We are a forgetful people in a land of distractions. Our minds are easily captivated by trivial and temporary inducements. New things quickly become old. In our mind’s eye even glory tends to fade and warnings tend to wane. It is no wonder that we who are invisibly united to Christ and visibly in and not of this world live in constant need of renewal. And what is true for the Christian is true for the church. This is a series that seeks to renew the mind of the church. Not so much by reviewing what she is called to do as much as what she is called. As with the Christian so with church, her God-given identity defines her. We who are the church are a people for God and none other.
Before we return to the book of Romans, we will be looking at the what scripture says about the Church, in its nature, how she expresses herself in song, and how the church cares and equips for its members.
The messages from this series can be found here:
Manny Pereira - August 28, 2022
Exposing the Masquerade
The moral indictment against the self-righteous Jew has sharpened. A miniature set of woes are pronounced. Those who are seeking to establish their own righteousness by misuse and misunderstanding of God’s covenant with Israel are Paul’s keen concern here. He is showing the limitations and liabilities of the covenants in which the Jews so proudly based their confidence. He does this by accentuating a compelling contrast between the outer and the inner realities of his Christless kinsmen. Powerfully he argues by looking inside the cup, opening the whitewashed tomb, and unmasking the hypocrite. He is exposing the masquerade. Undeniably, there is much here to glean for Christians of every age.
Scripture References: Romans 2:17-29
