God’s Salvation

From the first chapter until the end of the third Paul has been preaching fire and brimstone. He has not been trying to make any friends.

The Gentiles- called out their sin, condemned their idolatry, concluded they were without excuse because they had the mora law of God (1:19-32).

The Jews- they were in more trouble with God because they had both general and special revelation. Their hypocrisy added to their condemnation (2:12-3:8).

Then he described the human condition itself in unflattering terms (3:9-20).

If this book ended at 3:20 we would be depressed. It doesn’t end, thank God. The book is about to take a major turn.

“But now” those words identify the transition. He turns our attention to what he calls “the righteousness of God.” In this context it means the righteousness by which God saves people. He has been talking about God’s wrath (2:18). Now he tells us of God’s wonderful salvation.

I can bear teaching on hell because I know I’m going to heaven.

I can bear teaching on the condition of fallen humanity because I know I am a new creation.

I can bear teaching on God’s holiness because I am a recipient of God’s grace.

There is nothing better than to be saved. There is much to learn about your salvation. The more you learn the greater your joy will be. Look at all the theological words in this section:

Justified (24)

Grace (24)

Redemption (24)

Propitiation (25)

You learn what those words mean, and your understanding of salvation will deepen. Our focus this morning will be on the word “justified”. That is the recurring word in this section (24, 26, 28, 30).

To be justified means to be put in a right relationship with God. That happens when you are saved. Let’s explore what it means to be justified.

1. We are justified without keeping the Law (21).

“apart from the law” (21)

“apart from the works of the law” (29)

We have two groups of people: Jew and Gentile. Both had a law.

The Jew had the Mosaic Law. They believed if they kept it, they would be saved.

The Gentiles had the moral law. They believed if they were good people they would be saved.

What Paul was teaching was different from what any Jew or gentile had ever heard.

The Jew- follow the Law and you are righteous.

The Gentile- Follow your conscience and you are righteous.

Both missed the purpose of the Law.

The Jew missed the purpose. Look at v. 21. The Law and the Prophets bore witness to God’s salvation.

The Law was meant to reveal sin (20) and push a person toward the Savior. The prophets prophesied of a coming Savior (Is. 53).

The Gentiles missed the purpose of the moral law. Their guilty conscience should have pushed them to seek the God of creation rather than to build idols.

It is reasonable for us to believe we would justify ourselves. Be a good person. God will see we are trying. God will save us.

God doesn’t allow this. He tells us why. If we were justified by works, we would brag about it. You know we would!

Preacher’s brag: How many your running?

Fishermen brag: How many did you catch?

Students brag: How many did you miss?

Influencers brag: How many followers do you have?

God doesn’t save us based on how many of His commandments we didn’t break.

God has shown us the way to be saved. The way to be saved is not through keeping any set of laws.

2. Our justification is provided by God (22).

The righteousness of God.

It comes from God.

What does He require? Absolute perfection.

Where can we get that?

We don’t have it because we have already sinned. We need it. No one has it on this earth.

We know this is true.

We know we cannot live up to the standard of Scripture.

We can’t even live up to our own standards. We set standards for ourselves and fall short.

Resolutions, goals, etc. (diets, asking Jennifer to remind me. Getting mad when she does)

What God requires He provides.

In order to be saved we must abandon all hope in the Law & ourselves.

Can you do that?

Illustration: Imagine you are about to meet God. You are told you can take all the good deeds you have ever done with you, or you can go empty handed with nothing but faith in Christ.

We’d be tempted to haul our wheelbarrows in to the throne room of God! “Look what I did! Surely, I’m a good person!”

God has given you righteousness. It is His righteousness. It is apart from the Law and it is all you need.

3. Everyone needs to be justified (22-23).

In verse 22 he says that salvation makes everyone equal.

No one is barely saved. That is an insult to the righteousness of God. We all get to heaven on the righteousness of God.

In verse 23 he says sin makes everyone equal.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Some people are more sinful than others. But we are all sinners.

“fallen short” Illustration of jumping across Oconee river. No one is making. Everyone will be equally wet.

