Opening comments
If we are in Christ, if we trust in Him alone, we have His righteousness credited to our account. When God looks at us, He sees the righteousness of Christ and no longer deems us guilty, and He will remember our sins no more. This is the good news — that we who by no means could earn God’s favor have been freely granted it on the basis of Christ’s finished work alone, and it is ours to believe that God has done this through His Son Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
How not to be Justified
There was an artist who painted a picture of a part of the city where he lived. He wanted to include in this picture, certain characters well known in the town. There was a street sweeper who was always seen in his public appearance as really grubby looking, with a dirty hat, dirty coat and old baggy pants . This man was part of the ambiance of the town. So the artist looked him up and told him that he would pay him well if he would pause in his workday long enough so that the artist’s painting could properly depict him . The man agreed, so the next day, the artist went out to meet the street sweeper and when he saw him he turned around and went back to his studio, totally disappointed. Because the man had washed his face, combed his hair, donned a top hat, and had put on a suit of clean clothes. The artist needed him as the poor dirty ragged old street sweeper that he really was, and not as a false representation of someone that the city's residents would not recognize. Actually, God wants us to come to him just as we are. There is no amount of cleanup we can do, and God does not look upon that with any favor, in fact it disappoints him, that anyone even thinks he can improve on what Christ’s finished work has done to save our souls.
Pg.1
Opening Prayer
Dear God, We do truly believe that it is the gift of Jesus, Your Son, whose life was given for our salvation, that has credited our account with perfect righteousness. Your very own words tell us that Jesus died to save our souls. And because of Jesus’ finished work we have only to believe and we shall spend eternity in Heaven We pray that no word be spoken here tonight that is contrary to your will and that this study will add substance to our belief and strengthen our faith…. Amen.
Scripture reading Romans 4: 1-8
Rom 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them."
Discussion
Paul brings up Abraham because the Jews revered Abraham as the father of their nation and their faith. Many Jews assumed that Abraham was right with God, because of his life of obedience to God. It was a short step from that assumption for the Jews to believing that any Jew who follows Abraham’s example of obeying God would be accepted by God.
Paul is teaching us here that We Christians should not confuse obedience to God with being the way to our salvation. Although obedience to His word is what God desires of us, there is a danger in the fact of our belief about our own righteous obedience.
If we are dependent upon God to save us because of our own righteousness, we are in deep trouble, and deserving of nothing from God. We can become enamored with our own righteousness and rely on our own good works to earn our salvation, and in so doing we can lose sight of the saving grace of God. It is incumbent upon each one of us to understand that God desires of us to have an abiding faith that it is Jesus who saves us, and not we ourselves
Questions
Q.1 How was it that Abraham became justified before God?
Q.2 What did Abraham’s Faith do for him?
Q.3 Is obedience to God a prerequisite to our salvation?
Q.4 Of the two thieves crucified with Jesus, one was promised paradise, and the other not, why?
Q.5 How does one acquire the blessedness of which David speaks in verses 7 & 8?
Pg.2
Scripture reading Romans 4: 9-12
9. Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
Discussion
The mind of man naturally finds faith alone as the way to God an unlikely way to salvation. For the Christian, doing good is a concept that most of the world understands as that which equates to righteousness, and it follows that righteousness should earn our salvation. Do you agree? The true happiness of forgiveness of sins and a clear account before God has been credited “apart from works” (4:6). That then leads to the logical "next" question ‘If it is not by works that God gives this blessing then surely it is due to one’s religious heritage.
Most Jews of that day thought that God was for them and against the Gentiles. But God shows grace to the circumcised and also to the uncircumcised—the Gentile. And a Gentile does not need to become a Jew in order to be accepted by God. The living God created Jew and Gentile; and as Redeemer, He saves Jews and Gentiles as well, through the righteousness of Christ. Neither circumcision, baptism, church membership, nor works make for ones justification before God.
Questions
Q.1 Why does Paul want to bring up the question about circumcision?
Q.2 Abraham and his descendants were to be circumcised, why? Read Genesis 17:9-14
Q.3 What do church membership and baptism have in common?
Q.4 Why did the Jews think that works were beneficial for justification before God.
Gen 17: 9-14 Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner--those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."
