In Revelation 19 we see the culmination of our justification, and it is the greatest celebration we could imagine.  There’s a story at the end of WWI that at 11:00 on the 11^th day of the 11^th month in 1918 WWI officially comes to an end. Ferdinand Foch, the commander in chief of all Allied forces on the Western Front sent a message by telegraph to all his commanders saying, “Hostilities will cease on the entire front on November 11^th.

It is said that WWI soldiers had their watches in their hands waiting for the clock to strike 11:00, and then a curious rippling sound, which was described like a light wind, as men cheered for the end of WWI.  What we see in Revelation 19 is that story times a million.

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Romans 3:27, “27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.”

• You have to see how easy humanity gets involved in boasting, right? We boast about anything. We boast about success, “Look at how much I have achieved.” We boast about failure, “You wouldn’t believe the stupid things I have done.” We boast about anything!
• In verse 27 the Jews are boasting their ability to keep the Ten Commandments, who can pray better, fast better, and circumcision, and the Gentiles would boast just like we do today about our intelligence, strength, money, power, or social standing in the community.

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Romans 3:21, “21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,”

• The phrase “righteousness of God” isn’t a common phrase we would use in our language today, but it means glory.
• Scripture teaches us we were created in the image of God, to dwell eternally in His glory (Genesis 1-2), but all of humanity has abandoned His glory to pursue our own glory (Genesis 3.)
• That is why you see every human being throughout history trying to leave their mark of glory on this world. Every human being throughout history is trying to make their life count for something. Every human begin is trying to accomplish something in life that makes them feel like their life matters, and it is because we are pursuing our own glory!

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Romans 3:1-2, “1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.”

• In Romans 1 we see there is brokenness in humanity, and the Christian Jew in the Roman church in the first century would have said, “Yes, all those Gentiles, non-Jewish people, are immoral” but in Romans 2 the Apostle Paul says, “Well, not just the Gentiles, because Jewish people also have a broken relationship with the God of Scripture.”
• Then, in Romans 3, we see the Apostle Paul is assuming the questions he might be receiving in his letters, and writes “Then what advantage has the Jew?”
• I know this is 2,000 years ago with a specific ethnicity, but we ask these kinds of questions today also. There are times I am talking to people about their relationship with God and the assumption is that showing up on Sunday morning allows us to gain favor with the God of Scripture, or getting baptized places us in better position with the God of Scripture, or praying over our children every night is going to somehow guarantee that God will bless our children, “If not, what’s the benefit?”

Romans 3:3-4, “3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? 4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “That You may be justified in Your words, and prevail when You are judged.”

• This might be hard to see, but the bigger question in verses 3 and 4 is the Jewish person is asking is, “Is our sin against the God of Scripture really that big of a deal?”
• The answer is, “Yes!” Our sin is that serious. The God of Scripture is that holy, and our sin is that devastating that we see a cosmic break between the God of Scripture and humanity.

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Romans 2:1, “1 Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.”

• The phrase, “same things” is a literary cue to remind us of what was just went over in Romans 1.
• The Christian Jew in Rome, hearing Romans 1, would have nodded their head in agreement about the Gentile immorality in Romans 1.
• But, then in Romans 2, verse 1 the Apostle Paul is saying, “I am pretty sure Jewish people do the same thing, and it is because Jewish people also have a broken relationship with the God of Scripture.”

Romans 2:2-3, “2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?”

• Lets make it practical: We do verses 2-3 all the time. How many times are you watching these politicians in the news get caught in lies, greed, power, selfishness, sexual immorality, and you find yourself thinking, “These people are horrible!”
• We love to say things like, “I hate hateful people.” Or, if you have children, have you noticed how many times you scream at your children, “Stop screaming! It’s disrespectful! You’re supposed to love one another!”
• All of humanity loves to put the offenses of humanity on trial, but we somehow conveniently remove ourselves from humanity.

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In Romans 1:18-32 we see the gospel exposes dark broken layers in our world, and in our soul. Doesn’t that sound fun?

Honestly, haven’t you wondered, “Why is our world so messed up?” Why do we treat each other this way? Why do we say these hurtful things to one another?

Why do we not only see brokenness in our world, but if we are honest, we see brokenness in our lives as well?

We are all layered with arrogance, greed, anger, jealousy, and Scripture is going to help us see the reason we see this brokenness in our world and in our soul is ultimately because we have a broken relationship with the God of Scripture.

Romans 1:18, “18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness”

• Humanity suppresses the knowledge of God.
• The word “suppress” means “humanity holds back the knowledge of God.” It means humanity literally “pushes the knowledge of God out of our lives.”

Romans 1:19-20, “19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

• Humanity suppresses the knowledge of God revealed in creation.
• It is as though humanity sees the complexity of muscle tissue running through the human anatomy, the expanse of stars, planets, and galaxies, the beauty of mountains, land and sea, and concludes, “Oh, obviously those detailed, intelligently designed beautiful things spontaneously sprung into existence.”

Romans 1:21, “21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

• Humanity isn’t ignorant of the knowledge of God. No, deep in our soul we know there is a divine creator, but Scripture teaches us that humanity just isn’t impressed with the knowledge of God.
• There is external evidence for His glory in creation (vs. 19-20) and there is internal evidence for His glory in our conscience (vs. 21), but instead all of humanity simply “suppresses the knowledge of God.”

Romans 1:22-25,  “Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

• In verse 23 we see humanity exchanging the knowledge of God for something else to take His place. Biblically this is called idolatry!
• Idolatry is anything that takes the place that rightfully belongs to the God of Scripture.”
• This means our children can become an idol. Our career can become an idol. It is anything or anyone or any idea in our life that brings out our inner “Gollum, precious!” Religious activity can become an idol. Politics can become an idol. Caring for the environment can be an idol. Working out and eating healthy can become an idol.
• It is because every human being throughout history is created in the image of God (Genesis 1), and created to worship God (Genesis 2), and when we “suppress the knowledge of God (vs.18-21)” we don’t just stay neutral, we exchange (vs. 23, 25).

Romans 1:26-27, “26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.”

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Romans 1:8, “8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.”

In Romans 1:8-17 we see characteristics of what it means to walk in biblical community, and it is important to remember that biblical community doesn’t just appear magically over night.  There are steps we can take today, by grace through faith in Jesus, and over time we can and will experience deep biblical community.

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