Sermon Tone Analysis

God’s grace is not hazy

God’s grace is needed and provided, tonight we turn from guilty, to grace filled, justified.

(Insert dead man walking picture here)

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.

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.

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.

And now add

And just one more

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

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

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.