Old Testament Salvation: Whom (Romans 9:1-16)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:08.990 Our scripture reading this morning is from the book of Romans, Chapter Nine, 2 00:00:10.349 --> 00:00:17.629 reading from verses one to thirteen Romans Nine, beginning at verse one. I 3 00:00:17.710 --> 00:00:23.379 am telling the truth. In Christ, I am not lying, my conscience 4 00:00:23.660 --> 00:00:29.579 bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief 5 00:00:29.899 --> 00:00:35.100 in my heart, for I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated 6 00:00:35.179 --> 00:00:39.490 from Christ, for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the 7 00:00:39.609 --> 00:00:46.210 flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the 8 00:00:46.369 --> 00:00:49.969 glory and the covenants and the giving of law, of the law, and 9 00:00:50.119 --> 00:00:56.799 the Temple Service and the promises. Those are my are the fathers, and 10 00:00:57.079 --> 00:01:02.399 from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all God 11 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:08.989 blessed forever? Amen. But it is not as though the word of God 12 00:01:10.150 --> 00:01:15.189 has failed, for they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel. 13 00:01:15.909 --> 00:01:22.099 Neither are all children, because they are Abraham's descendants. But through Isaac, 14 00:01:22.620 --> 00:01:26.859 your descendants will be named. That is, it is not the children of 15 00:01:26.980 --> 00:01:30.980 the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are 16 00:01:32.099 --> 00:01:37.969 regarded as descendants, for this is the word of promise. At this time 17 00:01:38.010 --> 00:01:42.370 I will come and Sarah shall have a son. And not only this, 18 00:01:44.450 --> 00:01:49.280 but there was rebecca also, when she had conceived twins by one man, 19 00:01:49.599 --> 00:01:55.480 our Father Isaac or, tough though the twins were not yet born and had 20 00:01:55.560 --> 00:02:01.829 not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose to the to 21 00:02:02.030 --> 00:02:08.830 his choice, might stand and be, and because of works, not because 22 00:02:08.909 --> 00:02:15.550 it works of him who calls. It was said of her. The older 23 00:02:15.710 --> 00:02:21.180 will serve the younger, just as it is written. Jacob I loved, 24 00:02:22.139 --> 00:02:30.250 but Esaul I hated. Thus this reading, the God's holy word, our 25 00:02:30.650 --> 00:02:38.289 text for exposition and hopefully applied to our understanding of the Gospel of grace, 26 00:02:39.250 --> 00:02:45.680 is is Romans Chapter Nine, which is one of my favorite chapters in the 27 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:51.680 in the Bible. It troublesome to some are those that do not like that 28 00:02:51.800 --> 00:02:55.639 particular chapter, but also there are so many answers that we can find in 29 00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:04.469 it. The chapter is a textbook for predestination, but also justification, and 30 00:03:04.669 --> 00:03:08.949 it is foundational for the five soulas of the reformation that are well known to 31 00:03:09.150 --> 00:03:15.060 many of us. In summarizing some of the things of our belief, total 32 00:03:15.139 --> 00:03:22.099 depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, perseverance of the saints. 33 00:03:22.139 --> 00:03:25.860 All of these good things are touched upon. But before you doze off 34 00:03:25.979 --> 00:03:31.849 with all this listening to things that might be important here, let me try 35 00:03:31.889 --> 00:03:39.849 to show you where the rubber meets the road in these things. If you 36 00:03:39.930 --> 00:03:49.479 were to take a survey all people leaving churches in our surroundings here after the 37 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:53.560 service. I'm always liking people to take surveys. It never gets done but 38 00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:57.629 it can tell us sometimes if we take it at times. But if you 39 00:03:57.710 --> 00:04:02.550 were to go out and ask people see out the area, how were people 40 00:04:02.750 --> 00:04:09.710 saved in the Old Testament Times, the majority would have the wrong answer, 41 00:04:10.300 --> 00:04:15.780 or at least that's what I've found. I know of no such survey being 42 00:04:15.860 --> 00:04:19.300 taking, but my experience is clear. How were people saved in the Old 43 00:04:19.379 --> 00:04:26.490 Testament Times? If you have the wrong answer or waffle here on your answer, 44 00:04:27.089 --> 00:04:31.889 excuse me. We've got some work to do. This is a spiritual 45 00:04:32.490 --> 00:04:39.360 life and death issue. It is just that question which the final paragraph of 46 00:04:39.480 --> 00:04:44.439 the Westminster Confession of faith, Chapter Eleven addresses. But we weren't prepared to 47 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:47.600 go there necessarily, but you certainly may if you like. But the back 48 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:54.550 of the Aminals, but chapter eleven, paragraph six, says this for more 49 00:04:54.589 --> 00:05:00.550 confession of faith. The justification of believers under the Old Testament was, in 50 00:05:00.910 --> 00:05:08.259 all these respects, one and the same with justification of believers in the New 51 00:05:08.379 --> 00:05:14.259 Testament. Now we need to give some clarity in that as we deal with 52 00:05:14.339 --> 00:05:18.060 it. Are you aware of how many people