(Rom 3:27) "Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith…”
1. Then…the context
a. Man cannot save himself
Rom 3:19-20 "Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
Rom 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.."
b. God’s righteousness is something we cannot produce at all, in whole or in part
c. God’s righteousness is apart from the Law
d. God’s Way of Salvation
(Rom 3:24-26) , , to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 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."
(1) We are Justified by faith—"…being justified…”
(2) As a gift through grace—“…freely by His grace…:
(3) Redeemed—“…through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…”
(4) God’s Work, God’s Sacrifice—“…25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood…”
(5) We receive the benefits of this sacrifice by faith—“… through faith…”
(6) God was just to save the OT saints
(7) God is just to save us.
e. What part of salvation, therefore, is ‘ours’?
(1) It is received through faith (3:25)
(2) Salvation requires Holy Spirit Conviction
(3) It requires a revelation from God
(4) It requires us to believe in, adhere to, trust in, and confess Christ as our Lord AND Savior.
f. So Salvation was
(1) Planned by God
(2) Unfolded by God
(3) Accomplished by Christ on the Cross
(4) Applied through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in conviction and the New Birth
2. What is Boasting?
a. Boasting is a mode of speech and actions from that are self exalting and unfitting for any created being.
(1) Boasting is the result of human pride and arrogance, and has no place in God’s Church
(2) This is actually very prevalent in the churches of today—especially the heretics on TV, but it can seep in to where any of us are.
b. First, let us define “pride” Biblically—
(1) If you think you deserve better than what God has allotted you in life, that is pride—and pride of the satanic type at that. Pride of this sort, Boice notes, was the first sin— (Isa 14:12-14) ""How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13 For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.'"
(2) The Pride of Life—Eve’s sin—1 John 2:15-16
(3) The Pride of Life—a temptation of Christ—(Mat 4:5) "Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,"
(4) If you think that your riches, your abilities, your position or station in life, entitle you to more influence, pride has entered.
(5) God hates pride
(Prov 8:13) "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate."
(Prov 11:2) "When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom."
(Prov 13:10) "By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom."
(Prov 14:3) "In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them."
(Prov 16:18) "Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall."
(Prov 21:24) "A proud and haughty man; "Scoffer" is his name; He acts with arrogant pride."
(Prov 29:23) "A man's pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor."
(6) Pride is the opposite of love—“…1 Cor 13:4-5 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5or rude…”
(7) Pride is the opposite of justifying faith—(Hab 2:4) ""Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith."
(8) Religious pride is the worst kind of all
(Luke 18:10-14) ""Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men; extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 'I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' 13 "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' 14 "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.""
c. Things that are not pride
(1) Being happy in having done a good job at work—Eph 6:4ff
(2) Rejoicing at the success of a friend or relative
(3) Encouraging or exhorting one another, or being encouraged or exhorted
(4) Rejoicing in a true spiritual ministry, or defending that ministry by relating the facts—
(2 Cor 1:14) "(as also you have understood us in part), that we are your boast as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus."
(2 Cor 9:2) "for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority."
(2 Cor 10:8) "For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed;"
(2 Cor 10:13) "We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us; a sphere which especially includes you."
(2 Cor 11:16) "I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little."
(2 Cor 11:18) "Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast."
(2 Cor 11:30) "If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity."
(2 Cor 12:1) "It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord:"
(2 Cor 12:5-6) "Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. 6 For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me."
(2 Cor 12:9) "And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
(2 Th 1:4) "so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure,"
d. God loves true humility
(James 4:6) "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.""
(James 4:10) "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."
(1 Pet 5:5-6) "Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,"
3. Where is Boasting?
a. Well, first, it is often in the church
(1) Attitudes
(2) Speech
(3) Pride by actions
b. Examples of church pride—
(1) Philippi 2:1-4—the Philippian church had a problem with personal issues between women in the congregation
(a)
(2) Diotrophes was a man who despised the authority of the John the Apostle (known by that point in his life as “The Elder.” —(3 John 1:9) "I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us."
(3) The false teachers in Jude’s day—Jude 1: 8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority…”
(4) The Dangerous Men of 2 Tim 3:1-13
(5) The Super Apostles—2 Cor 11:12-15 And what I do I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. 13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
(6) 2 Pet 2:9-20
(7) Religious Pride Today
4. Boasting is excluded By the Law of Faith
a. The word means Totally excluded
b. First, there are two laws, two written and spoken principles that can pertain here: it is either works or grace
c. The “Law” of works—works lead to boasting in self-religion
(1) This is a futile attempt to please God—for works cannot please Him—(Rom 3:20) "Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
(2) The religion of morality—those who lean on this create their own standard for morality, like the rich young ruler, and others during Jesus’ day
(Mat 19:16-18) "Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" 17 So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." 18 He said to Him, "Which ones?"
(Mat 22:36) ""Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?""
(3) The religion of self-generated faith and easy believism.
(John 2:23-24) "Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. 24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men,"
(John 8:30) "As He spoke these words, many believed in Him."
(John 12:42) "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;"
(James 2:19) "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe; and tremble!"
(4) The religion of “religious feelings”
(5) The religion of church involvement
(6) The religion of ministering supposedly in the name of Christ, when the reality is not there
(Mat 7:21-23) ""Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 "Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"
(7) The religion of knowledge
(8) The religion of false unity and popularity—2 Tim 4:1-8
(9) The religion of music—a new thing in this day
d. The Law of Faith Excludes Boasting
(Eph 2:8-10) "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."
(Gal 6:14) "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."
(1 Cor 4:7) "For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?"
(Rom 4:2) "For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God."
(1 Cor 1:29) "that no flesh should glory in His presence."
(1 Cor 1:31) "that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.""
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
God Vindicated by The Cross, Rom 3:25-26
1. The War of the Ages
a. In Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago, a great, cosmic, and mostly unseen battle was raging for the “town of Mansoul”
b. In ways that we cannot fully grasp at this point in our existence, this cosmic battle is being waged before an audience of the heavenly host—good and bad.
Eph 3:8-11 “…8To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in£ God who created all things, 10so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places….”
c. God the Father had a plan—and Satan did not know nor understand God’s plan—(1 Cor 2:6-8) "However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
d. Our Lord Jesus Christ had a Mission—To Crush the Serpent’s Head and Save Mansoul
e. Satan’s plan—confusion, as shown by his wavering back and forth, reacting to God’s bold moves.
