First Baptist Church of Crawfordville Florida - Pastor David Fell - Sermons Teaching Preaching Inspiration Help and Hope

Let's open our Bibles to Matthew 5:1-6.

Let's open our Bibles to Romans chapter eleven. God is faithful even when we are faithless. Remnant of Israel (1-10) The Grafting in of Gentiles (11-24) The Mystery of Israel's Salvation (25-36) Three Orthodox Views i. All the physical Israel will be saved ii. A remnant of Israel will be saved iii. The Church is now Israel

Let's open our Bibles to Third John, which only has 14 verses. It's the shortest book in the New Testament and never even mentions the name of Jesus.

How then should we live? - Isaiah 6:1-13 This came at the time of great grieving for Israel Isaiah's Purification (1-7) Isaiah's Calling (8-13) Conclusions We must realize our sin and its hindrance to the Gospel and repent. We must look and see needs within our church, community, and world. We must go when sent - no matter the consequences.

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 8:35-37. Nothing can separate us from the Love of Christ. 1. Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? a. Scripture teaches that we will go through situations like these because we have been made right by the Love of Christ. i. Psalm 44:22 - Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to the slaughter b. We must place our hope in what Scripture teaches, that He has not forgotten His covenant promises. 2. More than conquerors a. John Piper “A conqueror defeats his enemy, but one who is more than a conqueror subjugates his enemy. A conqueror nullifies the purpose of his enemy; one who is more than a conqueror makes the enemy serve his own purposes. A conqueror strikes down his foe; one who is more than a conqueror makes his foe his slave.” b. Nothing can separate us from the Love of God.

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 8:28. "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." - Bonhoeffer Main Idea: God uses suffering to grow us for His glory, according to his perfect plan. We Know This knowledge is not something we earn through external toil, but given to us through the salvation that He calls us to according to His purpose Those Who Love God We must continue to grow in our great affection for Him. All Things Work Together For Good For Those Who Are Called According to His Purpose

Let's open our Bibles to Matthew 28:5-6, 16-20. v.18 All authority has been given to me… Over politics, armies, industry, science, research, entertainment, media, sports, weather, planets, time, life and death If this is true, following Jesus is the most urgent thing in our lives If Jesus had not died, there wouldbe no need for the resurrection If Jesus had not risen, there would be no significance to His death Jesus was Crucified The crucifixion of Jesus was public Tacitus (Roman historian) recognized the crucifixion as historical The crucifixion of Jesus was painful Description of crucifixion from the article on “Cross” in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia The crucifixion of Jesus was planned by God Jesus predicted it – Matt 17:22-23a The apostles acknowledged it – Acts 4:27-28 The New Testament teaches that Jesus was crucified by design The crucifixion of Jesus was punishment for sin, but not His own Christ gave Himself for our sins – Gal 1:4 Christ died for our sins – 1 Cor 15:3 He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities – Isa 53:5-6 The crucifixion of Jesus was precious We were ransomed with the precious blood of Christ – 1 Pet 1:18-19 To you who believe, therefore, He is precious – 1 Pet 2:7 Jesus was raised from the dead He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said – Matt 28:6 It was public, physical, and productive The resurrection of Jesus was powerful All authority has been given to me – v.18b Jesus is at the right hand of God - Acts 2:23, 7:56; Col 3:1; Heb 12:2 The resurrection restored Jesus to a place of authority He cannot fail. The resurrection of Jesus was personal Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age – Matt 28:20 His personal presence makes it possible for us to love as we should

Let's open our Bibles to Luke 19:41-44. The Ignorance of Jerusalem (v. 42 and 44) They did not recognize the time of their visitation Isa 29:5 visitation for judgment Gen 50:24 visitation for salvation Luke 1:68, 7:16, 19:44 visitation for salvation The time was unique in history and they were by and large clueless Why were they ignorant? Did they know the terms of peace? Luke 13:34 they killed the prophets and stoned those sent to them Luke 17:20, 11:20 the kingdom was in their midst To know means to approve, to acknowledge, to accept Rom 1:18 they suppressed the truth in unrighteousness Luke 19:42 but now they are hidden from your eyes (Matt 23:38) God had forsaken Jerusalem; they are irreparably blind On the one hand - God is not willing that any should perish On the other hand - God may deem it right to hide the terms of peace Terrible Judgment is Coming on Jerusalem (v. 43 and 44) Historical judgment came in 70 AD when the Romans conquered Jerusalem This is only the beginning of judgment Matt 23:31-36 Jesus speaks of hell There is a 'too late' in dealing with God Their house was forsaken and desolate Jesus' Response (v. 41) Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem Jesus speaks of hell to motivate people to hope in God Jesus is willing to make peace with all who accept the terms of peace 2 Cor 5:19-20 the message of reconciliation Terms of peace: lay down your self-righteousness and self-sufficiency Admit your defeat, accept your pardon, swear your allegiance to Jesus