don't know that and if we're 53 00:05:18.139 --> 00:05:24.290 asked, would probably give a wrong answer? Or again, that's been what 54 00:05:24.529 --> 00:05:28.970 I've found. Excuse me, I'm having trouble with the wind up here. 55 00:05:30.089 --> 00:05:32.889 As we get to the heart of the matter, let me sit three verses 56 00:05:33.009 --> 00:05:38.759 for moments. Nine High Lot, highlighting the heart of our focus in this 57 00:05:39.879 --> 00:05:49.189 Romans chapter nine versus exume me, versus eleven and twelve, for though the 58 00:05:49.350 --> 00:05:53.949 twins were not yet born and had not yet done any thing good or bad, 59 00:05:54.149 --> 00:05:58.910 in order that God's purpose according to choice, his choice, might stand 60 00:05:59.750 --> 00:06:04.899 not because of works but because of him who calls. It was said that 61 00:06:05.100 --> 00:06:11.699 the older will serve the younger, just as it is written Jacob I loved 62 00:06:12.180 --> 00:06:20.610 and Esau I hate. You see this as well in Galatians three, but 63 00:06:20.769 --> 00:06:24.129 we won't take time to go there. Let me just know it again. 64 00:06:24.170 --> 00:06:29.329 In Romans for versus three to five, as we're in the book of Romans. 65 00:06:29.370 --> 00:06:35.839 Romans for versus three to five. For what does the Scripture say? 66 00:06:36.519 --> 00:06:42.800 And Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness, a favor. 67 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:46.910 Now the one who works, his wages is not reckoned as a favor, 68 00:06:47.910 --> 00:06:51.350 but as want what is due. But to the one who does not 69 00:06:51.470 --> 00:06:59.149 work but believes in him, who justifies the ungodly, his faith, is 70 00:06:59.350 --> 00:07:04.579 reckoned as righteousness, just as David also speaks of blessings upon the man to 71 00:07:04.699 --> 00:07:15.329 whom God reckons righteousness apart from the works, to apart from works. Now 72 00:07:15.490 --> 00:07:21.689 you see that this shows up in various parts of the of the Bible. 73 00:07:23.170 --> 00:07:30.040 What we're getting at this morning in terms of how people are saved in general. 74 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:36.199 In Romans for the apostle then goes on to use Abraham as a classic 75 00:07:36.360 --> 00:07:41.600 example. This is one that is so clear in the Bible and example of 76 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:47.430 one who has saved by the shed blood of Jesus, one who is justified 77 00:07:47.509 --> 00:08:00.779 by faith and Christ alone. Romans Romans four, versus three through five, 78 00:08:01.019 --> 00:08:05.100 that I already read that. Yes, I think I did. Yes, 79 00:08:05.180 --> 00:08:11.060 I already that. Sorry. So the basic and yet so misunderstood. It 80 00:08:11.180 --> 00:08:13.730 is taught that the chapters of the Covenant and the mediator, is in the 81 00:08:13.810 --> 00:08:22.129 Westminster Confession of faith, but here in chapter eleven six of the confession, 82 00:08:22.250 --> 00:08:28.000 it's explicitly stated. Also. Well, many miss this truth, and yet 83 00:08:28.040 --> 00:08:31.919 it is so misunderstood. It is taught in the chapters of the Covenant and 84 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:37.559 the mediator and the Westminster Confession, but here at l eleven six of the 85 00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:46.990 confession it's explicitly stated. Now many miss the truth because they think that there 86 00:08:48.029 --> 00:08:54.509 are at least some Decei inidence of Adam who are able to save themselves by 87 00:08:54.710 --> 00:09:01.340 works of the law. Such an arrant view misses both the sovereignty of God 88 00:09:01.740 --> 00:09:09.210 in salvation, especially the election of sinners in salvation, and also the centrality 89 00:09:09.649 --> 00:09:16.929 of Christ alone in salvation. Today, what I want to emphasize the doctrine 90 00:09:16.929 --> 00:09:22.730 of divine election as it pertains to this paragraph of the confession, and the 91 00:09:22.889 --> 00:09:30.480 me as mediator, as Christ the mediator for any center, Old Testament or 92 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:35.600 New Testament, and try to sort that out in case it's needed. Now. 93 00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:39.909 The first thing I want to set before you is a clarification how issue, 94 00:09:41.509 --> 00:09:46.149 how this issue of the confession of faith, Chapter Eleven six. I'm 95 00:09:46.190 --> 00:09:50.909 sorry I don't have that more distinctly before you in now, but it is 96 00:09:50.990 --> 00:09:56.940 in the back of your hymnals. But how on the what basis were persons 97 00:09:56.139 --> 00:10:01.379 saved during the Old Testament? It's an interesting question to ask to people because 98 00:10:01.419 --> 00:10:07.570 many do not get it. No bonified Christian today denies that we are saved 99 00:10:07.649 --> 00:10:13.210 by faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior. That's the essence of Christianity. 