How to be Right with God (Part 11)

SERMON               GM16-080

SERIES:              Renewal Through Romans: The Gospel Defined, Explained, and Applied

SETTING:          North Kelso Baptist Church

SERVICE:          Sunday AM (April 17th, 2016)

SUBTITLE:        How to be Right with God (Part 11)

SCRIPTURE:     Romans 4:23-25

SUBJECT:          Justification includes all men who believe 

SUMMARY:       Paul explains to his readers that the statement recorded in Genesis 15:6 was not only written for Abraham’s benefit, but it was written for the benefit of his reader’s, including us. Those who believe that God raised up Jesus from the dead for the satisfaction of our sins will also be justified. God will impute righteousness to us who also believe God. This is the only and true means of justification.

SCHEME:           To enable my people to be encouraged in their hope that the promise of God to justify those who believe includes them as Gentiles as well.

SKETCH:          

3A     THE IMPLICATION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (4:23-5:1)

          1B     The Provision of Righteousness is not restricted to the Jews (Vss. 23-25)

                   1C     The Availability of Righteousness (Vss. 23-24a)

                   2C     The Agency of Righteousness (Vs. 24b-25a)

                             1D     The Ruination of Christ by Death

                             2D     The Resurrection of Christ by Decree

                   3C     The Application of Righteousness (Vs. 25b)

[Announce the Text]

Please open your Bibles to Romans 4:22-25

[The Title of Today’s Message is]

How to Be Right with God – (Part 11)

Today’s Truth is: 

Justification includes all men who believe

Prayer for illumination & understanding

Our gracious Father, help us as we hear your holy Word read and taught to truly understand; and with our understanding, that we might believe and believing, we might be in all things faithful and obedient.

So Father we ask you, through your Holy Spirit to open our hearts and our minds for the sake, the honor, and the glory of your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, so that as the Scriptures are read and your Word explained, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. 

We ask you Father to show us all that Christ is and what He has done for us by His atoning work on the cross of Calvary.

Father, will you enable me to clearly communicate the word of God to your people, I ask you for power and unction to preach your word. Amen.

Re-announce and read the text

Our text for today is Romans 4:22-25 

[Main Introduction]

Attention Getter

John Bunyan once wrote, "Indeed this is one of the greatest mysteries in the world - namely, that a righteousness that resides with a Person in heaven should justify me, a sinner on earth." 

John Calvin wrote: “Justification is the main hinge on which salvation turns.”

John Walvord wrote: “Justification. In popular usage this word means showing proper grounds for. In theological context, however, justification is the judicial act of God declaring one to be righteous by imputation of righteousness to him.”

Paul wrote these penetrating and powerful words in chapter one, verse 16-17:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, the Jew first and also for the Gentile, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘the just shall live by faith.’”

Orient the Text:   (CPT) Justification includes all men who believe

This morning I want to speak to you about the extent of justification – or more specifically, the fact that justification is extended to all types of people, both Jews and Gentiles. It is not limited to the Jews. Justification includes all men who believe.

The Jews believed that they were the children of God. They believed this because they traced their linage back to Abraham. They considered him their “Father.” As a result they believed that any one born as a descendant in the line of Abraham made them a child of God.

 In addition to receiving the rite of circumcision and keeping the law, they believed that this connection to Abraham made them a full child of Abraham and therefore it made them fully justified. They also believed that Gentiles were unredeemable and therefore were neither a child of Abraham nor eligible for justification.

Paul has made it very clear that there is a singular and unique qualifier to actually being a child of Abraham. That qualifier is faith. All men, whether Jew or Gentile, who believe, and who place their faith in God are the actual children of Abraham.

When Paul laid down the criteria and guidelines for justification he made it clear that only those who believe are justified. He also made it clear that it was for all men regardless of their race.

Paul also made it very clear that when Moses wrote the words in Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness,” that this was not just for the benefit of Abraham. It was also for the benefit of Paul’s readers in the Roman Church. And it was not just for their benefit either, it was also for our benefit.