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Let's open our Bibles to Romans 7:1-6. Through our union with Christ, we have died to the law so that we are free to bear fruit for God in the Spirit Through our union with Christ, we have died to the law, which only produced sin and death Dying to the law does not mean that we are free from specific moral commandments By being identified with Christ in His death and resurrection, we died to the law so that we are legally free to be joined to Christ Dying to the law means that we are free from the demands of the law as an impersonal system for approaching God The system of law brought everyone who tried to live by it under a curse because no one could keep the law perfectly Dying to the law means that we are free from the condemnation of the law The law brings the knowledge of sin and puts us under God's wrath Dying to the law means that we are free from the inability of the law to produce obedience The power of the law to arouse our sinful desires is broken The Holy Spirit now gives us the power to obey Having died to the law, we are now joined to Jesus Christ, which produces fruit for God in the Spirit Our union with Christ is a transforming relationship "But now" points to the great change from before we met Christ to now Our union with Christ is a love relationship Our motive changed from duty that condemns us to love that accepts us Our union with Christ is a liberating relationship Before Christ we were in captivity in every sense of the word Our union with Christ is a fruitful relationship We learn what is pleasing to the Lord Our union with Christ is a powerful relationship The Spirit enables us to put to death the deeds of the flesh Our union with Christ is a holy relationship We are freed from the law so that we may be enslaved to God

Let's open our Bibles to Revelation 22. The purpose of the book of Revelation was to encourage the believers in 7 churches that sin will be vanquished and Jesus will reign forevermore. We must remember that when we live, work, and share the Gospel, that sin will be vanquished Christ will reign forevermore. I. The Garden is Restored (1-5) II. This Word is Trustworthy (6,8,10,18-19) III. Continue in Gospel Living (7-9,11-17) IV. Come, Lord Jesus (20-21)

Let's open our Bibles to Luke 2:8-21 Who is Jesus? The Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, being of the same substance with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. Redemption Announced The announcement of redemption went to shepherds first. vs 11 and vs. 15 both refer to Jesus and God as "Lord." Redemption in the Flesh They went with haste. They left glorifying and praising God. Redemption Without Fault The term for ponder has a bit of wonder and astonishment to it.

To win over sin, give yourself as a slave to righteousness in view of your spiritual past, present,and future To win over sin, give yourself as a slave to righteousness Slavery is an imperfect, yet useful analogy "Present" means to give oneself as a servant or slave When tempted to ask yourself, "Whose slave do I want to be?" Will you serve sin that leads to destruction and death or serve God that leads to righteousness and life? Keep in mind that Paul is describing a process, not a once for all decision There is no spiritual experience that will transport you beyond sin and temptation Sanctification is a lifelong process that requires a daily battle against sin and temptation To win over sin, remember your shameful spiritual past as a slave of sin Unbelievers sin because they want to sin To be delivered from sin, God has to give you a new nature through the new birth Giving yourself to impurity and lawlessness doesn't satisfy your needs What did you gain from having sin as your master? Let the memory of former sins humble you so that you deal graciously with fellow sinners To win over sin, keep in mind your blessed spiritual present as a slave of God Your present spiritual condition is due to a great change that God has made in your life Your present spiritual condition rests on your new position in Christ Your present spiritual condition includes the many wonderful benefits of satisfaction To win over sin, look forward to your glorious spiritual future: eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord God's free gift comes to us "in Christ Jesus our Lord"