100 00:10:15.169 --> 00:10:20.450 Many Non Christians teach otherwise, but not. Ortho lacks Christianity. But there 101 00:10:20.450 --> 00:10:26.519 are those who may themselves be Christians Trust in Christ for their salvation, who 102 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:33.240 firmly believe that Old Testament Salvation is on other grounds. And if you gave 103 00:10:33.720 --> 00:10:39.070 the air of that view a name, it would be dispensationalism, popular eyes 104 00:10:39.190 --> 00:10:50.500 by Sei schofield through his reference Bible, rampant in many fundamentalist circles, associated 105 00:10:50.580 --> 00:10:56.419 with institutions like Moody Bible Institute and Dallas Theological Seminary, and many Baptist and 106 00:10:56.539 --> 00:11:01.379 independent churches. But it's a view that deals with the two different testaments as 107 00:11:01.460 --> 00:11:09.529 a key matter and, according to schofields and Biblical theory, history is divided 108 00:11:09.649 --> 00:11:18.799 into dispensations throughout all of history and those and those, and in each dispensation 109 00:11:20.840 --> 00:11:28.399 God tests people in a different way. There's not a uniformity between creation to 110 00:11:28.600 --> 00:11:35.190 now in terms of how one is saved from that view. Now, the 111 00:11:35.269 --> 00:11:43.830 the justification of believers in the Old Testament was in all respects of being, 112 00:11:43.350 --> 00:11:48.899 in all these respects, one and the same with justification of believers in the 113 00:11:50.019 --> 00:11:54.740 New Testament. Again, I'm quoting from from our confession. As well as 114 00:11:56.059 --> 00:12:01.529 stating what I hope is will is or will be obvious to us. There 115 00:12:01.570 --> 00:12:07.049 are usually three types of errors that are made in in this whole topic and 116 00:12:07.250 --> 00:12:13.570 just to summarize them so we know what basically we're dealing with here. First 117 00:12:13.649 --> 00:12:18.360 of all, some say that Old Testament persons were saved by being Jews. 118 00:12:20.440 --> 00:12:26.679 They presume the promises of God given to Israel were given collectively and mechanically. 119 00:12:26.600 --> 00:12:33.309 They ignore the necessity of faith or the curse on unbelievers. But this view 120 00:12:33.629 --> 00:12:41.269 was common in Christ Day. Paul's treatment of God's promise in Romans nine shows 121 00:12:41.470 --> 00:12:48.100 how widespread such a false view was. But were or are all Jews saved 122 00:12:48.299 --> 00:12:54.980 in Christ's Day? Both the old testaments and Old Testament. Both old and 123 00:12:56.019 --> 00:13:01.250 new testaments deny it. Jesus explicitly denied that one is saved merely by being 124 00:13:01.330 --> 00:13:07.370 a biological descendant of Abraham. Most of you have probably been through that, 125 00:13:07.450 --> 00:13:16.639 that episode the it's regarding Abraham's situation. But a second erroneous view, just 126 00:13:16.759 --> 00:13:20.480 going ahead through what some give, is probably the most widespread of all. 127 00:13:22.200 --> 00:13:26.679 It is at old speed. Old Testament people were saved by keeping the law 128 00:13:26.950 --> 00:13:33.509 superficially. It may look that way to a newcomer, but it boggles my 129 00:13:33.669 --> 00:13:41.820 mind how popular this view is among people. If the Scotaled Bible were the 130 00:13:41.899 --> 00:13:50.100 dispensational teachers is added as footnotes to the Holy Bible. Schofield compares the dispensation 131 00:13:50.340 --> 00:13:54.100 of law with that of grace. In these words, and I quote, 132 00:13:54.019 --> 00:14:01.570 the point of testing is no longer lead legal obedience as a condition of salvation, 133 00:14:01.289 --> 00:14:07.289 but acceptance or rejection of Christ. He's right on the now but wrong 134 00:14:07.570 --> 00:14:13.639 on the Old Testament. Time you see how readily this fits the human desire 135 00:14:13.799 --> 00:14:20.360 to achieve one's own salvation. You talk to people that aren't very well versed 136 00:14:20.440 --> 00:14:24.070 in the faith and maybe have some claim to it but don't really quite get 137 00:14:24.110 --> 00:14:28.909 it. And you ask what they're trusting in, they'll start talking about the 138 00:14:28.990 --> 00:14:33.549 good things they've done. It happens all the time. And the point of 139 00:14:33.710 --> 00:14:41.299 testing is no longer legal obediences as a condition of salvation. It never was 140 00:14:41.580 --> 00:14:48.259 the nesting with legal obediences, but the acceptance or rejection of Christ. One, 141 00:14:48.419 --> 00:14:54.409 in terms of the Old Testament, expectations us in the actual coming of 142 00:14:54.450 --> 00:15:00.570 the Lord Jesus Christ. Who is that answer? But the second view then 143 00:15:01.250 --> 00:15:03.850 places that on keeping of the law, which is a normal answer most people 144 00:15:03.970 --> 00:15:11.559 get if they don't know the right answer. A third arrant view is that 145 00:15:11.720 --> 00:15:18.360 the old pit testament people were saved by keeping the sacraments, that is, 146 00:15:18.519 --> 00:15:24.669 by performing sacrifices and by keeping the sacraments, so to speak, or the 147 00:15:24.710 --> 00:15:28.909 rituals, I should say, as specified in the livitical code. And though 148 00:15:28.950 --> 00:15:33.629 that's totally contradicted in God's word, this view, in one way or another, 149 00:15:35.429 --> 00:15:37.419 is closer to the real issue. It's not the real issue, but 150 00:15:37.460 --> 00:15:43.700 it's closer to it because at least the sacrifice is pointed to the answer, 151 00:15:43.539 --> 00:15:50.450 even though it was not the answer itself. Sacrifices do not save any more 152 00:15:50.529 --> 00:15:56.289 than baptism or the Lord's supper saves today in our age. There's a common 153 00:15:56.450 --> 00:16:02.169 thread in all three of these. However, these views that are erroneous a 154 00:16:02.210 --> 00:16:07.799 common thread. They all seem man in some way saved because of who he 155 