Title: Justification, Regeneration, Sanctification, Faith
Theme:
Text: Romans 3:23, 24
Romans 3:23-24 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
Introduction
As you can see we have a basketball goal in the sanctuary. I am a basketball fan and the Lord showed me an illustration through this. How do you score points in basketball? Do you get style points? Do you get miss points?
There is only one way and that is to get it through the hoop.
Over the last few weeks we have taking about Laying a Foundation. As we learned from Matthew 7:24,25 a foundation is important.
Declaration of Faith no. 5 “We believe that justification, regeneration, and the new birth are wrought by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ
Last week we said that ,"All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Every man woman and child is full and infested with sin. No matter who their parents were or how much tithes they pay it is still there. We also know that Romans 6:23 reads , "For the wages of sin is death." So with this sin we all deserve death. Sin cannot be a part of the almighty God. Sin has to separate. Which also means that with sin in our lives we cannot be a part of God.
God understood this. But God also is a merciful and kind and loving so in this he found a way that we could come before him. Tonight let us look at that way. The answer to all the sin in this world. Let us also remember that it is not mans answer to God but God's answer to man.
I. Justification - Romans 3:24
So what is the answer.
It is a word that we used called justification. To justify means to "declare righteous". To make righteous. "Justification is being accounted righteousness before God; the sinner puts on the righteousness of Jesus Christ and God sees him perfect in the righteousness of Christ." It is the ,"judicial act of God where by those who put faith in Christ are declared righteous in His eyes, and free from guilt and punishment."
With this includes:
A. The forgiveness of sin and the removal of guilt and punishment.
Acts 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men [and] brethren, that
through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things,
from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
B. Christ righteousness is imparted into us and now we are heirs with him.
Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of
Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is
no difference:
This all happens by faith in God(Romans 8:33) who is the means of our justification through his grace(Romans 3:24) and by the blood(Romans 5:9) and resurrection(Romans 4:25) of Christ.
How do we know we are justified?
James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had
offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Sees you how faith wrought
with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture
was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto
him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
When we are justified we become as Christ. We are no longer as our selves but we are new creatures.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The word we use is called regeneration.
II. Regeneration – Ezekiel 36:26, Romans 12:1,2
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Regeneration is the creation by the Holy Spirit of a new life in man called the new birth
A. Who needs regeneration or rebirth
Everyone John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God.
How are we regenerated?
1. God's word
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for
ever.
2. The holy spirit
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter
into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh;
and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to first convict the sinner and then to convert him-to do the actual work of bringing him into the kingdom of God.
C. Evidences
1. a righteous life
1 John 2:29 If ye know that he is righteous, you know that every one
that does righteousness is born of him.
2. No longer live a life of sin
1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his
seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
3. Fulfill the command of love
1 John 4:7. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and
every one that loves is born of God, and knows God.
4. an overcoming life
1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this
is the victory that overcomes the world, [even] our faith.
5. Believes in Jesus as Christ the son of the living God
1John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
III. Sanctification - set apart – 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4
1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; (4) that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; (4) that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,
"Sanctification" is only used about six times in the New Testament. It means to purify. Most Christians use this word to talk about their Christian growth. In this sense, sanctification means to grow holier or spiritually purer.
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. Romans 6:22
There is no doubt that we are to grow in this way. But this may not be the most accurate usage of this word in the New Testament. It seems that sanctification has two aspects. Firstly, there is its judicial aspect. In the eyes of God the reconciled, regenerated adopted child of God is sanctified (made holy) by virtue of Christ. This sense of sanctification is therefore a past event. The second sense of the word is the practical aspect. This sense of sanctification is therefore a present event.
I Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people (peculiar people), that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
peculiar – purchased, chosen, set apart
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2 MSG So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
IV. Faith - Hebrews 11:1
How do we receive all that we have spoken of above? By faith
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (Galatians 2:16 AV)
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus. (Romans 3:26 AV)
And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: (Romans 1:4-5 AV)
Faith is belief, trust, fidelity, or loyalty to a creed or religion. Faith is not just a religious term in that people put there faith in many things. The most important purpose of it being a religious term are whether or not we place them in eternal things.
Faith is not a blind act of doing something but it is trust. Trust in the God of the scriptures and Jesus Christ his son.
Is faith important?
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 AV)
A. #1: A Personal Belief, Mental Acceptance & Acknowledgement Of God's Existence:
B. #2: A conduct or work inspired by the compete surrender to mental acceptance:
C. #3: A trusting or trustworthiness: (pistis)
D. #4: The System Of Doctrine And Morality Peculiar To Christianity:
