Substitutionary Atonement, Romans 5:6-11

When John the Baptist saw Jesus walking towards him, he cried out, “Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”  That was a statement of tremendous significance. On the one hand, he was saluting Jesus as the Savior, as the One who came from God, the Messiah.  And in that, he was indicating the true mission of the Messiah.  Not a military mission, not a political mission, not a mission of social activism, but a mission to save sinners.  And additionally, John was referencing a prophecy that was typified by a Jewish holiday which was

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The benefits of justification, Romans 5:1-5

The apostle Paul has shown us so far in this epistle that all men are sinners before God.  To use legal jargon, all have been brought up on charges before God.  And all of mankind stand condemned because of our sin against God.  There is none righteous, not even one.  And according to God’s law, we are all given the penalty of death.   Paul says the only people that escape this penalty are those who are made righteous by faith in God’s word, of which Abraham is given as a prime example. AS evidence that the righteous shall live

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Faith in the promises of God, Romans 4:13-25

Some of you may be aware that many years ago I used to be an antique dealer and appraiser who specialized in Native American antiques. I looked for things like clothing or weaponry that was from the late 19th century and baskets and textiles. One of the things I learned about from that period was a very rare artifact called a Ghost Dance shirt. It was made in the 1890’s, and rather than being made from the usual buckskin, it was made from muslin and usually painted with symbols of stars and birds. The significance of this shirt is that

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Abraham, the illustration of faith, Romans 4:1-12

In preaching classes, they teach you that illustrations are essential to a good sermon.  I tend not to use them as much as many other pastors do.  Last week I used one regarding the great chasm between man and God, and I think I can say confidently that it was not a good illustration.  I find that the best illustrations for a sermon come from the Bible itself. And in Paul’s message on Romans we come now to an illustration from the life of Abraham.  You might say that Abraham is the best personal illustration of the righteousness which comes

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The Righteousness of God, Romans 3:21 – 31

The thesis of Paul’s message in Romans is found in Romans 1:16-17. He says there, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it [the] righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS [man] SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” This message is the gospel, the good news, that the righteousness of God has been manifested to man on the basis of faith. Paul gives us in that statement a

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The Closing Argument, Romans 3:9-20

We have come to the middle of chapter 3 in Romans and Paul has been endeavoring to prove that all of mankind is a sinner, and that every man is condemned without excuse before the standard of God’s righteousness. Though it’s difficult to hear, Paul doesn’t add any honey to his message to make it go down easier because he knows that in order for mankind to be saved he must be shown conclusively that he is completely without hope before God. So in chapter one Paul has shown that the Pagan is without excuse. In chapter 2 he showed

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Theological objections to condemnation, Romans 3:1-8

It’s evident from the way Paul has written the book of Romans, that Paul expects Christians to be interested in learning theology. Theology is the study of God. And so I hope you are prepared to put on your thinking caps this morning as we study the nature of God and His gospel of salvation. I make no apology for the fact that it is somewhat heavy lifting for so early in the morning. But God calls us to reason together, to study His word, so that we might know Him and come to be known by Him. It may

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Condemning false security, Romans 2:17-29

Romans 2:17 to 29 deals with the subject of false security. The idea of false security is illustrated by the attitude of the people who set sail on the Titanic.  They believed that the ship was unsinkable. And yet history shows that their security was ill founded. The sinking of the Titanic was the greatest maritime disaster because they failed to recognize that they had a false security.  And so even though telling someone that they have a false security may not always be welcome news, yet it actually can be the means of their salvation. Now Paul has been addressing

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The Judgment of God, Romans 2:11-16

In Hebrews chapter one the author quotes a Psalm concerning the nature of the Messiah, who is Jesus Christ. And at the beginning of that book, he states that Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact representation of His nature.  So then what the Psalmist says about Jesus is also true of God.  The Psalmist says in Psalm 45:6-7 “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness (or justice) is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the

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The Kindness of God, Romans 2:1-11

The Puritans wrote the Westminster Shorter Catechism in 1647.  It is a series of questions and answers intended to teach the primary doctrines of the Christian faith. And it has as it’s first question; What is the chief end of man? That is not a vague reference to the Super Bowl by the way.  They meant, what is the primary purpose of man?  The answer is “man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” That principle is important for us to understand. Without that understanding, then it’s possible to put man on a much higher pedestal

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