We, who are Gentiles in the 21^st century can rest assured in the fact that if we, who are not Jews, believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, we are also children of Abraham and we too will be justified.

Justification includes all men who believe

Raise a Need: (POS)

This is good news to each and every one of us. One of the most pressing questions that many people struggle with is what do they have to do to be saved? As I have mentioned before, we can experience a struggle with our assurance of salvation. Did I do enough? Did I believe enough? Is my faith strong enough? Believers from all flavors of Christianity struggle at one time or another will their security.

Justification includes all men who believe

State the Purpose

My purpose today is to enable you to be encouraged in your hope that the promise that God made to Abraham to justify him by faith extends to all who believe, including you. 

[Sub Introduction]

Paul speaks about the extent and basis for the justification of sinners in Romans 4:23-25. So, join me as we continue to answer the question, How to be right with God?

I refer you this morning to Paul’s assertion that justification includes all men who believe in Romans 4.

Remember we are in a series that is looking at the gospel’s definition, its explanation, and its application. We are currently examining the third major section or division of Paul’s letter to the Roman church. I have called this division, The Provision of Righteousness.

We are seeing in detail that God, in spite of the sin of the human race, God has provided righteousness. He has determined to justify all those who believe in the atoning work of Christ.

Today we want to consider the fact that the justifying aspect of the gospel is available to all men, whether they are Jews or Gentiles if they believe.

Paul wrote the section we are looking at today in order to apply verse 22 to all believers, including those in the Roman church. This application and its message extends to us today.

Last week we studied the final principle in our section we called the Illustration of Righteousness in verses 17-22. This week we are beginning our studies in the third and final point of our section on the illustration of righteousness which I call the implication of righteousness – more specifically what is implied for our spiritual benefit.

Paul now discusses this salvation or justification by faith by making application to the truths that he has been teaching. He now wants to make what he has taught meaningful and practical for his readers. And in doing so he does the same thing for us.

So we need to take note that there are several, at least four (4) major implications regarding the righteousness that has been provided by God for all who believe. Over the next few weeks we will dig deep into those implications and see how they apply to us. 

This first implication is that the promise to Abraham was not written for his benefit alone, IOW, the provision of righteousness is not restricted to the Jews.

So today we move to our third major point in this section called the Provision of Righteousness.  We have looked at the introduction to righteousness and the illustration of righteousness. Now we are going to examine…

3A     The Implication of Righteousness (4:1-5:21)

Paul continues his discussion on this salvation or justification by faith by making application to the truths that he has been teaching. He now wants to make what he taught meaningful and practical for his readers. And in doing so he does the same thing for us.

There are several, at least four (4) major implications regarding the righteousness that has been provided by God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Over the next few weeks we will dig deep into those implications and see how the actually do apply to us,

To kind of wet your whistle these four (4) major implications of the fact that justification is by faith are as follows; it is not restricted to the Jews, it produces tangible results, it was secured by the substitutionary death of Christ, and it was a free gift from God.

So today we will look at the first implication, which is…

1B     The Provision of Righteousness is not restricted to the Jews (4:23-25)

          This is an extremely important implication.

Our theme today is – Justification includes all men who believe

I desire to enable you to be encouraged in your hope that the promise of God to justify all those who believe includes you also.

Interrogatory Sentence:  So, we have to ask ourselves how we know that the promise of Abraham was not made solely to him and that it includes us.

Transitional Statement:  Today’s section of scripture reveals at least three (3) elements that justification is not restricted to the Jews and is available to all who believe. They are as follows; the availability of righteousness, the agency of righteousness, and the application of righteousness.

[So, hang on to your hats and let’s go – let’s examine the first element, which is…]

                   1C     The Availability of Righteousness (Vss. 23-24a)

                             ouk egrafh de di auton monon oti elogisqh autw alla kai

                             di hmas...

“And it was not written for him alone that is was imputed to him, but also for us.”

First – we see that vss. 23-25 are related to all that Paul said in verses 18-22. These verses are clearly and closely related, but they are definitely separate from them. They are in fact a new paragraph.

