Randy Amos - Sunday, March 1, 2020

Family Bible Hour featuring Randy Amos teaching about the completeness of the Gospel of Christ.

Transcript Follows.

Okay, I'm waiting for another hymn, and Paul says, "that's you."

Soit's been a privilege to be here with you this weekend. And to minister yesterday, to enjoy the Lord together this morning, and the Lord's supper, and to see you again. Lord willing, we fly back this afternoon (I do) to Oregon, will see my wife for the first time after two weeks—she had been in the Bahamas and we're home there for a while before we travel again. So when you read the prophet Amos in the Bible, somehow you'll think of us and pray for us, faithfulness, stamina, and fruit for the Lord Jesus. In the message this morning, I'd like you to begin in Romans chapter one of the book of Romans and chapter one, please.

Romans one, and kind of introducing ourselves at a major subject of the book in verse 16, Romans chapter one and verse 16.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, the just shall live by faith." We'll read more, but God does bless the reading of his word.

When it comes to this good news, the gospel of Christ that brings salvation—brings power to salvation—to those who believe. We read in verse 17, that end this gospel of God and this gospel of Christ. Look at the first line of verse 17. "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith," etc. In this gospel, you will see the righteousness of God. The rightness, the justness, the fairness, the holiness. In this gospel, it claims the righteousness of God is revealed.

What I'd like to do this morning as the Lord helps. It's to look at the subject in the book of Romans, of the righteousness of God. for it's all about that. The righteousness of God. And there's different sections in Romans that built on this gospel. And to begin with here in Romans, we're going to see: why do I need the righteousness of God? "I'm an okay person," some people say, but why does one need the righteousness—not just a standard of man, but the righteousness of God?

Well, that's in the opening chapters and just briefly looking at them. You look at the next verse and the why begins to be answered why we need it. Looking at verse 18. Romans one and verse 18, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth and unrighteousness." Doesn't talk about God's love yet talks about God's wrath, his righteous anger, his wrath is revealed from heaven, not against animals or trees or vegetables, against man—those made in His image—against mankind, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.

Ungodliness: we leave God out of our life. We don't seek God first. We don't seek to glorify him why we were created. Unrighteous: we do what is wrong in God's eyes, and therefore God's wrath is revealed. There's a reason (not because he's in a bad mood and up in New York, we called him a bad hair day, you lash out at everybody and have to go around and apologize to everybody, "I had a bad hair day.") But it's a righteous anger because of sin and because of unrighteousness.

But the verse 18 is actually saying more than that—look how it ends—"who hold the truth in unrighteousness." Not only have they sinned, they have sinned while holding the truth and, "suppressing" some of your translation will have the truth away in unrighteousness. In other words, they knew what they were doing. It's one thing brothers and sisters and friends to do something in ignorance. When I go home, my little grandson, he'll, come up and jump on me and probably slobber on me a bit and flail his hands might hit me, a little bit of excitement. I'm not upset with him. He does. He's not trying to be malicious is it's where he's at in the eighth cycle. There's no anger there.

I just want to make an example. brother Paul wouldn't do it. But if I walked in here and brother Paul stepped on my foot and spit at me and hit me in the face. I'm angry, okay. I'm angry because he knew what he was doing. That's what verse 18 is saying, they hold the truth and unrighteousness that men and women know what they're doing, push that truth away, and sin anyway against God. And so the wrath of God is revealed.

So I'm in desperate need of salvation, of His righteousness. Now what he does in chapters one and two, and a little bit of three, he goes on to show that whether people have the law the Bible or not, (those days the Jews had the Bible, the Gentiles didn't.) There, they still know well, how can you know about God without the law without Moses, the 10 commandments, the Bible, how can you know right and wrong, and it goes on to show that mankind knows the things that God has revealed, but he pushes that away. Whatever like God has showed them, they've pushed it away, therefore they're accountable for their sin.

Now, just quickly on this, you look at verse 19. He's dealing with Gentiles who never had a Bible. Never had the law. It says, "because that which may be no one of God has manifest in them for God has showed it unto them." God has showed it what can be known about God. Well, you say what book of the Bible, not a book in the Bible.

Look at verse 24. "The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse." God says, I won't accept that excuse.

"I'm not worthy of the wrath of God. I didn't have a Bible." God says you had creation. Creation full of intelligent designs, demands an intelligent designer.

