 Tile of our sermon this morning those who perish we're in part two our text Romans chapter two particularly verses 12 through 16 We're in this section of text that runs from verse one Really all the way through the end of chapter two this argument that Paul is making and as I was thinking about getting into our Text this morning that the the the section of text that we're in really is a difficult section of text Not always easy to understand how the components and parts fit together But Paul is weaving here a tightly woven argument that argument against the sin of mankind supporting or Proving the righteous judgment of God and as Paul is making his case Paul is removed removing loopholes He is taking away Objections and we find in this section of text this very tightly woven argument that can sometimes be difficult to understand So what I thought I would do this morning is begin in this second part dealing with this text particularly verses 12 through 16 Would be to begin with a brief overview of Paul's argument and then show you how that particular argument ties in To the verses under our consideration verses 12 through 16 So Paul's train of thought in our text this morning really is connected all the way back to chapter 2 verse 1 The inexcusable man of chapter 2 verse 1 the one who condemns sin and others while condoning sin in himself Will not escape the judgment of God Case closed right period end of story the inexcusable man will not escape the judgment of God But rather verse 5 he is Treasuring up for himself a wrath in the day of wrath a day in which the righteous judgment of God will be revealed Verse 5 a day in which God will render to each one according to his deeds verse 6 for verse 11 there is no Partiality with God right so Paul is speaking to men of all types Generally in this text, but he has in the back of his mind the Jewish man Specifically the Jew would have thought to himself Certainly God will be partial partial to me and Paul says there is no partiality with God The Jewish man would have said I'm with a covenant people of God Certainly God will show me partiality and Paul says there is no partiality with God The Jewish man would have said I've been in the synagogue every Sabbath hearing the word of God proclaimed I've had the law of Moses taught to me since I was a child and God says Paul says there is no partiality with God Paul then further clarifies his statement to remove any Possible loophole to remove any possible excuse for the inexcusable man And he says verse 11 there is no partiality with God for because verse 12 as many as have sinned without law speaking of the Gentiles will also Parish without law and as many as have sinned in the law Jews will be judged or will perish by the law verse 16 In the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ According to my gospel in other words in that day the great day of his wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God that particular That singular day in which God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ According to all that has been revealed in Paul's preaching of the gospel So notice now. I want you to notice how verse 12 is directly connected to verse 16 verse 12 For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law And as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law Verse 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel those two phrases Connected and I believe the new king James has it right here in putting a parenthesis Around verses 13 to 15 some of you will notice in your translation. No parenthesis I believe that verses 13 to 15 really do represent a parenthesis statement on the on the part of the apostle Paul What lies within that parenthesis verses 13 to 15 will be the subject of our sermon this morning, okay? Paul has introduced to us in this text two groups of unbelievers in verse 12 He's introduced those who have sinned without law and those who have sinned in the law Do you see that from verse 12? Okay, those who have sinned without law those who have sinned in the law at that time Paul would have had certainly been thinking of primarily of Gentiles who have sinned without law and Jews particularly who have sinned in the law, okay? And Paul wants the Jewish man in his day the religious hypocrite in our own day Paul wants them to take no comfort no consolation from the fact that he knows about God from the Bible That he knows the law so to speak knows the word of God so to speak Understands the word of God unlike those those pagan idolaters from chapter one I've been in church all my life right the Jew might say I've been at the synagogue every Sabbath I know the word of God. I've been given the word of God Certainly God will be partial to me For he says there's gonna be no comfort no consolation given for Gentiles who have sinned without the law of God verse 12 and Jews who have sinned in the law so to speak of God Both will likewise perish at the judgment verse 12 In the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ verse 16 Right now wait just a minute Paul What are you trying to say? Shouts the inexcusable man. Are you trying to say that I'm gonna be judged with those pagans? Wait just a minute Paul shouts the religious Jew Wait just a minute here shouts the religious hypocrite in our own day Are you actually saying that I am going to share hell with the pagan? Is that what you're saying Paul? You're out of your mind Paul Certainly, you can't be saying that I give you parenthetical statement number one verse 13 It's not the hearers of the law That are just in the sight of God But the doers of the law will be justified Paul would say to that religious hypocrite Paul would say to the Jew in his own day You're so religious quote unquote, right? You rest in the law down in verse 17 you make your boast in God You say you know as will you