Justified Through Yeshua
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Over the last few weeks we have pointed out that everyone, whether Jewish and Gentile, need salvation. We have all sinned and broken Adonai’s right and holy decrees whether we knew about them or not. This is not because Adonai’s law is too difficult either to understand or to do, but rather
We don’t keep God’s commands because we don’t want to, because we think that we know better, and we are not interested in having someone else tell us what to do.
The summary of the previous few chapters is here in Rom. 3:23
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Today we will begin to go through how Adonai is able to change our heart and make us righteous from the inside out. Let’s read from: Rom. 3:21-31
But now God’s righteousness apart from the Torah has been revealed, to which the Torah and the Prophets bear witness— namely, the righteousness of God through putting trust in Messiah Yeshua, to all who keep on trusting. For there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They are set right as a gift of His grace, through the redemption that is in Messiah Yeshua. God set forth Yeshua as an atonement, through faith in His blood, to show His righteousness in passing over sins already committed. Through God’s forbearance, He demonstrates His righteousness at the present time—that He Himself is just and also the justifier of the one who puts his trust in Yeshua. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what principle? Of works? No, but by the principle of faith. For we consider a person to be set right apart from Torah observance. Is God the God of the Jewish people only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also. Since God is One, He will set right the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then nullify the Torah through faithfulness? May it never be! On the contrary, we uphold the Torah.
Made Right By Trust
Made Right By Trust
Last week we read a few psalms that showed how King David started out by speaking about other wicked people, saying Ps. 5:11
Declare them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own schemes. Banish them because of their many transgressions— for they have rebelled against You.
David then came to realize that he was also in need of forgiveness as shown in Ps. 53:4
All have turned aside— together they have become corrupt. There is no one who does good— no, not even one!
David eventually comes to the understanding that, not only is he not righteous on his own merit, but he must also hide himself in Adonai and trust in Adonai for forgiveness and to lead him in the way he should go. Let’s read this in Ps. 143
A psalm of David. Hear my prayer, Adonai, give ear to my petitions. In Your faithfulness and Your righteousness, answer me! Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for in Your eyes no one living is righteous. For an enemy pursues my soul. He crushes my life down to the ground. He makes me dwell in darkness, like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me. My heart is shocked within me. I remember the days of old. I meditate on all You have done. I ponder the work of Your hands. I spread forth my hands to You. My soul longs for You as a parched land. Selah Answer me speedily, Adonai— my spirit fails. Hide not Your face from me, lest I become like those who go down into the Pit. Make me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You I trust. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul. Deliver me from my enemies, Adonai. I hide myself in You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Let Your good Ruach lead me on level ground. For Your Name’s sake, Adonai, revive me. In Your justice bring my soul out of trouble. In Your mercy cut off my enemies and destroy all who harass my soul, for I am Your servant.
Paul, in Romans 3, is point out that the Torah and the Prophets (the Hebrew Scriptures) reveal how people are made right (or righteous) by Adonai. David is a perfect example. David was not perfect but rather repentant. David knew that his righteousness only existed because of God’s mercy, and therefore David put all of his trust in Adonai.
Paul makes the case that trusting in Adonai, as shown in the Hebrew Scriptures, is the same as trusting in Messiah Yeshua.
The Ultimate Sacrifice
The Ultimate Sacrifice
Because we have all sinned, whether Jewish or Gentile, we all need forgiveness, but there is a dynamic tension between mercy and justice.
We owe Adonai our allegiance and our obedience for He is the creator of life. And yet we have spent the last few chapters recognizing that none of us fully obey His ways even though Adonai’s ways would mean life for us.
Instead we choose our own way. This brings the penalty of death, or in other words, permanent separation, from God. We are in no position to demand forgiveness, but only able to humbly repent.
Paul highlights that righteousness comes because of Adonai’s gracious gift, and what was that gift? Adonai provided Yeshua to suffer the ultimate penalty for all of our sins.
Mankind has sinned against God, therefore man should be the one who is paying the penalty for those transgressions. The problems is that we have all sinned, therefore, at best, we could pay for our own wrong doings. The problem is that the penalty is death, and ultimate separation from God. This was not what Adonai wanted.
So maybe a righteous person could die in place of us, and pay the penalty of our sins. The problem was that there was no one righteous enough.
Justice must be met, otherwise Adonai could not be just and righteous, and yet Adonai desperately wants to show mercy. So, what must He do? It is not right that God should pay Man’s penalty, and there is no human worthy enough to pay for others, let alone themselves.
Therefore, as John puts in John 1:1 and in John 1:14
In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Adonai came as a man
Adonai came as a man
Adonai came as a man. Paul would later write to the believers in Colossee Col 1:15-20
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created— in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen, whether thrones or angelic powers or rulers or authorities. All was created through Him and for Him. He exists before everything, and in Him all holds together. He is the head of the body, His community. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead— so that He might come to have first place in all things. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace through the blood of His cross— whether things on earth or things in heaven!
Yeshua is fully man and fully God. As God he was able to resist temptation and live a perfect life, As a man, Yeshua was able to pay the penalty that mankind owed. The death of the righteous ONE atoning for His generation., and not only for His generation, but also for all who would put their trust in Yeshua.
This is what Adonai did for us!
Ultimate justice, the penalty that we all deserve, meets with ultimate mercy, the forgiveness that we desperately need, at the cross of Messiah Yeshua. He pays the penalty that we can not pay. We gain the forgiveness that we desperately need but could never earn.
Why is there boasting?
Why is there boasting?
Paul continues in verse 27 and asks if there is any room for us to boast. Well is there? Adonai expects us to live righteously, perfectly, but instead we choose to go our own way. Adonai then comes as a man and pays for our penalty, and offers us forgiveness. All we need to do is to choose to repent, to return to Him, and to trust in what He has done for us.
Is our salvation based upon how good we have been? No. Is the forgiveness of God based upon our righteousness? No.
We are all on the same playing field. We are all, both Jewish and Gentile, reliant on the faithfulness of Yeshua, not on our own righteousness.
We all come to God the same way, but trusting in God’s provision. The penalty for our sin was paid for by Yeshua.
Conclusion
Conclusion
For the next 2 chapters Paul will be going through the life of Abraham, and showing how Adonai accepted Abraham because of Abraham’s trust and faith in God. And we will go through that in a couple of weeks.
For the moment, let us thank God for all that he has done and put our trust in the sacrifice that He made on our behalf.
