“DOING THE RIGHT THING” “CHRIST TOOK OUR PUNISHMENT”

Services

Sunday
10:30 AM Worship Service

Wednesday
6:30 PM Bible Study

Feb. 19, 2023

“DOING THE RIGHT THING”

“CHRIST TOOK OUR PUNISHMENT”

ROMANS 3:21-31



*God’s Righteousness Is Available


“Justification” is an act of God whereby He declares believing sinners righteous in Christ on the basis of the finished work of Christ on the cross.


*Justification Explained- Christ Took Our Punishment


  1.   The Righteousness Of God


Romans 3:21-22 “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference.”


*Salvation is a transfer of righteousness


Our righteousness is as filthy rags:


Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.”


Christ has become our righteousness:


1 Corinthians 1:30 “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”


2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”



Romans 3:21 “revealed” or made known, manifest, appear, shine, light up, much like the rising of the sun.


Galatians 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”


2 Peter 1:1 “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:”


vs.21 “being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets…”


Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”


Isaiah 53:10 “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.”


*Faith In Christ


Ephesians 2:8-9


2.   God’s Grace


Romans 3:23-24 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”


“Grace” vs.24- favor, cause of delight, the goodness of God toward us as sinners.


1 Peter 1:18-19


3.   Christ’s Sacrifice


Romans 3:25 “Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.”


“Propitiation”-in human terms it means appeasing someone who is angry, usually by a gift. But in the Bible, the Greek word is “hilasterion”- it means the satisfying of God’s holy Law, the meeting of its just demands, so that God can freely forgive those who come to Christ.


Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”


John 3:16, Romans 5:8


Hebrews 9:13-14


vs.25 “…by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.”





1 Peter 1:19 “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 


1 John 2:2 “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”


1 John 4:10 “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”


4.   God Is Just


Romans 3:26 “To demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”


5.   Paul’s Questions- Romans 3:27-31


  • “Where Then Is Boasting?”


Romans 3:27-28 “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.”


We are saved by only trusting in what God has done for us.


Ephesians 2:8-10


1 Corinthians 1:29 “That no flesh should glory in His presence.”


Why does God save us by faith alone? 1. Faith eliminates the pride of human effort because faith is not a work that we do. 2. Faith exalts what God has done, not what people do. 3. Faith admits that we can’t keep the Law or measure up to God’s standards, we need help. 4. Faith is based on our relationship with God, not our performance for God.


  • “Is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also?”


Romans 3:29-30 “Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 30since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.”


Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one!”


Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”


  • “Do we then nullify the Law through faith?”


Romans 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”


“Void”- nullify, to render useless, to reduce to nothing. 


God’s question is, “what will you do with My Son who died for you on the cross?