Pg.3
Who Are The Justified ?
A. THE JUSTIFIED CANNOT EARN SALVATION.
Paul clearly spells it out, “to the one who does not work….” If you try to blend your works with God’s grace, you fail to grasp what Christ’s work has done for you. If you believe it takes effort to earn your salvation, that alone will make Christ’s sacrifice for your sins irrelevant. If we have to work for it, then God would owe us our salvation because we earned it, and that makes God a debtor to us. God is Merciful and Mighty, and is a debtor to none. You cannot do anything to earn your salvation, it is the gift from God in Christ Jesus.
Q. What is meant by” one who does not work”?
B. THE JUSTIFIED ARE SINNERS
God justifies only one kind of person: the repentant, sinner. If you begin to determine for yourself who is deserving of God's mercy, you remove yourself from those for whom Christ died “There is none righteous, not even one.” We all fall short of the glory of God. We must be repentant true believers. That makes us recipients of God’s free grace, because we rely on the finished work of Jesus to provide for our justification.
Q. Who are the unrepentant sinners?
C. THE JUSTIFIED SHARE CHRISTS BLOOD AS SALVATION .
Faith means taking God at His word when He promises to justify the true believer who has faith in Jesus. You trust God’s promise that “while we were yet sinners, at the right time Christ died for us. And God will forgive our wickedness and remember our sins no more.
Q. Have you ever been lost and without help?
D. THE JUSTIFIED ARE PRESENTED BEFORE GOD AS RIGHTEOUS BY JESUS.
If justification were based on how righteous we were in actual conduct, then as Paul says “there would be none righteous, not even one”. We will always have some indwelling sin. We need Christ’s perfect righteousness credited to our account. That transaction takes place the instant that we become a true believer in Jesus’ finished work of our salvation.
2 Cor. 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Q. What has the finished work of Jesus has done for you ?
Pg.4
Meditation
Faith is something we exercise, but Paul does not consider it a work in the same way that obedience to the law is. Works involve the bringing of what we do to God and saying that we deserve justification. Faith involves the admission that nothing we can do makes us deserving of salvation. Our best efforts to serve God cannot earn our salvation. Jesus has already finished our salvation and that part of our life has been settled.
If you are a believer, you have been justified. You are one who believes what God has done for you has saved your soul, and when you die, you will stand in judgment, and be declared justified. A true believer is one who lives that promise as if it were already accomplished because it has been. It was accomplished some 2000 years ago on a cross at the very moment of Jesus speaking the words "It is finished" That means that Jesus Christ has prepaid your debt. Your sins have been stricken from the book of life, and God will remember them no more. God has determined that He will not regard you as the guilty sinner that you are but as His spotless, perfect child. In this simple process are displayed all the wonders of the love, grace, and mercy of our redeeming God.
To help us understand what that means, the apostle brought in the example of Abraham in chapter four. Before the Law was given, Abraham was justified by faith. He was declared to be acceptable to God. He was God's friend. Abraham didn't earn that. He was given that right at the beginning of his relationship with God, when he believed God. That is what faith means. When Abraham believed that God could and would do what he had promised, Abraham was declared the friend of God and he entered into that close relationship with God that characterized his life.
Then, Paul says, there is a way by which you can test whether you really do believe that and have been justified by faith: Since we have been justified by faith, the sure result is that we have peace with God. As you think about your life and your relationship with God, if you really have believed that God justifies the ungodly, you will have peace with God. You are in the family of God. You are at peace with him.
If you have peace with God, you have an answer to the accusation of your own conscience when you sin. What do you say to your accusing conscience that says to you then, Could you possibly be a Christian and act like this? That is where justification by faith comes in. You remind yourself: My standing and my acceptance by God does not depend upon me. Even my sin doesn't cancel it out. The whole essence of this truth is that God has found a way to put aside my sin, by faith in the work of his beloved Son on my behalf. In that truth, Lord, I confess my sin, and put my trust in you.
