Romans 2:6-8 (#9.2025.02.02)
Scott continues the study of Romans as he Chapter 2:5-8, focusing on the themes of God’s wrath, righteous judgment, and the balance between faith and works. He also reflects on the transient nature of time, encouraging listeners to consider how they invest their time and energy in light of eternal judgments and rewards promised in the scriptures. He discusses the inevitability of meeting resistance when pursuing good works and underscores the importance of enduring faithfully.
Scott also talks about the nuances of faith and deeds, explaining that while salvation is by grace and not by works, our deeds are nevertheless evaluated as evidence of our faith. He explores the concept of divine rewards for persistent good works, emphasizing the eternal significance of such works.
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Insight Sheet Blank:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zsKP1hbNFK1cpT5AsoTt7I2EMAO7XH8Y/view?usp=sharing
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Key Topics Discussed:
- God's wrath and judgment
- Faith versus works
- Persistence in good works
- Eternal rewards and glory
- The significance of seeking God's honor
- Self-control in the Christian journey
- Custom-designed works by God
- Gratitude for salvation by grace
Transcript
Hi. If you're looking for greater hope, assurance, and confidence through the shifting sands of life, then join me on today's episode as we dig deep into the bible to discover rock solid truth for life and living from the God of the bible. I'm your host, Scott Keffer. Hi, and welcome to today's episode. As always, for a deeper experience, you can go to the show notes and download the blank insight sheet. Fill in the blanks along with the group. Depending on how you're listening to this, there'll be a link to the episode website at beholdingbibletruth.com, and a sheet with the answers is included as well. Enjoy today's episode.
Scott Keffer [:Well, Beth and I were planning out our summer vacation. We like to go to the, Jersey Shore. We've been going there for, I don't know, forty seven years and try to coordinate with the kids and doing all that and giving everybody finding dates when everybody can come and finding a place everybody's okay with. Sometimes you think, my gosh. Forget it. We're just going away. We'll send you a postcard, let you know how it is. Right? But one of the guys we were looking through, we were re reading through a book, and somebody had challenged him, and he challenged us.
Scott Keffer [:And he said, how many summers do you have left? How many summers do you have left? I thought, oh, average 15. So maybe you have 20, maybe you have 10, maybe you have one, maybe you have none. Right? Who knows? Right? Our days are ordained when as yet there are one, who knows how many? But it's a great reminder because I tend to sometimes operate as if there's gonna be forever. Right? These days are always gonna be like this, always gonna have health, always gonna have time, always gonna have energy, all of that stuff. It's a great reminder, of course, that as days go on, there are less of them ahead and that we should be very intentional about how we invest our money, our time, and our energy, shouldn't we? We should be very intentional. Because sometimes I'll just go through the motions. Or sometimes do you feel like I just wanna get the day done. Just wanna get the day done.
Scott Keffer [:And yet we don't know that there'll be more days. So we're gonna look at that today in the book of Romans. So stand with me if you will. We're reading from Romans two verse five through eight. But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you're restoring up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will remember and do teach person according to his deeds, to those who by perseverance in doing good, seek for glory, honor, and immortality, eternal life. But to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath, and indignation, There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, with glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, for there is no partiality with God. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Scott Keffer [:What we looked at last week, the person who stands there as the spirit of God through the apostle Paul convicts those who are, suppressing the truth, who would stand there and say, oh, I wholeheartedly agree with those, and boy, good thing, those sinners because I'm not one. Right? So he can fix them there, and he continues on here Thank you. That because of their stubbornness and unrepentant heart, it says you were storing up. What are they storing up? Wrath. Wrath. So in this beginning section, he is outlining for us God's wrath. God's wrath. I don't really like that.
Scott Keffer [:Unpack it, it's really the revelation of his righteous judgment. It's really the revelation of his righteous judgment. Now I like that because who wants an unrighteous judge? Nobody wants an unrighteous judge unless it's me, maybe. And if he could bend the rules, maybe for me, I just don't want him bending right for others. But if we understand his wrath is is in sync with his righteous judgment, we need to say that's a good thing because the gospel reminds us of what we are being saved from. Right? Not just what we are being saved to. And then he says in here that god will render. Okay.
