Embracing Wisdom: Understanding Sin and the Gospel

Devotional

Day 1: Cultivating a Community of Wisdom

The journey through Romans invites us to cultivate a community of sages—wise, discerning individuals who understand the depths of God's nature and human complexity. This wisdom is not solely for personal growth but to become a source of life and guidance for others. The call is to elevate our expectations of spiritual maturity and actively pursue wisdom through prayer, study, and community engagement. By nurturing such a community, we create an environment where wisdom flows from one generation to the next, enriching the lives of all involved. [01:51]

Proverbs 4:7-9 (ESV): "The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown."

Reflection: Who in your community can you learn from to grow in wisdom, and how can you intentionally seek their guidance this week?

Day 2: Aspiring to Spiritual Maturity

Aspiring to become sages involves a commitment to spiritual growth over the years, becoming fountains of wisdom for younger generations. This vision challenges us to elevate our expectations of spiritual maturity and to actively pursue wisdom through prayer, study, and community engagement. By setting our sights on this goal, we not only enrich our own lives but also prepare to guide others on their spiritual journeys. [03:00]

Colossians 1:9-10 (ESV): "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

Reflection: What specific steps can you take this week to deepen your spiritual maturity and become a source of wisdom for others?

Day 3: Understanding Our Unrighteousness

Understanding the connection between our unrighteousness and the righteousness offered by God is crucial. Recognizing our condition as unrighteous is essential to appreciate the good news of the gospel. This understanding drives us to cherish the gospel more deeply, as it highlights the transformative power of God's grace in our lives. By confronting the reality of our sin, we open ourselves to the profound impact of the gospel. [09:00]

Isaiah 64:6 (ESV): "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."

Reflection: In what ways can acknowledging your own unrighteousness lead you to a deeper appreciation of God's grace today?

Day 4: Embracing Difficult Truths

The journey through Romans is not about avoiding difficult truths but embracing them to foster a deeper love for the gospel. By confronting the reality of sin and God's wrath, we are driven to cherish the gospel more deeply. This process involves facing uncomfortable truths about ourselves and the world, but it ultimately leads to a more profound understanding and appreciation of God's grace. [09:15]

Hebrews 12:11 (ESV): "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

Reflection: What difficult truth have you been avoiding, and how can facing it lead you to a deeper love for the gospel?

Day 5: The Necessity of the Gospel

The text of Romans serves as a tool to deepen our understanding of sin and righteousness, highlighting the need for the gospel. This understanding is vital for a genuine appreciation of God's grace. By recognizing the necessity of the gospel, we are reminded of the transformative power it holds and the hope it offers to all who believe. [06:40]

Titus 3:4-7 (ESV): "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Reflection: How can you actively remind yourself of the necessity of the gospel in your daily life, and what impact does this have on your relationship with God?

Sermon Summary

In the journey through Romans, we embark on a profound exploration of the human condition and God's response to it. The focus is on Romans 1:18-3:20, a section that delves into the world's sin problems and God's righteous wrath. This passage is not merely a grim diagnosis but a necessary foundation for understanding the gospel's power and necessity. The aim is to cultivate sages within the church—wise, discerning individuals who deeply understand God, humanity, and the complexities of life. This wisdom is not just for personal edification but to become a source of life and guidance for others.

The call is to aspire to become sages, individuals who, through years of spiritual growth and understanding, become fountains of wisdom for younger generations. This vision challenges us to elevate our expectations of spiritual maturity and to actively pursue wisdom through prayer, study, and community engagement. The text of Romans serves as a tool to deepen our understanding of sin and righteousness, highlighting the need for the gospel. By confronting the reality of sin and God's wrath, we are driven to cherish the gospel more deeply.

The connection between our unrighteousness and the righteousness offered by God is crucial. Understanding our condition as unrighteous is essential to appreciate the good news of the gospel. This journey through Romans is not about avoiding difficult truths but embracing them to foster a deeper love for the gospel. The message is clear: do not shy away from the hard texts. Instead, let them guide you to a more profound understanding and appreciation of God's grace.