(1) Satan took the prophecy of Genesis 3:15 very seriously, and he continually tried to so contaminate the seed of the women that he knew, so that no holy Seed could come from Eve’s daughters
(2) As God lavished attention and blessing upon Abraham, Satan did his level best to oppose God, planting Hagar in Abraham’s tents.
(3) Throughout the history of Israel, Satan made one attempt after another to destroy the Seed, but God always preserved a remnant.
(4) He tried to kill the Lord Jesus in the womb, by causing Mary to have to travel late in her pregnancy, so as to meet the requirement of the Roman Census.
(5) Satan tried to kill the Seed of the Woman through Herod, but God made a way of escape.
(6) In Mat 4, a very shocked prince of darkness is confronting the Messiah by tempting our Lord with the three primary lusts of mankind—the lust of the flesh (the fruit), the lust of the eyes (the false beauty of the kingdoms of the earth) and the price of life—to be seen and celebrated for Who He Is.
(7) In Matthew 16, Satan, speaking through Peter, tried to convince Christ to avoid the Cross, even though 1 Cor 2 plainly tells us that Satan did not understand what was happening.—(Mat 16:21-23) "From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.""
(8) Several times, Satan made attempts on the life of Christ—but “the hour” had not come yet—
(a) (John 7:44-46) "Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him. 45 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?" 46 The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!""
(b) (John 7:30) "Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come."
(c) (John 8:20) "These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come."
(d) (Luke 4:28-30) "So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way."
(e) (John 8:59) "Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by."
(9) Then, from the arrest of Jesus on, the “rulers of the Earth,” Satan’s demonic minions, along with their human counterparts, pursued a policy of killing Jesus—which is exactly what God wanted them to do! Acts 4:23-28
f. If they had known what they were doing, the demonic forces would never have pursued this course. (1 Cor 2:7-8) "…7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
(1) Principle #1—God is in control of the universe
(2) Principle #2—God can take the evil intents of others and turn them to good—Gen 50:20
(3) Principle #3—Nothing is difficult for God—(Gen 18:13-14) "And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?' 14 "Is anything too hard for the LORD?...”
(4) But God Himself had set the rules in His Law
(a) The Seed of the Woman, the Redeemer had to be kin
(b) The Redeemer of the Earth therefore had to be a man.
(c) The Seed of the Woman, the Perfect and only true sacrifice, had to be sinless and perfect.
(d) The Seed of the Woman, The Redeemer, must also be able to atone for the sins of a numberless (humanly speaking) multitude, so He must be more than a man.
(e) The Lord arranged all of these through the Virgin Birth
(5) There remained a couple of questions:
(a) How did God save the OT Saints and still maintain His Righteousness?
(b) How can He save the New Testament Saints (us) and still maintain His personal Righteousness?
2. Old Testament Salvation
a. Salvation is Salvation—The real answer to how Old Testament believers were saved is this: "God's people in the Old Testament were saved the same way that people are saved in New Testament times, that is, by grace, through faith in the sacrifice of Christ."
b. Now, someone will say, "The Old Testament believers were saved by faith in Christ? Brother Charley, how could they have faith in Christ? He was not fully revealed until He came in the flesh! How could the people in Old Testament times know anything about Christ?"
c. Example #1 of The Revelation of Christ in the Old Testament—Heb 11:24-26 “…By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt…”
d. Example #2 of The Revelation of Christ in the Old Testament Job’s Vision of the Eternal Christ—Job 19:25-27 “…For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, 27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
(1) Most scholars believed that Job lived in the times of Abraham—several hundred years before Moses.
(2) How could Job know about the Redeemer—How could Job know that the Redeemer would be God Incarnate—God the Son? There are some liberal theologians around today who read the Bible from cover to cover and can’t figure out that Jesus is God! Job had no Bible!
(3) The answer has to be, because there is no other answer, that God revealed to Job sufficient information for Job to have faith in what God was going to do. Job did not know the all details, though he knew a lot more than others, but Job believed in God's promise of redemption, because God had apparently revealed it to him in some way.
(4) Salvation doesn't just happen. This is really much the same way that it is even now, in New Testament times. God reveals the Truth about His Son to people so they can decide to trust in Christ Jesus: Mat 16:15-17, Mat 11:25-27
e. The answer line in the question of salvation for all times is this: The only way of salvation was always salvation by Grace through Faith.
(1) The Law was a parenthesis in the history of God's dealings with the human race. Grace, which was the only way of eternal salvation even in times of Law, was the heart of the covenant with Abraham, which came 400 years before the law!
(2) Gal 3:17 “…And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise…”
(3) Old Testament believers were justified by faith, just like New Testament believers.
(4) The main difference being that we look back to something God has done (the sacrifice of Christ on the cross), and they looked ahead to God's promise of redemption (which was fulfilled in the Cross).
(5) But How can the Cross (viewed as future to the OT saints) have taken care of their sins? Because God is outside of time, and He is not restricted to time—However, far more important than even that concept is this—what God has promised will come to pass.
3. God was just and righteous in forgiving the Old Testament Saints—“… This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ..”
a. To demonstrate His justice, God made the sacrifice of His Son public, for all to see.
b. This—What is “this?”
(1) The entire plan of God laid out in Rom 3:19-25
(2) “This” is the righteousness of God apart from the Law, which the prophets had given witness to.
(3) “This” Righteousness is gained through faith in Christ.
(4) “This” is God’s whole plan of salvation as a gift by Grace through faith in Jesus
(5) “This” is the blood sacrifice, the propitiation, the sacrifice that turns wrath aside, which is received by faith.
c. “…To show God’s righteousness…”
(1) God is Holy
(2) God never condones sin—sin is an abomination to God
(3) In order to be true to Himself, God does not forgive capriciously—sin must be dealt with. Either the sinner must die or a substitute must die.
(4) In forgiving us, God has taken care of sin, it has been dealt with, all debts have been paid.
(5) Even in that, God was gracious, He did not have to do it that way.
(6) And, on the Cross, God is declaring to the world that He is dealing with sin, that He is righteous and Just—Exo 34:6-7
d. “…Sins that are past…” The sins of the OT saints were forgiven based on what God was going to do—looking forward to the Cross
(1) God forgave Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Issac, etc.
(2) Heb 11:13 “…These all died in faith…”.