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 6:15-18. Either you are a slave of sin, resulting in death, or you are a slave of obedience, resulting in righteousness 1. If you think that being under grace means that you are free to sin, you do not understand God's grace a. Legalists - they put people back under the law by emphasizing rules for what they consider to be holy living b. Licentiousness - if we are under grace then sin doesn't matter c. Both are two sides of the same coin whose operating principle is the flesh d. The result of God's grace is to make us slaves of righteousness, not lawlessness 2. The only options are: You give yourself to be a slave of sin, resulting in death; or you give yourself to be a slave of obedience, resulting in righteousness a. The master you obey shows whose slave you are b. Obedience is not the means to salvation, but rather the result of it c. Everybody serves somebody or something 3. The only way that you can change from being a slave of sin to being a slave of righteousness is for God to free you from sin by changing your heart a. Salvation is neither a human project nor a joint human-divine project; rather, salvation is of the Lord i. Slaves of sin are not able to free themselves by their own efforts b. The way God changes us is by bringing our mind, heart, and will into submission to His word i. The evidence of this change of mind and heart is that our wills gladly obey the truth c. The teaching is not committed to the Christians, but rather the Christians are committed to the teaching i. Being a Christian means being put under the authority of God's Word d. When God saves you, He frees you from sin and makes you a slave of righteousness i. We no longer live under sin as our master

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 6:12-14 Don't let sin reign by following your lusts, but give yourself to God to live righteously under His grace 1. To apply these commands, you must understand and apply the truths of Romans 1-6:11 a. We all have sinned b. God sent His Son to bear the penalty that we deserved c. God graciously justifies the ungodly person who believes in Jesus as their sin bearer d. We are now united with Christ in his death and resurrection e. We are to consider ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ 2. Sin is a tyrant that will reign over us if we allow it to do so (6:12-13a) a. Sin still has a strong appeal, even to those who are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus b. Sin's Goal is not to assist you with your program for happiness and success c. Sin seeks to dominate us through our bodies d. For sin to reign, you must allow it to reign by giving your body to it as a weapon for unrighteousness 3. In Christ, exercise your will to say no to sin and yes to God (6:13b) a. We have an active responsibility to stop the reign of sin b. Victory over sin begins by personally giving yourself to God c. Victory over sin is only possible for those who are spiritually alive from the dead 4. God promises victory over sin to those who are not under the law but under grace (6:14) a. There is no such thing as a Christian who consistently lives under the lordship of sin b. The law commands, but it contains no power to obey c. Grace frees us from condemnation, motivates us by God's undeserved love, and empowers us by His Spirit

Rom 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him Psa 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. Heb 13:15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name How can I as a sinful person have peace with a righteous God? Jesus came and suffered and died and rose again from the dead to pay the price for our sins How can I know that beyond the grave there will be life and joy and not a fearful prospect of judgment? Hell - where the worm never dies, and the fire never goes out Jesus spoke twice as much about hell as he did about heaven Jesus is the only way to heaven How can I have the deepest longings of my heart satisfied? The appetites of our hearts were made for God and they will not be satisfied until we feast on fellowship with God How can I know God personally? The God who created the universe is unspeakably great John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us God in the person of his Son has become flesh (human) Jesus told Phillip, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father" Jesus is God reaching out to us Is there a power to love? Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me The disciples went from being a bunch of wimps in the Garden to some of the boldest people on earth and turned the world upside down

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Let's open our Bibles to Romans 6:11. The work of God in Christ is foundational to everything else about Christianity A Bookkeeping Term - Logizomai - count, reckon, or credit Bookkeeping term from which we get log, logistics, and logarithm Philosophy - objective, non-emotional reasoning from which we get logic and logical Logizomai has to do with reality, with things as they really are Our sin is reckoned to Jesus and His righteousness is reckoned to us The First Reality: Dead to Sin "Dead to sin" means that we are dead to our old way of life in Adam, and we cannot go back to it The believer is not just a remodeled sinner, but a remade saint Martyn Lloyd-Jones: Six things "dead to sin" does not mean It does not mean that it is my duty as a Christian to die to sin It is not a command for me to die to sin It does not mean that I am to reckon that sin as a force in me is dead It does not mean that sin in me has been eradicated It does not mean that I am dead to sin, as long as I am in the process of gaining mastery over it It does not mean that reckoning myself dead to sin makes me dead to sin The Second Reality: Alive to God We have been reconciled to God We have become new creatures in Christ (2 Cor 5:17) We are free from sin's bondage We're pressing forward to a sure destiny and new goals We can no longer be satisfied with this world and its offerings "A Man Like Me" Nehemiah: "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?" (Neh. 6:3) "Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!" (Neh. 6:11)

