Week 3 | Justification by Faith

Scripture: Romans 3:21–5:21

Main Theme: Salvation by Grace

Big Idea: God’s grace meets us where we are — we are justified not by what we do, but by what Jesus has done.

Introduction:

Roman Fact:

The Emperor Who Taxed Urine

Emperor Vespasian, who ruled from 69 to 79 AD, imposed a tax on urine. In ancient Rome, urine was collected from public restrooms because its ammonia content was highly valued for tasks like tanning leather and laundering garments.

Hook:

Let me tell you a story.

Years ago, a teenage boy in Texas got pulled over for driving without a license and without insurance. The judge called him up, read the charges, and said, “The fine is $500 or 10 days in jail.” The boy’s head dropped. He didn’t have the money. He was about to be taken away when something unexpected happened.

The judge stood up, took off his robe, walked down from the bench, reached into his wallet, and paid the fine for the boy.

Why? Because he was the boy’s father.

That’s justification.

He didn’t ignore the law — he satisfied it.

He didn’t excuse the wrong — he paid for it.

He didn’t wait for his son to fix it — he stepped in himself.

That’s what God has done for us in Jesus.

And this is the turning point in Romans.

After two chapters of bad news — of sin, guilt, and judgment — Paul now pulls back the curtain on the good news.

You don’t have to earn it.

You don’t have to fix yourself first.

You are justified by grace — not by your record, but by Jesus’ rescue.

Tension:

But here’s the question: How do I actually know if I’m good with God?

In Islam, you do not know if you are good with God until you die and maybe you enter paradise.

In Hinduism, you hope that you are good enough to be reincarnated as something better than you were the first time and if you were really good then maybe you will reach ascension and become a God.

In Buddhism, you hope to reach transcendence, but you might be reincarnated again and again to get there.

In Mormonism, you hope that you are good enough to gain a planet and become a god over it.

All of these are based on hopes not certainty. All requires Faith. One is contingent on God while the others are contingent on us.

Most people still think they need to do more to make it right:

“I’ll clean up my act.”

“I’ll go back to church.”

“I’ll try harder to be better.”

Even Christians fall into this. We know we’re saved by grace, but we start living like it’s up to us to stay saved.

We start chasing spiritual performance instead of living in gospel peace.

But if you believe that you have to earn your place with God, you’ll either:

Become proud when you think you’re doing well.

Or live in guilt when you inevitably fail.

Either way — you’re not living in freedom. You are full of anxiety or pride.

Powerless religion may put a man through many surface changes and leave him exactly what he was before.2

A. W. Tozer

Too many believers have an intellectual religion that satisfies the mind but never changes the life.

Warren W. Wiersbe

So tonight, Paul shows us a better way: Not religion. Not rule-keeping. Not self-effort. But grace. And it changes everything.

Big Idea:

God’s grace meets us where we are — we are justified not by what we do, but by what Jesus has done.

Truth:

Background:

Paul is writing to a divided church in Rome — made up of both Jewish and Gentile Christians. The Jews had recently returned after being exiled from the city under Emperor Claudius, and now they’re trying to figure out how to live and worship together. Tensions were high.

Jewish believers leaned on their heritage and the Law.

Gentile believers didn’t have that background.

Each group thought they had the upper hand spiritually.

Paul just spent the first part of Romans showing how everyone — Jew and Gentile — is guilty.

No one is righteous.

The Law can show us our sin, but it can’t save us from it.

He exposes the downward spiral of humanity (Romans 1), confronts religious hypocrisy (Romans 2), and concludes with this:

“No one is righteous. Not even one.”

Now, in Romans 3:21, he turns a corner:

“But now…”

Two of the most important words in the Bible.

It’s the moment when the gospel breaks through.

Paul announces a new kind of righteousness — not based on law, not earned by effort — but given freely through faith in Jesus.

This is the good news all have been waiting for. Including you and I here in 2025.

Romans 3:21–26 – Justified by Grace through Faith

Paul lays out the heart of the gospel:

Romans 3:21–26 ESV

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Justified = declared righteous in God’s sight. Not “innocent,” but treated as if you were.

It’s a gift — not earned, not deserved.

Jesus is the atoning sacrifice — He takes our punishment so we can receive His peace.

God remains just (He doesn’t ignore sin), and is also the justifier (He provides the way out).

Point: God doesn’t lower the standard — He meets it for us through Jesus.

Romans 4 – Abraham Was Justified by Faith, Not Works

Paul uses Abraham — the hero of the Jewish faith — to prove his point.

Romans 4:3 ESV

3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

Abraham was made right with God before he did anything religious.

Before circumcision. Before the law. Before his “track record” — he simply believed.

And that’s the model for us.

Romans 4:16 ESV

16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

Point: God’s promises are built on grace, not our performance.

Romans 5:12–21 – From Adam to Jesus

Romans 5:12–21 ESV

12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. 15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Paul compares two representatives:

Adam brought sin, death, and condemnation.

Jesus brings righteousness, life, and justification.

Romans 5:18 ESV

18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

Point: Jesus undoes what Adam broke — and gives us more than we lost.

Application:

So what do we do with all this?

Justification isn’t just a doctrine to believe — it’s a truth that reshapes your identity, your habits, and how you respond to God.

Stop defining yourself by what you’ve done — start defining yourself by what Jesus has done.

Some of you walk into every room carrying invisible baggage:

“I’m the one who messed up.”

“I’m the one who can’t get it right.”

“I’m the one who always struggles.”

But if you’re in Christ, that’s not your name anymore.

You’re not “Screw-up.”

You’re not “Disappointment.”

You’re not “Too Far Gone.”

You’re Justified. That’s your identity. So stop living like you're still on trial. You don’t have to wear the labels that Jesus already took to the cross.

Trade religious pressure for relational peace.

Justification means you are already accepted by God — right now.

You don’t read your Bible to earn anything — you read it to enjoy someone.

You don’t pray to perform — you pray to connect.

You don’t come to church to score points — you come because you’ve been brought into a new family.

This changes the whole posture of your faith — from performance to peace.

Let grace fuel your pursuit of God — not replace it.

Grace is not an excuse to coast spiritually. It’s fuel to press in even deeper.

When you really understand what Jesus did for you — you don’t pull away from Him, you run toward Him.

Justification leads to joyful obedience — not lazy apathy.

Because if Jesus gave everything to save me, then I want to give everything in response.

Landing:

This is the moment Paul’s been building toward.

Yes — we were guilty. Yes — we were broken.

But now…

Justified.

Forgiven.

Accepted.

Loved.

Not because of what we’ve done — but because of what Jesus has done.

The gospel isn’t about climbing to God — it’s about God coming down to us.

It’s not about earning — it’s about receiving.

It’s not about fixing yourself — it’s about trusting the One who already did.

Big Idea (again):

God’s grace meets us where we are — we are justified not by what we do, but by what Jesus has done.

So tonight — stop striving, start trusting. Lay down your guilt. Pick up His grace.

Next week, we’re going to talk about what comes after justification — what this new life looks like. But tonight, rest in this:

You are no longer on trial.

The verdict is in.

And because of Jesus — it’s righteous.

Pray:

Ask God to help students:

Stop striving and receive grace

Trust Jesus, not their own goodness

Live in the peace of justification

Extend grace to others like they’ve received