Bible Study - Do Over - The Gift You Can't Give Yourself - Romans 3:21-28 - December 8, 2013

Bible Study – Do Over – The Gift You Can’t Give Yourself – December 8, 2013

This is lesson two in our series entitled “Do Over: Experience New Life in Christ.”

Our scripture is Romans 3:21-28.

JESUS offers a person something he or she cannot give to him or herself and that is a right relationship with GOD. GOD gave the law and HE set the standard for a person to be justified and declared righteous before HIM. JESUS met that standard. JESUS willingly gave HIS earthly life, by the shedding of HIS blood to pay, in full, the debt of sin. Why was it necessary for CHRIST to give HIS life by shedding HIS blood?

Let’s read Hebrews 9:22:

22 According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

The blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled on the mercy seat as proof that the sacrifice had been made. The wrath and demand for righteousness by GOD was satisfied when JESUS gave HIS life to pay the debt for sin. JESUS’ blood was, in essence, sprinkled on the mercy seat. JESUS was the perfect acceptable sacrifice to pay once, in full and forever the price GOD demanded for sin. GOD, because of HIS love and HIS grace, declares all who accept CHRIST as their Savior to be forgiven for their sins, justified and righteous.

There is no other way to escape judgment and be guaranteed citizenship in heaven other than by placing your faith in CHRIST.

Let’s consider GOD’S part. HE is sovereign and is in control. GOD is GOD.

The Apostle Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 5:21:

21 He (GOD) made the One (JESUS) who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

GOD chose to make CHRIST to be sin for all who will place their faith in HIM. This means that those who place their faith in CHRIST are sinless and therefore righteous in GOD’S sight. As Christians take steps of faith, they unlock the righteousness which GOD has imputed to them. 

CHRIST voluntarily shed HIS sinless blood to pay, in full, the penalty for sin. By doing so CHRIST established a dynamic such that at the instant a person asks CHRIST to forgive him or her for his or her sins, they are forgiven. That person experiences the miracle of rebirth in his or her spirit, which makes him or her GOD’S child. As GOD’S child, he or she is instantly indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Once a person is born into GOD’S family, he or she cannot be unborn. Disobedience prevents a Christian from earning rewards that otherwise he or she could earn. CHRIST’S shed blood cleanses all who accept CHRIST by faith and as such the Holy Spirit can occupy the person who has been redeemed by HIS shed blood.  CHRIST’S shed blood opened the path between GOD and mankind. The way to GOD was opened. What does that mean?

Keeping the law was and is not good enough for a person to become righteous because there is the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. A person may keep the letter of the law but no one can keep the spirit of the law e.g. he who hates his brother is guilty of murder. Since keeping the spirit of the law is impossible, every person needs a sure and guaranteed path to have a personal, intimate, loving relationship with GOD. But that pesky sin blocks a person from having that relationship.

GOD needed to do something about sin that would get rid of it, once and forever, as a barrier to HIM. That is why CHRIST willingly came to earth to live such that HE was the sinless Lamb. Unlike, a defenseless lamb, CHRIST could have called legions of angels to come and rescue HIM. But if HE had, then people would have been left with the animal sacrificial system, which left sin hanging over their heads. But thanks to CHRIST and HIS faithfulness, that was not the case. CHRIST gave HIS life to pay the debt GOD required for sin and that was the perfect sacrifice.

Sin is a term archers used for missing the bull’s-eye or to wander from the intended path. GOD requires perfection. All human effort falls short of GOD’S requirement of perfection. That is why CHRIST gave HIS sinless life to become the righteousness of GOD for all who place their faith in HIM.

This section of scripture, Romans 3:21-26, has been referred to as the core of Paul’s gospel message. It has been considered theologically rich as we will see as we study these verses. Up to this point in our study, Paul made it clear that the most devout Jew and the most wayward non-Jew or Gentile were both in need of salvation through faith in CHRIST. The Jews believe righteousness can be attained by being a devout Jew but it cannot. Righteousness comes only through CHRIST. The Gentiles often could care less. But to GOD both are precious to HIM and HIS desire is for both of them to become HIS righteous children, have a personal relationship with HIM and obediently serve HIM, as HE directs. Let’s explore.

