THE TRUTH OF SALVATION
4/27/08 Romans 4:1-25 S__L__R__
1. Live in a World that Lacks Truth
a. Instead of lying we misspeak
b. Obama’s Pastor – Preachers & Politicians
c. Cry out as Pontius Pilate “What is Truth”
2. Hold in my hand the Absolute Truth
Deuteronomy 32:4 (KJV)
He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
Psalms 119:160 (KJV)
Your word is true from the beginning: and every one of Your righteous judgments endures for ever.
DECLARATION OF THE TRUTH Vs. 1-5
A. Question to Be Answered 1-3
1. “found” – get or obtain a desired end; self effort
2. “if” conditional word – not implying truth
3. “justified” – to be declared right & innocent; righteous
4. “works” – labor that deserves payment or reward
5. ‘glory’ – boast or strut; like a peacock
6. “but not before God”
7. “For what says the Scriptures
a. Romans 3:11 (KJV)
There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God
a. Romans 3:23 (KJV)
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
b. Romans 3:10 (KJV)
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
8.Abraham
a. “believed” – place trust in and rely upon; verb=action
i. abandonment of self total dependence upon another
b. “God” – not his promises!! But God
i. God said it that settles it
c. “counted” 41x’s in NT; 35 by Paul = 11x’s in Ro. 4
i. Accounting word – take from one account and place in another
ii. Cannot be done unless one acct. has enough
d. “righteousness”
i. total conformity, understanding & obedience
Isaiah 64:6-7 (KJV)
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 7 And there is none that calls upon Your name, that stirs up himself to take hold of You: for You have hid Your face from us, and have consumed us, because of our iniquities.
B. Impossibility to Be Seen Vs. 4
1. Can’t “give” a man what he earns
2. Contractual arrangement
a. beginning owes work & is debtor to one he agreed to work for
b. at end person worked for becomes the debtor & owes the worker
3. God is a debtor to no man!!! – what heresy
a. Romans 5:12 (KJV)
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Romans 6:23 (KJV)
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C. Requirements to Be Met
1. “him that works not”
a. not by doing religious things
b. not by treating your fellow man right or paying debts
c. not by your own goodness
d. understand you can’t earn a right standing before God
2. “but believes on Him”
a. nothing else but Him & Him alone
b. Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
3. “that justifies the ungodly”
a. all - devoid of any faith commitment or devotion to God.
b. taken as You are and pardoned.
“to him who casts his deadly doing down; who seeing his guilt, and his entire inability to put it away, ceases wholly from all efforts to obtain God’s favor by his own doings, or self-denying”
“For God can reckon to an ungodly man who dares cease trying to change himself, and relies on God just as he is, a sinner, God can and does reckon to such a one the glorious benefit of Christ’s death and resurrection.
c. Never understood “ungodly” never saved
“The burning question is, have you and I been so really convinced of the fact of our sinner hood and guilt, and of our utter helplessness, and lost state, as to be able to believer on a God who can and does ‘declare righteous the ungodly’ , those who believe, as ungodly, on Him?
APPLICATION OF THE TRUTH Vs. 6-8
A. Process Vs. 6
1. All Activity in this verse is by God
2. Man is the receiver and God is the giver
3. From God’s own account that righteousness is drawn
4. “the blessedness”
a. sense of elation, good fortune;
b. spirit of joy & satisfaction
B. Production Vs. 7
1. “sins” & “iniquities” – sum total of man’s being & doing
a. sinners by birth and action; described in 1:18 & Ch. 3
2. “Covered” – take a cloak and put over; cover from sight
3. “forgiven” – take away from; set aside
a. Micah 7:19 (KJV)
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Psalms 103:12 (KJV)
As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
C. Preservation Vs. 8
1. Remember the meaning of “impute”
a. take from one account and place in another
b. where are my sins??? Gone!
c. Gone with Jesus to the grave!!
d. Replaced by His righteousness
2. Romans 8:31-39 (KJV)
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 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? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For Your sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
CONFIRMATION OF THE TRUTH Vs. 10-25
A. Reception always Produces Works
1. James 2:17-20 (KJV)
Even so faith, if it haS not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, you have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead.
2. Love
a. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul & Mind
b. Love what He Loves
1. Loves the Word
a. hungry for it & apply it to your life
2. Loves the Church
a. when the doors are open want to be there
b. when you find excuses to be absent – move away
3. Loves the Lost
a. greatest desire is to tell others about how God saved you and will save them too!!
4. Loves the Saved
1 John 3:14-19
