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Sometimes at carnivals you will see what is called a high striker (also known as a strength tester or strongman game). A person is given a mallet, which he uses to hit a lever as hard as he can. When the lever is struck, a puck is sent up a tower. If the lever is struck with enough force, the puck will rise high enough to hit a bell.
High strikers are usually used to impress others (maybe a date, maybe a group of friends). But they can often end up embarrassing a person. A young man might discover he’s not as strong as he thought he was. He doesn’t have what it takes to make that bell ring.
Today we are starting a new series called “You Don’t Have What It Takes.” This series is about three things you will never be able to do no matter how hard you try:
• You can’t be good enough.
• You can’t control the future.
• You can’t please everyone.
You can try to be good enough to win a place in heaven. You can try to control the future. You can try to please everyone. You can pick up your mallet and swing with all your strength. But you will always fail.
There is good news, though. When we finally admit that we don’t have what it takes, we free ourselves to find help from God.
YOU WILL NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH
The Apostle Paul was a person who discovered that he wasn’t good enough—even though, compared to others, his life was very impressive.
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless (Philippians 3:4-6).
Today, people have their own Christian list of accomplishments: (1) I was born into a Christian family. (2) I was baptized when I was a child. (3) I have been a church member for 40 years. (4) I give ten percent of my income to the church. (5) I have served on church boards and committees. (6) I never miss a church service.
I can never gain God’s approval by what I DO or what I DON’T DO.
• Abraham – “I am nothing but dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27).
• Isaiah – “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5).
• Peter – “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luke 5:8).
• Paul – “Christ Jesus came to save sinners—of whom I am the worst” (1 Timothy 1:15).
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin (Romans 3:20).
OUR NEED: JUSTIFICATION
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith (Philippians 3:7-9).
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood (Romans 3:21-22).
1. Justification is God’s declaration that a sinner is RIGHTEOUS in His sight.
The word “justify” in the NT (Gk. dikaioo) has a range of meanings, but a very common sense is “to declare righteous.” For example, we read in Luke 7:29 that “even the tax collectors justified God.” The tax collectors did not make God to be righteous. Rather they declared God to be righteous.
The opposite of justification is condemnation. To “condemn” someone is to declare that person guilty. To justify someone is to declare that person not guilty. Paul writes, “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns?” (Romans 8:33-34). God’s people cannot be condemned (declared to be guilty) because they have been justified (declared to be not guilty). “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
2. Justification is by GRACE alone.
God’s “grace” means His “unmerited favor.” Because we are completely unable to earn favor with God, the only way we can be declared righteous is if God freely provides salvation for us by grace, totally apart from our works. Paul explains, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace is clearly put in contrast to works as the reason why God is willing to justify us.
3. Justification is through FAITH alone.
“We have been justified through faith” (Romans 5:1). Why did God choose faith as the means by which we receive justification? Why did God not decide to give justification to all those who show love? Or who show joy? Or humility?
It is apparently because faith is the one attitude of heart that is the exact opposite of depending on ourselves. When we come to Christ in faith we essentially say, “I give up! I will not depend on myself or my own good works any longer. I know that I can never make myself righteous before God. Therefore, Jesus, I trust You and depend on You completely to give me a righteous standing before God.”
4. Justification is possible because God can CREDIT Christ’s righteousness to us.
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
“Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him” (Romans 4:1-8).
Three times in Scripture we find the idea of God crediting guilt or righteousness to someone else:
• When Adam sinned, his guilt was credited to us. God saw Adam’s sin as belonging to us.
• When Christ suffered and died on the cross, our sin was credited to Him. God saw our sin as belonging to Christ.
• When we put our faith in Christ, His righteousness is credited to us. God sees Christ’s righteousness as belonging to the believer.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
BUT AREN’T GOOD WORKS IMPORTANT?
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? (James 2:14).
You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone (James 2:24).
The word “justify” has a range of meanings:
• Paul: “justify” = DECLARE to be righteous.
God declares us to be righteous by GRACE through FAITH.
• James: “justify” = SHOW to be righteous.
We show ourselves to be righteous by our WORKS.
INVITATION
Has there ever been a time in your live when you admitted to God, “I’m not good enough”?