Let’s read 3:21:

21 But now, apart from the law, God’s righteousness has been revealed —attested by the Law and the Prophets

“But now” marks a shift in Paul’s presentation. Up to this point, Paul highlighted the unrighteousness of humans. “But now”, Paul was introducing the way to righteousness and the hope that is in CHRIST for all who place their faith in HIM. Paul made it clear that obeying the law did not make a person righteous. GOD’S righteousness is separate from the law. The law revealed how far short a person failed to meet GOD’S standard for righteousness.

GOD’S righteousness was revealed in CHRIST, which was confirmed by the law and prophesy as GOD gave it through the various prophets. Throughout the Old Testament, GOD revealed HIS righteous nature.

GOD desired to impute HIS righteousness to all who desired to have an intimate relationship with HIM but sin was the barrier. Sin could not be resolved by shedding the blood of animals nor by the efforts of mankind. Even the law, rituals, ceremonies and all the things that mankind did to reach up to GOD failed. But GOD had a plan from the beginning of time to redeem mankind from sin and have a personal, intimate relationship with all who will place their faith in CHRIST.

The timing for this event was critical. At the right time, GOD allowed JESUS, HIS only Son, to be born as a human. The Romans had developed the road systems for better traveling, thus good for the spread of the gospel. GOD allowed CHRIST to come to earth to live among them. HE was 100% human, yet 100% divine.

HE left HIS glory in heaven but HE could have accessed that power at any moment but chose not to, in order to fulfill GOD’S purpose for HIM and mankind. HE experienced all the things that humans experience, yet without sin. HE was sinless but HE knows what it was like to be tempted to sin. That is why CHRIST is the advocate before GOD for Christians when they sin. When Christians sin, Satan accuses them but CHRIST comes to their defense because they are covered by HIS shed blood.

JESUS was sinless, HE fulfilled the law and GOD declared JESUS righteous in HIS own right. GOD tested JESUS and found HIM to be flawless, thus the perfect sacrifice to conquer sin. The shed blood of JESUS paid, in full, for the original sin that sentenced mankind to eternal death.

When CHRIST gave HIS life by the shedding of HIS blood, HE broke the barrier of sin which existed between GOD and mankind.  CHRIST opened the way for all humans, who will place their faith in CHRIST, to have a personal, intimate relationship with GOD through CHRIST.

Since GOD made mankind with the freedom to choose, mankind had to choose whether or not to have that personal, intimate relationship with HIM that HE desired.

Although sin had been conquered through CHRIST, in order for those seeking the personal, intimate relationship with GOD that HE desired, GOD did something that only GOD can do. Since JESUS was sinless and righteous, GOD declared every person who places his or her faith in CHRIST, righteous. GOD imputes the righteousness of CHRIST to those who place his or her faith in CHRIST.

Consider the fact that JESUS, as a human, had to trust GOD and place HIS faith in GOD completely to take HIS earthly life in death and resurrect HIM. I believe this was a critical moment in the life of CHRIST when HE shouted from the cross, Matthew 27:42:

46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Did GOD abandon CHRIST? Or was it the instant that CHRIST had to make a decision to continue to trust GOD and place HIS faith in GOD or take matters into HIS own hands? CHRIST chose to trust GOD with HIS earthly life, which GOD resurrected on the third day. CHRIST received HIS Glorified body.  

Let’s read Romans 3:22-26:

22 —that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 24 They are justified freely by His grace through the •redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Him as a • propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.

GOD’S righteousness is manifested to all who place their faith in CHRIST. GOD does not discriminate. GOD, because of HIS love, knows that all have sinned and fall short of HIS expectations of righteousness. Righteousness is GOD’S character; it is who HE is and it is HIS desire for all who place their faith in CHRIST.

