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Grace Bible Church

4000 E. Collins Rd.   P.O. Box #3762   Gillette, WY  82717   (307) 686-1516

 

- Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2 -

 

 

 

 

GOD IS JUST AND JUSTIFIER

 (Rom 3:25-31)      4/29/07

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

I.     JUSTIFICATION IS JUST THROUGH PROPITIATION (25-26)

 

A.    God’s Righteous Indignation was Satisfied (25a)

 

1.     Sinful man cannot be justified by the Law but God justifies the believer by faith and He is absolutely just in doing so.

2.     Philosophically the question could be raised, “How can man be justified by faith when man is under the wrath of God?”

3.     God answered that question when He publicly displayed (protíthemi - lit. to set before, expose to public view) His Son on the cross as a propitiation.

4.     Propitiation (hilastę́rion) carried the original idea of pacifying or satisfying a deity. In the OT, hilastę́rion was the Greek translation for kapporeth the Hebrew word for “mercy seat” (Lev 16:2 cp. Heb 9:5). It was there that God’s wrath was pacified or satisfied towards man’s sin on the Day of Yom Kippor. However, as the word kapporeth implies, it merely “covered” sin temporarily. When Christ died on the cross, it was a permanent hilastę́rion (satisfaction) which did not merely cover sin, but took it away (Joh 1:29).

5.     When one places faith in Christ’s blood, Christ’s death on the cross appeases the wrath of God that was toward the believing sinner.

 

B.    God’s Forbearance was Vindicated (25b)

 

1.     The propitiation of Christ vindicated or demonstrated (endeíknumi - verb, to prove) God’s righteousness when he passed over sins previously committed (Psa 78:38-39; Act 14:16; 17:30).

2.     God has been forbearing (anochę - delay or postpone) with His judgment. This is not to say that God winks at sin or ever fails to judge it.

3.     For instance, when Adam and Eve sinned, even though they died spiritually, they were not immediately and utterly destroyed.

4.     The reason why God could delay his judgment or temporarily tolerate sin was that God looked ahead to the propitiation of Christ.

 

C.    God’s Justification is Just (26)

 

1.     Propitiation not only vindicated God’s forbearance, but also justification.

2.     The whole ethical question of justification boils down to one question, “Is God just in justifying the wicked on the basis of faith alone?”

3.     It was for the very purpose of being just (dikaios - morally and ethically righteous) that God sent His Son to be a propitiation for sin. Therefore, God is completely just when he becomes the justifier (pres part - dikaióō) of those who trust in Jesus (cp. Rom 4:5).

4.     Both God’s wrath and righteousness were satisfied by Christ’s death.

 

II.    JUSTIFICATION EXCLUDES MEN FROM BOASTING (27-30)

 

A.    No One Can Boast in Works (27)

 

1.     After Paul has laid down his arguments concluding that all men are sinners (Gentile and Jew); that no one has an advantage over the other; that justification by faith is the only basis for salvation; and that God is perfectly just in justifying the sinner by faith; he asks the all encompassing question, “Where then is boasting?”

2.     No one has the right to boast because there is no cause for boasting (kaúchęsis - the action of glorying in or taking pride) concerning salvation.

3.     Boasting has been excluded (aor pass - ekkleio - lit. to shut out, eliminate). It has been eliminated on the principle (nómos - law, Law, or principle) of works, because no one can work their way to heaven. It also has been eliminated on the basis of faith because faith is based on grace, and grace precludes works or boasting (Eph 2:8-9).

 

B.    Man is Justified by Faith not Law (28)

 

1.     Paul maintains (logizomai - reckon or calculate) the conclusive statement that, “man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”

2.     Logically speaking, justification can either be by faith or by works, but not both. Paul teaches that is by faith and therefore it is apart (choris - separate from) from works.

3.     As we have noted before, the doctrine of justification by faith apart from works is a major theme in the Scriptures (Rom 3:20-22; 4:5; 8:3; Gal 2:16; 3:11-14; Phil 3:9; Tit 3:5-7)

 

C.    God is God of All Who Believe (29-30)

 

1.     Paul takes his point even further. Since justification is by faith apart from the Law, even the Gentiles can be saved.

2.     Therefore, God is the God of believing Gentiles. This would have been a revelation for the Jews because they were indoctrinated with the idea that Jehovah was the God of the Jews (Deut 6:4). Indeed, He is, but He is also the God of the believing Gentile. In addition, a true Jew is one who is also justified by faith in Christ.

3.     Since circumcision or uncircumcision has nothing to do with justification (Rom 2:25-29; 4:9-12) then all those, who place their faith in the propitiation of Christ will be justified (Rom 1:16).

 

III.  JUSTIFICATION ESTABLISHED THE LAW (31)

 

A.    Some would argue then that the Law is nullified (katargéō - render inoperative or abolish) by faith. Paul responds with a strong negative, “May it never be” (mę́ génoito).

B.    The Law was not nullified. It had a purpose and its purpose was to bring the knowledge of sin (Rom 3:20), not provide a means of justification.

C.    In bringing the knowledge of sin, the Law accomplished its purpose, pointed to justification by faith, and therefore was established (histemi - cause to stand).

 

IV.  PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

 

A.    God is absolutely just in justifying sinners by faith apart from the Law because His wrath and righteousness have been satisfied by Christ’s death on the cross.

B.    By understanding that Christ satisfied God’s wrath and righteousness on the behalf of the believing sinner, believers should…

 

1.     Live each day knowing that God satisfied His wrath against us (1Jo 4:10).

2.     Boast only in Christ and His salvation (1Co 1:29-31)

3.     Defend the doctrine of justification by faith (Gal 1:8-9)

 

 

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