Closing Prayer:
God forgive us for even giving thought to earning our salvation. Grant us the grace to accept who we are, no more than just a common sinner, without hope of reconciliation with You except we come just as we are to You through or faith in Jesus, Help us we pray to become true believers, We pray now for those of our acquaintance who are suffering health issues________ Give these our friends and loved ones The strength and comfort of your healing presence. Grant us thy peace as we leave this place and bring us back together next week. In Jesus name we pray Amen.
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Paul's Letter to the Romans Ch.3 session 6
Pg.1
Opening Prayer
Father God, we come here tonight to Study the words of Paul as given to us in his letter to the church in Rome. We pray that no word be spoken here tonight that is not in accordance with your will and that you will impart to us those matters You would have us learn from this study. We pray that your peace and comfort be with those of us who are sick or disabled or otherwise disposed and cannot be here tonight. We ask that you share our blessing with them. Lead us now and give us understanding as we study the teachings of Paul, The word of God.. In Jesus Name we pray Amen
Justification by Faith
Justification by faith was the great truth that ultimately led the church to alter our belief in being reconciled to God. Because Christians are justified by faith alone, their standing before God is not in any way related to personal merit. In Jesus’ day, the Jews gave great credit to works and personal righteousness. But now we believe that good works and personal righteousness do not provide the grounds for acceptance with God. God receives as righteous those who believe, not because of any good thing He sees in them—not even because of His own sanctifying work in their lives—but solely on the basis of Christ's righteousness, which is reckoned to their account. "To the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness" (Romans 4:5). That is justification. However, to some who strive to be righteous in all they do, it is not quite that simple.
Scripture Study
Rom 3:21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood--to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Discussion
What is Justification? justification is the doctrine that God pardons, accepts, and declares a sinner to be "just" on the basis of Christ's righteousness (Rom 3:24-26); which results in God's peace (Rom 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ), His Spirit (Rom 8:4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.), and salvation. Justification is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ apart from all works and merit of the sinner.
Were it not for The Grace and Mercy of God, there is no escaping the consequence of our sin. But because there is God's Justification, and because we are made righteous by the sacrifice of His Son our Lord Jesus the Christ, there has been a way laid open for us. Jews and Gentiles alike are welcomed to God through Christ.
Discussion cont. Pg.2
There is no difference, his righteousness is upon all that believe. It is free grace, God’s unmerited mercy; there is nothing in us to deserve such favors. It is plain that God hates sin, when nothing less than the blood of Christ would atone for it. And it would not agree with His justice to demand the debt, when His Son has paid it. Jesus Christ is our surety. God's justice then, has been satisfied, our sins He will remember no more, The slate has been wiped clean. There can be no charge brought against anyone who through faith in Christ has accepted Him as Savior. Man is Justified by faith in what God has done for him through Christ.
Q.1 Redeem means to buy back or pay ransom. How does this apply to our justification? Q.2 What is it, that you did which qualified you for your relationship with Christ? Q,3 Is every righteous person deserving of justification? Why or why not ? Q.4 Consider the two thieves crucified with Christ, why was one justified and the other not?
Where is our boasting
The basis on which we as Christians live, is such that we are represented to God by His Son our Lord and Savior as righteous. But the truth is we are constantly needing forgiveness from the hand of God. because we often find ourselves filled with pride and acting in arrogance, being critical and resentful, and because of Christ, our relationship to a holy God is not affected. He still accepts us and highly values us. That is what God's gift of righteousness through Christ means to us. The God of ultimate holiness, has accepted us in the Beloved, and we stand on the same ground of worth that Jesus himself has. He is our righteousness.
Scripture Study
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Discussion
Justification by faith alone does not overthrow the law; rather, it upholds the law’s purpose in justification. The law tends to lead man to Christ by showing him his iniquity; and without this it cannot be fulfilled, and in vain will it require what ought to be done. The law leads us to Jesus Christ, it does not drive us to him, The belief of our faith is ours to define.
Paul Asks Three Questions
Paul’s First question: Who can boast? No one, absolutely no one. How can you boast when everyone receives the gift of grace without any merit on his part? This means that any ground for self-righteousness is done away with, and this is why the ugliest sin among Christians is self-righteousness.
Q. 1 Considering this question, how does this apply to the Pharisees?
Q. 2 Would this question apply to Christians today?
Pg.3
Paul's second question: Is anyone excluded from grace, Jew or Gentile? The answer is no. God has no most-favored-nation; there is only one God; Therefore he is equally the God of all mankind, no one can stand redeemed aside from the work of Jesus Christ.
Q. 1 Aren’t the Jews God’s chosen people, how does that change?
Q. 2 What of entire races of people who do not believe there is a God, or that have other gods ?
Paul's third question: Does this cancel out the Law? No, it fulfills the Law. The righteousness which the Law demands is that which has been given to us in Christ. So if we have it as a gift, the demands of the Law are met. Still when we sin the law shows us the error of our ways, and points us again towards the Christian life we have been justified into. And unlike the other thief on the cross, the Christian accepts the remaking of our lives that Christ’s work has accomplished. We do not reject Christ, and we are sorrowful for our misdeeds and need forgiveness again. This process is always at work in the life of the Christian, the “True Believer”.
Q. 1 Does this mean that we can continue to sin and just ask for forgiveness?
Q. 2 The Christian is dead to sin and alive in Christ. Give us your best explanation of that?
Q. 3 Why do you think people object to the teaching that they can do nothing whatsoever to bring about their justification before God?
Q. 4 What must one do to become justified by faith?
To truly and humbly believe that Jesus Christ died to absolve you of all your sins, both now and forever This is one of the most precious truths in all of scripture. When we are saved, God first and foremost changes our status. He looks at the shed blood of Christ and regards his death as the perfect work, the perfect sacrifice, that covered all of our sins—past, present, and future. We are justified—to use Paul’s language—even while we are sinners, even while we are continually falling short of God’s glory. In other words, our salvation does not depend on our works. There is no work we can do to get ourselves saved and no work we can do to keep ourselves saved. We are declared righteous before God our judge because Christ has paid the price for our sin. It’s that simple. Once and for all time.
Scripture readings
Q.1 What is the source of our Justification? Turn to page 4 Read #1
Q.2 What is the ground for our justification? Turn to page 4Read # 2
Q.3 What is the instrument of our justification? Turn to page 4Read #3
Q.4 What is the principle of our justification? Turn to page 4Read # 4
Q.5 What is the basis of our justification? Turn to page 4Read #5
Pg.4
Scripture readings
1. The source of justification is God the Father. Since it is impossible for man to meet the righteous standard God’s righteousness demands, God offers Christ’s righteousness as a gift. Jesus paid a debt He did not owe, because we owe an infinite debt we can not pay. (Romans 8:33. Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.).
2. The ground of justification is the righteousness of Christ. His perfect life and sacrificial death satisfied the demands of God’s justice and thus frees God to justify all who believe Him. Christ’s finished work of redemption is the sole ground on which God can pardon sinners (Romans 3:24-26 …26 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood--to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.).
3. The instrument of justification is faith A repentant sinner is imputed with the righteousness of Christ when he believes Jesus is the only way of salvation. (Galatians 3:24; So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.).
4. The principle of justification is grace. We do not merit or deserve to be justified. It is a precious gift from God given freely by His grace. No one is justified by obeying the law (Galatians 3:11;Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because "the righteous will live by faith." (Romans 3:24; and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.).
5. The basis of justification is the blood of Christ (Romans 5:9. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him)!
Closing Prayer
Gracious God, thank you for approving and accepting your people, those who pay attention to your word, because of what Jesus did for them Give us the wisdom and strength to pursue, approve and do only what pleases you. Now we offer up those who are on our hearts, whose names are on our lips who need your healing touch__________. We pray that you will impart to them your comfort and healing touch, that they might be more able to endure and prevail over their illness. These things we pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Just as I am - Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
-O Lamb of God, I come!
Pg.5
Meditation: How is a sinner to be justified before God?
To Man whom God created perfect in every way, God gave a perfect law to which man was perfectly made to obey. That being the law of perfect obedience.
Such, then, was the state of man in Paradise. By the free, unmerited love of God, he was holy and happy: He knew, loved, and enjoyed God, And in this life of love, he was to continue to obey God in all things; but, if he disobeyed him in any, he was to forfeit all. "In that day," said God, "thou shalt surely die."
Then man did disobey God. He ate of the tree, of which God commanded him, saying, Thou shall not eat of it." And in that day he was condemned by the righteous judgment of God. Then the man hastened on to death everlasting; to the destruction both of body and soul, in the fire never to be quenched. Thus by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. And so death passed upon all men. So by one man's disobedience, all were made sinners; It is God’s judgment then that all shall be condemned for the sin of one.
In this state we were, when God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, to the end we might not perish, but have everlasting life. In the fullness of time he was made Man, a second representative of the whole human race. And as such he bore our transgressions. The Lord laying upon him the iniquities of us all. Then was he wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities. He made his soul an offering for sin. He poured out his blood for the transgressor, He bore our sins in his own body, that by his stripes we might be healed: And by that one offering of his crucifixion and death on a cross, he hath redeemed all of us, all mankind; having thereby made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice which paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world."
In consideration of this, that the Son of God hath tasted death for every man, God has reconciled the world to himself, not imputing to them their former trespasses. And thus, as by the offence of one man judgment came upon all men to condemnation, so by the righteousness of one man the free gift came upon all men unto justification. So that, for the sake of His beloved Son, who now has suffered for us all, God now offers redemption for all men, on one condition only, which shall both remit the punishment due to our sins, reinstate us in his favor, and restore our dead souls to spiritual life, and life eternal.
This, therefore, is the whole doctrine of justification. By the sin of the first Adam, who was not only the father, but likewise the representative, of us all, we all fell short of the favor of God; we all became children of wrath, and man is hopelessly enslaved by his sins (apart from God’s intervention) and that his good works are “dead” or worthless in meriting God’s favor (Ephesians 2:1-2; Matthew 15:18-19; Romans 7:23; Hebrews 6:1; 9:14).
Even so, by the sacrifice for sin made by the Second Adam, as the representative of us all, God is reconciled to all the world, and he hath given them a new covenant; the condition whereof being once fulfilled, there is no more condemnation for us, but we are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. There is none, other, who can from any other means of righteousness or goodness make salvation a reality for all of mankind, as does Our Jesus, the Son of God. For if such were possible then righteous goodness would nullify the purpose of God, and such can never be, since such purpose of God is perfect and made perfect by the life death and resurrection of His Son our Lord Jesus. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. We then, who are true believers, are forever justified.
Opening Prayer
Father God, we come here tonight to Study the words of Paul as given to us in his letter to the church in Rome. We pray that no word be spoken here tonight that is not in accordance with your will and that you will impart to us those matters You would have us learn from this study. We pray that your peace and comfort be with those of us who are sick or disabled or otherwise disposed and cannot be here tonight. We ask that you share our blessing with them. Lead us now and give us understanding as we study the teachings of Paul, The word of God.. In Jesus Name we pray Amen
Justification by Faith
Justification by faith was the great truth that ultimately led the church to alter our belief in being reconciled to God. Because Christians are justified by faith alone, their standing before God is not in any way related to personal merit. In Jesus’ day, the Jews gave great credit to works and personal righteousness. But now we believe that good works and personal righteousness do not provide the grounds for acceptance with God. God receives as righteous those who believe, not because of any good thing He sees in them—not even because of His own sanctifying work in their lives—but solely on the basis of Christ's righteousness, which is reckoned to their account. "To the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness" (Romans 4:5). That is justification. However, to some who strive to be righteous in all they do, it is not quite that simple.
Scripture Study
Rom 3:21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood--to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Discussion
What is Justification? justification is the doctrine that God pardons, accepts, and declares a sinner to be "just" on the basis of Christ's righteousness (Rom 3:24-26); which results in God's peace (Rom 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ), His Spirit (Rom 8:4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.), and salvation. Justification is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ apart from all works and merit of the sinner.
Were it not for The Grace and Mercy of God, there is no escaping the consequence of our sin. But because there is God's Justification, and because we are made righteous by the sacrifice of His Son our Lord Jesus the Christ, there has been a way laid open for us. Jews and Gentiles alike are welcomed to God through Christ.
Discussion cont. Pg.2
There is no difference, his righteousness is upon all that believe. It is free grace, God’s unmerited mercy; there is nothing in us to deserve such favors. It is plain that God hates sin, when nothing less than the blood of Christ would atone for it. And it would not agree with His justice to demand the debt, when His Son has paid it. Jesus Christ is our surety. God's justice then, has been satisfied, our sins He will remember no more, The slate has been wiped clean. There can be no charge brought against anyone who through faith in Christ has accepted Him as Savior. Man is Justified by faith in what God has done for him through Christ.
Q.1 Redeem means to buy back or pay ransom. How does this apply to our justification? Q.2 What is it, that you did which qualified you for your relationship with Christ? Q,3 Is every righteous person deserving of justification? Why or why not ? Q.4 Consider the two thieves crucified with Christ, why was one justified and the other not?
Where is our boasting
The basis on which we as Christians live, is such that we are represented to God by His Son our Lord and Savior as righteous. But the truth is we are constantly needing forgiveness from the hand of God. because we often find ourselves filled with pride and acting in arrogance, being critical and resentful, and because of Christ, our relationship to a holy God is not affected. He still accepts us and highly values us. That is what God's gift of righteousness through Christ means to us. The God of ultimate holiness, has accepted us in the Beloved, and we stand on the same ground of worth that Jesus himself has. He is our righteousness.
Scripture Study
27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Discussion
Justification by faith alone does not overthrow the law; rather, it upholds the law’s purpose in justification. The law tends to lead man to Christ by showing him his iniquity; and without this it cannot be fulfilled, and in vain will it require what ought to be done. The law leads us to Jesus Christ, it does not drive us to him, The belief of our faith is ours to define.
Paul Asks Three Questions
Paul’s First question: Who can boast? No one, absolutely no one. How can you boast when everyone receives the gift of grace without any merit on his part? This means that any ground for self-righteousness is done away with, and this is why the ugliest sin among Christians is self-righteousness.
Q. 1 Considering this question, how does this apply to the Pharisees?
Q. 2 Would this question apply to Christians today?
Pg.3
Paul's second question: Is anyone excluded from grace, Jew or Gentile? The answer is no. God has no most-favored-nation; there is only one God; Therefore he is equally the God of all mankind, no one can stand redeemed aside from the work of Jesus Christ.
Q. 1 Aren’t the Jews God’s chosen people, how does that change?
Q. 2 What of entire races of people who do not believe there is a God, or that have other gods ?
Paul's third question: Does this cancel out the Law? No, it fulfills the Law. The righteousness which the Law demands is that which has been given to us in Christ. So if we have it as a gift, the demands of the Law are met. Still when we sin the law shows us the error of our ways, and points us again towards the Christian life we have been justified into. And unlike the other thief on the cross, the Christian accepts the remaking of our lives that Christ’s work has accomplished. We do not reject Christ, and we are sorrowful for our misdeeds and need forgiveness again. This process is always at work in the life of the Christian, the “True Believer”.
Q. 1 Does this mean that we can continue to sin and just ask for forgiveness?
Q. 2 The Christian is dead to sin and alive in Christ. Give us your best explanation of that?
Q. 3 Why do you think people object to the teaching that they can do nothing whatsoever to bring about their justification before God?
Q. 4 What must one do to become justified by faith?
To truly and humbly believe that Jesus Christ died to absolve you of all your sins, both now and forever This is one of the most precious truths in all of scripture. When we are saved, God first and foremost changes our status. He looks at the shed blood of Christ and regards his death as the perfect work, the perfect sacrifice, that covered all of our sins—past, present, and future. We are justified—to use Paul’s language—even while we are sinners, even while we are continually falling short of God’s glory. In other words, our salvation does not depend on our works. There is no work we can do to get ourselves saved and no work we can do to keep ourselves saved. We are declared righteous before God our judge because Christ has paid the price for our sin. It’s that simple. Once and for all time.
Scripture readings
Q.1 What is the source of our Justification? Turn to page 4 Read #1
Q.2 What is the ground for our justification? Turn to page 4Read # 2
Q.3 What is the instrument of our justification? Turn to page 4Read #3
Q.4 What is the principle of our justification? Turn to page 4Read # 4
Q.5 What is the basis of our justification? Turn to page 4Read #5
Pg.4
Scripture readings
1. The source of justification is God the Father. Since it is impossible for man to meet the righteous standard God’s righteousness demands, God offers Christ’s righteousness as a gift. Jesus paid a debt He did not owe, because we owe an infinite debt we can not pay. (Romans 8:33. Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.).
2. The ground of justification is the righteousness of Christ. His perfect life and sacrificial death satisfied the demands of God’s justice and thus frees God to justify all who believe Him. Christ’s finished work of redemption is the sole ground on which God can pardon sinners (Romans 3:24-26 …26 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood--to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.).
3. The instrument of justification is faith A repentant sinner is imputed with the righteousness of Christ when he believes Jesus is the only way of salvation. (Galatians 3:24; So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.).
4. The principle of justification is grace. We do not merit or deserve to be justified. It is a precious gift from God given freely by His grace. No one is justified by obeying the law (Galatians 3:11;Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because "the righteous will live by faith." (Romans 3:24; and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.).
5. The basis of justification is the blood of Christ (Romans 5:9. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him)!
Closing Prayer
Gracious God, thank you for approving and accepting your people, those who pay attention to your word, because of what Jesus did for them Give us the wisdom and strength to pursue, approve and do only what pleases you. Now we offer up those who are on our hearts, whose names are on our lips who need your healing touch__________. We pray that you will impart to them your comfort and healing touch, that they might be more able to endure and prevail over their illness. These things we pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Just as I am - Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
-O Lamb of God, I come!
Pg.5
Meditation: How is a sinner to be justified before God?
To Man whom God created perfect in every way, God gave a perfect law to which man was perfectly made to obey. That being the law of perfect obedience.
Such, then, was the state of man in Paradise. By the free, unmerited love of God, he was holy and happy: He knew, loved, and enjoyed God, And in this life of love, he was to continue to obey God in all things; but, if he disobeyed him in any, he was to forfeit all. "In that day," said God, "thou shalt surely die."
Then man did disobey God. He ate of the tree, of which God commanded him, saying, Thou shall not eat of it." And in that day he was condemned by the righteous judgment of God. Then the man hastened on to death everlasting; to the destruction both of body and soul, in the fire never to be quenched. Thus by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. And so death passed upon all men. So by one man's disobedience, all were made sinners; It is God’s judgment then that all shall be condemned for the sin of one.
In this state we were, when God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, to the end we might not perish, but have everlasting life. In the fullness of time he was made Man, a second representative of the whole human race. And as such he bore our transgressions. The Lord laying upon him the iniquities of us all. Then was he wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities. He made his soul an offering for sin. He poured out his blood for the transgressor, He bore our sins in his own body, that by his stripes we might be healed: And by that one offering of his crucifixion and death on a cross, he hath redeemed all of us, all mankind; having thereby made a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice which paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world."
In consideration of this, that the Son of God hath tasted death for every man, God has reconciled the world to himself, not imputing to them their former trespasses. And thus, as by the offence of one man judgment came upon all men to condemnation, so by the righteousness of one man the free gift came upon all men unto justification. So that, for the sake of His beloved Son, who now has suffered for us all, God now offers redemption for all men, on one condition only, which shall both remit the punishment due to our sins, reinstate us in his favor, and restore our dead souls to spiritual life, and life eternal.
This, therefore, is the whole doctrine of justification. By the sin of the first Adam, who was not only the father, but likewise the representative, of us all, we all fell short of the favor of God; we all became children of wrath, and man is hopelessly enslaved by his sins (apart from God’s intervention) and that his good works are “dead” or worthless in meriting God’s favor (Ephesians 2:1-2; Matthew 15:18-19; Romans 7:23; Hebrews 6:1; 9:14).
Even so, by the sacrifice for sin made by the Second Adam, as the representative of us all, God is reconciled to all the world, and he hath given them a new covenant; the condition whereof being once fulfilled, there is no more condemnation for us, but we are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. There is none, other, who can from any other means of righteousness or goodness make salvation a reality for all of mankind, as does Our Jesus, the Son of God. For if such were possible then righteous goodness would nullify the purpose of God, and such can never be, since such purpose of God is perfect and made perfect by the life death and resurrection of His Son our Lord Jesus. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. We then, who are true believers, are forever justified.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)