approve good things being instructed out of the law You even like to think of yourself as a guide to the blind a light to those who are in darkness an Instructor of the foolish a teacher of babes You have a form of knowledge a form of truth in the law But you sin against God just like those pagan idolaters of chapter 1 and you will share hell with them Do you see? You will perish with the pagans Paul would say later in Galatians chapter 3 verse 10 for as many as are of the works of the law Paul says are under the curse For it is written cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things Which are written in the book of the law to hear them Is that what he says? No Paul says to do them cursed cursed Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things cursed is everyone Jew and Gentile alike Who does not continue in all things every thought word deed action, right? motive desire affection imagination dream Who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them Not merely hearers of the law but doers you see It's not the hearers of the law that are just in the sight of God Paul says But the doers of the law will be justified. Oh wait a minute Paul Give me a break here. I you're saying that I'm gonna share hell with the pagans But those those pagan Gentiles didn't even have your law How can you say that God is impartial in the judgment when certainly he must show partiality to that? Pagan that has no law has no knowledge of his word Certainly God must be partial to them. I give you parenthetical statement number two verse 14 For when those Gentiles who do not have a law By nature do the things in the law these Gentiles although not having the law are a law to themselves how Verse 15 they show the work of the law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness and Between themselves and their thoughts accusing or else excusing them and Paul would remind us again To refer back to verse 11. There is no partiality with God You see how Paul comes at it from two different perspectives right both positively and negatively There is no partiality with God to the one who's been given This blessing of special revelation and there is no partiality to the one who sins without this blessing of special revelation They all alike are condemned as mere hearers of a law There is no partiality with God for verse 12 as many as have sinned without law We'll also perish without law and as many as have sinned in the law These will be judged by the law in that day verse 16 when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel in that day the judgment of God will be upheld as Righteous righteous because God is an impartial judge who judges according to a perfect and Holy standard that standard of his law reflecting his own perfect character Paul is beginning here in this section of text beginning to close his case He's been again beginning to close his case Against sinful mankind for his universal sin and for his Condemnation under the law and when Paul closes this case he intends to do so by Pulling into the dragnet of bad fish so to speak at the judgment all Those Jews all Those religious hypocrites who thought they could earn favor with God through their religious works or who thought they had earned favor with God Through their heritage or their religious exercise or their ethnicity or are there being descendants from Abraham or any other Reason when there is no partiality with God God will render to each one according to his deeds There is no partiality with The special revelation of God in his word or without The special revelation of God in his word in the law or without the law All men deserve to perish. Do you see Paul's case right? Why why? Because no one is a doer of the law No one is a doer of the law verse chapter 3 verse 10. There is none righteous No one who understands none who seek after God all are worthless No one who does good chapter 3 verse 19. Whatever the law says It says to those who are under the law that every mouth jew and gentile alike Every mouth may be stopped religious hypocrite or Unknowing pagan atheist right every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God That's case closed right that's that's where paul is driving at that's where paul is getting to and paul is masterfully weaving this case of a prosecuting attorney to get there leaving no stone unturned leaving no loophole for wicked men All the world may become guilty before god The law of god will be the instrument of condemnation to those who have sinned under it Therefore by the deeds of the law paul says No flesh will be justified. No flesh will be found to be just No flesh will found to be righteous declared to be righteous in his site It is an open and shut case. You see open and shut It is the end of Judaism The jews seeking to establish their own righteousness under the law Do not submit to the righteousness of god romans chapter 10 verse 3. It's the end of judaism It's the end of catholicism No amount of penance will ever justify a single sin No amount of purgatory could ever justify a single sin against god Confessing your sins all day long will not forgive a single one. It is the end of catholicism You see it is the end of your false religion The devils believe in jesus christ and they will perish in hell Esau sought repentance with tears and esau is in torment until this very day There's no amount of sincerity that can save a sinner No amount of sincerity can save a sinner. There's no amount of desire That can save a sinner. No work of yours can justify a single sin If it's anything that you did Then it's nothing that can save you. Do you see if it's any if you think about that if it is anything that you did Then it is nothing that can save you What's the one thing that we need? What is the one thing that we need to be just in the sight of god? We need righteousness