Thank God for His sovereign grace.
Sovereign grace. Sovereign grace is the only grace.
Grace is like God. God is sovereign. His grace has
to be sovereign. Sovereign grace. Well, that's
what we're going to talk about today. Romans 3, verse 23. Being
justified, Well, let's read verse 23 and
24. For all have sinned to come short
of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the
redemption that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. How are sinners
justified? Not by works. Justified freely
by His grace. So that'll be the title and subject
of the message justified freely by His grace. Hold your place
there and turn to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8, we see this
word freely used again. Romans 8, what shall we say,
verse 31, to these things? If God be for us, who can be
against us? He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also
freely give us all things? Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? It's God that justifies. He justifies
the ungodly. We know all spiritual blessings
are given to us freely by His grace, and they're found in the
Lord Jesus Christ. We read a moment ago in 1 Corinthians
2 verse 12, now we have received not the spirit of the world,
but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things
that are freely given to us of God. Now, I like that word freely. Don't you? I'm a poor, bankrupt,
needy sinner. and salvation is freely given
to his poor and needy people. Now I want to begin at verse
19 of Romans 3, down to verse 26 or thereabouts. We have here
a very clear, plain declaration of the gospel of God's saving
mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 19 of Romans 3,
now we know Here's what we know as believers. We know that whatsoever
things whatsoever the law saith, it saith to them who are under
the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world
may become guilty, subject to judgment before God. Now we know. It's not what we think is right.
It's what the Lord says is right. Here's what we know as revealed
in the light of the testimony of God's Word. The law of God
pronounces all men everywhere guilty. Guilty. Now in the courts
of men, they have what they call a presumption of innocence when
you're charged. In the courts of God's law, guilty
as charged. Guilty as charged. The holy law
of God pronounces all men everywhere guilty. The law doesn't demand
the best we can do. It demands perfection or death. It says the guilty must die. The soul that sinneth, it must
die. The law says that those who do not worship God perfectly
must die. The law says those who do not
love God perfectly must die. The soulless sinneth must die. The law declares every sinner
guilty before God. No need to justify yourselves.
It says there, stop your mouth. Stop your mouth. We have no excuse. We have no alibi. We can't blame
someone else. We have no appeal. We have no
defense. Guilty as charged. Remember those Pharisees who
went about to establish righteousness by their own doing, tried to
justify themselves by the doing of the law? And our Lord said
to them, you are they which justify yourselves before men. God knows
your heart. That which is highly esteemed
among men is an abomination in the sight of God. So, look at
verse 19. all the world may become guilty
before God, verse 20. Therefore, all the law of God
does is declare us guilty, does not remove the judgment. But
now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested. Now I'm interested in that. The
righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being
witnessed by the law and the prophets, the law and the prophets.
Now here's a conclusion. Therefore, we conclude. Therefore,
we conclude. By the deeds of the law and works
of the flesh, no sinner can be justified by any vain attempts
to satisfy the law of God. You remember in Galatians 3 where
those people were, they heard the gospel and some of them were
trying to go back to the law of God to justify themselves
or to mix grace and works. And the apostle Paul said, cursed
is everyone that continues not in all things which are written
in the book of the law to do them. If you don't do the whole
law perfectly, you're under the judgment of God. We have not,
as sinful people, we have not obeyed one law one time, but
rather we have violated every precept of God's law. Guilty. Guilty. We take our place there
before God as guilty sinners. You say, well, I've never murdered
anyone. Okay, well, I'm glad you haven't. You ever been angry
at anyone? Jane put it this way, to offend
in one point is to be guilty of all the law of God. To have
the least infraction, the least offense against God, you're guilty
of the whole thing. Now people look at the Big Ten
and say, I'm not guilty. We have not kept the Big Ten
one time. We violated the whole law of
God. Besides that, there are seven or eight hundred precepts
of that law. If you're going to seek salvation
by the deeds of the law, you better get into livestock business
and start raising some bullocks and some sheep, some goats, to
offer up a blood sacrifice. By the law, it says there, therefore
by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in
his sight. Now we might justify ourselves
before men, like that Pharisee prayed in the temple, Lord, I
thank you, I'm not like that man, that man, that man, I pray,
I tithe, I fast, The Lord said that man went down to his house
condemned. Therefore, by the deeds of the
law, no flesh shall be justified. For by the law, now watch this,
the last part of verse 20, by the law is the knowledge of sin.
