Crazy Grace: Good News for Bad People (Romans 3:21–31)

2 most important first things to learn 1. Who is God? 2. Who am I?

America’s Four Gods

[Atheist [5%]]

1. The Benevolent God—engaged but not judgmental [24%]

Unrighteousness (Romans 1:18-32)

2. The Distant God— not engaged or judgmental [24%]

Secular Self-Righteousness (Romans 2:1-11)

3. The Critical God—not engaged but judgmental [16%]

Religious Self-Righteousness (Romans 2:12-29)

4. The Authoritative God—both engaged and judgmental [31%]

Gift Righteousness (Romans 3:21-30)

• Global Problem: the world is not going well & people are not acting good
• Personal Problem: Everyone sinful & under God’s wrath (Rom 3:1-20)
• = everyone is part of the problem, no one is the solution

Superhero movies – someone part human part more comes from another realm to rescue us.  Better than Thor, Silver Surfer, Green Lantern, Autobots Superman

Justification by Faith

Romans 3:²¹ 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.

Righteousness – performance qualifies or disqualifies

E.G. – resume for job; report card for school

1. Behave – Rom. 1-2 (we’ve sinned)
2. Believe – righteousness = “of God” not of us

Jesus behaved, we believe

= “manifested” – shine forth like sun rise

= same object of faith for all – Jesus Christ

“Here therefore is the sermon of sermons and the wisdom of heaven; in order that we may believe that our righteousness and salvation and comfort come to us from outside; in order that we may believe that, though in us dwells naught but sin and unrighteousness and folly, we are, nevertheless, acceptable before God, righteous and holy and wise.” – Martin Luther

• Justification by faith – maul that split Protestants & Catholics 16^th Century
• Raised Catholic, grandma nun got prophetic word for me
• Traditions, sacraments, confession, purgatory, church/priest mediate
• Martin Luther called it the issue on which the church stands or falls.

-Monergism vs Synergism – pulling child up from drowning

Propitiation

Romans 3:22 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. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

=Words/language name things

1. Sin – “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

• Perfection, not competition

=People trying to jump across the Grand Canyon

2. Justified – God is “just” and “justifier” who makes us “justified”

=legal declaration of righteousness before God

=not perfect, but imputed righteousness, made new, headed to perfect

1. Your work for God (works)
2. Jesus work for you (grace)

            =God is just & justifier – Judge who declared guilty & paid the price

3. Redemption – “blood”, “passed over”

= Exodus & Passover as model of redemption

4. Propitiation

-RSV/NEB – expiation   -NIV/NRSV – sacrifice of atonement           -ESV – propitiation

-Rom 3:23-25; Heb. 2:17; 1 Jn. 2:2; 1 Jn. 4:10

-The Bible gives few details about crucifixion, ancient world saw.

Cross

• “an emblem of suffering & shame”
• Tertullian chose cross as the symbol of Christianity
• Crucifixion is state sponsored terror
• When Jesus a boy in 4 AD mass crucifixion of Jews for uprising against Rome
• In 71 BC when Spartacus died in battle 6000 followers crucified along 120 miles

Crucifixion

• Impailing started with Persians around 800 BC
• Romans perfected
• Stipe (permanent post) & patibulum (the crossbar).
• Death by asphyxiation took as long as 9 days
• Public like beheadings

• Women facing cross

Excruciating = “from the cross”

1.Jewish Josephus “most wretched of deaths”

2. Roman Cicero – Romans not crucified or speak of it

3. God’s people Deut. 21:22–23 “a man…put to death…hanged on a tree… is cursed by God.”

• Bodies often discarded

Jesus Crucifixion

• Sweating blood
• Blindfolded & beaten all night
• Scourged – flogged w/flagrum or cat-o-nine tails
• Crown of thorns
• Carry 100lb cross for miles
• Collapsed, chest trauma
  • Chest contusion & aneurysm, lungs filling carbon monoxide
  • Like head on car crash
• Pulled bear, spit, cursed
• Nailed nerve centers

3:24 “by his grace” other translations “freely” – w/o merit.

= Rock in Alaska. Cross not your worth.

Boasting vs Worshipping

Romans 3:²⁷ Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. ²⁸ For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

• God’s perfection vs our competition
• Salvation is for us, not about us

1.    Scripture Alone “Law & Prophets” – not tradition or any other authority (other books)

2.    Grace Alone “by his grace as a gift”– not human works (baptism, tongues)

3.    Faith Alone “through faith in Jesus Christ” – God not anyone/anything else (church, priest, pope) :28 – Luther’s life verse

4.    Christ Alone “redemption…is in Christ Jesus” – Jesus + nothing

5.    To God be the Glory – no “boasting”; gratitude to people & glory only to God

-Winning Team talks trash. On Team Jesus we worship & welcome others to join!

God Works For, In, Through You

Romans 3:²⁹ Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, ³⁰ since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. ³¹ Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

-People who think they are good are headed to hell & make life hell for others (Paul)

-People who keep trying to be good work themselves to death for no reason (worship leader)

-People try to be good but have a tender conscience live w/anxiety (dying woman)

-People who have no reason to believe they are going to hell are told otherwise (1^st funeral)

God works: 1. For you 2. In you 3. Through you