You know if you came to visit me in Oregon, and I took you to a friend's house, but he was away, but I showed you his house 22 room house aren't all expensive art all over the place. tennis courts, two plane hangers, a five car garage. Two swimming pools. Your say your friend is rich and also how to you know you never met him. I just look at what he made you say? You look at creation without excuse the brilliance of creation just for a minute, the power of creation to reveal God. Keep your hand in Romans, we want to come back. But go to Psalm 19 for a minute, Psalm 19, please.

And all the variety and glory and creation. looking here at Psalm 19 and verse number one. Psalm 19 and verse number one says, "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork. You can know the glorious creator, people get taken up with the artwork of his design. Well then the one who designed it is glorious.

"Declare." But not only that, verse two, "day unto day uttereth speech, night unto night showeth knowledge." It's a continual preacher. I'm only here for a few minutes. It goes day and night, every type of glories revealed. It's a 24 hour preacher of the glory of God.

Look at verse three. "There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard." It's multilingual, it reaches every tribe, every corner of the earth. I need a translator when I go different places, it needs no translator. There's no speech or language that doesn't see the glory of creation goes on to say in verse four, "Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun." Its international. I don't get to every country in the world, it does—throughout all the world, and so the power of creation to reveal the Godhead and his glory.

Now with that in mind, go back to Romans chapter one. Paul arguing that men and women are under the wrath of God because they've sinned, they've done unrighteousness while knowing the truth, it's pushed it away. Romans chapter one now and verse 21, verse 21.

"Because when they knew God," that, "when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain and their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." "When they knew God."

You'll say, "Those poor people don't know about God." Yes, they did. And they—you didn't see it—they shove that revelation of creation away, and weren't thankful, didn't glorify Him, and they went to the darkness. Darkness is not the cause. Darkness is a symptom of the rejection of God and creation. So there's nobody with has an excuse. He goes on to show even on knowing right and wrong.

You say, "Well, if you don't have the 10 commandments, the Bible, catechism, the church—today—how you know?" Well go to chapter two. And I'll tell you how you know. Go to verse 14 of chapter two of Romans, why men and women are not righteous, why we need the righteousness of God, because we're not righteous.

Look at verse 14. "For when the Gentiles," (and that's the word for non Jewish nations, the nations) "For when the Gentiles which have not the law, do by nature, the things contained in the law, these have been not the law are a law unto themselves" Alright. Gentiles, that they don't have a Bible, they don't have Moses and the 10 commandments, but you go to their societies and they have policemen. They have law and order. You take somebody else's wife, you're in trouble.

What's that all about? Well, even though they don't have the written law, they have this. Look at verse 14-15 (to 15), "Which show the world Work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience, also bearing witness, and their thoughts, the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another."

Like Adam, the knowledge of good and evil came into the world, we have that the work of the law written in our hearts, a basic instinct of what right and wrong is. It's proven by looking at society that has law and order, but doesn't have a Bible. And so they have a conscience, and sometimes that constantly accuses them, and sometimes it will excuse them, and God knows when it accuses him and they go against it.

You say, "How do you know he knows that?" Verse 16. Look at verse 16. "In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel." And so men and women have a conscious they have creation, all are accountable, nobody is innocent, because nobody is ignorant, and any deals of the religious person, a Jew who did have the Bible in those days, the law and most says, and he says you have it but you don't do it. It's not like a magic thing. If it's on your table, it makes you holy. He says, You have it but you don't do it.

Look, look in chapter two. Again and look at verse 22. 2:22. "Thou sayest a man should not commit adultery, does not commit adultery? Thou that, abhors, idols does thou commit sacrilege. Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law, dishonors thou God."

So they have this religion and they kind of feel justified in it, but they don't they don't keep it. And so they break it. And so he has shown religious man, non religious man are without excuse under the wrath of God: why men and women need the righteousness of God. And he takes this verdict here and he kind of, there's a verdict gonna be handed in here in Romans three. If you jump into Romans three for a minute here and look at look at verse nine. We're in Romans chapter three and verse nine.

"What then? Are we better than they," that is, "we," Paul, the Jews; than, "they," the non Jew without the Bible. "Are we better than they? No, in nowise, for we have before proved, Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin." That was chapters one and two that I just flew through. He proved that with the Bible or without the Bible, with the law without the law, we're under sin for we all had light. We pushed that light away. Pushed that light away, and we're accountable for our sin.

So look at verse 10, 3:10. "As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one." In God's eyes, nobody is righteous. Therefore we're accountable for our unrighteousness. That's why I need the righteousness of God. It's why, we need salvation. There is none righteous, looking at verse 12. "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." That's how God sees it. Because he sees the secrets. He sees the heart. He sees the revelation that we do have.