(3) God’s forgiveness has been justified in the Cross
(4) But God did not have to forgive, He forgave because of His forbearance, His merciful patience, as He Himself slowly unfolded the plan of Salvation.
4. God is Just to forgive You and I—“… 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus…”
a. What masterful language—To show, set forth, make a billboard of the fact, of God’s righteousness—remember, “angels are watching” Eph 3:10
b. “…At this time…” in the day we are in—
(1) Gal 4:4-5
(2) The Hour has come
c. His righteousness—God is righteous to forgive, God is just in His own dealings
d. Just and Justifier!!
(1) God is right, in every way—God is Just!
(2) God makes us right, in every way—He is the Justifier!
e. Of him which believeth in Jesus …
(1) The “Sin Question” was settled at the Cross, but only for those who believe.
(2) Again, the Cross does not take effect in anyone’s life until they believe.
5. Applications—
a. For the believer—your sins are paid for! You are free, free, free!
b. For the unbeliever—a great debt hangs over your head, you owe a debt you cannot possibly pay.
c. For the convicted sinner—the way of the cross leads home!
a. In Jerusalem nearly 2,000 years ago, a great, cosmic, and mostly unseen battle was raging for the “town of Mansoul”
b. In ways that we cannot fully grasp at this point in our existence, this cosmic battle is being waged before an audience of the heavenly host—good and bad.
Eph 3:8-11 “…8To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in£ God who created all things, 10so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places….”
c. God the Father had a plan—and Satan did not know nor understand God’s plan—(1 Cor 2:6-8) "However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
d. Our Lord Jesus Christ had a Mission—To Crush the Serpent’s Head and Save Mansoul
e. Satan’s plan—confusion, as shown by his wavering back and forth, reacting to God’s bold moves.
(1) Satan took the prophecy of Genesis 3:15 very seriously, and he continually tried to so contaminate the seed of the women that he knew, so that no holy Seed could come from Eve’s daughters
(2) As God lavished attention and blessing upon Abraham, Satan did his level best to oppose God, planting Hagar in Abraham’s tents.
(3) Throughout the history of Israel, Satan made one attempt after another to destroy the Seed, but God always preserved a remnant.
(4) He tried to kill the Lord Jesus in the womb, by causing Mary to have to travel late in her pregnancy, so as to meet the requirement of the Roman Census.
(5) Satan tried to kill the Seed of the Woman through Herod, but God made a way of escape.
(6) In Mat 4, a very shocked prince of darkness is confronting the Messiah by tempting our Lord with the three primary lusts of mankind—the lust of the flesh (the fruit), the lust of the eyes (the false beauty of the kingdoms of the earth) and the price of life—to be seen and celebrated for Who He Is.
(7) In Matthew 16, Satan, speaking through Peter, tried to convince Christ to avoid the Cross, even though 1 Cor 2 plainly tells us that Satan did not understand what was happening.—(Mat 16:21-23) "From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" 23 But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.""
(8) Several times, Satan made attempts on the life of Christ—but “the hour” had not come yet—
(a) (John 7:44-46) "Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him. 45 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?" 46 The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!""
(b) (John 7:30) "Therefore they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come."
(c) (John 8:20) "These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come."
(d) (Luke 4:28-30) "So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way."
(e) (John 8:59) "Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by."
(9) Then, from the arrest of Jesus on, the “rulers of the Earth,” Satan’s demonic minions, along with their human counterparts, pursued a policy of killing Jesus—which is exactly what God wanted them to do! Acts 4:23-28
f. If they had known what they were doing, the demonic forces would never have pursued this course. (1 Cor 2:7-8) "…7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
(1) Principle #1—God is in control of the universe
(2) Principle #2—God can take the evil intents of others and turn them to good—Gen 50:20
(3) Principle #3—Nothing is difficult for God—(Gen 18:13-14) "And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?' 14 "Is anything too hard for the LORD?...”
(4) But God Himself had set the rules in His Law
(a) The Seed of the Woman, the Redeemer had to be kin
(b) The Redeemer of the Earth therefore had to be a man.
(c) The Seed of the Woman, the Perfect and only true sacrifice, had to be sinless and perfect.
(d) The Seed of the Woman, The Redeemer, must also be able to atone for the sins of a numberless (humanly speaking) multitude, so He must be more than a man.
(e) The Lord arranged all of these through the Virgin Birth
(5) There remained a couple of questions:
(a) How did God save the OT Saints and still maintain His Righteousness?
(b) How can He save the New Testament Saints (us) and still maintain His personal Righteousness?
2. Old Testament Salvation
a. Salvation is Salvation—The real answer to how Old Testament believers were saved is this: "God's people in the Old Testament were saved the same way that people are saved in New Testament times, that is, by grace, through faith in the sacrifice of Christ."
b. Now, someone will say, "The Old Testament believers were saved by faith in Christ? Brother Charley, how could they have faith in Christ? He was not fully revealed until He came in the flesh! How could the people in Old Testament times know anything about Christ?"
c. Example #1 of The Revelation of Christ in the Old Testament—Heb 11:24-26 “…By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt…”
d. Example #2 of The Revelation of Christ in the Old Testament Job’s Vision of the Eternal Christ—Job 19:25-27 “…For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, 27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
(1) Most scholars believed that Job lived in the times of Abraham—several hundred years before Moses.
(2) How could Job know about the Redeemer—How could Job know that the Redeemer would be God Incarnate—God the Son? There are some liberal theologians around today who read the Bible from cover to cover and can’t figure out that Jesus is God! Job had no Bible!
(3) The answer has to be, because there is no other answer, that God revealed to Job sufficient information for Job to have faith in what God was going to do. Job did not know the all details, though he knew a lot more than others, but Job believed in God's promise of redemption, because God had apparently revealed it to him in some way.
(4) Salvation doesn't just happen. This is really much the same way that it is even now, in New Testament times. God reveals the Truth about His Son to people so they can decide to trust in Christ Jesus: Mat 16:15-17, Mat 11:25-27
e. The answer line in the question of salvation for all times is this: The only way of salvation was always salvation by Grace through Faith.
(1) The Law was a parenthesis in the history of God's dealings with the human race. Grace, which was the only way of eternal salvation even in times of Law, was the heart of the covenant with Abraham, which came 400 years before the law!
(2) Gal 3:17 “…And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise…”
(3) Old Testament believers were justified by faith, just like New Testament believers.
