Romans 3:27-31; 4:1-5 - Justification by Faith Illustrated

SERMON NOTES

Justification by Faith - Illustrated
Romans 4:1-5


Romans 3:27-31 (NKJV)
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,
30 since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Some terms we unpacked last week:

JUSTIFICATION: Used 30 times in the New Testament; 15 times in the Book of Romans. It's a legal term; a forensic term. It means to declare someone righteous, then treat a person based on that declaration.

It does not mean to make someone righteous. It means to declare - not make! It's a proclamation or declaration. It's an act, not a process. It's something God does, not man!

It's God saying, "Not only do I declare you righteous, but based upon that declaration, I'm going to treat you as if you never sinned!"

Just-if-I'd never sinned!

REDEMPTION: It's the language that comes from the slave market. It means to set someone free by paying a price.

PROPITIATION: Only found four times in the Bible - Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10. The word means to appease or satisfy. The Greek word in the Septuagint is translated "Mercy Seat." The mercy seat represented Yahweh’s throne on earth, and His presence resided there.

What does it mean to us: Jesus is the only place that the God of Heaven will meet with mankind on earth! Jesus is our propitiation!

Romans 4:1-5 (NKJV)
1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness


Let's pause for a moment and do a quick review the life of Abraham:

• Abrahamic Covenant - Genesis 12:1-4
• Abram and Sarah in Egypt - Genesis 12:10-20
• Abram and Lot Separate - Genesis 13
• God's Covenant with Abram - Genesis 15:1-6
• Name Changed to Abraham - Genesis 17:1-7
• Circumcision - the Sign of the Covenant - Genesis 17:9-14

Romans 4:3 (NKJV)
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

What is Paul referring to here....

• He's referring to one evening in Abraham's life, when God took him star-gazing! (Genesis 15:5-6)

CONCLUSION ..... HERE'S THE POINT.....

Genesis 15 happened before there was a law, before there was the ritual of circumcision, and before Moses was ever born

So, before there was any type of a standard, whereby people were called on to do this ritual, God imputed a righteousness to Abraham.

Think about this; Abraham was declared righteous before God while he was still a Gentile!

• Abram came from Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 11)
• His father Terah was an idol worshipper (Joshua 24:2)
• Abram had a pagan-Gentile background
• Abram was uncircumcised

But he believed in God, and that Gentile - first Jew - was made right before God without any ritual, without any law, but just by believing.

Conclusion:

Have you accepted Christ as your Savior?