How Salvation Work Series

Romans 3:21-31

Getting on the Same Page as God about How Salvation Works

Introduction

A. I am the first to admit that the last several weeks have been really tough to deal with

B. The couple of weeks remind me of a story in Readers Digest.

a. A Car was pulled over by the police. The police say can I see your license and registration. The guy responds “MAYBE I COULD SHOW YOU IF I ACCTUALLY HAD TAKEN A TEST AND GOTTEN ONE”.

b. The lady in the front seat hit him and apologized to the police man saying “DON’T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO HIM, HE ALAWYS ACTS LIKE THAT WHEN HE IS DRUNK”

c. Just then a guy in the back seat wakes up and says “OH NO, I KNEW WE SHOULT HAVE STOLEN THIS CAR”

d. Then there was a knock form the truck “ARE WE ACROSS THE BORDER YET?”

C. Ever feel sins just keep pilling up? That is the way I have felt after the first three ½ chapters of Romans.

D. Fortunately for us, today I don’t have to start with the preference I love You guys and don’t blame me it is in the Bible

E. Both of those are still true, but today we have good news

F. Today we are going to learn about How Salvation Works, specifically

a. Free

b. Forgiveness

c. For All

I. Free (21-22)

A. Explanation

1. The law was limiting in many ways, one of the main was it was only offered to some

2. We also learned last week that the law could not declare anyone righteous

3. We often kick around the work righteous, but what does it actually mean?

4. To be righteous is to be not guilty of any sin.

5. To be totally sin free

6. We have just spend about a month learning how we are guilty guilty guilty

7. Paul certainly proves his point, what he says here is amazing

8. Despite how guilty we are, despite how bad we are

9. There is a way

10. Even better then that it is FREE!

B. Illustration

1. Miner Story: There was a preacher who was trying to explain all this to a Coal Miner. The coal miner said that’s great preacher how much is it gonna cost me. NOTHING, IT IS FREE. What are the hidden costs? NONE. What about shipping and handling, NONE. I don’t get it how can it be free.

2. The preacher asks the miner how he got to the mind today. Miner said simple I drove to work, parked my car, took the elevator down 200 feet and away I went. HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR THE ELVATOR? Nothing. SOMEONE HAD TO PAY FOR THE ELVATOR.

C. Application

1. How can we apply this to our lives

2. We are skeptical at anyone who tries to offer us something for free

3. We also ask what is the catch, how much will I owe, what do I have to buy.

4. Folks, there is nothing!

5. This is free!

6. Absolutely totally free

7. How do you become righteous – free from sin?

8. Read vs. 22. Come through faith

9. Does not cost anything

10. This is God’s gift to us

II. Forgiven (23-26)

A. Explanation

1. Let us move to the forgiveness aspect

2. When you start to think about that forgiveness that God ask their come to my mind two questions that have to be asked how and why.

3. How does forgiveness happen, and why does God do it

a) First how, look at verse 25a. In order for salvation to happen, their had to be a price

b) Now before you start thinking that I am contradicting myself after we just got done talk about freely let me explain

c) While it does not cost us anything it cost God a lot

(1) Let me try and relate. In kindergarten a girl was cheating off my paper, while the teacher found out that one of us was cheating. I know it was not I, but I was willing to stand guilty for her. The teacher then told my mom and my mom found out and eventually got the whole situation under control. My mom loved me so much that she did not want me to be punished unfairly

(2) Do not think for a minute that God does not feel the same way about His Son Jesus.

d) However, He allowed Jesus so go on that cross, and hang their for all the sins of the world, past present and future

e) We are not talking about taking blame for one sin that happened in kindergarten; we are talking about taking the sins on for the whole entire world.