The Great Acquittal Series

THE GREAT ACQUITTAL

Text: Rom. 3:21-26

Introduction

1. Illustration: Back during the Civil War Era there was a law where a black slave could earn money for his work, and after they had saved up enough money, they could actually buy their freedom from their master. During Sherman’s infamous march to the sea, the army encountered a former black slave who had already purchased his freedom. Apparently, he said to the soldiers, “If I’d have known you gun men were a comin’, I’d of saved my money!”

2. We live in a different era than the Civil War, and we have lived in it for about 2000 years. It’s called the Era of the New Covenant. In this era, we are all slaves, slaves to sin. Unlike the Civil War era, we cannot buy our own freedom, but the good news is we don’t have to, because Jesus has already paid the bill in full!

3. Up until now most of Paul’s letter has focused on the fact that we’re all in the same boat; we are sinners who stand guilty before God.

4. Now Paul talks about the good news. He talks about…

a. Righteousness Of God Revealed

b. Righteousness Of God Received

c. Righteousness Of God Achieved

5. Let’s stand together out of respect for the Word of God as we read Rom. 3:21-26.

Proposition: The bad news is that we are guilty before God; the good news is that Jesus paid the price for our redemption, and now we are acquitted of all our sins by receiving it by faith.

Transition: First, Paul talks about…

I. Righteousness Of God Revealed (21).

A. God Has Shown Us A Way

1. Again, Paul has been telling us how we are all in the same boat in regard to sin, and the fact that we could not please God by keeping the law because we were incapable of keeping it.

2. So, if we are guilty of sin and unable to keep the law what are we supposed to do? Is there no hope for us? Of course not!

3. Look at what Paul says in v. 21, “But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.”

a. With the phrase but now Paul returns to the idea he presented way back in 1:17, the righteousness of God, or as the NLT puts it a way to be made right.

b. Paul tells us in this verse that because of Jesus sacrificial death on the cross a new era, one of salvation, has begun.

c. A historical shift has happened between the old covenant of the law and a new covenant of grace.

d. Based on 1:17, righteousness from God refers to an act of being made right or justifying sinners in God's eyes.

e. This divine act of making us right has now been made known to the human race by the coming of Jesus.

f. Paul also makes it clear that this comes without keep the requirements of the law.

g. In other words, we are not made right with God by keeping the law, or being good, but only through the blood of Jesus shed for us on the cross.

h. Furthermore, Paul adds, that this change is not contrary to the teaching of the OT, but rather they are a fulfillment of the writings of Moses and the Prophets, which was a common way of referring to the entire OT.

i. So, God's plan all along was not for us to struggle to keep the law, or be good in our eyes, but rather that through the saving work of Jesus on the cross that we would be declared right with God again.

B. New Life-Giving Way

1. Illustration: Justification means "just-as-if-I-never-sinned." The doctrine of justification is the foundation that supports all of the other benefits we receive from Christ. -- Erwin W. Lutzer

2. Through the blood of Jesus God has made a new way for us to be made right with him again.

a. Hebrews 10:19-20 (NLT2)

19 And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus.

20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.

b. The old way of being justified and made right with God was if we could possibly keep the law, but we couldn’t keep it!

c. We were destined to be judged by God and sentenced to an eternity in hell.

d. But God! He created a new life-giving way for us to be made right with him again.

e. Now because of what Jesus has done we are in a right relationship with God.