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:15.759 is or what he does. That's that's the big choice. That is in 156 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:25.389 this view, neither of which is helpful at this point. But the in 157 00:16:25.590 --> 00:16:30.549 such a false way of salvation that is rejected of our confession. Against this 158 00:16:30.710 --> 00:16:34.899 backdrop, the scriptural teaching is very clear and we need to turn to the 159 00:16:34.980 --> 00:16:40.179 law of God to go there, as are our next main point at this 160 00:16:40.980 --> 00:16:45.659 level. The leads us next to but the Bible's teaching about the law of 161 00:16:45.779 --> 00:16:52.730 God. How does the law of God fit into this particular issue? We 162 00:16:52.889 --> 00:16:56.009 look back in the Old Testament and obedience was an important thing. It always 163 00:16:56.009 --> 00:17:02.519 is, but we can also very much get it wrong the law of God. 164 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:07.720 How does it fit that a mass? That's a massive study, but 165 00:17:07.799 --> 00:17:11.200 a few essentials can be drawn out here. One of the chief characteristics of 166 00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:19.190 sin is to deny one sinfulness. That's that's one of the most common sins. 167 00:17:21.150 --> 00:17:25.470 We say no, I'm not a sinner, I'm all right to affirm 168 00:17:25.710 --> 00:17:30.819 we are basically good. Oh how often you get that? When you're asking 169 00:17:30.980 --> 00:17:36.339 some of them about what their hope of being in heaven one day they started 170 00:17:36.420 --> 00:17:40.859 talking about well, not so bad. Fact, I'm pretty good. I 171 00:17:40.980 --> 00:17:42.019 take care of my family, I do this, I do this, I 172 00:17:42.140 --> 00:17:48.849 do this, very common answers. The chief characteristics of sin is to deny 173 00:17:48.930 --> 00:17:55.049 our sinfulness and stress our goodness. And a sinner does not want to admit 174 00:17:55.329 --> 00:18:00.240 his sinfulness, let alone his total depravity, like those crazy calvinists. Who 175 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:08.440 wants to say that these babies, newborn babies, have a sin essence to 176 00:18:08.599 --> 00:18:18.029 their being even at birth, that they have the filthiness of sin already up 177 00:18:18.150 --> 00:18:23.069 on their hearts? And you can talk to people who have small children and 178 00:18:23.750 --> 00:18:26.180 they will vout, kick you out of their house if you would be to 179 00:18:26.539 --> 00:18:33.019 suggest this, as I cannot help but think of Doctor Gershner's famous phrase of 180 00:18:33.099 --> 00:18:41.890 Vipers and diapers. But they cannot take the aspect that now children, that's 181 00:18:41.890 --> 00:18:45.890 where our sin is. It would inherited from Adam. We all have it. 182 00:18:45.690 --> 00:18:52.970 Total depravity. Our confessions say there are people that leave reform circles when 183 00:18:52.009 --> 00:18:57.079 the doctrine of total depravity comes into discussion. They do not want to accept 184 00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:03.799 that there's not goodness within them. Well, the primary use of the law, 185 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:15.470 if you study it seriously, was to was to reveal sin, to 186 00:19:15.630 --> 00:19:26.779 expose us as sinners and show us how terribly needful we are, to a 187 00:19:26.900 --> 00:19:30.579 way of dealing with that sin. The sinner does not want to admit how 188 00:19:30.740 --> 00:19:37.859 sinful he is. Most people typically think God grades on a curve and they 189 00:19:37.940 --> 00:19:42.410 think they're high enough to make the grade and everything's okay. They don't realize 190 00:19:42.450 --> 00:19:51.289 that they can bring nothing in their own that is truly righteous. Only the 191 00:19:51.650 --> 00:19:57.440 covering of Christ righteousness can cover us. So the law was not a way 192 00:19:57.480 --> 00:20:03.279 of salvation. It was a way of telling us what kind of sinners we 193 00:20:03.440 --> 00:20:08.309 are. And one of the chief characteristics of sin is to deninye sinfulness. 194 00:20:11.069 --> 00:20:15.230 Now, many will say the law is there to teach us to do good 195 00:20:15.269 --> 00:20:19.309 or be good. Well, the law is a pattern about holy living. 196 00:20:19.390 --> 00:20:25.940 It describes what is holy in God's eyes. But the problem is that we 197 00:20:26.059 --> 00:20:30.019 are not good and the law is to reveal that fact before we can make 198 00:20:30.059 --> 00:20:37.970 any headway in our life with our Savior, Jesus Christ. The law is 199 00:20:37.089 --> 00:20:41.210 to convince us that we are sinners that were desperately in need of a savior. 200 00:20:41.930 --> 00:20:47.410 The Law does indeed restrain sin. It shows us what is right living, 201 00:20:48.009 --> 00:20:52.480 but it cannot make us good persons, and its chief purpose is to 202 00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:57.599 reveal our need. And if we don't not understand that kind of total need 203 00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:03.920 we have, we will not make very good progress in a walk with a 204 00:21:03.000 --> 00:21:07.470 savior. Thus why God is honored by the use of the law. Of 205 00:21:07.589 --> 00:21:14.990 course it's righteous. It condemns unregenerate, reprobate sinners and leaves them without excuse. 