Righteous Before God
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 7/16/2017 AM |
Text: | Romans 3, 4; Lord's Day 23 |
Psalters: | 405, 84, 190, 242 |
- Only righteous
- First, it is be “righteous before God,” i.e., to be declared righteous according to God’s judgment.
- This is said of those who have grossly transgressed every commandment of God and are still inclined to every evil.
- Amazingly, God justifies, i.e., the Supreme Judge declares them to be innocent and righteous.
- God not only imputes righteousness, but He also imparts (“grants”) righteousness so we have life (our condition).
- In regeneration, the Spirit breathing into us the new, heavenly life (John 3:36; 5:24).
- And the present possession of this life means that we are heirs of eternal life.
- First, it is be “righteous before God,” i.e., to be declared righteous according to God’s judgment.
- God’s declaration is “only of mere grace” on the basis of what God did for us in Christ.
- For our righteousness we look only at Jesus who was delivered unto death for our offences and raised for our justification.
- Apart from God’s gracious provision of Jesus there is no possibility of justification.
- It is all grace and only grace, definitely no works of man.
- God enables believers consciously to appropriate this righteousness by faith.
- We are called to embrace this gospel message “with a believing heart.”
- We can receive and apply this truth to ourselves in no “other way than by faith only” (Rom. 3:26,28; 4:11,16,20-22).
- This exercise of God-given faith does not merit, so I am not righteous “on account of the worthiness of my faith.”
- The experience of faith.
- What are the beneficial results of being righteous by faith alone through grace alone in Christ alone?
- What a tremendous benefit to receive the gift of righteousness in Christ!!
- This results in a peace (Rom. 5:1) which passes all human understanding (Phil. 4:7).