There are so many things in our lives that is not very secure. For example, tomorrow. Is tomorrow coming for you? It could be any moment that our lives could end. The factor of the matter is there's nothing really secure in our lives that no one can guarantee whether you will have tomorrow or even rest of tonight. We may be born in order, but certainly we don't die in order. That's the matter of life, isn't it? I mean, you make all these plans, but do they ever go as you have planned? So that is life that we live. Uncertainty is the mode of our existence. And we want some security, we want some certainty, and yet where can we find one? Where can we find the assurance? Well, tonight's scripture reading passage is really talking about how can you be sure of what it is that God has told us that he will do. How can you be sure of tomorrow or eternity to come? How can we be sure, most importantly, that God is our God and that we are his people? We see Book of Romans is really dealing with one of the hardest and most difficult parts of human existence. How can we be right with God? I mean, think about it. Isn't it really how we live today, just to be right with somebody? I was reading an article about how the society have changed or shifted into meritocracy in America. And interestingly, as he shifted from the WASP, they call it, white Anglo-Saxon and Protestant men who led American society as those who graduated from Ivy League schools, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton and such, they were the elites of the day, and how there is a shift after the World War II that there was this push toward elitism of those of the intellect, those who graduate from those three schools. Precisely as Harvard opened up its admissions, really selecting people of greater merit, if I may put it that way. And one of the things that the article, the author was stating was that this drive for merit actually has driven people of insecurity, precisely because you never measure up to it. Precisely because most of us will not go to Harvard or Yale or Princeton. I didn't even apply. And so much of our education, so much of a child growing up since you're little is really about getting into that prestigious school. Sports is no longer for the sports, but it looks good on your application. Doing A, B, and C, and D, and going to these classes, going to AP classes, and IB classes, and all these effort, which I've seen as a tutor, as I worked as a tutor for SAT Math and Sciences, it pays you well to be a tutor. I mean, the whole market is driven. Children are no longer to enjoy their childhood, but they're preparing for that college application that comes after 12 years of education. And the author criticized how that is not actually bringing us better as a society, and actually it's killing us as a society. Isn't it interesting? Merit. I mean, we live in a country and we should and we do value those who earn and works well and have achieved greatness. And what is that for? To look good, isn't it? I mean, I come from a Christian, Korean, excuse me, home, and we compare each other, Korean parents, when Korean moms get together, what they all talk about is, oh, my son went to this college, and my son can play this violin, and my son can do this, and it's funny because they're trying to earn each other's respect by their children. Performance. We wanna be right in everyone else's eyes. That's our society today. The social media drives it even more, doesn't it? It's fascinating. I find it so fascinating. We want to be right with everybody, and yet we don't think about, are we right with God, the creator of heaven and earth? And Romans is really talking about that. Are you right with God? Yeah, you can be right with your neighbor, you can be right with your friends, you can be right with your parents, you can be right with your kids, but most fundamental question, you're here today and gone tomorrow, there is a day that you will give an account before the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. You'll stand before God one day. It may be next year, it may be in 20 years, it may be 100 years, or it may be tomorrow, it may be tonight. The question is, are you right with God? And because Romans begin as Paul is writing to the church in Rome, he's really addressing this question of who can be right with God or how can we be right with God. And as he's dealing with it, he's also dealing with the issue that was going on in the early church at Rome. Paul is writing this letter to the church in Rome, which was having a certain theological and cultural struggle at that particular period. And the struggle was of the Jewish people versus the Gentiles. Jewish people there are people of the Hebrew background who can bring their lineage all the way back to Abraham. They practiced a certain form of religion and they lived by it. They received the law. They are people of the law. and they focus on circumcision as a sign that they have received. And they lived a very peculiar way, no bacon. That's how they lived. And no bacon means I'm right with God. It sounds funny, but to them, they were dead serious. How to be right with God, no pork, and follow A, B, and C, and D because God cares. And then came the gospel where God saves. And now Gentiles were brought into the kingdom. Those bacon eaters were able to become children of God, he says. They were not following the law. They were living however they wanted it seemed, and yet God not only gave the Jews, but also to the Gentiles to bring them into his kingdom and to be right with God. And what do you think the Jews would say? My parents didn't eat bacon, my grandparents didn't eat bacon, and I never ate bacon to be right with God. And here are those who ate bacon all of their lives, and how can they be right with God? Now, I make it sound like a joke, but they were dead serious. because it is God who has prohibited them from consuming things from pig and variety of different things. And one of the biggest symbolism for that was that of circumcision. To be circumcised is to be right with God. To be uncircumcised is to be wrong with God. You're against God. As a matter of fact, most importantly, that God is against you. So Paul is