By the law is the knowledge of sin. The law can only reveal
that we're sinners. It cannot remove the guilt. It
cannot make atonement for our sin or provide a justifying righteousness
for us. All the law of God does is expose
us. Now I use this simple homely
illustration. If you go into a dark, dusty
room and turn on the light, You see all them particles of dust
floating around. You ever notice that? All that
dust. And if you hit something, it just dusts everywhere. Particles
of dust everywhere. You turn the light off, you don't
see anything. You turn the light on, there's
all that dust. The law of God is like that light.
It exposes all our sin. But the light switch doesn't
remove the dust, does it? The law of God does not remove
our sin. That's why it was necessary for
the Lord Jesus Christ to come. By the deeds of the law, no flesh
shall be justified. The law only exposes our sin,
declares us guilty before God, but does not remove the guilt
nor declare us righteous. And one of the strongest verses
that I've looked at for years and years. Turn to the book of
Galatians chapter 2. If you don't have this marked
in your Bible, you need to mark it so you can remember and turn
back and read it. Galatians 2 verse 21. Paul said,
I do not frustrate the grace of God. I don't distort or confuse
the grace of God. For if righteousness comes by
the law, then Christ is dead in vain. If I can obey the law
of God, no need for the Lord Jesus Christ to come and make
a sacrifice for our sin. Now, back to Romans 3, verse
21. But now, but now, but God, who
is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us. I
love that word, B-U-T, but now. But now the righteousness of
God without the law is made known, manifested, being witnessed by
the law and the prophets. The law and the prophets all
declare that righteousness is found in the Lord Jesus Christ
alone. Alone. Him alone. Here's the
glory of the gospel. But now the righteousness of
God is revealed. From faith to faith, as it is
written, the just shall live by faith. Remember, we had that
last week. Turn over here to Romans chapter
1. The righteousness of God. One
of the most significant gospel statements that we read in Scripture. Romans chapter 1, look at verse
16. For I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it's the
power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the
Jew first, also to the Gentile, for therein is the righteousness
of God revealed from faith to faith. Now, we can read it this way, from
Christ to Christ, faith looks to the Lord Jesus Christ, as
it's revealed from Christ To Christ, saving faith, looks to
the Lord Jesus Christ. As is written, the just shall
live by faith, or the just shall live by looking to the Lord Jesus
Christ alone. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. And
this is talking about the justifying righteousness revealed in the
gospel, provided in the gospel to Christ and him crucified through
His righteousness being established. Now turn to Romans chapter 5.
Romans chapter 5. Look at verse 19. Romans 5 verse 19. Was by one
man's disobedience many were made sinners, none righteous,
no, not one. And Adam all died, and Adam all
sinned. They're talking about the first
man, Adam. Was by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, So by
the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Who's that
one? The Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover,
the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded,
grace did much more abound. Watch it now, verse 21. That
as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through
righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace
reigns through righteousness. Being witness, it says here,
without the law is manifested. That is, without your personal
obedience to the law, without your personal righteousness,
but rather by the personal obedience of Christ who honored the law
of God for us. As I often say, in every precept
and every penalty of the law, the Lord Jesus Christ redeemed
us from the curse of the law. being made a curse for us. That's
what happened at Calvary. Being witnessed by the law of
Moses, the law and the prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel. We
read in the book of Acts, to him give all the prophets witness. They all talk about Christ, our
righteousness. Jeremiah 23. He talks about that
righteous branch that will come forth. And he's talking about
the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. And His name shall be
called the Lord our righteousness. Jehovah Sidcanu. The Lord our
righteousness. Jeremiah talks about the Lord
our righteousness. Isaiah talks about the Lord our
righteousness. Listen to this, Isaiah 61 verse
10. I will greatly rejoice in the
Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God, for he hath clothed
me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe
of righteousness, so the Lord God will cause righteousness
and praise to spring forth. What was Jeremiah's hope? Christ
our righteousness. What was Isaiah's hope? Christ
our righteousness. You see what he's saying here?