Scott Keffer [:That makes me a little nervous and should that the eternal god, sovereign in power and authority, whose dominion is everlasting, his sovereignty over all things, who spoken to being all that exists, who holds it together, he's going to render. Well, that's a scary thought, isn't it? That God is going to render the all powerful, all righteous, immovable, unshakable one is going to give back. He's going to reward. He's gonna render what is do is really what the word says. Render what is do. Okay? And he's pointing back to the Psalms. Psalm sixty two twelve. The the loving kindness is thine, oh lord, loving kindness, for thou dost Recomp.
Scott Keffer [:Underline recompense, and he he recompenses man according to his work, underlying work, according to his work. So he's going to to give what is due according to the work of a man, and he said that's his loving kindness. Oh, wait a minute. That's confusing. I would expect his loving kindness means, right, he's going to bypass. But he says, loving kindness is thine, oh lord, Yahweh, for thou does recompense a man according to his word. Of course, we looked at it in Matthew that the son of man, of course, right, the son of man is gonna come in glory, the glory of his father with his angels. And what's he gonna do? He's going to repay.
Scott Keffer [:It says same word render. He's going to repay every man according to his deed. So what's up here? He says to each person according to his deeds. Now at this point, if you're a good evangelical, you go warning, warning, warning. Will Rogers' problem right here. Right? Because we don't well, I believe in works salvation. So we discount all of this going, woah. Wait a minute.
Scott Keffer [:Works. Right? Anytime the word works come up, we go, oh, no. No. No. There are no works. Right? So how do we deal with that? Because he says each person according to his deeds, his works. Gee. Okay.
Scott Keffer [:How do we reconcile this? Not on account of his works, but according to his works. What does that mean? So let's see how to figure this out. Not on account of works. Not on account of works. In other words, your works, your actions, your deeds, your behaviors are not the reason or the basis, Not the reason or the basis for justification or salvation. Salvation is by Grace. Grace. It's not earned through good works.
Scott Keffer [:How do I know? So how does if I'm confused, and you should be at times, if you're reading the scripture line upon line and you're not confused, you're not reading the Bible. You're not. You should read the Bible and be confused because there are times when it just is like, what? Wait a minute. So the Bible is best explained by the Bible. So how do I know? For by Grace. Grace, you have been paid through pay, not of yourselves. It is a gift of God. Gifts are given not as a result of works that no man may boast.
Scott Keffer [:I got that. I love that. Well, we maintain that a man is justified by faith. You underline, these are these are powerful words because they have to stand. Scripture will stand with itself. Right? So this what does this mean? I don't know. I know it doesn't mean this. It can't mean that because I know we are justified by Faith.
Scott Keffer [:A faith apart from the works of the law. Okay? But is the one it it's not the one who but to the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited credited as righteousness. And that is through belief. Right? Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our lord Jesus Christ. So I know that to be true. Right? And stack those up. Okay? So this is true. So then how do I understand this? It's not on account of works.
Scott Keffer [:It's not on account of works that we are justified and saved. However, I still have to deal with the fact that he says he renders to all men according to his works, but according to works. So So let's see if we can unpack this. Not on account of works, but according to works. So your works are still used as a measure or evidence of faith, fruit of faith. K. Again, I've gotta stack these up so I understand how do I know know to think about them. Well, faith.
Scott Keffer [:He says, without faith so underline that. Without faith, it's impossible to please him. Okay? What do we know? He who comes to god must believe that he is. What does that mean believe that he is? Believe that he is who he says he is. Believe that he is the the the one that the Bible reveals. Believe that his character is not what I want. His character is what he is. Forget that? God god is is absolutely I would say, like this.
Scott Keffer [:This is this is who you are. Right? This is what you say. This is what you do. And we like to bring those circles together, don't we? I like what I say and what I do to be in in concert with who I am. Right? This would be integral. Well, this is God. What he says, who he is, what he does, there is no deviation. God is integral.