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 6:5-10. Living in light of our union with Christ is the key to overcoming sin To overcome sin, know that you are totally identified with Christ in the likeness of His death (6:5a, 6-7) Paul is talking about the knowledge of what God has revealed, not the knowledge that we gain by personal experience We are completely united with Christ in the likeness of his death The word "united" means, literally, to be grown together with, or grafted into Christ "Likeness" - Our union with Christ is very close, as "united" implies, but it is not exact This union with Christ means that our unregenerate life is over so that now, we do not need to obey our old nature In the context here "the old self" represents what we were in Adam Thomas Schreiner: The old person has been crucified with Christ and the new person is a reality, and yet the old person still must be resisted, and its desire thwarted Paul uses the expression, "body of sin," because the body is the means by which sin is concretely accomplished In Christ, sin's power over us has been broken To overcome sin, know that you are totally identified with Christ in the likeness of His resurrection (6:5b, 8-10) To overcome sin, know and believe that in the future you will share fully in Christ's resurrection victory over sin Our union with Christ by his Spirit guarantees our future resurrection Paul may be protecting himself from a heresy that was afoot in his day 2 Tim 2:17-18 Hymenaeus and Philetus said that the resurrection had already taken place Believing that our future is gloriously secure and happy in Christ is one way that we experience the power of Christ now to free us from sin To overcome sin, know that Christ's resurrection represents his complete and final victory over sin and death We believe that we will live with Christ because we know that He is now beyond the reach of death The promise that we will one day share completely in this victory gives us the desire and power to overcome sin right now

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 6:1-4. Our union with Christ in His death and resurrection is the foundation for separation from sin and walking in newness of life There is a logical implication to reject: Since God's response to increased sin is abundant grace, then we should sin more to get more grace (6:1-2a) Verse 1 is a test of whether you have correctly understood Paul's message up to this point Since God justifies not those who are good people, but rather the ungodly, why work at being good? If we teach grace properly, people will at least think what Paul here anticipates. There is a spiritual fact to know and believe: In Christ we died to sin, so we cannot still live in it (6:2b) This is a rhetorical question leading to the conclusion that dead men can't live in sin Paul does not mean that believers cannot sin or that they are immune to temptation If you are in Christ, when He died on the cross, you died with Him When we died with Christ, we were separated from the reign of death and put under Christ's reign of righteousness Paul implies that we cannot continue in sin or live in it There is a spiritual analogy to help you understand: Your baptism pictures your union with Christ in His death To be baptized into Christ's death means to be totally identified with Christ in His death Burial is mentioned because it confirms that death has occurred There is a spiritual fact to believe and act upon: Since we are united with Christ in His glorious resurrection, we should walk in newness of life The action on our part as a result of our spiritual resurrection with Christ is that we should walk in newness of life The description of this newness of life as “a walk” implies a long, steady, gradual process 3 Takeaways: Do not presume on God's grace as permission to sin Make a distinct break with your past life and declare it publicly in baptism Meditate often on your union with Christ and what it means

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 5:21-22 Through the Law, sin reigned in death, but through Christ super-abundant grace reigns in righteousness to eternal life Outside of Christ, the Law causes sin to increase and to reign in death The law does not restrain sin at the heart level The law cannot bring my sinful heart into willing submission The law actually increases sin The law increases sin by turning our imputed sin in Adam into actual sins of deliberate disobedience The law increases sin by imputing our guilt to our account The law increases sin by exposing the utter sinfulness of sin and removing all excuses for disobedience The law increases sin by stimulating our sinful flesh to disobey it The law is necessary to expose our self-righteousness and to convict us of our sin The increased sin reigns in death Sin reigns as an evil tyrant in those who are not under Christ's lordship Sin does not lead to a better, happier life, but to temporal, and ultimately, eternal death Through Jesus Christ our Lord, super-abundant grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life God's response to increased sin is super-abundant grace Donald Gray Barnhouse: Where sin reached a highwater mark, grace completely flooded the world God's grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life God's grace takes us beyond where Adam was before the fall He did not possess eternal life before the fall, but we do He did not have permanent, perfect righteousness credited to his account, but we do God's grace is mediated through our Lord Jesus Christ All blessings come to us as believers through Jesus Christ our Lord