righteousness Perfect obedience to the law of god and we simply do not have it nowhere close And there is nothing absolutely nothing that you or I can do to get it We need righteousness and we can't get it. We don't have it The only hope we have is the righteousness of god himself That given as a gift Through faith and listen that faith. We can't do anything to get that righteousness from god to earn that righteousness from god That means the the faith itself is a gift from him must be given to us It's not a work of your own lest you should boast boy. You look at my faith, right? I've earned that salvation by faith. No, that's absurd No, not even the faith is a work of your own lest you should boast. It is a gift of god And that god gifted faith having as its object the perfect person and perfect work of the lord Jesus christ alone Who has become for us wisdom from god and righteousness and sanctification and redemption That as it is written that him who glories glory in the lord. Amen Incidentally What's the difference? What's the difference between that so-called faith that is a human work? And the saving faith that is the gift of god, which justifies the center. What's the difference? That saving faith, which is the gift of god produces fruit Produces good works produces the fruits of faith done from the heart in the power of the spirit through faith in Jesus christ And it's those works of faith those works in the power of his spirit done by that person in union with the lord jesus christ that Give evidence that his faith is genuine in that day. We talked about that in verse 13 The day when god will judge the secrets of men by jesus christ according to the gospel Now that's the basic flow if you will of paul's argument from chapter two verse one down through the end of the chapter but particularly To our section of text in verses 12 to 16 It can be difficult sometimes to trace the connections from one statement to another and so i hope that overview helps put that together To understand paul's argument really important here as paul begins to close his case So having introduced us now to these two groups of unbelievers paul's introduced us to those who who have sinned without law And those who have sinned in the law now having introduced those two groups of unbelievers paul is going to further explain Why it is that they perish In relationship to the law. Why do they perish those? Who perish without law and those who perish in the law? Why is it that they perish in relationship to the law? So in point three on your outline paul deals first with those who perish without law In verses 14 and 15 that's going to occupy our attention this morning Point four on your outline paul will then turn his attention to those who perish in the law We'll see that in verses 17 to 29. Okay. So in the remainder of our time together this morning Let's consider point three on your outline and those who perish without law beginning in verse 14 Now if you've been preaching the gospel evangelizing witnessing for any length of time You have been at some point confronted with a question. Maybe you've had the question yourself What about the person who's never even heard of the lord jesus christ? What about the person in the remote? Some lost tribe in the remote jungles of the amazon who have not even been in contact with the outside world Certainly, they've never heard the word of god. They've never heard the gospel They've never even heard the name of the lord jesus christ. What happens to them? Surely god can't be justified in holding their sin against them, can he? They've never been given opportunity to hear the gospel. They've never been given opportunity to respond in faith Well paul explains in this text that those people those without law Those who've had no access to this special Written in scripturated word of god no access to special revelation, right? Those who have no bible those who've not heard the gospel Primarily gentiles now at the time of paul's writing Have nevertheless sinned against god And will perish in hell because they are held accountable for because When gentiles Who do not have the law By nature do the things in the law These gentiles although not having the law are a law to themselves Who show the work of the law written in their hearts their conscience? Also bearing witness and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them So how is it how is it that men can sin without the law? paul's going to make the point in chapter 4 verse 15 if you want to glance there That where there is no law there is no transgression So how can men sin without law you might say chapter 5 verse 13? Sin is not imputed when there is no law So how can men men as paul says asserts in verse 14 here? How can men sin without law so you see the objection right see the objection If they have no law telling them what is right and wrong How can they be held accountable for their sin? How could god's judgment be upheld as righteous in that day? If they have no law under which they are accountable or convicted for how is it just for them to perish Well paul is going to make his case. He's going to answer that question under two headings first the existence of natural law Secondly the witness of conscience The existence of natural law and the witness of conscience consider first paul's point and answer to the question the existence of natural law verse 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the law don't have that special revelation Listen by nature by nature do the things in the law These although not having the law are a law to themselves Right notice how paul first notice how paul describes them First they are Gentiles as opposed to jews who have the law. These are Gentiles who are described as without law Here the whole world The whole world is divided up into these two groups according