Scott Keffer [:That's integrity. That's what integrity means. This is who God is. This is who he is. This is what he says, and this is what he does. There is no shadow of turning within him. He is light. In him, there's no darkness.
Scott Keffer [:Right? What he says, what he does, who he is. It's all the same. God is as integrity. What integrity means. Right? Who he is, says, does. I am, that I am. Right? We get that? So you have to believe that god is. God is who he says he is.
Scott Keffer [:Right? That he's integral. And and what? He is a rewarder of those who seek him. What's that mean? He is a rewarder. He rewards those who seek him, and they seek him by pay, So he renders to those who seek him rewards. He renders not on account of, but according to. Right? Because faith is a gift. Faith is a gift, right, that produces seeking. But he says he rewards those who seek him.
Scott Keffer [:He is a rewarder. He renders. Right? This is a gift, and this we would often say is the fruit. Right? Fruit, not according to. He also says there is a seat. We must all what? Appear before the judgment seat of Christ. Oh, dang. Warning.
Scott Keffer [:What does that mean? So there is no judgment. There is no judgment in that sense. Judgment for salvation. Right? He says judgment is priced so that each man may be recompensed. That's the word. Recompense. Rendered. Rewarded.
Scott Keffer [:What are they rewarded for? According to what he has done. K. Now I'm having a little angst. I'm a believer. Wait a minute. That we're saved by grace. Not as a result of works. Wait a minute.
Scott Keffer [:But there's a judgment seat of works. Oh my gosh. Right? K? Let's figure so he says here, now if any man built on a foundation of gold and silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw. Each man's work will become evident. We're seeing there's two kinds of work, gold, silver, right, stone, wood, hay, stubble. What would be the difference? If you were building a house, which would you build on? Yeah. More enduring. Right? More solid, more valuable.
Scott Keffer [:He says there are two kinds. Right? For that day, it will show it because it will be Revealed. Revealed by fire. Revealed by fire. K? What will happen to the wood, hay, and straw? Burn up. It'll burn up, the other vault. And the fire itself will test. What will it test? Quality.
Scott Keffer [:Under circle quality, the quality of any man's work, the quality of our work, Quality of our work tested. Right? You would put it in a testing machine and say, is it solid? Is it valuable? Is it real? Right? If any man's work, which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. Oh, wait a minute. I thought we were saved by grace. Oh, now this would be getting really confusing. Right? So he says, don't be misunderstood. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss. Loss of what? Reward.
Scott Keffer [:A loss of a reward. But he himself will be Saved. Saved. So this isn't a salvation judgment. It's no salvation judgment, but your works are tested. They're tested, and they're tested for rewards. Right? Your work is tested for rewards. And our and our works are still by faith, which is a gift from him, but he still renders rewards.
Scott Keffer [:Except this work can either be of two kinds, pay stubble, cheap. Right? Looks good. Right? Doesn't last. Right? Or right. There's two kinds of work. Oh, dang. I knew I shouldn't have come to Sunday school today. You know? I like the one say always say forget that work stuff.
Scott Keffer [:Right? Because we forget that work stuff. Forget the work stuff. He didn't say forget the work stuff. Not on account of your works, but he renders according to your works. Everybody see the difference? Not on account of your works, but according to the works. These are these are a measure and evidence of your faith. Gotta kinda put that in your pipe and smoke it a little bit, right, in order to kinda get it. Not on the basis of.
Scott Keffer [:Right? Not not on account of your works, but he does render according to. Right? Right? He renders according to or say by faith, but the works that first the the works that follow or they could be hay and stubble or they can be gold and silver. There's even kinda even within this gold and silver, there's different quality of works. Still going. Right? Wait a minute. I thought I didn't have to worry about works. So that would beg the question of either, I don't like this. I don't wanna hear it.