They are actually Paul’s conclusion of what he has written since verse three (3).

Paul is applying his teaching of Genesis 15:6 to Christians both explicitly and implicitly.

So Paul clearly states his conclusion and then he makes definite application to his readers and ultimately to each one of us.

Second – Paul maintains that the principle stated in verses 23-24 has direct relevance to Christians. The things that had been written by Moses concerning Abraham was not restricted to just Abraham.

Paul’s implication is that the Old Testament speaks to Christians in his day and to us in our day. He makes this point by implying:

·        That Christians share w/Abraham the same basis for justification, which we know is faith, belief, or trust

·        That Christians share w/Abraham the one and same God

·        That faith is the basis for the reckoning by God of righteousness to a believer then and today

·        That faith, as we have seen in detail, is apart from chores, circumstances, or commandments.

·        That justification is a reckoning based on the grace of God alone and by faith alone; sola fide & sola gratia

o   Christians are “those whom it is going to be reckoned”

o   Christians are the ones who believe God raised Jesus

(For example)

§  Romans 8:11 – “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

§  Romans 10:9 – “…that if you confess with your moth the Lord Jesu and believe in your heart that God has raided Him form the dead, you will be saved.”

§  1 Corinthians 6:14 – “And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.”

§  2 Corinthians 4:14 – “knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.”

Remember, this promise is based on the foundation of the promise that God had made to Abraham that Abraham would be the vehicle or the means of blessing to the world. World does not mean every person who ever lived, who was living at the time God promised this, and who would ever live from that day forward. God promised Abraham that God would bless all types, kinds, tribes, and or nations of peoples would be blessed by God – or be the recipient of salvation and blessing.

So, Moses did not write the fact that Abraham was justified through the means or vehicle of faith for his benefit, comfort, or encouragement period, it was also written to be a means of benefit, comfort, and encouragement for each one of us!

It seems that Paul is also alluding here to Isaiah 53 with his reference to “who was delivered up.”

The “Servant” whom we know to be Jesus was delivered up because of their sins. And the one who delivered up and handed over Jesus was clearly God. God handed Jesus over to death so that believers could experience the forgiveness of sins. The promises made to Israel were fulfilled only through the suffering of the servant.

Our lesson here is that the story of Abraham is not just a historical story. It has a direct impact and connection to the Roman believers and to you and me. They key phrase: is “…who believe in him.” Faith is the necessary condition necessary for salvation – not being a Jew, or doing good works, or completing rituals or ceremonies, or even keeping the law.

So – when a man, whether Jew or Gentile believes God, justification takes place.

“Then Jesus cried out and said, ‘He who believes in Me, believed not in Me but in Him who sent me.” (John 12:44, NKJV)

Paul has masterfully harmonized his teaching about justification with the teachings of the OT – which should have been clear to the Jews.

Our theme today is – Justification includes all men who believe

[So, let’s move to the next element in the implication of justification is for all men, and that is…

                   2C     The Agency of Righteousness (Vs.24b)

                             alla kai di hmas ois mellei logizesqai tois pisteuousin

                             epi ton egeiranta ihsoun ton kurion hmwn ek nekrwn

“It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead…”

Here Paul decides to describe believers in two clauses. Both of these clauses ties believers to Abraham.

First clause – believers are said to be by Paul as those “those to whom it was going to be reckoned – IOW, those people who experience the fullness of righteousness that Abraham received when he believed.

IOW, we are no different than Abraham when it comes to justification. We only have to do the same thing that Abraham did, believe, trust, and/or have faith in God.

Secondly – the second clause is just as essential: 

                             1D     The Ruination of Christ by death

os paredoqh dia ta paraptwmata hmwn kai hgerqn dia

                             thn dikaiwsin hmwn

                             “…who was delivered up because of our offenses…”

Do you notice something a little unusual here? Usually believers are said to believe on Jesus Christ. Here Paul states that believers believe in God. There is no problem or discrepancy here, Paul probably did this to tie believers to Abraham. Since Abraham believed God.

