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Sunday February 4, 2007 Romans Series
Part 12
(Romans 3:21-31)
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags..."
(Isa. 64:6a) How do I obtain righteousness apart from the Law ? (3:21-26) 1) The Law & Prophets tell me where this righteousness is found. (21) 2) I receive the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ. (22) Saving faith in Jesus Christ involves the exercise of will. Salvation begins (from the human standpoint) with a person's willful obedience in turning from sin to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Saving faith also involves the emotions, because it must come from the heart as well as from the mind. A person cannot be saved by good feelings about Christ, and many people throughout the ages and in our own day have subsituted good feelings about Christ for saving faith in Him. But on the other hand, a person whose life is transformed by Christ will be affected in his emotions in the deepest possible way. Saving faith also involves the intellect. No one can think his way into heaven, but neither can he receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior without some comprehension of the truth of the gospel. God's salvation allows for no boasting . (3:27-31) The cross establishes, or confirms, the law in three ways:
First, it establishes the law by paying the penalty of death, which the law demanded for failing to fulfill perfectly and completely its righteous requirements.
Second, the cross establishes the law by fulfilling its purpose of driving men to faith in Jesus Christ.
Third, the cross establishes the law by providing believers the potential for fulfilling it. |
