Have Faith To Change

Have Faith to Change  

Romans 3:21-30 

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.      Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.  For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.  Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 

◦          As we just learned yesterday, no person has ever been completely sinless except Jesus, the Holy One of God.  Here we read again that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.  ◦          It sounds like a depressing message—that all people are basically bad and sinful and can never achieve the life God wants from them; however, there is hope in the very next words.  All “are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus.”  ◦          Because everyone has sinned, everyone needs Jesus—no one is exempt from the need for a Savior and Redeemer.  Because God is gracious, He offered His Son for everyone that they may be justified, or made right and whole again, just by putting their faith in Jesus.
RIGHTEOUSNESS COMES THROUGH FAITH 

Available through Jesus

…and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  Romans 3:24

 ◦          What is redemption and what have we been redeemed from if we have faith in Jesus?◦          What does it mean to be justified?  How did we originally lose a right standing with God?◦          In order to become justified in God’s eyes, we must trust in the atoning sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for our rebellion against God.  This gift is offered to all; we simply need to accept it by faith and let Jesus come in and change us. 

Available to All

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… Romans 3:22-23

◦          There is no one who is perfect and justified apart from knowing Jesus, therefore everyone needs a Savior in order to be bought back, or redeemed, from sin and death and destruction.  God shows no favouritism;

      no one is exempt from this need, and no one can save themselves by their own works. 

      Everyone who wants to get right with God must go through Jesus.◦          The hope in this message is that no matter how badly one has sinned or how for he has strayed from God, the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus is still available to him because of God’s mercy and grace.◦          Why do you think some people refuse to accept this simple message of grace through faith alone and insist on trying to save themselves?  Do you think this pleases God at all?
PROMISE COMES BY FAITH 

Promise of Inheritance

It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.  Romans 4:13

 ◦          What was the inheritance promised by God to Abraham so long ago?  What assurance did Abraham have that he would receive this inheritance?  Did he ever see the final fruit of this promise?◦          What is our inheritance promised to us because of our faith in Jesus?  What must we do to receive it?◦          When Abraham was alive, there was no law given by God yet, for the time of Moses and the Israelites was still many years in the future.  The only way he could be acceptable to God was through his faith.  He obeyed God when He told him to move his family from its homeland and wander in the wilderness for years; he believed when God promised him a son even though his wife was barren and old; he obeyed when God commanded him to sacrifice his son Isaac, even though it was through Isaac that God promised to fulfill His covenant.  Abraham was counted righteous because of his faith, which he demonstrated through his obedience. 

Promise of Grace

Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.  Romans 4:16

 ◦          How is Abraham the father of all who believe, even those who did not descend from him naturally?◦          What must we do to receive the promise of grace from God?  What does it mean that we will inherit the promises of God “by grace?”

◦          We, like Abraham, were no one special when God called us to a life of faith in Him.  It was because of God’s grace that we were chosen and called, by his grace that we will are made right with Him, and by his grace that we will live eternally with Him in heaven.

Have a great day

John

This entry was posted on 09/11/2009 at 10:35 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.