TRANSFORMED – THE LIFE-CHANGING LETTER OF ROMANS PART 2

1. All Have Sinned

Scripture: Romans 3:9-18

Spurgeon wrote:  “Oh, sinner, if God didn’t punish our sin, He has ceased to be what He has always been.”  Mitch version: If God is just, He has to punish us for our sins.

2. God’s Righteousness Through Faith

Scripture: Romans 3:21-26

Spurgeon wrote: Because the sinless Saviour died, my sinful soul is counted free, for God the Just is satisfied, to look on Christ and pardon me.

Paul cites two reasons why the righteousness of God comes through Christ’s death. The first is to demonstrate that God Himself is righteous. The second reason for the cross is that God wanted to show that He is both righteous and at the same time the One who can declare sinners righteous. Because of Christ’s death, God does not compromise His holiness when He forgives a sinner.

Therefore, when God undertook to manifest His righteousness for our justification, He did it “apart from the law.” That is, He did not direct our attention back to the law with its animal sacrifices, but He directed our attention to His Son whom He sent to die for our sin. Romans 8:3 puts it like this: “God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, he condemned sin in the flesh.”

3. Justified by Faith

Scripture: Romans 4:13-18

God gives righteousness to those who believe. This free gift of justification purchased by Jesus on the cross only comes to those who trust in Him.

Jon Piper wrote:  “What could be easier than faith? It doesn’t require extraordinary strength, or beauty, or intelligence. No one will have an excuse on judgment day that the way of salvation was too hard. God will simply say, ‘All you had to do was become like a little child (Matthew 18:3) and trust me to take care of you.'”