Scott Keffer [:Or, what makes the difference? Not only what makes the difference between hay and stubble, but then what makes the difference between silver and gold? Right? What's the higher quality? Good questions. Right? We'll get to those. But for now, he's saying there's two kinds of people. So he says, to those who by perseverance in doing good, seek for glory and honor and immortality, what's the result? Eternal life. But to those who are selfishly ambitious, do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath, and indignation. So he's saying there there are people who persist, and they persist with a focus first Corinthians three from 15. Okay. So the person is a focus on eternal rewards.
Scott Keffer [:What's the first thing we see? By perseverance. Perseverance. That means to stand under. Stand under. Steadfast endurance, persistence. Well, that just sounds hard, doesn't it? That we are patient despite and this is really interesting, because we're we're we're going through how many have heard of the, the war of or the art of war, Sun Tzu, which is a he was a he was a a a general. Yeah. Yeah.
Scott Keffer [:So he's got all these things for warfare. And there's a a modern take on that. It's called the war of art. And he talks about when you seek to create something, you will face resistance. Right? And what he doesn't explain is the spiritual component of that, that we have a spiritual resistance. When you seek to press forward in into the Lord, right, and you seek, right, there will be resistance. And so endurance is the the the idea we pace we're patient despite resistance. In fact, I would suggest if you don't have resistance in your life, you're probably not doing something that matters.
Scott Keffer [:Right? If life is good, right, if the stream is taking you, right, if you're on, you know, if you're on the lazy boat and the lazy ride, then there's no resistance. If you are pressing in, you're going to get resistance. So I just remind myself by perseverance means expect resistance. Expect resistance. The Lord reminds us that that won't be here on this side. Because sometimes, don't you wanna just move somewhere where there's not I'm not always crap, don't you think? I just wanna move somewhere where it's easy. I think sometimes. Where is that? Well, I think, you know, all of the stuff in 2020, right, the the global, like, craziness reminds us, the Lord is saying, there's nowhere you can go.
Scott Keffer [:The whole world's insane. Right? The whole world's insane. And so you can't move anywhere. And if you move to some place you think is really cool, I'll just show you the weather shows up there. Right? So he just reminds us. Right? Stop trying to get that, which you're going to get eternally here. Stop trying to make that here. Because that's our that's our sense, isn't it? I want the rest now.
Scott Keffer [:Right? So he says, persistence. Expect resistance. And you persevere in doing whatever you want. No. He says in doing good in doing good, which means if there's resistance, the more good I do, the more resistance I'll get. Hello? Say it again. The more good I do, the more resistance. There won't be more attaboys.
Scott Keffer [:There'll be more resistance. The more good you do, the more the enemy will press against you. Remember, get it? And he says good. Good works. Well, how do I know good works? God defines good. God defines good. So we can say not just good works, but god works. These are god works in doing good.
Scott Keffer [:So here's the cool thing about them. These are his. They're his works, and they're just not general works. These are works that are custom designed for you. How do I know that? He says it. Mhmm. For we are his workmanship. Really? Yeah.
Scott Keffer [:You're created in Christ Jesus for those things. Those things. What are those things? God prepared them beforehand. Kinda like a master builder, kinda like a master craftsman so that we would walk in them. We're to walk in them, which means I don't have to figure them out. Oh, lord. If you have good works, custom prepared for me beforehand, works that will result in rewards, you've already prepared them. He just says, walk in them.
Scott Keffer [:Hey, Lord. How about what are the good works you prepared for me? Do you think he would show you? Since he prepared them for you, I'm guessing he'd be willing to because he wants you to walk in them, which also means my good works are not your good works, and your good works are not mine. And so you don't need to have good work envy. You don't do my good works. I don't do your good works. They're custom prepared. They're custom prepared. And so if you look at others, you say, wow.
Scott Keffer [:They're doing so much. No. They're doing what god has prepared for them. We should be inspired, not envious. Forget it? It's a difference. Right? You should be inspired to discover and walk in your good works. Don't try and do their good works. I'm not gonna be John Piper.
Scott Keffer [:Right? I'm never gonna be John Piper. That's okay. He's got his good works. Do you know ever again? I don't need to be his. God has prepared them. Alright. Flip over. These people, what did they do? They seek.
