The God Who Justifies

Do any of you love receiving gifts? Of course we do. A gift is completely different than a pay check. A pay check you work in order to receive. A gift you receive just because.

I can’t sit at home and earn a paycheck by not doing anything. I have to work, either on a computer, at a job, in my car, or however that might be, so that I can get paid. If I don’t work I don’t get paid.

However, a gift I don’t have to do anything to receive that. I get gifts just for being who I am.

Have you ever received a gift so valuable that you knew you could never repay it? Maybe it was an act of kindness, a financial gift, or even a second chance when you didn’t deserve one. Our natural instinct is to want to earn what we receive, but some gifts are simply too great to be earned—only accepted.

It is hard for us to accept gifts sometimes, isn’t it?

Paul teaches us in Romans chapter 4 about righteousness. If you remember the last three weeks we looked at the first three chapters of Romans and Paul spelled it out to us that none of us are righteous, however God sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins and we can be set free through the blood of Jesus. That is how good God is to us.

Our text today will answer the question, “How can a person be right with God?”

How can a Person be RIGHT with God?

Paul gives us two examples from the Old Testament of individuals that understood that God’s righteousness is not something that we can achieve, but it is something that God credits to us through faith in Christ.

It is important that we learn to trust what Christ has done for us. There is nothing we can do in our human effort to earn righteousness.

Here are some questions to consider as we look at our text today. Are you trusting in your works or resting in God’s grace? Do you live as if your righteousness depends on you, or are you rejoicing in the righteousness God freely gives?

If you have your bibles, go to Romans chapter 4. I will read the first 8 verses.

Romans 4:1–8 NIV

1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”

Notice how Paul begins this chapter by referring to the faith of Abraham and David. In Israel’s history, they looked up to both of these men. God made covenants with both these men. These were two great examples that Paul could use because one lived before the law was given and the other lived many years afterward. One was justified before he was circumcised, and the other after.

Genesis 15:6 NIV

6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

It was by Abraham’s faith in God alone that he was justified. There was no works that Abraham did to be made right, it was only through his faith.

Many of us today think of Abraham as a great man of faith. The Jewish people think of Abraham as a great man of faith.

We see the faith that Abraham had as he would obey God and take his son Isaac to be sacrificed. It was through that faith that God would stop Abraham from sacrificing Isaac and provide the ram for a sacrifice. It was the act of the sacrifice but it was trusting that God would provide a gift to replace Isaac on the alter.

If Abraham, the father of faith, was not justified by works, neither are we.

Not matter the amount of works that you do, those things will not make you greater in God’s eyes. We do our works for the Lord because we love Him and because He is so good to us.

*Show the gift and wages envelope

Let’s say you go to work, put in your hours, and at the end of the week, your employer hands you a paycheck. You wouldn’t say, “Oh wow, thank you so much for this generous gift!” No—you earned that money. It’s what you deserve for the work you’ve done.

But now, imagine it’s your birthday, and a friend hands you a wrapped gift. You don’t pull out your wallet and ask, “How much do I owe you?” That would be absurd! A gift isn’t something you earn—it’s something you receive freely.

This is exactly how Paul describes the difference between justification by works and justification by faith. Look at Romans 4:4-5

Romans 4:4–5 NIV

4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.

Paul is making it crystal clear—if salvation were based on our good works, then God would “owe” us righteousness, just like an employer owes wages to an employee. But that’s not how God operates. Instead of paying us what we deserve (which, because of sin, would be judgment), He offers us grace—a gift we could never earn but can only receive by faith.

This is where many people struggle. Our human nature wants to work for righteousness. We like to feel like we’ve contributed, that we’ve done enough to deserve God’s approval. But salvation doesn’t work that way. If righteousness could be earned, Christ’s sacrifice would be unnecessary. The cross would be pointless.

Instead, God extends His righteousness as a gift to those who simply trust in Him. Just as Abraham believed God and was credited with righteousness, we too are justified not by what we do, but by believing in the finished work of Christ.

So the question is: Are you treating salvation like a paycheck—trying to earn God’s favor through your efforts—or are you receiving it as the free gift that it is?

*Set down the envelope labeled wages and hold up the gift

God isn’t offering you wages for your good behavior—He’s offering you a gift of grace. The only thing you need to do is receive that gift by faith.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NIV

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Everyone must stop trying to earn what God offers freely.

Does this mean that we stop working in the church or stop giving in the offering or stop reading our bible or attending church? No. We do those things because God is good to us and gave us a free gift of salvation.

Paul quotes David from Psalm 32:1-2

Psalm 32:1–2 NIV

1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit.

It is a blessing that our sins are forgiven. God’s goodness is seen in His willingness to credit righteousness apart from works.

If you were here last week, maybe you remember the illustration I did where God, the judge, declared you guilty, but then He stepped down from His throne and paid your fine.

Justice is satisfied because someone else paid the penalty. God is so good to us. Today you can I can rest in the goodness of God.

Let me close with this.

Imagine a loving father who prepares a great feast for his children. The table is filled with the best food—freshly baked bread, sweet fruit, and a perfectly cooked meal. He calls his children to come and eat freely. They didn’t work for the meal; they didn’t earn it. The father provided it simply because he loves them.

Now, imagine if one of the children hesitated, saying, “I don’t deserve this. Let me go work in the fields first, and then maybe I’ll be worthy to eat.” Or if another child said, “I don’t trust that this food is really good. I’ll just eat what I find on my own.” How tragic would that be?

This is Paul is talking bout in our text. Many people believe they have to work for God’s approval—that they must earn their place at His table through good deeds, religious rituals, or moral effort. Remember what Paul said about Abraham, he was not justified by works, but by faith.

Just like the father in our story provided the meal out of love, God, in His goodness, provides righteousness as a free gift. We don’t earn it; we simply receive it through faith.

If righteousness were something we had to earn, it would be like a paycheck—something God owes us. But that’s not how His goodness works! Instead, He freely justifies sinners, not because of what they do, but because of their faith in Him.

So, just like a child at the father’s table, we have a choice: Will we receive the goodness of God by faith, or will we try to earn what He freely gives?

God’s goodness is not something we achieve—it’s something we receive. Let’s stop trying to earn a place at His table and simply come and enjoy the feast of grace He has prepared.

He is a good good father.