The Turning Point(2013) Series

THE TURNING POINT

Romans 3:21-31

The message of Romans get more fun at this point. The accumulated bad news that makes the good news worth hearing.

This morning we begin to add in the good news. THE GOOD GOD HAS DONE IN RESPONSE TO OUR BAD.

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH is our topic today and actually the central message of Romans.

I recently read that EVERY REVIVAL IN THE LAST 500 YEARS has directly related to the rediscovery of the DOCTRINE of JUSTIFICATION by FAITH. That basically means that we have no hope of standing right before God in our own good works but only by FAITH in one good work. The truth is that works save us, just not ours, one work done on our behalf when Christ died upon the cross to make the payment for our debt of sin.

We live in a culture that does not see themselves that as sinners. The Word of God has been so removed that most think that they will get to heaven someway. Being a good person, doing religious works, because God wouldn’t send somebody to hell.

GOD SENDS NOONE TO HELL. IF YOU WANT TO GET TO HELL YOU HAVE TO CRAWL OVER ALL THAT GOD HAS DONE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME INCLUDING THE SACRIFICE OF HIS OWN SON!!! He doesn’t send us to hell we choose it. The only thing God does do is to not force a person into heaven. We all make our own choice.

SIX STATEMENTS REGARDING JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH:

To help us gain an understanding of what God has really done for us.

When He found us in our sinful condition how did He solve our dilemma.

(21) But now APART FROM THE LAW the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the LAW and the prophets.

(22) even the righteousness of God THRU FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST for all those who believe; for there is no distinction.

(23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

(24) being justified as a gift(freely) by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.

David Dykes pastor of Green Acres BC in Tyler says that when he was in seminary he was given the assignment of studying 8 sermons from a Billy Graham crusade. He was to see how many times Romans 3:23 was quoted. ‘For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God’. In one crusade it was quoted 56 times.

This morning I want to look at three very important words:

Justification, Redemption and Propitiation

JUSTIFICATION IS APART FROM THE LAW:

(21) But now APART FROM THE LAW the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the LAW and the prophets.

Paul has spent all this time showing us the purpose of the Law.

The Jew’s mistake was thinking the Law was given to make us righteous. Pharisees even added additional things.

The LAW was actually given to show us that righteousness is IMPOSSIBLE unless is it given by God. IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Some make the same mistake with SERMON ON MOUNT or the Ten Commandments,

The Sermon on the Mount is the amplification of the Law.

It makes it very clear that no one can stand there and say I AM WITHOUT GUILT. (Schoolmaster, Tutor):

Did you know that Charlie Chaplin once entered a Charlie Chaplin look alike contest and came second. Amazing, the judges could not tell the authentic Chaplin from the imposter. But similarly, a lot of Christians don’t know the gospel or cannot recognize it.

Many have heard about forgiveness but not repentance.

They have heard the call to believe but not the command to obey.

They know about heaven but not about discipleship.

(21) But now APART FROM THE LAW the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the LAW and the prophets.

JUSTIFIED: Means that I am ‘right standing to the laws I am responsible to’. An American Citizen with no outstanding warrants is in good standing with the government. Paul has shown that all of us are outlaws, have outstanding warrants against us that declare our guilt. Justification does not mean that we are without sin but that we are declared sinless. Our account is clear, we are guiltless.

If you have a name and a mailbox then you are probably pretty used to getting credit card offers. Visa, Mastercard, Chase, Bank of America, American Express. They seem to constantly come. They usually offer you a special fee for an ‘account transfer’. You can take what you owe on other cards and transfer those debts to a new card. They may or may not be a good idea. The problem is that you may have a new card but your name is still on the debt. I am still waiting for the credit card offer that allows me to transfer all my credit card debt to somebody else’s account.