Sermons

Here is a turning point in Paul's teaching on justification. Here is maybe the most important paragraph, the heart of the gospel message. Our focus here is the righteousness of God that is by faith in Christ. God requires righteousness, by His standard. As James writes, one violation of the law makes us guilty of the entire law. But in the message of the gospel there is no despair. God Himself provides us with justifying righteousness apart from the law. The righteousness of God is understood as (1) God is a righteous God. It is also understood (2) that believers get a right standing before God, from God Himself. They are declared righteous in His sight by trusting Him. This righteousness of God is manifest in Christ. Good living does not qualify as justifying righteousness. Our "spiritual growth" does not justify us. Our righteousness is not our own; it comes from somewhere else. We stand before God as sinners, having received the righteousness of Christ by grace through faith. Phil. 3: 8-9 says that all good works are as rubbish as opposed to righteousness in Christ. This was made known from of old, beginning with Genesis 3: 15, as Jesus taught the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24). Real faith is not wishful thinking; it is trusting in the person and work of Jesus Christ.