now writing this to this church who has brought the Jews and the Gentiles together because God has expanded and broadened his call of the gospel to the nations. That you're not saved by obedience to the law, but you're saved by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. that you're not saved because you did A, B, and C, and D, it's not because you merited it, it's not because you earned it, or you did everything right, or not because you went to Ivy League school. Praise the Lord. Not because you had a perfect life, not because you abstained from pork. No, you're saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. But church is still struggling with this at this particular time. Works, what do we do about works? How can we be right with God? And what Paul does, as he's now addressing the Jews, the Jewish Christians, and he is now bringing back what is most the deepest part of their heart, is that they're the children of Abraham. Their identity was, our father is Abraham, and it is the blessings of Abraham that God has promised to Abraham is now ours, because we're the children of Abraham. So he begins chapter four with these words, what then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather, according to the flesh? He's addressing the Jews, and he is saying, how was Abraham right? Was Abraham right because he was circumcised? Paul says no, because he was circumcised after he was right with God. You see, he was declared righteous in Genesis chapter 15, he received the sign of circumcision in Genesis 17. You see, 15 comes before 17. And Paul's argument is that because Abraham was righteous in the sight of eyes of God before the circumcision, it was not the circumcision that made him righteous, but faith. And what Paul is really doing in such a beautiful way is that, look, he's pointing to the Old Testament and how Abraham was right before God is the way in which we are to be right before God. Meaning the way Jews have observed the law to be right with God was wrong from the very beginning. That was never God's intent for people to be right with God. It was not by virtue of abstaining from pork or receiving the circumcision, but merely there are the signs. There was something that was pointing to the very promises of God in him. and there to receive it only by faith. Then the question now comes to us is this, okay, God promised to us, God has given these blessings to Abraham, the Gentiles, the Jews, and the Gentiles, but how can we be sure of God's blessing? I mean, think about it this way. If we earned it, if you worked and got it, you're pretty sure you're going to get it, right? Because you merited it. It's going to come into your bank account. If you work eight hours, you should get eight hours' worth of pay. It makes sense. It's a guarantee. But the virtue of your work, what you did, is assurance that you will receive the payment, right? Because it's connected to what you did, you shall receive what you did. But if the salvation is by grace, by faith, how can you be sure? As a matter of fact, Paul twists that question even further, and he says, it has to be by grace through faith for it to be sure. So look at verse 13. Number one, you can be sure, for it is of promise. That's my first point. It is of a promise. Verse 13, for the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heirs of the world did not come through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. He introduces this word promise to Abraham. You know, when God says, I'll bless you, that was a promise. What God told Abraham in Genesis chapter 12, what God told him in Genesis chapter 15, what God told him in Genesis chapter 17, that I'll bless you, and I'll bless those who bless you, and I curse those who curses you, that I'll be your God, and I'll be God of your children, and they will be my people. Through your seed, I'll bless entire world. That was, Not just God saying, I'm going to bless you, but that was the promise of God to Abraham. Promise. You know, when I was growing up, my dad, I remember one time when I was little, I don't remember how old I was, but he said, he will get me a video game system. And I doubted him, because that was about 100th time he told me that. So I said, pinky promise? So he gave me a pinky promise, and we did a little copy thing, and we put a seal on it. Three ways this better be coming. Still didn't bring it. I was very sad. Until one day he just brought it out of nowhere and there was no promise to it. But you see, promise, promise is hard to keep, isn't it? Promise is hard to keep. And many promises are not kept. Don't you remember any of them? I sure do. And yet, one thing we do have to understand, God initiates his blessing through the promise. God promises that he will do it. God promises that he will bless him. The way of that promise, it says God, it says verse 13, for the promise to Abraham, his offspring, that he would be heirs of the world. So the blessing to be right with God, as we have looked at last week, the other flip side of it is to be the heir of the world. You will inherit the world. Matthew chapter five, you will inherit the earth. The world is to be ours. Now what does that mean, inherit the world? The world here is not really talking about this world. but it's talking about the world that is to come. The world to come. When the heaven becomes the earth, when heaven comes down and when the Christ returns and the new heavens and new earth, that earth will be yours. Let me put it this way. The real estate here is crazy. The beachside house right over there in the corner, I don't know how expensive they are, but I will never afford it. How much more expensive do you think heaven's real estate in heaven is? You can trade the whole world and you'll never gain it, but you will gain it because it's, that you'll be the heirs of the world. And the Lord promises that to you. One thing you have to recognize, it's the God who promises to you. Promise. A promise, and the beauty of the promise is that there's a difference between promise and things that is due. Verse four, if you chapter four, verse four, now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift, but as his due. You see, if it's not a promise, it's