So a kind of a final verdict is handed in, in verse 19. Look at Romans three and verse 19.

It says, "Now we know that what soever the law sayeth," whatsoever, what things soever the law sayeth, "it sayeth to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

Nobody has an excuse. "Well, I don't deserve punishment." Every mouth is stopped. Creation and conscience shut the person without the law; the law itself (because they broke it) shut the mouth of those with the law. And so all the world is guilty before God.

Some of you that have other translations will not have the word guilty. You'll have the word accountable. Your account. You're responsible for your sin You're under the judgment of God, "They which commit such things are worthy of death." So said Romans one and verse 22. And we don't have an excuse. And so it starts out with mankind's need for salvation.

Why do we take this subject of the righteousness of God? Because we're unrighteous. "There is none unrighteous, no, not one." He'll get into the very secrets of your heart.

Now, if that's all Roman was about, I wouldn't be standing up here. It's good news, it's a gospel of salvation. And as it goes into that good news, we're going to see how one can become righteous before God. How one can get the righteousness of God—not just some righteous standard of man—but the righteousness of God. It goes into that, why do I need the righteousness of God? Because I'm not righteous. How can one get the righteousness of God? Well, it goes, it'll tell you how not to get it now to get it.

Look at chapter three here and we'll go on to verse 20. Okay. Romans three now in verse 20 says, "Therefore, by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight, for by the law is [the righteous] the knowledge of sin." By the deeds of the law. "Well, I'll do this and I'll do that." No, but that word justified means to be declared righteous, just you know, right to be declared righteous. No one's declared righteous in his eyes by the law, because we come short, we can't keep it.

Jump a page, or so, maybe, probably a page in your Bible. The chapter forward just to see more on this. Romans chapter four. Look at verse five, Romans four and verse five.

"But to him that work is not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Not by working.

You think, "Well, if I've done all these bad things, I gotta improve it. I gotta cut some of these things out. And I'll just do a little better."

God says, "Not to him that worketh." It's the faith that will make you righteous. Look at the next verse 4:6, "Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness." Without works, God will credit your record book with the word. "righteous." Without what you do!

This is different!

So go back to chapter three with that in mind, that we already read: The law just gives the knowledge of sin but it doesn't justify. But now look at verse 22. We're in chapter three again of Romans. And verse 22.

"Even the righteousness of God, which is by faith in Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe for there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

You say, "Well, I'm better than so and so."

You might be, but you're not better than God. We've come short of God's glory, His Holiness, his righteousness. And so we're equal in that sense, none of us has reached his standard.

But as we read the righteousness of God is by faith of Jesus Christ upon us. That simply trusting the Savior will bring us God's righteous verdict. Gospel: good news! Without my performance, which can never measure up! I can be righteous in God's eyes.

You say, "Well, how's that?"

Well look at the next verse, verse 24, verse 24 3:24, of Romans.

"Being justified," declared righteous, okay, justified, "being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

And now it takes you to a work but not your work. God is holy. There is a work that needs to be done, but it's the work of Jesus Christ. And it says "redemption." Redemption will not take you to the teachings of Jesus. It will not take you to the baptism of Jesus, it will take you to the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Redemption means where the price is paid. A simple meaning of the word redemption means to make a wrong right. To make a wrong, right. Maybe your husband's here can relate you forgot your wife's anniversary. And it's late in the day, your friend reminds you it's your anniversary today. And and you're in trouble. But you go out, and you get three dozen roses, five bars of chocolate, a very expensive restaurant reservation for late at night. And your friend says, "you have redeemed yourself."

What does it mean? You've just taken a right wrong by the right price. You've made it right. And then a simple meaning here. There's a wrong done but a right hass been done to satisfy that wrong. And that's called redemption. You see the redemption of that. Blood he shed on that cross. Earlier we learned that those that do such things are worthy of death. You know, Romans 6:23 will say the wages of sin is death. But Christ died, the sun, the sinless Son of God died for our sins. And because of that payment, God now can, again righteously forgive you.

Look what it goes on to say verse 25, speaking of Christ Jesus. "Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation," (that is a satisfactory sacrifice,) "through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness, for the remission of sins that are passed for the forbearance of God."

When people say, Well, God forgives God loves he doesn't do it without a satisfactory payment, a sacrifice, which is death. It has to be as perfect sacrifice in the Old Testament, no blemish. Only the Lord Jesus qualifies for that, because he's the son of God. So so we learned it to: God's salvation is righteous, it declares his righteousness. Look at verse 26. So all over the place is the word righteousness 3:26.

