Chapter 2:17-29
Hypocrites and the Law

“Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, ¹⁸ and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, ¹⁹ and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰ an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. ²¹ You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? ²² You who say, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? ²³ You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?

“²⁴ For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,’ as it is written. ²⁵ For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. ²⁶ Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? ²⁷ And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? ²⁸ For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; ²⁹ but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.“

The book of Romans is raw and hits us (at least me) in the heart. The Holy Spirit, if we are listening, cuts right to the heart of the matter and convicts us. This is the whole point of the Law. It was never designed to save; rather it was designed to show us that we needed a Saviour. In Galatians 3:24-46, the Apostle Paul tells us this very thing:

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

There are still many who try to live by the Law. They don’t eat this, and think that only those who worship on Saturdays are saved. But if you follow the ministry of Jesus, you will see that He did a lot of healing on Sabbath days. He defied the conventional thinking about the Sabbath, yet He never sinned. There are some today who observe some of the Law but not all of it. The Bible says in James 2:10-11 this about the Law:

“Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.”

You cannot pick and choose which laws you want to keep and which ones you want to ignore. If you say that you want to live by the Law, then do them all is what the Bible says. Jewish men were not allowed to shave their faces; they had to wear blue tassels on their clothes to identify them as children of God in Israel. They could not wear clothing made of mixed fabrics; and on and on we can go. I dare say that many of the people who think they know the Law of Moses, don’t. One which is often overlooked is the law about travel. In Exodus 16:29-30 we see this command from Moses to the people, based on the law of God:

“‘See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore, He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.’ So the people rested on the seventh day.”

Do not go out of your home. Over the years there came to be known the phrase “a Sabbath’s day’s journey.” This was the allowed distance to be traveled on the Sabbath day; the priest’s homes and the synagogues would have been a Sabbath day’s journey from the homes in the town. We see this phrase used in Acts 1:12, where Jesus took His disciples out about a Sabbath day’s journey before He was taken up before their eyes. There was to be no travel beyond this distance on the Sabbath. So people who pretend that they follow the Law, yet travel more than 2,000 cubits or about 3,000 feet, are breaking all of the Law. If you want to truly keep the Law, stay home.

1. Hypocrites, verses 17-25

We are all hypocrites. Some less and some more, but all hypocrites nonetheless. Why? Because we do things that we tell people not to do, and we often make ourselves out to be more than we truly are. We put on an air of piety, and as people get to know us, they realize that we have a lot of chinks in our armour. Read the Gospels and pay close attention to the followers of Jesus; these men were fraught with doubts, they had internal fighting about who would be the greatest, they had unbelief and they had issues with faith. While we pick on Peter for denying Jesus that fateful night on His arrest, ALL of the disciples fled; they all forsook Jesus; only John and Peter followed Him.

One of the best parts of the New Testament is that we find the apostles and the disciples to be real people. They had real issues. Peter and Barnabas were challenged face to face by Paul about their Jewish hypocrisy:

Galatians 2:11-13 “Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.”

To some degree, this is the very heart of the challenge of Christianity. The fight between the old man and the new man is real and at times dirty. The gap between what we should be and what we all feel is like an uncrossable divide. The Apostle Paul has a remedy for that; and all through the epistles, he reminds us that he was and is a great sinner. The most famous of these declarations is in 1 Timothy 1:15:

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

Paul called himself the head, the chief of all sinners. Notice that he is addressing a young preacher named Timothy, and he is showing him how he should present himself: as a sinner, and not just a sinner but the chief of sinners. The Apostle John would tell us in his letter that if we say we are not sinners, we are liars; rather we are to confess our sins to God. We are to confess our sins one to another as well. While we are to teach that one is to be obedient to the Lord and that one should flee sinful actions and lusts, the fact of the matter is, we will sin and, sadly, sin often.

We are not to present ourselves as someone who has arrived, but rather as someone on the journey who was and is in need of more grace than anyone else on the journey. But, man, do we like to make ourselves out to be more than we are! We love the accolades of men, but sin is at the door, and it will raise its ugly head.