206 00:21:15.990 --> 00:21:19.220 And while God is glorified in the use of the law which directs us, 207 00:21:19.779 --> 00:21:26.019 the central focus of the law is seen from a perspective of God's plan 208 00:21:26.220 --> 00:21:32.220 of Redemption, in revealing our sin and causing us to flee to the savior. 209 00:21:32.859 --> 00:21:37.730 When our eyes are open and we see what and who Jesus is and 210 00:21:38.009 --> 00:21:47.240 how, that is everything in terms of what Christianity and our salvation is all 211 00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:52.519 about. Exodus Twenty begins. I don't know when it was. It was 212 00:21:52.599 --> 00:21:57.000 a long time ago, but I'll never forget when, preacher, professor, 213 00:21:57.039 --> 00:22:00.000 I don't know where, even where it was at the time, but that 214 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:04.589 made this point, which is so obvious. We all know the ten commandments, 215 00:22:04.670 --> 00:22:10.630 all about them and, to certain extent, at all. But the 216 00:22:10.789 --> 00:22:15.500 thing that was brought home to me on that particular time was in exodus twenty. 217 00:22:17.019 --> 00:22:22.859 It begins, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of 218 00:22:22.940 --> 00:22:29.099 the land of Egypt, out of the House of slavery, and you see 219 00:22:29.140 --> 00:22:36.369 how we come into that, ultimately through the history of salvation. But because 220 00:22:36.490 --> 00:22:40.009 of this, I am the Lord your God, because of this I am 221 00:22:40.210 --> 00:22:45.799 gracious, because I delivered you. Therefore, you shall have no other gods 222 00:22:45.960 --> 00:22:53.799 before you, none. God is everything in this. That's the first and 223 00:22:55.079 --> 00:23:00.269 he said, because I am the Lord your God, you shall have no 224 00:23:00.390 --> 00:23:04.069 other gods before you, and that suddenly had power in those words for the 225 00:23:04.150 --> 00:23:07.990 first time to him, as I realized, God's really sounds mad here if 226 00:23:08.029 --> 00:23:12.539 you get the right kind of person preaching this to you and you begin to 227 00:23:12.700 --> 00:23:18.900 think, wow, you shall have I mean, that's it's not just reading 228 00:23:18.980 --> 00:23:25.380 mored you shall have no other gods before me. It's an eternal creator and 229 00:23:26.259 --> 00:23:33.529 judge of all that's saying this because I am gracious, because I delivered you. 230 00:23:33.690 --> 00:23:36.930 Therefore, you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not 231 00:23:37.130 --> 00:23:41.160 make for yourself an idol, etc. Tonight we're going to talk about some 232 00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:45.359 idolatry in making idols, by the way. But in this light we find 233 00:23:45.440 --> 00:23:52.079 that the law includes not merely the prohibitions before which we stand condemned, but 234 00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:59.430 the promises, the promise of perfect salvation as being what God does bring to 235 00:23:59.549 --> 00:24:03.829 us. And when God gave the law, remember, he also gave con 236 00:24:03.109 --> 00:24:11.019 instructions concerning sacrifices. He knew we needed that. When God chose Moses as 237 00:24:11.059 --> 00:24:15.819 the lawgiver, he also chose Aaron to be a high priest. It is 238 00:24:15.940 --> 00:24:22.500 as though God, as he thundered out, you shall not of the deathlog 239 00:24:23.220 --> 00:24:30.529 rather than just kind of reading through it, but I know you will fail 240 00:24:30.769 --> 00:24:34.210 and keep the to keep the law perfectly. And so this is the way 241 00:24:34.369 --> 00:24:41.759 of redemption. Christ only came next, Moses, is the lawgiver, Aaron 242 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:45.720 and the high priest, to help show us that there was another part to 243 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:51.279 all of this. Now the Gospel was present in the Old Testament of law. 244 00:24:52.829 --> 00:24:56.829 The Old Testament Saints understood that that was coming. They didn't have all 245 00:24:56.869 --> 00:25:02.190 the pieces that we have, but it was there. The sacrifices the Old 246 00:25:02.230 --> 00:25:07.140 Testament pointed to Jesus Christ, the lamb of God, the sacrifice to remove 247 00:25:07.180 --> 00:25:11.980 our guilt and sin, taking it upon himself, and then to go one 248 00:25:12.099 --> 00:25:18.900 more step down this road, the how of Old Testament Salvation. We move 249 00:25:18.019 --> 00:25:22.289 from the fact of salvation in the Old Testament and the context of Old Testament 250 00:25:22.410 --> 00:25:27.490 law concerning the how of the Old Testament. How did this take part there? 251 00:25:27.849 --> 00:25:34.920 Well, the key to understanding this question is election. I was amazed 252 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:37.960 the time when, I hope, found out the election has something to do 253 00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:44.279 with the whole issue of law and how we fit into getting out of that 254 00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:48.319 mess. Salvation is in the old as well as the New Testament Times. 255 00:25:48.599 --> 00:25:53.230 was to whom God chooses, or chose, by the way, that the 256 00:25:53.349 --> 00:25:56.309 sermon to the bulletin didn't have room for the sermon title here. All the 257 00:25:56.390 --> 00:26:03.789 way, it was old testament salvation, whom he chooses, was a conclusion 258 00:26:03.869 --> 00:26:07.140 of that title. By the way, Old Testament Salvation whom he chooses. 