“God’s Righteousness Through Faith”
Romans • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction:
In this tenth message on the Book of Romans, I wanted to remind you of some truths we explored in message #1.
NAMELY, that Romans is a complex book, containing more than just one purpose!
The TWO passages traditionally ascribed as the PURPOSE of Romans are…
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.
And the SECOND is our passage under consideration this morning:
21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets. 22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, since there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as the mercy seat by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.
WHILE the Gospel containing the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (1:16) and justification by faith (3:22) are certainly PART of the Letter to the Romans, that’s not the whole story!
The TRUTHS of these passages (and they are indeed true), support other purposes as well—in other words, those truths are not intended to stand alone!
The REASON anyone lays a foundation is to BUILD on it, and in fact, it is not COMPLETE until something else is BUILT on it!
Another note on foundations: usually, the foundation is either unseen, or barely seen! A foundation’s presence is demonstrated by the building standing!
10 According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it.
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ.
SO THIS MORNING, we are going to attempt to lay, in the words of Paul, “a FOUNDATION as a skilled master builder!”
We are going to lay some foundational truths concerning our salvation that you can build the rest of your Christian life upon!
There are THREE FOUNDATIONAL STONES we will consider this morning: the Revealing of the Righteousness of God - (3:21-22b), the Justification of Sinners by Grace - (3:22c-25b), and the Demonstration of the Righteousness of God - (3:25c-26)!
We begin with…
I. The Revealing of the Righteousness of God - (3:21-22a)
I. The Revealing of the Righteousness of God - (3:21-22a)
In (Romans 1:18-3:20), we have seen “God’s wrath revealed,” in this next section (Romans 3:21-8:39) we will see “God’s righteousness” revealed!
“But now…”
I love how John Stott describes this:
“All human beings, of every race and rank, of every creed and culture, Jews and Gentiles, the immoral and the moralizing, the religious and the irreligious, are without any exception sinful, guilty, inexcusable and speechless before God. That was the terrible human predicament described in Romans 1:18–3:20. There was no ray of light, no flicker of hope, no prospect of rescue.
‘But now’, Paul suddenly breaks in, God himself has intervened. […] After the long dark night the sun has risen, a new day has dawned, and the world is flooded with light.”
A. The Righteousness of God is REVEALED Apart from the Law! - (v.21)
A. The Righteousness of God is REVEALED Apart from the Law! - (v.21)
1. It is Attested/Witnessed by the Law
1. It is Attested/Witnessed by the Law
μαρτυρουμένη - ‘to provide information about a person or an event concerning which the speaker has direct knowledge—to bear witness, to be a witness, to testify’
Paul summons the LAW as a witness, just like Jesus did:
27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.
2. It is Testified/Witnessed by the Prophets
2. It is Testified/Witnessed by the Prophets
44 He told them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures—
24 “In addition, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, have also foretold these days.
43 All the prophets testify about him that through his name everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins.”
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and carefully investigated.
B. The Righteousness of God is RECEIVED by Faith - (3:22a)
B. The Righteousness of God is RECEIVED by Faith - (3:22a)
1. “…through faith in Jesus Christ”
1. “…through faith in Jesus Christ”
διὰ πίστεως
2. “…to all who believe”
2. “…to all who believe”
cf. (v.25) - “…through faith”; (v.26) - “…the one who has faith in Jesus”
28 For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
5 But to the one who does not work, but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited for righteousness.
16 and yet because we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus. This was so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified.
Personally, I love how the New Living Translation translates this verse:
22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
This truth is a great first stone in our foundation! The SECOND is…
II. The Justification of Sinners by Grace - (3:22b-25b)
II. The Justification of Sinners by Grace - (3:22b-25b)
A. The Universality of Sin - (v.22b)
A. The Universality of Sin - (v.22b)
“…since there is no distinction.” (NIV) - “…For there is no difference”
1. “For all have sinned…” - (3:23a)
1. “For all have sinned…” - (3:23a)
20 There is certainly no one righteous on the earth who does good and never sins.
32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may have mercy on all.
22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin’s power, so that the promise might be given on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe.
8 If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Confession of sin is FOUNDATIONAL to salvation from sin!
2. “…and fall short of the glory of God;” - (3:23b)
2. “…and fall short of the glory of God;” - (3:23b)
2 We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
I confess to you today that I do not adequately understand the importance of the “…hope of the glory of God!”
I do know that His glory is COMING!
12 we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
14 He called you to this through our gospel, so that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may also rejoice with great joy when his glory is revealed.
1 I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory about to be revealed:
10 The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while.
God’s glory is something we will “fall short” of NOW, yet the hope/promise is that we will ALL EXPERIENCE HIS GLORY!
B. Justification as a Gift by His Grace - (vv.24a-25a)
B. Justification as a Gift by His Grace - (vv.24a-25a)
(v.24a) - “they are justified freely through his grace…”
δικαιούμενοι - ‘justify, render innocent, pronounce righteous’
11 And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
δωρεὰν - ‘freely, without cause, without reason, undeservedly’
5 he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
6 He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior
7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
HOW?
1. “…through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” - (v.24b)
1. “…through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” - (v.24b)
διὰ τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως - ‘release, redemption, deliverance’
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
2. Through the Sacrifice Given by God - (3:25a)
2. Through the Sacrifice Given by God - (3:25a)
ἱλαστήριον - “…mercy seat” also translated “…propitiation”, “…the sacrifice for sin” (NIV).
The word is only used twice in the NT. Here and in…
5 The cherubim of glory were above the ark overshadowing the mercy seat. It is not possible to speak about these things in detail right now.
Twenty-two times in the Septuagint it translates the Hebrew kapporeth, the golden lid of the ark of the covenant (the ‘mercy seat’), the place where the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled on the Day of Atonement!
EITHER WAY the truth STANDS!
Jesus is the “place” where the blood of the lamb satisfied God’s righteous demand, OR He is the “satisfying sacrifice” for sin!
3. Justification through faith in His blood - (3:25b)
3. Justification through faith in His blood - (3:25b)
“…by his blood, through faith”
18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.
The FINAL stone in our foundation this morning is…
III. The Demonstration of the Righteousness of God - (3:25c-26)
III. The Demonstration of the Righteousness of God - (3:25c-26)
A. A Demonstration of God’s Righteousness in the PAST! - (v.25c)
A. A Demonstration of God’s Righteousness in the PAST! - (v.25c)
“…because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed”
From ἀνοχῇ - ‘forbearance, tolerance, truce’, used only one other time in the NT:
4 Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
B. A Demonstration of God’s Righteousness in the PRESENT! - (3:26)
B. A Demonstration of God’s Righteousness in the PRESENT! - (3:26)
“God presented him…” for TWO reasons:
1. “God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just…”
1. “God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just…”
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2. “…and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.”
2. “…and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Horatius Bonar wrote the following words…
Not what my hands have done
Can save my guilty soul;
Not what my toiling flesh has borne
Can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears
Can bear my awful load.
Thy grace alone, O God,
To me can pardon speak;
Thy power alone, O Son of God,
Can this sore bondage break.
No other work save thine,
No other blood will do;
No strength save that which is divine
Can bear me safely through.
Conclusion
Conclusion
21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