GOD justifies those who place their faith in CHRIST. As we have discussed before, justification is to cleanse the person who has placed their faith in CHRIST such that they are perfect in the sight of GOD. Christians appear to GOD justified freely by HIS grace. To be justified is to be declared righteous, which is to be in right-standing with GOD. The word used for “justify” carries the idea of “ongoing action.” Once a person is justified through CHRIST, his or her justification continues. Some use the word “justification” to help us understand it such as - just-as-if-he-or-she-had-never-sinned. Christians must be careful not to become self-righteous. Christians are sinners saved by GOD’S grace. HE justifies those who place their faith in CHRIST because of HIS grace and the redemptive power of the shed blood of CHRIST. HIS shed blood paid, in full, the price for sin. Christians have been bought with a price thus redeemed from the consequences of sin, which is eternal death.

There is another word Paul used “propitiation.”  Propitiation deals with turning away wrath by an offering. GOD accepted the shed blood of CHRIST as sufficient to turn away HIS wrath toward those who place their faith in CHRIST. Some Bible scholars don’t like to use the word “propitiation” because of its association to pagan worship to appease one of their false gods. Instead Bible scholars like to use the word “expiation” which is the act of putting an end to the guilt of an offense. When we consider the phrase “sacrificial atonement,” it shifts the focus on to “forgiveness” rather than “appeasement.”  

Righteousness is the character of GOD. The shed blood of CHRIST, because of GOD’S righteousness, resulted in GOD’S forgiveness for the sins of all who place their faith in CHRIST - because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed.. GOD presented HIS only Son, JESUS, at precisely the right time to reveal HIS righteousness. Because JESUS was sinless, HE was righteous in HIS own right. Our sin was, in essence, placed upon CHRIST and HIS righteousness was placed upon those who place their faith in CHRIST.  

2 Corinthians 5:21:

21 He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

To me this is a process, which I think is sanctification. GOD perfects Christians through the renewing of their minds as Paul stated in Romans 12:2:

2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Ephesians 4:22-23:  

22 You took off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires; 23 you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; 24 you put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

Boasting Excluded

Let’s read Romans 3:27-28:

27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By one of works? No, on the contrary, by a law of faith. 28 For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

Paul makes it very clear, since salvation through CHRIST is GOD’S plan, no human can boast of anything he or she does to earn salvation. Paul makes it clear that obeying the law or doing various works of the law does not achieve salvation. There is one thing and that is the law of faith. Faith alone in CHRIST, apart from the works of the law, justifies a person before GOD. Salvation, justification and righteousness come directly from GOD and are activated by a person’s faith in CHRIST.

WOW!!! Such a Magnificant Father Christians have through the miracle of rebirth. When a person accepts CHRIST as his or her Savior a miracle happens in an instant. He or she is born Spiritually into GOD’S family and becomes GOD’S child. They have all the rights and privileges as GOD’S child. The fact that he or she has become a child of GOD is assured and confirmed by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Most Christians do not have that inner assurance that they are GOD’S child. It is GOD’S mercy and grace. HE chose it to be that way for all who place their faith in CHRIST.

Have you placed your faith in CHRIST? If not now is the time. Ask HIM to forgive you for your sins and for HIM to come into your life.

If you are a Christian and your faith has grown cold and you desire for your life in CHRIST to be rekindled, confess it and ask CHRIST to forgive you and restore the joy of your salvation. Know that GOD’S love for you has not changed and HE waits for you to come back to HIM regardless of what you have done. The shed blood of CHRIST cleanses Christians from all sin – past, present and future – justification is ongoing. That is GOD’S provision because of HIS mercy and grace. HE is waiting, don’t delay.

JESUS offers you what you cannot give yourself; a right relationship with GOD. Sounds too good to be true! It is not your or a man-made plan, it is GOD’S plan. It is yours to accept or reject. Blessings!!!