|  |  | |  |   | | | The Miracle of Grace John Lusk, Evangelist, Denver Church of Christ
Romans 3:21 - 5:21
In our study of the book of Romans we learn that no one is righteous and therefore, no one is saved. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, whether or not they are a Jew or a Gentile.
Paul addressed the sinfulness of the non-religious person, or the Gentile. God reveals himself to all men so that none are left with an excuse for not knowing Him and not following Him. When men lose their gratitude and awe for God, they begin worshipping the things that are created and not the creator. Their thinking becomes futile and darkened and they become slaves to sin.
Paul also addressed the sinfulness of the religious person, or the Jew. The Jew thought that righteousness was from man, and obtained by following the law, but no one could be righteous in following the law, because it was impossible to follow every rule without breaking a single one.
The conclusion is that no one is righteous, whether Jew or Gentile.
I. Righteousness Through Faith
------ In chapter 3, Paul talks about a righteousness that comes from God, and is apart from following the law. This concept was so radically different from the normal Jewish mindset that it was hard for them to comprehend. Paul talked about a righteousness that was obtained by faith through Jesus Christ. In order to persuade the Jews, Paul used Old Testament scriptures to prove that righteousness has always been credited to an individual because of his faith, not his works.
A. Proof from the Old Testament Scriptures
1. Abraham – Romans Chapter 4
------Paul went right to the heart of the Jewish argument. The Jews believed that Abraham was righteous because he was circumcised. Therefore, if the Jews followed the law and were circumcised, then they too would be righteous.
------However, Abraham was considered righteous because he believed God and had faith that God had the power to do what He promised. Only after God had credited Abraham with righteousness was he then given the covenant or contract of circumcision.
------The Old Testament proves that Abraham was righteous because of his faith, and not because he followed the law. The law didn’t actually even come about until 430 years after Abraham’s death.
2. David - Psalm 32:1-2, Psalm 103:12, Psalm 140:13, Habakkuk 2:4
------David talks over and over again in the Psalms about the day when men will be forgiven of their sins, and a righteousness will be obtained apart from following the law.
------Paul shows us that the purpose of the Old Testament and the Law was to prove to man that we are sinners who desperately need to be saved. With the coming of Jesus and the New Testament, we are no longer under the old contract of works, but under a new contract of grace. It is a new contract to gain a righteousness that is by faith through Jesus Christ.
II. Reasons to Rejoice
------We’ve gained access into God’s grace because of Jesus. With Jesus’ sacrifice, it washes us clean of all sin, just as if we had never sinned. That is why we are able to stand in God’s holy presence. God sees us as perfect as His son. The scriptures tell us that our sin never even reaches God. That is how powerful our faith is to activate the grace that God has given us.
------It is often hard for us to fathom, yet Paul says we need to be strong in the grace. This grace must motivate us to have the same attitude of grace toward our brothers and sisters. We need to have the attitude of God and not hold even one sin against any member of the body.
------This grace should also bring us peace in our relationship with God. It needs to wipe out our thoughts of earning our salvation through our works. Our salvation is based solely on our faith in the grace of God through Christ Jesus. Our life needs to be full of grace, not fear, and it should excite us! We get security, freedom, the hope of God, and the love of God poured out on us because of His amazing grace through Jesus’ reconciliation.
III. New Beginnings
------Because of Adam, sin was introduced into the world, and he was separated from God. When we sin, we are also separated from God. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, he now reconciles us to God, and we are no longer separated.
------Sin came into the world through Adam, but sin stayed in the world because we all choose to sin. The law was added so that we would be held accountable for our sin, and see how much we fall short of the standard of heaven. With Jesus, however, we have the grace of God. This should motivate us to talk about the grace of God in our D-times, when we talk with people in the world, and with each other. The grace of God needs to motivate us to rejoice in the new beginnings we have because of Jesus Christ. | | |
White Pages/Yellow Pages | Maps | Weather
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Link to UpCyberDown!
|
|
|