259 00:26:07.299 --> 00:26:15.420 That's the short answer that we're moving to now to Israel. Was Given the 260 00:26:15.500 --> 00:26:22.250 promise that Christ would come. The sacrifices pointed to Christ. It is here 261 00:26:22.609 --> 00:26:30.730 we begin to focus on Romans nine and see how this all comes together. 262 00:26:30.130 --> 00:26:33.200 And an answer. We should note, by the way of prefacing this, 263 00:26:33.839 --> 00:26:40.519 that Paul in Romans, for devotes an entire chapter to showing that Abraham, 264 00:26:40.680 --> 00:26:44.920 the father of the Jewish nation, was saved by faith apart from the law. 265 00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:51.910 This in itself answers the proximate question, or the immediate how of Old 266 00:26:51.950 --> 00:26:57.990 Testament Salvation, but it raises the question of why Israel as a whole is 267 00:26:59.150 --> 00:27:04.380 not responding to God's offer in Christ as Abraham did to Israel was given the 268 00:27:04.460 --> 00:27:10.779 promise of Christ that he would come and they had sacrifices, the appointed to 269 00:27:10.859 --> 00:27:17.289 Christ, and understood that but did not believe. That's Israel's glory that they 270 00:27:17.329 --> 00:27:22.130 had the law given to them as well as the answer. But Israel, 271 00:27:22.450 --> 00:27:27.650 that is Israel's glory, not the political kingdom nonsense of modern Israel. Should 272 00:27:29.250 --> 00:27:34.279 should have believed. Yet in the earliest evangelists went forth with their message, 273 00:27:34.680 --> 00:27:41.680 Israel was largely rejecting the savior, while the gentiles were believing it. Why? 274 00:27:41.960 --> 00:27:48.869 How does this harmonize with the Old Testament promises? Is God taking back 275 00:27:48.990 --> 00:27:53.789 his promises that he made to Israel? Is God rejecting his people or, 276 00:27:55.390 --> 00:28:00.500 more to the point of our discussion. Had the way of salvation changed? 277 00:28:03.859 --> 00:28:11.930 Paul then begins his argument by showing that it was always the case that some 278 00:28:12.250 --> 00:28:18.730 were saved and others were not. The reference point, the key to the 279 00:28:18.930 --> 00:28:26.210 answer, there is seeing the spiritual descendants are being spoken of here, Romans 280 00:28:26.289 --> 00:28:33.920 nine, versus six and seven, woman's nine, verses six and seven. 281 00:28:36.960 --> 00:28:41.240 But it is not as though the word of God has failed, for they 282 00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:48.109 are not all Israel who are descended from Israel. Neither are all children because 283 00:28:48.190 --> 00:28:56.460 they are Abraham's descendants. But to Isaac, your descendants will be named spiritually 284 00:28:56.500 --> 00:29:03.380 viewed, not all descendants were true descendants. It's as simple as that. 285 00:29:03.460 --> 00:29:11.130 And one sense, not all are sons of promise. Some were saved, 286 00:29:11.730 --> 00:29:17.529 some were not saved. Paul next shows that those who are truly Abraham's spiritual 287 00:29:17.569 --> 00:29:26.599 seed become only that way by God's sovereign election. Romans nine, verse eight, 288 00:29:30.119 --> 00:29:34.279 that is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children 289 00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:44.109 of God, but the children of promise are regarded as descendants. And again 290 00:29:44.190 --> 00:29:52.549 this is wrapped up a lot with with Abraham's historical situation. Jews past Jews 291 00:29:52.710 --> 00:29:56.579 and gentiles past and present are saved. The save by the same way, 292 00:29:57.740 --> 00:30:04.740 by God's electing grace, focused on the work of Christ on calvary. Jews 293 00:30:04.779 --> 00:30:11.410 and gentiles past and present are are saved in the same way as we think 294 00:30:11.450 --> 00:30:15.410 of today, but in a different context or different format a bit, but 295 00:30:15.490 --> 00:30:21.960 the same essence. was there that God chose those whom he would say I 296 00:30:22.079 --> 00:30:26.920 will have mercy. On whom I will have mercy. The historical evidence of 297 00:30:26.039 --> 00:30:33.039 Abraham confirms the doctrinal emphasis of Paul. What was Abraham when God called him? 298 00:30:34.319 --> 00:30:42.029 He was not a Jew as we understand Jew. I hope you realize 299 00:30:42.029 --> 00:30:49.700 that that he was not it. The historical evidence of Abraham confirms the doctrinal 300 00:30:49.779 --> 00:30:52.819 emphasis of Paul. In all as, he was not a Jew as we 301 00:30:52.819 --> 00:31:00.940 under standard. God called Abraham when he was simply one of the Semitic people's 302 00:31:00.059 --> 00:31:06.049 on up in mid east, Middle East or mid Asia area, who worshiped 303 00:31:06.089 --> 00:31:11.450 idols and all the other things that non believers, non Christians, would, 304 00:31:11.609 --> 00:31:17.450 would be doing. Abraham's salvation was apart from merit in him, for he 305 00:31:17.569 --> 00:31:22.799 didn't seek God at all. In fact, his salvation came because God sought 306 00:31:22.799 --> 00:31:30.200 him and elected him to salvation. He just didn't know the automatically become Abraham 307 00:31:30.359 --> 00:31:33.829 on the scene. Here it's a story Belhim, that of a savior who 308 00:31:34.069 --> 00:31:40.029 was making him as a father of the faithful. In that sense, this 309 00:31:40.269 --> 00:31:45.309 great truth is corroborated in several places in scripture. For example, in Joshua 310 00:31:45.430 --> 00:31:52.299 Twenty four he delivers the his final charge to the people. He reminds them 311 00:31:52.539 --> 00:32:00.859 of their pagan past and God's deliverance and their corresponding obligation to serve Jehovah because 312 00:32:00.900 --> 00:32:07.170 of all that preceded this. In Joshua Twenty four two, Abraham is specifically 313 00:32:07.289 --> 00:32:10.970 mentioned in this context. I won't go back there to take the time now, 314 00:32:12.130 --> 00:32:16.559 but Joshua four two if you want to see it. But I'm looking 315 00:32:16.680 --> 00:32:22.079 here at a copy I put down of Isaiah fifty one, which I think 316 00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:27.079 is a very helpful passage for us, where the same thing is being mentioned. 