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 5:12-19 If you're in Adam, you are under the reign of death, but if you're in Christ, you will reign in life, because Christ's gift is greater than Adam's sin If you are in Adam, you are under the reign of death (5:12-14) Sin and death entered the world through Adam and "in Adam," we all sinned God appointed Adam as the representative head of the human race The proof that Adam's sin affected the entire human race is that death is universal All of Adam's descendants are implicated in his sin and die All of Christ's descendants are counted as righteous, not because of their individual deeds of righteousness, but because of Christ's righteousness If you are in Christ, you will reign in life because Christ's gift is greater than Adam's sin (5:15-17) The work of Christ is greater than Adam's sin because it displays and dispenses the abundance of God's grace "Many" is not viewing the affected groups numerically, but qualitatively "Much more" refers to the superlative nature of salvation over judgment The work of Christ is greater than Adam's sin because it overcame many sins to freely bestow justification Christ's work is greater than Adam's sin because it overcame the great devastation that resulted from Adam's sin The work of Christ is greater than Adam's sin because rather than bringing the reign of death, it causes those who receive it to reign in life God doesn't just forgive your sins, He also bestows the positive righteousness of Christ to you To sum up: Through Adam's sin all were condemned as sinners, but through Christ's righteousness all in Him are justified (5:18-19) Since the universal problem of the human race is sin, the universal solution is the gospel If the universal problem is guilt by identification with Adam's sin, then salvation cannot be through adding our good works If we are in Christ, our salvation is secure not because of anything in us, but because we are in Him

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 5:9-11. If as God’s enemies we were saved through the death of His Son then, praise God, as His friends, the risen Savior will save us from future judgment If while we were sinners we were justified by Christ’s blood, then much more we shall be saved from God’s wrath through Him (5:9) While we were sinners, we were justified by Christ’s blood Faith is the means of receiving the gift of justification We have been justified “by His blood” Justification is a past completed action, a done deal Much more we will be saved from God’s wrath through Christ A present manifestation of God’s wrath is when He gives me over to the consequences of their sin God’s eternal wrath will be manifested in the lake of fire If while we were God’s enemies we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, then much more we shall be saved by His life (5:10) While we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son Justification looks at salvation from the legal standpoint, whereas reconciliation looks at it from the relational point of view The word “enemies” implies active hostility, both from our side toward God and from God’s side toward us Leon Morris: “The death of Christ puts away our sin, which had aroused not our opposition, but God’s” Through the death of His Son, God ceased to be hostile towards us whom he purported to save Much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life Charles Hodge: “If Christ has died for his enemies, he will surely save his friends.” “Shall be saved” – We are now completely identified with Christ in His death and resurrection life The result of knowing that you are saved for sure because of God’s love and grace is to rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ (5:11) There’s nothing to compare to His love, His grace, and His tender mercies! Do you rejoice in them?

Our hope of heaven is secure because it is based on God’s love that sent Christ to die for us while we were yet sinners Our hope of heaven is secure because it is not based on anything good in us. To appreciate God’s great love, we must feel our own great need for the Savior. We greatly need the Savior because we were helpless, ungodly, sinners and enemies of God We were weak We were spiritually dead, living in disobedience – Eph 2:1-2 We were not able to save ourselves – we must be born again – John 3 We were not able to see the light of the gospel to be saved – 2 Cor 4:4 We were not able to understand spiritual truth – 1 Cor 2:14 We were not able to hear God’s truth – John 8:43 We were not seeking God – Rom 3:11 We were not able to submit to God’s law or to please Him Rom 8:7-8 We were ungodly Our ways are not God’s ways and our thoughts are not His thoughts We were sinners The essence of sin is to fall short of God’s glory – Rom 3:23 We were God’s enemies (5:10) We were hostile toward Him Our hope of heaven is secure because it is based on God’s gracious love for us while we were yet sinners God’s gracious love took the initiative to save us from our weak, ungodly condition God’s gracious love for us is far higher than any example of human love God’s gracious love for us sent none other than Christ God’s gracious love sent Christ at the right time God’s gracious love sent Christ to die for us If we were weak, ungodly sinners in need of Christ’s death to save us, then salvation cannot in any sense be due to human merit, works, or righteousness