to verse 14 They were the jews and everybody else in paul's day today It's those who have access to special revelation Those who have had the bible preached to them the gospel preached to them and those who have not right? Some in verse 14 believe these Gentiles to be specifically Gentile christians And they would say that those who without law do the things in the law are Gentile christians As several commentators if you've worked through this text or read any of the commentaries on this text Several commentator commentators hold to this view right and that's largely due to 15 verse 15 They show the work of the law written in their hearts And the commentator will take that verse And from it infer that these must be Gentile christians who have the work of the law written on their hearts They see a statement they see a reference In that statement to the promises of the new covenant Jeremiah chapter 31 And we won't turn there, but I want you to listen Jeremiah chapter 31 in verse 33 The lord is giving promises associated with the new covenant And he says this is the covenant that I will make with the house of israel after those days says the lord This is the covenant that has been inaugurated At the the the covenant that has been established by jesus christ in his blood for the forgiveness of sinners For the salvation of god's elect. This is the covenant under which they are redeemed And the lord says this is the covenant that I will make with the house of israel after those days says the lord I will put my law in their minds I will write it on their hearts. I will be their god and they shall be my people So commentator takes a look at verse 15 and he assumes that we must be talking about Gentile christians in verse 14 So these cannot be Gentiles then in some generic sense These must be Gentiles who have the new covenant promises of god given to them through faith in jesus christ These must be Gentile christians. They're doing good works. It says verse 14 and these doers of the law They say will be justified by their works on the day of judgment. Thank you roman catholicism Paul would say not so fast Not so fast notice second Second these Gentiles are described as those who do not have present active do not have the law They don't have special revelation These Gentiles verse 12 have sinned Without law without special revelation and paul is specifically explaining why they perish Without law verse 12 these Gentiles who do not have the law are among those Nations outside of israel who are not given special revelation from god the special revelation contained in the scriptures and listen you can't be saved without special revelation General revelation will not save you it's sufficient to condemn you But general revelation is not sufficient to save you you must have special revelation or you perish these specifically Do not have special revelation. You can see that contrast again just in our immediate context here chapter 3 verse 1 What advantage advantage then has the jew or what is the prophet of circumcision much in every way chiefly Chief benefit because to them to the jews have been given special revelation, right? We're committed the oracles of god these Gentiles don't have special revelation. So no no These are unsaved Gentiles who are not in possession of special revelation, right? They are without the word of god as paul would say here in verse 14. They are without law without law. Do you see? now yet although not having the law Paul very carefully and precisely describes these lost Gentiles as third By nature doing the things in the law So listen how paul describes them one they're Gentiles Two these are Gentiles who do not have the law But three they are by nature doing things in the law Four he describes them as being a law unto themselves And five as manifesting the work of the law written in their hearts By giving evidence of the work of the law written in their hearts But what is paul referring to in this description of these lost unbelieving Gentiles? paul is referring to something that theologians call natural law He's referring to natural law The promise Of the new covenant for those who are a new creation in christ Is that the law of god will be put within their minds and written upon their hearts? That's the promise of the new covenant No more shall every man teach his neighbor and every man his brother saying no the lord Says the prophet for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them says the lord For I will forgive their iniquity and their sin. I will remember no more It's a promise of the new covenant What paul is speaking of here is completely different is something entirely different the language paul's language here Very careful and very precise. He does not say that the law is written in their hearts. What does paul specifically say? Rather that they show the work of the law written in their hearts. Do you see that? There's a distinction being made This is not the spirit wrought delight And obedience that is the promise of the new covenant. This is something different paul is making his case on the basis of natural law The work that the law does in the heart of every person made in the image of god even in Gentiles who do not have the bible There is a work of the law a work that the law does In the heart of every single human being made in the image of god Even in pagans Gentiles lost people unbelieving people who do not have the bible Even without that law so to speak the law is still brought to bear upon them Confronting them in their sin Confronting them in their unrighteousness. So back to chapter one. They're without excuse in the day of judgment right they are without excuse Listen to robert shaw robert shaw speaking of the law of god, which was written on the heart of adam Made in god's image listen god Having formed man an intelligent creature