Romans chapter 2.
This is kind of a little side thought
I had from a study earlier in the
week, but what we're going to read here
in Romans chapter 2, and we'll begin it
for the sake of time.
Verse 21.
It says, Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest
thou not thyself.
Thou that preachest a man should not steal,
dost thou steal.
Thou that sayest a man should not commit
adultery, dost thou commit adultery.
Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege.
Thou that makest thy boast of the law
through breaking the law dishonorest thou God.
For the name of God is blaspheme among
the Gentiles through you as it is written.
It's a very solemn statement that what Paul
is writing here is that those that were
claiming to keep the law and to honor
God, they were breaking the law and dishonoring
God, and in their hypocrisy the name of
God is blasphemed.
Now we'll go to 1 Peter.
We're going to read a contrast really in
chapter 2.
1 Peter 2 and verse number 10.
1 Peter 2 verse 11.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and
pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against
the soul, having your conversation honest among the
Gentiles.
Now remember in Romans it was dishonest.
They were teaching and preaching one thing, but
they were doing another.
And here it says this, having your conversation
honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak
against you as evildoers, they may by your
good works which they shall behold glorify God
in the day of visitation.
And that'll suffice for the time that is
at hand.
Really what we have here is you've got
in Romans, you've got the hypocrites of the
law are causing the name of God to
be blasphemed by their own sin.
Here you've got those that were doing right
and Gentiles were speaking evil against them that
by their good works they might glorify God.
Glorify.
It's kind of a contrast.
And really when it comes to testimony, when
it comes to your testimony or your assembly's
testimony, it's not a good testimony or a
bad testimony.
It's either true or it's false.
That's the way we have to look at
testimony.
We always talk about you're going to ruin
your testimony or you're going to lose your
testimony, and we understand what that means.
But when it comes to giving testimony, Jesus
Christ is the faithful and the true witness.
And what the Lord Jesus said, the way
he acted, the way he behaved was just
exactly how God himself would have done in
any situation because he is God manifest in
the flesh.
He always gave true testimony.
But we live in a, maybe it's just
the flesh too.
We want to be people pleasers.
We want to have the appearance of being
righteous.
We want to be people impressors.
We want to be people pleasers.
And we're doing these things for our own
reputation.
And when we do those things like Romans
says, and we say these things and we
don't do them, then people are going to
be quick to point the finger and they're
going to blaspheme God.
So what we have just done is at
the expense, the extent of our own glorying
before people and in our own failure, we've
given people a reason to blaspheme God.
We are the cause.
It says through you, because of you, people
blaspheme God.
Now that's not a testimony, is it?
Yeah, it's a false testimony.
It's a wrong testimony.
And that happens.
That's why it's written in there.
So if you're going to claim to do
something, you've got to do it.
If you're going to say God says this
and you're going to teach it and you're
going to preach it and you don't do
it, what do we do?
We're giving reason for people or through our
actions, they're going to blaspheme God.
And the purpose that we're here for has
absolutely been turned upside down.
We're here to bring glory to God and
now here people are blaspheming God.
Now we're going to be false accused.
If we're going to suffer, it better be
because of false accusation.
And the world is looking for any opportunity
and every opportunity to point the finger at
God, to discredit God, to eliminate God, to
cancel God.
And when he can do it through God's
people, it's a double win, isn't it?
And so if they're going to talk bad
about God, it dare not be through us.
And that happens.
You think of Peter when he wept and
he denied the Lord.
What would the people say about the Lord
because of Peter's reaction to what was taking
place?
Well, they can say, well, he's a follower
of Christ and then he's ashamed of Christ.
Well, then Christ must not be what he
claims to be.
Because if this man is the Messiah, why
would a man be afraid and ashamed of
the Messiah in front of his own people?
Just a simple illustration.
And so we preach that being a Christian
is true living.
It's really the best life a person can
live.
And we believe that.
Or don't we believe that?
But then we mope and we're sat around
for things of everyday life that everybody else
goes through.
And we have a greater reaction to adverse
things than someone who's not saved.
And then they say, well, that life isn't
worth living.
If that's what Christianity is, I don't want
it.
And maybe you've been like me, and maybe
you've got the same rebuke from someone who's
not saved.
If that's what Christianity is, I don't want
it.
If that's the case, and you've heard that
remark, hopefully it's because of the way you're
living, afraid of sin.
The way you're living, trying to live righteously,
but not because of our hypocrisy.
So the reality of a testimony is vitally
important.
Either we're speaking and living the truth, or
we're speaking and living a lie.
Speaking the truth, living a lie.
Any of those combinations.
And really what spoke to me was when
you come to Peter, their conversation was honest
among the Gentiles.
Whereas they're going to speak of the Christian
as an evildoer, but by their good works,
which they see, they'll glorify God in the
day of visitation.
They'll have to glorify God in a day
to come, because what you did was right.
Think of that.
So that in the day when the fingers
are being pointed, and the accusations are being
made, and through your good works, you prove
that what you said is true.
And you prove that who God is, is
right.
By what you do, and the way your
life matches your word, and that the word
of God, they will bring glory to God.
They'll be forced to, because the truth will
come out.
And I thought, what a contrast.
That I have the power to cause God's
name to be blasphemed, or I have the
power for God's name to be glorified.
It will be one or the other.
There's no neutral ground.
What I do, what I say, where I
go, is it going to blaspheme the name
of God, or is it going to glorify
the name of God?
That sums up life.
It either brings glory to God, or it's
a shame for us to do.
Now, this is really short and really simple,
but it's one or the other.
To give the people a justified reason to
blaspheme the name of God by the way
I live, that's pretty heavy.
But at the same time, to have glory
brought to God by Peter, they speak against
you as evildoers.
They may by your good works, which they
shall behold, glorify God in the day of
hesitation.
You see, they'll notice those good works.
They want to deny those good things, but
they will see them, and they will glorify
God, and your life will then have the
meaning and the purpose that God intended it
for his glory.
And the Lord bless his word.