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested
being witnessed by the law and the prophets. They all talk about
Christ. I'll give you some more examples
of that. Our Lord said, Abraham rejoiced
to see my day. He saw it and was glad. Another
example, he said to those Pharisees who trusted in Moses, our Lord
said, if you really believe Moses, you would believe me because,
oh, by the way, Moses wrote about me. He wrote about me. What about David? David, a man
after God's own heart. David, the sweet psalmist of
Israel. David was justified and made righteous, not in his obedience
as the king, He was justified and made righteous only in the
Lord Jesus Christ. He writes about it in Psalm 71.
He talks all about the righteousness that he has in Christ. Listen
to this scripture, Psalm 71, 16. I will make mention of thy
righteousness, even thine only. How about if we go back further?
How about Adam and Eve? How are they? How were they made
righteous? Remember, after Adam sinned against
God, which plunged us all into total ruin and depravity, they
tried to sew some fig leaves together. Tried to hide their
nakedness. Tried to hide from God. Well,
it didn't work, did it? It didn't work. God said, Adam,
where are you? God knew where he was. But I
tell you what the Lord did before he drove them out of the garden.
The first time we read about the blood being shed and coats
of skin being made is when God killed a sacrificial animal and
took those coats of skin and clothed Adam and Eve. And that's
a picture of Christ our righteousness. Even the first sinner saved was
by the blood and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
what that's a picture of. The Lord has justified every
sinner ever saved by the righteousness of Christ being imputed unto
them. And I love this Scripture. Turn
one page. Romans 4. Look at verse 3. What sayeth the Scripture? Romans
4 verse 3. Abraham believed God. It was
counted unto him for righteousness. You know, Abraham was justified
430 years before the law of God was given. What says the scripture, Abraham
believed God, it was counted to him for righteousness. Now
to him that worketh is a reward not reckoned of grace, but of
debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that
justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Even David also described the blessedness of the man unto whom
God imputeth righteousness. without work, saying, Blessed
are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Blessed is that man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. You ask most religious folk today
about the blessed truth of the gospel, about righteousness being
imputed. They don't have a clue what you're
talking about. But you read the whole fourth
chapter, and Lord willing, next week I think we'll look at Romans
chapter 4. It uses the word imputed, counted, and reckoned at least
seven or eight times. Imputed, counted, and reckoned. Our sin was reckoned to Him.
His righteousness is reckoned to us. Our sin was counted to
Him. His righteousness has been counted
to us. Now what Paul said in 2 Corinthians
5 verse 21, God made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin,
that we might be made to righteousness of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. So Romans 3. Verse 22, even the
righteousness of God, the righteousness of God, which is of God, which
is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that
believe, there is no difference. Even the righteousness, which
is of God, by His doing, His providing, His choosing, by the
faith of Christ, Notice what it says there in verse 22 carefully. It underscores this. Even the
righteousness of God which is by the faith of Christ. By the faithfulness of Christ. Now turn back to Galatians chapter
2 one more time. You can find it easier this time,
can't you? Galatians chapter 2. Look at verse 16. Galatians 2 verse
16. Knowing is what we know. Knowing
that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by
the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus
Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, not by
the works of the law, for by the works of the law shall no
flesh be justified. Turn one page, Galatians 3, look
at verse 22. But the Scripture hath concluded,
all under sin, that the promise by faith of Christ might be given
to them that believe." Now, it's the faithfulness and obedience
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He honored the law of God for
us. In His righteous life, He had
no sin, knew no sin, and did no sin. His perfect obedience
unto the law of God is made and reckoned to us as believers our
righteousness before God. Think about that. The righteousness
believers enjoy before God Almighty in His sight is the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself. That's amazing, isn't it? That's
why we call it Amazing Grace. That's why Paul said, I count
all things lost, dung, and ruined, that I may win Christ and be
found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the
law, but that which is through the faith of Christ. You got
it? Not my faithfulness, His. Not
my righteousness, His. The righteousness every believer
enjoys is Christ Himself. Our faith is not our righteousness.
