22) God's Righteous Plan
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
The Gospel of God. The good news of Jesus. The hope of believers. The truth that God’s children trust in. That God saves sinners. The God who created the universe, who made men and women in his image. Who breathed life into his creation. The God who saved the rebellious and the wicked, the very people he has created that reject him. He saves.
That Jesus is the way to redemption with God, the way to be made right with him, the way to receive eternal life. This was the promise of the old testament. Revealed in the New Testament. And proclaimed here today that God is still saving sinners. Three young women have have professed the truths found in Romans 10:
9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
This morning we get the privilege of seeing God’s work in their lives. Working in their hearts and calling them to himself. Revealing himself in the scriptures that are being read and taught to the church. The pillar foundation of the truth.
15 But if I should be delayed, I have written so that you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
It is the church that has been given the truth that God saves. That Jesus came to save sinners.
15 This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them.
This is the message that Paul is communicating in the beginning of the book of Romans.
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.
We have been working through the passage in Romans chapter 3 where he lays out the work of God in relation to fallen mankind. After almost two chapters of showing that all men have fallen from grace, that no one is sinless, all have earned the wrath and anger of God by going their own way and living in selfishly and in disobedience. He comes to reveal the great work that God has done. How his righteousness is at work in the salvation of souls.
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. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith. 28 For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
Over the last few weeks we have seen how the righteousness of God has been revealed in Jesus by his life. We saw that the righteousness of God has been given to all who believe by their faith in Jesus Christ. This is the great grace that has been given to the undeserving repentant sinner.
We have seen that men also received mercy through faith, when it was God’s will to present Jesus as the one who would stand in the place of sinners and receive the punishment that they rightly deserved. As he was punished for our transgressions.
Only a perfectly righteous and spotless sacrifice could cancel the debt of sin, could make people clean, before the Lord. Today we contiune with his thought where we see that God’s plan demonstrates his righteousness.
God’s Timing
God’s Timing
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.
When people look at the bible there can be much skepticism. There are many that believe it is a bunch of stories and fables written and put together randomly to control or manipulate people. But who would right this story. Who could dream up a God that would save people who by their lives show that they naturally despise who he is. Who would right a story where man does not accomplish his own salvation.
Who would write about a God who gives his perfect life to save, a God who would sacrifice himself to take on all of the sin of the world so that men could be saved from the wrath of the same God.
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.
Men who write books do it for their own motives. It may be for recognition, pride, glory, fame, fortune, money, or many other selfish desires. But why did Moses record the 1st 5 books of the old testament. What was his motive? Why would the prophets write down that there is a God and call kings out in their rebellion. The prophets were usually not really liked and many times punished for their words. What motivates them to write what causes harm to themselves?
Why would the writers of the New Testament record these words when it made them enemies to the religious leaders and to their own families. What would motivate them to record the very words that would be used to condemn them to martyrdom. Since that time., what motivates men to die for these words, to give up their lives for these words. The answer is is that they are not just man’s words but God’s.
19 We also have the prophetic word strongly confirmed, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
What is the motive of men to record and die for these words. It is that they believe them. They believe they are what they claim they are, the very words of God. When they looked at the old and the new promises of the bible. As they turned each page they, hear God and they see his character in all of it. They see the plan laid out, revealed, and affirmed over the 1500 years that the approximately 40 writers lived. From highest kings of society like Solomon and David to the lowest traitor tax collector. All of it point to the plan of God.
In God’s great wisdom and he foreordained the plan of salvation as a testimony to the righteousness of himself. A plan that was revealed in Paul’s time as the present time.
When the time had come to fulfill the prophecies of the old testament God fulfilled them.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ 10 as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.
God did not create humanity and then said whoops, my bad. Maybe we should find a way to fix this mess they made. No it wasn’t a do over it was the plan from the beginning.
It was a plan that would bring people into the family of God.
4 When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
With the advent of the baby in manger, salvation breaths for the first time as he takes on the nature of those he was born to save. Born in Bethlehem fulfilling prophecy. He would live until the appointed hour would come.
30 Then they tried to seize him. Yet no one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come.
And when that time came, Jesus willingly walked the path God had given him. The path that he knew would end in his death.
23 Jesus replied to them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.
A plan that included the hands of the wicked to condemn an innocent man. That would lead him up the hill to the predestined plan.
27 “For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, 28 to do whatever your hand and your will had predestined to take place.
On that hill he would fulfill God’s plan to send Jesus to die for the very people that would kill him would be fulfilled.
23 Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him.
Men that were helpless to save themselves looked up to the cross and saw God die for them.
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.
Three days later he would rise from the grave and the debt owned to God by lifetimes of sin was wiped away. The dead are alive.
11 You were also circumcised in him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, 12 when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. 14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.
Only God could write this story. Only God would make a plan that would save those that could not save themselves. A plan that does not add anything to God. He does not need anyone to be saved. He is all glorious without man. However, he demonstrates his righteousness by being the one who does all of this for the creatures he has created, the ones he loves, the one he predetermined to save.
This was so that he would be just and justifier.
God’s Work
God’s Work
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.
Righteousness, just and justice all come from the same root in Greek. What is right morally is what is just. In the end each person’s life is evaluated by God.
27 And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment—
This is the truth that most people do not want to believe to be true. It is also the truth that leads people to give up their life and follow Jesus. The Lord does not take objections before his court. It is whether or not a person’s name is found in the book of life.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. 13 Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
The judgement is ruled by the perfect Judge.
22 The Father, in fact, judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all people may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
Jesus is the just judge. The perfect sacrifice to remove the debt of failing the law and the perfect life that is given to fulfill the law. Think of the scene. Jesus sits on his seat of judgement and in walks the man on the cross next to him.