317 00:32:27.119 --> 00:32:32.789 And as Isaiah fifty one, beginning of verse one, listen to me, 318 00:32:34.069 --> 00:32:37.869 you who pursue righteousness, who seek the Lord. Look to the rock 319 00:32:38.069 --> 00:32:43.069 from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were done. 320 00:32:43.869 --> 00:32:46.980 Look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave birth to 321 00:32:47.339 --> 00:32:52.460 in to you in pain when he was but one. I called him, 322 00:32:53.299 --> 00:33:00.849 then I blessed him and multiplied him. Neither their ancestry nor their pursuit of 323 00:33:00.930 --> 00:33:07.089 righteousness will commend Israel to God. Salvation is of the Lord. We are 324 00:33:07.170 --> 00:33:13.160 chosen by grace. Is Still Grace alone, no matter which way you come 325 00:33:13.240 --> 00:33:17.799 at this. The Apostle Paul also speaks of the theme elsewhere. He denies 326 00:33:17.880 --> 00:33:23.359 that Abraham was saved either by keeping the law or by observing sacrifices, her 327 00:33:23.440 --> 00:33:29.190 sacraments. In galatians three, he shows that Abraham lived four hundred and thirty 328 00:33:29.269 --> 00:33:34.509 years before the law was given. And in Romans for Abraham is declared to 329 00:33:34.589 --> 00:33:40.619 be righteous by God through faith before receiving the right of circumcision. Okay, 330 00:33:40.740 --> 00:33:46.019 one can begin to hear the critics say now Abraham was called to according to 331 00:33:46.099 --> 00:33:52.259 God's grace. God needed to start somewhere. But after Abraham, salvation was 332 00:33:52.579 --> 00:33:57.130 by birth. They come back to this kind of thing. By physical descent 333 00:33:57.289 --> 00:34:07.329 from Abraham, salvation is to the Jews. They are chosen to frequent argument. 334 00:34:07.489 --> 00:34:12.719 All Abraham's descendants, therefore, would be saved. But you see, 335 00:34:12.760 --> 00:34:16.440 that's just what Paul is writing against. Back in the ninth chapter of Romans, 336 00:34:16.880 --> 00:34:23.750 the Jews were arguing that they had a special relationship to God, but 337 00:34:23.949 --> 00:34:31.670 Paul is calling attention to what is obvious to those not blinded by sin, 338 00:34:31.909 --> 00:34:38.539 who were open. Abraham had more than one son, and from that fact 339 00:34:38.579 --> 00:34:43.500 God will teach us the important lessons and about salvation. There was, of 340 00:34:43.619 --> 00:34:52.739 course, Isaac, the child of promise. Abraham had more than one son 341 00:34:53.489 --> 00:34:59.969 and apart from that fact, God will teach us a lot about our salvation. 342 00:35:00.610 --> 00:35:07.010 What about what about Ishmael? Isaac was a child of promise. To 343 00:35:07.159 --> 00:35:12.280 what about Ishmael? Was it not clear that God had chosen Isaac rather than 344 00:35:12.360 --> 00:35:19.199 Ishmael, thereby proving that salvation as a result of God's free choice, not 345 00:35:19.400 --> 00:35:23.230 just from whom you are born? Did that not teach us that, whatever 346 00:35:23.269 --> 00:35:29.150 we might think, it is obvious that God does not give everyone the same 347 00:35:29.190 --> 00:35:37.340 privileges? So Paul says, in Romans seven nor are all children, because 348 00:35:37.420 --> 00:35:43.820 they are Abraham's descendants. But to Isaac descendants will be named, and of 349 00:35:43.900 --> 00:35:47.659 course, Abraham that the passages on him teach of how it was those who 350 00:35:47.699 --> 00:35:52.889 had the spirit of Abraham, the true inner conversion, if you will, 351 00:35:53.090 --> 00:36:00.530 of Abraham, that made them his children, not just the biological birth of 352 00:36:00.610 --> 00:36:05.880 him. However, it seems that there are those who said Isaac did not 353 00:36:06.079 --> 00:36:10.000 prove Paul's point on this. After all, Isaac had been born of Abraham 354 00:36:10.039 --> 00:36:16.320 and Sarah, therefore a son of two good Jewish parents, but Ishmael had 355 00:36:16.360 --> 00:36:22.550 been born of Abraham and Hagar Hey guard, being Sarah's Egyptian slave girl, 356 00:36:23.750 --> 00:36:27.670 before getting two mixed up. We won't get into the whole history here, 357 00:36:27.750 --> 00:36:32.500 but the point is Ishmael was of mixed blood. Because of that son of 358 00:36:32.579 --> 00:36:37.940 Paul's argument failed. Some thought it failed. It it just needs to be 359 00:36:38.139 --> 00:36:43.099 pure blooded Jew then that not a half pread. That's the only problem with 360 00:36:43.300 --> 00:36:46.139 us. Other argument. Well, Paul will answer this objection, or better, 361 00:36:46.210 --> 00:36:53.730 God will answer it through Paul. By moving on to the next generation. 