DECEMBER 2, 2007 – “A GIFT FROM GOD”
TEXT: Romans 3:21-26
I.
(vs.21-22) A
GIFT FROM GOD THAT IS RECEIVED BY FAITH
(Romans 3:21) “But now
righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law
and the Prophets testify.”
(Philippians 3:9) “…and be found in him, not having a
righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith
in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”
(Isaiah 9:6) “For to
us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his
shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace.”
(Micah 5:2) “But you,
(Isaiah 53:5) “But he
was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment
that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
(Luke 2:11) “Today in the town of
(John 3:16) “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
(Romans 3:22) “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all
who believe. There is no difference…”
(II Corinthians 5:21) “God made him who had no sin to be sin for
us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
(Augustine of Hippo) “Do not seek to understand in order that you may believe, but believe so that you may understand.”
(II Corinthians 5:17) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a
new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
(II Corinthians
5:18) “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ…”
II.
(v.23) A
GIFT FROM GOD THAT EVERYONE NEEDS
(Galatians 3:22) “But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.”
(I John 1:8) “If we
claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
(Augustine of Hippo) “My sin was all the more incurable because I did not think myself a sinner.”
(Romans 6:23) “For the
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 5:12) “Therefore,
just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in
this way death came to all men, because all sinned–”
III. (vs.24-26) A GIFT FROM GOD EXPERIENCED BY FAITH
IN JESUS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR YOU
(Romans 3:24) “…and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
“Law tells me how crooked I am; grace comes along and straightens me out.”
(Steven Curtis Chapman ) “In the gospel, we discover we are far worse off than we thought, and far more loved than we ever dreamed.”
(Romans 3:25a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his
blood.”
(I Peter 3:18a) “For
Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring
you to God.”
(Ephesians 1:7) “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
in accordance with the riches of God’s grace…”
(Romans 3:25) “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…”
(II Corinthians 5:19a)
“…that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s
sins against them.”
(Romans 3:26) “…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.”
(Romans 10:9) “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in
your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
(John 5:24) “I tell you the truth,
whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will
not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”