(4) The main difference being that we look back to something God has done (the sacrifice of Christ on the cross), and they looked ahead to God's promise of redemption (which was fulfilled in the Cross).
(5) But How can the Cross (viewed as future to the OT saints) have taken care of their sins? Because God is outside of time, and He is not restricted to time—However, far more important than even that concept is this—what God has promised will come to pass.
3. God was just and righteous in forgiving the Old Testament Saints—“… This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ..”
a. To demonstrate His justice, God made the sacrifice of His Son public, for all to see.
b. This—What is “this?”
(1) The entire plan of God laid out in Rom 3:19-25
(2) “This” is the righteousness of God apart from the Law, which the prophets had given witness to.
(3) “This” Righteousness is gained through faith in Christ.
(4) “This” is God’s whole plan of salvation as a gift by Grace through faith in Jesus
(5) “This” is the blood sacrifice, the propitiation, the sacrifice that turns wrath aside, which is received by faith.
c. “…To show God’s righteousness…”
(1) God is Holy
(2) God never condones sin—sin is an abomination to God
(3) In order to be true to Himself, God does not forgive capriciously—sin must be dealt with. Either the sinner must die or a substitute must die.
(4) In forgiving us, God has taken care of sin, it has been dealt with, all debts have been paid.
(5) Even in that, God was gracious, He did not have to do it that way.
(6) And, on the Cross, God is declaring to the world that He is dealing with sin, that He is righteous and Just—Exo 34:6-7
d. “…Sins that are past…” The sins of the OT saints were forgiven based on what God was going to do—looking forward to the Cross
(1) God forgave Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Issac, etc.
(2) Heb 11:13 “…These all died in faith…”.
(3) God’s forgiveness has been justified in the Cross
(4) But God did not have to forgive, He forgave because of His forbearance, His merciful patience, as He Himself slowly unfolded the plan of Salvation.
4. God is Just to forgive You and I—“… 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus…”
a. What masterful language—To show, set forth, make a billboard of the fact, of God’s righteousness—remember, “angels are watching” Eph 3:10
b. “…At this time…” in the day we are in—
(1) Gal 4:4-5
(2) The Hour has come
c. His righteousness—God is righteous to forgive, God is just in His own dealings
d. Just and Justifier!!
(1) God is right, in every way—God is Just!
(2) God makes us right, in every way—He is the Justifier!
e. Of him which believeth in Jesus …
(1) The “Sin Question” was settled at the Cross, but only for those who believe.
(2) Again, the Cross does not take effect in anyone’s life until they believe.
5. Applications—
a. For the believer—your sins are paid for! You are free, free, free!
b. For the unbeliever—a great debt hangs over your head, you owe a debt you cannot possibly pay.
c. For the convicted sinner—the way of the cross leads home!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Propitiation—How We Escape God’s Wrath
Rom 3:25
--A problem every lost person has—God has wrath toward them
1. What is propitiation?
a. Propitiation means “…a sacrifice that satisfies God’s justice and turns away God’s wrath…”
b. Old Testament—the place of the application of blood sacrifice was the “kapporeth,” or Mercy Seat.
(1) The word only refers to the Mercy Seat, the gold covered lid of the Ark of the Covenant
(2) (Exo 25:17-22) ""You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold… 21 "You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. 22 "And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel."
c. New Testament—
(1) the term “propitiation” is conveyed to us by three terms which are from the same root word, and which reinforce each other’s meaning and impact
(2) Hilasterion—
(a) The Place where the sacrifice is applied—Heb 9:4 “… the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat…”
(b) The sacrifice that turns wrath aside. (Rom 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,"
(3) Hilaskomai (verb infinitive—to make propitiation)—(Heb 2:17) "Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people."
(a) Who are His “brethren” here? All mankind—the reason Christ had to come as a man was so He could be the Priest and Sacrifice
(4) Hilasmos—
(a) (1 John 2:1-2) "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world."
(b) (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."
d. Look at these contexts!
(1) Ex 25:17-22, the Mercy Seat of God—where God and the Mediator meet to achieve reconciliation for the people and satisfaction for God’s offended Holiness and his violate law, and where the reconciliation centers in the blood of the sacrifice applied to the mercy seat
(2) Rom 3:24-25—The fullest revelation of the doctrines of salvation, that we are Justified as a gift by Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus, and that God’s righteous wrath against sin is satisfied by God’s own actions.
(3) Hebrews 2:17—the Incarnation—Why is it that the Mediator had to be of Godly blood
(4) 1 John 2:1-2—The extent of God’s salvation plan, that the propitiation is (potentially) for the whole world.
(5) 1 John 4:10—The love of God is evidenced by His Propitiation, as His Love for sinners motivates Him to make propitiation by the sacrifice of His Son.
2. But, Does God Have Wrath?
a. Many in our day reject that God has wrath—but to do so, they have to erase a lot of Bible verses.
b. The Extremes rule—Most people deny the wrath of God to a degree, no matter what their theological persuasion
(1) Why do lost, unchurched people usually reject divine wrath?
(a) Denial of a reality they cannot face
(b) Their thoughts are unified and allied with evolution—if there is no God, there is ultimately no accountability
(2) Various viewpoints among the professedly believing church.
(a) Ignore wrath and preach only "love"
(b) Ignore love and preach only wrath...
(c) Balance is required, but not often present!
c. We can only understand the wrath of God in the light of His love
(1) Wrath is not the central attribute of God—that is His Holiness (Isa 6:3) "And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"" (Rev 4:8
(2) Wrath is not the defining attribute of God—Love defines God.... ("God is Love....") God Is Love, but God Has wrath. (1 John 4:8) "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."
(3) God does not delight in wrath, or its effects—
(a) (Ezek 33:11) ""Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. …'
(b) (Mat 23:37) "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! …”
(4) BUT, Divine Wrath is the right and natural result of sinful rebellion against the Thrice-Holy God of Isaiah 6
(a) God is just and Holy and righteous—
(i) (Dan 9:14) ""… for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does...”
(ii) (Psa 99:9) "Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His holy hill; For the LORD our God is holy."
(b) We are rebels against Him and His Law
d. Facts About Divine Wrath
(1) Divine wrath hangs over the head of the man or woman who does not believe in Christ—(John 3:36) ""He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.""