"To declare I say at this time, his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." This gospel declares that God is just and the way he saves men and women because he's been satisfied with the right payment of the death of his beloved son from our sins.

You know, sometimes we just want people to show mercy but that's sometimes scraps justice. You take a woman who's been raped, horrible. And what if the judge would say to the person who raped her, "Hey, we show mercy, here we show love. You're forgiven."

It's okay for him, but how's the woman gonna feel? There's no value shown to her. She's been violated. Without that judgment on him. She feels she's worth nothing, it doesn't matter what happened.

It's not God's gospel that just forgives without punishment. You know that, we heard it in the breaking of bread this morning when Cain killed Abel. The Bible says in Genesis four that the Lord said to Cain, "your brother's blood crieth to me from the ground, cries to me from the ground," and then he went ahead and judged Cain. It was crying for justice, something in the image of God has been damaged. God's been offended. Where is the justice? Wo Abel's blood would cry, "justice". Hebrews 12:24 says, "The blood of Jesus speaketh better things than the blood of Abel."

Where Abel's says, "I need justice." The blood of Jesus says, "Justice has been provided. God's been satisfied." So when God forgives you, it's because the offense against him has been satisfied. The value has been shown.

So again, verse 26 says, "To declare I say at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." When you come to the one who's already done the work, died for your sins rose again as Lord. Yes a great work needs to be done, but as his redemption in Christ Jesus, as Ephesians 1:7 says, "In whom, [the Lord Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."

You come to the savior and you say, "You're my Savior," you satisfied God. God's been vindicated. And you trust him just an act of faith, you are justified, you're declared righteous. And God clothes you with His righteousness in Christ. So you become righteousness. Let me read 4:6 again, down to 4:6, 4:6.

"Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works." Without your work, God will write "righteous" on your record book! His righteousness. What a message here!

How do I become righteous? Not by trying to do better, I never can come up to that standard. By turning to the one who did the work the redemption, who made the wrong right. And trust the Lord Jesus, and God will declare me righteous. My record book today says "righteous" though my actions weren't righteous. The record book says "righteous" because God has credited the salvation of Christ to me and he can do it for you. It's called the gospel. Why do we need righteousness? Well we're unrighteous! How do I get it? Through faith in the Lord Jesus, who satisfied God with his blood sacrifice.

But now, going to 5:9 just summing this point up, if you go to chapter five and verse nine, chapter five and verse nine. Romans Verse nine.

"Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." Remember the wrath of God was revealed? I'm saved from that, because I'm righteous—justified—declared righteous. Through what, some church? No, through His blood. That's that's the only thing that can satisfy God.

Now, justified, brothers and sisters and friends, justification—being righteous—is a present possession. I'm now justified. It's not something I'm working toward. It's a present possession. Right now I'm justified because of his blood. And that's how one becomes righteous before the eyes of a holy God.

Now, having said that, there's more than Romans isn't there. I want to take you to chapter six now. We've looked at why I need the righteousness of God, how one gets the righteousness of God, through faith in the Savior, the Lord Jesus. Now go to chapter six and look what this is talking about. Roman Chapter six and verse one. Romans chapter six and verse one.

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid!" Now the question is a lifestyle. Lifestyle. And we're going to see: why should I live righteously for God? Why should I live righteous? Why? If I'm not saved by my works, if I'm not saved by, by the law, then and he's pardoned me, he's forgiven me, why should I live righteous? And it's going to answer why should we live righteous. We're going to see we should live righteously, but we're going to get the "why" here.

You know, the Christian gospel, the true grace of God is the only message in the world where it completely accepts you first, before the performance. Every other religion—no matter what their rules are, we're all different—but you have to do right to eventually get right. The Gospel makes you righteous first, then He'll ask you to live for Him. It accepts you first.

If I can use an analogy like with my wife, what would you have thought—I'm going back 52 years—what would you have thought of, when I proposed to my wife, and she said, yes, you know. And I would, rather than pull out an engagement ring, I pulled out a cookbook. I'd say, "Honey, here's a cookbook. What I want you to do is study this and make, work on the recipe for the next 20 years. When you get those recipes down. Yeah, we'll come together."

She has to perform and she'd be under that fear: "Oh, if I burned a bagel!" The fear she'd be under! "I don't know if I'll ever be united!"

