God's Righteousness and Our Justification (Romans 4:25)
This sermon companion delves into the profound question of why suffering exists if God is in control, tracing the answer back to humanity's free will and fall. It gently unfolds God's loving plan to restore peace and righteousness through the finished work of Jesus Christ.
This sermon explains how God, out of boundless love, gave humanity free will, leading to sin and death. It then reveals His righteous plan to restore relationship through Jesus' sacrifice and resurrection, offering complete justification by grace through faith.
Overview
The sermon begins by assuring listeners of God's intimate care for every detail of their lives, contrasting it with the broader issues of the world. It then explores the origin of suffering, attributing it to humanity's free will and the choice to rebel against God by eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. This act, an attempt to define morality apart from God, brought spiritual death and corrupted creation.
The fall of man resulted in the loss of a glorious light and the introduction of sickness, aging, and physical death into the world, which God fundamentally hates. However, God immediately provided a prophecy of hope: the "woman's seed" would crush the serpent's head, foretelling a virgin birth and the coming of Jesus Christ. This demonstrates God's deep and constant love, giving His only begotten Son to bridge the gap created by sin, offering "grace for grace."
Jesus came to earth, lived as a man, and offered direct access to God, showing grace to all, especially those who recognized their need for it. The sermon details the Old Testament sacrificial system, where a blemish-free lamb died in place of the sinner, illustrating identification. This system foreshadowed Jesus, the ultimate Lamb of God, who bore all humanity's sins on the cross.
The core message culminates in the significance of Jesus' resurrection, which is presented as God's divine receipt and declaration of our justification. When Jesus rose without our sins, it meant all our sins were paid for, and we are now declared righteous. This righteousness, received by faith in Christ, brings a profound and unshakeable peace with God that transcends understanding, available to all who humbly accept His unearned favor.
Key points
- God's care extends to every detail of human life, even amidst global suffering, because His heart is primarily for people.
- Man was created with free will and dominion over a perfect world, but choosing the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil led to spiritual death and the corruption of creation.
- The fall resulted in humanity forfeiting its glorious light, leading to nakedness, sickness, aging, and physical death, which God intensely hates.
- God's love for humanity was demonstrated through the first prophecy: the "woman's seed" (Jesus Christ) would crush evil, fulfilling His promise of salvation.
- Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is likened to the innocent lamb, where our sins were put on Him, and His righteousness was imparted to us, paying for all sin eternally.
- The resurrection of Jesus is God's divine declaration that all believers are acquitted and declared righteous, serving as proof that all sins are paid for.
- Receiving God's unearned, undeserved favor (grace) through faith in Jesus brings peace with God, not through personal morality or works.
In Joseph Prince's words
“The attempt to become moral without God is one of the greatest sins that plunged men.”
“He was forsaken so that you and I will never be forsaken.”
“Calvary is his love language that he gave to sinners.”
Outline
- I. God's Personal Care and Man's Free Will
- A. God cares for every detail of your life (Psalm 121:3-4; Matthew 6:28-29)
- B. The origin of wars and suffering: Man's free choice
- C. God created man for His glory, to enjoy a finished work
- II. The Fall of Man and Its Consequences
- A. Man's rebellion through the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
- B. The consequences of sin: spiritual death, loss of glory (Romans 3:23), and physical death (Romans 6:23)
- C. Creation's groaning and the spread of man's sin (Psalm 115:16)
- III. God's Prophecy and Boundless Love
- A. The first prophecy: the woman's seed will crush evil (Genesis 3:15)
- B. God's love for the world: He gave His only begotten Son (John 3:16)
- C. Jesus brought "grace for grace" (John 1:1-14)
- D. Grace is unearned, undeserved favor, easily received by sinners
- IV. Jesus: The Sacrifice and Our Justification
- A. Jesus' ministry and direct access to God (Matthew 5)
- B. The dilemma: God's righteous requirement for death due to sin
- C. The sacrificial system: A lamb without blemish (foreshadowing Jesus)
- D. Identification with the sacrifice: Our sins on Jesus, His righteousness on us
- V. The Power of the Resurrection
- A. Jesus was delivered up for our offenses, raised for our justification (Romans 4:25)
- B. The resurrection as God's divine receipt for our acquittal (1 Corinthians 15)
- C. Peace with God through faith in Christ (Romans 5:1)
- D. Receiving God's gift of salvation by faith (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Scripture references
- Psalm 121:3-4
- Matthew 6:28-29
- Genesis 1:28
- Psalm 115:16
- Romans 3:23
- Romans 6:23
- Genesis 3:15
- John 3:16
- John 1
- Matthew 5
- Romans 4:25
- 1 Corinthians 15
- Romans 5:1
- 2 Corinthians 6:2
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Insights
God's intricate care extends to every detail of your life.
True love requires the freedom to choose, even if it risks rebellion.
Humanity's attempt to be moral without God led to its deepest fall.
Questions & answers
Why are there wars and suffering if God is in control?
God gave humanity free will, and man's choice to rebel against God introduced sin, which corrupted the world. All the suffering, including wars and natural disasters, is seen as the turbulence of man's sin, making creation groan.
What was the purpose of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil?
The tree provided man with a choice, allowing him to demonstrate love and obedience to God through free will. It also represented man's attempt to determine morality independently, which the sermon identifies as a great sin.
What did Jesus' resurrection achieve for believers?
The resurrection serves as God's divine receipt, proving that all our sins are fully paid for. It is the Father's declaration that believers are acquitted and justified, having been made righteous through Christ's work.
How does one receive God's grace?
Grace is unearned and undeserved favor, which is received through humble faith in Jesus Christ, not by attempts at self-righteousness or good works. Those who acknowledge their sinfulness are the most receptive to God's grace.
What is the significance of the "woman's seed" prophecy?
This prophecy in Genesis 3:15, the first in the Bible, foretold a virgin birth. It refers to Jesus Christ, who would come to crush the head of Satan, bringing victory and restoration for humanity.
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