Scott Keffer [:They seek. Pay attention in the bible to verbs. Verbs connote action. They seek. What does that mean? Active pursuit. Active pursuit. What's the proverb say? Little folding of the hands? How's that proverb go? Little Little sleep. Little sleep.
Scott Keffer [:Little slumber, little folding of the hands. Well, I like the one. Where where what's it say? You know, the the, the fool says, oh, there's a lion outside. I can't go out there. That's a great proverb. Right? Or the other one is that he sleeps in his porridge. Right? There's a slumber. Right? Slow down.
Scott Keffer [:Slow down. You notice that's kind of like a general feel, like stay at home. Die slowly. Be quiet. Stay home. Be safe. Be safe. Yeah.
Scott Keffer [:They actively see. And then underline deep longing. Deep longing is what the word means and determined search. Jesus said, seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be of ask, seek, knock. It has a escalating sense to it, pressing in. And only ask, I seek, and then I knock. What do they seek? They seek glory.
Scott Keffer [:Glory. What is that? CS Lewis said, I don't understand that. Glory seems to be like brightness, luminous. It means weight. It means valuable. He said, what are we supposed to be? Light bulbs? You know? Or we and we're gonna get glory like like eternal light bulbs? And then it struck him. The spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children. Children of if we're children, we are heirs of God, underline that, and fellow heirs with Christ.
Scott Keffer [:Heirs. What's that mean? There is an inheritance coming because you're an heir. If indeed we suffer with them, I don't like that part. So you can cross that part out. Don't need him. Yeah. We you you have a white op you need it. Don't worry about that.
Scott Keffer [:Sounds good. So that. That's the point. What would I suffer with him for? What would I why why would I endure that? So then you may also be, oh, glorified with it. So then the apostle Paul says, here's what I want you to do. Get your mind right. Get your mind right. So consider means get your mind right.
Scott Keffer [:He says, gotta get your mind right. Okay? How do I do that? I consider that the sufferings of this present time, now I put them in a scale. Right? Put the sufferings in the present, now put the glory that's to be revealed. He's saying that thing disappears because the glory, doxa means heavy. Literally means waiting. Right? The glory that's going to there is glory to be revealed. Glory to be revealed. So they actively seek that glory.
Scott Keffer [:That's eternal glory. That's the weighty glory. That's the real stuff. They also seek honor, which has to do with value or worth. That which is precious, that which is esteemed, or that which is highly regarded. They seek honor. Okay. So what does that look like? Well, Jesus said, so that all who will honor the son even as they honor the father.
Scott Keffer [:So it's honoring the son, esteeming the son while we esteem the father. Who does not honor the son, does not honor the father. So it's esteemed value. So we get it. That's the honor that we seek. Honor. Right? The honor of that which is valuable, which is him. And so in first Peter, he says, this is the proof of your faith.
Scott Keffer [:The evidence. What's the proof of your faith? It's more precious than gold, which perishes though tested by fire. There's that same sense of validating. Right? Maybe found a result in praise, glory, and honor. That's the honor. Praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. So there's a fruit or a proofing or an evidence of our faith that produces honor. Honor.
Scott Keffer [:Well done. Well done. Yeah. So so they seek glory, they seek honor, and they seek immortality. Why does why does they seek immortality? So, lord, you are the blessed and only sovereign. He's the king of kings and the lord of lords, it says in scripture, who alone possesses immortality. He alone possesses immortality. Well, it also means imperishable.
Scott Keffer [:It also means imperishable. What does that mean? Well, now it has been in second Timothy, it has been Reveal. Revealed. Oh, it's been revealed. Okay. Wrought to light. What's been revealed? How has it been revealed? By the appearing, yeah, of Messiah, Jesus. Right? Messiah, which is savior Christ Jesus, which is savior, Messiah, Jesus.
Scott Keffer [:Right? The promise fulfilled. It's been revealed in the promise fulfilled. What did he do? Oh, it's true. He abolished death. Would he bring to light? Life and immortality. He brought it to light. It's been revealed now through the gospel. This is the gospel that that can he's saying gospel is revelation, messiah Christ Jesus, right, brought to light.
Scott Keffer [:He abolished death, and he brought to light immortality, eternal life, if you will, through the gospel. That's how we understand it. And as a result of that, he says we will inherit, if you will, also two other things. He said everyone who competes in the games exercises self control. I hate these things, don't you? Yeah. I just don't like this. Self control is like an athlete. Yeah.
Scott Keffer [:Like, I just wanna rest. You know? I really. I don't know about you. I just wanna self control. Oh, gee. Because, really, what happens is everything that my body wants, I like to give it. Yep. Self control.
Scott Keffer [:One of the guys said, yoga programs we go through, he says, you have to learn to parent yourself. I didn't like it when they parented me. Like it now. Right? Right. We don't like it because our body wants certain things. The body is the flesh. If you fulfill the desires of the flesh, you'll get what kind of fruit. Right.
Scott Keffer [:Don't be deceived. If we sow to the flesh, we know what we reap. A self control. Okay, Paul. Sure. So that they do it. Why do they do it? They do it to reach the on this side on this side of eternity, athletes do it. Why do they do it? They receive a reward.
Scott Keffer [:Yeah. I mean, you see it. Olympics. Right? Super Bowl. Right? Golf. Whatever. They receive. What do they get? Yeah.
Scott Keffer [:Tin cup, a wreath. Right? They get something that validates what they did, but it it, of course, goes in the trash at some point in time. It it just reminds us. This stuff will pair it will perish. I don't care what it is. Whether it's made out of gold, it doesn't matter. The the the gold medals are going in the trash at some point in time or they're just sitting on the shelf. He said, we we get we get an imperishable.
Scott Keffer [:So he's saying they get a perishable wreath, but believers, you can put to the left of it wreath. We get a imperishable wreath. What's that mean? A reward, a validation. And this is not an everyone gets a sticker. Right? This is not. Everybody gets a read depending according to, not on account of, but according to their works. Well, see, that makes sense to us, doesn't it? That's why salvation by grace doesn't make sense because we it makes sense that you work and you get paid. You get paid.
Scott Keffer [:You get paid for your work. That makes sense as human beings. So we're saved by grace, and then we're so worried that people get confused. We throw works out. We don't talk about works. But he's saying no. Works are validation. They're evidence.
Scott Keffer [:Right? And there are rewards. So there's an imperishable wreath more than that. He says, we'll all be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet, but the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised, underlined, imperishable. There's an imperishable body, and we will be changed for this perishable must put on imperishable. This mortal must put on immortality when this perishable will have put on the imperishable. He says, this is the point. This mortal will have put on immortality. What's it mean? Death is swallowed up in victory.
Scott Keffer [:We don't have to fear death. Death, oh, death, where is thy sting? So CJ said she said, I'm not afraid of death and just the kids and the impact of Bob and all of that. Right? Just the the hurt that will be left behind. We don't have to fear death. We don't have to fear death. Run from death. Right? Medicare. I mean, like, everything is hot.
Scott Keffer [:Right? He's saying, if Christians, we should stand recognizing that death victory. Right? Death is victory. Opens up glory. So we get an imperishable wreath. We get an imperishable body. And he says, for those who seek glory, honor, and immortality, God renders eternal life and glory, honor, and peace. Glory, honor, and peace. How many want those? What he says, god renders eternal life and glory, honor, and peace.
Scott Keffer [:I like that part. So he says there's another kind of people. Those who selfishly, ambitious, do not obey the truth, but they obey unrighteousness. God renders wrath and wrath. They're just two words for wrath. In numerical standard, they say wrath and indignation, but it's just wrath and wrath. Just wrath and more wrath. You do wrath and wrath.
Scott Keffer [:Right? Which is righteous judgment, but there's a passion to these words. There is a passion. There's a fury. There's an emotion. The wine press, which Jesus will tread in in Revelation, is the the fury of God's wrath. The fury the the fury of God's wrath, which reminds us eternity awaits everybody. Either eternal glory or eternal wrath. That's scary.
Scott Keffer [:Wrath or wrath. And he says, oh, by the way, if you're reading this, Jew or Greek, it makes no difference because there's no partiality with God. There's no partiality with God. To the Jew first, but also to the Greek. You won't escape it on either side. Deuteronomy reminds us that Yahweh, your god, is the god of gods and the lord of lords. Yahweh, your god, is the god of god and the lord of lords. He is the great, the mighty, and the awesome god who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.
Scott Keffer [:The government unfolds. We find out there's lots who take a bribe and have taken lots of bribes. And those who are most vociferous today have taken the most bribes, right, all across. And what's interesting is it's everywhere. It's everywhere. There's there's no area of life where this does not show up. Our god cannot be bribed. You can't push him into the corner.
Scott Keffer [:You can't buy his favor. You can't twist his arm. You can't hold it over his head. You can't force him to do. Nobody can. Our god is free. You should write free. He's free from all influence.
Scott Keffer [:Our god is without without without. No partiality with god. No partiality with God. So he's saying this is what it looks like, the fruit of life, those who have by grace been saved through faith, they seek him. Right? Their work has been custom designed, and they walk in it. And God tests that work, and he renders to everyone according to your work, the quality of your work, not for the basis of salvation. Right? Not for the basis of salvation, right, not on account, but according to. So I thought, okay.
Scott Keffer [:So, Lord, how do I think about this? Well, first of all, are there any questions of the difference here? Or I need to go home and think about this, or I need to go home, but I don't wanna think about it. Not as the basis for, not your salvation is not on account of, but God renders according to the fruit and the works which which proceed from your justification and your salvation. So the first thing I thought is daily gratitude that salvation is not by works. It's not by works. Because if I if I were saved based upon my works, guess what? I know where I'm going. Mhmm. I know because he who's broken one law has broken all the law. I'm toast.
Scott Keffer [:Eternal toast. Right? Eternal wrath, eternal righteous judgment against me. God has the right to judge me eternally. God had no there's no requirement. Nobody holds over his head that he had to provide grace. There's no authority above God that says you have to provide a way out. There there is no salvation for angels. The ones who disobeyed eternally.
Scott Keffer [:There is no salvation. No nobody's requiring God to provide a way of grace. This is only by grace. The riches of his kindness, his mercies. Right? He is compassionate and gracious. Nobody's calling him to that. That's who he is. Forget that? We should wake up every day and say, well, I'm I'm grateful.
Scott Keffer [:My relationship with you is not on account of my work. Yet, we need to persist in doing good. We need to persist in doing good, which means I don't want to, generally. Why? Knowing that God will render according to your works. He will render. He will reward. He will pay what is due. When I seek him, this is what I do.
Scott Keffer [:When I get together with the Lord on a database, I'll say, you know, lord, sometimes that you know? Many times, I don't wanna be here. But by faith, you said, without faith, it's impossible to please you. So I'm here by faith. You ever felt like that? I don't really wanna be here. But lord knows. So I'd say I'm here by faith. And you promise, right, by faith. For those who seek him, he is a rewarder of those who seek him by faith.
Scott Keffer [:You're by faith. It's okay. Your bad faith. According to your words, he says, let's not become discouraged. What does that mean? You will be discouraged. The scripture doesn't point that out. It doesn't say, like, don't be discouraged. It's saying, hey.
Scott Keffer [:When you're discouraged, know this. What do you need to know? In due time, you will reap. There is there is there there are principles in the kingdom. You will reap what you sow. Yeah. He's saying, don't become weary. Don't become weary. Don't become weary, which means you will.
Scott Keffer [:Joseph means when you're weary, remember. Lord, right, he sees there's no good work that you do. There's no by faith that you do that's lost in the kingdom. It's not. It's ever. Everyone. And it stacks. It stacks.