We can rejoice in trials if we develop God's perspective and keep in mind that trials do not nullify His great love for us Paul, Jesus, Peter, Acts, and the author of Hebrews all teach about rejoicing in our suffering To rejoice in trials, develop and maintain God's perspective: He is using trials to shape our character and prepare us for heaven Rejoicing in trials is not an automatic response: it requires deliberate focus Grumbling about trials is far more common than rejoicing in them The children of Israel were great grumblers Rejoicing in trials doesn't happen automatically - it requires deliberate focus Rejoicing in trials doesn't mean denying the pain We are to weep with those who weep Paul describes himself as sorrowful yet always rejoicing Feelings of sorrow, pain, or grief are normal in the midst of trials We know that God is sovereign over all things and that He cares for us Rejoicing in trials is possible when we keep in mind that God is using the trials to shape our character "Knowing" is part of the deliberate focus just mentioned God is using the trials to shape our character, if we submit joyfully to Him Suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope Rejoicing in trials requires developing and remembering the hope of heaven To rejoice in our present trials, we have to keep our focus on the hope of the glory of God We don't look at the things which are seen (temporal), but at things that are not seen (eternal) Because of the resurrection of Jesus we will not be put to shame To rejoice in trials, we must keep in mind that trials do not nullify God's great love for us Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ The Holy Spirit is given to all believers at salvation To rejoice in trials, drink deeply of God's great love

Justification by faith gives us peace with God, access to His grace, and the joyous confidence that we will share His glory There is a distinction between "peace with God" and "peace of God" The peace of God is discussed in Philippians 4:6-7 It is associated with our immediate circumstances that aren't peaceful Peace with God refers to the objective fact of peace Paul uses three words that describe the unbeliever's relationship to God: enemies, enmity, and hostility Peace with God means that we are truly reconciled with Him To have peace with God, you must be justified by faith We can know for certain that we have been justified by faith As a consequence, we don't need to fear God's judgment To have peace with God, you must have the Lord Jesus Christ as your redeemer and mediator Douglas Moo: all that God has for us is to be found "in" and "through" Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom 5:1, 11, 21, 6:23, 7:25, and 8:39) Our Lord Jesus Christ looks at all He is for us Lord: His deity and sovereign authority Jesus: His humanity as the One who bore our sins on the cross Christ: Christ (Greek) and Messiah (Hebrew) mean "Anointed One" Justification by faith gives us access to our standing in the riches of God's grace Our access to God comes through the Lord Jesus Christ Through Jesus we can come again and again into God's presence to receive grace for every need Access to God puts us in permanent standing in the riches of His grace Eph 2:7 in eternity God will show us "the surpassing riches of His grace" Eph 3:8 it is described as "the unfathomable riches of Christ" Justification by faith gives us the joyous confidence that we will share His glory Sharing in God's glory is our certain future We will see God and Jesus face to face The confidence of sharing in God's glory causes us joyous rejoicing now

A Christian personally believes in God who delivered over Jesus to pay for our sins and raised Him from the dead to confirm our justification A Christian personally applies the lesson of Abraham's faith so that the righteousness of Christ is credited to him Our faith must be personal Verse 24 reads literally, "to whom it is about to be credited" Paul wants us to personally apply the truth of Abraham's being justified by faith The story of Abraham is for your sake also Our faith must be like the faith of Abraham Abraham looked forward to Christ for the fulfillment of the promises We look back to God's promise to justify sinners who believe in Christ God gave life to Sarah and Abraham's dead bodies The new birth is a miraculous, life-giving event Our faith must have specific content, namely, what Scripture reveals about God, sin, Christ, and salvation Our faith is propositional; we believe in specific content Many doctrines are vitally important to our salvation, and justification by faith alone is one of those doctrines Our faith must appropriate the righteousness of Christ as our own Righteousness before God is a forensic matter; we are declared righteous We are not made righteous (this is sanctification) We are declared righteous based on Jesus' completed work in the cross A Christian believes that God delivered over Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins "Delivered over" is passive, meaning God delivered Jesus over to death Isa 53:12 his soul was delivered to death: and he was numbered among the transgressors; and he bore the sins of many and was delivered over because of their iniquities Acts 2:23 This Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God… A Christian believes that God raised Jesus bodily from the dead to confirm our justification The resurrection puts God's stamp of approval on the death of Jesus as payment in full for the sins of all who believe

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 4:16-22. Saving faith is rooted in God's grace, it rests on God's promise, it revels in God's glory, and it relies on God's power Saving faith is rooted in God's grace,not in human performance If salvation comes to us as a wage that we deserve because of our good works, then it is not by grace, which is undeserved favor Faith (as opposed to Law or human performance) guarantees the promise of becoming an heir of righteousness by faith Saving faith rests in God's promise, no matter how unlikely it may seem Abraham was 99 and Sarah was about 90 and had been barren her whole life - they were past the age of conceiving a child God changed Abram's name from Abram(exalted father) to Abraham (the father of a multitude) Paul calls God the one who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist God's promise of salvation is learned about only in God's word Saving faith revels in God's glory, not in human effort or willpower Abraham grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God Abraham's faith was solidly God-centered We grow in faith as we grow in our knowledge of the object of our faith Study God's attributes and ways as revealed in His word Act in faith and see God’s word and then your faith is strengthened Saving faith relies on God's power to keep His promise, in spite of human inability Abraham faced the reality of his and Sarah's complete inability to conceive the promised son Circumstances often dash our hope, but we fight back with hope God renewed Abraham's and Sarah's "dead" bodies to produce Isaac, the son of promise We are justified or declared righteous by faith alone in God's promise, not by any works or merit added to it

Righteousness is credited by faith alone: Romans 3:22, 26, 28, 4:3, 5, 6, 8 Embedded in the fallen human heart is the idea that we can do something to commend ourselves to God Salvation doesn't come through religious rituals or the Law, but through God crediting righteousness through faith alone The blessing of salvation doesn't come through keeping religious rituals, but through God crediting righteousness to us through faith alone (4:9-12) God credits righteousness to the ungodly sinner who believes in Jesus Christ Abraham was circumcised 14 years after he believed God in Gen 15:6 The Jews must enter through the gate of Gentile faith apart from circumcision Religious rituals serve as signs and seals of the reality that comes through faith in Christ A sign is not the real thing, but it points to the reality Circumcision, baptism, and the Lord's Supper are all signs A seal authenticates or attests to the reality of something Circumcision, baptism, and the Lord's Supper are all seals Salvation doesn't come through keeping the Law, but through God crediting righteousness to us through faith alone (4:13-15) If you seek to be justified by keeping the law, you make faith void and you nullify God's promises If you mix human works with God's grace, then grace is no longer grace If you seek to be justified by keeping the law, rather than gaining the blessing of salvation, you actually incur God's wrath There are two and only two possible eternal futures for every person: Either you are an heir of the world as a true descendant of Abraham (v. 13) Or you are an heir of wrath as one who sought to be right with God by keeping the Law (v. 15)

IMB Missionary Craig Stewart

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 4:6-8. The supreme blessing of God forgiving all your sins comes through faith apart from any works The greatest blessing of all is to have God forgive all your sins We must feel the heavy burden of our guilt A guilty conscience is a good thing - it alerts us to a problem J.C. Ryle: Never does a soul value the gospel medicine until he feels the disease Forgiveness is the greatest of all blessings Blessed means happy, especially in the sense of receiving God's favor Forgiveness doesn't mean the removal of all temporal consequences for our sins The Bible doesn't talk about forgiving yourself; you need to receive God's forgiveness Justification means that God credits Christ's righteousness to the guilty sinner and forgives all his sins apart from any good works Justification means that God credits righteousness to the guilty sinner To justify is to declare the sinner righteous - it's a judicial act of God Justification means that God forgives all of the guilty sinner's sins Positively, God credits the righteousness of Christ to our account Negatively, God does not credit our sin to our account Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven (4:7a) To forgive means to "send away," like the scapegoat in the wilderness Forgiveness means that God has sent away all of our sins Blessed are those "whose sins have been covered" (4:7b) Metaphorically, our sins have been covered by the blood of Jesus "Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account." (4:8) God takes our debt of sin off the books God disciplines us for sins, but we do not need to fear His condemnation Justification means that God credits Christ's righteousness to the guilty sinner and forgives all his sins apart from any good works Faith lays hold of what Christ did for us on the cross To obtain this blessing, we must cease from our own works and believe in God's provision in Christ The only one God justifies is "the one who does not work"