So, our faith is the same as Abraham’s and it has the same object as Abraham’s faith – namely, God.

2D     The Resurrection of Christ by Decree

 “…and was raised up…”

Second – believers are those who believe in the one, which is God, who raised up Jesus from the dead.

Not only the aspect of Christ’s death should thrill us, but God raised Jesus up from the dead. So our faith and trust rests in a living savior. The promise was given to Abraham but it was fulfilled in Christ. Since Christ had died, even willingly, to be effective he had to be raised from the dead. God raised Christ from the dead.

  

Charles Hodge gave a good summary when he said this:

With a dead savior, a savior over whom death had triumphed and held captive, our justification had been for ever impossible. As it was necessary that the high priest, under the old economy, should not only slay the victim at the altar, but carry the blood into the most holy place, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat; so it was necessary not only that our great High Priest present his righteousness before God for our justification. Both, therefore as the evidence of the acceptance of his satisfaction on our behalf, and as a necessary step to secure the application of the merits of his sacrifice, the resurrection of Christ was absolutely essential, even for our justification. [1]

So, we have seen the first two elements of the implication of the fact that what was written about Abraham is tied to believers, even to us. Those two elements are the availability of justification to all types or kinds of people and the agency of justification which is the death and resurrection of Christ.

So, we have seen the first two elements of the implication of the fact that what was written about Abraham is tied to believers, even to us. Those two elements are the availability of justification to all types or kinds of people and the agency of justification which is the death and resurrection of Christ.

Our theme today is – Justification includes all men who believe

Now we see the third and final element of the implication of the fact that what was written about Abraham was written for us, and that is… 

                   3C     The Application of Righteousness (Vs. 25b)

kai hgerqh dia thn dikaiwsin hmwn                          

                             “…for our justification…”

We have somewhat of a challenge with this clause. This clause might be a reference to Isaiah 53 just like the first clause may have been. The difficulty lays in the words “raised up for our justification.”

Paul uses a preposition that usually means “because of.” If it is used this way then it gives the idea the somehow our justification was responsible for Christ’s resurrection from the dead.

Christ’s resurrection was not dependent upon our being justified. God would have raised him from the dead regardless. So, this clause should probably be used to give the idea of what commentator called the “prospective reference.”

Jesus was delivered up to death because of our sins and he was raised up for the sake of our justification. Because Jesus was raised from the dead God justifies those who believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ death provides the necessary grounds on which God’s justifying action is able to proceed, so his resurrection, by vindicating Jesus and freeing him forever from death (death couldn’t hold him) provides for the ongoing power over sins experienced by the believer in union with Christ. IOW, the resurrection of Jesus shows that His work on our behalf has been completed, just as He said, “It is finished.”

It was not through the law, the keeping of the law or by any human work that Abraham received the promise and was justified. It was faith in God. Moses recorded that for the sake of the believers in the Roman Church and for our sake.

By using this OT scripture Paul has made it clear that the comforting doctrine of justification is by faith on the basis of God’s free and sovereign grace. This principle is in line with the Old Testament Scriptures of the Jews.

Matthew Henry once said, “In Christ’s death He paid our debt; in His resurrection, He took out our acquittance.” (Our acquittal)

We have seen the first of four (4) implications of the fact that justification includes all men who believe and that is it is not restricted to the Jews.

Next week Lord willing we will look at the second implication and that is it produces tangible results.

Our theme today is – Justification includes all men who believe

My purpose was to enable you to be encouraged in your hope that the promise of God to justify all those who believe includes you also.

 [What do you say we wrap this up?]

[CONCLUSION]

Let me conclude with a quote from John Calvin:

“…a man will be justified by faith when, excluded from righteousness of works, he by faith lays hold of the righteousness of Christ, and clothed in it, appears in the sight of God not as a sinner, but as righteous.”

Amen.

Let’s pray! J

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[1] Charles Hodge, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1963, reprint), p. 129