Scott Keffer [:Sometimes it feels like, what's the point? He says. And the third thing is to thank others. There's no space for it. But I thought about it as I start to thank others. Thank others. Who who others? Others who help you do good works. So I thank Beth, who's been with me by my side for I mean, a year now. We've known each other for almost fifty.
Scott Keffer [:Right? So, Beth, there's no way I do ministry. We do ministry. We get it? Roger, Jack. I don't know that Jack's on. Right? And then you all. You all help us do good works. Right? We need encouragement just like you need encouragement. Right? So we need it together.
Scott Keffer [:We need to surround ourselves with others who are doing good works as well, who are persisting, who are persevering, who are pressing through or expecting resistance and are pressing through anyway. We need each other, don't we? It's hard. In the Christians, it's not easy. And then I look around and think, you know, there are some who are, you know, prisoners who are standing, you know, face to face with persecution, deaths on the line. So but it's their good works. I don't compare. I'd be in I'm inspired. Be inspired.
Scott Keffer [:Right? Be inspired. So daily gratitude. God renders eternal life, glory, honor, and peace. Alright. Write down an insight that you got from today. An insight that you got from today. It does indeed. So focusing on the reward.
Scott Keffer [:Endured the cross, despising the shame. Right? He he focused. Yeah. One is Yeah. And David and Goliath, David said, so what does the man get to who right? He asked that question. What's the man get who who who who overcomes Goliath? Like, what's the prize? We're wired for the prize. Well done. It's the well done.
Scott Keffer [:Right? Okay. So we can focus on the rewards. Yeah. So we focus on the rewards, and that's the reason. Understand the reason. It is the reason to make choices. Good. Good.
Scott Keffer [:I'm glad you're excited. You should be excited. You should be excited. That's the point. Why do you think he says that? Right? To the joy he said before him. Right? It's the re it it's the reason. Right? Why would I, you know I get a plot of land. Why would I why would I break it up, put seed in it, wait, water it, right, in order to have an orchard at the end? Nature has this message in it.
Scott Keffer [:You reap what you sow. I mean and the idea is once you become Christian, I mean, we're done reaping and sowing. Right. We just have eternal rewards. You're not gonna get them all on this side, which is a good news because they're not all on this side, but they're they're magnificent on the other side. They're mind blowing. They're beyond comprehension. In his presence is fullness of joy, fullness of joy, and pleasures forever.
Scott Keffer [:Pleasures forever. Oh, where's the seek pleasures forever? Yeah. But seek the pleasures that are forever pleasures. It's the joy that Christ sought. So the Triumphant John and Betty Stam was the first book I read, shortly after I became a Christian, Gretchen. And, they said, are you know, that the communist marched him out, and they said, are you afraid? And they said, no. You should, and we go directly to heaven. And their daughter was 18 old sitting in the hut, was in there for two days.
Scott Keffer [:Nobody was afraid they were afraid to go in there. She survived. She eventually survived and wrote about John and Betty Stan, originally. Yep. The triumph of John and Betty Stan. It's an old, very old book, very, very small book. Yeah. I think it was China China Inland Mission.
Scott Keffer [:I think they're on I mean, they're they're the kind of people that you compare your faith to and say, I'm Wendy. You know? But you don't compare your faith to them. You and be be inspired. Right? God God had the works for John and Betty Spam, which are different than the works for for their daughter, which are different for the works for Gretchen, for me, for you. Right? God has works for us. So read those not to be discouraged, but be those to be encouraged to be inspired. And may the god who qualifies you to produce good works, may he bless you, may he keep you, may he cause his face to shine upon you, May he look with you with favor, and may he grant you shalom deep in your soul that you can walk in the good works that have been prepared from eternity past that nor order to glory and to honor him. Amen.
Scott Keffer [:Amen.
Scott Keffer [:Thanks for listening. I hope you have greater hope, assurance, and confidence in your life and a deeper trust in the God of the Bible and his son, Jesus Christ. Until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. And may the Lord lift up his countenance on you and give you his peace, his shalom in your soul and in your life. Until next time, may God bless you and keep you.
