Ignorant Zeal

After giving an overview of the book of Romans through 9:33, Dr. Bacon explains that in Romans 10 Paul strikes at the heart of the difficulty experienced by every sinner in accepting the gospel of free grace.

There are many in the churches today who have a zeal for God's law similar to that of the Jews of Paul's day, but have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

There are six "chief difficulties" in submitting to the gospel of free grace. In this sermon, Dr. Bacon deals with the first of those difficulties: The unregenerate man lacks a right understanding of God's holiness. Without a right sense of the divine holiness, a man sees no reason why God may not sovereignly suspend his punishment or lower his standard of righteousness.

The first use of the law -- first in both order and importance -- is to drive us by necessity to the righteousness of Christ. The third use -- as a rule of life -- ought also to drive us to Christ. A danger exists, even for Christians, to rest in their repentance rather than resting in Christ. Thus there is an ever present temptation to return to a legal arrangement with God.
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