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Text: Romans 3:19-26
Theme: Why did God come in the flesh?
To make us righteous!
Date: 12/14/14 File name: Incarnation4.wpd
ID Number: 95
When my brother an I were growing up we went to stay with our paternal grandmother one weekend while our parents were out of town.
Grandma Laura was the “fun grandma.”
The next morning, grandma told us, "Now, if you are good for your grandma, we'll walk up town this afternoon and I'll by you some ice cream."
To which my brother responded, "How good do I have to be?"
That's the age-old question lost men have been asking.
"God, I want to go to heaven when I die.
Just how good do I have to be to get there?"
The question implies that most men are interested only in the minimal amount of “goodness” that will allow them to squeak into the kingdom.
It's an assumption so widely accepted in our society: Good people go to heaven when they die.
Bad people don't.
This has even become a widely accepted premise in the minds of many Christians.
ILLUS.
The American Worldview Inventory, a Barna survey taken in August of 2020, reports that, when it comes to salvation, Americans like a do-it-yourself approach.
Most Americans (71 percent) believe say people must contribute some effort toward their own salvation.
You have to have faith, but you also have to be a “good person” and “do good things” if you want to get to heaven.
American tend to view getting into heaven like they do getting a good job or getting into a great college.
If you want a job, you show them your resume’ Your resume’ says, “Look at my vocational experience.
I’m worthy of you hiring me.”
And if your resume’ is good enough you’re hired.
If you want to get into a good school you show them your academic record and GPA.
Your academic record says, “Look, I’m smart and motivated.
I’ll be an asset to your institution.
I’m worthy of you acceptance.”
And if your academic record is good enough you’re accepted.
Americans look at God and heaven the same way.
You want to get into heaven you show God your moral record.
Your moral record says, “Look God.
I’m a really decent human being.
I’m not a Hitler or a Mao Zedong.
I don’t do drugs, or rob or cheat on my income tax.
And I’m way more moral than Donald Trump or Bill Clinton.
I deserve to be allowed into heaven.”
That sounds right to many people, especially in our “pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps” culture.
God’s Word tells us something different.
God's answer to that question “Just how good do I have to be?” is, "You can't be that good!" It's an answer relatively few seem to hear, let alone are willing to accept.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been trying to answer the question, Why did God come to Earth in the flesh?
I’ve tried to communicate to you the reasons for the incarnation.
Why did God come in the flesh?
He came to redeem us – to cover our sins by paying the ultimate price.
Why did God come in the flesh?
He came to reveal God’s character and nature to us.
If you want to know all about God, then simply get to know all about Jesus.
Why did God come in the flesh?
God came to reconcile us with Himself.
When God reconciles us to Himself, He re-establishes a close relationship that was broken by sin, but is restored by our faith in Christ.
Why did God come in the flesh?
God also came in the flesh to make us righteous in His sight.
“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,” (Romans 3:20–22, NIV)
I. THE INCARNATION REVEALS THAT WE CAN'T BE GOOD ENOUGH BUT GOD CAN MAKE US RIGHTEOUS
ILLUS.
Let me ask you a couple of questions this morning?
Ya ready?
First: Are you a righteous person?
A lot of Christians respond like this, “No, I’m not a righteous person.
I’m just a sinner trying to live for God the best I can.”
Let me give you a better answer to the question, Are you a righteous person?
Here’s the better answer, “I am still a sinner, but God sees me as righteous as Jesus Christ is righteous because by grace God has imputed the righteousness of Christ to me by grace through faith.”
I’ll get to the second question in a few moments.
1. the little phrase but now in verse 21 introduces a change in topic
a. up until now Paul’s theological argument has centered on just how thoroughly sinful, and unrighteous and God-hating men truly are
b.
but now, Paul is going to reveal how thoroughly holy and righteous and sinner-loving God is
2. the first great theme of Romans is the exceedingly sinfulness of man's sin
ILLUS.
A look back on the events of the last two years ought to be enough to convince anyone of how thoroughly depraved mankind is.
When men are not restrained by law and the inevitability of justice and judgment they will live lawless lives.
a. according the bible the whole world lies in sin, lives in lawlessness, and stands condemned before a holy God
“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.”
(1 John 3:4, ESV)
1) we've all blown it with God, and we’re all answerable to God
ILLUS.
The author of the Book of Hebrews is correct when he writes, It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, (Heb.
10:31).
Puritan preacher Jonathan Edwards said, “Even now, it is the mere mercy of God that keeps wicked men from being overtaken by the devil and his demons and cast into the furnace of hell.”
3. but now Paul introduces the second great theme of Romans; the availability of true saving righteousness which justifies a sinful man before a holy God
“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.”
(Romans 3:21, NIV)
a. obedience to moral codes or religious rituals will not produce righteousness within the life of man — it can only produce an external righteousness like that of the Pharisees
b. in fact moral codes and religious rituals only remind us how far short of the mark of true holiness we actually fallen
“What then shall we say?
That the law is sin?
By no means!
Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin.
For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness.
For apart from the law, sin lies dead.”
(Romans 7:7–8, ESV)
c. the Law gives us God’s standards and illustrates people’s inability to live up to them
ILLUS.
Let’s face it; our natures are rebellious ... tell someone they must do something or they must live up to a certain standard or must conform to a particular behavior and a lot of people will do just the opposite.
4. if you or I are going to obtain true righteousness that meets God’s holy requirements it must come from some other source than our effort at living up to religious rules and regulations
5. that other source is God Himself
A. IN HIS GRACE GOD DECLARES US RIGHTEOUS AND DOES NOT TREAT US AS OUR SINS DESERVE
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