something that you have to earn. You see, what God has given to us, the blessing, is not wages, but it is of God's promises. It's a gift. It's a gift the Lord blesses us. That's a gift. You cannot earn it. As a matter of fact, he goes even further. He says, verse 13, for the promise to Abraham, his offspring, that he would be heirs of the world did not come through the law. It's not something you can earn. The Jews were trying so hard to earn it, abstain from this and abstain from that and do this and do that and do this, endlessly trying to earn God's favor, they did. But it's not something you can earn, but merely you receive because it is by promise. It is the Lord's promise. How can you be sure? You can say it this way, God promised me. How do you know the Lord's blessing is for you? You can surely say because it is a promise, a pinky promise, heavenly pinky promise. Second point, because it is of faith, not of the law. Verse 13, for that he would be heirs of the world, did not come through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. It is that we are right with God by faith, not by the law. It is not something we can earn. Matter of fact, he goes even farther. He says, verse 15, for the law brings wrath. You see, he says, if it was by the law, it cannot bring us God's blessing because the law will bring us wrath. What he's saying is this. If God told you to do A, B, and C, and D, and if you're able to do A, B, and C, and D, sure, you can receive God's blessing as a wage. You can earn it. But the problem he has set up in Romans chapter one, two, and three is that for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. You see, the law is good. But the law is too of a high standard for us. You see, the law, think of it this way, the law is you gotta be 10 feet tall to enter in. I don't know how tall you are, but I know for sure, you ain't no 10 feet tall. The law is too tall for you, that you can never get to it. You can never measure up to it. You may try to earn it, but you cannot never reach it. As Pastor Eric earlier prayed, we can't, or give us what we cannot. It's the fact that we cannot measure up to the law of God is the problem. And by virtue of our failure to measure up to the law of God, what does law bring? Not God's blessing, but the Lord's wrath. So as it brings God's wrath to us, the law destroys any chance, any assurance that we can be right with God. But what does faith do? Faith gives us that full righteousness. It gives us and makes us right with God. Where the law, he continues, verse 14, for it is adherence of the law who are to be the heirs. Faith is no or faith is destroyed, and the promise is void or promise is made powerless. If you depend on your ability to be right with God, if you depend on good living, bearing good fruits, living a good life, you'll destroy faith and you'll void the promises of God. If you depend on things you can do, things you have done, things that you wanna do, if your righteousness with God is dependent upon you and your abilities, he says, nothing for you, null and void, powerless and empty. but the beauty of it but it is if it is of faith he says verse 16 that is why it depends on faith because you cannot do it on your own because i cannot do it on my own because we cannot do it at all so he says in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring faith if it's based on grace it's guaranteed you know what word grace is it's a big word sometimes We don't know what we are saying, but grace simply just means gift. Gift. It's a gracious gift. God just gave it to you. Not something because you deserve it, not because you kept all of God's law, not because you're 10 feet tall, not because you did everything right, not because you abstained from pork, not because you did anything before God, not because even you were circumcised. None of that matters. It's merely a gift. It's merely freely given. It's grace. It's grace. It's a gift. And the only thing we can do is receive it by faith. You see, faith is not work. Faith is not something you earn from God. No, faith is merely saying, I can't, Lord. Can I have it, please? I remember one of my youth students back in the day when I did youth ministry, we went to 7-Eleven for whatever reason, and we walked in, and I had my friend with me, and she was there, and we were walking around, and all of a sudden, she's like, Pastor Jerome, can you get me ice cream? I was like, of course, I'll get you ice cream. Yeah, let's go get it. So we went and got her ice cream. My friend was so excited by the fact that she asked. He said, wow. Her name was Chelsea. Wow, Chelsea, I'm so impressed. I've never seen someone just come up and ask. I say, yeah, just take it. It's just like that. Faith is just saying, Lord, just give me. I know you said you will give me if I ask. By faith, we merely receive. Chelsea didn't earn anything from me. Nothing. In the similar way, we receive God's grace just by faith, like a child saying, Lord, can I? Can I have it? Matter of fact, you say, Lord, you promised that you will save me if I trust in you. You promised it. And you say, and God will say, yeah, I promised you. It's by faith. It's by faith alone because it is by grace alone. You cannot earn it, but the beauty of it, he says, it is so sure because it rests on grace. It's a guarantee of all things. It's the assurance of all things. See, faith is the assurance of God's promises to us, and we just merely receive it by faith. Isn't that a good news? You cannot earn it, so don't even try it. Are you trying this evening to be right with God? Have you been living your life trying to be right and trying to be perfect and try to think right? I think so often in our circle, in a reform circle, we want to be theologically right. Because we feel like if we say the right things and believe the right things that God will save us. No, just promises of God. That's all we need to trust. The Lord has spoken. Whoever believes in me shall not perish but have an everlasting life. And that's the promises of God. It's that easy. It's that simple. How can we be sure? Because it is a promise. Secondly, because it is a faith. And thirdly, because it is of God. Verse 16, at the end, not only to the adherence of the law, but also to the one shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. Verse 17, it is written, I've made you the father of many nations. You see, that's a promise that God has given to Abraham. And he says, in the presence of God in whom he believed. Now he goes further into who God is. He says, God gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. You see, the promise and the security of God's blessing toward us is based, it's because it's God is the one who promised to us and we can only merely receive it because the one who made a promise is God. Let me put it this way. Can you stop God's promises? Can you ever go say, God, I want it my way? Can you ever say, stop, God? I mean, try to stop a truck, can you? Let alone God. You can try to take and say, take away God's blessing. The devil can try it, the enemy can try it, but one thing we can be sure is God is immovable, God is infinite, God is omnipotent, God is all-powerful and all-knowing. And if God makes that pinky promise, it's as sure as it can ever be. When my dad says it, I might go, hmm, I don't know, dad. But when God says it, see, you may not trust my words because I also break promises. I'm just a man. I don't have control over all things. But God, God is in control over all things. He's a sovereign God. He's God who knows, and he is God who is able. Matter of fact, he says, who gives life to the dead. I mean, can you give life to the dead? I mean, if you really think about it, I know we become so desensitized to resurrection. We become so desensitized to this idea of giving life to the dead. But there has never been any moment in the world's history apart from God who makes dead to live. Have you ever heard any? It's impossibility. It's biologically impossible. The physics doesn't allow it. Biology doesn't let it. And yet, and yet, it doesn't matter if you're dead 1,000 years ago. When the Lord returns and he says, come forth, all the graves will open up, and the seas will give up the dead, and everyone will rise at the voice of the one who called. For his name is the Lord Jesus Christ. He has the power to crush the dead because he did not remain dead when he died on the cross of Calvary, but he rose again in power, victorious and gloriously. He ascended through the throne of heaven and he's there now reigning. even over death. And that is the king who has made a promise to you. That is the king who is at now work in you for all those who believe. And indeed, he has the power to call into existence the things that do not exist, things that you hope for. He is able, and indeed he is the one who is doing the work that he has begun. And the beauty of it all, beauty of it all, he promised it to you. and you cannot do anything except receive it by faith. See, assurance of our salvation, let me put it this way, is not dependent upon us at all. I mean, there are some who teach you can never have assurance. But Protestantism, especially Reformed faith, has always confirmed, always stood firm, that you can be assured. And that assurance does not depend merely upon that you're good or you bear good fruit. Those are evidences of our faith, but they're not the assurances of our faith. Our assurance stands in one thing, it's God alone, who promised to you of that eternal blessing. And the one who has not only made a promise that said you can have it by grace and all you have to do is receive it by faith, Because all of that is based upon him and upon his word. The Lord says it, and surely it is. Don't be like the devil. Did God really say? So the call this evening is to all of you here. Will you put your trust in the Lord, of his promises, that you can be right with God, that you don't have to earn it, you don't have to fight for it, you just have to merely receive it by faith. For by grace, through faith, you have been saved. So invitation here for all here who has ears to hear my voice. Turn, come, and be secure in the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is a life eternal. Don't tarry, but come. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have given the assurance of a salvation, not in of ourselves, but in Christ Jesus and all things that are yes and amen in him. Lord, we thank you. So thankful, God, that we do not look at ourselves to find any hope. But we look to heavens where you are now enthroned, and that's where our surety now reside, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And we pray that you grant us eyes to see and ears to hear and heart to believe. Lord, draw us to you this evening that we may rest in Christ, in who he is and what he has done for us. And as we bring your tithes and our offerings before you, we pray that you would use it for your glory, to bring the lost sheep of Israel into your bosom, that Christ would be exalted and they would join as we worship you. We thank you, we honor you, we pray all this in Jesus' name, amen. If you'd like to worship the Lord with his tithes and your offerings, you can place them in the basket next to the cross. Our closing hymn is His Mercy is More. Please rise to sing. what love could remember no wrongs we have done omniscient all-knowing he comes not there some thrown into a sea without bottom or shore Our sins, they are many. His mercy is more. Praise the Lord. His mercy is more. Stronger than darkness, new every more. Our sins, they are many. His mercy is more. Person is made as we constantly roam. What father so tender is calling us home. He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor. Our sins, they are many. His mercy is more. Praise the Lord. His mercy is more. Stronger than darkness, new every more, Our sins they are many, His mercy is more. Riches of kindness he lavished on us His blood was the payment, his life was the cost We still need the debt we could never afford Our sins, they are many, his mercy is more His mercy is more. Stronger than darkness, new every morn. Our sins, they are many. His mercy is more. Praise the Lord. Mercy is more. Stronger than darkness, new every more. Our sins, they are many. His mercy is more. Here's the promised blessing from the Lord. Receive it by faith. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you