Maybe your life is centered inside the home.... The biggest question in your life right now might be: "Will I ever develop some close friendships?" Or: "Will things ever turn around between me and my spouse?" Or: "Will my kids make it into adulthood in one piece?"
Or maybe you're rapidly growing older.... What's the biggest question in your life? Is it: "Will I ever feel really well again?" Or: "How soon am I going to die?"
Theme: How Do We Get Right In God's Sight?
Those are big questions, aren't they? But I'm pretty sure you'd agree with me that no matter who we are or what we do, there is another, bigger question for us: (*) HOW DO WE GET RIGHT IN GOD'S SIGHT? As we explore that question today, we'll discover: (1) NON-CHRISTIANS FIND CHRIST THEIR STUMBLING STONE, but we (2) CHRISTIANS MAKE CHRIST OUR FOUNDATION STONE
Part One: The Jews Found Christ Their Stumbling Stone
Of course, this biggest question -- How Do We Get Right In God's Sight? -- it's not new to our day and age. It was already a big question back in the middle fifties ad, when the Apostle Paul wrote this letter overseas to the people at Rome. In fact, it was an especially big question back then: because there were two groups quarreling considerably about which of their two ways of salvation was the right one.
First of all, there were the Jews of the time. Paul deals with them in the middle six verses here. He begins: Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works.
That was, and still is among many people, the Jewish way of salvation. The Jews of Paul's day aimed to get right in God's sight by good deeds in conformity with God's standards. Immediately, Paul says, they didn't make it; they didn't attain their goal of God's righteousness. Why not? Their old sinful nature, inherited from their parents, all the way back to Adam and Eve-- their old sinful nature made it impossible for them perfectly to love God and perfectly to love others.
And so, Paul comments: They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." As it is written (and these are God's words in two passages in Isaiah): "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
Paul is using a word picture here.... It's almost as if the Israelites were Olympic class runners, running their race on the beach. The traction is not the best, though the runners are not for that reason willing to leave the beach. Actually, their biggest problem seems to be this rock in the middle of the beach that they keep tripping over. So, those runners excavate the rock and (with much effort) toss it into the sea.
That rock, of course, is Christ. You see, the Jews run their race, and they run it well. They're fast runners, careful to keep all the rules of the track-- running along the path of God's ceremonial laws, God's festival laws, God's dietary laws, and God's cleanliness laws. As they do so -- boom! -- they smack into Christ. He's the very one who makes it clear they can't keep God's commands perfectly. He's the very one, though, who did exactly that for them. But rather than building on him, they throw him aside.
Paul concludes: Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. Paul is saying: Don't give up on them! For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. They're running a fast race, just on the wrong track. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. And so, at Paul's time (and also largely at our time), they were lost.
Application One: Non-Christians Still Find Christ Their Stumbling Stone
Now, how about you? How will you get right in God's sight? Will it be by your good deeds in conformity with God's standards?
Can't be! You see, here's how it goes. You read your Bible, and you try to protect people's reputation (according to the eighth commandment), you try to protect their possessions (according to the seventh commandment), you try to protect their marriage (according to the sixth commandment). You read your Bible, and you try to protect people's lives (the fifth commandment) and honor the authority of others (the fourth commandment). And you find you just can't do it. You're simply sinful!
But what bothers you most, as you read the Bible, is that you keep running into this one guy who did do all those things: Jesus Christ. And you're tempted to say, "Got out of my way!" Well, friends, instead of tripping over Jesus and subsequently tossing him out of the way, you've got to build on him!
Part Two: Early Christians Made Christ Their Foundation Stone
That's what Paul insists as he writes to the Romans. In the first verse of God's Word to us today, he asks: What then shall we say? And he answers: That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith.
You see, God showed the non-Jews the path that the Jews were running on. And with all their failure, God discouraged the non-Jews from running that same path. Instead, God led the Gentiles to take that great big rock the Jews were stumbling over and make it -- and make him: Jesus Christ -- their foundation stone.
And then, in the final verse, Paul makes this true for every living soul. He says: Christ is the end of the law -- better translated: Christ is the aim of the law -- so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Application Two: We Christians Still Make Christ Our Foundation Stone
So friends, how about you? How will you get right in God's sight? Make Christ your foundation stone!
Here's how it work. You read God's eighth commandment. It says: You shall not give false testimony about your neighbor. Now, allow yourself to trip over Christ as your stumbling stone. Ask yourself: "Did I keep that commandment as well as he did?" And remember, Jesus is the one who refused to curse his enemies on the cross, saying lovingly: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
Confess your sin; then take Christ as your foundation stone! Turn to God and say: "Father, I've stumbled into sin as I've tried to obey you. I can't claim any righteousness of my own. But Jesus, my Savior, did not sin. Invited by you, prompted by you, I claim his righteousness as my own."
Let me give you one more example: You read God's fourth commandment. It says: Honor your father and mother-- and everybody else in authority. Now, allow yourself to trip over Christ as your stumbling stone. Ask yourself: "Did I keep that commandment as well as he did?" And remember, he's the one who honored his mother on the cross, saying: Dear woman, here is your son, and to John: Here is your mother.
Confess your sin; then take Christ as your foundation stone! Turn to God and say: "Father, I've honored neither my earthly parents nor you. I deserve hell. But Christ took my place perfectly. As you have promised, consider his righteousness my own."
That, my friends, is how we get right in God's sight!
Conclusion: Christ Helps Us With the Other Big Questions In Our Lives
You see, then, the Lord Jesus himself has answered the biggest question in our lives. He is our righteousness, and it means eternal life for us!
But those other questions I mentioned at the beginning of the sermon-- they're big questions, too. Does our Savior also help us with them? Certainly! First of all, the eternal life he has given us makes us less anxious about all the little things in our earthly lives.
Secondly: will the Lord help you students? Certainly! This same Jesus who is our righteousness assures us: If you hold to my teaching, you are my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Will the Lord help you workers? Certainly! This same Lord assures us: If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-- how will he not also, along with him, gracious give us all things?
Will the Lord help you folks whose lives are centered in the home? Absolutely! This same Lord who is our righteousness tells us: Nothing in all creation will be able to separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And will the Lord help you folks who may be sick and dying? Yes! This same Jesus, your Savior says to you: I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies. And whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
That means Jesus is always the answer to what ails us. His righteousness brings us eternal life. His righteousness guarantees his help in our earthly lives, as well. Amen.
Paul writes, early in the book of Romans: In the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." That's God's promise to you! Amen.