FAITH ALONE Adrian Wong
Series: Here We Stand
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 30th July 2017
Passage: Psalm 32:1-11
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 think of a thing, a problem in life,
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 in a subject at school that you've been stuck on
00:00:04 --> 00:00:07 and you find it hard to understand
00:00:07 --> 00:00:10 and no matter how hard you try, you can't get it.
00:00:10 --> 00:00:13 So for example, it's maybe a concept in math or science.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:17 And so it's so hard, eventually you just drop the subject
00:00:17 --> 00:00:21 and you vow that in life you'll never have anything to do with that subject.
00:00:22 --> 00:00:24 So throughout the last few weeks,
00:00:24 --> 00:00:26 we've been looking at some of the bigger issues
00:00:26 --> 00:00:30 that Luther and others were facing in the Reformation.
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 So today we'll look at Martin Luther, the man,
00:00:34 --> 00:00:36 and we'll look at one of the issues
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 that he's been wrestling with in the Bible
00:00:38 --> 00:00:44 and how today's passage, Romans chapter 3, verses 21 to 26,
00:00:44 --> 00:00:46 help him to understand this problem.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 So we'll try something a little bit different today.
00:00:49 --> 00:00:54 So I'll ask the AV team to keep putting the Romans passage on the screen.
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 So while I preach, we'll work through the passage together.
00:00:58 --> 00:01:00 So one of the other things I've been reminded of
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 in the last couple of weeks is
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 I went to Heartbeat a couple of weeks ago
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 and one thing that Steve reminded me
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 is to look at the Bible slowly.
00:01:09 --> 00:01:14 So Romans 3 is a passage that a lot of us will know very well.
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 So one thing that we need to do is actually slow down,
00:01:18 --> 00:01:22 look carefully and to make sure God is speaking to us.
00:01:22 --> 00:01:24 So I'm going to ask God to help us to do that.
00:01:25 --> 00:01:26 Let's pray.
00:01:27 --> 00:01:29 Dear God, we thank you for your word.
00:01:29 --> 00:01:30 We thank you that it is so precious.
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 We are sorry at times.
00:01:33 --> 00:01:34 We assume that we know it
00:01:34 --> 00:01:39 and we assume that what we have learned before will feed us.
00:01:39 --> 00:01:42 So pray that even for myself as I'm preaching right now,
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 that we will look slowly at your word,
00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 that we will understand it and look intensely
00:01:47 --> 00:01:49 so that you will speak to us,
00:01:50 --> 00:01:51 so that you will change us for your sake.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:53 I pray this in Jesus' name.
00:01:53 --> 00:01:54 Amen.
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 So today the topic we have is faith alone.
00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 So faith alone is actually like a shortened cash cry
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 for a bigger concept that we need to explore.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 So the idea that we are trying to explore is
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 how we can be justified by faith alone.
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 So to understand these ideas well,
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 we need to go back to the story of Luther.
00:02:17 --> 00:02:20 Because one of the concepts that Luther wrestled with
00:02:20 --> 00:02:21 is the righteousness of God,
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 which is a word that's repeated many times
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 in the book of Romans and in this passage.
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 So in particular, he struggled with chapter 1,
00:02:31 --> 00:02:32 verses 17 to 18.
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 So I'll read those verses to you.
00:02:36 --> 00:02:38 Verse 17 in Romans 1 says,
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 The righteous shall live by faith.
00:02:41 --> 00:02:42 And verse 18 says,
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 Luther said he hated Romans 1, verse 17
00:02:55 --> 00:02:59 before he figured out what God's righteousness meant.
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 So that's what he wrote about this passage.
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 I had been captivated with an extraordinarily ardour
00:03:08 --> 00:03:12 for the understanding of Paul in the epistle to the Romans.
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 But a single word in chapter 1, verse 17,
00:03:16 --> 00:03:18 in which the righteousness of God is revealed,
00:03:19 --> 00:03:20 stood in my way.
00:03:21 --> 00:03:23 For I hated that word righteousness of God,
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 which I had been taught to understand
00:03:26 --> 00:03:29 is the righteousness with which God
00:03:29 --> 00:03:30 punishes the unrighteous sinner.
00:03:30 --> 00:03:34 So that's what the church has taught him
00:03:34 --> 00:03:36 about 500 years ago,
00:03:36 --> 00:03:38 that God is the righteous judge
00:03:38 --> 00:03:39 and we are the unrighteous sinner.
00:03:40 --> 00:03:41 So he hated that word
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 because he knows how unrighteous he is.
00:03:44 --> 00:03:47 In fact, this word weighed on him so heavily.
00:03:48 --> 00:03:51 So before he depended fully on Jesus' salvation,
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 it affected many aspects of his life.
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 So there's another quote about what he tried to do
00:03:57 --> 00:04:00 in light of his unrighteousness.
00:04:00 --> 00:04:28 So that's how he saw Jesus,
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 a terrible judge, sitting up high.
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 So this problem that Luther had
00:04:33 --> 00:04:34 isn't just his problem.
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 It's actually everyone's problem.
00:04:37 --> 00:04:40 So one of the big questions we need to ask is,
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 how can a righteous God
00:04:42 --> 00:04:44 pardon an unrighteous person?
00:04:46 --> 00:04:47 So before we tackle this passage,
00:04:48 --> 00:04:49 I'd actually like to fast forward
00:04:49 --> 00:04:52 to the time that Luther understood
00:04:52 --> 00:04:54 the concept of God's righteousness
00:04:54 --> 00:05:00 and read his reaction to what he read.
00:05:01 --> 00:05:01 So another quote,
00:05:02 --> 00:05:03 A night and day I pondered
00:05:03 --> 00:05:04 until I saw the connection
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 between the justice of God
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 and the statement that
00:05:08 --> 00:05:10 the just shall live by his faith.
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 Then I grabbed that the justice of God
00:05:13 --> 00:05:14 is that righteousness by which
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 through grace and sheer mercy,
00:05:17 --> 00:05:19 God justifies us through faith.
00:05:20 --> 00:05:22 Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 and have gone through open doors
00:05:25 --> 00:05:26 into paradise.
00:05:27 --> 00:05:29 So we can actually see
00:05:29 --> 00:05:30 Luther's excitement
00:05:30 --> 00:05:32 when he finally understood
00:05:32 --> 00:05:33 what it means
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 for the righteous God
00:05:35 --> 00:05:36 to justify him.
00:05:37 --> 00:05:39 And I hope by the end of this message
00:05:39 --> 00:05:40 that you will feel
00:05:40 --> 00:05:43 the same excitement that Luther felt
00:05:43 --> 00:05:44 when he first understood the passage.
00:05:44 --> 00:05:48 So to figure out
00:05:48 --> 00:05:49 what this passage means,
00:05:49 --> 00:05:50 I'll get the AB team
00:05:50 --> 00:05:52 to pop verse 21 on the screen
00:05:52 --> 00:05:54 of Romans chapter 3.
00:05:55 --> 00:05:59 So if you have a Bible,
00:05:59 --> 00:06:00 please turn to that as well.
00:06:00 --> 00:06:03 So in verses 21 to 22,
00:06:03 --> 00:06:06 we notice a few different aspects
00:06:06 --> 00:06:06 of righteousness.
00:06:07 --> 00:06:10 So righteousness is manifested
00:06:10 --> 00:06:12 apart from the law,
00:06:12 --> 00:06:15 but the law and the prophets
00:06:15 --> 00:06:16 bear witness to it.
00:06:17 --> 00:06:18 Righteousness is given by God,
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 is obtained through faith
00:06:21 --> 00:06:22 in Christ Jesus
00:06:22 --> 00:06:23 for all who believe.
00:06:24 --> 00:06:25 So let's look at each part
00:06:25 --> 00:06:26 of this sentence.
00:06:28 --> 00:06:30 The first part is that righteousness
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 is manifested apart from the law.
00:06:34 --> 00:06:35 What this means is that
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 we cannot become righteous
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 by doing good things.
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 The law means the moral standard,
00:06:42 --> 00:06:44 revealed by God
00:06:44 --> 00:06:45 in the Ten Commandments,
00:06:46 --> 00:06:47 summarized by the Ten Commandments.
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 So we can actually see
00:06:50 --> 00:06:53 why our works can't make us righteous
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 in Romans chapter 3, verse 20.
00:06:56 --> 00:06:58 So just before verse 21,
00:06:58 --> 00:07:00 therefore no one will be declared
00:07:00 --> 00:07:01 righteous in God's sight
00:07:01 --> 00:07:03 by the works of the law.
00:07:04 --> 00:07:04 Rather through the law,
00:07:05 --> 00:07:06 we become conscious of sin.
00:07:07 --> 00:07:09 So just to understand
00:07:09 --> 00:07:11 why the law will make us
00:07:11 --> 00:07:12 conscious of sin,
00:07:12 --> 00:07:13 I'll give you an example
00:07:13 --> 00:07:15 that will be close
00:07:15 --> 00:07:16 to some people's heart,
00:07:16 --> 00:07:18 which is at this time of year,
00:07:18 --> 00:07:19 we can think about the tax season
00:07:19 --> 00:07:20 for those that are working.
00:07:21 --> 00:07:22 For those that are studying,
00:07:22 --> 00:07:22 it's still,
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 we've got a few years ahead of you.
00:07:26 --> 00:07:27 So if you think about
00:07:27 --> 00:07:28 the tax season,
00:07:28 --> 00:07:29 and you think about
00:07:29 --> 00:07:30 what we try to do with tax,
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 is that a lot of people
00:07:32 --> 00:07:33 try to minimize
00:07:33 --> 00:07:34 the amount of tax we will pay.
00:07:35 --> 00:07:36 So you see ads
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 from an accounting firm,
00:07:38 --> 00:07:39 you probably see
00:07:39 --> 00:07:39 the accountant
00:07:39 --> 00:07:40 that was very excited
00:07:40 --> 00:07:43 when they got
00:07:43 --> 00:07:44 a maximum deduction.
00:07:45 --> 00:07:46 So that's what we feel sometimes.
00:07:46 --> 00:07:48 So we try to push
00:07:48 --> 00:07:49 against the law
00:07:49 --> 00:07:50 and try to get
00:07:50 --> 00:07:51 everything that we can.
00:07:51 --> 00:07:52 But if we realize
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 that God actually
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 has appointed governments
00:07:56 --> 00:07:57 to rule this land,
00:07:58 --> 00:07:58 even if they don't do it
00:07:58 --> 00:07:59 perfectly,
00:08:00 --> 00:08:00 they still give us
00:08:00 --> 00:08:01 roads to drive on
00:08:01 --> 00:08:02 and social security
00:08:02 --> 00:08:04 and HECS
00:08:04 --> 00:08:05 and uni
00:08:05 --> 00:08:05 and all those things.
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 So we should actually
00:08:08 --> 00:08:10 be glad to pay tax
00:08:10 --> 00:08:10 so that the government
00:08:10 --> 00:08:11 can do their job.
00:08:12 --> 00:08:13 But our hearts
00:08:13 --> 00:08:14 try to go against
00:08:14 --> 00:08:15 what the government
00:08:15 --> 00:08:16 has said in the law
00:08:16 --> 00:08:17 and try to get
00:08:17 --> 00:08:18 as much as we can.
00:08:19 --> 00:08:20 So that's sort of
00:08:20 --> 00:08:21 similar to what we do
00:08:21 --> 00:08:22 when we look at God's law.
00:08:23 --> 00:08:24 So the law
00:08:24 --> 00:08:25 sets up the boundary
00:08:25 --> 00:08:26 in terms of
00:08:26 --> 00:08:26 what we can do,
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 but our sinful hearts
00:08:29 --> 00:08:30 tend to try to push
00:08:30 --> 00:08:30 against the boundary.
00:08:31 --> 00:08:32 So if the law says
00:08:32 --> 00:08:33 you have to drive at 60,
00:08:33 --> 00:08:34 you'll drive at 59 and a half
00:08:34 --> 00:08:36 or something like that.
00:08:36 --> 00:08:37 So that's how we look
00:08:37 --> 00:08:38 at God's law.
00:08:38 --> 00:08:39 We try to disobey
00:08:39 --> 00:08:40 as much as we can
00:08:40 --> 00:08:41 within the limits.
00:08:42 --> 00:08:43 So the law
00:08:43 --> 00:08:44 sometimes actually reveals
00:08:44 --> 00:08:45 how sinful our hearts are.
00:08:47 --> 00:08:48 The second part
00:08:48 --> 00:08:48 of the sentence
00:08:48 --> 00:08:50 is that the law
00:08:50 --> 00:08:50 and prophet
00:08:50 --> 00:08:51 bear witness
00:08:51 --> 00:08:52 to this righteousness.
00:08:54 --> 00:08:55 I'll explain this concept
00:08:55 --> 00:08:56 by a conversation
00:08:56 --> 00:08:57 that I had at church
00:08:57 --> 00:08:59 and I was very happy
00:08:59 --> 00:09:00 to have that conversation.
00:09:00 --> 00:09:01 There was a lady
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 that is seeking
00:09:03 --> 00:09:04 to understand Jesus
00:09:04 --> 00:09:05 and she is still
00:09:05 --> 00:09:06 so we can pray for her.
00:09:07 --> 00:09:10 She has been doing
00:09:10 --> 00:09:11 some Bible studies
00:09:11 --> 00:09:12 and she's so interested
00:09:12 --> 00:09:13 in the Bible
00:09:13 --> 00:09:14 she has started to read it
00:09:14 --> 00:09:15 from the beginning.
00:09:16 --> 00:09:16 And she asked me,
00:09:16 --> 00:09:16 like,
00:09:17 --> 00:09:18 I've read from Genesis
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 to Leviticus so far
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 and she thought that
00:09:22 --> 00:09:23 the God that is revealed
00:09:23 --> 00:09:24 in the Old Testament
00:09:24 --> 00:09:25 is very different
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 from what she has heard
00:09:27 --> 00:09:28 in the Bible study.
00:09:29 --> 00:09:29 So she asked me,
00:09:30 --> 00:09:31 what does it mean?
00:09:31 --> 00:09:31 How does it work?
00:09:31 --> 00:09:33 And I actually thought
00:09:33 --> 00:09:34 that was an awesome opportunity
00:09:34 --> 00:09:36 to bring up this passage
00:09:36 --> 00:09:38 because it says
00:09:38 --> 00:09:38 the law and prophet
00:09:38 --> 00:09:41 testify about God's righteousness.
00:09:41 --> 00:09:42 And in fact,
00:09:42 --> 00:09:43 today we will look at
00:09:43 --> 00:09:44 the different aspects
00:09:44 --> 00:09:46 in the Old Testament
00:09:46 --> 00:09:47 that Jesus has fulfilled.
00:09:48 --> 00:09:50 And the Old Testament
00:09:50 --> 00:09:51 actually points to Jesus
00:09:51 --> 00:09:52 and we'll actually see
00:09:52 --> 00:09:53 how that happens
00:09:53 --> 00:09:55 in the next few verses.
00:09:55 --> 00:09:58 And the last bit
00:09:58 --> 00:09:59 of the phrase says
00:09:59 --> 00:10:00 that the righteousness
00:10:00 --> 00:10:00 is obtained
00:10:00 --> 00:10:02 through faith
00:10:02 --> 00:10:03 in Jesus Christ
00:10:03 --> 00:10:04 for all who believes.
00:10:05 --> 00:10:05 So if you look at
00:10:05 --> 00:10:06 that phrase,
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 through faith
00:10:07 --> 00:10:08 in Jesus Christ
00:10:08 --> 00:10:09 for all who believes,
00:10:10 --> 00:10:10 one of the first questions
00:10:10 --> 00:10:11 you might ask is,
00:10:12 --> 00:10:13 isn't Paul being a bit
00:10:13 --> 00:10:14 redundant and repetitive?
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 He tells us to believe
00:10:16 --> 00:10:17 in Jesus Christ
00:10:17 --> 00:10:18 and then for all
00:10:18 --> 00:10:19 who believes.
00:10:20 --> 00:10:21 So why does he say that?
00:10:22 --> 00:10:22 Actually,
00:10:23 --> 00:10:24 that phrase,
00:10:24 --> 00:10:25 faith in Jesus Christ
00:10:25 --> 00:10:28 can be translated
00:10:28 --> 00:10:30 as faith of Jesus Christ.
00:10:31 --> 00:10:32 And that might actually
00:10:32 --> 00:10:33 make better sense
00:10:33 --> 00:10:34 of this passage.
00:10:35 --> 00:10:36 Because the thing
00:10:36 --> 00:10:37 that we need to believe
00:10:37 --> 00:10:38 is the faithfulness
00:10:38 --> 00:10:39 of Jesus Christ.
00:10:40 --> 00:10:42 How he is completely
00:10:42 --> 00:10:43 obedient to God
00:10:43 --> 00:10:45 and how he is
00:10:45 --> 00:10:46 completely obedient to death.
00:10:47 --> 00:10:49 So we will actually work out
00:10:49 --> 00:10:50 how Christ's faithfulness
00:10:50 --> 00:10:52 affect us.
00:10:52 --> 00:10:54 So that's the second question
00:10:54 --> 00:10:54 we need to ask.
00:10:55 --> 00:10:56 How does Jesus'
00:10:57 --> 00:10:58 faithful obedience
00:10:58 --> 00:10:59 to death
00:10:59 --> 00:11:01 make us right with God?
00:11:03 --> 00:11:04 So Paul,
00:11:04 --> 00:11:04 in the book of Romans,
00:11:05 --> 00:11:06 to help us understand
00:11:06 --> 00:11:07 this concept,
00:11:07 --> 00:11:08 he paints sort of
00:11:08 --> 00:11:09 three mental pictures
00:11:09 --> 00:11:10 for us.
00:11:11 --> 00:11:11 So we will look
00:11:11 --> 00:11:12 at verse 24.
00:11:13 --> 00:11:14 The first word
00:11:14 --> 00:11:15 that God,
00:11:15 --> 00:11:16 that Paul uses
00:11:16 --> 00:11:17 is justified.
00:11:18 --> 00:11:19 We can see this word
00:11:19 --> 00:11:20 in verse 24.
00:11:21 --> 00:11:22 So when we think
00:11:22 --> 00:11:23 of the word justified,
00:11:24 --> 00:11:25 Paul is trying to get us
00:11:25 --> 00:11:26 to think of
00:11:26 --> 00:11:27 a law court
00:11:27 --> 00:11:28 with God
00:11:28 --> 00:11:29 as a presiding judge
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 giving the verdict.
00:11:32 --> 00:11:33 So,
00:11:34 --> 00:11:34 unfortunately,
00:11:35 --> 00:11:36 for Luther at the time,
00:11:36 --> 00:11:37 this concept
00:11:37 --> 00:11:38 of justification
00:11:38 --> 00:11:39 is sort of a bit
00:11:39 --> 00:11:40 clouded
00:11:40 --> 00:11:41 by the Latin Bible
00:11:41 --> 00:11:42 that he is reading
00:11:42 --> 00:11:43 and what he has been taught.
00:11:44 --> 00:11:45 So, you see,
00:11:45 --> 00:11:46 the word justified
00:11:46 --> 00:11:47 comes from the Latin word
00:11:47 --> 00:11:49 justificare,
00:11:49 --> 00:11:49 which is like
00:11:49 --> 00:11:51 justificare.
00:11:51 --> 00:11:52 Justy is the righteous
00:11:52 --> 00:11:53 bit,
00:11:53 --> 00:11:54 like justice
00:11:54 --> 00:11:55 or righteousness.
00:11:56 --> 00:11:56 And ficare
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 is the word
00:11:58 --> 00:11:59 to make.
00:11:59 --> 00:12:01 So if you combine
00:12:01 --> 00:12:01 the two words together,
00:12:02 --> 00:12:03 justification means
00:12:03 --> 00:12:05 to make righteous.
00:12:05 --> 00:12:06 So that's what
00:12:06 --> 00:12:08 the Roman Catholic Church
00:12:08 --> 00:12:09 taught 500 years ago.
00:12:10 --> 00:12:11 And unfortunately,
00:12:11 --> 00:12:13 they still believe
00:12:13 --> 00:12:13 that right now.
00:12:13 --> 00:12:14 So basically,
00:12:15 --> 00:12:15 for someone
00:12:15 --> 00:12:16 to be righteous,
00:12:17 --> 00:12:18 you have to be made
00:12:18 --> 00:12:18 righteous
00:12:18 --> 00:12:20 by the religious works
00:12:20 --> 00:12:20 that you do.
00:12:20 --> 00:12:22 You have to trust in Jesus
00:12:22 --> 00:12:23 and you keep
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 taking sacraments
00:12:25 --> 00:12:26 and doing all these
00:12:26 --> 00:12:27 religious good works
00:12:27 --> 00:12:28 to become righteous.
00:12:30 --> 00:12:31 But when Luther
00:12:31 --> 00:12:32 looked at the Bible
00:12:32 --> 00:12:32 in Greek,
00:12:33 --> 00:12:34 he realised that
00:12:34 --> 00:12:35 justification
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 isn't to make righteous,
00:12:37 --> 00:12:39 but rather for God
00:12:39 --> 00:12:40 to declare us righteous
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 or to count us
00:12:42 --> 00:12:42 as righteous.
00:12:43 --> 00:12:45 So the difference is
00:12:45 --> 00:12:46 if you are made
00:12:46 --> 00:12:46 righteous,
00:12:47 --> 00:12:48 God is trying to,
00:12:48 --> 00:12:49 you have to be changed
00:12:49 --> 00:12:51 to a certain moral standard
00:12:51 --> 00:12:52 before you can be
00:12:52 --> 00:12:53 accepted to God
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 by God.
00:12:55 --> 00:12:56 But what it means here
00:12:56 --> 00:12:57 is God
00:12:57 --> 00:12:58 as a judge
00:12:58 --> 00:12:59 is declaring
00:12:59 --> 00:12:59 that you are righteous
00:12:59 --> 00:13:00 from the outside.
00:13:01 --> 00:13:01 It's not about
00:13:01 --> 00:13:02 what we have been
00:13:02 --> 00:13:04 doing inside
00:13:04 --> 00:13:05 that matters.
00:13:05 --> 00:13:05 It's about
00:13:05 --> 00:13:06 God's verdict.
00:13:07 --> 00:13:08 That's the thing
00:13:08 --> 00:13:08 that makes us righteous.
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 So
00:13:11 --> 00:13:12 we have to work out
00:13:12 --> 00:13:13 how can
00:13:13 --> 00:13:15 the question
00:13:15 --> 00:13:15 still stands
00:13:15 --> 00:13:16 so how can
00:13:16 --> 00:13:17 like a righteous God
00:13:17 --> 00:13:19 declare a sinful person
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 to be justified?
00:13:22 --> 00:13:23 So we have to actually
00:13:23 --> 00:13:24 look at
00:13:24 --> 00:13:25 the second picture
00:13:25 --> 00:13:27 that Paul is
00:13:27 --> 00:13:28 painting here.
00:13:29 --> 00:13:30 The second picture
00:13:30 --> 00:13:30 is actually
00:13:30 --> 00:13:31 a redemption.
00:13:31 --> 00:13:32 But before we do that,
00:13:33 --> 00:13:34 let's think about
00:13:34 --> 00:13:34 an illustration.
00:13:34 --> 00:13:34 justification.
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 So when you think
00:13:36 --> 00:13:37 of justification,
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 you can think of
00:13:40 --> 00:13:41 maybe perhaps
00:13:41 --> 00:13:42 someone has committed
00:13:42 --> 00:13:43 a crime.
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 So what Jesus has done
00:13:45 --> 00:13:46 in justifying us
00:13:46 --> 00:13:47 is that
00:13:47 --> 00:13:48 he steps
00:13:48 --> 00:13:49 into your place
00:13:49 --> 00:13:51 as an innocent man
00:13:51 --> 00:13:52 and actually
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 goes to jail
00:13:53 --> 00:13:53 for you,
00:13:53 --> 00:13:53 basically.
00:13:54 --> 00:13:55 He pays for the penalty
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 that we deserve.
00:13:58 --> 00:13:59 The amazing thing
00:13:59 --> 00:14:00 about God
00:14:00 --> 00:14:00 is that
00:14:00 --> 00:14:02 God has not only
00:14:02 --> 00:14:02 taken away
00:14:02 --> 00:14:03 our sins,
00:14:04 --> 00:14:04 God has chose
00:14:04 --> 00:14:06 to put the obedience
00:14:06 --> 00:14:07 of Jesus
00:14:07 --> 00:14:08 onto us.
00:14:09 --> 00:14:10 So the earlier reading
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11 in Psalm,
00:14:12 --> 00:14:12 it talks about
00:14:12 --> 00:14:14 because of our sin,
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 we actually need
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 to cry out to God
00:14:16 --> 00:14:16 to forgive.
00:14:17 --> 00:14:18 So God actually
00:14:18 --> 00:14:19 does forgive
00:14:19 --> 00:14:19 and take away
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20 our sins.
00:14:20 --> 00:14:21 But more than that,
00:14:22 --> 00:14:22 God chooses
00:14:22 --> 00:14:23 to put
00:14:23 --> 00:14:24 Jesus' righteousness
00:14:24 --> 00:14:25 onto us.
00:14:25 --> 00:14:26 So we can see
00:14:26 --> 00:14:27 this concept
00:14:27 --> 00:14:28 in Romans chapter 4.
00:14:29 --> 00:14:29 When Abraham
00:14:29 --> 00:14:31 believed in God,
00:14:31 --> 00:14:32 it was credited
00:14:32 --> 00:14:32 to him
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 as righteousness.
00:14:33 --> 00:14:34 So it's more
00:14:34 --> 00:14:35 than just
00:14:35 --> 00:14:35 forgiving our sins.
00:14:36 --> 00:14:36 God actually
00:14:36 --> 00:14:37 gives us
00:14:37 --> 00:14:38 Jesus' work,
00:14:39 --> 00:14:40 Jesus' good works
00:14:40 --> 00:14:40 onto us.
00:14:41 --> 00:14:42 So I want to
00:14:42 --> 00:14:43 use this
00:14:43 --> 00:14:44 analogy of the courthouse
00:14:44 --> 00:14:44 a bit further
00:14:44 --> 00:14:46 and think about
00:14:46 --> 00:14:46 what it means.
00:14:47 --> 00:14:48 So imagine
00:14:48 --> 00:14:49 I was getting
00:14:49 --> 00:14:50 sentenced
00:14:50 --> 00:14:51 and somehow
00:14:51 --> 00:14:52 I received a letter
00:14:52 --> 00:14:52 in the mail.
00:14:53 --> 00:14:54 It says that
00:14:54 --> 00:14:55 my sentencing date
00:14:55 --> 00:14:56 is on Australia Day.
00:14:57 --> 00:14:57 That would be
00:14:57 --> 00:14:58 pretty weird
00:14:58 --> 00:14:59 to get a sentence
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 on a public holiday
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 but that's how
00:15:01 --> 00:15:01 it goes.
00:15:02 --> 00:15:03 And
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 on that day
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 Jesus says
00:15:06 --> 00:15:07 I want to
00:15:07 --> 00:15:07 actually take
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 your penalty.
00:15:08 --> 00:15:09 I will stand
00:15:09 --> 00:15:09 in your place
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 and appear
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 in front of the judge
00:15:11 --> 00:15:11 and I will
00:15:11 --> 00:15:12 take your punishment.
00:15:13 --> 00:15:14 And Jesus said
00:15:14 --> 00:15:14 actually I've
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 double booked myself.
00:15:16 --> 00:15:16 On that day
00:15:16 --> 00:15:17 I was actually
00:15:17 --> 00:15:18 due to be
00:15:18 --> 00:15:19 awarded the
00:15:19 --> 00:15:20 Australian of the Year
00:15:20 --> 00:15:21 Award for
00:15:21 --> 00:15:22 Outstanding Community Service.
00:15:23 --> 00:15:23 How about
00:15:23 --> 00:15:24 you go and
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 take the award
00:15:25 --> 00:15:26 in my place.
00:15:26 --> 00:15:27 So that's
00:15:27 --> 00:15:28 sort of
00:15:28 --> 00:15:30 what God
00:15:30 --> 00:15:30 does for us
00:15:30 --> 00:15:31 in Jesus.
00:15:31 --> 00:15:32 He has taken
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 the guilt.
00:15:33 --> 00:15:34 He stood
00:15:34 --> 00:15:35 before the judge
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 taking away
00:15:36 --> 00:15:37 our guilt.
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 More than that
00:15:38 --> 00:15:39 God is putting
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 all of Jesus'
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 righteous works
00:15:41 --> 00:15:42 onto us.
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 So when we
00:15:43 --> 00:15:43 appear
00:15:43 --> 00:15:44 before God
00:15:44 --> 00:15:46 God sees
00:15:46 --> 00:15:47 all of Jesus'
00:15:47 --> 00:15:47 good works
00:15:47 --> 00:15:48 instead of
00:15:48 --> 00:15:49 our sinful life.
00:15:50 --> 00:15:50 So that's
00:15:50 --> 00:15:50 the amazing
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51 thing about
00:15:51 --> 00:15:51 justification.
00:15:54 --> 00:15:54 But
00:15:54 --> 00:15:55 we have to
00:15:55 --> 00:15:55 actually look
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 at the second
00:15:56 --> 00:15:57 picture to
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 work out
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 how God
00:15:59 --> 00:15:59 can do that.
00:16:00 --> 00:16:01 So the second
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 picture that
00:16:02 --> 00:16:03 we can see
00:16:03 --> 00:16:04 is from the
00:16:04 --> 00:16:04 word in
00:16:04 --> 00:16:05 verse 24
00:16:05 --> 00:16:05 redemption.
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 So redemption
00:16:08 --> 00:16:09 Paul is trying
00:16:09 --> 00:16:10 to get us
00:16:10 --> 00:16:10 to think about
00:16:10 --> 00:16:11 the picture
00:16:11 --> 00:16:11 of a slave
00:16:11 --> 00:16:12 market in
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 the first
00:16:13 --> 00:16:13 century.
00:16:14 --> 00:16:14 So we don't
00:16:14 --> 00:16:14 have slave
00:16:14 --> 00:16:15 markets nowadays
00:16:15 --> 00:16:16 which is
00:16:16 --> 00:16:16 quite good.
00:16:17 --> 00:16:17 But imagine
00:16:17 --> 00:16:19 2 years
00:16:19 --> 00:16:19 ago at the
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 slave markets.
00:16:21 --> 00:16:21 If you are
00:16:21 --> 00:16:22 a slave back
00:16:22 --> 00:16:23 in the first
00:16:23 --> 00:16:23 century it
00:16:23 --> 00:16:24 means that
00:16:24 --> 00:16:25 you probably
00:16:25 --> 00:16:26 were born
00:16:26 --> 00:16:26 into slavery
00:16:26 --> 00:16:27 or somehow
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 you incur
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 some economic
00:16:29 --> 00:16:29 debt and
00:16:29 --> 00:16:30 you have
00:16:30 --> 00:16:30 to be
00:16:30 --> 00:16:31 sold into
00:16:31 --> 00:16:31 slavery.
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 And you
00:16:33 --> 00:16:33 have no
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 means of
00:16:34 --> 00:16:35 escaping
00:16:35 --> 00:16:35 slavery.
00:16:36 --> 00:16:36 Like if you
00:16:36 --> 00:16:36 have the
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 money you
00:16:37 --> 00:16:37 would obviously
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 buy your
00:16:38 --> 00:16:38 freedom.
00:16:40 --> 00:16:40 The way
00:16:40 --> 00:16:41 that God
00:16:41 --> 00:16:41 redeems
00:16:41 --> 00:16:42 is like
00:16:42 --> 00:16:43 him paying
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 the price
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 that is
00:16:45 --> 00:16:46 required to
00:16:46 --> 00:16:46 free a
00:16:46 --> 00:16:47 slave so
00:16:47 --> 00:16:47 that we
00:16:47 --> 00:16:47 can be
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 free.
00:16:49 --> 00:16:49 Another
00:16:49 --> 00:16:50 way of
00:16:50 --> 00:16:50 thinking of
00:16:50 --> 00:16:51 redemption
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 is the
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 idea of
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 pawnbrokers.
00:16:55 --> 00:16:55 I'm
00:16:55 --> 00:16:56 sure most
00:16:56 --> 00:16:56 of you
00:16:56 --> 00:16:57 wouldn't
00:16:57 --> 00:16:57 have heard
00:16:57 --> 00:16:58 of what a
00:16:58 --> 00:16:58 pawnbroker is
00:16:58 --> 00:16:59 because we
00:16:59 --> 00:16:59 are way
00:16:59 --> 00:16:59 too young.
00:17:00 --> 00:17:00 Nowadays
00:17:00 --> 00:17:01 we are
00:17:01 --> 00:17:01 out of
00:17:01 --> 00:17:02 money we
00:17:02 --> 00:17:03 just sell
00:17:03 --> 00:17:03 something on
00:17:03 --> 00:17:03 eBay or
00:17:03 --> 00:17:04 something.
00:17:04 --> 00:17:05 But 20
00:17:05 --> 00:17:05 years ago
00:17:05 --> 00:17:06 or maybe
00:17:06 --> 00:17:07 in some
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 country towns
00:17:08 --> 00:17:10 sorry that
00:17:10 --> 00:17:11 was bad
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 but I've
00:17:12 --> 00:17:12 actually seen
00:17:12 --> 00:17:13 them in
00:17:13 --> 00:17:13 country towns
00:17:13 --> 00:17:13 so it's
00:17:13 --> 00:17:14 nothing against
00:17:14 --> 00:17:14 Nick or
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 other people
00:17:15 --> 00:17:17 but it's
00:17:17 --> 00:17:18 actually easy.
00:17:18 --> 00:17:19 If you run
00:17:19 --> 00:17:19 out of money
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 what you do
00:17:20 --> 00:17:20 is take
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 something
00:17:21 --> 00:17:22 precious like
00:17:22 --> 00:17:22 a guitar
00:17:22 --> 00:17:26 and you
00:17:26 --> 00:17:26 take it to
00:17:26 --> 00:17:27 the pawn
00:17:27 --> 00:17:27 shop,
00:17:28 --> 00:17:28 pawnbroker
00:17:28 --> 00:17:29 and you
00:17:29 --> 00:17:30 say I
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 need some
00:17:31 --> 00:17:31 money so
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 you take
00:17:32 --> 00:17:32 your guitar
00:17:32 --> 00:17:34 to the
00:17:34 --> 00:17:34 pawnbroker and
00:17:34 --> 00:17:34 you get
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 some money
00:17:35 --> 00:17:36 and you
00:17:36 --> 00:17:36 want to
00:17:36 --> 00:17:37 redeem your
00:17:37 --> 00:17:38 guitar you
00:17:38 --> 00:17:38 have to
00:17:38 --> 00:17:40 make a bit
00:17:40 --> 00:17:40 more money
00:17:40 --> 00:17:40 than what
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 they gave
00:17:41 --> 00:17:41 you and
00:17:41 --> 00:17:42 give it
00:17:42 --> 00:17:42 back to
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 them and
00:17:43 --> 00:17:43 take your
00:17:43 --> 00:17:43 guitar back.
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 So that's
00:17:45 --> 00:17:45 how you
00:17:45 --> 00:17:45 redeem, you
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 pay a
00:17:46 --> 00:17:46 price to
00:17:46 --> 00:17:47 take something
00:17:47 --> 00:17:47 back.
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 This same
00:17:50 --> 00:17:50 idea is
00:17:50 --> 00:17:51 actually the
00:17:51 --> 00:17:51 idea in
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 Exodus.
00:17:52 --> 00:17:53 God
00:17:53 --> 00:17:53 redeems
00:17:53 --> 00:17:54 the people
00:17:54 --> 00:17:57 for himself
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 by paying
00:17:58 --> 00:17:58 a price.
00:17:59 --> 00:18:01 So these
00:18:01 --> 00:18:01 illustrations help
00:18:01 --> 00:18:02 us to
00:18:02 --> 00:18:02 understand the
00:18:02 --> 00:18:03 idea of
00:18:03 --> 00:18:05 redemption but
00:18:05 --> 00:18:05 we actually
00:18:05 --> 00:18:05 need to
00:18:05 --> 00:18:06 understand we
00:18:06 --> 00:18:07 are incapable
00:18:07 --> 00:18:08 of paying the
00:18:08 --> 00:18:08 redemption price.
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 So that's
00:18:10 --> 00:18:11 why Paul
00:18:11 --> 00:18:12 brings in a
00:18:12 --> 00:18:12 third mental
00:18:12 --> 00:18:13 picture.
00:18:14 --> 00:18:14 In verse
00:18:14 --> 00:18:16 25 it
00:18:16 --> 00:18:16 talks about
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 the sacrifice
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18 of atonement
00:18:18 --> 00:18:19 at the start
00:18:19 --> 00:18:20 of verse 25.
00:18:20 --> 00:18:22 So in
00:18:22 --> 00:18:22 other
00:18:22 --> 00:18:23 translations it
00:18:23 --> 00:18:24 can be
00:18:24 --> 00:18:24 translated as
00:18:24 --> 00:18:25 propitiation.
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 So these
00:18:28 --> 00:18:29 concepts mean
00:18:29 --> 00:18:30 God is
00:18:30 --> 00:18:31 turning away
00:18:31 --> 00:18:31 his
00:18:31 --> 00:18:33 propitiation
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 means turning
00:18:34 --> 00:18:35 away of
00:18:35 --> 00:18:35 anger.
00:18:36 --> 00:18:36 So the
00:18:36 --> 00:18:38 picture Paul
00:18:38 --> 00:18:38 is trying to
00:18:38 --> 00:18:39 paint here is
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 a picture of
00:18:40 --> 00:18:40 a temple.
00:18:41 --> 00:18:42 So Jesus'
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 sacrifice turns
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 away God's
00:18:44 --> 00:18:45 anger.
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 So we
00:18:46 --> 00:18:46 have heard
00:18:46 --> 00:18:47 Sam preach
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 a couple
00:18:48 --> 00:18:48 of weeks
00:18:48 --> 00:18:49 ago about
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 Christ alone
00:18:50 --> 00:18:51 and he
00:18:51 --> 00:18:51 went through
00:18:51 --> 00:18:52 the passage
00:18:52 --> 00:18:52 in Hebrews
00:18:52 --> 00:18:53 chapter 10.
00:18:54 --> 00:18:55 So Hebrews
00:18:55 --> 00:18:55 chapter 10
00:18:55 --> 00:18:56 is about
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 Jesus'
00:18:57 --> 00:18:57 sacrifice,
00:18:58 --> 00:18:58 about the
00:18:58 --> 00:18:59 sacrificial
00:18:59 --> 00:18:59 system that's
00:18:59 --> 00:19:00 mentioned in
00:19:00 --> 00:19:01 Leviticus and
00:19:01 --> 00:19:02 how Jesus as
00:19:02 --> 00:19:03 a perfect
00:19:03 --> 00:19:04 sacrifice he
00:19:04 --> 00:19:05 paid for
00:19:05 --> 00:19:06 our sins
00:19:06 --> 00:19:07 once for
00:19:07 --> 00:19:07 all.
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 So we
00:19:09 --> 00:19:10 put all
00:19:10 --> 00:19:10 these mental
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 pictures together.
00:19:12 --> 00:19:13 We'll have
00:19:13 --> 00:19:15 enough answers
00:19:15 --> 00:19:15 to work out
00:19:15 --> 00:19:16 the questions
00:19:16 --> 00:19:16 I've been
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 asking through
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 the sermon
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 which is
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 how can a
00:19:20 --> 00:19:20 righteous God
00:19:20 --> 00:19:23 forgive and
00:19:23 --> 00:19:24 pardon an
00:19:24 --> 00:19:24 unrighteous
00:19:24 --> 00:19:25 person?
00:19:25 --> 00:19:26 And how
00:19:26 --> 00:19:26 does Jesus'
00:19:26 --> 00:19:27 death make
00:19:27 --> 00:19:27 us right
00:19:27 --> 00:19:29 before God?
00:19:30 --> 00:19:31 So the
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 way that we
00:19:32 --> 00:19:32 can work it
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 out is to
00:19:33 --> 00:19:33 think about
00:19:33 --> 00:19:33 the three
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 mental pictures
00:19:34 --> 00:19:34 again.
00:19:36 --> 00:19:37 So think
00:19:37 --> 00:19:37 of the
00:19:37 --> 00:19:37 temple.
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 Because Jesus
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 is obedient
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 to death
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 and he's
00:19:42 --> 00:19:42 completely
00:19:42 --> 00:19:44 sinless.
00:19:45 --> 00:19:45 He's paid
00:19:45 --> 00:19:46 the price
00:19:46 --> 00:19:46 that is
00:19:46 --> 00:19:47 demanded for
00:19:47 --> 00:19:47 a sinner.
00:19:49 --> 00:19:49 The perfect
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 righteous
00:19:50 --> 00:19:50 death.
00:19:51 --> 00:19:52 Think of
00:19:52 --> 00:19:52 a slave
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 market.
00:19:54 --> 00:19:54 Jesus'
00:19:54 --> 00:19:55 death is
00:19:55 --> 00:19:55 actually the
00:19:55 --> 00:19:56 ransom price
00:19:56 --> 00:19:56 that is
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 required to
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 free us
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 from the
00:19:59 --> 00:20:00 bondage of
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 sin and
00:20:01 --> 00:20:01 the penalty
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 of sin.
00:20:03 --> 00:20:03 And think
00:20:03 --> 00:20:03 about the
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 law court.
00:20:04 --> 00:20:05 We can go
00:20:05 --> 00:20:07 free because
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 Jesus, the
00:20:08 --> 00:20:08 innocent man,
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 has stood in
00:20:10 --> 00:20:10 front of the
00:20:10 --> 00:20:11 judge so that
00:20:11 --> 00:20:11 we can be
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 pardoned.
00:20:13 --> 00:20:14 And what's
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 more, if
00:20:15 --> 00:20:15 you look at
00:20:15 --> 00:20:15 the end,
00:20:16 --> 00:20:16 chapter 3,
00:20:16 --> 00:20:17 verse 26,
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 it's actually
00:20:18 --> 00:20:19 fair for
00:20:19 --> 00:20:19 God to
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 pardon us
00:20:20 --> 00:20:21 when Jesus
00:20:21 --> 00:20:21 dies for
00:20:21 --> 00:20:21 us.
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 Because God
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 has already
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 sent Jesus
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 to die for
00:20:26 --> 00:20:26 us.
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 So what that
00:20:27 --> 00:20:27 means is that
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 he's not
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 being unjust
00:20:29 --> 00:20:29 in forgiving
00:20:29 --> 00:20:30 us.
00:20:31 --> 00:20:31 So a lot of
00:20:31 --> 00:20:32 people will
00:20:32 --> 00:20:32 ask, why
00:20:32 --> 00:20:34 doesn't God
00:20:34 --> 00:20:34 just forgive
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 us, just
00:20:35 --> 00:20:36 say, if you
00:20:36 --> 00:20:36 have sinned,
00:20:36 --> 00:20:36 just forget
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 about it.
00:20:38 --> 00:20:39 It's much
00:20:39 --> 00:20:39 better just to
00:20:39 --> 00:20:40 forget about
00:20:40 --> 00:20:40 sin than to
00:20:40 --> 00:20:42 actually have to
00:20:42 --> 00:20:42 punish someone.
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 The reason is
00:20:44 --> 00:20:44 that God
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 actually has
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 to punish
00:20:46 --> 00:20:46 someone.
00:20:47 --> 00:20:47 He has
00:20:47 --> 00:20:47 set the
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 price for
00:20:48 --> 00:20:48 sin.
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 Those that
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 sin deserve
00:20:50 --> 00:20:50 to die.
00:20:51 --> 00:20:51 Therefore,
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 Jesus needs
00:20:52 --> 00:20:52 to actually
00:20:52 --> 00:20:53 pay the
00:20:53 --> 00:20:53 price for
00:20:53 --> 00:20:53 sin.
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 So when
00:20:55 --> 00:20:55 God
00:20:55 --> 00:20:56 pardons as a
00:20:56 --> 00:20:56 judge right
00:20:56 --> 00:20:57 now, he's
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 being completely
00:20:58 --> 00:20:58 fair.
00:20:59 --> 00:21:00 Someone has
00:21:00 --> 00:21:00 actually died
00:21:00 --> 00:21:01 for our sins.
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 That person is
00:21:02 --> 00:21:02 Jesus.
00:21:02 --> 00:21:05 We have
00:21:05 --> 00:21:05 to ask the
00:21:05 --> 00:21:06 question, why
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 would God
00:21:07 --> 00:21:07 do something
00:21:07 --> 00:21:08 like this?
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 It's too
00:21:10 --> 00:21:10 wonderful and
00:21:10 --> 00:21:11 unimaginable.
00:21:12 --> 00:21:12 We see the
00:21:12 --> 00:21:13 answer in
00:21:13 --> 00:21:14 verse 24.
00:21:14 --> 00:21:14 So we go
00:21:14 --> 00:21:15 back to
00:21:15 --> 00:21:15 verse 24.
00:21:16 --> 00:21:17 Verse 24 is
00:21:17 --> 00:21:18 we are justified
00:21:18 --> 00:21:19 freely by
00:21:19 --> 00:21:20 his grace.
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 So we
00:21:22 --> 00:21:22 looked at
00:21:22 --> 00:21:23 grace alone
00:21:23 --> 00:21:23 last week.
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 Grace is
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 God's own
00:21:26 --> 00:21:26 initiative.
00:21:27 --> 00:21:27 It's a gift.
00:21:28 --> 00:21:28 We don't
00:21:28 --> 00:21:29 deserve grace.
00:21:29 --> 00:21:31 Grace is
00:21:31 --> 00:21:32 something that
00:21:32 --> 00:21:33 God does
00:21:33 --> 00:21:34 because he
00:21:34 --> 00:21:34 just wants
00:21:34 --> 00:21:34 to.
00:21:35 --> 00:21:35 So if you
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 think about
00:21:36 --> 00:21:37 the concept
00:21:37 --> 00:21:37 of grace,
00:21:37 --> 00:21:38 even when we
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 give gifts,
00:21:39 --> 00:21:39 it's actually
00:21:39 --> 00:21:41 usually due
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 to a reason.
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 Yesterday I
00:21:43 --> 00:21:43 went to a
00:21:43 --> 00:21:44 birthday party
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45 for my
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 daughter's
00:21:46 --> 00:21:46 friend.
00:21:46 --> 00:21:47 And they
00:21:47 --> 00:21:47 give gifts
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 because it's
00:21:48 --> 00:21:48 someone's
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 birthday.
00:21:50 --> 00:21:51 The week
00:21:51 --> 00:21:51 after, if you
00:21:51 --> 00:21:52 see them at
00:21:52 --> 00:21:52 school, I'm
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 sure my
00:21:53 --> 00:21:53 daughter won't
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 give that
00:21:54 --> 00:21:54 person another
00:21:54 --> 00:21:55 present.
00:21:55 --> 00:21:56 The reason
00:21:56 --> 00:21:57 why we give
00:21:57 --> 00:21:57 is because
00:21:57 --> 00:21:58 something of
00:21:58 --> 00:21:58 that person
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59 is a
00:21:59 --> 00:22:00 birthday or
00:22:00 --> 00:22:01 because they're
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 your children.
00:22:03 --> 00:22:03 We usually
00:22:03 --> 00:22:04 give gifts
00:22:04 --> 00:22:04 because of
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 a reason.
00:22:06 --> 00:22:06 But God,
00:22:06 --> 00:22:07 the way he
00:22:07 --> 00:22:07 gives gifts,
00:22:07 --> 00:22:08 he gives it
00:22:08 --> 00:22:09 to us,
00:22:09 --> 00:22:09 we're totally
00:22:09 --> 00:22:10 undeserving.
00:22:12 --> 00:22:13 So if we
00:22:13 --> 00:22:13 put,
00:22:15 --> 00:22:15 have you
00:22:15 --> 00:22:16 understood this
00:22:16 --> 00:22:16 passage,
00:22:17 --> 00:22:17 let's return to
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 the topic
00:22:18 --> 00:22:18 sentence,
00:22:19 --> 00:22:19 which is
00:22:19 --> 00:22:20 justification
00:22:20 --> 00:22:21 by faith
00:22:21 --> 00:22:21 alone.
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 So you
00:22:23 --> 00:22:24 might ask
00:22:24 --> 00:22:24 me, I've
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 been talking
00:22:25 --> 00:22:25 about the
00:22:25 --> 00:22:26 whole passage,
00:22:27 --> 00:22:27 but I've
00:22:27 --> 00:22:27 never mentioned
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 the word
00:22:28 --> 00:22:28 faith.
00:22:28 --> 00:22:29 So why
00:22:29 --> 00:22:29 are you
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 getting me
00:22:30 --> 00:22:30 to think
00:22:30 --> 00:22:31 about slave
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 markets and
00:22:32 --> 00:22:34 pawnbrokers and
00:22:34 --> 00:22:35 the law
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 court, and
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 how come
00:22:37 --> 00:22:37 we have not
00:22:37 --> 00:22:37 talked about
00:22:37 --> 00:22:38 faith?
00:22:39 --> 00:22:39 The reason
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 why we need
00:22:40 --> 00:22:40 to think
00:22:40 --> 00:22:41 is that
00:22:41 --> 00:22:42 faith needs
00:22:42 --> 00:22:43 an object.
00:22:44 --> 00:22:44 When we
00:22:44 --> 00:22:45 talk about
00:22:45 --> 00:22:46 justification by
00:22:46 --> 00:22:46 faith alone,
00:22:47 --> 00:22:47 it means,
00:22:48 --> 00:22:48 another word for
00:22:48 --> 00:22:49 faith is to
00:22:49 --> 00:22:50 believe, to
00:22:50 --> 00:22:52 rely, to
00:22:52 --> 00:22:53 trust, or to
00:22:53 --> 00:22:53 depend on
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 something or
00:22:54 --> 00:22:54 someone.
00:22:54 --> 00:22:54 depend.
00:22:55 --> 00:22:56 You can't
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 say that I
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 trust, I'm
00:22:58 --> 00:22:58 safe by
00:22:58 --> 00:22:58 depend.
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 Who are you
00:23:00 --> 00:23:00 depending on?
00:23:01 --> 00:23:02 It means that
00:23:02 --> 00:23:02 we need to be
00:23:02 --> 00:23:03 absolutely clear
00:23:03 --> 00:23:04 on who we
00:23:04 --> 00:23:05 are depending
00:23:05 --> 00:23:05 on.
00:23:06 --> 00:23:07 The reason
00:23:07 --> 00:23:08 why we are
00:23:08 --> 00:23:09 justified is
00:23:09 --> 00:23:09 not based on
00:23:09 --> 00:23:10 how much
00:23:10 --> 00:23:10 faith we
00:23:10 --> 00:23:12 have, but
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 rather we
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 need to
00:23:14 --> 00:23:14 realize
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 completely that
00:23:15 --> 00:23:15 we need to
00:23:15 --> 00:23:16 depend on
00:23:16 --> 00:23:16 Jesus.
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 So what I
00:23:19 --> 00:23:19 want to do
00:23:19 --> 00:23:21 is to play
00:23:21 --> 00:23:22 a theoretical
00:23:22 --> 00:23:22 exercise,
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 which the
00:23:23 --> 00:23:23 theoretical
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24 exercise is.
00:23:25 --> 00:23:25 What if we
00:23:25 --> 00:23:26 try to add
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 to what
00:23:27 --> 00:23:27 Jesus has
00:23:27 --> 00:23:27 done?
00:23:28 --> 00:23:28 What would
00:23:28 --> 00:23:28 happen?
00:23:29 --> 00:23:30 If we add
00:23:30 --> 00:23:30 our religious
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 good works
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 to what
00:23:32 --> 00:23:32 Jesus has
00:23:32 --> 00:23:32 done, what
00:23:32 --> 00:23:33 would happen?
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 So let's
00:23:35 --> 00:23:36 think of the
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 three mental
00:23:37 --> 00:23:38 pictures that
00:23:38 --> 00:23:39 Paul has
00:23:39 --> 00:23:40 presented in
00:23:40 --> 00:23:40 the book of
00:23:40 --> 00:23:40 Romans.
00:23:42 --> 00:23:43 If we
00:23:43 --> 00:23:44 actually try
00:23:44 --> 00:23:45 to add the
00:23:45 --> 00:23:45 works that
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 we have done
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 onto Jesus,
00:23:47 --> 00:23:47 it actually
00:23:47 --> 00:23:48 takes away
00:23:48 --> 00:23:49 from what
00:23:49 --> 00:23:49 God has
00:23:49 --> 00:23:49 done.
00:23:51 --> 00:23:51 Think of
00:23:51 --> 00:23:51 the temple.
00:23:51 --> 00:23:54 what God
00:23:54 --> 00:23:54 requires is
00:23:54 --> 00:23:55 a perfect
00:23:55 --> 00:23:55 sacrifice.
00:23:56 --> 00:23:56 If we
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 try to
00:23:57 --> 00:23:57 add our
00:23:57 --> 00:23:57 works on
00:23:57 --> 00:23:58 top, we
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 actually spoil
00:23:59 --> 00:24:00 it because
00:24:00 --> 00:24:00 we are
00:24:00 --> 00:24:01 sinful.
00:24:02 --> 00:24:02 Not that
00:24:02 --> 00:24:03 we can do
00:24:03 --> 00:24:03 it, but
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 if we try
00:24:04 --> 00:24:04 to do it,
00:24:04 --> 00:24:05 we actually
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 make the
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 sacrifice
00:24:07 --> 00:24:07 defiled.
00:24:08 --> 00:24:09 Think of
00:24:09 --> 00:24:09 the slave
00:24:09 --> 00:24:09 market.
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 God wants
00:24:11 --> 00:24:12 a perfect
00:24:12 --> 00:24:12 ransom to
00:24:12 --> 00:24:13 be paid.
00:24:13 --> 00:24:13 If we
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 try to
00:24:14 --> 00:24:14 pay the
00:24:14 --> 00:24:15 ransom on
00:24:15 --> 00:24:16 top, we
00:24:16 --> 00:24:16 actually make
00:24:16 --> 00:24:16 it an
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 imperfect
00:24:17 --> 00:24:17 ransom.
00:24:18 --> 00:24:18 Think of
00:24:18 --> 00:24:19 the law
00:24:19 --> 00:24:19 court.
00:24:20 --> 00:24:21 If God
00:24:21 --> 00:24:22 requires an
00:24:22 --> 00:24:22 innocent
00:24:22 --> 00:24:23 person to
00:24:23 --> 00:24:23 stand before
00:24:23 --> 00:24:24 him, if we
00:24:24 --> 00:24:24 try to
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 stand along
00:24:25 --> 00:24:25 with Jesus,
00:24:26 --> 00:24:27 I'm a
00:24:27 --> 00:24:27 guilty person.
00:24:27 --> 00:24:28 We can't
00:24:28 --> 00:24:28 add to it.
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 All these
00:24:30 --> 00:24:30 examples are
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 theoretical.
00:24:31 --> 00:24:31 We can
00:24:31 --> 00:24:33 never put
00:24:33 --> 00:24:33 ourselves in
00:24:33 --> 00:24:33 Jesus'
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 place because
00:24:35 --> 00:24:35 he's the
00:24:35 --> 00:24:36 only innocent
00:24:36 --> 00:24:36 one.
00:24:36 --> 00:24:37 He's the
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 only guiltless
00:24:38 --> 00:24:38 one.
00:24:39 --> 00:24:39 He's the
00:24:39 --> 00:24:39 only perfect
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 sacrifice that
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 God will
00:24:41 --> 00:24:41 accept.
00:24:43 --> 00:24:43 This is the
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 reason why we
00:24:44 --> 00:24:45 need to depend
00:24:45 --> 00:24:45 on Jesus
00:24:45 --> 00:24:46 completely.
00:24:47 --> 00:24:48 The more
00:24:48 --> 00:24:48 that we
00:24:48 --> 00:24:49 realise how
00:24:49 --> 00:24:50 wonderful Jesus'
00:24:50 --> 00:24:52 death is, and
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53 the more that
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 we realise how
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 undeserving we
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 are, the
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 more that we
00:24:57 --> 00:24:57 realise that we
00:24:57 --> 00:24:58 need to depend
00:24:58 --> 00:24:58 on Jesus
00:24:58 --> 00:24:59 completely.
00:25:00 --> 00:25:01 So what
00:25:01 --> 00:25:02 does it mean
00:25:02 --> 00:25:02 for all of
00:25:02 --> 00:25:02 us?
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 So if
00:25:05 --> 00:25:05 you've
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 understood this
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 passage for
00:25:07 --> 00:25:07 the first
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 time, just
00:25:08 --> 00:25:09 like Luther
00:25:09 --> 00:25:09 did 500
00:25:09 --> 00:25:10 years ago,
00:25:12 --> 00:25:13 you can
00:25:13 --> 00:25:13 actually see
00:25:13 --> 00:25:14 the excitement
00:25:14 --> 00:25:14 that Luther
00:25:14 --> 00:25:15 had.
00:25:15 --> 00:25:15 And I
00:25:15 --> 00:25:16 will be
00:25:16 --> 00:25:17 excited if
00:25:17 --> 00:25:17 you understood
00:25:17 --> 00:25:18 this passage for
00:25:18 --> 00:25:18 the first time
00:25:18 --> 00:25:19 as well.
00:25:19 --> 00:25:20 So you
00:25:20 --> 00:25:20 can chat
00:25:20 --> 00:25:20 to one
00:25:20 --> 00:25:21 of us
00:25:21 --> 00:25:22 after the
00:25:22 --> 00:25:22 service,
00:25:22 --> 00:25:23 or if
00:25:23 --> 00:25:23 you want
00:25:23 --> 00:25:24 to, you
00:25:24 --> 00:25:24 can fill
00:25:24 --> 00:25:24 in the
00:25:24 --> 00:25:25 communication
00:25:25 --> 00:25:25 card to
00:25:25 --> 00:25:26 tell us
00:25:26 --> 00:25:27 how you've
00:25:27 --> 00:25:27 understood
00:25:27 --> 00:25:28 Jesus'
00:25:28 --> 00:25:28 righteousness
00:25:28 --> 00:25:29 for you,
00:25:29 --> 00:25:30 and we
00:25:30 --> 00:25:30 would love
00:25:30 --> 00:25:30 to hear
00:25:30 --> 00:25:31 about it.
00:25:32 --> 00:25:33 So also
00:25:33 --> 00:25:33 the other
00:25:33 --> 00:25:34 thing that
00:25:34 --> 00:25:34 Sam's
00:25:34 --> 00:25:34 already
00:25:34 --> 00:25:35 mentioned
00:25:35 --> 00:25:35 is the
00:25:35 --> 00:25:35 piece of
00:25:35 --> 00:25:36 paper on
00:25:36 --> 00:25:37 your seat,
00:25:38 --> 00:25:38 which is
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 the Investigating
00:25:39 --> 00:25:39 Christianity
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 course.
00:25:41 --> 00:25:41 I would
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 love for
00:25:42 --> 00:25:42 you to
00:25:42 --> 00:25:43 invite your
00:25:43 --> 00:25:43 friends and
00:25:43 --> 00:25:44 indeed your
00:25:44 --> 00:25:45 enemies to
00:25:45 --> 00:25:46 it, because
00:25:46 --> 00:25:46 everyone needs
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 to hear the
00:25:47 --> 00:25:47 gospel.
00:25:48 --> 00:25:49 And in
00:25:49 --> 00:25:50 fact, if
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 you look at
00:25:51 --> 00:25:52 the outline,
00:25:52 --> 00:25:53 the fourth
00:25:53 --> 00:25:53 study is
00:25:53 --> 00:25:54 how to be
00:25:54 --> 00:25:54 right with
00:25:54 --> 00:25:54 God.
00:25:56 --> 00:25:57 And it
00:25:57 --> 00:25:57 will actually
00:25:57 --> 00:25:58 study this
00:25:58 --> 00:25:58 passage.
00:26:00 --> 00:26:01 The reason
00:26:01 --> 00:26:01 why we need
00:26:01 --> 00:26:02 to invite our
00:26:02 --> 00:26:02 friends is
00:26:02 --> 00:26:03 that we are
00:26:03 --> 00:26:03 desperate for
00:26:03 --> 00:26:05 the world to
00:26:05 --> 00:26:05 know Jesus
00:26:05 --> 00:26:06 and encounter
00:26:06 --> 00:26:07 Jesus.
00:26:07 --> 00:26:08 So I
00:26:08 --> 00:26:09 really hope
00:26:09 --> 00:26:09 that you can
00:26:09 --> 00:26:10 pray through
00:26:10 --> 00:26:11 this week
00:26:11 --> 00:26:12 who we can
00:26:12 --> 00:26:12 invite to
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 this course.
00:26:13 --> 00:26:13 And the
00:26:13 --> 00:26:14 other thing
00:26:14 --> 00:26:14 is if you
00:26:14 --> 00:26:15 missed out on
00:26:15 --> 00:26:15 the training
00:26:15 --> 00:26:16 course I ran
00:26:16 --> 00:26:17 last week on
00:26:17 --> 00:26:17 how to
00:26:17 --> 00:26:18 lead this,
00:26:18 --> 00:26:19 and if you
00:26:19 --> 00:26:19 are keen to
00:26:19 --> 00:26:20 learn how to
00:26:20 --> 00:26:21 use these
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 set of Bible
00:26:22 --> 00:26:23 studies to
00:26:23 --> 00:26:23 help your
00:26:23 --> 00:26:24 friends understand
00:26:24 --> 00:26:25 Jesus, I'd
00:26:25 --> 00:26:26 love to work
00:26:26 --> 00:26:28 alongside you and
00:26:28 --> 00:26:28 train you in
00:26:28 --> 00:26:29 this, so you
00:26:29 --> 00:26:29 can come along
00:26:29 --> 00:26:30 as well, and
00:26:30 --> 00:26:31 hopefully we can
00:26:31 --> 00:26:32 do this on the
00:26:32 --> 00:26:32 job.
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 We'll learn to
00:26:34 --> 00:26:34 do this together,
00:26:35 --> 00:26:36 and we'll do
00:26:36 --> 00:26:36 this over the
00:26:36 --> 00:26:37 next five weeks.
00:26:38 --> 00:26:39 And lastly,
00:26:40 --> 00:26:40 even if you've
00:26:40 --> 00:26:41 heard this
00:26:41 --> 00:26:42 passage many,
00:26:42 --> 00:26:43 many times,
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44 I hope that
00:26:44 --> 00:26:45 the truth about
00:26:45 --> 00:26:47 Jesus here will
00:26:47 --> 00:26:48 help you grow
00:26:48 --> 00:26:49 in wonder,
00:26:50 --> 00:26:50 awe, and
00:26:50 --> 00:26:51 trust in Jesus
00:26:51 --> 00:26:51 and worship
00:26:51 --> 00:26:53 Jesus, so that
00:26:53 --> 00:26:54 we can know and
00:26:54 --> 00:26:55 treasure Jesus by
00:26:55 --> 00:26:56 completely relying on
00:26:56 --> 00:26:57 what Jesus has
00:26:57 --> 00:26:58 done on the cross
00:26:58 --> 00:26:58 for us.