But rather, faith received the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our
righteousness that justifies us before God. Turn back to Romans
4. Look at verse 13. Romans 4 verse 13. For the promise, Abraham, that
he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham or
to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness
of faith. For if they which are the law be heirs, faith is made
void, and a promise hath not effect. Romans 4 verse 15. Because the law worketh wrath,
for where no law is, there is no transgression. Read on. It
is of faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise
might be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of
the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who
is the father of us all." What did Abraham do? He believed God
and it was counted to him for righteousness. There is no difference
between Jew or Gentile, as it says there in the last part of
verse 22. Even the righteousness of God, which is by the faith
of Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, there is no
difference. He says in Romans 3 verse 9,
What then? Are we better than they? No,
and no wise. For we have before proved both Jew and Gentile,
that they're all under sin, as it is written, There is none
righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth.
There is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
the way. They are together become unprofitable.
There is none that doeth good, no, not one. Now, I call that
the four nones. There are four nones. There is
none. No, not one. There is no difference. God saves
every sinner whom He wisely saves by the Lord Jesus Christ alone,
Jew or Gentile. Let me show you that. Turn back
to the book of Acts. The book of Acts chapter 13.
Acts chapter 13. Acts 13 verse 38. Be it known unto you therefore,
men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you
the forgiveness of sins. And by him all that believe are
justified from all things, which it could not be justified by
the law of Moses." Now turn to Acts chapter 15. When they were
having that discussion about men being circumcised and keeping
the law in order to be justified, and when Paul and Barnabas went
down to Jerusalem to discuss this matter.
Peter stood up in Acts 15. Verse six, and the apostles and
elders came together for to consider this matter. And when there had
been much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, men and
brethren, you know how that God a good while ago made a choice
among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word
of the gospel and believe. And God which knoweth the hearts,
bear them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did
unto us, put no difference between us and them, purifying their
hearts by faith. Now therefore, why tempt ye God
to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither
we, neither our fathers, nor we could bear? But, look at verse
11, we believe, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we
shall be saved, even as they. God saved you and Gentiles the
exact same way, grace alone, Christ alone, the blood atonement
of Christ, and him alone. The faith of God's elect always
acknowledges that salvation is of the Lord, that we are complete
in Him. Verse 23, Romans 3, 23. For all
have sinned. That includes you. That includes
me. All have sinned. And Adam all
died. How did we get that way? Start
on one page. Romans 5 verse 12. Wherefore,
by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. So death
passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned." All have sinned. All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God. We've fallen short of the glory
of God. We are sinners. That's what the
law of God reveals, declares us guilty. His verdict on every
sinner is guilty. We have fallen short in obeying
and honoring God. far short, destitute of any righteousness
before God. Look at verse 24, being justified
freely by His grace. The only hope any sinner has
is justifying the justifying grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Being justified freely by His
grace. It's God who saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our work, but according to
His own purpose and grace, given us in Christ before the foundation
of the world. Being justified freely by His
grace, don't forget this part, through the redeeming blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ. How can God be merciful and yet
just? Righteous and yet show mercy? Only in Christ and in crucified. That's why we read earlier, I'm
determined to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ and Him
crucified. We are justified freely by His
grace. Grace alone. Turn to Romans chapter
11. Romans chapter 11. Romans 11 verse 5. Justified
freely by His grace, even so at this present time, so then
at this present time, verse 5. Romans 11 verse 5. There is a
remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then
it's no more of works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it's
no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work.