362 00:36:54.650 --> 00:36:59.610 There, in the case of Isaac's to son, two sons, Jacob 363 00:36:59.650 --> 00:37:08.920 and Esaul, God made a choice between the sons, be between the sons 364 00:37:09.000 --> 00:37:15.230 of a Jewish mother or between the same Jewish mother. Moreover, lest one 365 00:37:15.349 --> 00:37:21.389 introduced the age factor and privilege that goes to the elder son. The two 366 00:37:21.469 --> 00:37:25.389 boys were twins and even then, condre to custom, the elder will serve 367 00:37:25.510 --> 00:37:31.139 the younger the age factor was of no thus totally removed from it. But 368 00:37:31.260 --> 00:37:35.980 there's more in all of this. In order to that, no one can 369 00:37:36.099 --> 00:37:39.980 argue that God chose one of the one the basis of his character or moral 370 00:37:40.099 --> 00:37:45.409 choices, that is, that Jacob was a better person than Esaul. God 371 00:37:45.449 --> 00:37:52.369 announced his decision while the children were still in Rebecca's room, before either of 372 00:37:52.449 --> 00:37:58.170 them had an opportunity to do anything good or bad. Is this not the 373 00:37:58.289 --> 00:38:05.000 point of chapter nine of Romans through verse thirteen? Let me read it again, 374 00:38:05.559 --> 00:38:13.949 Chapter Nine, beginning verse nine, for this is the word of promise. 375 00:38:14.349 --> 00:38:17.070 At this time I will come to Sarah, and Sarah shall have a 376 00:38:17.469 --> 00:38:23.030 son. And not only this, but there was rebecca also, when, 377 00:38:24.989 --> 00:38:30.860 also when she had conceived twins by one man, our Father Isaac, and 378 00:38:31.179 --> 00:38:37.179 had not done anything good or bad. And order that God's purpose, according 379 00:38:37.219 --> 00:38:40.489 to his choice, might stand not be cause of works, but because of 380 00:38:42.329 --> 00:38:47.050 him who calls, it is said, of her, the older will serve 381 00:38:47.170 --> 00:38:53.130 the younger, just as it is written, Jacob, I loved, Esau, 382 00:38:54.250 --> 00:39:01.880 I hate. God made a choice between the sons of Jacob and Esaul. 383 00:39:02.519 --> 00:39:07.239 God made a choice of the same Jewish mother. Moreover, lest one 384 00:39:07.320 --> 00:39:12.710 introduced the age factor, the privilege of the for the two sons or twins, 385 00:39:13.429 --> 00:39:17.510 and even between them they can con contrary to custom, the elder shall 386 00:39:17.550 --> 00:39:22.510 serve the younger. The age factor is thus totally removed. But there is 387 00:39:22.670 --> 00:39:29.139 more in order that one can argue that God shows, on the basis of 388 00:39:29.460 --> 00:39:34.219 his character or more moral choices, that is it. Jacob was a better 389 00:39:34.380 --> 00:39:38.409 person, God announced in his decision, while the children are still in Rebecca's 390 00:39:38.489 --> 00:39:43.730 roomb and which. So we go through all of these things that speak to 391 00:39:43.849 --> 00:39:57.559 the text verse of Chapter or Verse Thirteen of the Chapter here, I'm sorry, 392 00:39:57.599 --> 00:40:01.599 verse eighteen, or text verse. So then he has mercy on whom 393 00:40:01.679 --> 00:40:13.349 he desires and he hardens whom he desires. This is this is the sort 394 00:40:13.389 --> 00:40:21.460 of the the grand finale of what is there. God chooses to those and 395 00:40:21.659 --> 00:40:25.539 those alone, whom God chooses. If anyone is saved, therefore, it 396 00:40:25.739 --> 00:40:34.059 is because of God's sovereignty, whom God choosing, he predestines that person to 397 00:40:34.219 --> 00:40:42.210 eternal life. You can't the thing that this comes down to. If you 398 00:40:42.289 --> 00:40:45.369 can reflect back, maybe on some of you, some of the things I 399 00:40:45.489 --> 00:40:51.360 said, I think the last time I had the privilege to be here about 400 00:40:52.280 --> 00:41:01.280 the fact that you cannot regenerate yourself, that in itself we come into the 401 00:41:01.320 --> 00:41:08.389 world dead in Sin. We cannot regenerate ourself. So from the very beginning 402 00:41:10.070 --> 00:41:15.909 God is guiding and directing this, and this may sound like a lot about 403 00:41:16.030 --> 00:41:22.099 nothing, but if we do not defend the election of God, the glory 404 00:41:22.219 --> 00:41:25.340 of God, the power of God, the sovereignty of God and doing all 405 00:41:25.380 --> 00:41:31.699 of these things, we will be back to going our own ways of righteousness 406 00:41:32.449 --> 00:41:37.489 getting us to heaven rather than what God has said he will do. If 407 00:41:37.530 --> 00:41:44.090 he brings gives us life, he gives us faith, we better know that 408 00:41:44.329 --> 00:41:46.320 would he gave it to us. We did not give it to ourselves, 409 00:41:47.519 --> 00:41:53.679 and that's why this chapter nine of justification and predestination, both those pieces coming 410 00:41:53.719 --> 00:42:00.960 together, is so important. Well, it's a long way around, but 411 00:42:00.119 --> 00:42:05.829 I think it's important to realize that we don't get messed up when we're talking 412 00:42:06.349 --> 00:42:12.190 and trying to tell other people about the Gospel, that we get the mistaken 413 00:42:12.309 --> 00:42:16.940 of trying to make it a work's righteousness thing, even sometimes without realizing what 414 00:42:17.099 --> 00:42:22.619 we're doing by bringing us into it. Primarily, God is the one that 415 00:42:22.780 --> 00:42:27.659 saves us and we need to be sure that people are aware of that, 416 00:42:27.739 --> 00:42:32.889 that they might seek God. But God is the one who is sovereign and 417 00:42:34.130 --> 00:42:37.769 we need to understand and live by that. Let us look to God in 418 00:42:38.130 --> 00:42:38.690 and prayer.