Introduction:
In her book The God Who Hung on the Cross, journalist Ellen Vaughn retells a gripping story of how the Gospel came to a small village in Cambodia. In September 1999, Pastor Tuy Seng (not his real name) traveled to Kampong Thom Province in northern Cambodia. Throughout that isolated area, most villagers had cast their lot with Buddhism or spiritism. Christianity was virtually unheard of.
But much to Seng's surprise, when he arrived in one small, rural village the people warmly embraced him and his message about Jesus. When he asked the villagers about their openness to the gospel, an old woman shuffled forward, bowed, and grasped Seng's hands as she said, "We have been waiting for you for twenty years." And then she told him the story of the mysterious God who had hung on the cross.
In the 1970s the Khmer Rouge, the brutal, Communist-led regime, took over Cambodia, destroying everything in its path. When the soldiers finally descended on this rural, northern village in 1979, they immediately rounded up the villagers and forced them to start digging their own graves. After the villagers had finished digging, they prepared themselves to die. Some screamed to Buddha, others screamed to demon spirits or to their ancestors.
One of the women started to cry for help based on a childhood memory — a story her mother told her about a God who had hung on a cross. The woman prayed to that unknown God on a cross. Surely, if this God had known suffering, he would have compassion on their plight.
Suddenly, her solitary cry became one great wail as the entire village started praying to the God who had suffered and hung on a cross. As they continued facing their own graves, the wailing slowly turned to a quiet crying. There was an eerie silence in the muggy jungle air. Slowly, as they dared to turn around and face their captors, they discovered that the soldiers were gone.
As the old woman finished telling this story, she told Pastor Seng that ever since that humid day from 20 years ago the villagers had been waiting, waiting for someone to come and share the rest of the story about the God who had hung on a cross.
Citation: Doris I. Rosser & Ellen Vaughn, The God Who Hung on the Cross (Zondervan, 2003), pp. 35-37
Series Introduction & Review:
We’ve been going to Jesus’ cross as we work our way to Easter Sunday’s celebration of his resurrection because it is the essence of our gospel message. His death is the central idea of our faith.
So far, we’ve found that Jesus’ death on the cross paid the ransom that sets us free from slavery to sin and Satan. His crucifixion conquered the forces of evil and sets us free from the list of charges against us. On the Cross, as Jesus bled and died, he received the punishment our sins deserved. When Jesus died for us he made it possible for us to become God’s children.
REPENTANCE POINT: How should you change your mind?
Most Americans, even good church going Christians, tend to believe a relationship with God is primarily about going to heaven when you die. Plus, they think that all good moral people will go to heaven.
Thesis:
But the truth is that your relationship with God in this life will determine your destination in the next. Plus, good moral living will not and cannot make anyone’s relationship right with God.
Key Question:
If this is so, how will we establish a right relationship with God?
Text: The answer is found in Romans 3:21-31.
21 But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; 26 it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
Exposition: Let’s dig into these verses to uncover the riches of God’s message for us.
21 But now, [These words look back to the conclusion drawn in verse 20: “No human being will be justified in God’s sight by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.” The moral code can only point out our failures. It cannot make up for them.]
apart from law [apart from living a good moral life], the righteousness of God [righteousness means “a right relationship leading to right behavior”; in that order; of God means we don’t create the relationship or the behavior] has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets [the first part of the Bible we call the Old Testament],
22 the righteousness of God [the right relationship followed by right behavior – both generated by God are available] through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. [Faith, believe, are the same word in the original language; it can also be translated, trust or loyalty; these words together translate the same Greek word focused on a personal relationship established by trust and trustworthiness]
For there is no distinction, [because “No human being will be justified – made right – in God’s sight by deeds prescribed by the law”] 23 since all have sinned [by a corrupt nature, unloving attitudes and rebellious actions] and fall short of the glory of God; [we all fail to live up to the relationship God created us to honor him with]
24 they are now justified [pardoned, forgiven, made right with God, given a right relationship, treated “just-as-if-I-had-never-sinned] by his grace as a gift, [grace means a king’s generous loving gift to a slave who could never repay him; revolutionary idea: grace is extended to God’s ENEMIES not to those who earned it by a special service to him, “God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.” Romans 5:8-10 (NLT)]
through the redemption [purchased freedom for a slave; we are slaves to sin, to Satan, to death and to fear] that is in Christ Jesus, [Jesus pays the ransom that sets us free]
25 whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, [the price paid to restore a right relationship with God; God pays the price, makes the sacrifice; it ALWAYS cost something to restore a relationship – an apology, a sacrifice of pride, a gift, an intensified effort to build the relationship]
It costs God nothing, so far as we know, to create nice things; but to convert rebellious wills cost Him crucifixion.
Citation: C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity, Christianity Today, Vol. 40, no. 9
[all these blessings made possible by Jesus’ death on the Cross – a right relationship with God, being treated as though we had never sinned, God’s generous loving grace and the sacrifice of atonement—are ] effective through faith. [belief in what Jesus did for you, trust in God’s promise to justify you because of Jesus, loyalty to God leading you to live in obedience to Jesus]
He did this to show his righteousness, [his justness; his right behavior] because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; [he did not judge those who committed the sins]
26 it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. [the paradox of grace – God is just AND he declares anyone who believes in and trusts Jesus to be just too, even though we’ve all sinned!]
27 Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law. [we have nothing to brag about because Jesus did all the work on the Cross; his sacrifice convinces us to trust him]
You did not make the cross effective in your life by faith. The cross became effective in our life by purchasing your faith.
Citation: John Piper on Twitter
29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. [since we have all sinned, Jews and Gentiles alike, God will pardon and make right anyone who believes in Jesus]
31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law. [In other words, can we turn God’s grace into a license to act like the moral code doesn’t exist for us? Absolutely not! “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not!” Romans 6:1-2 (NLT)]
REPENTANCE POINT: How should you change your mind?
Most Americans, even good church going Christians, tend to believe a relationship with God is primarily about going to heaven when you die. Plus, they think that all good moral people will go to heaven. But the truth is that your relationship with God in this life will determine your destination in the next. Plus, good moral living will not and cannot make anyone’s relationship right with God.
FIRST STEPS: What are the first steps in this change in your thinking?
1. If you have not been convicted of your sins, ask the Holy Spirit to help you realize your corrupt nature, unloving attitudes and rebellious actions caused Jesus to go to the Cross.
2. Focus your thoughts on Jesus’ sacrifice until you are completely convinced that if you cannot trust the one who died for you, you cannot trust anyone.
3. Confess your need of forgiveness, pardon and justification. Ask God to make them a reality in your life.
4. Commit yourself to following Jesus.
RESPONSE GOAL / INVITATION:
Will you trust Jesus now?