We do almost irreparable damage to the Lord’s churches when we make ourselves out to be something we are not. We set up people to get hurt and to be very angry with God, all because we put on some holier than thou attitude that was just a façade. This was the very hypocrisy that Jesus called out with the Pharisees. The self-righteousness that created a class structure in the local church. We all get to heaven the same way, clothed and covered in Jesus’s righteousness, not our own. No one has arrived in Heaven to fanfare for their own personal righteousness.

2. The Law was Designed to Make you a Sinner, verses 25-29

No one has ever been saved by keeping the Law, no one. In Romans 7:7, Paul writes this:  

“What then shall we say? Is the Law sin? Absolutely not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the Law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the Law had not said, ‘Do not covet.'”

The Law told me what sin was, and showed me that I was incapable of keeping the whole Law. As such, I am guilty of the whole law, and the penalty for breaking the Law is death. We needed someone to come and fulfill, obey the Law in its entirety; and that is where Jesus came in. Hebrews 4: 14-18 tells us this:

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Jesus never sinned, not even once, even though He was tempted in ALL points like we are. He satisfied the need to be perfect for all of us, and it is in Him only that we can be saved. No one will be saved by keeping the Law; no one will go to Heaven because they only worshiped on the Sabbath; no one will go to heaven by not eating pork or shrimp or not wearing mixed clothing. In Galatians 2:20-21 Paul writes this:

“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. I do not set aside the grace of God. For if righteousness comes through the Law, Christ died for nothing.”

If righteousness came by the Law, then Jesus died for nothing. To say that you can get to Heaven by the Law is to negate the death of Jesus, to diminish what He did on the cross and make His bloodshed nothing more than a show, to say that we really do not need Him. But righteousness cannot come through the Law; it is only in Christ that we can become righteous.

Repent of your self-righteousness and fall on the grace and mercy of the Living God.

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

God bless you,

Pastor Sean Gooding

Mississauga Missionary Baptist Church

Missionarybaptistchurch76@yahoo.ca

Chapter 2: 1-16
God Knows your Secrets and Mine

“Therefore, you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. ² But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. ³ And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? ⁴ Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

“⁵ But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, ⁶ who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds’: ⁷ eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; ⁸ but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, ⁹ tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; ¹⁰ but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹¹ For there is no partiality with God.

“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 ¹³ (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; ¹⁴ for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, ¹⁵ 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) ¹⁶ in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.”

As you can see, this is the same scripture passage that we began with last week, but we will now move beyond the first few verses.

Once again, thanks for the encouraging words and the feedback that lets me know that the Lord is using these lessons for His glory and to help His people. January 2020 was 10 years that the Lord has been allowing us to do this ministry through our local church here in Mississauga. And make no mistake; this is an undertaking of all of our people. We began with just about 9 people reading these lessons, and now we have over 250 that get them directly and hundreds more that get them through Rapture Ready and via sharing. The work of the Lord is a team effort.

Churches are comprised of teams of redeemed and baptized men, women and kids who love the Lord first above all else and then take the time to share the Good news of Jesus as they are going about their lives. They love each other and the people around them and live honest, humble lives seeking to simply point others to Jesus. I am thankful to be part of a local church and to be surrounded by local churches that are doing that.

Last time, we talked about the importance of helping each other as we walk through this life. We all sin, we all fail the Lord at one time or another, and we need to be helping each other up rather than tearing each other down. Jesus told us that a house divided against itself cannot stand. This has been the purpose of the evil one for 2,000 years in the New Testament churches. He causes division, and he does so in the family first, and then into the Lord’s churches. The devil has sown people into the Lord’s churches that are unforgiving, gossipers and always looking for the faults of others to bring accusations. These things should not be this way. If all of us approach each other with humility and with the mind and heart of a servant, we can stop these divisions and put the divisive ones out of business very quickly.

1. There is a Judgment coming, verse 5-6

God will render to each one according to his deeds; this is a sobering thought. We live in a time where we really want to believe that judgment no longer exists – No one has the right to judge me; I can do what I want without repercussions. This is a false narrative offered by the world system; and sadly, it is creeping into the Lord’s churches. Every single person who has ever lived will one day stand before God and give an account of themselves. You will either stand in the righteousness of Jesus or your own. If you stand in Jesus, you will live with the Lord forever. If you stand in your own righteousness, then you will be separated from God forever.

