Sermon Outline

Prepared by

Dr. Joseph P. Metoyer, Jr., Pastor/Teacher

 Review:  When we were last together studying the book of Romans I dialogued on the subject of, “A Changed Relationship”.  We talked about man’s relationship with God broken by sin.  We also talked about the extent of sin being universal using (Romans 3:23; 5:12)…  We also talked about man’s relationship with God being restored by grace.  Our closing statement was centered in the thought; “The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ is what restores man’s relationship with God.  On that day we examined (Romans 3:9-22).

  October 28, 2001

Text:  Romans 3: 23-31

Subject:  What does it mean to be justified by faith?

Introduction:  The word “justification” is translated, “to declare righteous”.  Something happens to cause a person to be outside of a right relationship and a real need exist to be declared right in the relationship or suffer for the wrong.

I.                   Man’s need to be justified

Have you ever done anything wrong and wanted somebody else to take the hit for it.  In other words, before you get blamed you would like the problem to be fixed. 

A.     (V.23) Paul says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.   Man’s fall into sin has interrupted man’s righteous relationship with a holy and righteous God.  God wants a right relationship with man and therefore man stands in the need of justification, or man needs to be “declared righteous”.

B.     (Skit:  Judge, Advocate, and Accuser) When we sin that is creating an act of ungodliness.  (Romans 1: 18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.     Man is guilty of sin; every man is guilty of sin and needs an advocate.  An advocate is someone who pleads man’s case before the Judge and the Judge is God Himself.  (I John 2:1-2) My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.  And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not ours only but also for the whole world.

II.                Man is justified

(Romans 3:24) Being justified freely by His grace.  Man is justified through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.  Justification is a gracious gift God extends to the repentant, believing sinner, wholly apart from human merit (MacArthur Bible, 1698).

A.     Because sin is an offence against God’s righteousness it takes an act of God to restore the believing sinner before God.  This is a tri-part process:

1.      Man must repent of his sin by exercising his faith.  Jesus said in (Luke 13:3,5) “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish”. 

2.      God has a two-part participation in “Justification”.  He provides a place for man to appear in His court (Romans 3:25-26)…  The place God provides is “redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith”.     This “propitiation” spoken of in this text is translated “Mercy Seat”.  The act of mercy is God holding back the penalty for our sin and placing that penalty upon His Son, Jesus.  God’s Mercy Seat is His love! (John 3:16) “For God so loved the world that that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  The second act of God in “Justification” is that God forgives the sinner by putting away His wrath in Jesus on our behalf. 

a.                            (Hebrews 2:17-18) Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.  For in that he himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

b.                            (I John 4:10) In this is love, not that we loved God, but He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another.

Application:  When God restores us to a right relationship with Him we have “Spiritual Vitality” and His Word says that because of that fact that He has done that for us undeserving the lest we can do is “Love one another”.  It is a sin not to love one another.  God did not ask us to judge the sinner, He is the Judge and He calls on us to love one another to have “Relational Vitality”.  Paul ask the question (Romans 6:1) Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?  How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

Did Jesus die for you?  Sin debt has been paid in full we need to “walk in the newness of life”.  (Romans 6:5ff) For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

We need to understand that while we cannot live a sinless life we can walk in the newness of life and implant the words of Jesus in our hearts (John 3:30) “He must increase but I must decrease.             

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