(2) The revelation of Divine Wrath is central to the theme of salvation—(Rom 1:18) "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…”
(3) The wrath of God required the blood of Christ to turn wrath aside—(Rom 5:9) "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."
(4) As natural born sinners, ,we are “children of Wrath—(Eph 2:3) "among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."
(5) But it is God Himself who delivers us from His own wrath—(1 Th 1:10) "and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."
(6) God’s plan for us is salvation, nor wrath—(1 Th 5:9) "For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,"
(7) Those who reject Christ in this age will face Him on That Day in another way entirely—(Rev 6:16-17) "and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?""
(8) Though the devil will deceive some people into thinking it is not real, that cannot change the fact that the Wrath of God against sin is a vital part of the Gospel—(Eph 5:6) "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience."
e. Wrath teaches us why people need salvation
(1) Wrath helps us appreciate God's Grace and Mercy to us
(2) Wrath is vital if we are to understand the Cross
(a) The Holiness and Justice of God require that He deal with sin—If He does not deal with sin, He denies His own law.
(b) The Wrath of God is the natural result of Holiness offended.
(c) But the love and mercy of God toward the human race are so great that He would rather pour His wrath out on His own Son than on us.
3. God Authored the Cross—25 “…Whom God hath set forth…”
a. There is a popular concept among some people that the Cross was “Plan B,” However, the Bible teaches otherwise. The Cross was the only plan from before the creation of the world.
(1) Jesus was not tragically captured, tried and slain because of any lack of power in Him, He was no martyr—Jesus laid down His life—Jn 10:16-18
(2) He was in control of events, He had to power to escape—John 18:4-6, Mat 26:52-54, but He did not
b. Whom God….
(1) Planned by God—1 Pet 1:18-20, Rev 13:8
(2) Arranged by God, Carried out at God’s command —Acts 4:24-28
(3) The actions of the Trinity—Heb 9:14
(4) Jesus Laid down his life—John 10:18
(1 Cor 2:8) "which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
c. Whom God hath set forth…
(1) Placarded—The Father exposed the sacrifice to public view—John 3:14, John 12:32
(2) Demonstrated to the world—God set forth His Son—He made a public spectacle of Jesus, and in this we can see both His love, and His hatred of sin.
(3) God loves us so much, and God hates sin so much, that He sacrificed His Son to atone for it
d. The Cross was a propitiation— “…Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation…
e. Propitiation becomes effective only when we believe—“….through faith in his blood…”
(1) Only through faith—there is no propitiation for unbelievers.
(2) Lost people die in their sins—John 8:24, Rev 20:12, Rev 21:7-8, Rev 22:15
(3) Only through faith in His blood sacrifice are our sins paid for.
(a) You must believe
(b) There is no inherited salvation
(c) You must believe in His blood sacrifice—there is no salvation in bloodless “Christianity…”
--A problem every lost person has—God has wrath toward them
1. What is propitiation?
a. Propitiation means “…a sacrifice that satisfies God’s justice and turns away God’s wrath…”
b. Old Testament—the place of the application of blood sacrifice was the “kapporeth,” or Mercy Seat.
(1) The word only refers to the Mercy Seat, the gold covered lid of the Ark of the Covenant
(2) (Exo 25:17-22) ""You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold… 21 "You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. 22 "And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel."
c. New Testament—
(1) the term “propitiation” is conveyed to us by three terms which are from the same root word, and which reinforce each other’s meaning and impact
(2) Hilasterion—
(a) The Place where the sacrifice is applied—Heb 9:4 “… the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; 5 and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat…”
(b) The sacrifice that turns wrath aside. (Rom 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,"
(3) Hilaskomai (verb infinitive—to make propitiation)—(Heb 2:17) "Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people."
(a) Who are His “brethren” here? All mankind—the reason Christ had to come as a man was so He could be the Priest and Sacrifice
(4) Hilasmos—
(a) (1 John 2:1-2) "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world."
(b) (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."
d. Look at these contexts!
(1) Ex 25:17-22, the Mercy Seat of God—where God and the Mediator meet to achieve reconciliation for the people and satisfaction for God’s offended Holiness and his violate law, and where the reconciliation centers in the blood of the sacrifice applied to the mercy seat
(2) Rom 3:24-25—The fullest revelation of the doctrines of salvation, that we are Justified as a gift by Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus, and that God’s righteous wrath against sin is satisfied by God’s own actions.
(3) Hebrews 2:17—the Incarnation—Why is it that the Mediator had to be of Godly blood
(4) 1 John 2:1-2—The extent of God’s salvation plan, that the propitiation is (potentially) for the whole world.
(5) 1 John 4:10—The love of God is evidenced by His Propitiation, as His Love for sinners motivates Him to make propitiation by the sacrifice of His Son.
2. But, Does God Have Wrath?
a. Many in our day reject that God has wrath—but to do so, they have to erase a lot of Bible verses.
b. The Extremes rule—Most people deny the wrath of God to a degree, no matter what their theological persuasion
(1) Why do lost, unchurched people usually reject divine wrath?
(a) Denial of a reality they cannot face
(b) Their thoughts are unified and allied with evolution—if there is no God, there is ultimately no accountability
(2) Various viewpoints among the professedly believing church.
(a) Ignore wrath and preach only "love"
(b) Ignore love and preach only wrath...
(c) Balance is required, but not often present!
c. We can only understand the wrath of God in the light of His love
(1) Wrath is not the central attribute of God—that is His Holiness (Isa 6:3) "And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!"" (Rev 4:8
(2) Wrath is not the defining attribute of God—Love defines God.... ("God is Love....") God Is Love, but God Has wrath. (1 John 4:8) "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."
(3) God does not delight in wrath, or its effects—
(a) (Ezek 33:11) ""Say to them: 'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. …'
(b) (Mat 23:37) "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! …”
(4) BUT, Divine Wrath is the right and natural result of sinful rebellion against the Thrice-Holy God of Isaiah 6
(a) God is just and Holy and righteous—
(i) (Dan 9:14) ""… for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does...”
(ii) (Psa 99:9) "Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His holy hill; For the LORD our God is holy."
(b) We are rebels against Him and His Law
d. Facts About Divine Wrath
(1) Divine wrath hangs over the head of the man or woman who does not believe in Christ—(John 3:36) ""He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.""
