New Lord, New Life

Romans 3:21–25 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.

What is righteousness?

What is righteousness?

We hear it over and over in this chapter.

It basically means being right, perfect, sinless, true and having complete integrity.

We know that even at our best, the word “righteousness” could never truly define us. Our very best is still imperfect.

That’s the point of the previous verses, we are broken, rotten to the core, and unable to fix ourselves.

In this section, Paul talks about how we can have righteousness through faith in Christ.

What is propitiation?

That is a really big, challenging word, but a powerful and helpful word.

Let’s read it in a couple different translations to better understand it.

Romans 3:25 NLT

25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,

Romans 3:25 GNB

25 God offered him, so that by his blood he should become the means by which people’s sins are forgiven through their faith in him. God did this in order to demonstrate that he is righteous. In the past he was patient and overlooked people’s sins; but in the present time he deals with their sins, in order to demonstrate his righteousness. In this way God shows that he himself is righteous and that he puts right everyone who believes in Jesus.

Romans 3:25 NIrV

25 God gave him as a sacrifice to pay for sins. So he forgives the sins of those who have faith in his blood. God did all of that to prove that he is fair. Because of his mercy he did not punish people for the sins they had committed before Jesus died for them.

Have you picked up on it yet?

Propitiation means that Jesus takes our place and pays the penalty of our sin.

God sentenced us to death, and Jesus stepped in and took our punishment.

The very thing we couldn’t do, pay for our sins, live out the right way (righteous way), God did for us through Jesus.

A New Coach, New Plan, and a winning result

Have you followed a team before that is just really bad?

What usually happens when a team is really bad?

New Coach

New Game plan

Potential winning result.

A New Coach and New Game Plan (v. 21 & 26)

We’ve been on a losing team because we tried to be own coach. When we’re leading our own lives, we make awful decisions and can’t turn our situation around. But, then God comes ink. Let’s look at verse 21.

Romans 3:21 CSB

21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets.

What this means is that the perfection of God has been shown to us in something other than the Old Testament Law.

The Law required perfection to match God’s perfection, which obviously was unattainable, so God made a new way.

We can’t work hard enough to meet God’s standard.

Romans 3:26 CSB

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.

For some of us here today, we need to have a “Black Monday” in our lives today!

We need to fire our head coaches: Coach Self, Coach Friends, Coach Culture, Coach Satan.

We need to hire a new coach, The Coach of Coaches! We need to let Jesus be the coach of our life and let Him call the shots.

Romans 12:1–2 CSB

1 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

It is time for a new coach and a new game plan, so that we can have a winning result, which is...

Winning Result

2 Corinthians 5:17–18 CSB

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! 18 Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

So, a new coach has come in. A new game plan is in place. Everything is brand new. The losing mentality is gone. Victory has been promised, and so has

A WINNING RESULT: LIFE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH IN CHRIST AND RESULTING IN GOOD WORKS.

This is the goal of following Christ: that it would result in actions that represent Christ, that our lives would show the results of being changed.

We are changed and transformed.

Romans 8 says we are victorious.

1 John 4 says we can live without fear because perfect love casts out fear.

Galatians 5 describes the fruit of the Spirit-filled, God directed life.

In John 10, Jesus says the life He has come to give us is an abundant, complete, satisfying life.

Do you need a new coach and a new game plan.

OR maybe you need to start listen to the plays your coach, Jesus, is calling.