Righteous Before God

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: Romans 3, 4; Lord's Day 23
Psalters: 405, 84, 190, 242
  1. Only righteous
    1. First, it is be “righteous before God,” i.e., to be declared righteous according to God’s judgment.
      1. This is said of those who have grossly transgressed every commandment of God and are still inclined to every evil.
      2. Amazingly, God justifies, i.e., the Supreme Judge declares them to be innocent and righteous.
    2. God not only imputes righteousness, but He also imparts (“grants”) righteousness so we have life (our condition).
      1. In regeneration, the Spirit breathing into us the new, heavenly life (John 3:36; 5:24).
      2. And the present possession of this life means that we are heirs of eternal life.
  2.  God’s declaration is “only of mere grace” on the basis of what God did for us in Christ.
    1. For our righteousness we look only at Jesus who was delivered unto death for our offences and raised for our justification.
    2. Apart from God’s gracious provision of Jesus there is no possibility of justification.
    3. It is all grace and only grace, definitely no works of man.
  3. God enables believers consciously to appropriate this righteousness by faith.
    1. We are called to embrace this gospel message “with a believing heart.”
    2. 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).
      1. This exercise of God-given faith does not merit, so I am not righteous “on account of the worthiness of my faith.”
      2. The experience of faith.
  4. What are the beneficial results of being righteous by faith alone through grace alone in Christ alone?
    1. What a tremendous benefit to receive the gift of righteousness in Christ!!
    2. This results in a peace (Rom. 5:1) which passes all human understanding (Phil. 4:7).