Charles R. Solomon says, “There are two kinds of people in the world – those who have been rejected and those who have been rejected more.” We all have reaped what Adam and Eve sewed – rejection of God’s will and way. Therefore, we experience rejection. Solomon goes on to teach us in his book, The Ins and Out of Rejection, that there are covert as well as overt ways of experiencing rejection. There are subtle as well as outright ways of receiving rejection, but we have all experienced rejection.
That’s one way of describing our situation in life of being out of relationship with God or unrighteous. And for three chapters Paul has been attempting to point out the fact that all of us are out of relationship with God – not right with Him. Now he begins to come to the good part – how to be made right with God, how to get into a right relationship with God, how to be made acceptable and righteous before God (I use acceptance and righteousness as synonyms in this sermon). In today’s text Paul tells us point blank – God’s way of accepting people.
Acceptance, righteousness, right standing and position with God is what all of us are looking for. God has created every one of us with a need for acceptance, to be in right relationship with Himself as well as with other people. Of course to be in right relationships with other people we must first experience being in a right relationship with God. So let’s look for the key to acceptance in God’s way of accepting people.
I. God’s Way Of Accepting People verses 21-22
The Contemporary English Version (CEV) translates the first phrase of v.21, “Now we see how God does make us acceptable to him.” At the very beginning of Paul’s letter we encountered the theme that runs through the entire epistle. Paul stated that he was not ashamed of the gospel because in it is revealed a righteousness from God that’s completely dependent upon faith. After building a case against all people, showing their universal sinfulness and therefore their universal need of salvation, Paul then spelled out the only way for them to be brought into a right standing with God. God’s way of accepting people:
A. Is Realized Apart From The Law verse 21a
From a human standpoint and by nature people are legalistic. Therefore God’s way was radical. It excluded anything and everything that people by themselves might do to attain acceptance. The acceptance God provides has its origin in what God did, not in what people may accomplish. It’s not earned. It’s not accomplished by activity or performance. It’s realized totally apart from the Law.
B. Is Revealed in the Law and the Prophets v.21b
The Law and the Prophets denotes the Old Testament. You see, the OT witnesses to God’s way of accepting people. The OT testifies to the good news. And what makes the “good news” news is that God would not have come up with a plan that excluded His own contribution toward that future salvation. So the difference between God’s remedy and our attempt to bridge the gap between us and God is: we want to earn; God will only give. God’s way of accepting us has nothing to do with human performance. It’s apart from the law, yet the Law and the Prophets point to it. The OT itself pointed to a work of God yet future that would provide people with a way of being accepted by God, a way of right standing with God, receiving righteousness from God.
C. Is Received by Faith in Jesus Christ verse 22
The CEV translates it, “God treats everyone alike. He accepts people because they have faith in Jesus Christ.” Acceptance in the face of holy God belongs to all who believe in Jesus Christ. The present tense suggests a continuing reliance on Christ rather than a momentary acceptance of His work on our behalf. To experience the spirit of acceptance you must continue to believe in Jesus as your agent of acceptance. God’s remedy for our lack of acceptance was enacted at a specific time on the cross. It was there that God divinely vindicated you and me on that cross and conferred on us a new status or standing with Himself. And that status is accepted, righteous, right, holy and complete in Jesus Christ. Now let me remind you as Paul does in verse 23 of:
II. Man’s Need To Be Accepted verse 23
Paul gives two reasons in verse 23 why man needs to be made righteous or to be accepted. And the only way to be accepted in the sight of a holy God is to be made righteous. So, man needs to be accepted:
A. Because Man Is A Sinner verse 23
Sinner in Greek is “harmartia” meaning to sin, to miss, not to hit. Practically speaking it’s one who keep missing the mark in his or her relationship with God, missing the true end and scope of our lives which is God. Man’s need to be accepted is based on the well established principle (1:18-3:20) that man is a sinner.
Man is born with an identity crisis and that’s what acceptance is all about. There are only two identities in the world: children of Satan - Sinners (John 8:44) and children of God – the Righteous (John 1:12). By eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Eve and Adam sacrificed their relationship to God and determined the essential nature of every person born into the human race. You were born a sinner, born in Adam and to be acceptable you must have a change of identity. You must be born again, born in Christ, righteous and thus accepted. Man also needs to be accepted:
B. Because Man Falls Short verse 23
The Westminster Confession says, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” The original intention was that people reflect the glory of God. Glory originally meant “opinion,” but came to mean “be weighty.” So when applied to God glory means His “weighty and magnificent presence.”
In practical terms, that means seeing and knowing God for who He really is. You see, this life God has created is all about Him, not us. He created us in His image and likeness in order to reflect what He is like. But we lost our share in this glory when Adam and Eve broke their relationship to God. That’s why we need to be accepted – to receive God’s righteousness because the righteousness provided by Christ enables the image of God to be restored and the glory of God to be revealed in a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Apart from the work of Christ that restoration would not be effected in you. So finally, let’s look at:
III. Christ Provision Of Acceptance Portrayed vss. 24-26
The CEV of verse leads us into this portrayal, “But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus he accepts us and sets us free from our sins.” Paul presents 3 metaphors or word pictures of Christ’ provision of our righteousness and acceptance in these verses. Justification is a metaphor borrowed from the court of law. The second is taken from the institution of slavery and the third word picture comes from the ritual of sacrifice.
A. A Picture from the Law Court – Justification
One of Paul’s favorite ways of portraying the work of Christ comes from the court of law. The Greek term is “dikaios” meaning “to declare righteous.” Here God takes the part of the Judge who acquits the guilty. He declares you not guilty and frees you from all charges in connection with your sin. You’re justified freely by God’s grace in Jesus Christ. He makes you just as if you never sinned or ever will again. You’re accepted and righteous.
B. A Picture From the Institution of Slavery – Redemption
In this word picture God takes the part of the benefactor who secures freedom for the slave. The Greek term is “apolutroseos.” It means “to buy back” and portrays a person paying the ransom price for a slave to be set free. The fully paid ransom price is paid through Christ’s death and sinners are purchased for God from the enslaving power of sin. Your debt is paid in full, you’re accepted and you have to do nothing else – it’s all of God.
C. A Picture From the Ritual of Sacrifice – Propitiation
Here the word picture is that of a Priest who makes expiation. The Greek word is “halasterion” and means “the removal of wrath.” It’s translated propitiation or sacrifice of atonement. It pictures Christ as the new mercy seat that covers our sin in the “holy of holies” where the Priest would go once a year to sprinkle the blood for his sins and those of the people. Another way of looking at it is a wiping away of our sin. However you view it Christ Jesus makes atonement for our sin. He makes at-one-ment for us, we’re at one with God. This is God’s way of acceptance and it is received by faith. Would you accept your acceptance today and receive the righteousness that is from God?
