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Preaching the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2 - |
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MAN’S NEED FOR
JUSTIFICATION (Rom 3:19-24) 4/22/07 Pastor I. THE REASON FOR JUSTIFICATION
(19-20) A. Unrighteous Man is
Silenced and Accountable (19) 1. Man
desperately needs the justification that is found in Christ because in and of
himself man is unrighteous. 2. Having made an airtight argument that both
Gentiles and Jews are sinners and under the judgment of God, Paul makes one
final appeal to the Jews. His appeal is that the Law, which he just quoted
(Rom 3:10-18), applies especially to the Jews. 3. Because of this, everyone is considered
unrighteous in the eyes of God. Every mouth is closed (phrássō
- muzzled, silenced) and has nothing to say in their own defense. 4. In addition, the whole world has become
accountable before God. The term “accountable” (hupódikos - legal
technical term ) means one who has lost all possibility of disproving a
charge against him and thus has already lost his case (Friberg Lexicon). B. Unrighteous Man Cannot Be
Justified by the Law (20) 1. Paul
makes a major thesis at this point. It is that no flesh (Gentile or Jew) is
able to merit righteousness by attempting to keep the Law. No one is
justified (dikaióō - declare and treat as righteous) from
their own works in God’s sight because all men are sinners (Rom 3:23). 2. The question could be raised then, “What
is the purpose of the Law?” It was certainly not to be a code whereby man can
live and obtain salvation. 3. Rather, it was given by God to bring to
light man’s sinfulness. Man receives knowledge (epígnōsis - intensive
religious and moral knowledge, fuller knowledge) of his sin by the revelation
of the Law. 4. It is a holy law (Rom 7:12) given by a
holy God (1Pe 1:16). The problem is not with the Law but with sinful man. Man
is brought to the knowledge of his sin through the Law and this knowledge is
to lead him to Christ for salvation (Gal 3:24). II. THE MEANS OF
JUSTIFICATION (21-22) A. Justification is Obtained
Apart From the Law (21) 1. Is there
no hope for a sinful world? Yes. But, Paul emphatically states that it is
apart (chorís - separate from) from the Law. 2. The hope is that a righteousness for man
is not only available, but it has been manifested (phaneroo - perf
pass 3. Furthermore, the Law and the Prophets
have attested to it. a) Hab 2:4
declares, “the righteous will live by faith.” This has been quoted three
times in the NT (Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38). b) Paul uses the example of Abraham to prove
righteousness apart from the Law (Rom 4:1-5). c) Paul also uses the words of David to show
righteousness apart from the Law (Rom 4:6-8 cp. Ps 32:1-2). 4. “Righteousness”
and “Justification” have the same Greek root (díkaios). The
distinction is that the righteousness (dikaiosúnę) of God spoken
of in Rom 3:21, 22 is the righteousness of Christ, which God imputes to the
believing sinner (Rom 4:23-25; 2Co 5:21). “Justification” (dikaióō
- Rom 2:13; 3:20, 24, 26, 28, 30) is the act of God whereby He imputes
Christ’s righteousness to the believing sinner and then judicially declares
him righteous. 5. Justification has been defined as… a) Justification is an act of God’s free
grace, wherein He [pardons] all our sins, and [accepts] us as righteous in
His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received
by faith alone. ( b) “Justification is more than forgiveness,
since forgiveness is the cancellation of sin while justification is the
imputing of righteousness. Forgiveness is negative (the removal of
condemnation), while justification is positive (the bestowing of the merit
and standing of Christ).” (Chafer, Lewis Sperry, “Major Bible Themes, p 200) B. Justification is Obtained
by Faith in Christ (22) 1. Paul
states that, “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ
for all those who believe.” The doctrine that Paul promotes in the letter to
the Romans (as well as his other letters) is the doctrine of Justification by
Faith. 2. It is called the doctrine of
Justification by Faith because faith is the means “through” (diá - with
a genitive expresses means or instrumentality) which justification is
apprehended. 3. Faith is
always directed at an object, namely Christ, His person and work on the cross
(cp. Joh 1:12, 3:16, with the use of eis it is lit. “believe into” or
believe on”). 4. Paul qualifies, that justification is
only extended to those who believe (pres act part fr pisteúō
- lit. “the ones who are believing”). Initial faith is exercised and
justification and salvation are received. Yet that saving faith continues and
grows. 5. After
declaring that no flesh will be “justified” by the works of the Law (21), it
is crystal clear that justification comes by faith alone in Christ alone. III. THE EXPLANATION OF
JUSTIFICATION (23-24) A. Justification is Necessary
Because All Have Sinned (23) 1. Paul
ends vs. 22 with an interesting comment, namely that there is no distinction.
All (Gentiles and Jews) need to have Christ’s righteousness (justification)
because all have sinned. 2. Chapter 1 argues that Gentiles are unrighteous.
Chapter 2 argues that Jews are unrighteous. Now in chapter 3, Paul declares
that “all” (the whole world) are sinners. 3. The verb, “sinned” (hamartánō)
means to miss the mark (Friberg Lex.). The mark is the perfect
righteousness of God and sinful man has missed it. Sin is to act contrary to
God’s character, will, or Law in the slightest infraction. 4. All have fallen short of the glory of
God. What is meant by “the glory of God?” It is all of God’s perfections and
attributes which declare His majesty. Glory comes from the Greek word dóxa
from which we get our English word doxology. A doxology is an
expression of praise for God’s perfect attributes and works. B. Justification is by
Grace through Faith (24) 1. Paul
describes for us that justification is not by man’s efforts but solely by
divine accomplishment. 2. Three nouns are used to describe the
divine accomplishment of justification. a) Justification
is a “gift” (doreá) and is to be received by faith (Joh 1:12) b) Justification is by His “grace” (cháris)
and emphasizes that it is solely God’s gracious favor on the undeserving
sinner who believes (Eph 2:8-9). c) Justification is through the “redemption”
(apolútrōsis) in Christ, who paid man’s ransom by taking
man’s penalty and depositing His own righteousness in the believer’s account. IV. PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS 1. There
are several practical considerations for the believer who has been justified
by faith. a) You are
righteous. Believers are viewed through Christ’s righteousness. b) You are secure. Believers have been
declared righteous by God and nothing can overrule God’s judicial
declaration. c) You are becoming righteous. Believers are
positionally righteous though not necessarily conditionally righteous 2. All men
are unrighteous and therefore silenced before a righteous God. In order for
man to be righteous, it must come from another source outside himself. That
source is the righteousness of Christ, which is given to all who trust in
Christ. Therefore, man desperately needs the justification that is by faith
alone in Christ alone. |
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