(2) The revelation of Divine Wrath is central to the theme of salvation—(Rom 1:18) "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…”
(3) The wrath of God required the blood of Christ to turn wrath aside—(Rom 5:9) "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."
(4) As natural born sinners, ,we are “children of Wrath—(Eph 2:3) "among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."
(5) But it is God Himself who delivers us from His own wrath—(1 Th 1:10) "and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."
(6) God’s plan for us is salvation, nor wrath—(1 Th 5:9) "For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,"
(7) Those who reject Christ in this age will face Him on That Day in another way entirely—(Rev 6:16-17) "and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?""
(8) Though the devil will deceive some people into thinking it is not real, that cannot change the fact that the Wrath of God against sin is a vital part of the Gospel—(Eph 5:6) "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience."
e. Wrath teaches us why people need salvation
(1) Wrath helps us appreciate God's Grace and Mercy to us
(2) Wrath is vital if we are to understand the Cross
(a) The Holiness and Justice of God require that He deal with sin—If He does not deal with sin, He denies His own law.
(b) The Wrath of God is the natural result of Holiness offended.
(c) But the love and mercy of God toward the human race are so great that He would rather pour His wrath out on His own Son than on us.
3. God Authored the Cross—25 “…Whom God hath set forth…”
a. There is a popular concept among some people that the Cross was “Plan B,” However, the Bible teaches otherwise. The Cross was the only plan from before the creation of the world.
(1) Jesus was not tragically captured, tried and slain because of any lack of power in Him, He was no martyr—Jesus laid down His life—Jn 10:16-18
(2) He was in control of events, He had to power to escape—John 18:4-6, Mat 26:52-54, but He did not
b. Whom God….
(1) Planned by God—1 Pet 1:18-20, Rev 13:8
(2) Arranged by God, Carried out at God’s command —Acts 4:24-28
(3) The actions of the Trinity—Heb 9:14
(4) Jesus Laid down his life—John 10:18
(1 Cor 2:8) "which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."
c. Whom God hath set forth…
(1) Placarded—The Father exposed the sacrifice to public view—John 3:14, John 12:32
(2) Demonstrated to the world—God set forth His Son—He made a public spectacle of Jesus, and in this we can see both His love, and His hatred of sin.
(3) God loves us so much, and God hates sin so much, that He sacrificed His Son to atone for it
d. The Cross was a propitiation— “…Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation…
e. Propitiation becomes effective only when we believe—“….through faith in his blood…”
(1) Only through faith—there is no propitiation for unbelievers.
(2) Lost people die in their sins—John 8:24, Rev 20:12, Rev 21:7-8, Rev 22:15
(3) Only through faith in His blood sacrifice are our sins paid for.
(a) You must believe
(b) There is no inherited salvation
(c) You must believe in His blood sacrifice—there is no salvation in bloodless “Christianity…”
Monday, March 10, 2008
Redemption
Four Big Words:
Redemption
Rom 3:24 “…Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…”
èWhy are we going through all of this detail in studying God’s salvation plan as fully revealed in Romans?
1. It builds up the saints for fighting spiritual warfare in their own minds, families, and lives—when Satan attacks, soft answers and platitudes will do no good.
2. It gets the saints into the meat of the Word so they can grow even more—(Col 3:16) "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom..."
3. It causes the saints to rejoice at the wonder of God’s salvation plan, when we see our sin, our helplessness, and hopelessness, and then see how none of those things were any obstacle to our God, who has delivered us by His mighty Hand.
4. It convicts the lost and shows them God’s way of salvation in terms they cannot get away from.
5. It warns the lost church members, as they see that they do not have these things in their lives.
And today, we look at the doctrine of Redemption, that Christ bought the blind, the sick, the spiritually dead and the lame and set them free to follow Him.
èOh, blessed thought, OH redemption complete—I was a slave to sin, a slave in Satan’s kingdom, lost, undone, without God and without hope in the world.
èThere I was, locked up in a dark dungeon of my own making, helpless and alone, and sure to perish like that
è but My Redeemer, who lives, who is mighty to save, with whom is plenteous redemption, who has never been defeated in any battle, and who never will be defeated
è this Redeemer came to my dungeon, rattling the keys that only He possesses all the way down the long hall to my cell
èHe shined the light of the glorious Gospel into my soul’s prison, my cell filled with the light of His Presence
è He removed the blindness of my eyes, and showed me His certificate of ownership, written in His own blood, that He had sought me and bought me and that He was there to collect His purchase.
èThe door flew open, my chains fell off, and My Lord Jesus Christ lifted me to my feet and said, “follow me, my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
1. Why Do We Need to be Redeemed? “…the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…”
a. We Need To Be Redeemed because we are sinners
(1) Our Sin is Pervasive—we are rotten to the core without Christ—3:23
(a) Ancient Israel received this judgment from God about their sin and rebellion—Isa 1:6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores…” Isa 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
(b) Is Anyone “OK?”
(i) Some might say, “well, I have a good heart, I’m a nice person…” Or they might know people that they think are “nice persons.” There are no “nice persons:” without Christ
(ii) Weak “evangelism”
(iii) The Human Heart—Jer 17:9 ""The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?"
(iv) Problems come from inside, not outside—Mat 15:19 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 "These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.""
b. Our Sin is Natural: We are born sinners by nature—Eph 2:3”… we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."
c. Without Christ, we are sold under sin—(Rom 7:14) " …For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin."
d. Without Christ, we are slaves to sin –
(1) The self-deception of the religious crowd(John 8:33) "They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" Never a slave? What a joke on them—Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome—even as Roman soldiers oversaw them…
(2) The Truth, According to Jesus—Jn 8:34 “…Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin."
(3) (Rom 6:16-17) "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey…”
(4) If you are without Christ today, you are a slave, bought and paid for by your own sin, willfully committed to an evil master who will gladly drag you into the pit with no hesitation nor any remorse.
(5) If you do not know Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are NOT “OK.”
e. Man Needs To Be Redeemed— You cannot be redeemed unless you are a slave, and unless you realize and admit that you are a slave—to sin—
(1) We are guilty sinners, bound to pay the full price for our sins, and hopelessly enslaved by them as well.
(2) We were not able to pay any part of the bill.
(3) Our only prospect is death and Hell.
f. Man needs a Redeemer
(1) We need someone to redeem us from this situation, to free us from our slavery.
(2) We also need someone to pay the price for our sin and rebellion.