and a subject of moral government He gave him a law for the rule of his conduct This law was founded in the infinitely righteous nature of god and the moral relations Necessarily subsisting between him and man Because god is perfect morally there is of necessity A moral relationship between god and his creature man right of necessity It was originally written on the heart of man on the heart of adam And he was endowed with such a perfect knowledge of his maker's will as was sufficient to inform him concerning the whole extent of his duty You could say that adam by nature understood his obligations to god as his creator the work of the law is Woven into the very fabric of their being by the god who made them It's a part of their dna so to speak right It's in this sense that although they do not have the law special revelation written in the scriptures It's in this sense that they are a law to themselves. Do you see? The gentiles sin against that law they sin against natural law and gentiles are judged They are held accountable to natural law. They're held accountable to that law Which is written upon their heart at creation right and gentiles are judged against that law. Dr. Murray says this Although gentiles are without the law and have not the law in the sense of specially revealed law Nevertheless, they are not entirely without law The law is made known to them and is brought to bear upon them in another way And that through natural law. Do you see that concept of natural law very important for us to understand all Men their culpability before god for having violated his law Divine obligation is pressed upon the heart and mind of all men and they are without excuse Well, how can you say that paul right? How can you make such a a bold assertion? How do you know? Point number two on your notes The witness of conscience How do you know the witness of conscience? Verse 15 they show the work of the law written in their hearts Their conscience also bearing witness and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them There's something within man Something with it within all men That recognizes and acknowledges the moral nature of his conduct before god Something within man that acknowledges The moral nature of his actions This is what robert martin referred to as a tribunal of sorts a tribunal There are those who have written about conscience in terms of a tribunal where it's made up of the person who is committing the action The law against which it is judged natural law And a third alter ego of sorts that judges the action says within the heart of man There is a sort of tribunal as it were It's one of the faculties conscience is one of the faculties that separates men from beasts Separates men from animals animals don't have a faculty that judges their actions as morally right or morally wrong There's not a capacity of conscience within them to accuse or else excuse their actions conscience Is the foundation on which even unbelieving gentiles without the written law of god Conscience is the foundation on which they make moral judgments. Do you see it's that faculty By which they make moral judgments and we all have that we all do all of us have a conscience We've been given a conscience. I was using this example in uh during the sunny school hour I was witnessing to uh An agnostic college student not very long ago And uh didn't believe in objective morality you find that on a regular basis on our relativistic college campuses They don't believe in objective morality. There is no such thing as objective morality morality is what we make it It's by nurture whatever the case may be experience community experience together you come out with some morality That's a load of bunk Doesn't believe in objective morality and essentially Anyone who says that is essentially lying to themselves right justifying their own actions justifying their own sense I simply asked him. I said have you ever done anything? done anything that Gave you a guilty conscience, right? Have you ever done something that afterward you felt bad about it because it was wrong And he said yes, of course, right There's your objective morality That's it right that that's the testimony of god within your own breast Right written upon your heart the testimony that god has given us a law That we are accountable to that proves to us our accountability before god whereby our conscience accuses us when we violate it It's an example of natural law Witness to by our consciences all pointing to the fact that we have an accountability to god for how we live He's been judged By an objective standard His conscience bears witness to that fact how many today Attempt to silence that they do a good job of silencing that it's it's from scripture We know that your conscience can be seared Your conscience can be entirely uninformed and act in uninformed ways In other words, your your conscience is not the final arbiter of truth The word of god is the final arbiter of truth But your conscience can act in all kinds of uninformed ways Your conscience can be seared your conscience can be suppressed your conscience can be silenced I think a large part of that Is the basis behind the shout your abortion movement in this country Where people who have had abortions they just you know, they they say you need to Claim that right and shout your abortion Well part of shouting your abortion is silencing and accusing conscience that is telling you that abortion is murder And you're going to be held to account for that sin in the day of judgment, right? So just shout over the top of it and silence your conscience. Do you see Right people silence their conscience. They suppress their conscience on a regular basis You cannot silence god's law You were made in the image of god With the obligation to obey god in keeping your in keeping with your relationship