Romans Chapter 3-4
A. Chapter
3 & 4: God?s Righteousness Revealed in Justification
1.
Introduction
a.
All are guilty
1) In
the eyes of the law (3:19-23)
2) By
sinning (3:23)
a)
Not in the general sense like Adam but in the personal sense
3) By
falling short of God?s glory (3:23)
a)
The impossibility of Man?s plight is that the charge against him is personal
and eternal. How can the finite man attain the glory of the perfect, infinite
God.
b. God?s
righteousness revealed in his wrath (1:18-2:16)
1) Now,
revealed in his Son (3:22)
2.
Justification
a.
Made right verses declared right
b. Witnessed
by the Law and Prophets (3:21)
c.
Is a buying back for freedom (3:24)
d. Jesus
given to be a satisfaction of God?s requirements not an appeasement of God?s
anger (3:25)
1) Like
the Judgment Seat on the Ark of the Covenant becoming the Mercy Seat after the
sprinkling of blood by the High Priest
e.
Passing over of all sins before the cross, revealing God?s righteousness
in the present (3:25-26)
f.
By the Law of Faith (3:37)
1) Not
showing that there are two laws
2) Faith
has always been the way
3) There
is no boasting in this law for there are no deeds to be done
a)
Man is justified apart from deeds (3:28)
4) God
is the god of both Jews and Greeks (3:29 ? 30)
5) We
don?t make the law void, they establish it (3:31)
3.
Example of Justification by Faith
a.
In light of all this, what about Abraham? (4:1,2)
1) He
believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness (4:3)
a)
What is ?it??
(1) If ?it? is Abraham?s
belief isn?t that a work?
(2) What if ?it? is
more the complete trust that you can?t do anything but trust that he?ll save
you?
(a) Like a drowning
man reaching out to the lifeguard.
b)
Idea of getting paid for work (4:4-5)
(1) It?s what we are
due to us?but God doesn?t owe us anything
(2) We don?t get paid
for our work, we have faith then he saves then we work
2) Abraham
believed first and was circumcised later as a sign or seal of his faith (4:9-12)
3) We
are children of promise through faith (4:13-17)
a)
The children were of promise and he believed ((4:17-22)
(1) Abraham believes
and in the test of old age to fulfill the promise he keeps working and not wavering
in faith?that being strengthened
(2) With this faith
he is able to perform and it was accounted to him for righteousness (4:22)
(3) It was written
for us as well because it shall be imputed to us who believe (4:23-25)
(a) Not a far
distant future impart but an imminent impute?coming right up.
4.
Conclusion
a.
God is the one who makes a way available to be saved
b. God
is the one who justifies
c.
We are the ones who employ faith?not a belief system which we actively
participate in but a complete trust that he is the only one who can and will
save us
1) The
fluffiness of Lordship Salvation is that it automatically assumes that a person
must claim their savior to be Lord of their lives. False. A drowning man needs
a savior?later on, he?ll give that savior the position of honor he is due.