I heard one of the Presidential candidates in the US make the claim that he has earned his way into heaven. What a foolish man! The idea that he is going to enter God’s heaven on his terms is ridiculous. Jesus said “I am the door.”

John 10: 9-10 “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Jesus is the door. If you come by the door, you will be welcomed in and find life. But if you try to come in some other way, you will be rejected. What then is the end of those that try to come by their own works? Look at Matthew 7: 21-23:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’”

Some will try to offer reasons why they should be let in; their claims will be rejected, and they will be cast out, sent away forever. Now, some will read this passage and think that there are good works, and if we keep the law, then we can get into Heaven. But look at Romans 2:4; the goodness of God should lead us to repentance. But what are we to repent of? Go back to chapter 1; we are to repent of worshiping the creature, and worship the Creator; we are to repent of being wise in our own eyes and accept God’s wisdom;  we are to stop being filled with pride and humble ourselves under the Lord; we are to stop putting self first and put God first in all things. Then, and only then can we begin to do ‘good works.’

Repentance is the beginning of good works, not the end of them. God will save all who repent, and He will reward all who work hard. Salvation is the beginning of our walk with Jesus, not the end. One of the hardest things to accept in this life is that salvation is a gift from God. It can be given only as a gift, and any attempt to earn it will be fraught with danger.

Jesus put it this way in Matthew 18: 2-4: “Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. ‘Truly I tell you,’ He said, ‘unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'”

We have to come as little children – powerless, naturally humbled, needy and trusting. This is how we are to be before our great God.

This is why the family unit is so important to society and more so to the Lord’s churches. The family structure tells us the story of the Gospel. The father represents God, the one who sacrificially loves his family. The mom, the local church; she is dedicated to the father and submits to him, and the kids are the humble and helpless ones who need the mother and the father to get them through life.

Have you repented? Have you turned from your own wisdom to God’s wisdom? Have you turned from worshipping nature to worshipping the Creator, the Lord God? Have you turned from trusting your own righteousness to putting your trust in Jesus’ righteousness? If not, your doom is sure, it will be an eternity of destruction.

2. God knows our Secrets, verse 16.

Have you ever done something that your parents never found out about? God knows what you did. One day all of our secrets will come to life. The scariest secret is that you looked like a Christian but had never actually become one.

We see the epidemic of illegal immigration in North America. When my family came to Canada in the early 1980s, we had gone through years of rigorous investigations, medical checks, financial checks, my parents needed criminal checks, and the process took years. We are here because we followed the process, and as such, are entitled to the benefits of Canada. Sadly, over the past few years, there has been an influx of illegal persons residing in Canada, those who have jumped the line. For the most part, they look like us, then take advantage of the same benefits that we have but they are not entitled to them.

There are some who look like what we think Christians should look like but they are not citizens of Heaven; they are impostors, and God knows their secrets. They have not fooled Him. In a similar manner, the Lord knows the secrets of His children as well.

In Hebrews 4:12-13, we see this: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Look at verse 13, nothing is hidden from God.

In Psalm 139:2-3, we see these truths: “You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways.”

The Lord knows all of our ways, and yes, even our thoughts. Oh man, there is no escape. But there is a positive to this as well. We normally put a negative connotation on secrets, but there are good secrets as well:

Matthew 6: 3-5 “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward.”

God sees the good secrets as well, and one day He will reward them openly.

You need Jesus; He is the only way, the answer and the Righteous Judge. The day to meet him is getting closer and closer. For some of us, it will be by death that we meet Jesus; and for others, we will see Him when He comes to get us. Then there are the ones who will lie in death until the very end. What a sad day in man’s history that will be. Hell is real; people go there every day, but you don’t have to go there. Jesus is the only means of salvation.

Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

God bless you,

Pastor Sean Gooding

Mississauga Missionary Baptist Church

Missionarybaptistchurch76@yahoo.ca