How You Are Made Righteous

Main Idea

You are not justified by your obedience , but by faith in Christ alone.

As we open the text of scripture today, we see Paul acting like an attorney in the courtroom, pointing to evidence, making truth claims, driving his points into the jury's minds, and issuing judgment warnings. He started his monologue last week, and we will see him making his closing arguments today.

Last week, Paul showed the people 15 ways in which God provided for His people in the past, all pointing to the ultimate provision for today; Jesus – the promised Messiah. Now, he will build on that argument with scriptural evidence. Let’s take a look:

Passage

Acts 13:32–41 ESV

32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “ ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you.’ 34 And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “ ‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ 35 Therefore he says also in another psalm, “ ‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’ 36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption, 37 but he whom God raised up did not see corruption. 38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 40 Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: 41 “ ‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’ ”

Outline

I - Jesus is the prophesied King (vv. 32-33)

II - Jesus is the uncorrupted promise of David (vv. 34-37)

III - Jesus is how justification is granted (vv. 38-39)

IV - Jesus is the only way (vv. 40-41)

I - Jesus is the prophesied King

Paul, the attorney, has been making his case ever since he stood up. First, as we saw last week, a promise was given to the Forefathers. What was that promise? It was the provision of a Messiah - the same one prophesied to come from David’s lineage and who was heralded by John the Baptist. The one who would redeem God’s people and establish God’s Kingdom on earth is the promise from the Father. Paul then makes a truth claim: This has finally come to pass. God fulfilled his promise to the children of Israel’s past leaders (aka everyone in the room) by raising Jesus from the dead.

The King of Psalm 2

Next, Paul backs up his truth claim by quoting Psalm 2:7. But, in quoting one verse, the entire Psalm would have been recalled, so let’s review that together now.

Psalm 2 ESV

1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” 7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Begotten. When we hear the word ‘begotten,’ we don’t think of coronation, we think of incarnation, or when Jesus was born, taking on human flesh. After all, that is the primary sense of the word: that a person becomes a parent by procreating. This is foundational to our faith because Jesus was begotten by God the Father, not a human father, thus necessitating the virgin birth. It also speaks to the doctrine of Jesus being eternally begotten of the Father, not only at the incarnation. Since God is perfect and immutable (meaning, He cannot change), The Father has eternally been The Father, and The Son has eternally been the Son.

That said, these beautiful truths are not the ones being expressed here. This Psalm deals explicitly with the enthronement of this Messianic King, and the begetting is in the sense of the fulfillment of the duty of this King to reign on His throne. In other words, this is ‘begetting’ in the sense of The Father exercising his parental role in the coronation of His Son as ruler over all things. That was the promise, after all. By connecting Jesus to the King of Psalm 2, he was cementing the claim that Jesus is the complete fulfillment of God’s promised savior and ruler for His people.

Through Paul’s message, the Jews had to reevaluate their view of who Jesus was. The same is true for us today. If you and I were sitting in a coffee shop together and I asked you who you think Jesus is, what would you say? Is he just a historical figure: a good teacher or prophet but nothing more? Is He one possible way to God among many? Is he ruling somewhere in the cloudy kingdom in the sky but unable to affect any real change on this earth until he returns physically? Is He your fire insurance only, but there is no real regular interaction? I encourage you to think deeply about who Jesus is and how that matters to you.

That is the first prophetic verse Paul pointed to in this courtroom scene. Now, Paul stacks a few more proofs onto the pile.

II - Jesus is the uncorrupted promise of David

How exactly does Jesus meet this criteria? In verses 29-30, Paul said this:

Acts 13:29–30 ESV

29 And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead,

A King cannot rule if he is dead. There is no such thing as a Corpse King. That much is obvious. So, to drive home the eternal rule of Christ, Paul points to two more Old Testament prophecies that show He still lives to rule and reign.

