1. God’s Answer for the Guilty
ROMANS
God’s Answer for the Guilty
ROMANS 3:21-31

2. How do we get righteousness?
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

3. How do we get righteousness?
God has revealed his righteousness many ways throughout time.
The law bore “witness” to the righteousness but it couldn’t provide righteousness.

4. KEY POINT
Our righteousness required an intercessor, an Emmanuel.

5. How do we get righteousness?
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

6. How do we get righteousness?
This is Paul giving us a legal deposition, explaining just how the accused may be acquitted of their crimes.

7. The Nature of Salvation
We must begin with falling short.
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 6:23, Romans 5:12, 1 John 1:8

8. The Nature of Salvation
Justified
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Justified means declared or made righteous in the sight of God.

9. The Nature of Salvation
Forgiveness
…makes us clean
Justification
…makes us able to participate in God’s divine plan

10. The Nature of Salvation
Freely
The word “freely” is translated in John 15:25 as “without a cause”.
John 15:25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

11. The Nature of Salvation
Grace
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Def. Grace is unmerited favor.

12. The Nature of Salvation
Propitiation
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

13. The Nature of Salvation
Propitiation means satisfying God’s holy law so that those under it can receive a full pardon.
Jesus was our propitiation. He stood in the gap to obstruct God’s view of our sins.

14. The Nature of Salvation
Faith
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

15. The Nature of Salvation
Faith is only as good as its object.
Faith in Christ saves us and more specifically, faith in his blood.

16. The Nature of Salvation
What is Christianity's obsession with blood?
Blood is not just a symbol of life, it is life.
God values the power of blood.
Passover – Exo 12
Jewish Day of Atonement - Leviticus 16

17. John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins

18. KEY POINT
The blood of the eternal God is the only blood that could grant us eternal life.

19. The Nature of Salvation
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

20. KEY POINT The one who is just is also the one who justifies.
The one who pays the debt also declares you forever set free.

21. Not by the law, by faith
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

22. Not by the law, by faith
Justification by faith is not against the law but establishes it.

23. Not by the law, by faith
It is our responsibility as Christians to take the message of “justified freely by faith” to the whole world.