Do you think people in hell are bragging? “At least I wasn’t as bad as you! I almost made it to heaven!”

No one in hell is bragging because they all fell short.

No one in heaven is bragging because they all know they didn’t get there on their own.

We are all in the same boat.

Don’t let shame keep you from Jesus. If you know a good Christian remember that they used to a bad sinner. You know how I know they used to be a bad sinner? There isn’t such a thing as a good sinner.

Everyone needs to be justified.

4. Justification is through faith in Christ (24).

Everyone is justified by faith (30) circumcised and uncircumcised.

“By grace” the Love of God is the reason we are saved.

“through faith” This is how God applies your salvation.

“it is a gift” This means it’s free. Faith doesn’t cost you a thing. Through your faith God extends the gift of His salvation.

Our faith must be in Christ. To have faith in Christ means:

Christ alone- we don’t diversify our faith.

Christ completely- to fully rely on.

We don’t do much at all. God does a lot. He justifies us. What does it mean to be justified?

1) It means that God declares you to be righteous. It’s a judicial ruling from the Judge of the Universe.

2) It means God imputes to you the righteousness of Jesus.

Illustration: Venmo. God gives to your account the righteousness of Jesus.

When God saves you, He doesn’t just remove your sins. He gives you the righteousness of Jesus.

God reckons to you the righteousness of Jesus and declares that all the Law demanded of you has been fulfilled in Christ. You no longer have a sin debt. Because it is a judicial ruling made by God it can never be reversed.

It’s a gift received by faith. A gift is by nature free. If you earn your salvation, it is not a gift. If salvation is a gift, it must be free.

This gift is also instantaneous. It happens in a moment. It happens all at once. You are never just a little justified. When the gift is received you are as justified as you will ever be.

Born of the spirit from life of above

Into God's fam'ly divine,

Justified fully through calvary's love,

O what a standing is mine!

And the transaction so quickly was made

When as a sinner I came,

Took of the offer of grace he did proffer-

He saved me, o praise his dear name!

5. Justification was accomplished through the cross (24-26).

We learn a lot about the cross in these verses:

1) “Redemption” Refers to a slave being bought back and freed. We were slaves to sin. We owed a debt to God. Jesus paid the debt, and we are set free from the power and penalty of sin.

2) “Divine forbearance” Jesus paid the price for sinners who lived before He did (25). Many people lived before Jesus did. Everyone, beginning with Adam, has a sin debt.

How did people who lived before Jesus get to heaven? How was their sin atoned for. We know goats and bulls couldn’t pay for sin. God in His patience allowed sin to run its course until Jesus died on the cross. Jesus paid the price for people who were already in heaven.

At that moment Jesus was punished for all past, present, and future sins.

3) Jesus satisfied the justice of God. Look at verse 25.

“put forward” to be put on public display.

“propitiation” God set forth Christ as a propitiation. The word means to satisfy. The death of Jesus satisfied the righteous anger of God toward sinners.

4) The cross demonstrates the perfect character of God (26).

“It was to show God’s righteousness” (26)

How does the cross show the righteousness of God?

“that He might be just”-the perfect holiness of God. God has never swept a single sin under the rug. Jesus died around 30 AD but every sin committed before then was saved up for Him.

“and justifier”- the love of God.

Jesus lives a perfect life for you.

Jesus dies a horrible death for you.

Back up to verse 25 “Whom God put forward” This means to put on public display. That word in Hebrew for propitiation is the same one used for the mercy seat. The mercy seat was in the Holy of Holies. The priest went there once a year to make a sacrifice for the sins of the nation.

Jesus did not make His sacrifice in seclusion. He did it openly for everyone to see. Every time you see a cross you should be reminded that God is both just and justifier.

He will punish sin.

He will save.

The cross makes that possible without contradiction.

What a wonderful thing God’s salvation is!

We are justified without keeping the law.

Our justification is provided by God.

Everyone needs to be justified.

Justification is through faith in Christ.

Justification was accomplished at the cross.