(3) But who would or could pay such a price?
(a) Who would? Why would anyone want to redeem a race of rebels, sinners, cheats, murderers, thieves, adulterers, and what not?
(b) Who could? Who in the universe has the resources to redeem even one soul, let alone those of a multitude no man can number?
2. God’s Plan of Redemption—“…the redemption that is IN Christ Jesus…”
a. Before the World was made God Planned Redemption —(1 Pet 1:18-20) "knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…"
(1) He is The Lamb—(John 1:29) ".., "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
(2) He is—“…The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world…” Rev 13:8 and 17:8
b. As God unfolded His plan of redemption, He revealed Himself as the redeemer of Israel and of individual OT Saints
(1) —(Psa 19:14) "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer."
(2) Job understood the Truth about the Redeemer, before Abraham came along. Job’s Prophecy—(Job 19:25) "For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;"
(3) The Redeemer of Israel was and is Jehovah God
(a) (Isa 41:14) ""Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you," says the LORD And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel."
(b) (Isa 43:14) "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel…”
(c) (Isa 44:6) ""Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God."
(d) (Isa 44:24) "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;"
(e) (Isa 49:26) "… I, the LORD, am your Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.""
c. God’s plan was to redeem us through the blood of Christ— Eph 1: 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"
d. Our Redemption Is therefore In Christ Alone
(1) He frees us from Satan’s kingdom and plants us in the Kingdom of God — (Col 1:13-14) "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."
(2) Our Redeemer is the Mediator of the New Covenant—(Heb 9:15) "And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance."
(3) As the redeemed of the Lord, we are to glorify Him in our lives—(1 Cor 6:20) "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
3. What Right Does Christ Have to Redeem Us?
a. Our Redeemer Must Be God and Man--
(1) Why was is necessary for the Redeemer to be the God-Man? Why is the doctrine of the two natures of Christ so important? The answers lie in God's law of the goel, or Kinsman-Redeemer, (Lev 25) illustrated beautifully by the historical story of Ruth.
(2) The Law of redemption: The Redeemer must be a kinsman — (Lev 25:47-49) "'Now if a sojourner or stranger close to you becomes rich, and one of your brethren who dwells by him becomes poor, and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner close to you, or to a member of the stranger's family, 48 'after he is sold he may be redeemed again. One of his brothers may redeem him; 49 'or his uncle or his uncle's son may redeem him; or anyone who is near of kin to him in his family may redeem him; or if he is able he may redeem himself."
(3) The example of Ruth—She had to have a kinsman who was able and willing to redeem the heritage.
(4) Boaz was able and willing—4:7-8
(5) Boaz paid the whole price for the whole property, to redeem Ruth—4:9-11
b. Christ is our Kinsman-Redeemer
(1) He is personally qualified to redeem because He is of our flesh, He is our kinsman— (Heb 2:14-17) "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil… 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people."
(2) He is morally qualified to redeem because of His sinlessness—
(Heb 4:15) "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin….”
(2 Cor 5:21) “… 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
(Heb 9:14) "how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
(1 Pet 1:19) "… a lamb without blemish and without spot."
(1 Pet 2:22) ""Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth";"
(3) He is able to redeem because as God there are no limits to His power, His riches, and His ability—He is “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords
(4) The Redeemer must be willing to redeem—(John 10:11-15) "…The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep… 15 I lay down My life for the sheep."
(5) The Redeemer Must Redeem—the goel (Kinsman-Redeemer) pays the just demand in full—(John 19:30) "So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit."
c. In God’s plan of redemption, Christ is everything to us—(1 Cor 1:30) "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God; and righteousness and sanctification and redemption;"
4. Connecting the Dots of Salvation
a. The way of salvation is through the righteousness of God, obtained by faith—(Rom 3:21-24)
b. We are justified— “…24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…"
c. This is a free gift of Grace— “…24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…"
d. And the entire price is paid by our Savior—whose blood sacrifice paid the price we could not pay… “…24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…"
Redeemed, how I Love to Proclaim it
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;Redeemed through His infinite mercy,His child and forever I am.
Refrain
Redeemed, redeemed,Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;Redeemed, redeemed,His child and forever I am.
Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus,No language my rapture can tell;I know that the light of His presenceWith me doth continually dwell.
Refrain
I think of my blessèd Redeemer,I think of Him all the day long:I sing, for I cannot be silent;His love is the theme of my song.
Refrain
I know there’s a crown that is waiting,In yonder bright mansion for me,And soon, with the spirits made perfect,At home with the Lord I shall be.
Refrain
Redemption
Rom 3:24 “…Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…”
èWhy are we going through all of this detail in studying God’s salvation plan as fully revealed in Romans?
1. It builds up the saints for fighting spiritual warfare in their own minds, families, and lives—when Satan attacks, soft answers and platitudes will do no good.
2. It gets the saints into the meat of the Word so they can grow even more—(Col 3:16) "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom..."
3. It causes the saints to rejoice at the wonder of God’s salvation plan, when we see our sin, our helplessness, and hopelessness, and then see how none of those things were any obstacle to our God, who has delivered us by His mighty Hand.
4. It convicts the lost and shows them God’s way of salvation in terms they cannot get away from.
5. It warns the lost church members, as they see that they do not have these things in their lives.
And today, we look at the doctrine of Redemption, that Christ bought the blind, the sick, the spiritually dead and the lame and set them free to follow Him.
èOh, blessed thought, OH redemption complete—I was a slave to sin, a slave in Satan’s kingdom, lost, undone, without God and without hope in the world.
èThere I was, locked up in a dark dungeon of my own making, helpless and alone, and sure to perish like that
è but My Redeemer, who lives, who is mighty to save, with whom is plenteous redemption, who has never been defeated in any battle, and who never will be defeated
è this Redeemer came to my dungeon, rattling the keys that only He possesses all the way down the long hall to my cell
èHe shined the light of the glorious Gospel into my soul’s prison, my cell filled with the light of His Presence
è He removed the blindness of my eyes, and showed me His certificate of ownership, written in His own blood, that He had sought me and bought me and that He was there to collect His purchase.
èThe door flew open, my chains fell off, and My Lord Jesus Christ lifted me to my feet and said, “follow me, my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
1. Why Do We Need to be Redeemed? “…the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…”
a. We Need To Be Redeemed because we are sinners
(1) Our Sin is Pervasive—we are rotten to the core without Christ—3:23
(a) Ancient Israel received this judgment from God about their sin and rebellion—Isa 1:6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores…” Isa 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
(b) Is Anyone “OK?”
