But for the grace of God

You may know the phrase “dead man walking.” Maybe saw the Sean Penn movie. And all that was was a movie, but in reality, we were dead in our trespasses (sins) we were the dead man walking.

The phrase “dead man walking” would mean something to the Romans, this would be men being led in precession after a victorious- general. Through the streets on the way to be executed.

In your sin, you were a dead man walking.

Maybe you heard the term “but for the grace of God, there go I.” - it was spoken by John Bradford 16th century Christian being lead off to death. - It was called a death march for those behind and a triumphal entry for the victorious general.

Because of the grace of God we go from a dead life, to a resurrected life in Christ.

Only the grace of God can stop the death march all men were on because of sin. It was by the grace of God that the Son of God paid the price for us and took our place on the death march and took on our penalty for us.

We have looked at Righteousness needed

We have discussed Righteousness revealed and tonight we look at righteousness delivered

So, this morning, my hope (besides being in Jesus Christ) is for us to look at

Gleaning from our passage (Rom3:23-31)

Justified (3:23-24)

Justice displayed through justification (3:25-26)

Justified excludes boasting (3:27-31)

Gleaning from our passage on justification

Justified through God’s amazing grace. It starts with presenting it through the word, so, turn to Rom3:23 and let’s glean together.

Romans 3:23–24 NASB95

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

Romans 3:25–26 NASB95

25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:27–28 NASB95

27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

Romans 3:29–31 NASB95

29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. 31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.

What did you observe as we read through this passage?

Who sinned (v.23)?

All sinned, all fall short of the glory of God.

How is man justified, receive justification (v.24)?

Justified as a gift, received through God’s grace through redemption by Jesus Christ.

What does redemption mean?

How was justification displayed (v.25)?

Publicly, purposefully as a propitiation through His blood through faith.

Don’t miss the fact this is passing over sins previously committed.

Look carefully at (v.26); who is the justifier?

God is the justifier, displaying His righteousness to those who put faith in Jesus.

Is one justified by works, or apart from works (v.27-28)?

Not by works, it is by law of faith

It is apart from works of the Law (Law of Moses)

Is justification for the Jews only (v.29-30)? Again, who does the justifying?

It is for Jews, Gentiles alike

It is God who justifies, by faith

The established law (v.31) is this the Law of Moses or something else? (subjective question).

It is establishing the law of grace through faith.

Justified

Justification is at the heart of the gospel that Paul is not ashamed of (Rom1:16-17), that was compelled to proclaim (Rom1:15).

(Insert Sin missing the mark picture here)

Why do we need justification? It is because of Sin

Justification according to Encyclopedia Britannica “ justification, in Christian theology, either (1) the act by which God moves a willing person from the state of sin (injustice) to the state of grace (justice), (2) the change in a person’s condition moving from a state of sin to a state of righteousness, or (3) especially in Protestantism, the act of acquittal whereby God gives contrite sinners the status of the righteous. The term is a translation of the Greek dikaiōsis (Latin: justificatio), originally a technical legal term derived from the verb “to make [someone] righteous.”

Justification in short is crediting one persons righteousness for another’s.

This is Christ’s free gift, His righteousness freely given through the price He paid on the cross.

God provided the means of redemption of sinful man through the acceptable sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

It is by His sacrifice we have a gospel to proclaim and an savior to extol!

Justification is the judicial action of God part from human merit (Rom8:17; Eph3:6)

this is Jesus taking the guilty sinner (the one who misses the mark, the one who was a dead man walking) and pardons him and makes him fellow heirs with Christ. Consider Rom8:17 “17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” or even what it says in Eph3:6 “6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,”

Redemption: A price paid for a slave.

Yep, that was you, that was me, a slave to sin. Jesus paid the price to redeem us, to buy us back. For you and me it was without cost, For the Father it was a great cost, it was the Son.

Kenneth Boa stated “The motivation for God’s justification of guilty sinners is grace.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer says “grace is costly because it costs a man His life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.

