Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Romans

Romans 3:21-31 Part 3

INTRO: The last two weeks  we have been examining the work of God in salvation. We have seen that this work of God is a matter of revelation, the righteousness of God has been revealed in JC.  We have seen that this work of God is a matter of Grace, a free gift given to undeserving sinners. We have seen that this work of God is a matter of Love, God has done all this because of His great love for us.  Today we will see that this work of God is a matter of faith.

ILL: An anonymous poet explains faith this way:
   Today Lord, I have an unshakable conviction, a positive, resolute assurance that what you have spoken is unalterably true.
And today, Lord, my sick body feels stronger and the stomping pain quietly subsides. But, tomorrow, and then tomorrow, if I must struggle again with aching exhaustion and twisting pain until I am fighting for every breath, until I am utterly spent, until fear eclipses the last vestige of hope. Then Lord, then grant me the enabling grace to believe without feeling, to know without seeing, to clasp your invisible hand and wait with invincible trust for the morning.

EXP: I know some of you personally feel this way. In your suffering you are a great testimony of Faith. You know and understand what true faith is....you live it. But what of the rest of us who go through each day in relative peace and calm.
Do we really understand faith? Do we truly live a life grounded by faith?  What is faith?

TRANS: The work of God in JC is a matter of faith. Our righteousness before God and our eternity depends on it.

    D. It's a matter of Faith.
Read: (Rom. 3:26)

        Here is where Paul talks about our faith. He says that God Justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. We learned about justification last week. What is faith? 4 Definitions

DEF: When John Paton was translating the Bible for a South Seas island tribe, he discovered that they had no word for trust or faith.  One day a native who had been running hard came into the missionary's house, flopped himself in a large chair and said, "It's good to rest my whole weight on this chair." "That's it," said Paton."I'll translate faith  as 'resting one's whole weight on God.'"

         Philip Yancey defines faith as: Believing in advance in something that will only seem logical when seen in reverse.

         John Calvin: Faith is a firm and certain knowledge of    God's benevolence towards us, founded upon the truth of the freely given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the HS.

         Charles Spurgeon: Faith is believing that Christ is what He is said to be, and that He will do what He has promised to do, and then to expect this of Him.

    4. Implications of these definitions:
        a. Faith is the only response a sinner has to the work of God in Christ when he is called by God.

        b. Faith by it's very nature looks away from self and looks to JC. It is the abandonment of ALL self: whether
            self-condemnation,  self-complacency, self-assurance or self-righteousness.

        c. The object of our faith is JC. Heb. 12:2 says 'fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.'

        d. It is not enough to believe in something, no matter how noble that something may be. It is not enough to believe in
           God,  Satan does  that. Our faith is IN Jesus Christ alone.

ILL: God's banqueting table is spread. The invitation, rejected by the preoccupied and the self-sufficient is now extended to the poor and afflicted, the hungry and thirsty. Faith is the empty hand of the poverty stricken beggar held open to receive food and drink from the Lord's feast. He who comes in faith, will be completely satisfied.

TRANS: After laying out the requirements for salvation, Paul now answers a few questions he feels might come up by his Gentile and Jewish  readers...and by you too.

II. The work of God: Questions and Answers.   (Rom. 3:27-31)
     If God has done all this for me but I must have faith then

    A. Who gets the credit?
Read: (Rom. 3:27-28)

        Paul says that God is the Just and the Justifier. He is  entitled to the glory, the credit for our salvation. It is His work. Receiving something you could never earn and do not deserve is grounds for humility not arrogance.  Gratitude not boasting is the language of the redeemed. But what about our faith? Isn't that a work, a deed we do? No. Faith does not justify as a act of our own righteousness, but as the instrument by which we receive Christ and His righteousness.

Lets turn to Eph. 2:8-9. According to the text, we are saved by grace, through. faith . 'There' you might say, 'it says we contribute to our salvation right there, through faith.' Read on, 'and that' : Grammatically, 'that'  is connected to faith. It could easily be translated ' For by grace you have been saved through faith, and even your faith is not of yourself, it is a gift of God, not the result of works, that no one should boast.'

         How do I know that's what it means? Because Paul is consistent in his writing. Rom. 3:21-31 is in agreement with Eph. 2:8-9. In fact he uses many of the same terms in both passages. Rom. 3:21-31 is about God's work of righteousness in JC, so is Eph. 2:8-9. Even our faith is a free gift from God as a part of His great grace. Total depravity. (remember?) We all  suppress, reject and replace the truth of God, (remember?) We are all sinful and deserving of God's relentless wrath and His sentence of eternal death.

        BUT NOW (remember?) God reveals His righteousness in JC.  God, broke through space and time, broke through your stony heart and fills you with the faith to believe.

Salvation Triangle

         I have adapted Dr. Boice's Illustration. He left out one  great work of God in salvation.  The Faith Line. This line links God to Jesus Christ THROUGH the Believer. Is this clear? Do you see that salvation, in it's totality is the work of God through the righteousness of JC? The next question Paul addresses here in the text is

    B. Who qualifies?
Read: (Rom. 3:29-30)

         Paul responds. Only those who by faith accept justification from the hand of God. Jew or Gentile, circumcision or uncircumcision... the common element, FAITH! The Jews in Paul's audience comes up with on final question.

    C. What happens to the Law?
Read: (Rom. 3:31)

         Paul replies 'It is established.' or held up.

ILL: According to FF Bruce: By the principal of Faith, the law is upheld, sin is condemned, righteousness is vindicated and the OT Scripture is fulfilled.

         The sinner upholds the Law by confessing his guilt and just condemnation before a holy and righteous God. Christ upholds the Law on the sinners behalf, by being wholly obedient to it and by enduring it's just penalty - death. Remember the purpose of the Law according to Rom. 3:20  is to bring the sinner to acknowledge his guilt before God. By the grace of God through the faith He has given to us, it has done just that and the Law stands confirmed!

Conclusion:
     Whew...heavy stuff...agreed? But necessary because some  are sadly unaware of the  meaning of these key themes in Scripture. The danger is that we use these terms in our vocabulary but don't fully understand what they mean. They just become part of our 'Christian' lingo. And when called upon to teach others  in the family of God or witness to those outside, we can't adequately explain these terms. When it comes down to it, many Believers really don't know what they believe. That's one reason we read the Apostles Creed this morning.

     There, in one summary statement, is the whole of the Christian faith. Here in Rom. 3:21-31 we have been exposed to 6 great, deep,  themes of the Bible. Know them, understand what they mean and you will be obedient to 2 Tim. 2:15
  'Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth'. Salvation is the work of God displayed in the righteousness of JC to all who accept, by faith,  His free gift.

         Have you? Will you accept this gift? Say Yes to JC today and enjoy an eternity resting in the grace and love of God.