Key Takeaways

1. Cultivating Sages: The goal is to nurture a community of wise, discerning individuals who understand the depths of God's nature and human complexity. This wisdom is not just for personal growth but to become a source of life and guidance for others. [01:51]
2. Aspiring to Wisdom: We are encouraged to aspire to become sages, individuals who, through years of spiritual growth, become fountains of wisdom for younger generations. This vision challenges us to elevate our expectations of spiritual maturity. [03:00]
3. Understanding Sin and Righteousness: The connection between our unrighteousness and the righteousness offered by God is crucial. Understanding our condition as unrighteous is essential to appreciate the good news of the gospel. [09:00]
4. Embracing Difficult Truths: The journey through Romans is not about avoiding difficult truths but embracing them to foster a deeper love for the gospel. By confronting the reality of sin and God's wrath, we are driven to cherish the gospel more deeply. [09:15]
5. The Necessity of the Gospel: The text of Romans serves as a tool to deepen our understanding of sin and righteousness, highlighting the need for the gospel. This understanding is vital for a genuine appreciation of God's grace. [06:40]
** [06:40]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:17] - Introduction to Romans Series
[00:33] - Preparing for Romans 1:18-3:20
[01:08] - Importance of Hard Texts
[01:26] - Vision for Sages
[02:19] - Aspiring to Wisdom
[03:00] - Understanding Human Nature
[04:30] - Wisdom and Salvation
[05:27] - The Gospel's Power
[06:19] - Connection Between Sin and Gospel
[07:15] - Embracing Difficult Truths
[08:07] - Unrighteousness and Righteousness
[09:00] - Highlighting the Good News
[10:00] - Impact of the Romans Series
[11:02] - Closing Remarks

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Romans 1:18-3:20

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Observation Questions:

What is the significance of the word "for" or "because" at the beginning of Romans 1:18, and how does it connect to the preceding verses? [05:27]
How does the sermon describe the role of "sages" within the church community, and what characteristics define them? [01:26]
According to the sermon, why is it important not to avoid difficult texts like Romans 1:18-3:20? [07:15]
What connection does the sermon make between understanding our unrighteousness and appreciating the gospel? [09:00]

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Interpretation Questions:

How does the understanding of God's wrath against sin enhance the appreciation of the gospel's power and necessity? [06:19]
In what ways does the sermon suggest that cultivating wisdom and becoming a "sage" can impact the church community and younger generations? [02:35]
How does the sermon propose that embracing difficult truths about sin and God's wrath can lead to a deeper love for the gospel? [09:15]
What does the sermon imply about the relationship between spiritual maturity and the willingness to confront hard truths in Scripture? [04:54]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on your current spiritual journey. What steps can you take to aspire to become a "sage" in your community, as described in the sermon? [01:26]
Consider a difficult truth or passage in the Bible that you have avoided. How can you approach it with a mindset of growth and understanding this week? [07:15]
Identify an area in your life where you struggle with unrighteousness. How can acknowledging this struggle help you appreciate the gospel more deeply? [09:00]
Think about a younger person in your life who looks up to you. How can you intentionally share wisdom and guidance with them, as encouraged in the sermon? [02:35]
How can you incorporate prayer, study, and community engagement into your routine to pursue spiritual maturity and wisdom actively? [03:32]
Reflect on a time when you felt God's wrath was a difficult concept to understand. How can you reconcile this with the message of grace and love in the gospel? [06:19]
What practical steps can you take to ensure that your understanding of sin and righteousness is grounded in Scripture, rather than personal or cultural biases? [05:27]

Sermon Clips

For a couple of years I've been throwing out from time to time a goal that I have for the church in the word sage. I want us to be through Sunday school Wednesday night efforts track 1 TBI small groups preaching worship I want us to become a church in which we nurture and cultivate sages sagacious people that is people who are wise deserting penetrating people loving heart knowing God exalting sages. [00:01:19]