Justice displayed in righteousness

What is the purpose of the book of Romans? Righteousness of God revealed. Now we will look at how justice and righteousness are used by Paul here.

Romans 3:25–26 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.

Righteousness need; righteousness delivered on the cross

Jesus became the propitiation for our sins (3:25; 1Jn4:40, 2:2; Heb2:17)

What do you think propitiation means?

It is the price paid to satisfy God’s wrath.

Done to demonstrate his righteousness whereas he passed over the sins previously committed. (consider Exo12:1-7)

We have a new Exodus today, not by the blood of a lamb, but by the blood of THE LAMB.

I mentioned other scriptures with propitiation, but let me give them to you.

1 John 4:10 NASB95

10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

And now add

1 John 2:2 NASB95

2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

And just one more

Hebrews 2:17 NASB95

17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

God is not just showing justice in judging sin, but also as the justifier in sending the Son to take on the guilt, the penalty of our sin, to be the substitute, the propitiation!

The justified are the ones who believe (Rom3:26; 2Chr7:14, 19-20)

The one who has heard the gospel

The one who calls on the name of the Lord; the One who can and will justify you.

The one who takes you from a death march to a march of victory!

If God just forgave sins without sacrifice, He would not be a just God for sin has a price (Rom6:23). Some people have a universalism theology that God sent Jesus to save and will save everyone regardless of faith.

Here are some scriptures to consider

2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV

14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Notice the word “if” now this is different than the “if clause” we have spoken of before. This is a condition.

what does the “if” mean here in (v.14)? what are the people called to do?

Now just a few verses later

2 Chronicles 7:19–20 NKJV

19 “But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, and worship them, 20 then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.

There is a dangerous admonishment “if” (vv.19-20) what are the results if not adhered to?

(Insert saved by faith picture here)

Faith in Jesus, obedient, active faith that is the only way to be justified. It’s free, it’s available, it’s your’s if you are willing to receive it, by faith.

Faith in Jesus Christ brings the Grace of God through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ to the one who believes. and Justification excludes any boasting since it is a sign that we did not earn, it is a gift, a gift called grace that gives the repentant sinner eternal life in Jesus name.

(Transition) I just mentioned boasting, and that justification, grace through faith excludes any boasting and I want to take a few minutes and talk on that.

Justified (righteousness), excludes boasting

Boasting: to praise oneself extravagantly in speech : speak of oneself with excessive pride. Now with the definition let’s look at the reason that it is excluded.

We cannot save ourselves (Rom3:27-30; Jn1:17)

Our redemption, our justification is not some manmade devised plan which a sinner can save himself.

It is God’s grand plan, God’s scheme of redemption to send the Son to bring grace and mercy revealed, realized. (Jn1:17)

Our salvation rests 100% on God (Eph2:8-9; Rom5:8, 17-21)

Ephesians 2:8–9 NASB95

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

(TURN WITH ME TO ROM5)

Romans 5:8 NASB95

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

How did God demonstrate His love toward us (5:8)?

Now let me read a littler further down, I encourage you to read, try to grasp even more the grace of God made available there

Rom5:17-18 “17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.

Rom5:19-20 “19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,”

Rom5:21 “21 so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

How did the gift of righteousness come (v.17)?

What was the result of the gift of righteousness (v.18)?

How are many made righteous (v.19)?

What is the ultimate result of grace and righteousness (v.21)?

So, if (and yes this time it is the ‘if clause’) then where is the boast? Where can there be boast? It it not in ourselves, it can only be in Jesus.

(Insert - wrap it up picture here)

We are about out of time, let me wrap this up.

We have seen all are guilty in our previous lessons

We have seen that there no advantage to Jews or Gentiles for God’s grace, God’s mercy is available to all who believe.

Christ came to die for all men if they are willing to accept His free gift of grace through faith

It is by faith, through faith that by the grace of God there I go!

From separated to reconciled through Christ and His atoning sacrifice.

(Prayer) (Exit)

Justification, salvation is available to all.

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