To god as creature to creator And you were made then accountable to god for your actions We're all accountable to god for the way that we live our lives and to assist us In the the discharge of our moral obligations to god to remind us of our moral accountability To god god has given to all people created in his image the capacity to judge our own Actions not on the basis of our whims on the basis of our own personal desires But on the basis of his objective law the remnants of the work of that law Written upon the heart of man and the capacity to judge to excuse or accuse is called conscience. Do you see conscience it is by natural law through the faculty or the capacity of conscience The Gentiles who do not have the law Are a law to themselves and will be found guilty on the day of judgment Paul's already referenced this as we were working through chapter one He referenced this point in chapter one verse 32 do the same But also approve of those who practice them right He's speaking of that very thing in chapter one verse 30 32 excuse me These are Gentiles who don't have a bible They are without law so to speak they And yet they know the righteous judgment of god that those who practice such things deserve death They know that the wages of sin is death Where does that knowledge come from if they don't have the scriptures natural law and the witness of their conscience As for the inexcusable man chapter two verse one His conscience works great When it comes to the sins of others But if after two verse one therefore you are inexcusable, oh man Whoever you are who judge for in whatever you judge another You condemn yourself. Why because the sin that he condemns in others Is the same kind of sin that he condones in himself, right? For you who judge practice the same kinds of things His conscience alive and well when it comes to judging the sins of others Dead and dysfunctional when it comes to judging his own sinful heart The lost man Lost people often have absolutely no problem whatsoever judging the hypocrisy of others Lying the cheating the stealing the sin of others easy for a hypocrite husband to judge all the specs in his wife's eye And completely ignore the massive boat-sized planks in his own eye, right? He silenced his own conscience when it comes to his own actions very easy easy for men and women to watch the news And rail against all the idiocy that we see displayed there And yet fail to consider our own sins against God doing the same kinds of things However, when they actually when Sinful Gentiles unbelieving Gentiles Actually do The things written in the law verse 14 Those Gentiles are showing by nature by very the nature of their being right By the work of God in creation having created them in his own image They show by nature the work of the law written in their hearts and they are accountable They're going to perish without law Because although not having a law they are a law to themselves Showing the work of the law written in their hearts Natural law the existence of natural law Their conscience also bearing witness and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them the witness of conscience, right? So on what basis then will the Gentiles who do not have a law be judged? They're not going to be judged according to the scriptures given to Israel But they will be judged According to what law according to the work of the law written in their heart Their conscience either accusing or else excusing them Hand in hand with the inexcusable pagan From chapter one hand in hand with the inexcusable man from chapter two You say that God Will not be partial to us you Jewish man you inexcusable man you say that God will not be partial to us because we have the law You may think That God Should be partial to us because we come to church every Sunday. We have a law But certainly certainly God must be partial then to the Gentiles because they don't have the law I remember one person in particular telling me that he could never never worship the kind of God Who would judge that person in? Outer Mongolia who's never heard the word would judge that person in their sin and they would die and spend an eternity in hell There is no partiality with God God has left all mankind without excuse. He's left you without excuse Paul hedges them in with his argument on both sides There is no partiality with God verse 12 for as many as have sinned without law will also perish Without law and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law In the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel That day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God In the day when God will judge the secrets of men Hebrews chapter 4 verse 13 describes that day As one where there is no creature hidden from his sight All things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account There's nothing that is hidden There may they may be secrets of men. There are no secret from God Can you see how this The work of the law written upon his heart How that statement described here by paul is entirely different From the promises of God in the language of the new covenant Right it's entirely different. We're not talking about the same thing. We're talking about two entirely different things There's no hope in these words only condemnation Whatever you don't know of the bible is no excuse You didn't understand that text no excuse. You sat under false teaching no excuse You believe the lies of a false teacher no excuse You misunderstood the gospel no excuse No promise no hope Only condemnation paul says romans chapter 8 verse 7 the carnal mind is enmity against god It's not subject to the law of god nor indeed can be The carnal man Does not rejoice in the law of god that it is holy just and good The carnal man does not delight In the law of god according to the inward man As a consequence the carnal man does not obey it. In fact paul says he cannot obey it He is a slave of unrighteousness But listen to the language of the new covenant Listen to the promises of god ezekiel 36 verse 26 god says i will give you a new heart I will give you a new spirit within you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh I will give you a heart of flesh I will put my spirit within you and i will cause you To walk in my statutes and you will keep my judgments and do them Well, i'm a christian and i don't keep his judgments No, you're not Why because that's a promise a promise of god in the new covenant. I'm a christian. I've never been made a new creation No, you're not a christian I will give you a new heart. I will put a new spirit within you I will cause you by my spirit. I will cause you to walk in my statutes. What awesome promises, right? I will so transform your heart. I will do a work such a radical Miraculous work upon your heart that the enmity that exists between us is gone forever I will put my own spirit within you god says and you will delight in my law And I will cause you to obey it. What a glorious work of grace He is raised from the dead as it were from the dead from being dead in trespasses and sins To life in the lord jesus christ by the spirit He has a new creation in christ the law of god impressed upon his heart anew There's a sense in which in the new creation god is renewing That which has been defaced at the fall He writes his laws upon their heart in their minds. I will put them and I will write them upon their hearts I will be their god. They will be my people That one who's been created anew in jesus christ He delights in the law of god not as an as an external imposition upon his will that forces a burdensome obedience But according to the inward disposition of his heart as one who loves holiness as one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness First time of the chapter one verse five now the purpose of the commandment is love From a pure heart from a good conscience and from sincere faith That's the transformation that takes place in the heart of one who's been renewed by the lord jesus christ with david Who's I think quoting the lord jesus christ in a messianic psalm with david we can proclaim I delight to do your will oh god and your law is within my heart psalm 40 verse 8 paul would say second chrithians chapter one verse 12 for our boasting is this The testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity And godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of god You want that kind of conscience before god? You want to have a clear conscience I think in reading the new testament There's so many references to that so many references to The disciples in particular the apostles living before god In maintaining a clear conscience. It was it was a precious thing to them paul saying I have always strived to maintain a clear conscience before god and men It was of paramount importance to him. Why because that's been hard won by the lord jesus christ It's a precious gift of salvation to know In jesus christ that your sins against god or are forgiven They've been paid for at the cross and there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in christ jesus You can have a free clear clean conscience before god and when you sin You have an advocate with the father jesus christ the righteous who if we confess our sins to him He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all our unrighteousness Praise god For a clear clean conscience before him brothers and sisters Let's strive before god to maintain a clear clean testimony If you're here this morning and you have a guilty accusing conscience as you should if you're in your sin against god Turn from sin put faith and trust in jesus christ jesus christ went to calvary His blood avails for the sin of his own and he can forgive you of your iniquity If you'll put your faith and trust in him you can be forgiven Given right standing with god justified in the sight of god what we need Is a righteousness and it doesn't come from us it comes from the lord jesus christ alone and his righteousness perfect Beautiful and that can be your righteousness through faith in him god has been so gracious to us hasn't he let's pray let's pray Father in heaven lord we rejoice That you have made provision for our sin and the person in work of your own dear son our lord jesus christ Thank you our heavenly father that you have provided a way that we might have a clear conscience before you that we might Be forgiven of all our sin and live before you in sincerity and in truth And thank you lord for the power that your spirit gives for us to Delight in your law For us to walk according to your statutes We know that's not perfect on this side of eternity lord But we delight in your law that it is holy just and good We delight to do your will we hunger and thirst for righteousness lord and we pray for Extra measures of grace lord and mercy upon us to crave that hunger for that more To abound in that grace and help us lord to Walk in a way that is worthy of our calling and walk in a way that is pleasing in your sight Obedience to your commands as trophies of your grace We love you. We thank you lord. Thank you for This word I pray lord that will help us as we seek to be faithful to you and preaching the gospel to the lost That it will be helpful to us as we Consider our the state of our own soul before you The state of our own hearts before you and that we might flee to the cross flee to the lord Jesus christ for all our hope and stay and that in him you would sustain us and preserve us and maintain cultivate Expand our hope We love you and thank you for these things that are all blessings all promises of the new covenant By which we've been redeemed. We give you thanks for them in Jesus name. Amen