Justified by Faith Alone

INTRODUCTION

REVIEW QUESTIONS

QUESTION: What power is responsible for keeping people from turning to God?

ANSWER: Sin

QUESTION: What parts of our lives (bodies) does sin impact?

ANSWER: mind, mouth, Actions

QUESTION: What is the true purpose of the Law?

ANSWER: To bring about the knowledge of sin

Tonight we are going to begin a section of Romans that is full in theological terms that are very important for us to know and understand about salivation. Terms like justification, righteousness, propitiation, and redemption are all listed in these 11 verses.

This section explains how people can be saved who are inherently sinners and rebel against God from birth. The trouble with salvation is not that God is not able or willing, but how God could forgive our sins and make us righteous without making Himself unrighteous.

A judge or ruler who allow criminals to be set free without penalty would be called crooked judge. Wrong doing must be punished, justice is right and good, and that same principle is true of God.

He cannot be called righteous or holy or just if he lets people free that break His laws. And Roman’s 3:23 says “we have all sinned and called short of the glory of God” meaning we have all broken God’s laws.

Truth #1: Righteousness comes to the sinner by faith alone

Romans 3:21–23 “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

Notice this begins with “But Now”

This contrast in made between the whole world sinning and running from God and God bringing a solution to this problem

Righteousness comes apart from the Law

QUESTION: What is righteousness?

ANSWER: Righteousness is doing what God requires.

The Law reveals to us what God requires. In theory, if someone could keep the Law perfectly, he would be righteous. But Paul reminds us here that all of humanity has sinned and fallen short (of keeping God’s requirements).

What Paul is saying is that the Law cannot make a person righteous, and righteous is what God requires.

QUESTION: How do people go against this today when trying to relate be right with God?

ANSWER: People immediately think that if they start trying to do some of the things God wants then they will find favor in God’s eyes.

QUESTION: If we cannot become righteous by doing good things, then how does this passage tell us that do become righteous?

“Through faith in Jesus Christ”

Here is an illustration to help us see this.

Suppose there was a man who was a monk. He never left His house. He never talked to anyone, never watched TV, never listened to secular music, never cheated, lied, stole because he never had any interaction with people. All he did was read his Bible and pray night.

Then there was another man, who did all kinds of terrible stuff. He never read his Bible, prayed, went to church, he lied, cheated, stole, but one day decided to give all that up and begin to trust Jesus to take over His life.

Which one of these became righteous?

FAITH IS THE ONLY THING GOD REQUIRES OF US TO BE RIGHTEOUS

One person can sin his entire life and never acknowledge God at all and at a single point in time, turn to God and place His faith in Jesus and immediately become

Truth #2: The sacrifice of Jesus allows God to be both just and the justifier

Romans 3:24-26 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Justified

Righteousness is something that we have when we place our faith in Christ. We receive the righteousness of Christ.

Remember Jesus never sinned, never broke God’s Law, never did wrong meaning He is the only One who is truly righteous.

Justification is something we are. It is a status we have obtained by being declared righteous by God.

We cannot break God’s rules and somehow God just decide one day to say, “OK, your forgiven, I decided to aquit us of all charges, your free to go.”

Justification is a legal term like one would hear in a courtroom by a judge.

The judge declares that the person meets the standard: he is “righteous”

The verdict of the divine judge on the eschatological day of judgment will be “not guilty”

Redemption

To buy something back by making a payment

What was that payment?

The sacrificer of Jesus Christ

His blood shed on the cross payed for our sins

Propitiation: This means to appease the one who has been offended

QUESTION: Who has been offended and how?

ANSWER: God has been offended by us breaking His Law, and we are the criminal

Point: When we place our faith in Jesus Christ, the righteousness of Jesus is then credited to our account

Suppose you have a credit card and you rack up all that debt on that account by all these charges. Then someone feels sorry for you, and sends in a payment on your account for an unlimited amount of funds.

And when you get your credit card statement, it says paid with a zero balance.

In the same way Jesus’ righteousness is credited or imputed to our account which covers all of our sins: past, present, future.

“because is the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed”

How were people in the OT saved if Jesus’ sacrifice did not happen until thousands of years later?

Because God’s plan of salvation has always been by faith. People were saved in the OT were saved by faith just as people in the NT are saved by faith

This verse tells us that the sacrifice of Jesus covered sins before and after the cross.

Justification has always come through faith

“so that He would be just and the justifier”

This is a summary statement telling us how God could both let people go and still be just ion His actions.

To free a criminal is to break the Law. But if someone has payed for another’s crime in full then that judge can legally let the criminal go free.

This is demonstrated in the story of Jesus and Barabbas. Barabbas was a murderer and a criminal. He deserved to die. Jesus stood there next to him, perfectly innocent. Had done nothing wrong. Jesus is the one who was sentenced to death and Barabbas was the one who was set free.

Truth #3: All Boasting is excluded since God is the one who justifies

Romans 3:27–31 “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.”

“Where then is boasting?”

If God’s salvation came by way of us doing something, then we would have room to brag about our own abilities.

But Paul reminds us here that no man has room to boast because it is God and God alone who justifies.

It is the natural human temptation to be proud and let the world see our achievements

I follow God. I gave up so much for God. I come to church every week. I read my Bible everyday. I lay down my life as a living sacrifice.

And what we are saying in that boasting is that we have somewhat earned our salvation.

But we are reminded here, it is God and God alone who declares us righteous.

He sent His Son

He called us by name

He arranged the circumstances to bring us to faith

He saves us

He keeps us

He protects us

He teaches us

He will raise us up on the last day

ALL GLORY BELONGS TO HIM