Think of becoming a 60 year old sage to which hundreds of young women in their 20s and 30s and 40s will come streaming because you penetrate you see things you understand things you grasp things you know nature you know God you know the heart you know sin you know ugliness you know Beauty you know wrath you know holiness you know mercy. [00:02:37]

You know things you've been into the human heart and worked around there and understood it and untangled the sanctity and the sin of the human nature and people read all over you the aroma of wisdom and I just think the only reason that doesn't happen more often than it does is that we don't pray toward it think toward it work toward it read toward it. [00:03:11]

The Bible is written to make you wise unto salvation and not just your own all of which is simply to tell you that to linger in the presence of an authoritative analysis of the human condition for some months is not an unhelpful thing to do if you want to produce sagacious wise penetrating loving counselors to whom people go and get great help. [00:04:31]

The gospel is power because in it righteousness is revealed for you to have by faith that's God's not yours so they can have peace and your conscience acceptance with God hope for everlasting life and you need that because the wrath of God is against your sin might get the connection which means that if you understand wrath and you understand CNN and ungodliness and unrighteousness you will desperately look for the gospel. [00:05:54]

The only reason Paul talks about the problem is to make you love the gospel and if you try to do an end run around this section and jump from 17 to 3:21 you won't love the gospel that's being taught all over the world today in the name of Christianity let's just jump over the sin stuff it's just jump over this wrath stuff this is not encouraging. [00:07:01]

The first thing I want you to see in that verse is the two uses of the word unrighteousness twice twice wrath is coming against our unrighteousness and we are holding down or suppressing or hindering the truth in unrighteousness surely Paul in writing those two words unrighteousness means for us to connect them with their word righteousness in verse 17. [00:08:21]

The reason we need a righteousness from God is because we are unrighteous that's what he wants us to hear in these words so don't miss that connection in other words you can see right off the bat that the bad news of verse 18 is meant to highlight the good news of verse 17 and if you don't get your condition is unrighteous you won't love the awesome reckoning of verse 17. [00:08:47]

Do not run away from text like Romans 1:18 to 3:20 slow down go through them deliberately that clip was taken from John Piper sermon on Romans 1:18 preached on August 30th 1998 to find this sermon or the entire epic 225 part sermon series you can google it just type in Romans the greatest letter ever written over the years we've heard from many apt listeners who have plowed through this entire series. [00:09:23]

Pastor John your sermon series through Romans changed my life by opening my eyes to the deep truths of the gospel and God's sovereignty and goodness wow the entire Roman series has been listened to by Jason fest Karen Featherston Leonardo Diaz Stefan Tate Jessie Paul and Michael Fergus Tony goodwill Oh Brent's Tong Annie Johnson Scott Hewson Dylan Rumbaugh hunter Manning mark Maybelline and david johnson. [00:10:08]

Those are just a few of the APJ listeners who have emailed us to tell us about the experience that's amazing thank you for sending your stories to us well it seems like every week we get emailed this question how do I find a good local church all next time we're gonna finally address the question I'm your host Tony rank II we'll see you back here on Friday. [00:10:35]

The connection between our unrighteousness and the righteousness offered by God is crucial. Understanding our condition as unrighteous is essential to appreciate the good news of the gospel. This journey through Romans is not about avoiding difficult truths but embracing them to foster a deeper love for the gospel. By confronting the reality of sin and God's wrath, we are driven to cherish the gospel more deeply. [00:09:00]

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Embracing Wisdom: Understanding Sin and the Gospel

Devotional

Day 1: Cultivating a Community of Wisdom

Day 2: Aspiring to Spiritual Maturity

Day 3: Understanding Our Unrighteousness

Day 4: Embracing Difficult Truths

Day 5: The Necessity of the Gospel

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Embracing Wisdom: Understanding Sin and the Gospel

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