39 Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? 41 We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The criminal stands before him and this man who was hanging next to him says “you are found righteous”. But I didn’t do anything good. Jesus says, I know, but I did and you believed. You have been saved by faith. Welcome.
I doesn’t matter if the person is a soldier that beat him, mocked him, hammered the nails into his hands and feet, or the one who pierced his side. If they believe that he will save them. He will be found righteous before the evaluation of God because of God’s work not his own.
The only way that God could be just is if he allows a perfect substitute to take the punishment that those that have failed to uphold the law deserved. The fact that Jesus died so that you may be made righteous before the judgement of God.
9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
God’s Glory
God’s Glory
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith. 28 For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
What does man have to boast about? What great work leads to his own salvation? What part did he do in order to help God save him? What can man claim that make him better than the next. Nothing. It is excluded. For even Abraham had nothing he could boast in.
2 If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God.
What is the law or system of salvation? Is it one of works? No it is one of faith.
8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—9 not from works, so that no one can boast.
For everyone who believes is justified by faith. Not by living a good life. Trying to be moral or right.
39 Everyone who believes is justified through him from everything that you could not be justified from through the law of Moses.
We like to take credit for anything we are associated with. The Seattle Mariners are doing great. I hear people say we are going to take it all. Have you seen how great my team is doing. The reality is is that you really do not have much to do with how they play. Would any one of those players get done with a game and think to themselves may I am so glad you sit behind the TV and cheer for me. We would not win without your words of encouragement.
If there was any part of salvation that was based on our own behavior, we would take credit for what God has done. But instead God made a plan that the most insignificant, the despised, and those that are seen as nothing can come into his presence.
28 God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing—to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29 so that no one may boast in his presence. 30 It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us—our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption 31 —in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.
This is the greatest grace that a person can receive.
9 He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
This is all for his glory. Buried with him, Raised By Him, Made you Alive, Forgave your sins and trespasses, He erased the certificate of debt, raised with him, and glorified in him.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
Conclusion
Conclusion
28 For we conclude that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.
It is by faith alone that we receive the grace and mercy of God. It is by faith we are credited with Jesus’ righteousness. This is the conclusion that we must make when we evaluate the scriptures and when we look closely at God’s plan of salvation.
Today we have heard the words of God and the question is how do we respond. Each person here is in a different place and has different experiences and challenges in life. We all made it here because of different motivations, but we can all leave here with the knowledge that God saves sinners. With the confidence that we can be saved if we put out faith and trust in Jesus as our Lord and savior. We can be comforted that because it does not depend on our own works that we can know that no matter what mistakes we have made, that God is faithful forgive and will wipe away your sin from your account.
We live in a world full of injustice and trials. Selfishness abounds and is applauded. The strong prey on the poor. Words of hate and actions fill our news pages. So we can look out and think thoughts like the prophet Habakkuk
13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, and you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous? Why are you silent while one who is wicked swallows up one who is more righteous than himself?
We want justice right now for those that have sinned against us but in doing so we call for God to respond to our own wickedness. Instead we should ponder that God is patient waiting for the rebellious to respond in repentance.
9 The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.
God is at work so no one can boast. Where are you at today?
Do you sit here with a hard heart? Banking on your own works and knowledge. Trusting that the plan of God is a sham and a myth. Trusting that the scripture is make believe.
5 Because of your hardened and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed.
It is my pray that God would soften your heart to the truth of his words today. That you will hear him, that the Holy Spirit will burden you with his call to repentance and belief. It is my pray that you find yourself seeing clearly that you too are in need of a savior that loves you that has died for you so that you may have life and life abundantly. I ask you to reach out to myself or a loved one and seek to give up your way of living to follow the God who is all good and always faithful.
Do you sit here professing Christ as savior but doing nothing in response to the great gifts of mercy and grace that have been given to you. Then my prayer for you today is to be awoken and to live for the one that you call Lord. Live in the newness of life and to no longer life for yourself but for the Lord.
Do need to be baptized in obedience to the Lord today. Proclaiming that Jesus has saved you?
For others are you comforted today? Have you been encouraged. It is by prayer that is true for you today.
In one of my favorite books, the valley of vision, contains a prayer called the Gospel Way.
The Gospel Way
No human mind could conceive or invent the gospel.
Acting in eternal grace, thou art both its messenger and its message, lived out on earth through infinite compassion, applying thy life to insult, injury, death, that I might be redeemed, ransomed, freed.
Blessed be thou, O Father, for contriving this way, Eternal thanks to thee, O Lamb of God, for opening this way, Praise everlasting to thee, O Holy Spirit, for applying this way to my heart.
Glorious Trinity, impress the gospel on my soul, until its virtue diffuses every faculty; Let it be heard, acknowledged, professed, felt.
Teach me to secure this mighty blessing; Help me to give up every darling lust, to submit heart and life to its command, to have it in my will, controlling my affections, moulding my understanding; to adhere strictly to the rules of true religion, not departing from them in any instance, nor for any advantage in order to escape evil, inconvenience or danger.
Take me to the cross to seek glory from its infamy; Strip me of every pleasing pretence of righteousness by my own doings.
O gracious Redeemer, I have neglected thee too long, often crucified thee, crucified thee afresh by my impenitence, put thee to open shame.
I thank thee for the patience that has borne with me so long, and for the grace that now makes me willing to be thine.
O unite me to thyself with inseparable bonds, that nothing may ever draw me back from thee, my Lord, my Saviour.
Let us pray.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Blessing/Benediction
24 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.