The Gospel puts you in a relationship with God first: justifies you, and then asks for performance. You know, after we got married, I did get her a cookbook. But she doesn't make those recipes—she does well—she doesn't do it to get united with me. She does it because she loves me, because she's united. That's the gospel. First we're justified, we're in a relationship with God, we're reconciled, then we should live for Him.

But why should we live righteously? If we're already forgiven? Well, he's going to go on to give the reason and I'll tell you what it's not. It's not, "Well you'll lose it, I'll take it away." If he takes it away, it wasn't eternal life. It was maybe a five year life.

Some will say, "Well, you'll go to purgatory, and you'll burn for every sin you did for 20,000 years." That should scare you into living righteously. But that's not the reason Romans six gives. It will show the believers' identification with the Lord Jesus—which baptism demonstrated, you're baptized into His death—and he rose again. You're baptized into his life. And now you're in— connected to God and you're in God's family. And the one you're connected to is the one you listen to. It's kind of that simple. You know?

Some of you have had more than one job. Some of you say, I had a job 10 years ago now I have one today. Which boss do you listen to? Well the one I'm connected to, the one I'm working for.

Well, it goes on to show that in in being baptized into Christ, that in his death, you shared in his death, and you shared in his life. Look, for example, in verse four. Look at Romans six and verse four.

"Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so also we should walk in newness of life." If you go on to read chapter six, death is a legal separator, and life as a legal uniter. It's that simple.

Unfortunately, if you lose your spouse, you're legally free to remarry. You're not before—but you're legally free to remarry. A death legally broke that bond. You get a little baby that's born into new life into the royal family over in England. That little baby is a rich kid, without ever lifting a finger. Because he: that life united him to the Royal privileges. And that's what it's teaching here.

The death of Christ legally took us from a standing, and legally brought us into the connection with God. Just let me show you that quickly. Okay, chapter six and go if you would to verse 10. Romans six and verse 10. "For in that he died," (That's the Lord Jesus), "He died unto sin once, but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God."

He lives unto God, he's on God's right hand! Now if you're in Christ, it's true of you. Verse 11, you share in what he accomplished. Verse 11: "Likewise reckon, count it to be so, ye also yourselves, to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." I'm dead— domain of sin Adam, I'm not connected to it. The death of Christ legally broke that relationship. But the life of Christ legally brought me into the family of God.

"The Spirit Itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." Romans 8:16. So if I now belong to God, Who should I listen to? My old master, sin, or God? Well, listen to the one you're connected to.

Look at look at verse 12, verse 12 6:12, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in the lusts thereof," now watch verse 13. "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves on the God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."

Why do I live righteously? Not because he'll take it away, because the gospel has brought me into a relationship with God, has separated me from the domain of Adam and sin. And I'm connected to God, I'm his child. So the one I'm connected to, I should serve. It's just that simple. And yield my members—"Lord What do you want me? I live righteously because it pleases you."

Just like back to my example: my wife cooks for me, not to get the relationship, but to please me, and it's a whole different dynamic, isn't it? Wonderful gospel of grace here? Why should the Christian live righteously?

And with that in mind, I want to progress here. How does the Christian live righteously? How does he live righteous? In the light of that we still have sin in these bodies—you know these bodies that are getting old? Chapter seven says Paul discovered sin is still in it. Just for a second. Chapter seven, Romans chapter seven. And look in here at verse 20, Romans seven and verse 20.

"Now if I do that, which I do not, it is no more I that do it, but sin the dwelleth in me." I'm skipping a whole lot of verses here. But he discovered sin lives in me. You still have the flesh: in my flesh dwells no good thing. This body still has sin embedded in it. That's why it's getting old and dying. Okay?

How do I live righteously? It's not an automatic thing, "Well, I'm saved now and I'll automatically do it…" No, you're gonna have a battle: there's sin inside you, and there's going to be a battle. Look at verse 23, verse 23 7:23, "But I see another law and my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members."

There's a civil war inside you—you've discovered it—between the spirit and the flesh. So how do I live righteously if I got this waging war of sin? Chapter eight will tell you how. Let me give you one verse here. Romans eight and verse four, Romans eight and verse four. "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walked not after the flesh, but after the spirit."

On your say, the Holy Spirit of God comes in your heart because you're clean. You have power, you have God in your life, and not the letter of the law, but his righteous demands, as morality, to love God with all your heart, to love your neighbor as yourself. It's going to be fulfilled in you not by walking after your natural ability—the flesh will fall on your face because it's sinful!

But you walk after the spirit that's in you, you listen to him, you follow his leading and steps from the Word of God, you get in his arena, and you'll find power to overcome. Not to eradicate it, but to overcome it. I'm just going to quote from Galatians chapter five There's a famous verse in verse 16.

"This I say, then walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Doesn't say you won't have but you'll not fulfill them. The attitudes won't become actions. If you walk. "Why do I have to walk in the Spirit?" Because of this problem. Verse 17, here's why you can't walk in the Spirit: "for the spirit lusts against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit. And these two are contrary one to another. So you cannot do two things that you would."

So the battle of your natural sin and the Spirit of God, and they'll drive you in two different directions. And as one simple brother put it, it's like two dogs are inside me, the one I feed most is the one that wins. And so we need to walk in the Spirit and in the power of the Spirit, we don't have to fulfill the lusts—we'll still have them, but we don't have to fulfill them. How do I live righteously? For the righteous of the Law is fulfilled when I walk after the spirit.

This gospel already saves you from Hell and judgment. it changes you. It's a complete gospel so that you have the power to live righteously. So why do I need to live righteously? "None righteous." How does one become righteous before God? Not by works! Faith in Jesus Christ, who satisfied God with his redemptive blood sacrifice. Why do I need, why should I live righteously? I'm in his family. He saved me for that reason. I'm connected to him. How do I live righteously? The power of the Holy Spirit will help me overcome.

And just in closing, what is righteous? What is the righteousness I should live? What is righteousness, the practical righteousness? You ask some people and they'll say same sex marriage is righteousness. It's legal, it's freedom. They have different definitions of what's right and wrong. What does God say is a righteous lifestyle. And that's how Romans closes. So let me just quick take you to Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter 12. And verse one. Romans chapter 12.

And verse one. says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is a reasonable service." Now, toward the end of the book, it asks for your "reasonable service." Religion says, serve God, if you serve effectively, you'll make it in the end. The Bible says, you're saved first, by His mercies. Now serve God because you are.

And it goes on to give what "acceptable service" is. It talks about discovering your gift in chapter 12, and using it to build up the body of Christ the church. That's right actions in God's eys, to take your spiritual abilities and help others grow in the things of Christ. That's chapter 12. You know, Chapter 13 is obey government. Obey. How do I know it's right? Because he tells me. Pay taxes.

We really as Christians have three responsibilities to government: pay, pray and obey. And if you've done that you're a faithful citizen of God. Okay? You can forget all the rest if you want to, but pay, pray and obey. That's it. That's part of the righteousness. Don't kill, don't commit adultery. That's all in chapter 13. Look at chapter 14 and verse 17, the subject of righteousness is still here. Look at 14:17

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost." It's not these religious rules: you can't touch this; you can't eat this; you can't drink this. That's religious ritual. It's righteousness in the Holy Ghost. It goes on to show you what it is. It's helping your brother if he has a weak conscience, not cutting him off, but you know, helping him and so on. And you can read those on your own. You get the chapter 16 you're introduced to the church. The first Corinthians talks about serving God in the assembly, and time's going done. You can read it on your own. What is righteousness? What is practical, right that he's looking for? He'll spell it out for you. In the end of Romans, in First Corinthians and all the rest of the epistles, he's going to tell you everything God says is right, not to get saved, but what he wants to see in our life to please Him.

So this is the gospel. May God encourage you in it. If anyone here is unsaved, you're not righteous, you're under the wrath of God. You can be, because Christ satisfied God with his blood sacrifice. You trust him. And the righteousness of God will be credited to your account by grace. And then you'll see why you should live righteously just because you're in his family. You'll see that you have the power to live righteous even though you have sin in your body. You have the Holy Spirit. And as you study the Word of God, you'll see what right what right actions are the pleases the Lord. In this gospel is revealed the righteousness of God. May God encourage it today in this glorious Gospel let's let's close in prayer then I understand there's a closing hymn.

Let's ask God to bless His Word.

Our Heavenly Father in the Lord Jesus name we stand accepted in him, we stand righteous, justified, not of ourselves but of him. And Lord, that's the beginning, but then we live for the, because you've done this, and we can find out what righteous is, just stir up the believers from the young to the oldest to search Thy Word and know what righteous is, to understand why they should live righteously. But but not to confuse it with being saved. That's the work of Christ. So Lord, just give good understanding. Help us to communicate this to others. This is the gospel. This is the gospel of Christ, the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believe it. We just asked for the spirit to work in hearts now for the glory as we commit the Word In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.