Isaiah 55:3

This verse reinforces the promise. And not only as a promise but the promise specifically given to David. What was that promise? It was the promise of the eternal King and Kingdom of Psalm 2.

Instead of reviewing the whole chapter, let’s look at the first three verses:

Isaiah 55:1–3 ESV

1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

What do you see here?

• Everlasting covenant - Paul quotes, “I will give you the blessings,” but in the original language, it more accurately means “I will covenant with you.”

• A covenant established through David (2 Sam 7:13-16) forever.

• Come to this King to be satisfied by what is freely given instead of wasting money on temporary things

But there is only one problem. David can’t be the one to supply this because he is dead and decayed!

Psalm 16:10

That’s why Paul connects Psalm 16:10 to Isaiah 55:3 because it proves that very point. Let’s look at that verse and a few of the surrounding verses:

Psalm 16:5–11 ESV

5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. 6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. 7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. 8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. 10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. 11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

If you were paying close attention, you would see a distinction being made. David delights in the Lord as his portion (or inheritance), as his Counselor, as his close ally, and that he will not be abandoned to Sheol (OT land of the dead). But then, he also praises God that he will not allow His holy one to see decay (or corruption), and the general assumption is that this pertains to David.

If you have a good memory, you will have remembered that Peter quoted this same verse in his famous sermon at Pentecost. Peter said you can go to David’s tomb now and see his bones. He is still there! The holy one isn’t David; it’s Jesus! And because Jesus will not see decay (meaning, he will be raised from the dead), David understands the path of life - JESUS. In Jesus, we will eternally be in the joy-filled presence of the Father! As great of a King as David was, he wasn’t Israel’s Messiah. He was simply a faithful leader who served God’s purpose in life and is now buried, just like all the leaders before him. He was a good soldier who faithfully carried out his Commander’s directives.

Imagine for a moment that you are at the end of your life. You are lying on your deathbed and are looking back over the course of your life. Wouldn’t it be an excellent thought as you drift off into the presence of the Father, knowing that you faithfully served in the station your Commander has given you… that you completed the mission in which you were given… that your focus was on what God wanted from you instead of what you wanted from God?

Quickly, let’s follow the logic of Paul’s argument:

1. God provided for His people in the past in 15 different ways.

2. These provisions point to the reality of His ultimate provision in the Messiah.

3. According to Psalm 2, this Messiah is also the coronated King God has established (begotten) on the throne, who rules supremely and destroys all opposition.

4. Isaiah also proclaimed this promise in terms of an everlasting covenant with this King, through David, in which we will be completely satisfied (did you notice the examples of bread, water, and wine? Jesus is living water, the bread of life, and like the wine of communion, his blood was poured out to redeem his people!)

5. This promise couldn’t be David himself since he is dead and buried (Peter said you can see it yourself). That can only apply to someone who died and was raised back to life, which is the path of eternal life.

Do you see the progression?

Now, with the facts and proof established, Paul will drive home the main point.

III - Jesus is how justification is granted

Next, Paul points to the jury in the courtroom and commands them to understand (“let it be known”). He is essentially summing up everything he has just laid out so he can make his closing argument.

Through this man sins are forgiven

Because God has:

1. shown his faithfulness in the past

2. promised a savior and messiah

3. established this messiah on the eternal throne by raising him from the dead

4. given us fulfillment in this Messianic king

…we are made righteous. Righteousness is the linchpin to this entire conversation. In the context of Paul’s argument, righteousness comes from sins being forgiven and being set free from the penalty incurred by those sins. And this can only be achieved “through this man.”

Which man? The uncorrupted one. The promised one. The enthroned King of the nations. The eternal ruler. Jesus the Messiah.

Only in Him are you justified

Different versions translate this word differently. The ESV says that “by Him, everyone who believes is freed.” The CSB says that “everyone who believes is justified through him.” This might seem trivial, but I prefer the CSB rendition because it points to a beautiful theological truth: the doctrine of justification.

Justification is a courtroom term, meaning that when the Judge slams the gavel down, you are declared not guilty. In this context, you are as if you have no sin… priors, or wrongdoing. The sin is gone, and therefore, so is the condemnation and punishment attached to it. That is not to say that we are sinless. We still sin because we are fallen humans (redeemed humans, but fallen nonetheless). However, in God’s eyes, we are spotless. That is the beautiful truth of the doctrine of justification. Instead of us earning our way to God’s favor, God is the one who frees us from sin and the penalty of sin, declaring us righteous.

Being justified is what the Jews have been trying to attain by obeying the Law of Moses. That is what they have been doing for thousands of years, and now, Paul is proclaiming a new way… a better way… the only way to be justified and declared righteous. It is not about your ability to adhere to the rules. It is about faith in Jesus as your savior, your redeemer, and your substitute who has already paid the penalty.

Lovers of the Reformation will understand this by the 5 Solas:

Sola Gratia

Sola Fide

Sola Scriptura

Solus Christus

Soli Deo Gloria

or in modern terms, we are saved by:

grace alone

by faith alone

in Christ alone

according to scripture alone

for the glory of God alone

Paul is trying to pull them away from works-based salvation, where their ability to keep the 613 laws in the Law of Moses is what made them righteous. No one can obey those perfectly. The law is like a mirror that reveals how dirty you are but has no power to scrub you clean. The mirror cannot free you from the stains and the stench. Only the power of Christ can do that by his death, which paid the penalty, and his resurrection, which gives him all power and authority.

This was a wildly new concept for Paul’s audience. Maybe it is for you as well?

Are you trying to earn God’s grace? Maybe, if you stop drinking or smoking… if you get your life back on the rails… if you can fix your relationship with your spouse or kids… if you went on one more mission trip… if you had more time to witness to those people you’ve had in your mind for years… you… you… you.

If that is you, I want you to listen. No amount of good works will elevate you to God’s good graces. Not in 1,000 lifetimes. Just like a person doesn’t get fit in order to go to the gym, you don’t clean yourself up before you go to God. Stop trying to earn God’s grace and realize it is a gift that is given. Unworthy as you and I may be to receive it, no one performs to earn a gift. The gift is reflective of the gift giver. Humbly accept it and delight in the goodness of Christ.

And if the giver is the one giving the gift, there is only one way to receive it, isn’t there?

IV- Jesus is the only way

You are justified by God’s grace alone. In Christ alone. There is no other way to the Father and be righteous in His eyes. You are not justified by your obedience , but by faith in Christ alone.

Warning to listen to Paul and scripture

That is the driving point of the final Old Testament reference. In quoting Habakkuk 1:5, which says:

Habakkuk 1:5 ESV

5 “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.

This scripture references the warning to the Jewish leadership that judgment was coming. God was bringing the Chaldeans (or Babylonians) as instruments of His wrath upon His people.

Though this verse, Paul issues a warning to his audience not to reject the message and pile of evidence like the Jews ignored Habakkuk. Those Jews looked at God's work and scoffed… and therefore perished. Paul is pleading with his audience to kiss the Son, lest He be angry and they perish in their rebellion.

So, as Paul’s case comes to a close, we can see that this isn’t a typical courtroom. If we look at the witness stand, we will notice that the seat is empty. Paul is not a Defense Attorney for Jesus. Jesus isn’t the one on trial. Paul stands as a Prosecutor near the Judge seated on his ruling bench, who holds the verdict in one hand and a raised gavel in the other, ready to issue judgment or pardon to the jury (Paul’s audience) who are the ones on trial. Will they reject Jesus and therefore receive the death penalty, or will they believe and receive pardon, justification, righteousness, and eternal life? That is what we will discover next week.

And this is where you might find yourself today. Life and death are in front of you, and nothing from yourself will justify you before the Holy Judge. You are made righteous and pardoned only through faith in Christ alone by God’s grace alone. What will you choose?