Salvation by Grace Alone (Romans 3:21-25, Exodus 34:1-9)
Rev. David Huffman, September 15, 2024Part of the Series On Romans series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
In Paul's letters, the indicative always precedes the imperative: Paul presents what God has done, and then commands what we must do. Knowing the truth is not enough. The first 11 chapters in Romans present God's grace. Chapter 12 shows how we must live our lives having received God's grace. Exodus begins by showing how God has redeemed His people from bondage. We learn how the one true God is greater than idol gods.
Justification has always been by grace through faith in Christ, the promised Redeemer. His people were to obey in the light of the grace He had given them. Paul presents grace three times thus far in this epistle. First, he proclaims how God gave grace to His apostles to build His church. The second time, he gives a greeting to his readers. In v.
24, grace and peace are gifts. Then he explains what grace is and what it does. Grace is demerited favor, God's giving us what we don't deserve, His mercy is not giving us what we do deserve. We receive an indictment as sinners. This includes our sinful actions and also our original sin as being born in Adam. We sin because we are sinners. We are declared to be His enemies. How does grace come to us? By the person and work of His Son. Grace comes at great cost. It comes as propitiation by His blood. We obey the law through Him. What is owed is eternal punishment. Christ returns as judge. He saves us from Himself by giving us Himself. The seriousness of sin brings wrath. Grace is not a substance. Christ IS God's grace. God has patience with sinners; He delays judgment and gives us an opportunity to repent. He was patient with Paul and with all sinners. This is the amazing grace of God. Why does Christ tarry? He is long-suffering, yet we should not be lax.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « In Christ Alone | None | No Place for Pride » |
Romans 3:21–25 (Listen)
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
(ESV)
Exodus 34:1–9 (Listen)
34:1 The LORD said to Moses, “Cut for yourself two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. 2 Be ready by the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself there to me on the top of the mountain. 3 No one shall come up with you, and let no one be seen throughout all the mountain. Let no flocks or herds graze opposite that mountain.” 4 So Moses cut two tablets of stone like the first. And he rose early in the morning and went up on Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand two tablets of stone. 5 The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6 The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” 8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. 9 And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance.”
(ESV)