Genesis 12:1-9 God chose Abram because God chose Abram God shows his glory by choosing the most unlikely, as no one else could possibly do it apart from a miracle of God. Abram is called (1-3) God is calling Abram to leave everything he ever knew God had already been preparing Abram's path to leave to his father's house, his family, and the land that was his Abram's obedience was part of God's plan for salvation for humanity Abram obeys (4-9) This is a public display of Yahweh worship in a land that it was almost foreign Moses gives the name of cities to show that this isn't a myth, but rather historical events that took place Application We do not deserve salvation God might call us to do the unfathomable If God calls us, God is faithful in fulfilling His side of the calling We MUST be obedient to the calling of God.

Let's open our Bibles to Genesis 22:1-19 Many times we may come to church not out of righteous obedience, but as an obligation to receive a blessing. I. Abraham is called and obeys (vs. 1-9) Abraham's obedience is marked by immediacy Abraham knows what to do because he had done it hundreds of times previously Abraham expects God to be faithful to His Word (Genesis 12, 15) Abraham's faithfulness was an example for his son Isaac II. Abraham was, and will be, provided by God. (vs. 10-19) God provides a ram The Lord WILL Provide Obedience begins today

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 4:1-5. God justified Abraham by faith alone, not by his works.

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 3:27-34. Justification by faith alone takes away all grounds for boasting and is the only doctrine that truly establishes God's Law.

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 3:25-26. 1. Jesus' sacrificial death satisfied God's wrath against us. 2. Because God takes sin so seriously, so should we. 3. If Christ offered Himself as the satisfaction of God's wrath against sinners, then any sinner can come to Him and find mercy.

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 3:21-24.

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 3:9-20.

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 3:1-8.

Let's open our Bibles to Isaiah 55:11. 1. Hear it 2. Read it 3. Study it 4. Memorize it 5. Meditate on it 6. Apply it

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 2:25-29. Reality with God is not a matter of outward conformity to religious rituals, but of obedience that results from God changing your heart.

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 2:17-24. Hypocrisy deceives the hypocrite, damages unbelievers, and dishonors God.

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 2:12-16. 1. God will judge everyone based on the light that they were given. 2. Hearing the Law does not justify before God; only doers of the Law will be justified. 3. Those who do not have God's Law still have an inner sense of right and wrong that condemns them when they violate it. 4. On judgment day, God will judge the secrets of everyone through Christ Jesus according to the gospel.

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 2:6-11 There are only two destinations after death: eternal life or eternal wrath. 1. Every person will stand before God in judgment. 2. God will impartially judge everyone according to his deeds. 3. God determines whether a person's deeds are good or evil. 4. The way to persevere in doing good is to experience the power of God for salvation through believing the gospel.

Let's open our Bibles to First Corinthians chapter 15. 1. The Fact of the Resurrection 2. The Order of the Resurrection 3. The Nature of the Resurrection 4. The Mystery of the Resurrection

Let's open our Bibles to Matthew 21:1-11 and look at some things we find in the story of Jesus' triumphal entry. 1. The adoring crowds 2. Fulfilled prophecy 3. A moment of sadness 4. Diverse reactions

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 2:1-5. 1. You are prone to self-righteously judge others for the very same sins you commit. 2. Self-righteous hypocrisy brings you under God's judgment. 3. The riches of God's kindness, forbearance, and patience should lead you to repentance, not to presume on His grace. 4. If you don't deal with your hard, unrepentant heart, you're storing up wrath for the coming Day of God's Judgment.

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 1:24-32. God is gracious in allowing people to pursue their desires. Paul demonstrates one way people pursue their desire in homosexuality. Homosexuality was completely accepted by the culture around them. Only one sin is unforgivable - blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. We are only complete when we repent and accept Christ as Lord.

Let's open our Bibles to Romans 1:18-23. God is just in pouring out His wrath on the human race because we have sinfully rejected His revelation of Himself and have worshipped the creature rather than the Creator.

Let's open our Bibles to Ephesians 5:25. Christlike love should characterize each husband's relationship with his wife. 1. Love is the priority for husbands. 2. Love is possible for all husbands. 3. Love is portrayed as a self-sacrificing, caring commitment that shows itself in seeking the highest good of the one loved.

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