(i) Some might say, “well, I have a good heart, I’m a nice person…” Or they might know people that they think are “nice persons.” There are no “nice persons:” without Christ
(ii) Weak “evangelism”
(iii) The Human Heart—Jer 17:9 ""The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?"
(iv) Problems come from inside, not outside—Mat 15:19 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 "These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.""
b. Our Sin is Natural: We are born sinners by nature—Eph 2:3”… we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."
c. Without Christ, we are sold under sin—(Rom 7:14) " …For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin."
d. Without Christ, we are slaves to sin –
(1) The self-deception of the religious crowd(John 8:33) "They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" Never a slave? What a joke on them—Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome—even as Roman soldiers oversaw them…
(2) The Truth, According to Jesus—Jn 8:34 “…Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin."
(3) (Rom 6:16-17) "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey…”
(4) If you are without Christ today, you are a slave, bought and paid for by your own sin, willfully committed to an evil master who will gladly drag you into the pit with no hesitation nor any remorse.
(5) If you do not know Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are NOT “OK.”
e. Man Needs To Be Redeemed— You cannot be redeemed unless you are a slave, and unless you realize and admit that you are a slave—to sin—
(1) We are guilty sinners, bound to pay the full price for our sins, and hopelessly enslaved by them as well.
(2) We were not able to pay any part of the bill.
(3) Our only prospect is death and Hell.
f. Man needs a Redeemer
(1) We need someone to redeem us from this situation, to free us from our slavery.
(2) We also need someone to pay the price for our sin and rebellion.
(3) But who would or could pay such a price?
(a) Who would? Why would anyone want to redeem a race of rebels, sinners, cheats, murderers, thieves, adulterers, and what not?
(b) Who could? Who in the universe has the resources to redeem even one soul, let alone those of a multitude no man can number?
2. God’s Plan of Redemption—“…the redemption that is IN Christ Jesus…”
a. Before the World was made God Planned Redemption —(1 Pet 1:18-20) "knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…"
(1) He is The Lamb—(John 1:29) ".., "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
(2) He is—“…The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world…” Rev 13:8 and 17:8
b. As God unfolded His plan of redemption, He revealed Himself as the redeemer of Israel and of individual OT Saints
(1) —(Psa 19:14) "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer."
(2) Job understood the Truth about the Redeemer, before Abraham came along. Job’s Prophecy—(Job 19:25) "For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;"
(3) The Redeemer of Israel was and is Jehovah God
(a) (Isa 41:14) ""Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you," says the LORD And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel."
(b) (Isa 43:14) "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel…”
(c) (Isa 44:6) ""Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God."
(d) (Isa 44:24) "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, And He who formed you from the womb: "I am the LORD, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;"
(e) (Isa 49:26) "… I, the LORD, am your Savior, And your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.""
c. God’s plan was to redeem us through the blood of Christ— Eph 1: 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;"
d. Our Redemption Is therefore In Christ Alone
(1) He frees us from Satan’s kingdom and plants us in the Kingdom of God — (Col 1:13-14) "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."
(2) Our Redeemer is the Mediator of the New Covenant—(Heb 9:15) "And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance."
(3) As the redeemed of the Lord, we are to glorify Him in our lives—(1 Cor 6:20) "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
3. What Right Does Christ Have to Redeem Us?
a. Our Redeemer Must Be God and Man--
(1) Why was is necessary for the Redeemer to be the God-Man? Why is the doctrine of the two natures of Christ so important? The answers lie in God's law of the goel, or Kinsman-Redeemer, (Lev 25) illustrated beautifully by the historical story of Ruth.
(2) The Law of redemption: The Redeemer must be a kinsman — (Lev 25:47-49) "'Now if a sojourner or stranger close to you becomes rich, and one of your brethren who dwells by him becomes poor, and sells himself to the stranger or sojourner close to you, or to a member of the stranger's family, 48 'after he is sold he may be redeemed again. One of his brothers may redeem him; 49 'or his uncle or his uncle's son may redeem him; or anyone who is near of kin to him in his family may redeem him; or if he is able he may redeem himself."
(3) The example of Ruth—She had to have a kinsman who was able and willing to redeem the heritage.
(4) Boaz was able and willing—4:7-8
(5) Boaz paid the whole price for the whole property, to redeem Ruth—4:9-11
b. Christ is our Kinsman-Redeemer
(1) He is personally qualified to redeem because He is of our flesh, He is our kinsman— (Heb 2:14-17) "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil… 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people."
(2) He is morally qualified to redeem because of His sinlessness—
(Heb 4:15) "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin….”
(2 Cor 5:21) “… 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
(Heb 9:14) "how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
(1 Pet 1:19) "… a lamb without blemish and without spot."
(1 Pet 2:22) ""Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth";"
(3) He is able to redeem because as God there are no limits to His power, His riches, and His ability—He is “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords
(4) The Redeemer must be willing to redeem—(John 10:11-15) "…The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep… 15 I lay down My life for the sheep."
(5) The Redeemer Must Redeem—the goel (Kinsman-Redeemer) pays the just demand in full—(John 19:30) "So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit."
c. In God’s plan of redemption, Christ is everything to us—(1 Cor 1:30) "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God; and righteousness and sanctification and redemption;"
4. Connecting the Dots of Salvation
a. The way of salvation is through the righteousness of God, obtained by faith—(Rom 3:21-24)
b. We are justified— “…24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…"
c. This is a free gift of Grace— “…24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…"
d. And the entire price is paid by our Savior—whose blood sacrifice paid the price we could not pay… “…24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…"
Redeemed, how I Love to Proclaim it
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;Redeemed through His infinite mercy,His child and forever I am.
Refrain
Redeemed, redeemed,Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;Redeemed, redeemed,His child and forever I am.
Redeemed, and so happy in Jesus,No language my rapture can tell;I know that the light of His presenceWith me doth continually dwell.
Refrain
I think of my blessèd Redeemer,I think of Him all the day long:I sing, for I cannot be silent;His love is the theme of my song.
Refrain
I know there’s a crown that is waiting,In yonder bright mansion for me,And soon, with the spirits made perfect,At home with the Lord I shall be.
Refrain
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