It's either all grace or all works. It's not both. It can
only be grace. Salvation by the grace of God
alone. Justified freely by His grace. Through, don't forget this part,
through the means God has ordained. Through the redemption that is
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn back over to Romans chapter
5. Romans chapter 5, verse 6. Through the redeeming blood of
Jesus Christ. Romans 5 verse 6, For when we
were yet without strength and due time, Christ died for the
ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous
man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even
dare to die. God commended His love toward
us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Verse 9, Much more than being now justified by His blood, we
shall be saved from wrath through Him. When we were enemies, we
were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. Much more,
being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Not only so,
but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, for whom
we have now received the atonement. We receive full reconciliation,
the word atonement. is being reconciled. We are redeemed
and delivered and set free because Christ paid our debt with His
own blood. And whom we have redemption through
His blood, the forgiveness of sin, according to the riches
of His grace. Peter called it precious blood.
We're redeemed not with a corruptible thing, but with the precious
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is particular redemption,
this is definite atonement for His people, for His sheep, Verse 25, whom God has set forth
through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, whom, salvation
is in a person, whom, look at verse 25, God set forth. to be
the propitiation, to be the mercy seek, to be the sacrifice for
our sins through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness
for the remission of sins that are passed through the long suffering,
the forbearance of God. To declare, I say at this time,
his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of
them which believe. in our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our propitiation. He is
the atoning victim. And notice there, whom God has
set forth, foreordained. Now you write in there above,
write in Acts 2, 23. Acts 2, 23. Him being delivered
by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have
taken and crucified the Lord of glory. God set him forth. When did He set him forth? He's
the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He's always been
set forth. Before Adam sinned, before we
had ruin, we had redemption in Christ. Before we fell, Christ
stood as a surety of the everlasting covenant in whom God set forth,
set Him forth to be the sacrifice for our sin through faith in
His blood. His blood obtained for us eternal
redemption. His blood puts away all our sin
to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins. We
only have remission of sin through Christ's blood and righteousness
that are passed through the forbearance of God. God saved Adam, Abraham,
Jacob, and Isaac all through the blood sacrifice of Christ.
Verse 26, to declare, I say at this time, His righteousness,
that He might be just and the justifier of those who believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Through faith in His blood. How
do we receive His glorious righteousness? How do we receive His glorious
atonement? By faith in Christ. Look at verse
28. Romans 3, 28. He said, therefore
we conclude, that a man is justified by faith
without the deeds of the law. Through faith in his blood. Saving
faith receives the Lord Jesus Christ as everything of salvation.
Faith does not accomplish salvation. Faith is not our righteousness.
Faith receives Christ who accomplish salvation for us. Faith receives
Him as all our righteousness before God. Him. as all our righteousness. Being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now turn to Romans 10. This is so important and it's
not It's not being preached in most places today. Romans chapter
10. How God can be just and justify
the ungodly. Brethren, verse 1. My heart's
desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be
saved, national Israel, religious and lost. For I bear them record
that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
For they being ignorant of God's essential character, holy character,
God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own
righteousness, like the Pharisee, have not submitted themselves
unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the
law, for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Now there's two
different righteousnesses mentioned there. the essential character
of holiness and righteousness of God, and there's that righteousness
of God revealed and given through the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. All that is done, turn back to
Romans 3, to declare, to declare, I say, at this time, His righteousness,
that He might be just, and the justifier of those who believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm going to give you one more
place to turn, and this will be the last. I think this is
the last place we're going to turn and see this. Turn to Isaiah 45. Isaiah 45. Isaiah 45, look at verse 21. Tell ye, Isaiah 45, 21. Tell
ye, and bring them near. Yea, let them take counsel together. Who hath declared this from ancient
time? Who hath not told it from that time? Have not I the Lord?
There is no God else beside me, a just God and Savior. He's just
and the justifier. There is none beside me. Now,
look unto me. and be saved, all the ends of
the earth. I am God, there is none else. I have sworn by myself,
the word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not
return, shall not return void. Then unto me every knee shall
bow, every tongue shall confess. Verse 24, don't miss this. Surely
shall one say in the Lord, Have I righteousness and strength,
even to him shall men come, and all that are incensed against
him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed
of Israel be justified and glorified." He said, look to me, looking
unto the Lord Jesus. He's the author and finisher
of our faith. He's the author and finisher
of our faith. True saving faith is a gift of God, always looks
back to the giver. Faith is a gift of God. Saving
faith always looks back to the giver. Look unto me and be you
saved. Looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith.