Quit Working
Sermon based on Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
Sunday, February 17, 2008 – Lent 2A
What do you call a toy that doesn't work? Broken, right? What do you call a tool that doesn't work? Useless. What do you call a person who doesn't work? Unemployed, right? But this morning we hear the Apostle Paul call people who don't work, "Righteous." Now, don't get me wrong and run out to quit your jobs. Paul's not talking about working to earn your paycheck. He's talking about working to earn your salvation.
You see in Judaic legend, Abraham was held up as a hero of works. He was esteemed as one who actually kept the entire law. To some Jews Abraham was proof that one could work his way into heaven. So when Paul came preaching, they had issues with his message of Christ crucified as the only way to heaven. But in our text for this morning, Paul points out, "No. Abraham did not get there by hard work, but by faith. Abraham doesn't refute my point of faith alone," Paul says, "Abraham supports it."
This morning then as we listen in to Paul, the expert lawyer, defend his case, we're encouraged to quit working! For the wages of sin (what we earn) is death. But the gift of God (what we get undeserved) is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Listen now to Paul's encouragement to "Quit Working," recorded for us in Romans 4, select verses…
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness… 13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
I. The Wages of Sin is Death
The Jews held up Abraham as a hero! He was their champion. But, wait a minute, don't we hold up Abraham as a hero too? Aren't we encouraged to follow his example in Hebrews 11? After all, Abraham did do some amazing things. He up and moved to who knew where because God appeared to him, he fought and defeated five armies with only a handful of men, he bartered with God in an attempt to save two cities from destruction! You'd think if anyone was a hero, if anyone had a right to boast it was Abraham. But what does Paul say?
2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. Even if Abraham actually were righteous in every way, even if he could boast before others, he still couldn't boast before God. God demands absolute perfection, without a single sin, a single mistake, or a single goof-up, not even once! But Abraham didn't have perfection. That becomes obvious with a quick read of his story in Genesis where all his dirty laundry is aired. He had an extra-marital affair with his wife's maidservant to try to have a son and he lied about his wife to save his own skin (a couple of times!) just to name a few of his sins! No. Abraham did not get to heaven by his works. Abraham didn't keep the entire law. He wasn't sinless and perfect.
And would anyone here claim that that's something they've achieved? Not likely. And if any of you were foolish enough to make such a claim, I'd be willing to bet that the person sitting in the pew next to you could prove you wrong easily enough. So, no matter how hard you work at improving your life, cleaning up your act, doing good, you'll never be good enough to earn your way into heaven.
To be sure, your actions do earn you something though. That's what work is. You put in the effort and get what you earned. "Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation." But what our works earn is far from the eternal life we seek. No. What our works earn is death. We heard that last week in Romans 5 where Paul said, "death came to all men, because all sinned…" (v.12). In Romans 6(v.23) he says, "the wages of sin is death…"
Death is what we earn for getting creative with the numbers at tax time. Death is what we earn for acting anything but Christian when our sports team is losing. Death is what we earn for being loving toward each other on Valentine's Day, but thinking we can be just as cruel and mean every other day. In fact, death is what we deserve for having the pride and the audacity to think that we can earn heaven! That's what Paul says in v.14: 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless…
If you think you deserve God's love for your good works (as if they could make up for your sins), if you think you can somehow contribute to your salvation—in any way—in a sense you're saying that what Jesus did wasn't quite enough. You throw away what he did and destroy it, replacing your works with his. The promise is worthless. Death is what you've earned and death is what you'll get.
Think of it this way. You're standing outside the movie theater ready to go in with your family or friends. But you've got a problem. The movie costs $10 and you don't have any money. Uh, oh! Can't get in! One of your companions is feeling generous and offers to pay for you. But you refuse. "No thanks. I don't need your charity. I'll be just fine on my own, thank you!" You run to car and find $2.18 worth of change in the ash tray. You give it to the guy selling the tickets and even offer to clean up the theater after the movie to pay off the rest. But your offer's refused. You can't get in. Your friends are inside enjoying the show, but not you. You missed out.
Friends, it's more than a movie that you'll miss out on if you try to earn your own salvation. You can't earn forgiveness. You can't achieve perfection. You can't pay the price of perfection to get into heaven. And there's no such thing as 99% perfect. You either have what it takes to get in or you don't. The $2.18 in change that your good works might offer won't cut it either. So, please, don't refuse the offer Jesus gives to pay your way for you. There is no room for spiritual pride here. Quit working for your salvation! Work only earns you death! Instead, trust. Trust in God's gift of salvation given to you. He's not only offered to pay your way into heaven, he's already paid. And when you receive the gift of God—that you didn't earn or deserve—when you accept it by faith you've got the gift of eternal life…
II. But the Gift of God is Eternal Life
Now even though Abraham is anything but perfect, he is still a hero. We are encouraged to follow his example in Hebrews 11. But he's not a hero of works. He's a hero of faith. That's how Abraham was saved. That's how he made it to heaven. 3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." Abraham was righteous, sinless, holy, not because of what he "did," but because of what he "believed." His faith was credited as righteousness. It was a gift.
Paul says, 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness… What makes something a gift instead of a wage or reward? You don't have to do anything for it, right? It's undeserved.
That's the same with our salvation. It is a gift. Trust in Jesus and his death on the cross in your place and be saved, even though you don't deserve it, even though you didn't earn it. Not even this faith is to your credit, but even it is a gift. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9, "8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast."
It's not by works, but by faith alone that you're saved. But faith in what? A local church had this slogan on their sign: "Just gotta' believe." But you have to ask, "Believe in what?" If I'm in the middle of the ocean and have great faith that a popsicle stick is going to keep me afloat what good will that faith do?! We have to put our faith in the right place. Faith is only as good as the object of that faith. No matter how tightly I hold on to that stick I'm still going to sink, right?
A vague faith in something won't save anyone from hell. But faith in the God who justifies the wicked, that is saving faith. Paul says, "to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness…"
Trust in Christ, dear friends. Trust in the God who justifies the wicked. Trust in him and not in your works and there you will find security. Paul says, "16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all."
The promises of God are sure and solid, reliable and dependable. They're guaranteed. If your salvation depended on you, you would remain uncertain always wondering, "Have I done enough?" In fact, you could be certain that you haven't done enough. But it doesn't depend on you. It depends entirely on Jesus. Have faith in Jesus and in his work, not yours. Depend on him. Hold tightly to him and you will not sink.
An old joke tells of a man who died and went to stand before Peter outside the pearly gates…
"Hi, Peter! So am I facing judgment huh? So, how does this all work?"
"Well, it's simple really. You tell me of all the good works you've done on Earth and I'll give you points according to how good you are. If you get 100 points, you're in!"
"Okay, sounds fair enough. Let's see… Well.. I practiced sexual abstinence and have stayed faithful to my wife all my life."
"Excellent!" St Peters exclaimed, "That's worth 2 points!"
"Only two points?! Hmmm… Well, how about this: I was a pastor in a church of 4,000 and have helped countless people learn the truth about Jesus and grow in their faith."
"Magnificent! Impressive work! You get another 3 points for all your labors! That's 5."
"What..?! Well, I also devoted all my life to Jesus. I always did my best to keep the 10 Commandments… Uh… I repented of my sins… I studied the Bible every day…" The man was getting desperate..
"Okay, okay… 2 more points!" Peters interrupted as he saw the man struggling for words.
"Man! This is tough! I only have 7 points for all I've done and still need 93 more?! At this rate, the only way I'm ever getting into heaven is by the Grace of God!"
"Now you get it," said Peter as he opened up the gates, "Come on in!"
Friends, you get it: It's not by works, but by faith. Quit working for your salvation. Trust in God's plan of salvation already done for you. Then you can really get to work in thanking him for all he's done for you. In Jesus name, dear friends. Amen.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment